《Masked In Nobility: Secrets Of Mrs. Chavez》


 Chapter 1

    [Did you guys hear? Yvette Zeller, the oldest daughter of the Chambers family is back. This is gonna be interesting.]


    [Honestly, what difference does it make? Winona Chambers is already a well-known socialite in Seacrity. I heard that Richard Griffin, the master oil painter, wants to train her as his apprentice. What chance does a country girl have against ady!]


    tract with the Carter family? Yvette was


    [By the way, did you all forget that the Chambers family has a marriage promised to Victor Carter. When she went missing, the opportunity shifted to Winona. But now that the original is back.. things are bound to get tense between the sisters]


    [I totally agree. This is about to get exciting. ce your bets! Which of the Chambers sisters is going to win over Victor?


    [Count me in! I bet one hundred fifty dors]


    [Me too! I¡¯ll put up three hundred dors!]


    In a small farmyard in the countryside, two groups of assassins faced off. The numbers were about equal, and the air was thick with tension-an unspoken danger loomedrge.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    In the center of the yard sat a girl in her early twenties. To call her beautiful would be an understatement-her looks made even the most cold-hearted assassins take notice. Yet, her cool,manding presence set her apart more.


    She had her head slightly lowered, with her sleeves casually rolled up, revealing delicate wrists. In her hands, she held a potted flower that looked ordinary, but anyone in the know would recognize it as the rare Rothschild¡¯s Orchid, a prized possession coveted by many nobles. She set it aside indifferently and lifted her head, showing no joy or sadness in her eyes. Her gaze swept over the ck-d figures in the yard, causing them all to hold their breath. As professional killers, they felt an immediate surge of danger and instinctively took defensive positions


    Suddenly, a soft chuckle broke the tension. The girl, Yvette, rxed her stance and stood casually. The menacing aura around her vanished instantly, as if she hadpletely transformed. Tell Joe that I won¡¯t be getting involved in matters in Ameria right now,¡± she said.


    The people on the left side couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. They had traveled thousands of miles just to get reassurance from Yvette. If things went south, their organization wouldn¡¯t hesitate to punish them. They were veteran operatives who had infiltrated dangerous territories and taken out high-ranking figures. But right now, their fates were in Yvette¡¯s hands.. The men on the right side felt like they had just received a death sentence. Their goals were the same, and the oues would also be alike. Now, there was no way out for them.


    Yvette noticed their despair and paused for a moment. Tell your boss, whatever happens in Afria, as long as he stays away of my country, I won¡¯t interfere. I¡¯ve got better things to do.¡±


    To Yvette, the two groups from Afria and Ameria were merely bored troublemakers, fighting over nothing for years. She was finally on vacation and just wanted some peace.


    The men on the right felt like they had just dodged a bullet, and the tension in the yard lightened a bit. The leaders from both sides exchanged nces, a shared understanding passing between them as they said in unison, Thanks, Ms. Zeller¡± With their questions answered, neither group stuck around


    Even though they didn¡¯t know much about Yvette, the fact that their bosses sent over a dozen top assassins from the two continents spoke volumes. There was an air of mystery about her-they were seasoned hunters and killers, but here, they felt like the prey, and she was the predator.


    After sending away those troublemakers, Yvette packed her things into a ck backpack. She set down the food she had prepared and sat down in the garden to eat. Over the years, she had developed a routine of cooking for herself. There was no rush, and before long, her te was empty.


    Just then, she heard footsteps and sofi murmurs approaching from outside the door. Right away, she recognized that they were just two ordinary folks, without any internal energy. ¡®Seems my guests have arrived, right on time, she thought.


    Outside, Lucas Buckley and Tina Grant walked together, grumbling about the winding mountain path covered in chick and duck droppings.


    For Lucas, a butler in a noble family, it really was a tough gig. Although his lifestyle wasn¡¯t asvish as that of the Chambers family, it was still rtively goodpared to most. If it weren¡¯t for Yvette, he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this at his age.


    Tina, a servant, was there only to gather intel for Winona. Now, seeing Lucas fuming, she couldn¡¯t help but stoke the mes, thinking getting on Lucas¡¯ bad side would be a real headache for Yvette.


    As Tina chatted away, Lucas went still suddenly, his expression shifting to something strange. Curious, Tina followed his gaze and gasped in disbelief when she spotted Yvette.


    This girl is too stunning, the two admired.


    Yvette stood in the courtyard against the misty mountain, like a fairy who had identally wandered into the mortal realm, so enchanting that neither of the two dared to meet her gaze.

 Chapter 2

    Let¡¯s go,¡± said Yvette, snapping Lucas and Tina back into reality!


    Yvette looked just like Lilian Zeller, the first wife of Zachary, the current head of the Chambers family, Lucas thought in shock. No wonder Mr. Zachary Chambers recognized Yvette right away. They are practically identical. No, Yvette is even more sinking¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    An idea sparked in Lucas mind. He had been with Zachary since childhood and knew how obsessed he had been with the mysterious Lilian-he was willing to give up the Chambers family for her. If Lilian hadn¡¯t run away while pregnant, the cument ¡°Mrs. Chambers¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be Nellie


    With her looks, it¡¯s hard to tell what Mr. Zachary Chambers¡¯ attitude toward her is. But one thing is clear-I cannot offend her now. Lucas set aside his disdain and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you are a Chambers by birth. Your mother left in frustration after a disagreement with Mr. Zachary Chambers, Recently, Mr. Zachary Chambers received news about you and sent me here to bring you home.¡±


    With that, he slowly lowered his head under Yvette¡¯s gaze. She appeared cool andposed, but there was more pressureing from her than any elite girl he had ever met. For some reason, he felt uneasy, and soon beads of sweat began to form on his back.


    Most girls would probably be thrilled at the idea of leaving a vige to be the daughter of a wealthy family in Seacrity. Yet Yvette was way too calm. Lacas couldn¡¯t help but feel something oil.


    I must have been out of my mind to think she¡¯s a fairy. She¡¯s just a country girl trying to take the ce of Ms. Winona Chambers, Tina thought. But as she saw Lucas shift to a more respectful tone, she reluctantly followed Yvette¡¯s lead, her expression full of disdain.


    Yvette observed their reactions, her indifference growing sharper. She turned, grabbed her ck backpack, and walked out


    without a word.


    Lucas was confused by Yvette¡¯s silence, wondering. Has she already known we areing for her? But only a few people in the Chambers family are aware of this. How could the news reach such a remote ce? But looking at her demeanor, it¡¯s clear she knows something. He hesitated, daring not to say anything more.


    However, Tina took Yvette¡¯s silence as nothing more than a facade. Unable to contain herself, she said, ¡°You must be so happy about that news that you can¡¯t wait to leave, right, Ms. Zeller? I mean, this ce is just unbearable.¡±


    Lucas wanted to interrupt her but held back, feeling not bad to have Tina as a pawn. But Ms. Winona Chambers maid is too clueless, he thought.


    Yvette shot a cold nce at the silent Lucas and then turned to the hostile Tina. Hmph, even some random nobody dared to speak to me like this?¡¯


    SHI up.


    You¡¯re annoying.¡± Yvette said, not even bothering to look at them again, as if they were invisible.


    Tina¡¯s face turned crimson with anger. Just as she was about to retort, Lacas shot her a fierce re and told her to be quiet. Every servant at the Chambers residence knew Winona favored her and usually treated her with respect. It had been a long time since anyone had embarrassed her like this. She didn¡¯t dare voice her frustration to Lucas, and all her resentment fell on Yvette instead.


    To give them a lesson, Yvette deliberately chose the toughest path down. For her, trekking a mountain trail for an hour was nothing but just workout. But for Tina and Lucas who were from the town, it would be a different story.


    When the three finally reached the foot of the mountain, their appearances were strikingly different-Yvette looked carefree, while the others were a mess, their clothes covered in grass debris and scratches, far from the pristine attire they had started with,


    Lucas understood that Yvette was punishing them. While he fell a surge of indignation, he straightened himself up and stepped forward. ¡°Ms. Zeller, the car is over there.¡±


    Seeing Yvette still wearing an indifferent expression and not wanting to engage with him, he continued, ¡°Tina has offended you, and ording to family rules, she should be punished. But since she¡¯s Ms. Winona Chambers¡¯ personal maid, I can¡¯t make that call. How about I report this to Mr. Zachary Chambers when we get back?¡±


    ¡°Quite the scheming butler. No wonder he No wonder he has served Zachary for so long. Yvette thought with amusement. If she made a big deal out of it, she¡¯d look petty, and word would spread, putting her reputation at risk. But if she let it go, she might end up getting walked all over by the Chambers family-and even everyone in Seacrity.


    ¡°What a tough spot! Yvette gave Lucas a half-smile, causing his heart to skip a

 Chapter 3

    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. The Chambers family let her run her mouth, and that would only make themselves look bad.¡± Yvette said, brushing off the two blushed faces and getting into the car.


    Lucas was at a loss for words. Yvette¡¯s response was razor-sharp-she shot the me right back at him effortlessly. All he could do was signal the bodyguards to take Tina away.


    Zachary had sent a fleet of luxury cars to pick up Yvette, which would definitely turn heads on the street. It was clear he wanted to make it known how much he valued his lost daughter, But whether his feelings were genuine? That was a different story


    Once inside the car, Yvette closed her eyes to rest. Just as Lucas nced her way again, she suddenly opened her eyes, a light shing in them. ¡°Just spill it,¡± she said.


    Recalling the instructions from Zachary before they left, Lucas began carefully. There are four major families in Seacrity right now, with the Lewis family on top. They manage three leadingboratories, each run by a senior official. There are also two major factions and countless wealthy families, all withplicated ties.


    ¡°The Chambers family is currently ranked fourth among these families. Years ago, when Mr. Matthew Chambers was alive, we were at the top, but now¡­


    ¡°Over the years, Mr. Zachary Chambers has struggled with his health while searching for you. He is thrilled to get your news, and it has even improved his condition. He¡¯s eagerly waiting for you toe home. Your mother would surely knowing this


    rest in peace


    As Lucas delivered thest line, a chill ran through him. When he looked up, the sensation disappeared. ¡®Holy cat, am I seeing things he wondered.


    Yvette remained silent, gazing out the window, lost in her thoughts.


    Lucas continued. ¡°Mr. Zachary Chambers hopes that once you return, you can steer clear of conflicts with the other family members. After all, your identity as his daughter is fixed. He will also do his best to find a suitable match for you.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t even bother to look up, making Lucas feel like he was putting on a solo performance.


    Lucas had done his homework on Yvette¡¯s background. Compared to Zeke and Winona, she had seemed rather ordinary growing up. But aside from her looks resembling the photos, her personality and presence werepletely different from the information.


    With years of experience as a butler in a wealthy family, Lucas prided himself on his ability to read people. Yet, he truly couldn¡¯t grasp where Yvette derived her confidence.


    Actually, Yvette¡¯s return to the Chambers family was something she wanted. If not for her own ns, Zachary wouldn¡¯t have been able to find her. As for any conflicts? That was a part of her n


    Zachary¡¯s current wife, Nellie, was no pushover. As the cherished daughter of the Smith family-the second among the four families-she was known for her poise and charm. After marrying Zachary, she ran their home like a pro and became famous in Seacrity as an ideal wife.


    If it weren¡¯t for the information she had, Yvette could have believed Nellie¡¯s good reputation. But the fact was, over the years, any women who tried to get close to Zachary had met unfortunate fates.


    Lucas often yed the ¡°carrot and stick game. First, he threatened Yvette to behave, and then he dangled the promise of a bright future in front of her. He thought there had to be something to sway her.


    Yvette turned away from the window and casually pulled out a piece of candy from her pocket. The moment she opened it, its rich and cr**y aroma filled the car.


    11 40 Sat Oct 5 GB


    Lucas couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard-the candy smelled too tempting.


    Is this from Zachary?¡± Yvette asked.


    Lucas nodded, feeling a headache that Yvette addressed Zachary like that. ¡°He just wants what¡¯s best for you,¡± he exined.


    How long had it been since anyone had warned Yvette? She could hardly remember. Maybe five years? And where had those people gone! One might find their bodies in a random mountain.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t mess with me, I won¡¯t do anything. But if they¡­ Yvette didn¡¯t finish her words, turning back to gaze out of the window.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucas rubbed his temples, beginning to wonder if Zachary bringing Yvette back was a good idea at all. He had a strong feeling that the calm life in the Chambers family was about to end with her arrival.


    If they cross me¡­ well, I¡¯ll make the whole family pay, Yvette sneered silently.

 Chapter 4

    As the car approached the Chasers residence, it left the buzzing city behind and the trees grew thicker on either side of the road. Each of the four great families had their ancestral homies scattered across Seacrity.


    After another half hour of driving, the imposing entrance of the Chambers residence finally came into view. Towering gates, nked by alert security guards, stood watch. Once the gates swing open, the car continued for over ten minutes before reaching the heart of the estate.


    Lucas stepped out and opened the car door for Yvette. She got out, carrying only an old ck backpack, ignoring the servants¡¯ whispers that were just meant to make her feel self-abased.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Zachary had gone all out to wee her back to the Chambers family, yet there was no one waiting for her, even though. they knew when she was arriving. Her so-called father couldn¡¯t have neglected her like this. Who was behind it? It had to be Nellie Yvette smiled, taking in the ¡°kindly wee.¡±


    Lucas observed Yvette closely, knowing this was part of Nellie¡¯s n too.


    The Chambers family really lived up to their reputation. Even at the bottom of the four families, their wealth was staggering. Every painting on the walls was a unique masterpiece, and even the casually ced vases were rare antiques- hardly found in market.


    Standing in thevish living room, Yvette, dressed casually and with her shabby ck backpack, feltpletely out of ce. Yet, she remained calm as if she was used to it. She pointed at thergest painting in the center, asking, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Somehow, Lucas felt a flicker of joy. Throughout the drive, Yvette had been mostly silent, barely ncing at him. If he one response, he considered himself lucky. ¡°That¡¯s a piece by Cyanbird, Ms. Zeller, he replied.


    got


    Yvette was speechless. She recognized it as a work from Cyanbird, but it was just a low-quality replica. The paintingcked emotion and had weak brushstrokes-it waspletely uninspired. She had seen way better replicas before


    She wondered, ¡®Which Chambers has been fooled into thinking this is valuable? It¡¯s absurd that they showcased such as obvious fake in such a prominent spot. Didn¡¯t anyone notice?


    Seeing Yvette staring intently at the painting, Lucas thought she must really like it. Sure, this youngdy has looks and charm, but developing an eye for art takes time. Besides, she grew up in the countryside. How would she know about the famous artist, Cyanbird, whom everyone in high society admired?¡¯


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, the artist of this painting is called Cyanbird, Lucas exined. ¡°Ten years ago, she burst onto the scene with a piece titled Life, which set a record at West Auction House that still stands today. She went on to create a few more works, all collected by royal families overseas. Rumor has it that one of her paintings is even in Mr. Thomas Harrington¡¯s collection


    -a master of oil painting.


    ¡°After she released ¡®Crescent Moon¡¯ a few years back, she disappeared from the spotlight. People are saying all sorts of things -some im she went mad from love, while others insist she¡¯s hiding away, painting only for the king. The truth is, no one really knows.¡±


    ¡°Mad? Hiding away! What nonsense!¡¯ Yvette¡¯s mouth twitched. She had painted just to pass the time during her cultivation. Joe had stumbled upon one of her pieces and insisted on taking it. She hadn¡¯t thought much of it then. Who would have guessed that painting would create such a buzz?


    Eventually, she got tired of all the attention and asked Joe to handle it. ¡®So, he made up those wild stories? If that fool were here right now, I¡¯d seriously teach him a good lesson, she thought while asking. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, where did this paintinge from


    Lucas beamed with pride. ¡°Ms. Winona Chambers went to great lengths to acquire it from Cyanbird, who recognized her talent and gifted her this piece, which really boosted her status in the local art scene. Mr. Griffin, the president of the Art Association, even took her on as a disciple because of this artwork


    ¡°Winona sure has some nerve. How could she spin such a tall tale? Anyone with even a bit of talent could see right through that. Who¡¯s this Mr. Griffin anyway? Yvette recalled that a few years back, the Art Association had asked her for a painting. and the president at the time was Thomas Harrington. He seemed decent enough, so she casually gifted him a piece.


    Just then, Zachary rushed back from work. He should have been home waiting for his long-lost daughter, but Nellie had a financial issue that only he could sort out. After that, he hurried home and still ended upte.


    Zachary walked into the living room with Nellie, and he immediately spotted Yvette¡¯s silhouette, frozen. ¡®Even their backs look that simr?


    As Yvette turned to face him, Zachary stumbled back a couple of steps in shock, feeling an overwhelming mix of emotions -more intense than anything Lucas had experienced.


    Her face is a striking resemnce to Lilian, just like the first time I met her. Zachary was filled with countless emotions, making him overlook the twisted expression shing on Nellie¡¯s face.

 Chapter 5

    Zachary¡¯s emotions seemed to Nellie like a clear sign that he couldn¡¯t get over Lilian. A mix of bitterness and resentment swirled inside her, but she kept her expression neutral.


    Nellie stepped forward, her eyes filled with tears as she carefully scrutinized Yvette. She tried to take Yvette¡¯s delicate hand, but Yvette sidestepped, avoiding the touch. She never liked strangers getting too close.


    The atmosphere grew tense. Yvette remained unfazed, but Nellie felt much ufortable.


    This wretch is really ungrateful, Nellie cursed silently while stering on a gentle smile, saying ¡°Yvette, you poor thing Now that you¡¯re back, just rx and consider this ce your home. If you need anything, feel free to ask. I¡¯m Nellie, Your mother was my best friend, and ever since she went missing, I haven¡¯t been able to sleep a wink. As she spoke, she put hand on her chest, looking as if she might faint at any moment,


    Zachary was lost in his thoughts until Nellie spoke up. Noticing Nellie almost fainted from crying, he rushed over to help her to the sofa. ¡°Nellie, you¡¯re not well. I know you¡¯re happy Yvette is back, but you can¡¯t get too worked up. Lilian wouldn¡¯t me you for this¡±


    To Yvette, Zachary and Nellie¡¯s actions felt like a bad show. A man who remarried his wife¡¯s bestie just two years after his wife died, and a woman who snatched her bestie¡¯s husband and now cried over their friendship¡­ What a shameless match made in heaven!¡¯ she sneered inwardly.


    But she had to admit, Zachary looked decent. He had an elegant charm, and it was impressive he managed to keep his shape in his forties. No wonder Nellie was desperate to marry him when his wife was dead.


    Lilian¡¯s death was still shrouded in mystery. As her daughter, Yvette knew she must make those who had hurt Lilian pay for it, and there¡¯s no escaping.


    ¡°Have you done crying?¡± Yvette¡¯s voice was icy, causing Zachary and Nellie to shiver.


    Nellie thought that by revealing her vulnerabilities, she might earn some sympathy from Yvette, and then, she could y along to win more favor. But Yvette was unpredictable, and the following words caught in Nellie¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my room! Show me,¡± asked Yvette.


    Nellie quickly stood up, signaling for the servants. ¡°Hurry up. Take Yvette to the room on the second floor. With that, she cast a cautious nce at Yvette.


    The servants couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Nellie. It was hard to watch the hostess of the household getting bullied by a youngerdy.


    Sering her n unfold, Nellie felt a wave of satisfaction. Rumors spread quickly-soon, everyone would know about Yvette¡¯s poor manners. Which young man would want her then Zachary wants to find her a good match? No way. The daughter of that b**h would stay in the shadows forever. I¡¯ll never let her rise again.


    Just as Yvette turned to leave with the servant, Zachary, who had been left out of the conversation, called out urgently, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m your dad!¡±


    Yvette paused but didn¡¯t turn around. She replied, ¡°Yeah, got it, and continued upstairs. She didn¡¯te down until dinner. Zachary sat on the couch, feeling down. Nellie saw this as a good opportunity to win his favor.


    Over the years, Zachary had been hot and cold with her. Everyone envied their seemingly perfect marriage, but only Nellie knew that even though Lilian was gone, she still meant more to him than Nellie ever could. If it weren¡¯t for Nellie¡¯s connections to the Smith family and their two talented kids, Zachary would have grown tired of her long ago.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nellie had already grown bitter about the women around him-they either had eyes like Lilian¡¯s or expressions simr to hers. Now came Lilian¡¯s supposed-dead daughter, who would definitely remind Zachary of Lilian frequently. Am I doomed to live in that woman¡¯s shadow forever? No, I won¡¯t ept it! Never! Nellie shouted in her mind.


    She steadied herself and turned to console Zachary. ¡°Honey, Yvette just got back. Don¡¯t be mad at her. She¡¯s Lilian¡¯s daughter, so her temperament should be good. She probably just had someints. It¡¯s my fault. Thepany had problems right when she came home, and I wasn¡¯t there to greet her.¡±


    Her words were reasonable and heartfelt. Even Lucas couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Sure enough, Zachary¡¯s expression softened.


    In a good mood, he tried tofort Nellie. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, dear. Yvette just returned and needs some time to adjust, would be great if you could look after her. By the way, we need to throw a proper wee party for Yvette next month. I want everyone to know that my daughter is back, and let¡¯s see who dares to gossip after that.¡±


    Nellie promised, yet immediately, she hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.


    Zachary looked at her, confused ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Nellie replied. ¡°Yvette is different from Winona and Zeke. I¡¯m worried that with such a big event, she might have trouble with the proper etiquette.¡±


    Zachary understood. Yvette had grown up in the countryside and probably didn¡¯t know much about the rules and traditions of high society. He felt torn-what if Yvette embarrassed herself in front of Seacrity¡¯s elites then?

 Chapter 6

    Noticing that Zachary was still sisiggling with the situation, Nelle decided toy it on him straight. ¡°Zachary, it¡¯s not that I dislike Yvette. But Mr. Grillin ising from Cloudity, and what if he sees something he doesn¡¯t like and changes his mind? Winona has worked so hard to get on his radar. I didn¡¯t want anything to mess that up because of Yvene¡±


    Zachary paused to think and realized Nellie had a point. He held her hand and asked gently. ¡°So, do you have any ideas? Tume is running out. If Yvette starts learning etiquette now, it may be toote.


    Nellie had been waiting for him to ask that. After pretending to ponder for a moment, she suggested. Zachary, if you don¡¯t mind letting Wette experience a little tough love, I might have an idea. But I can¡¯t promise it will work.


    Zachary replied urgently, ¡°What¡¯s it? Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°I have a cousin who¡¯s an etiquette teacher over at Argrol University. She specializes in training girls from wealthy families like Winona. I¡¯ve heard she has a great reputation, and thedies she¡¯s transformed have made real changes. If Yvette is willing. Id be happy to take her to meet my cousin. 1 believe shell give me some face.


    Zachary was mainly worried about Yvette embarrassing him, and he was pleased with Nellie¡¯s suggestion. Even though there wasn¡¯t a deep bond between them-more of a partnership-she had helped him a lot over the years.


    With Zachary¡¯s agreement, Nellie thought to herself triumphantly, ¡®So what if you¡¯re Lilian¡¯s daughter? You¡¯ll still be at my


    Thercy. Yvette.


    Unknown to Zachary, Nellie¡¯s cousin had a notorious reputation for harsh discipline. As she was from the Smith family, theds from less prominent wealthy families didn¡¯t dare to resist her methods.


    In the evening. Zeke and Winona finally showed up. They had spent the day ying golf with Victor and certainly, taken the chance to talk trash about Yvette.


    Just then, Yvette came downstairs gracefully and bumped into the two.


    All three looked quite different from Zachary-Yvette took after Lilian with her strikingly cool beauty, while Zeke and Winona shared some of Nellie¡¯s facial features.


    Zeke was Nellie¡¯s pride and joy. Back then, Matthew allowed her to marry into the once-prestigious Chambers family mainly because she was pregnant with Zachary¡¯s child. From Zeke¡¯s birth, Nellie had doted on him endlessly, but he didn¡¯t turn out spoiled. Instead, he excelled, often ranking at the top of his ss.


    Zeke and Winona already knew about Yvette. They had considered ways to keep Yvette away from the Chambers family, but the people they sent over all vanished strangely. They hadn¡¯t seriously suspected Yvette, but they figured she didn¡¯t have the power to pull anything off


    Growing up in high society, they knew that even if they wanted to target Yvette, they had to keep it under wraps, especially since their father felt so guilty toward her.


    Having one more person in line for the inheritance was just one more threat. Zeke and Winona exchanged knowing nces. silently allying to handle Yvette behind the scenes,


    Zeke acted surprised and quickly apologized to Yvette for beingte. He happily weed her to the Chambers family. Winona yed along, and together, they created quite a lively scene.


    ¡°You must be Yvette, right? I¡¯m Zeke. If you need anything, juste to me. I¡¯ll take care of you,¡± said Zeke warmly.


    Winona watched Yvette¡¯s stunning features, and a wave of jealousy crashed over her. She considered herself one of the top beauties in their social circle, with no one daring to challenge her looks except for Reba, the eldest daughter of the Carter family. But Yvette was something else entirely¡­ Winona had seen her photos, but they didn¡¯t do justice to how stunning she was in person.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her biggest fear was that if Yyette caught Victor¡¯s eye, their engagement-which had originally belonged to Yvette-would be at risk. Panic began to swirl inside Winona,


    Out of the corner of her eye, Winona spotted two figures. Since Yvette¡¯s back was turned to the stairs, she didn¡¯t see theming. Seizing the opportunity, Winona stepped closer and whispered just loud enough for Yvette to hear, ¡°Your mother is dead. Why evene back? This house has no ce for you.¡±


    Winona had yed this card over for years-provoking others and then showing her kindness and grace. It had worked like a charm every time, and she was sure Yvette would be no exception. Get angry, Yvette! Better make a scene so Dad can see just how trashy you are, she thought to herself.


    Winona thought she had it all figured out, but she was about to meet her match. Yvette was a woman who could face the underworld without batting an eye-this little trick wouldn¡¯t faze her at all.

 Chapter 7

    schary and Nellie walked downstairs just in time to see Yvette p Winona hard across the face.


    Winona was stunned, her mouth hanging open in shock. She had never been hit like that before. All she wanted was to get a the out of Yvette, but she never expected her to actually fight back. The hatred in Winona¡¯s eyes was almost palpable, but she held it in. She would make Yvette pay for this p.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Zeke watched the whole thing aside and was taken aback too.


    The servants were too scared to say anything. Ms. Yvette Zeller is really ruthless. Just look at how swollen Winona¡¯s face has


    be


    Winona nced and saw Zachary storming toward them. Gloating over her moment of ¡°victory,¡± she barely felt the sting on her cheek. What did I do wrong.. Yvette? Did I upset you? Why did you hit me?¡±


    Though Winona¡¯s voice was small, Zeke heard every word clearly. He knew her temperament well yet didn¡¯t expect her to be so impatient. But considering Yvette¡¯s looks, it made sense that Winona felt threatened. ¡®Attacking Yvette on the very first day? What a malicious woman! he thought.


    Zachary was furious. To him, it looked like Yvette had pped Winona for no reason. ¡°Stop it, you ungrateful girl!¡±


    Ungrateful girl? What fresh words, Yvette sneered silently. She didn¡¯t want to be seen as anything like that. All she wanted was to be the one in control.


    Nellie nearly lost it when she saw her daughter¡¯s swollen cheek. She knew that Winona must have been too anxious and provoked Yvette on purpose, but so what? She vowed to make Yvette pay for this-happened to coincide with Winona on this point.


    Zachary rushed tofort Winona. Nellie and Zeke closed in around her, leaving Yvette standing alone in awkward silence.


    ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t me Yvette. We got backte, and she probably felt ignored. If she thinks hitting me will solve anything. then let it be ¡°She turned to show Zachary the side of her face where Yvette had pped her


    Look, such a kind girl! Nellie watched Zachary¡¯s expression darken and felt a sense of satisfaction. She pretended to wipe away tears while saying, ¡°Yvette, can¡¯t we talk about this? Why resort to violence? Winona has to attend Mr. Griffin¡¯s party next month. She can¡¯t be dyed¡±


    Zachary felt a wave of anger as he listened to Nellic. He stepped forward, ready to p Yvette. But she just shifted slightly, effortlessly blocking his raised hand in mid-air


    ¡°Want to hit me? You think you¡¯re worthy?¡± Yvette finally spoke up. Since this whole thing started, she had been silent with. her expression indifferent as if she were just a bystander.


    Under her cold gaze, Zachary found himself stuck. If he hit her, he knew he¡¯d definitely regret it. But if he didn¡¯t, what would everyone think of him as the head of the Chambers family? And oddly, he felt his hand heavy and weak,


    The crowd noticed Zachary¡¯s awkward situation. While Yvette stood her ground without any effort, Zachary¡¯s face grew darker, the veins in his arm almost bulging.


    Just when things seemed to freeze, Nellie sensed Zachary¡¯s embarrassment and stepped in. ¡°Honey, it was just a heat-of-the- moment thing for Yvette to p Winona. They¡¯re sisters, after all You can¡¯t be too hard on them.¡±


    Hearing Nellie¡¯s words, Zachary let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hand, though he stubbornly added, ¡°Since you put it that way, I¡¯ll let it slide this time. But if it happens again, Yvette, Em not going to hold back. Now, hurry up and apologize to Winona


    ¡°Apologize? After that hard p, Dad just let her say sorry? Hmph Mom is right. Dad does have a soft spot for that dead woman. Yvette is definitely going to be a pain, Winona thought in anger.


    Even Zeke was a bit surprised by Zachary¡¯s unusual leniency toward Yvette. His expression darkened, a stark contrast to his earlier cheerful demeanor.


    Everyone was focused on the chaos, so no one really noticed-except for Yvette. She had seen charming scoundrel guys like Zeke too often. The deceitful nature of him hid behind that innocent face. To understand his true intentions, one¡¯d have to dig deeper.


    ¡°You want me to apologize?¡± Yvette asked casually.


    Winona had far more in mind than just getting Yvette to say sorry; she wanted her to beg for mercy. But she couldn¡¯t voice iL She needed to keep up her image of being kind and gentle, so she had to swallow this p.


    She forced a smile. ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean that. But since you did hit me, even if I don¡¯t make you apologize, people will think Dad isn¡¯t teaching his daughter well. So, since it¡¯s out there I guess I have to ept your apology.

 Chapter 8

    In the living room, Winona and the others were waiting for Yvette to apologize. Just when Nellie was about to step in and smooth things over, Yvette suddenly smiled.


    Winona couldn¡¯t help but admit that Yvette was truly stunning.


    Zeke, even though he knew Yvette was his half-sister, felt his heart race. He had been living the yboy lifestyle since his teenage years. While he kept it under wraps for the sake of his reputation, he enjoyed thepany of students, models, young stars, and even escorts in private. As long as they intrigued him, he could get them with enough money.


    If¡­ I could have Yvette. The thrill of a forbidden romance was enticing, and Zeke felt his desires bubbling to the surface. Seeing Yvette standing alone, looking vulnerable, he believed lite kindness from him would make her emotional and grateful


    Confident that no matter how tough Yvette could be, she couldn¡¯t resist his charm, Zeke gazed at Yvette¡¯s profile. From this angle, he could see her slightly curled eyshes, stirring a deeper longing in his heart.


    Yvette¡¯s smile hinted that someone was about to pay the price, but the Chambers family waspletely clueless. By the time they caught on, it would have been toote.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were calm, like the still water of a deep well, and in the next moment, she pulled out a small, old-fashioned. ck phone from her pocket. The three couldn¡¯t catch the brand, but they figured it wouldn¡¯t cost much.


    Suddenly, they heard Winona¡¯s malicious voice. ¡°Your mother is dead. Why evene back? This house has no ce for


    you


    The atmosphere in the living room shifted dramatically as the recording yed.


    Winona stood frozen, her mind going nk.


    The servants were just as stunned, not expecting the usually gentle Winona to have such a dark side. The tone of that recording was chilling, and it seemed like she was setting Yvette up.


    Is this really what Winona said? Such cruel words? Zachary looked at Winona in disbelief and was about to p Winonal across the face. But before he could strike, someone moved faster


    Still dazed, Winona received another smack and let out a piercing scream. What freaked her out even more was that the person who hit her was none other than her mother, Nellie.


    The fury in Nellie¡¯s eyes, along with Zachary¡¯s rage, jolted Winona back to reality. What have I just done? I have been recorded!¡¯


    Nellie felt heartbroken for hitting Winona, but she knew if she hadn¡¯t acted, Winona wouldn¡¯t have walked away from this day unscathed.


    Nellie¡¯s scheme worked. Seeing Winona get pped cooled Zachary¡¯s anger considerably.


    Nellie red at Winona as she scolded her. ¡°Winona, haven¡¯t I taught you better since you were little? I know you¡¯re scared that Yvette wille back and take your father¡¯s love away, but you¡¯ve gone too far. Yvette is your sister, and she¡¯s been through so much just to be back in our lives. How can you let jealousy make you treat her like this?¡±


    Nellie¡¯s words framed Winona¡¯s behavior as immature jealousy, and as soon as she said it, Zachary¡¯s expression softened with concern.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nellie then walked over to Yvette quickly, her tone shifting to something more apologetic. ¡°Yvette, please understand that Winona was just confused for a moment. You can punish her as will. I just hope you two don¡¯t let this dome between you. If anyone¡¯s to me, it¡¯s me for not raising her better. I¡¯m truly sorry. Can you ept my apology?¡±


    Yvette lifted her gazezily, a hint of arrogance showing on her face. ¡°You think I¡¯m easy to push around?¡±


    Nellie¡¯s expression fell, and she changed her tone. ¡°Oh no, Yvette, that¡¯s not what I meant. If you¡¯re still upset, I promise I¡¯ll make it right.


    With her teeth clenched, Nellie turned back to Winona, Winona, getting the hint, walked over, tears streaming down her cheeks, looking utterly pitiful. I¡¯m so sorry, Yvette. Please forgive me. I shouldn¡¯t have let my jealousy get the best of me. I was just so scared you would take Dad¡¯s love away from me.¡± As she spoke, she nced nervously at Zachary,


    Zachary couldn¡¯t stand to see his little girl like this. After all, she had grown up beside him. But if he stepped in-now he knew a bit about Yvette¡¯s fiery personality-it would probably just make things worse. Besides, Winona had messed up, and it was only fair for Yvette to give her a little lesson.


    Seeing that Zachary didn¡¯t respond, Winona kept going. ¡°Yvette, if you¡¯re still angry, I¡¯ll stand here until you forgive me.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Winona¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. How dare she actually dental that? What a bitch!


    Feeling a bit sorry for Winona, Zachary cleared his throat and rubbed his sore arim, saying, ¡°Yvette, since Winona has apologized, can we just let it go? Keeping the peace in the family is important. I¡¯ll give you a vi in South Bay!¡±


    Nellie felt upset. That vi, over seven thousand square feet, was Zachary¡¯s prized possession. He had promised it to Zeke as a burthday gift. Now he was talking about giving it to Yvette aspensation-did it really have to be that much?


    Giving her a vi worth over 30 million dors just like that? Winona¡¯s heart raced with anger. But since it all started because of her, she didn¡¯t dare say much more.


    Zeke didn¡¯t expect that, by just watching the drama unfold, he¡¯d end up losing a vi supposed to be his. Even though he wasn¡¯t short on cash, he knew that vi was his birthday gift and had been nning a party with the heirs from the four families. Now, that sure thing was slipping away. Zeke¡¯s face twisted as he bursed silently, ¡®Winona the useless troublemaker!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette merely nced at Zachary, showing no surprise or delight. But the reactions of the other three hinted that the vi was valuable.


    Zachary thought Yvette didn¡¯t realize the market value of the vi. But if he brought it up, it would be awkward, like he was trying to show off. Yet, after offering her something so big, he didn¡¯t even get a smile in return. It left him feeling unsettled.


    The butler, Lucas, who had been quiet this whole time, noticed Zachary looking frustrated. He stepped forward and said. respectfully, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this vi is one of Mr. Zachary Chambers¡¯ prized properties, worth over 30 million dors.


    Really, is this an attempt to buy me off? A 30-million-dor vi? So pricey? Yvette felt amused. She raised an eyebrow, asking. ¡°So what?¡±


    How dare she act so haughty! She isn¡¯t just clueless. She¡¯spletely ungrateful! A rough country girl talking so big¡­ Everyone else¡¯s faces turned dark with anger, except for Lucas, who was already familiar with Yvette¡¯s arrogance.


    Nelle gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Honey, since Yvette doesn¡¯t seem interested, let¡¯s not push her. She just got back, so it¡¯s better to stay at home. I¡¯ve got a limited edition jewelry set that would be perfect for her. Consider it an apology


    Lowering her voice so only Zachary could hear, she added, ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise Zeke the vi? If you give it to Yvette now, Zeke will be really disappointed. Let¡¯s find another way to make it up to her.


    Nellie thought she was being discreet, but Yvette read her lips perfectly-lip-reading was almost a required skill in her world.


    Zachary temporarily forgot about his promise to Zeke, but it only worked before Yvette showed up. But now? He wanted to keep the vi for Yvette, For a moment, he felt trapped between a rock and a hard ce.


    Seeing Zachary hesitate, Nellie decided to y off Yvette¡¯s attitude. She said with a pretentious voice, ¡°You might not realize this, but your dad already promised the vi to Zeke as a birthday gift. Since you don¡¯t want it anyway, how about I throw in a Porsche along with the jewelry? Sound good?


    ¡®Why¡¯s she so eager about the vi? Is it really just about the money? Yvette sensed that there was more to it. ¡°When will the vi officially change hands? she asked.


    Winona sighed in relief. Zeke¡¯s gift had nothing to do with her anyway, but if Yvette agreed, she could avoid making a public apology. Otherwise, once words got out, she¡¯d be aughingstock in high society. Apologizing to a country girl? Come on. Even if Yvette was her dad¡¯s daughter, to Winona, that made her just as lowly.


    On second thought, Winona started to despise Yvette. Just a moment ago, she acted like money was beneath her, and now she¡¯s eager to seal the deal. Humph


    ¡°Changed your mind?¡± asked Yvette.


    Zachary assured her quickly and told Lucas to handle the paperwork. But Nellie wasn¡¯t done. She shot a nce at Zeke for backup.


    Zeke had some inappropriate thoughts about Yvette and wasn¡¯t about to stop this deal. He thought, ¡®Once I have her, who cares about the vi? Keeping a cool demeanor, he chimed in, ¡°Since Dad promised it to her, it only makes sense for it to go to her.¡±


    Nellie was fuming. Even my obedient son is enchanted by Yvette. She¡¯s just as cunning as Lilian!

 Chapter 10

    In the Chambers residence¡¯s living room, the atmosphere was tense after everything that had just happened. Nellie had gone all out preparing avish dinner, but with everyone finally seated, only Yvette was calmly enjoying her meal. The other three seemed to find even the best dishes unappealing now.


    Zachary watched Yvette eating a lot of meat and began to feel concerned about her while imagining a dramatic bitter scene in his head.


    In fact, Vette simply loved eating meal Concerns about body image didn¡¯t cross her mind. Some people can eat a ton and not gain a pound, and Yvette was one of them. Not only was she fit, but her figure was also the epitome of a perfect hourss -just the right amount of curves, with no extra weight.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Is Yvette some kind of bottomless pir? Better eat more and let her gain some weight! Winona felt a twinge of jealousy. Growing up, she had to count every calorie before even considering a bite, let alone indulging like Yvette did. Unfortunately, she was someone who gained weight easily. For years, she had starved herself just to maintain a wless image in front of others. Life just didn¡¯t seem fair


    Zeke watched Yvette skillfully peeling shrimp, her hands moving gracefully, and some improper desire stirred inside him.


    Nellie took a moment to steady her emotions, putting on her ¡°kind¡± stepmother face again. ¡°Yvette, eat more. If it¡¯s not enough, just let the chef know. Growing up in that vige, there must be things you¡¯ve never tried. Now that you¡¯re back, 1 want you to enjoy yourself. These dishes are pretty ordinary, and I wonder if you like ck truffles, caviar, or foie gras


    Nellie¡¯s words were clearly meant to belittle Yvette, and both Winona and Zeke understood that perfectly.


    Winona felt a rush of satisfaction and momentarily forgot about the apology thing. ¡°Mom,e on! How could she have eaten any of that? The most she probably had back in that vige were chickens and ducks, which I can hardly get sometimes. I¡¯m so jealous she got to eat such fresh food.¡± She sneered and then covered her mouth andughed, her mocking expression barely stayed hidden.


    As for why the two women felt bold enough to taunt Yvette, Zachary had just stepped out for an overseas call so they didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back


    Just as they were about to say more, Zachary walked back in. He took a seat with a warm smile and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are youughing?¡±


    Nellie jumped in first. ¡°Honey, I noticed Yvette has a good appetite. I thought she might enjoy some ck truffles and fancy stuff. We¡¯re getting some delivered tomorrow, so I figured I¡¯d have the kitchen whip something up¡±


    Zachary smiled, feeling good that Nellie was caring about Yvette.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, shouldn¡¯t you ask if Yvette even likes that kind of food? What if she doesn¡¯t? Winona pouted, turning to Yvette. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Zachary cut in, ¡°Whether she likes it or not, we¡¯re making it. If she can¡¯t eat it, just toss it. Why bother asking?¡±


    Winona was already embarrassed from the evening¡¯s events, and hearing Zachary scold her again pushed her over the edge If she had been fake crying earlier, now she genuinely felt hurt, her eyes turning red


    Nellie couldn¡¯t stand seeing Zachary scold Winona over Yvette. But since she needed to keep her gentle demeanor, she had to pretend to scold Winona too


    Zeke, who had a crush on Yvette, saw this as a chance to show off a bit. ¡°Yvette, the ck truffles, foie gras, and caviar Mom mentioned are top-notch. ck rutiles are from Frixyia and are rare, and the fresh ones are tough to find for regr folks. Our family has them flown in every month, prepared by a Frixyia chef. Honestly, after all these years of eating them, they¡¯ve kind of lost their thrill. But if I ever get the chance to try ck truffles made by Mr. Logan Brown, tharwould totally be worth the wait. Just really hard to get a reservation.


    He then pretended to downy it as he added, ¡°Look at me, going on about all this to you.¡± He eagerly awaited a look of awe from Yvette but¡­ when he turned back, he saw her staring at him like he was a fool.


    Yvette wiped her mouth and stood up casually. ¡°The ck truffle is also called Tuber mnosporum. It¡¯s a wild edible fungus that grows underground. They have rough skin, with colors ranging from deep brown to ck, covered with little bumps and mixed with gray or light ck and white markings. They mature from mid-December to mid-March and have a strong smell that can linger for days.¡±


    Yvette detailed the origins of the truffles effortlessly, leaving everyone shocked. But what surprised them even more was yet toe.

 Chapter 11

    ? Putting Zeke In His ce


    ''About Logan, his cooking is just okay. But his mentor, Frank Cohen, can cook something special.'' Yvette stretched, relishing the post-mealziness.


    Zeke''s face blushed with embarrassment. ''How could a country girl know so much? How did she even hear about Logan? And who in the world is this Frank? I''ve nevere across that name before. But Logan is a big deal in Frixyia. The only time he got invited to cook in Clusia was for a dinner hosted by the Lewis family.''


    Rumor had it that Logan wouldn''t cook for anyone unless someone nicknamed Evie had eaten his cooking once more. He even turned down requests from the Frixyia royal family. As for who this Evie was, nobody really knew.


    Nellie and the others were just as shocked. Listening to Yvette''s tone, they couldn''t help but wonder, ''Has she actually tried Mr. Brown''s dishes? No way! Absolutely! She must be bragging.


    Nellie asked cautiously, "Yvette, how do you know so much about him? Have you tried his food?" ''Well, no." Yvette yawnedzily. She had eaten Logan''s food, but only twice. However, she''d enjoyed Frank''s cooking for three years while she was in Murphia, struggling with anorexia. Braydon Goodman had invited Frank over-more like kidnapped him-from Epea. Yvette suspected if that old man didn''t have any professional ethics, he might have poisoned her out of spite.


    Hearing her denial, Nellie felt a bit relieved. She pressed on, "So why do you say Mr. Brown''s cooking isn''t good? You''re just messing with us, right? And who''s this Frank? We''ve never even heard of him."


    ''Is it my fault you''re so out of the loop?" Yvette shot back.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nellie''s confidence was fading.


    Winona jumped in, ''Come on, you''re just talking nonsense.


    Zachary, who had been quiet all evening, finally spoke up as Yvette took on Nellie, "Seriously, it''s just ck truffles. If you want them, just tell the kitchen to whip some up. What''s with all this pointless arguing?"


    Under their suspicious stares, Yvette''s first dinner at the Chambers residence wrapped up.


    Lucas stood quietly with his head down all along, unsure if the info they had on Yvette was urate. He thought she might have tasted Logan''s cooking.


    After dinner, a little incident unfolded. As Winona headed upstairs, she intended to push Yvette. But just as she was about to act, Yvette suddenly turned around and shot her a look, as if she knew what Winona was nning.


    Winona, already nervous, lost her bnce and ended up kneeling on the staircase, her knee crashing painfully against the marble right behind Yvette.


    Focusing on her throbbing knee, Winona felt tears welling up. She had a dance performance tomorrow, and now it was all ruined.


    Yvette just smirked and continued upstairs,pletely ignoring Winona''s dramatic wailing behind her. Zachary and Nellie''s rooms were on the third floor. Nellie had arranged for Yvette to stay on the second floor, while Winona''s room was the third door on the left. Zachary''s room was diagonally across from Yvette''s.


    The decor in Yvette''s was overwhelmingly clich¨¦, filled with cheap pink curtains and stuffed animals. The clothes in the closet were even worse-either out-of-season brands or tacky, low-quality fast fashion. Wearing those clothes would make anyone look like a Christmas tree.


    Yvette wasn''t impressed at all. She figured Nellie''s attempts were just petty tricks. If Yvette really were a country bumpkin, maybe she''d find some joy in these things.


    She took out a sleek ck phone and with several moves, she transformed it into a miniputer. She opened a webpage, and the words "ck Gold'' popped up on the screen.


    Clicking in, she saw the top bounty listed as Z, with a reward of 600 million dors. She remembered justst week, it had been 500 million. Who had raised the stakes? She had a quick scan and saw the second ce belonged to someone called Eagle King, and the third was Flying Fish, all currently on missions.


    ck Gold was thergest mercenary dark webwork in the world. Here, as long as one had cash, any kind of mission could be taken, from taking out presidents to wealthy businessmen.


    However, in all the time ck Gold had been around, there was only one task that had never beenpleted-capturing Z, the king of ck Gold. His identity and whereabouts were aplete mystery, and since he entered the dark web, he hadn''t failed a single mission.


    Many had offered big money to take him out, while others desperately sought his help. Z yed by his own rules-nobody knew what job he would take next.


    Yvette closed theputer, turning it back into a phone. Just then, her phone rang, breaking the quiet of the night.


    ''Hey there, sweetheart! Did you miss me?" A man''s glib voice came through, mixed with the sounds of cheering and whistling from a lively crowd.

 Chapter 12

    Just as Yvette was about to hang up, the caller sensed it and quickly switched his tone. ¡°Yve, don¡¯t hang up! I¡¯ve got something important!¡±


    Yvette paused, her finger hovering over the hang-up button, then brought the phone back to her ear. ¡°What is it?¡±


    On the other end, Joe was feeling a bit frustrated. He was the bass of the powerful gang Sun Fall, and everyone in the underworld would show him respect. But when it came to Yvette he found himself having to bow down.


    On the very first day she became his mentor, he got severely beaten, with one of his legs broken. He had tried to fight back, only to get a brutal lesson teaching him to behave himself.


    ¡°Yve, why are you being so harsh? You just left me. What¡¯s so exciting in Clusia? Are there lions or tigers? I mean, sure, you could go, but why didn¡¯t you take me with you? I¡¯m stuck here dealing with the old man. I can¡¯t eat or sleep. Even dating has lost its fun. humph!¡± Joe groaned.


    The only reason Yvette stayed on the line was that she knew Joe, no matter how unreliable, wouldn¡¯t call her in the middle of the night just to chat. She cut through his rambling. Two minutes left. Get to the point


    Joe paused before continuing, ¡°Uh, Braydon reached out to me.


    ¡°Braydon?¡± Yvette was confused.


    Lately, Joe had been not only getting yelled at by his grandpa but also had to keep one eye on that maniac Braydon, who only acted normal around Yvette.


    ¡°Im not sure what¡¯s going on with himtely. He¡¯s been asking about where you went and watching me like a hawk. Can you believe it? To find out where you are, he offered me a bunch of new weapons as a trade, promising me a ten percent cut- that¡¯s billions of dors! Luckily, I stood my ground. Otherwise, that p**ho would¡¯ve shown up at your door by now. But he¡¯s dealing with some family drama-turns out his dad¡¯s illegitimate son is causing trouble, so he might be tied up for a while. Serves him right Joeughed out


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Yvette replied. She rarely expressed gratitude, but she knew how hard Joe was trying to keep her secret safe. Such a huge profit¡­ even if he hadn¡¯t mentioned it, exining it to his grandpa wouldn¡¯t be a walk in the park either.


    ¡°Yve, you¡¯ve got to treat me better from now on. You need to look out for me, you know¡± Joe tried to act cute.


    Yvette chuckled. ¡°Can¡¯t really look out for you, but I¡¯ll send you some internal documents from the Storm Wind gangter¡±


    Joe shouted with excitement-this gift was worth way more than any billions! For decades, in the southern region of Ameria, Storm Wind had been shing with Sun Fall, both sides taking heavy hits. But now, with this intel, he could finally take them down.


    Yvette could feel his happiness even through the line. She hadn¡¯t shared the information with him earlier because she didn¡¯t want to get too involved. It annoyed her, but she disliked owing others. Any trouble that mighte her wayter? She


    didn¡¯t care.


    After hanging up, Yvette took a moment to think before dialing another number. The call connected in just seconds. ¡°This is Yvette,¡± she said.


    The voice on the other end sounded almost incredulous. ¡°Yvette? Is that you, Ms. Zeller?¡±


    ¡°Put Nathan on the line, Yvette replied, her tone icy.


    Without hesitation, the person made the transfer. He knew well about Yvette¡¯s legendary reputation. Besides, the higher-ups had even instructed that if she called, they had to transfer the call immediately-no exceptions.


    ¦°


    Once the call was transferred the person couldn¡¯t help but giggle-he could now brag to his friends that he had spoken with Yvette, and be believed they would envy him for it


    Within five seconds, a deep voice came through vene, this is Nathan¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette gazed out into the night, the moonlight streaming in through the window, highlighting her stunning features. ¡°Keep an eye on him¡±


    Nathan knew his impulsive brother was looking for Yvette. He had tried to stop him before, but once Braydon got fixated on something, even their grandfather could do little to stop him Nathan felt helpless, if he could, he would prefer Braydon never found Yvette at all


    He exined, ¡°Yvette, you know how Braydon is Now, he¡¯s be so powerful that even Grandpa is a little afraid of hir can¡¯t hold him back¡±


    Yvette replied c***y. That¡¯s your problem. If you can¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to send him away for good¡±

 Chapter 13

    Nathan paused


    re you really going


    to go that continued with a harsh tone. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re really ruthless. If I can¡¯t stop Brayde you


    Yvette let out a coldugh. Nathan should have known her answer.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do my best to keep Braydon away, I promise he won¡¯t show up in front of you within a year,¡± Nathan said.


    Yvette hang up the phone without hesitation. What a c**g guy! A year? ying word game with me, huh?¡±


    Meanwhile, in Winona¡¯s room. Nellie was administering medicine to Winona silently with a straight face, making Winona feel a knot tightening in her stomach.


    Everyone had always said Nellie was kind and gentle, raising her kids well. Crowing up, Winona had to learn piano, dance. calligraphy, horseback riding, and art. Nellie imed Winona could follow her passions, but that was a lie. She forced Winona to learn and never fall behind any other noble girl, or there would be consequences.


    Thinking back to those years sent chills down Winona¡¯s spine. She remembered a dancepetition against Reba whose skills were just incredible. Nellie dunked her in cold water for half the night. She cried and pleaded, but it didn¡¯t work. Finally, she had a high fever that night, and Nellie used it as an excuse to drop her out of thepetition


    Her fever hadsted for an entire week. Only when Zachary got home at night did Nellie gently stroke her head. She realized she was merely a tool for her mother to maintain appearances and win her dad¡¯s favor. So since childhood, she understood that some things had to be fought for, no matter the cost, if not, the consequences would be even worse.


    You did something s**id today, you know?¡± Nellie asked.


    Winona¡¯s heart sank, her nerves kicking in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I didn¡¯t mean to. I just couldn¡¯t hold back.¡±


    y the second.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nellie stared at her for a long moment. Under that gaze, Winona felt more suffocated by


    Finally, Nellie softened. ¡°Forget about today. That b**h isn¡¯t so easy to deal with. We need to n carefully. Next time, do anything s**id without confidence. I¡¯ve been teaching you all these years, yet you haven¡¯t made any progress at all.¡±


    don¡¯t


    Seeing that Nellie wasn¡¯t angry anymore, Winona felt a bit relieved and finally voiced her worries. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m worried that Victor¡­¡±


    Seeing Winona¡¯s fearful expression, Nellie rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you worried he¡¯ll be attracted to Yvette and won¡¯t want you anymore?¡±


    Winona nodded. She had to admit that Yvette was too stunning


    Nellie smirked dismissively. ¡°Winona, rx. As long as I¡¯m a Smith and you¡¯re still your grandfather¡¯s favorite, he won¡¯t have the guts to look elsewhere. Even if his engagement was set up by Mr. Carter and Lilian, what does that matter? Those years are long gone, and I¡¯m thedy of the Chambers family now. Nobody¡¯s taking your spot!¡±


    With total certainty, Nellie continued, ¡°Gather yourself. Next month is your apprenticeship ceremony. You must show Yvette the difference between a noble girl and a country bumpkin like her. She might be pretty, but what else does she have thatpares to you? Once Victor sees the gap between you two, he¡¯ll understand who he should marry.¡±


    Winona felt her confidence soar with Nellie¡¯s words. She had been thrown off by Yvette¡¯s beauty, and her mom was right¡ª the Carter family wouldn¡¯t marry someone like Yvette, who was all looks and no talent.


    Before leaving, Nellie asked about Zeke¡¯s whereabouts. Winona hesitated and, after her mother pressed her, finally admitted he was at a nightclub. Nellie was furious. Zeke never listened to her and chose foolish adventures right before exams. She


    u


    needed to figure something put for him.


    As Nellie stormed out, Winona lifted her head slowly, a sinister smile creeping onto her face.


    32%:


    In the nightclub, Zeke was having a wild time with his buddies, downing drinks andughing. Lately, he had been spoiling a C-list celebrity. When they first started hanging out, she seemed innocent and didn¡¯t care much for money. But in just three months, she was driving the luxury car he bought her, living in a mansion, and unting designer clothes that used to be out of her reach-she had corruptedpletely.


    Zeke knew there was something twisted in him. He got a kick out of ruining beautiful things. That feeling filled a void inside. him that he couldn¡¯t shake.


    He leaned back in his chair, taking in the celebrity dancing on a pole in the private room. He lighted a cigarette, and the smoke curled around his face, trying to hide the darkness within. Yet, his mind kept wandering back to Yvette and her icy, alluring smile.


    When the celebrity finished her dance and walked over to charm him, Zeke simply said, ¡°This woman¡¯s for you guys to enjoy.¡±


    His friends quickly jumped on board.


    Thanks, Zeke!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a nice guy, Zeke!


    The celebrity¡¯s eyes went wide in shock as she lunged for Zeke, trying to grab his leg. But with a swift kick, he sent her sprawling to the floor.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°he good, or the cars, the mansion, and the designer bags could all disappear. y nice with these guys, and you can keep emoving thisvish lifestyle,¡± said Zeke before leaving


    The celebrity was heartbroken. Over thest three months, Zeke had treated her so well that she believed she was special. He was charming and wealthy, so it was hard not to be drawn to him. But she forgot how ruthless this group of rich kids could be To them, she was just a ything someone to toss aside once their fun was over.


    But Zeke had a point. She had be way too ustomed to this life of luxury. Without the mansion, the shy car, and the designer clothes life would feel worse than death


    As she fell silent, resigned to her fate, one of the yboys moved closer. He attempted tofort her with a few sweet words while shipping his hand under her shirt, groping her without hesitation.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The other guys in the room didn¡¯t even blink. They just turned back to whatever distracted them. After all, when Zeke was done with a girl, they all took their turn, Nothing unusual there.


    The next morning, Nellie woke up early to make breakfast, determined to handle everything on her own.


    Winona was also up early, applying her makeup and getting ready for the day. Pleased with her perfect reflection, she finally made her way downstairs.


    Zeke got homete at night. Still, for Yvette¡¯s sake, he pushed himself to get up for breakfast.


    As Zachary went downstairs and the rest of the family gathered around the table, they suddenly realized Yvette wasn¡¯t up.


    Nellie had specifically told the servants not to disturb Yvette, worried it might interrupt her rest. So it was no surprise that she hadn¡¯t been there yet.


    ¡°Sweetheart, Yvette might just be too tired to get up. After we finish breakfast. I¡¯ll take a te up for her, Nellie said, trying to keep the mood light


    Winona ate her breakfast silently, Realizing she couldn¡¯t deal with Yvette for now, she decided to take the high road this litne Zeke stayed quiet too. Without Yvette around, he just wasn¡¯t feeling it. He had zero interest in the girls¡¯ tricks.


    Nellie knew exactly how to rile Zachary up. The moment he heard herment, his expression grew stem. ¡°Lucas, go get someone to wake up Yvette. It¡¯s almost noon, and she¡¯s still in bed. This is uneptable.¡±


    ¡°No need. A voice called from outside the door right as Lucas was about to act, and everyone at the table looked over.


    Yvette walked in, dressed in a simple ck workout outfit with no logos. On anyone else, it might look in, but on Yvette, it had a stylish edge.


    Nellie shot a re at the servant beside her. The servant looked white as a ghost-she had no idea when Yvette had slipped


    our


    In reality, Yvette had left the room at dawn, for it was the best time to practice her internal energy. She had specially avoided others, and only several servants and the security outside the house had noticed her departure.


    Spotting the reserved seat at the table. Yvette walked past Nellie, who was about to say something, and took her spot. Zeke sat directly across from her, and Winona was next to her. Yvette nced at Winona, making her feel a familiar twinge of pain in her knee


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat. Why are you up so early? Did you manage to get enough rest?¡± Zachary put on a stern face, feeling his authority had been challenged yesterday, Yet, looking at Yvette, who resembled Lilian so much, he felt a twinge of guilt.


    ¨C 11:42 Sat Oct 5 UG


    E


    Yvette, in a good mood-replied. Tim used to it¡±


    Zachary finally realized Yvette was not just aloof but also tight-lipped. What bothered him most was her surprising strength ¡ªhis wrist still throbbed from their earlier encounter. How could a girl be so strong?¡¯ he wondered.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Yvette had just pressed on his acupoints lightly and hadn¡¯t really used any strength. Otherwise, it would have hurt way more.


    Nellie adjusted her hair and pushed a jewelry box toward Yvette. The jewels inside were just some old things Nellie had found buried in her closet. They were worth a few thousand dors-gifts from some wealthy guy trying to impress her, which she hadn¡¯t thought twice about tossing aside.


    Nellie figured Yvette wouldn¡¯t recognize their value, so this could score her points with both Yvette and Zachary. Anyway Nellie had sensed that no matter how much she tried to please Yvette, it wouldn¡¯t work.


    Winona nced at the jewelry box and instantly recognized it. She couldn¡¯t help but scoff internally,¡¯ Mom really knows. how to y Yvette

 Chapter 15

    Yvette nced at the jewelry box and let out a lightugh, crossing her legs as she settled back in her chair. ¡°No need.¡±


    Being rejected by Yvette again and again, Nellie felt too embarrassed and finally lost her cool.


    The living room waspletely silent. The servants even didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly.


    But this time. Zachary didn¡¯t scold Yvette. Instead, he stared at the jewelry box for a moment before looking at Yvette, who was nibbling on some ham, and then at Nellie, whose expression was sour. ¡°If Yvette doesn¡¯t want this, then let it go. It looks too old-fashioned for young people. You can keep it for yourself


    Yvette raised her head in surprise, finding Zachary to be kind of interesting.


    After that, Zachary turned to Lucas, ¡°Go grab the Heart of Lorry from my collection.¡±


    Winona felt a rush of jealousy. Justst night, Zachary had given Yvette a vi worth over 30 million, and now he was giving her the Heart of Lorry-the crown jewel he had bought at West Auction House for millions. Winona adored it so much, but every time she brought it up, Zachary said they¡¯d discuss it when she got married.


    Zeke, who had lost the vi, and Winona, who had lost the jewelry, both began to feel resentful toward Zachary. He seemed to favor Yvette too much, and a wave of insecurity washed over them.


    Nellie was on the verge of exploding. ¡®How could Zachary scold me right in front of the servants? This¡¯s too much!


    Noticing Zachary ignoring her after giving orders to Lucas, Nellie realized he was mad. She had to smooth it over for herself. ¡°You¡¯re right, honey. I should have thought it over. I wanted to get Yvette a gift, but I just don¡¯t know what young people are into these days. I¡¯ll make it up to her another time.¡±


    Though she aimed her words at Yvette, her gaze kept shifting to Zachary. Seeing his expression soften, she felt relieved-the only one she truly cared about was him


    Hearing Nellie¡¯s words, Zachary decided to give her an out. ¡°Alright, we can talk about it again when there¡¯s something better. Now, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    After dinner, the Chambers family dispersed to do their own things, since it was the weekend.


    Zeke wanted to chat with Yvette, but shepletely brushed him off. Not wanting to make things awkward, Zeke decided to head outside.


    Nellie went out with thedies from the other three prominent families for afternoon tea, leaving only Zachary and Yvette at home.


    In the study, Zachary watched Yvette, a pang of nostalgia stirring within. She resembled Lilian so closely that it felt like Lilian was standing right in front of him.


    Zachary wore a sad expression, with no trace of yesterday¡¯s irritated demeanor. ¡°Yvette, now that you¡¯re back home, are you thinking about changing yourst name?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yvette shoved her hands into her pockets casually and gave him a look that mixed defiance with annoyance.


    Zachary nodded, not surprised. His tone softened a bit. ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t want to change it, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll state you¡¯re keeping your mother¡¯sst name to honor her.


    Is that all? If so, I¡¯ll leave. Yvette was satisfied with Zachary¡¯s decision. It saved her the hassle of arguing.


    Zachary felt a headache brewing. Dealing with Yvette was challenging. She was the daughter of the woinan he loved most, and he regretted the lost years with her. He genuinely wanted to make up for that time..


    ww


    11 42 Sat. Oct 5 B.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    He added. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one more thing. I¡¯m arranging for you to attend Argrol University. Zeke and Winona are already there, so you¡¯ll have someone to look out for you.¡±


    Argrol University was the top school in Seacrity. Its students usually came from wealthy families or had outstanding grades. Getting Yvette in now was impossible, since the semester had already started for two weeks, and the school typically didn¡¯t take in new students at that point, not even from elite families.


    But thinking of Lilian, Zachary was determined that Yvette deserved the best. To help her secure a spot, he donated over 15 million dors¡¯ worth ofb equipment in her name, persuading the principal to make an exception for her. However, she would have to start as a freshman.


    ¡°No need. I can get into Argrol University on my own,¡± Yvette responded confidently.


    Zachary mmed his hand on the table in anger. ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t be stubborn! How do you expect to get into Argrol University on your own? Stop dreaming, and get ready. I¡¯ll have Lucas drive you there on Monday.¡±


    With that, Zachary hurried out-more like he was fleeing the study-worfied that Yvette might say something to challenge his poor nerves.


    Yvette was left standing there, puzzled. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t I be the one walking away?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Argrol University was Seacrity¡¯s top school, steeped in tradition and prestige. Almost eighty percent of sessful people in Seacrity graduated from Argrol. To students, it symbolized the ultimate goal. Once they get in and graduate,panies would be lining up to hire them.


    For exceptional students, there was even a chance to be nominated for the three prestigiousbs in Betrico-a drean most people wouldn¡¯t even dare to have. The few who were selected had extraordinary brains, unmatched physical abilities, and incredible m**al toughness-truly on another levelpared to regr geniuses.


    Since Argrol University opened, only three students had been directly admitted to thosebs, and none had ever returned to Seacrity. Rumors among Argrol students suggested they were being privately supported by the government and would never be seen again.


    In the Principal¡¯s office at Argrol University, Simon Sundend, the president in his fifties, sipped coffee while watching the young boy standing before him proudly


    The boy was Ryan Lewis, the sole heir of the Lewis family. He had a tenderplexion that made his rosy lips stand out. and he wore ck sses above a sharp nose, with his charming eyes sparkling, looking extremely cute.


    While the Sullivan family wasn¡¯t as influential as the four major families, they had a history of producing schrs. SimonL had been president for over twenty years and aplished many great things


    He had been childhood friends with Jaiden, Ryan¡¯s grandfather, which made him view Ryan as a grandson. Unlike many wealthy heirs, Ryan was exceptionally talented and well-behaved. He had brought countless trophies to Argrol, filling Simon with immense pride.


    Simon smiled, ¡°Ryan, Argrol is thinking about rmending you for the physicsb this year Mr. Kennedy ising to: Argrol in two months for an evaluation and will also host this year¡¯s physicspetition. This is your chance-make the most of it. If you receive an invitation from him, you can go to Betrico for the finals andpete with the best from around the world. If you win first ce, your dream of entering the physicsb will be within reach. Prepare well over the next two months and stay focused¡±


    Ryan, who had been listening intently, lifted his head and replied softly, ¡°Tunderstand, Mr. Sundend. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pur in the effort.¡±


    Seeing his determination, Simon waved his hand, signaling it was okay for Ryan to leave. He then picked up the phone to call Patrick Williams, the dean, toe by


    When Patrick knocked and entered, he found Simon staring nkly at a letter. ¡°Mr. Sundend, you wanted to see me!


    Simon nodded. He had just called in Patrick due to a letter he received three months earlier. It was an anonymous email discussing the development of a new chip. Simon knew this tied back to an experiment at the physicsb in Herrico that had been stuck for two yearsAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Simon first read the email, he could hardly believe it. This project was supposed to be confidential-only a handful of people in theb, a couple of executives, and some retired presidents of the university were in the know. Even he only had snippets of information.


    But the email was packed with solid arguments that sent chills down his spine. After thinking about it over and over, he decided to forward it to James Owens, the head of the physicsb. If the information was urate, it could really boost the chip project, benefiting both the country and society. Even if it turned out to be fake, he felt it was worth the shot


    Less than an hour after he sent the email, he got a call from James. The excitement in James voice was dear, and Simon felt a weight lift off his shoulders-the info in that ci**al had to be true.


    James insisted they track down the sender. The only clue they had was the single initial ¡°Siren¡± at the bottom of the email. Simon had even reached out to an expert to trace the IP address, but it led nowhere. The expert exined that the address. was heavily encrypted, likely the work of a skilled hacker.


    After Simon vowed to do everything he could to find the person James seemed satisfied enough to stay in Betrico. Otherwise, this over-eighty-year-old man would have probably rushed down to Seacrity himself to investigate.


    So, this sender is not only a physics w**z but also a top-notch hacker? Why stay anonymous? And why send the email just to me? For three months, Simon puzzled over it all until three days ago when another email came in from the mysterious


    Siren


    His heart raced as he opened it, revealing a single line: [Prepare an admission notice for-Yvette and deliver it to the Chambers residence.]

 Chapter 17

    ?


    The Visitor


    ''The Chambers family donated 15 million dors'' worth ofb equipment to the schoolst month, right?" asked Simon.


    ''Did he find out I pocketed some cash from that deal and ask me here to grill me?'' Despite feeling a little uneasy, Patrick, who was no rookie, didn''t think Simon had caught on. So, he replied cautiously, "Yes, Mr. Sundend. I''ve got it covered. Is there anything else you need from me?"


    ''The daughter they found is named Yvette?" Simon pressed on.


    ''Since when did Mr. Sundend start caring about gossip?'' Patrick was confused. He shared everything he knew. "Yvette was just found recently. I heard she hasn''t had much schooling and might have a hard time graduating from Argrol University. Is there something specific you want to know about her?"


    If it hadn''t been for the letter in his hand, Simon probably wouldn''t have thought much about this issue. The Chambers family had kept a low profile for years, and he was okay with helping them by enrolling their newly found daughter. But the problem was, this daughter was named Yvette, and the email asked him to deliver the admission notice to Yvette at the Chambers residence.


    ''Who exactly is this Yvette? Is she really just the daughter the Chambers family found? What''s her connection to the mysterious Siren?'' Simon thought hard but couldn''t piece it together. One thing was clear-Yvette was the key to learn more about Siren. "Patrick, I need you to personally deliver this envelope to Yvette.


    ''Yvette is just the long-lost daughter of the Chambers family. What makes her so special that Mr. Sundend sends a letter for her? Patrick was stunned, and afraid he misheard, he asked, ''Mr. Sundend, are you sure it''s for Yvette?"


    Simon paused, his coffee cup hanging mid-air as he looked at Patrick. ''Is this guy deaf?''


    Noticing Simon''s impatient re, Patrick quickly got the mission and rushed out of the Principal''s office.


    *****


    As the dean at Argrol University, Patrick was a well-known figure in elite circles. When he arrived at the Chambers residence, Lucas weed him at the door, greeting, "What brings you here, Mr. Williams? This is quite unexpected."


    Patrick felt satisfied when he saw Lucas greet him in person. Two months ago, Zachary had sent Lucas to the university to handle Yvette''s enrollment, which led to a lot of back and forth between them. They both understood the unspoken benefits of their arrangement and exchanged pleasantries like old friends.


    ''Is the youngdy that Mr. Zachary Chambers recently found here?'' Patrick inquired.


    Why is he suddenly asking about Ms. Zeller? They don''t seem connected. Did something happen at Argrol University?'' Lucas was confused as he asked, "Why are you asking about Ms. Zeller? You''re here for her?"


    Patrick was unsure about Simon''s intentions. He thought the sealed letter he carried would provide rity. But what was Simon''s secret connection with Yvette? Ignoring Lucas''s inquisitive stare, Patrick cleared his throat and said, "I''m not really sure what''s going on. I just came here to deliver a letter to Ms. Zeller from Mr. Sundend."


    Lucas was shocked. Simon was a major yer in the national education scene-someone who has significantly contributed to Argrol University''s growth. Even the nobles in Betrico showed him respect. And now, he had sent a letter to Yvette, delivered by Patrick?All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Zachary was equally astonished upon hearing this news from Lucas. Simon had sent Patrick himself to deliver a letter to Yvette? If Zachary shared this story, no nobles in Seacrity would believe him. But now, it was happening right in his own home-there was no doubting it.


    If Patrick hade alone, he wouldn''t have been significant enough for Zachary toe down and greet him. But since he was sent by Simon, and the situation was so surprising, Zachary figured it was worth checking out.


    In the living room, Patrick enjoyed Blue Mountain Coffee, impressed by the Chambers family''s wealth. Even the casual antiques were worth a small fortune. He regretted not negotiating a better deal regarding Yvette when he had the chance.


    Patrick tried to hide his greed, but his eyes betrayed him. Lucas noticed and felt a sense of disdain. Anyway, weaknesses make him easier to handle. Otherwise, Me. Zeller''s matter wouldn''t have been settled so simply, he thought.


    Just as Patrick talked with Lucas and mentioned Yvette''s name, a voice from the staircase-''Looking for me?"


    Patrick turned sharply, his eyes narrowing.

 Chapter 18

    this girl Yvette? I expected a girl from the countryside to be in and unremarkable, but¡­ she¡¯s absolutely gorgeous!¡± Patrick admired silently.


    He had seen Winona, who was already considered pretty in high society. But when it came to Yvette¡¯s beauty and Winona didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Seeing Patrick stare intently at Yvette, Lucas coughed to bring him back to reality presence.


    Patrick quickly realized he had been rude, forcing a smile to cover his mistake. He straightened up and adopted a formal demeanor, waiting for Yvette to make the first move.


    Lucas introduced, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is Mr. Williams from Argrol University. He¡¯s here to deliver a letter from Mr. Sundend.¡±


    Patrick was puzzled. Why is Lucas so respectful toward Yvette? Come on, he was lost for over twenty years. just because she¡¯s pretty doesnt mean much. High society has its own rules, and someone like her, who just popped up with no maternal family to back her, can¡¯t possibly change anything!


    Ugh, a servant just doesn¡¯t get it, unlike me, an educator and the respected dean of Argrol University. The contempt and arrogance in Patrick¡¯s eyes were hard to hide. ¡°Yvette better learn to recognize her ce around me. Otherwise, life would be tough for her


    Yvette was dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt, with a loose athletic jacket over it. She leaned against thezily, showing no reaction when Lucas spoke


    Lucas genuinely admired her calmness.


    ???


    ¡°From Simon Sundend? Hand it over, Yvette said.


    railing


    I waited so long for a response, and that¡¯s all I get? No nice words at all? Simon Sundend? How dare she call Mr. Sundend like that? What gives her the guts to be so arrogant, considering she only got admitted to Argrol University through connections? Patrick thought, seething


    Seeing Yvette take the letter from Lucas and turn to leave,pletely ignoring him, Patrick couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Ms. Zeller, what an impressive attitude! I¡¯ve been here for so long, and you don¡¯t even bother to look my way? That¡¯s a bit rude, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Yvette paused and turned sharply to face him. There was a mix of beauty and coldness in her expression,ced with annoyance. ¡°Anything else? Or wanna me to admire your face? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Patrick, infuriated by Yvette¡¯s words, felt his body tremble with anger, struggling to respond.


    Lucas wanted to step in to ease the tension. After all, Yvette was just a student, and Patrick had a knack for holding grudges. Once she pushed him too far, he would definitely make things hard for her. As the dean of Argrol University, he had the power to create a lot of trouble for her at school.


    Just as Lucas prepared to intervene, Zachary spoke up in a cold tone. ¡°Yvette¡¯s behavior is none of your business, Mr. Williams.¡±


    Zachary hade to figure out why Simon had sent Patrick over. But the moment he stepped inside, he heard Patrick badmouthing Yvette. ¡®Scolding my daughter in my house? Patrick thought way too highly of himself! he thought in anger.


    Zachary¡¯s stern words and cold expression made Patrick realize he had gone too far. Sure, he wanted to teach Yvette a levson, but there were better ways to do that at school. No need to cause a scene at the Chambers residence. Still, he couldn¡¯t admit he was wrong now. It would make him look bad if word got out.


    After a tense incent Patrick finally spoke up.


    un ¡°Since


    you all don¡¯t want me here, I¡¯ll take off. I¡¯ve delivered Mr. Sundend¡¯s letter 11 be ready to wee you to Argol University next week, Ms. Zeller. Hope your time there is thrilling. He stressed thest word purposely


    Thrilling Yvette savored the word and wondered just how ¡°thrilling¡± it would actually be, the corners of her mouth turning up in a cold sneer.


    Zachary caught the threatening tone in Patrick¡¯s voice and turned to Lucas, his voice sharper. ¡°Lucas, show him out.¡±


    Patrick, stormed out of the Chambers residence, fuming. He had walked in with confidence but left feeling humiliated. Fixated on the door, he vowed to make Yvette pay for this


    Inside the living room, Zachary insisted that Yvette stay for coffee. Surprisingly, sheplied and quietly took a seat.


    Zachary watched as she gulped down her coffee like it was water. He wanted toment on enjoying it properly, but every time he opened his mouth. Wette shot him a look that said to back off. Fine, drink however you like,¡¯ he thought.


    Yvette tossed the letter from Simon onto the table, and Zachary stole ces at it, pretending to enjoy his coffee.


    Yvette focused on her ck phone, saying without looking up, ¡°Go ahead, look if you want.¡±


    fachary blinked, confused. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re giving me permission?¡±


    Yvette shot him a cold, impatient re. Zachary could read the unspoken message in that look-¡°Are you an idiot? Can¡¯t you


    hear


    He said cautiously, Tll open it then. Don¡¯t regret itter.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Yvette couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡®ying coy at this age, huh?¡±


    Zachary carefully opened the envelope, revealing the words ¡°Admission Rmendation Letter.¡± He was too stunned to hold the paper. It fluttered down to the floor, and he quickly picked it up and began to read closely. The wording of the letter was carefully chosen, clearly showing how much Simon valued Yvette.


    The Admission Rmendation Letter was meant for exceptional talents, unlike the admission notice he had secured through simple donations. This letter could only be signed personally by Simon. Zachary knew how strict the process was, and over the years, Simon had granted very few of these letters.


    Zachary took a moment topose himself. ¡°Do you know what it says?¡±


    Yvette slowly lifted her head, a hint of wildness shining in her charming eyes. Without even ncing at the letter, she nodded casually and turned her attention back to her phone,


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡± Zachary was impressed by her calmness. ¡°You¡¯ve already got this in hand, so why bother with the admission notice? You could¡¯ve mentioned that earlier


    Yvette paused for a while before saying. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t need. You just didn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Zachary was at a loss for words. He recalled yesterday in his study when Yvette had tried to say something, but he interrupted her. It turned out to be a big misunderstanding, all on his part.


    Before Zachary could ask Yvette anything else, Nellie and Winona walked in together.

 Chapter 19

    As soon as Patrick arrived at the Chambers residence, Lora, Nellie¡¯s lookout at home, shot a message over to Nellie. Halfway through her coffee break. Nellie made an excuse to head back. Right at the door, she ran into Winona, who wasing back from piano ss.


    Even though they missed Patrick, Lora filled them in, saying he looked really angry and was cursing as he walked out,


    Nellie felt a wave of satisfaction. It seemed like Yvette must have done something to tick Patrick off. Maybe there was an issue with her getting into Argrol University. Either way, it was good news for Nellie.


    Winona couldn¡¯t help but enjoy it too upon hearing it


    When they got inside, Nellie and Winona had a hard time hiding their rejoicing. Zachary looked confused and asked. ¡°What¡¯s got you two so happy?¡±


    Nellie leaned in linking her arm with Zachary¡¯s. ¡°Oh, honey, it¡¯s nothing serious. I just got my hands on a limited-edition. handbag I¡¯ve been waiting forever for.¡±


    Zachary didn¡¯t really understand why a handbag would make her this excited.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Winona jumped in, her tone adorable. ¡°Dad, you just don¡¯t get us women. A good bag can make everything right.¡±


    Zachary shrugged, letting them have their moment. ¡°Alright, if it makes you two happy, that¡¯s what counts. By the way. Eve got some even better news to share. He nced at Yvette, who was still glued to her phone, and sighed.


    ¡°What is it, honey?¡± Nellie asked, curious.


    ¡°Come on, Dad! Spill it. Don¡¯t leave us in suspense.¡± Winona shook Zachary¡¯s arm dramatically and shot a provoking look at Yvette


    Yvette didn¡¯t even flinch,pletely unfazed.


    Lucas had just seen off Patrick, who had been grumbling all the whole way with a poker face, making Lucas very annoyed. Still sweating. Lucas hurried back and happened to interrupt Zachary, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I¡¯ve sent Patrick off.¡±


    Zachary nodded. Even though the Chambers family wasn¡¯t the top family in Seacrity anymore, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let some school dean push them around


    Just as Lucas finished his sentence, he got a sharp eye roll from Winona. Did I say anything wrong? When did I ever offend Ms. Chambers? he wondered.


    Nellie exaggerated her tone. ¡°Patrick? You mean the dean of Argrol University? Oh! Didn¡¯t we just send him a gift recently to help Yvette get into the school? Why was he here?¡±


    Winona gasped, covering her mouth like she¡¯d just realized something. ¡°Oh no, Dad, it can¡¯t be about Yvette not being allowed to enroll at Argrol, right?¡±


    She quickly added, seeming a little embarrassed, ¡°Oops, never mind! I¡¯m just talking nonsense. Yvette, don¡¯t take me seriously


    Sering Zachary and Yvette both silent, Nellie thought Winona might actually have a point ncing at Yvette, who was quiet and staring down. Nellie felt even more satisfied. ¡°Honey, since Mr. Williams already said Yvette can¡¯t go to Argrol, how about trying Baity University instead? It might not be as prestigious, but it could be easier for Yvette.¡±


    With that, she turned to Yvette with a pretentious look. ¡°Yvette, if you want to go to Baity University, I¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Patrick¡¯s not here to talk about Yvette¡­ Zachary interrupted her.


    As Nellie was speaking taas spotted a piece of paper on the table. Even though it was only partly visible, the words ¡°Adinusion Rmendation Letter¡± jumped out at him. No doubt about it-this letter had been delivered by Patrick, straight from Simon for Yvene.


    Luca was taken aback. He realized he¡¯d been right all along-Yvette wasn¡¯t just any ordinary girl. When had anyone ever seen a country girl so unfazed by the luxury of the Clumbers family estate! She barely evenced at the vi, the jewelry, or even the chance to attend Argrol University.


    Just two days ago, he had been uncertain about Yvette, but now he was sure-he needed to treat her much better from now on. Little did he know, this very decision would save his life down the line.


    ¡°Wait, this is about Wente getting into school? Nellie felt a wave of uncertainty. What else could it be? How does Patrick


    kriow Yvette!¡±


    Winona¡¯s mood plummeted with Zachary¡¯s words-she¡¯d been happy for nothing.


    Zachary looked at Yvette softly and said with pride, ¡°The principal of Argfol University. Simon, asked Patrick to deliver the


    Admission Rmendation Letter to Yvette¡±


    Winona blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Nellie was equally stunned. This just doesn¡¯t make sense.


    Taw the rmendation letter myself. It¡¯s right there on the table. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s fake,¡± Zachary said


    The two finally noticed the letter on the table. Winona dashed over, picked it up, and examined it closely. When she saw the official seal from the Principal¡¯s office, disbelief and disappointment filled her eyes. Nellie didn¡¯t need to get any closer-she could tell from Winona¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re really awesome, Yvette. You know Mr. Sundend? If your dad knew that, he wouldn¡¯t have been so worried,¡± Winona smiled as she thought. How could a girl who hasn¡¯t even finished elementary school have a connection like this? Something definitely doesn¡¯t add up. It seems like I need to dig deeper into Yvette¡¯s story


    Yvette stood up, her eyes cool and impatient. Without a word, she walked straight out.


    Zachary felt pretty proud of her and didn¡¯t even register whether she said goodbye. Just as Yvette reached the door, he called out, ¡°Make sure to get home early¡±


    Winona watched Zachary, who had never been this kind to her, and a wave of jealousy washed over her. ¡°Why¡¯s Yvette getting all this favor? When I was the only girl in the family, Dad just preferred me a bit. I have to find a way to kick Yvette out, no matter what. If things got desperate, I could kill her. Yeah, kill her! The thought thrilled her.


    ¡°Winona, watch your mouth around Yvette from now on. What do you mean ¡®impossible? That¡¯spletely out of line. It doesn¡¯t look good for a youngdy from a good family. You¡¯re starting your apprenticeship next month. Mind your manners, Zachary scolded.


    In the two days since Yvette returned, Winona had already faced several lectures. Why? Just because she¡¯s the child of the woman Dad adored? So Yvette has the right to act so entitled? she asked bitterly in her mind


    Winona, just as selfish as Nellie, also thought it was Nellie¡¯s fault for not being able to hold onto Zachary, dragging her into this mess.


    Nevertheless, she lowered her head and replied with a pitiful voice, ¡°I understand, Dad. I¡¯m sorry¡±


    Nellie leaned against Zachary while sending a re at Winona, silently telling her to leave. ¡°Honey, Winona was just too surprised. Please don¡¯t be angry.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Ts a little odd that Simon sent Vette an admission rmendation letter. She just got back, and if we start asking too many questions, shell annoyed. Let¡¯s give it some time. Anyway, It¡¯s a good thing,¡± said Zachary,


    For Nellie, however, it felt of She just couldn¡¯t wrap her mirul around it, and that frustrated her


    Besides, Zachary hadn¡¯t been back home for over two weeks before Yvette returned. Nellie knew he had been seeing that new secretary at hispany. She had checked her out, and there were definitely echoes of Lilian in that woman.


    Zachary had even bought the secretary a house close to his office and hired her as a bodyguard. Nellie¡¯s people hadn¡¯t had a chance to act yet. If Yvette hadn¡¯te back. Zachary would probably still be tangled up with that secretary.


    Honey, please stay tonight. You haven¡¯t been home in ages Nellie said with a sweet voice: She was indeed a beauty who had a ton of admirers back in the day. But she was always stubborn. Once she get her sights on Zachary, she would do anything to keep him¡ªeven if it meant ying dirty.


    She could push Lilian out of the picture twenty years ago, let alone a fake. For now, she was just letting the secretary enjoy her Beeting victory a little longer.


    Zachary watched Nellie try to charm him,plicated emotions swirling in his eyes. Gently, he pushed her away. Tve been really busytely. There¡¯s a big bidding project at work. I promise I¡¯lle back to spend time with you soon.¡±


    His soothing voice calmed Nellie, even though she knew he was probably lying. She had fallen deep into her feelings and couldn¡¯t pull herself out. She believed that Zachary loved her-even if it was just a little, she wanted to hold onto it tightly.


    Not ready to give up, Nellie made onest effort to keep him from leaving. ¡°Honey, Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony is on the fifth of next month. I¡¯m a little unsure about a few things and could use your input. What if webined it with Yvette¡¯s wee home party? That would be a double celebration, right?¡±


    Zachary thought it over for a moment and nodded. ¡°Sure, just remember to invite Simon. Do what you think is best. I trust you to handle it.¡±


    Nellie watched the impatience and anxiety on Zachary¡¯s face, feeling a mix of bitterness and jealousy. She knew he was heading off to the secretary.


    She pretended to be understanding and let Zachary leave. But as soon as she got upstairs and entered her room, she mmed the door and let all her anger out by smashing everything in sight.


    Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn¡¯t shake the image of the young secretary she had seen-the woman was vibrant and full of life. What about Nellie? No amount of makeup could hide the fine lines creeping up at the corners of her


    Frustrated, she shattered the mirror. But that still didn¡¯t feel like enough. She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. ¡°Six o¡¯clock, the usual spot.¡±


    After hanging up, Nellie took a deep breath and shifted back into her high-society persona. She ordered the servant to clean up the chaos and slipped into a s**y dress before heading out


    Meanwhile, Winona stood in the corner of the staircase, watching Nellie leave.


    Night Bar was the mostvish spot in Seacrity, with a jaw-dropping disy of excess and prices so high that a single bottle of


    quor could cost more than an average person¡¯s annual sry.


    The air was thick with smoke and the smell of alcohol, while the music sted at full volume. Men and women danced wildly on the floor, and elegantly dressed women Laughed and chatted with the men, tossing out yful flirty lines


    As soon as Yvette steppest insiste, every head turned. The energy in the bar shifted-just moments ago, a handsome man had walked in, and now an incredibly beautiful woman had arrived.


    Yvette was always the center of attention wherever she went. She had a wild beauty tame with her rebellious edge. making her both captivating and dangerous-an irresistible mix that drew people in, making them curious and eager to explore


    She tossed her jacket over her shoulder casually and scanned the room. Her gaze Landed on a spot at the bar, and she strode over, sitting down. In front of her was a bartender whosece was hidden beneath a hat and the dim lights. With a smile ying on her lips, she teased. ¡°What are you back for? Just bored?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Eagle King, standing at about six feet two inches tall, looked up with a rugged appearance. If there was one standout feature, it was his eyes-sharp like knives. He nced around, noticing a few people whispering, and shot them a re that made them uneasy and scattered quickly.


    ¡°Can you please disguise yourself next time? Do you have any idea how summing you look? This whole thing really troubled me. Eagle King grumbled


    ¡°Troubled¡± If you don¡¯t want to feel that way, just go back to Ameria, Yvette was in a good mood, grinning as she tilted her head, a hint of arrogance in her expression. She pulled out a piece of candy from her pocket and started to savor it right in front of him.


    Dang, she¡¯s killing me with candy! That¡¯s too much Eagle Kingined silently.


    ¡°Well Boss, I¡¯m just short on cash. There are some good offers back home, and remember when I stole that painting in Langria? Those idiots chased me for two states. I figured I¡¯de back home andy low for a bit. ¡°He giggled embarrassedly


    As Yvette listened to the Eagle King ramble, she continued to enjoy her candy,


    Eagle King stared at the candy jar in her hand and swallowed hard, wondering how he could snag some. ncing back at Yvette, he sensed her eyes saying, ¡°Go ahead and try if you dare. He quickly brushed the thought aside-crossing Yvette was


    not a smart move


    With a sideways nce, Yvette said. ¡°You feel unfair after stealing the one-of-a-kind treasure the Langria royal family has held onto for over a hundred years? You¡¯re short on cash? Last year, the King of the Golden Triangle gifted you a private mine. The year before that, the Epean royal family gave you jewels worth hundreds of millions. And don¡¯t even get me started on that terrorist group in Rond¡­ Need me to keep going?¡±


    It was hard to pull anything over on an all-knowing boss. The tall, muscr man scratched his head sheepishly, looking nothing like the intimidating figure he had been a moment ago.


    ¡°Ohe on. I was just thinking about helping you out. Though honestly, I have no clue what your n is. And don¡¯t tell me -whatever it is, I¡¯m sure you might need some assistance. I know you like to work alone, but just think of it as saving me. Those jerks from Langria are hot on my tail, and I need your protection. Please don¡¯t kick me out. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± he begged


    Yvette stared at him for a long moment, then sighed, ¡°Fine, do what you want.


    She knew he was just making excuses to stick around and help her. No matter how closely the folks from Langria were after him, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to go off the grid if he wanted to. Suddenly, she felt like she was owing people favorstely, But that she didn¡¯t feel bad.


    Eagle King finally rxed. He was genuinely worried she would send him away.


    Yvette took a long drink from her ss, and soon her gaze became a little hazy. My tolerance is still so low, she thought, rubbing her temples while asking. ¡°What have Flying Fish been up totely?¡±

 Chapter 21

    Eagle King paused mid-shake and said, ¡°Flying Fish has been all over the cetely. She¡¯s totally obsessed with some boy band star named ude. As a killer, she¡¯s been acting like a fangirl, chasing a star around. Boss, you might want to have a word with her. At this rate, she could lose her spot as the number three assassin.¡±


    A killer in love? Interesting, Yvette let out augh at the jealousy in Eagle King¡¯s eyes. Just as she reached for another drink, she found her ss was empty.


    Eagle King had seen her empty cup a while back but deliberately chose not to refill it. Yvette might be exceptional at everything, but her drinking was a whole different story¨Cpretty awful, to be honest.


    As a top assassin, when Yvette drank too much, she¡¯d grab whoever was sitting next to her and just stare at them in silence. If they wanted to leave, their only option was to hit her hard enough to knock her out. But after a few drinks, Yvette became way stronger-like, next-level strong.


    The first time Yvette, Flying Fish, and Eagle King drank together, Eagle King was sent flying with just one punch from Yvette. He ended up hurt and took days to bounce back. But the worst part? The next day, Yvettepletely forgot how brutal she¡¯d been while drinking.


    That painful memory made Eagle King vow never to let Yvette down more than two drinks. Unless, of course, someone really wanted to get knocked around a bit.


    ¡°Another drink!¡± Yvette said.


    Eagle King waved his hands, and less than thirty secondster, he had packed away all the bartending tools.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, confused. ¡®Is he really not going to let me drink?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone,¡± Eagle King exined.


    Yvette held up two fingers, signaling for him to lean closer. Reluctantly, he lowered his big head. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± she asked.


    Eagle King shook his head, steadying his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not blind. You just can¡¯t control yourself after drinking.¡±


    Yvette locked eyes with him, her stare intense.


    After about ten seconds, Eagle King realized he was losing. Fine, he¡¯d let her have this one-he could always be the punching bagter. With a sigh, he got back to mixing three more drinks. He only stopped when Yvette nodded, looking satisfied.


    Yvette and Eagle King chatted casually with Eagle King as the bar started to fill up. After half an hour, the group of guys who had been scared off by Eagle King, seeing Yvette drink more and more, started to act up again.


    They were regrs at the bar-guys with a little extra cash and a belief that fortune favored the bold. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by a stunning woman like Yvette? So what if she was with the bartender? They weren¡¯t strangers to flirting with taken women.


    As they usually did, they sent their best-looking friend over to spark a conversation with Yvette.


    Confident and smooth, the attractive guy walked up, ordered a whiskey, and made a show of minding his own business for a few minutes. Then, he casually turned to Yvette and asked, ¡°Hey, is this your first time here?¡±


    Who does this guy think he is, hitting on my boss?¡¯ Eagle King was ready to step in. But Yvette shot him a quick nce, signaling him to stay out of it.


    At that moment, Eagle King actually felt a little sorry for the guy He paused to watch the scene unfold, thinking with a grin, ¡®Boss is drunk? Great! Here¡¯s someone willing to take the heat for me!


    Seeing Eagle King¡¯s chill response, the guy thought he had the upper hand. Feeling bold, he leaned in closer and said, ¡°Wanna grab some fun, Miss?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Yvette set her drink down, her cheeks flushed. The alcohol seemed to make her even more dazzling. ¡°Fun? Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She pulled a box of candy from her pocket and tossed it to Eagle King, reminding him to take itter, then walked off with the guy, not looking back.


    Eagle King held the candy box, wiping it on his sleeve a few times. ¡®Boss is something else!¡¯


    A bartender, watching the scene unfold, approached Eagle King. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re just sitting there while your girl walks off with them? You do know those guys do this all the time, right? You should go check on her.¡±


    Eagle King waved him off and shrugged. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s cool. She can handle herself. Who knows who¡¯s really in trouble here?¡±


    He sneered silently, These clowns really think they can mess with her? What a joke!¡¯


    ¡®Is he insane? His girl is taken away and here he is, grinning with a box of candy? Doesn¡¯t he realize what¡¯s about to happen? Anyway, if he¡¯s not worried, why should I be?¡¯ The bartender shook his head and turned back to his work, leaving it all behind.


    At the back of the bar, two guys lounged in afy booth. One of them had striking features, casually holding a cigarette between his fingers. His charming eyes were deep, as if he could see through everything but was still unfazed by the world around him.


    Before Yvette walked in, every woman in the ce had their eyes on him. But his cold vibe kept them at a distance. A few oblivious ones tried to make a move, only to be gently shooed away by Andrew Mitchell, the younger guy with the babyface sitting next to him.


    *Come on, Jeremiah Chavez, lighten up! This is a bar, not a funeral. You¡¯ve already scared off three groups of girls. I get that you think they¡¯re all shallow, but have a heart for me, okay?¡± Andrew said helplessly.


    Jeremiah nced over and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. His voice was deep and smooth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just swap numbers with some of them?¡±


    Andrew chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°Stopughing. You look silly,¡± Jeremiah remarked with disdain.


    ¡®Well, his words still sting. Poor me, putting up with it all these years. Andrew sighed. Among their friends, he was closest to Jeremiah, and everyone else envied him. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be connected to the Chavez family? But only Andrew knew just how hard Jeremiah¡¯s words could hit.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯te to bars often, only popping up when he had a mission or was hanging with Andrew. Andrew loved partying, drinking, and racing, while Jeremiah was all about missions.


    Watching Jeremiah sip his drink, Andrew couldn¡¯t help but admire him. ¡®Is it even possible to look that good while drinking? Doesn¡¯t he see all the girls ready to swoop in?¡¯


    In the upper circles of Betrico, Jeremiah was seen as a rising star, While their friends indulged invish feasts and entertainment, Jeremiah had quietly served in the military, keeping his true identity under wraps.


    After five years, he earned several prestigious awards and, in his final act of bravery, snagged a top honor that pushed him to the rank of major general. Only then did more people start to know him-the only heir of the powerful Chavez family and now the youngest major general in the country.


    ¡®How could our worlds be so different?¡¯ Andrew thought to himself. ¡®Sure, Jeremiah has faced challenges I can¡¯t even imagine, and he definitely deserves his sess. But I still prefer being a carefree p**oy, riding on his coattails and enjoying life-messing around with cars, chasing girls, and just having a good time.


    ¡°Report to Argrol University tomorrow and don¡¯t bete,¡± said Jeremiah suddenly.

 Chapter 22

    Yvette stumbled out of the bar, feeling a little buzzed. The cool night air hit her, helping her head clear up. She nced at the group of eager guys nearby, her eyes cold, almost hostile, as if they were already done for.


    Yvette halted in her tracks. The guys kept chatting about their next moves and the kind of fun they were chasing. It took them a moment to notice she wasn¡¯t following. They turned back, ready to grab her.


    ¡°Let go of me, or I¡¯ll chop off that hand and feed it to the dogs,¡± Yvette warned.


    The guys froze, taken aback by her fierce words. But they quickly regained their swagger, spitting on the ground andughing crude jokes. Come on, darling, you¡¯re with us. No need to y hard to get.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the back alley.¡± Yvette rolled up her sleeves casually and stretched, thinking a little venting could help her shake off the effects of the drinks faster.


    Seeing Yvette not pushing back and even suggesting the back alley, the guys eagerly followed her lead.


    Ten minutester, down the alley behind the bar, the cocky group was now scattered on the ground¨Csome with busted heads, others with broken legs, and one guy had a crushed nose. The worst off was so beaten up that you couldn¡¯t even recognize his face anymore.


    They had tried to use some kind of drug on Yvette, thinking they had knocked her out cold. Just as they were about to make their move, she suddenly opened her eyes¨Csharp and focused. She hadn¡¯t been drugged at all.


    Of course, Yvette was ready for anything. A drug? Please! She knew all about that stuff. How dare they use a quick¨Cacting drug thatsted only an hour on her?


    Ten minutes had gone by, and now they were pinned to the ground, taking a beating. Every time one of them tried to sneak in an attack, it was like she had eyes everywhere. They felt like their insides were being crushed with every hit.


    They couldn¡¯t believe how utterly they were losing to a woman. Every attempt to fight back only led to more pain. These guys were truly scared now, tossing aside all ideas of pride. They realized that if this kept up, they might end up paying with their lives.


    Yvette leaned in slightly, giving off an air of both arrogance and yful mischief. Disgusted with the blood on her hands, she tore a piece of fabric from her jacket, wiped off the stains, and tossed it carelessly to the ground.


    The group watched in stunned silence, too frightened to even breathe. They felt as if she wasn¡¯t just ripping fabric but their souls. One by one, they bent down deeply, begging for mercy.


    ¡°Please, we were wrong! Just let us go!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got cash! We can pay you all!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt us! It¡¯s our first time. We swear we won¡¯t do it again!


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you¡­¡±


    It was a surreal sight¨Cgrown men begging a girl. Yet Yvette stood firm, her chilling gaze fixed on them. ¡°First time?¡±


    Under her piercing stare, the man started to sweat nervously. Finally, he stuttered, ¡°I meant this is the second time! Yes, the second time! We¡¯ve paid before!


    The others quickly echoed him, ¡°Yeah, right! We¡¯ve paid.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With a smirk, Yvette stepped closer, pulling out a ck pill from nowhere, and shoved it into the mouth of the lead bald guy.


    Before the bald guy could react, he swallowed it. Panic set in as he started gagging, wing at his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dissolving pill¨Cno need to waste your energy. I don¡¯t like wasting time on nonsense. Want to leave ast message?¡± Yvette said coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I swear! Please, just give me the antidote!¡± he pleaded.


    Two years earlier, a girl celebrated her birthday at a bar. She was new at such a ce¨Cjust a good student dragged along by her friends. They spotted her and, when her back was turned, slipped something into her drink. They assaulted her, recording the entire act to ckmail her. If she dared to report it, they threatened to post the video online. A few dayster, that girl took her own life, leaving behind a note.


    ¡°Her grandmother wanted to file a report. We paid off the deputy chief of police, and he fooled the olddy, iming there wasn¡¯t enough evidence. They even took the note the girl left behind. The poor grandma couldn¡¯t handle it and ended up taking pills.¡±


    ¡°We really didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen.¡±


    ¡°We were just having fun. But that girl took it too seriously.¡±


    ¡°Right! We never thought it would end like this.¡±


    After their confession, they didn¡¯t even dare to look up.


    Yvette lit a cigarette, watching the smoke curl into the night silently. A wave of irritation bubbled up inside her, giving her eyes a fierce, unsettling glint. Just as the me was about to singe her fingers, she pinched it out and shot a text to Eagle King. Gradually, her urge tosh out faded.


    She tossed a small box onto the ground, lightly kicking it with her foot. With a stern expression, she nced toward a shadowy corner of the alley and then to the men standing in front of her. ¡°Eat this, and you can leave.¡±


    The men opened the box to find it full of colorful candies that looked surprisingly tempting.


    They couldn¡¯t believe Yvette would really carry poison disguised as candy. Instead, they started to think she was just bluffing -maybe nervous since they had brought up knowing the deputy chief.


    Despite feeling a bit overconfident, they didn¡¯t want to push their luck. They snatched a piece of ¡°candy¡± and swallowed it before sprinting away, as if they were being chased. In an instant, they were gone.


    The once noisy alley fellpletely silent. The night air was crisp and cool, lit only by the dim glow of the moon. Streetlights cast long shadows behind Yvette as she stood alone against the chilly wind. ¡°Come on out. How long are you going to hide?¡±


    Jeremiah, who had been watching her for a while, stepped out. ¡°Good moves.¡±


    Their eyes locked in a tense standoff, neither willing to back down. Yet at that moment, they both recognized something familiar in each other¨Cthey were both lone wolves, wandering through life without anyone to save them from their pasts, each carrying equal power and pride.


    ¡°Did you want to kill them but hold back because of me? You noticed me quite a while ago. You had plenty of chances to take me out, so why didn¡¯t you?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    If Andrew had been there, he would have been shocked at how ¡°wordy¡± the cold, distant Jeremiah had be.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hassle. Annoyed, Yvette tugged at her cor, instinctively reaching for a piece of candy from her pocket, only to remember she had given herst ones to Eagle King.


    ¡®A hassle? That¡¯s


    that was the fun she didn¡¯t kill me? Just how scared of trouble is she?¡® Jeremiah amused. After more than twenty years, thing he¡¯d ever heard.

 Chapter 23

    After Jeremiah left, Andrew had initially nned to ask the girl he was hitting it off with to grab a drink, chat a bit, and maybe¡­ Yet at the crucial moment, Jeremiah called, demanding that he meet him in the back alley of the bar in three minutes.


    ¡°The back alley of the bar? What¡¯s doing there?¡¯ Regardless, Andrew didn¡¯t waste any time. He hurriedly sent the girl off, barely managing to throw on his jacket before rushing over, wondering if there was an emergency


    But when he arrived, he found Jeremiah there, totally still, smiling at a cigarette butt on the ground. Jeremiah was actually smiling? Andrew rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things, only to see that Jeremiah was indeed smiling.


    Andrew was shocked. He had grown up with Jeremiah, and he could count on one hand the times he had seen Jeremiahugh. Jeremiah had always been cold. Getting him to chuckle was like pulling teeth. After all, no one would be silly enough to ask Jeremiah-the heir of the Chambers family, the youngest major general in the country-to smile for him.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why¡¯s Jeremiah chuckling at a cigarette butt? This is more unsettling than being in the dark alley. Should I run away now? Uh, seems toote for that¡­¡¯ Andrew sighed.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get over here,¡± Jeremiah ordered.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming!¡± Andrew replied. ¡®Great! This is ssic Jeremiah-still as cold and terse as ever, insisting on using fewer words than necessary.


    Andrew scurried over to Jeremiah while stealing a few nces. Oddly enough, he felt like Jeremiah was in a good mood. It made Andrew itch with what had happened in thest half hour, but he didn¡¯t dare ask, worried about unaffordable consequences.


    Jeremiah slowly shifted his gaze away from the cigarette butt, his tone tinged with annoyance. ¡°Get the surveince footage from the bar¡¯s back alley for the past hour. Back it up and send it to the current mayor, Wyatt Langford.¡±


    Andrew had thought Jeremiah changed moods way too fast. But after seeing the video footage, he understood why and felt furious at those lowlifes. Still, now his focus was all on the conversation at hand.


    ¡°Wyatt Langford? David Langford¡¯s second son? The one sent to Seacrity to polish his reputation? Wow, he¡¯s made it to mayor now?¡± Andrew was taken aback. A forty-year-old mayor had endless potential.


    ¡°No wonder David stepped down early. He was setting his favorite son up for a bright future. What a good dad!¡± Andrew felt a wave of envy. Living off his dad¡¯s sess was impossible for him. His dad cared only about discipline and barely acknowledged Andrew¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Tell him I want results by tomorrow,¡± added Jeremiah coldly.


    Andrew nodded. ¡®Well, I guess I¡¯m just meant to be ackey. But it seems not bad. I must be a bit of a masochist. No matter how hard Jeremiah pushes me, I still treat him with affection!¡¯ He never really thought about how he was the son of the deputymander of the military district- except for Jeremiah, no one dared mess with him.


    *****


    When Yvette returned home, it was already past midnight. The Chambers family was fast asleep. Only Lucas was waiting for her in the living room.


    As soon as Lucas saw Yvette walk in, he noticed a tear in her jacket, like it had been ripped. He rushed over, worry written all over his face. ¡°Ms. Zeller, is everything okay? Did someone bully you? Who would be foolish enough to mess with the Chambers family¡¯sdy?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow. The fierce energy she¡¯d had earlier had faded. She appreciated Lucas¡¯s concern and replied politely, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was the one doing the hitting.¡±


    ¡°You were hitting someone? Ms. Zeller, you have quite the sense of humor.¡± Lucas let out a sigh of relief as he thought to himself, ¡®Who could this littledy possibly take down? She must be exaggerating.


    Sensing Lucas¡¯s disbelief, Yvette didn¡¯t want to argue. Anyway, she had told the truth.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Yvette yawned, feeling drowsiness creeping back in. She nced at Lucas and figured he was too weak to handle a fight. She decided it was best to head to bed now.


    Lucas was there at Zachary¡¯smand, ready to deliver a message. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have nned your wee home party and Ms. Winona Chambers¡¯ apprenticeship ceremony both for the 5th of next month. If you¡¯d rather not have it, Mr. Chambers said he could make other arrangements.¡±


    ¡°They can do whatever they want.¡± Yvette didn¡¯t care about any of that.


    ¡°Then, Ms. Zeller, get some rest. I¡¯ll take you to school tomorrow,¡± said Lucas respectfully before leaving.


    Thanks to her drunkenness, Yvette ended up having a pretty good night¡¯s sleep.


    *****


    On Monday morning, Seacrity was buzzing with two major stories. First, the deputy chief of the Seacrity police station, Henry Zimmerman, was fired after reports of his corrupt activities surfaced. And the second was about what happenedst night-a big deal that even the cleaningdies were discussing it.


    ¡°Those guys are the worst! They treated that youngdy so badly it drove her to despair. They even disrespected her grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Seriously! They should go to hell! Anything less isn¡¯t enough for those jerks. It¡¯s just tragic.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I need to keep a close eye on my granddaughter and make sure she knows to steer clear of bars. Yeah, I should hurry back home.¡±


    Last night, on the busiest street in Seacrity, a group of guys started stripping,ughing and acting ridiculous. They even went so far as to engage in lewd behavior, leaving passersby in shock and disgust.


    Some people couldn¡¯t resist recording everything and posting it online. Eventually, the police showed up and took the men away, but the chaos didn¡¯t end there. Less than an hourter, a new video appeared online.


    In that video, the men openly discussed their vile acts-how they had drugged a girl and even made threats about her grandmother. They also revealed that there were more victims, and they had filmed their shameful actions to intimidate the girls into silence.


    Within just two hours, the video spread like wildfire on social media, igniting outrage amongizens. People lost sleep over the scandal, flooding official tforms with messages demanding justice, especially for the deputy chief featured in the video. They insisted he faced serious consequences.


    Meanwhile, Henry was enjoying a cozy moment with his new mistress,pletely oblivious to the chaos outside. When he arrived at the police station the next morning, officials were waiting for him at the door. Without a word, they arrested him, not even giving him a chance to defend himself.


    The situation was extremely serious, prompting Wyatt the mayor to quickly address the public. He assured everyone that no criminal would escape justice and vowed ountability for the victims. Only then did the crowd, who had been outraged online all night, begin to calm down, but they remained eager for results.


    After finishing his press conference, Wyatt rushed back to his office. His secretary was puzzled by his urgency and suddenly recalled the mysterious man who hade in earlier that morning. A chill ran down her spine¨Cwho was this big shot making the mayor act so submissive?


    As Wyatt reached the door to the Mayor¡¯s office, he took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and double-checked with his secretary to ensure everything was alright before entering. ¡°The task you assigned has beenpleted,¡± he said.


    Jeremiah, standing by the window, turned around slowly, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray. He had a calm yet intimidating presence that made everyone around him uneasy-his silence spoke volumes.


    Wyatt thought to himself, ¡®Mr. Jeremiah Chavez really lives up to his reputation. Not only is he a high-profile heir, but he¡¯s also the youngest major general in the country. I¡¯ve heard hemands a secret unit handling overseas matters, work most folks in Betrico would never see him do. His vibe is just terrifying!¡¯


    Last night, Wyatt had received a mysterious call. At first, he thought it was just another spam call and hung up. But the caller kept trying, and he eventually answered. Shockingly, it was Andrew, the troublesome grandson of the Mitchell family.


    Andrew sent over a video, and after watching it, Wyatt knew what it was about. The problem was, Andrew didn¡¯t quite fall under their typical chain ofmand. Even with the Mitchell family behind him, could he not talk about this tomorrow instead?


    Wyatt initially nned to brush Andrew off with some official jargon. After all, this video involved Henry, a man whose family held significant sway in Seacrity and even some support from Betrico. Dealing with Henry wouldn¡¯t be easy, and Wyatt needed time to figure out how to handle this situation.


    But when Andrew simply mentioned a name, Wyatt felt his stomach drop and couldn¡¯t say another word-¡°Jeremiah.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Wyatt realized he had been careless. ¡®How could I forget that behind Andrew the spoiled boy is Jeremiah, the key yer in Betrico? What kind of luck does Andrew have to get on Jeremiah¡¯s good side?¡¯


    Jeremiah¡¯s arrival in Seacrity was significant, no matter the reason. Wyatt couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes. If things went south, Jeremiah could ensure Wyatt would never get reassigned to Betrico.


    Wyatt hung up the phone and wasted no time. He woke up all his team leaders and ordered an overnight investigation into the issue. By dawn, he finally figured out the arrangements and punishments for those involved.


    What Wyatt didn¡¯t expect was for Jeremiah to show up in his office. His heart raced, fearing Jeremiah was there to me him.


    ¡°You handled it well, Mr. Langford,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Wyatt wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly replied, ¡°I appreciate that, but it¡¯s all thanks to you for providing the evidence. Without it, we couldn¡¯t have brought the wrongdoers to justice.¡±


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t have time for small talk. After hisment, he left without saying another word. Wyatt saw him to the car respectfully, watching it drive away for what felt like an eternity before he finally headed back to his office, still trying to digest everything.


    *****


    In the Maybach, Andrew was driving. He had been busy for most of the night too. Technically, he could have gone to sleep after his call, but after watching that video, he felt too frustrated to rest.


    ¡°Jeremiah, are you really going to Argrol University? You¡¯re not joking, right? You graduated years ago!¡± Andrew said, ncing in the rearview mirror. ¡°You were at the top of your ss, remember? They would be lucky to have you as a teacher.¡±


    Jeremiah, sitting in the backseat, chose to ignore Andrew¡¯s endless questions. He looked down, his expression weary, the top button of his white shirt undone, leaving a hint of well-defined abs-definitely eye-catching.


    ¡°Just to rify, I¡¯m not going to be a teacher. I¡¯m going to be a librarian,¡± Jeremiah said calmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Andrew nearly shouted, disbelief coloring his voice. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re going to Argrol University and can¡¯t even get a teaching job? A librarian? Come on, you¡¯re kidding me, right? Oh man, I think I¡¯m going to faint. Jeremiah¡­


    Before Andrew could finish, Jeremiah cut him off. ¡°If you keep talking, I¡¯ll agree to your grandfather¡¯s request and send you to the military.¡±


    Andrew instantly fell silent, even making a ¡°zip-it¡± gesture. He figured the idea of Jeremiah being a librarian at Argrol University was way better than the thought of himself in the military.


    With Andrew focused on driving, the car was filled with radio chatter until he decided to turn it off, plunging the vehicle into silence.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯te to Seacrity to rest or work as a university librarian. He was there for Siren-a genius in physics and a top hacker the country wanted to recruit.


    However, he had found someone even more interesting. What happened on the street yesterday must have been due to those pills. That girl may be small, but she has quite a temper. She clearly inhaled something mind-altering, yet she still fought back. Resistance to drugs? Interesting¡­


    At the Chambers residence, Yvette wasing down the stairs when she saw Nellie, Winona, and Zeke in the living room, reading newspaper and chatting about something.


    Seeing Yvette, both Nellie and Winona fell silent. With Zachary not around, they didn¡¯t even bother to put on an act.


    Zeke took the initiative to greet Yvette, pulling out the chair next to him so she could sit down. Yvette ignored him and chose to sit across the table instead. Undeterred, Zeke chuckled, ¡°Did you sleep well, Yvette?¡±


    Yvette gave a nonchnt ¡°uh-huh¡± in response, barely paying any attention to him, but Zeke just smiled wider, unfazed by her indifference.


    Nellie couldn¡¯t stand watching her precious son trying to get Yvette¡¯s attention only to be brushed off. Fuming, she snapped, ¡°Yvette, Zeke is trying to talk to you. Can¡¯t you just be decent for once?¡±


    Yvette mmed her fork and knife onto her te, leaning backzily in her chair, crossing her legs. There was still a trace of yesterday¡¯s hangover in her eyes. Her tone dripped with sarcasm. ¡°Oh, so a dog bites me, and I shouldfort it?¡±


    Nellie was furious at Yvette¡¯s c**y attitude. She red at her, her face twisted. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare talk about Zeke like that?¡±


    Yvette toyed with her silverware casually, spinning it in her hand, making the servants feel uneasy. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you pretending anymore, Mrs. Nellie Chambers?¡±


    Nellie scoffed, trying to maintain some dignity. ¡°What do you mean by that? I¡¯ve been nothing but good to you since you came home, but you show no appreciation whatsoever. I¡¯m Zachary¡¯s wife now, thedy of the house, yet you keep disrespecting me. Enough is enough. Today, I will teach you a lesson so you don¡¯t embarrass yourself out there.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Winona kept her head down, silent. Zeke nced at Nellie¡¯s face and decided to stay out of it. He didn¡¯t want to get on his mother¡¯s bad side. The living room felt like a battlefield, with all the tension between Yvette and Nellie.


    Yvette still maintained her nonchnt attitude. Teach me a lesson? Yeah, there have been a few who tried, but they seem to have all said goodbye to this world.


    She stood up and walked over to Nellie. In one quick motion, she shed the knife-she preferred actions over words. Nellie felt something warm trickling down her neck. Instinctively, she touched it and found blood flowing down her skin.


    Time seemed to freeze. Winona and Zeke were both stunned, while the servants stood frozen in fear-Yvette had actually cut Nellie!


    The most panicked was Nellie herself. She stared at Yvette, who was smiling back at her. At that moment, Nellie saw a devil in her.


    In a daze, Nellie felt her vision blur, and Yvette slowly morphed into Lilian. Over twenty years ago, Lilian looked just like this-except back then, it was Lilian begging Nellie. Consumed by madness, Nellie iled her arms wildly, shouting for Yvette to get away, her scream cutting through the entire mansion, so loud it reached the cleaners outside.


    Yvette tossed the knife down in front of Nellie with a dismissiveugh and turned to leave, her exit swift and decisive.


    Once Yvette walked away, the living room erupted into chaos. Zeke rushed to help Nellie up while the servants hurried to assist her as well. By the time Nellie settled down, an entire hour had passed.


    Zeke headed downstairs, his face was dark. He couldn¡¯t believe Yvette had the guts to act out at home. Even he had been taken aback by her ruthlessness. ¡°Where did Winona go?¡± he asked.


    The servants shook their heads. In the midst of all that chaos, no one had noticed where Winona went.


    Winona had left for school earlier. Just before entering, she gave Zachary a quick call, exaggerating the whole situation.


    She nned her arrival-carefully, stepping out of the car in a crowded spot at Argrol University¡¯s entrance. As soon as she stepped out, she drew everyone¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 25

    Winona was something of a celebrity at Argrol University. With her stunning looks, charming personality, and wealthy family, she had built a loyal following on campus. Recently, she was the talk of the school because everyone heard that Richard from the Betrico Art Association was set to take her on as a disciple.


    After stepping out of the car, Winona pretended to sniffle, her eyes slightly red as if she had been crying. She looked pitiful and vulnerable.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Winona looks like she¡¯s been crying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she definitely has.¡±


    ¡°Being beautiful is truly a blessing. Even when she cries, she looks amazing.¡±


    ¡°Winona should be feeling proudtely. Why would she be crying? It¡¯s puzzling.¡±


    ¡°Totally¡­¡±


    Just then, Winona¡¯s good friend, Sharon Sullivan, arrived with a group of girls. Upon seeing Winona¡¯s tear-stained expression, Sharon rushed over. ¡°Winona, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Who bullied you?¡±


    Winona shook her head, sobbing. Her tears filled her eyes, but she held them back. This only made Sharon more anxious. ¡°Winona, please tell me what happened. I¡¯ll defend you!¡±


    In a weak voice, Winona replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Sharon. It¡¯s just that Yvette lost it this morning and hurt Mom with a knife. I was crying because I felt so bad for Mom. How could Yvette do that to her?¡±


    Sharon was furious. She raised her voice, ¡°Yvette? That long-lost sister of yours is back? When did shee back? How dare she harm your mom?¡±


    The girls hanging out with Sharon chimed in.


    ¡°Yeah, she must be insane!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s from the countryside, right? She probably doesn¡¯t know how to behave.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t your mom call the cops? This is serious-she¡¯s intentionally hurting someone.¡±


    Listening to the crowd condemning Yvette, Winona felt a surge of joy. Back then, she didn¡¯t even bother to check on Nellie. All she cared about was getting to school quickly to spread the word. ¡®So what if Yvette enrolled at Argrol University? If no one cares about her here, how will she manage?¡¯


    Winona tugged at Sharon¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Sharon, please don¡¯t be mad. Yvette probably didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯m okay, so just don¡¯t make things harder for her.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s anger boiled, and she felt Winona was just too kind-hearted and Yvette had clearly mistreated her. She pulled Winona into the campus, reassuring her as they walked.


    Outside, a small group of students had gathered to discuss the incident. Soon enough, news that Winona¡¯s half-sister had harmed her mom spread like wildfire across Argrol University. Before Yvette even stepped foot on campus, her story had been everywhere.


    *****


    At Argrol University Principal¡¯s office, Patrick wasining, ¡°Mr. Sundend, this Yvette has gone too far. I¡¯ve heard she hurt her stepmother, and we can¡¯t have a student like that at Argrol!¡±


    Patrick had been holding back his anger ever since returning from the Chambers residence. Today, as he arrived at work, he was bombarded with conversations about what happened at the gates that morning. When he heard Yvette¡¯s name, he feltpelled to dig deeper. It turned out she was nothing but trouble and had even dared toy hands on her stepmother. Shocked, Patrick decided this was the perfect chance to kick her out.


    After half an hour of gossiping, Patrick painted Yvette as nothing but a troublemaker in front of Simon. Simon listened quietly, his head lowered over his coffee. After a long pause, he mmed his cup down on the desk, startling Patrick and interrupting him mid-sentence.


    ¡°Patrick, as a dean here, you need to choose your words carefully. ¡°Troublemaker¡¯? Is that how you talk? Our main job as educators is to teach and guide our students. How can you judge Yvette based on rumors? No matter the issues, it¡¯s our responsibility to help her find her way, not to badmouth her behind her back. Do you understand?¡± Simon scolded.


    Patrick felt heat rush to his face, realizing Simon was clearly defending Yvette. Suddenly, he recalled that letter and began to wonder about the real connection between Simon and Yvette. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Sundend. I didn¡¯t mean that. I was just worried that Yvette might hurt Argrol¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just go handle the forum situation. If we let this drag on, the students will just gossip about it all day.¡± Simon waved his hand, signaling Patrick to leave.


    Meanwhile, Yvette had arrived at Argrol University. She grabbed a milkshake, but after finishing it, she still craved more, so she got another one. The sweet and tangy drink was pretty good, but she felt a little sorry for herself when she realized she only had 10 dors left in her pocket.


    Just as Yvette was wrapping up her third milkshake, she got a call from Eagle King. She took herst sip leisurely before answering the phone.


    ¡°Sorry, Ms. Zeller. I didn¡¯t get a chance to act yesterday. Some unexpected things came up,¡± Eagle King exined.


    Yvette tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash can, nailing the shot from a few feet away. ¡°Oh, got it.¡±


    This morning, while passing a newsstand, she nced at the headlines and quickly pieced together what happenedst night. If Eagle King had stepped in, things wouldn¡¯t have gone smoothly for those guys. Yvette figured it was probably Jeremiah¡¯s doing.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Someone ced an order for you on the website-a hundred-million-dor deal,¡± Eagle King added.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking it.¡± Yvette hung up and strolled onto the campus, drawing multiple attention from both guys and girls.


    ¡°Wow! When did Argrol University get such a stunning girl?¡±


    ¡°She must not be from here. If she were, I¡¯d definitely know her


    ¡°Does anyone know what department she¡¯s in? I need her number. I want to take her out.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    Yvette casually pulled a guy aside to ask for directions. He waspletely stunned that such a beautiful girl was talking to him. After pointing her in the right direction, he blushed and dashed off like a startled rabbit.


    Yvette was about to say thanks, but by the time she opened her mouth, he was already gone. She touched her face, wondering, ¡®Do I look that intimidating? Why did he run away?


    The university¡¯s online forum was buzzing again after the incident with Winona this morning. A student had snapped a photo and paired it with a catchy headline: [New Campus Beauty at Argrol University? Stunning Looks That Will I Breathless!]


    The post read: [Has the campus beauty been dethroned? A showdown between Queen Reba and Ms. Mysterious Neer, and who will reign supreme? Get thetest scoop on the beauty! Check it out at the school¡¯s report desk.]


    *****


    As soon as Yvette walked up to the report desk at Argrol University, the staff¡¯s eyes brightened. She had heard that a new student was arriving today, supposedly the newly-found daughter of the Chambers family. Since she had juste back from a business trip and missed the morning news about Winona, she had no preconceived notions about Yvette and helped her get her paperwork sorted out.


    An hourter, Yvette walked out with all her documents in hand. She was now officially a student in the physics department at Argrol University.


    ¡°Your advisor is Tobias. He¡¯s in the office next door, so you can go find him now,¡± one of the staff members said.


    Meanwhile, a group of girls gathered, buzzing with excitement over a picture of Yvette. Winona had caught a glimpse of the photo too. Although she couldn¡¯t see clearly, she recognized Yvette.


    One girl with antern jaw chimed in sarcastically, ¡°How could she look that perfect? Must be some serious work from a stic surgeon, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly I was thinking the same thing,¡± another girl replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. She doesn¡¯t even look like she¡¯s had anything done,¡± a different girl countered.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s true, I guess the campus beauty crown wouldn¡¯t be going to Reba or Winona anymore,¡± someone else added with a chuckle.

 Chapter 26

    In the bathroom, noticing Winona was unusually quiet, the girl quickly brought the conversation back to her. ¡°Winona, we were just joking. Don¡¯t take it to heart. Being pretty doesn¡¯t mean much, You¡¯ve got so much talent.¡±


    Yeah, exactly! Next month when you be a disciple of Mr. Griffin, how can shepete with you?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, there¡¯s no one like her among the socialites in Seacrity. Where did she evene from?¡±


    Winona forced a casual smile as she dried her hands. Trying to sound rxed, she replied, ¡°Reba is the real campus beauty. I¡¯m heading off to watch Victor y basketball now. See youter.¡±


    ¡°They have a friendly game with Baity University there, right?¡±


    Tm so jealous, Winona. You get to hang out with Mr. Carter. He¡¯s so handsome!


    ¡°Winona and Mr. Carter are a perfect match!!


    ¡°Totally!¡±


    Winona pretended to be indifferent, but inwardly, she was quite pleased. Theirpliments made her feel on top of the world


    Let¡¯s go together, Winona!¡± a girl suggested.


    Despite wanting to refuse, Winona let them tag along. She knew they just wanted to snag a rich boyfriend from Victor¡¯s wealthy friends. But it was not bad-having these girls around only highlighted her beauty and elegance. After all, why else would she be hanging out with these daughters of new money!


    Tobias Sundend had gone straight from Argrol University to graduate school, eventuallynding a teaching position under Simon. After years of hard work, he was feeling the strain. Now, in his thirties with no romantic prospects, he had hoped to avoid taking on new students. But Simon insisted he take one more, and with no choice left, he reluctantly agreed.


    After reviewing Yvette¡¯s file, he thought, Is it toote to back out What¡¯s this? Aside from her name and birth info, the rest of her file is nk! How could someone not even list elementary school experience?


    Later, he learned from his colleagues that Yvette was the Chambers family¡¯s child, lost for over twenty years and recently found. She got into the university after the family donated 15 million inb equipment. Tobias sighed in frustration, Just the perks of capitalismi!¡±


    Now, it seemed he¡¯d have to take a hands-on approach. Given Yvette¡¯s background, it looked like she¡¯d need to start from scratch. Tobias couldn¡¯t help but begin toment his parting ns for this year¡¯s matchmaking.


    Tobias looked at Yvette. She was undeniably beautiful, but there was an icy aura around her that made her seem distant and hard to approach. Her posture didn¡¯t even look typical for a girl. He felt a headacheing on. After some thought, he decided to break the ice. ¡°Yvette, did you pick the physics department because you really like the subject?¡±


    Yvette was slouched with one leg bent, her voice low and a bit hoarse. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Oh: If you like it, then¡­ Wait, what did you say? You don¡¯t like le So why choose Physics?¡± Tobias asked.


    Yvette yawned, barely lifting her spirits, and after a moment¡¯s thought, she decided to be honest: ¡°It¡¯s simple and not at


    hassle


    ¡®Simple? Not a hassle? Physics is simple? Is she out of her mind or am I mishearing? For the first time, Tobias had no idea how to respond. He had encountered plenty of people who struggled with the subject, but she was the first to insist it was a breeze. Did she even know what physics was!


    Tobias remembered she was from the countryside, so he tried to soften his tone. ¡°Yvette, physics is prettyplex. It¡¯s not as easy as it seems. But don¡¯t worry. Since Simon assigned you to me. I¡¯ll do my best to help you out. You just need to put in the effort. How about I give you a few basic problems to work on at home? If you have any questions, just reach out to me.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, I¡¯m actually pretty good at physics, I just- Before Yvette could finish, a loud knock interrupted her.


    During the Argrol University basketball game, a yer from the physics department, John Lester, identally bumped into Victor, which ended up costing their team the game. Embarrassed and furious, Victor med John for ruining everything and was determined to teach him a lesson. Other physics students hurried to Tobias¡¯s office to fill him in on the situation.


    Victor had a notorious reputation for being ruthless. Over the past two years, anyone who crossed him faced severe consequences. Some ended up in the hospital, while others dropped out.


    The worst incident involved a guy who was bullied by Victor and spiraled into depression. He fell from the fourth floor, suffering life-changing injuries. Even after his family called the police, nothing came of it. The Carter family just paid some hush money and moved on, which only fed Victor¡¯s arrogance. Now, he ruled Argrol University like a king


    ¡°Mr. Sundend. Victor is about to beat John. You need to see this a student burst into the office, panic written all over his face.


    Victor! The son of the Carter family?¡± Tobias¡¯s heart raced at the news. He quickly followed the student to the basketball court,pletely forgetting about Yvette.


    In an instant, there was only Yvette in the office. She looked down at the scattered papers where Tobias had rushed out. After a brief moment of contemtion, she decided to pick them up and ce them back on the desk before turning to leave the office.


    Just then, Patrick stepped out from the nearby room and noticed Yvette leaving the physics department office by herself. He remembered it was her first day at the university, and given he had just seen Tobias dash off, he wondered, ¡°What¡¯s she doing here all alone?¡±


    On the basketball court, Victor-who was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with sandy brown hair and a blue earring in his left ear, dressed in designer clothes and expensive sneakers-was stomped on another guy¡¯s leg viciously.


    The girls nearby watched in fear, not daring to speak up. Winona was Victor¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and everyone present showed her quite a respect. If she didn¡¯t say something now, it would reflect poorly on her reputation. So just before John was about to get hurt, she pretended to plead for mercy.


    Victor was furious but still had some feelings for Winona. He reassured her with a few kind words and then let her step aside. Winona wasn¡¯t serious about intervening, so she followed,


    ¡°You punk, you¡¯re actually fighting back?¡± Victor sneered.


    John couldn¡¯t take it. He spat on the ground, and coincidentally, his sp?tnded right on Victor¡¯s shoes.


    Seeing this, one of Victor¡¯s goons pped John again and rushed to clean up the spit from Victor¡¯s shoes.


    Victor smirked at this disy of loyalty and said condescendingly. ¡°Good job. Just wait for news about your case.¡±


    Theckey bowed and thanked him eagerly.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Johan struggled with despair on the ground. He had worked so hard to get into Argrol University, his dream school. But in the eyes of this rich crowd, he felt worth less than a pet.


    When Tobias showed up, John was already beaten and bloodied, his face bruised and his head bleeding. He cradled his left leg in pain.


    ¡°Stop! Ju


    stop!¡± Tobias shouted


    Victor and hisckeys were too caught up in their fun to notice Tobias. He lifted a baseball bat high, ready to swing at John¡¯s right hand.


    The bystanders held their breath in shock, not expecting Victor to be this ruthless. If that bat hit, John could lose his right hand, and that wouldpletely ruin his future.


    Tobias¡¯s heart raced as he realized he wouldn¡¯t reach John in tine. But suddenly, a rock came flying in from the entrance, hitting Victor¡¯s wrist hand. Victor yelped in pain, and the bat fell to the ground.


    Silence fell over the court. Tobias, still running, turned to see Yvette standing at the entrance. Everyone else¡¯s gaze followed his.


    In the bright light came Yvette, who wore a simple white T-shirt and long pants paired with worn-out canvas shoes. Her long hair was tied back, and her stunningly beautiful eyes glinted coldly. She approached, capturing everyone¡¯s attention, except for one.


    Winona tilted her head to look at Victor, who was just as stunned. Her heart sank-her worst fears hade true.

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Yo, it¡¯s really lively in here,¡± Yvette eximed, and the once-quiet basketball court erupted in excitement.


    Whoa, who is that? What a gorgeous?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, pinch me. Am I dreaming


    ¡°No. I see her too!¡±


    ¡°Check the forum. That has to be her!¡±


    As Yvette made her way closer, Victor¡¯s eyes widened in admiration. He thought she was heading right for him, ready to show off, But Yvette didn¡¯t even nce his way. Instead, she walked straight past him toward John on the floor.


    Through his blurry vision, John thought he saw an ¡°angel¡± reaching out to him and saying, ¡°Get up.¡±


    Seeing that John didn¡¯t move, just staring at her in a daze, Yvette frowned slightly. ¡°Are you waiting for me to drag you up? John shook his head quickly, trying to push himself off the ground. Tobias rushed over to help him stand, barely keeping him upright.


    Thanks, but you should go. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get in trouble with Victor and his men,¡± John said, genuinely concerned for


    Wette.


    he a threat? Yvette sneered, her tone casual


    The buzzing crowd fell silent again. Some students were already pulling out their phones, checking the forum to confirm that she was indeed the hot new student everyone had been talking about.


    Victor¡¯s face darkened, his voice turning menacing, ¡°I suggest you mind your own business, beautiful.¡±


    Yvette turned around, a yful smirk on her face. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? I actually love getting involved in other people¡¯s business¡±


    Everyone was shocked. This new girl is stunning yet seems brainless? Doesn¡¯t she know who she¡¯s dealing with? This is Victor, the son of the powerful Carter family! Does she have a death wish?


    ¡°Do you know who I am? Victor pressed, sure that Yvette wouldn¡¯t have the guts to act like that if she knew his status.


    Yvette tilted her head, a fieree look in her eyes. ¡°Nope, 1 don¡¯t.¡±


    Victor¡¯s expression darkened. He feltpletely humiliated.


    The crowd erupted in whispers. Who¡¯s this daring new student?


    Meanwhile, Tobias was trying to keep John steady while watching Yvette. When he heard her reply, his jaw dropped. ¡®Should


    I call that person? Ugh, maybe I should. I can¡¯t just stand by and let my student get bullied


    ¡°Why are you here, Yvette? Winona¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted, cutting off Tobias, who was about to speak


    The girl with antern jaw standing next to Winona gasped, ¡°What? That¡¯s your sister?¡±


    ¡°Oh my goshl


    ¡°What? This is the same sister Winona aid hurt her stepmom and is rude?


    ¡°Walt, what¡¯s her name again


    ¡°Yvette!¡±


    ¡°What a plot twist!¡±


    ¡°The gorgeous new girl is Winona¡¯s half-sister?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that she was from the countryside? She definitely doesn¡¯t look like it!¡±


    ¡°It must be the gics, for sure.¡±


    A quieter voice chimed in. ¡°Did you guys forget that Victor was originally engaged to Yvette, not Winona?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This is a total mess.¡±


    Victor had nned to confront Yvette, but Winona¡¯sment left him stunned. He turned to Yvette, disbelief etched on his face. This is the daughter the Chambers family has just discovered? My fianc¨¦e!¡±


    Winona stepped forward confidently, cozying up to Victor. She tugged at his sleeve and said sweetly, ¡°Victor, don¡¯t be mad. Yvette didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    She then looked at Yvette, trying to say something yet something seemed to strike her with fear. She took a couple of steps. back, looking vulnerable. Yvette, about what happened with Mom¡­. she¡¯s already forgiven you. Can youe home with me today and apologize? Please don¡¯t make her sad again.¡±


    Victor admired Winona¡¯s softer side, but seeing her like this only fueled his anger. ¡°Hey, you better apologize to Winona and Mrs Chambers right now. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being harsh. And as for our engagement? That¡¯s over. Winona is my fianc¨¦e now, so don¡¯t get any funny ideas.


    Yvette was as rxed and carefree as usual. She looked straight at the pair and casually remarked, ¡°You two are a perfect match. A b***h and a¡­ well, you know. You two should definitely stick together. Her expression was serious, but honestly, that only worked if one ignored what she had just said.


    Winona and Victor weren¡¯t naive. They quickly grasped Yvette¡¯s meaning. It was clear who was the b* and who was the other.


    The crowd had tried to hold back theirughter, but soon, they let it out. ¡°Wow, this new girl is bold! Calling Victor and his half-sister a couple of a b**h and¡­ Impressive!¡±


    Winona¡¯s tears welled up instantly. ¡®How could Yvette humiliate me like this in front of everyone?¡±


    Victor had initially nned to spare Yvette for the sake of the Chambers family, but now, he wasn¡¯t holding back. ¡°Grab Yvette! I¡¯ll pay 150 grand. Strip her down and let¡¯s see who the real **ch is!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Winona stopped crying. She silently wished for Yvette to be publicly humiliated. That way, Yvette wouldn¡¯t dare show her face at Argrol University again.


    Victor¡¯sckeys were fired up by the idea. It sounded like an easy payday-how hard could it be to take down just one girl?


    Among them were some guys who saw this as a chance to take advantage of Yvette. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to get involved with a stunning girl, especially one who was the daughter of the Chambers family? With Victor behind them, they felt invincible.


    ¡°Victor, maybe this isn¡¯t such a great idea. Winona pretended to be worried.


    Just look at Winona-so kind and loyal! Yvette doesn¡¯t stand a chance next to her Victor looked at Winona and moved. Recalling how Winona devoted to him, he felt even better. ¡°You¡¯re too good, Winona. But just stay away from this. I¡¯ll teach her a lesson about who not to mess with


    ¡°But my dad¡­ Winona hesitated.


    When Victor got fired up, he didn¡¯t think about anything else. Tl handle him. Our families have been friends forever. She disrespected Nellie, so I¡¯ll show her a little respect lesson. Can¡¯t let her make the Chambers family look bad.¡±


    Victor shot a look at the girls near Winona, signaling them to pull her aside. Winona¡¯s worry was still evident as they grabbed her


    ¡°Winona, just let it go. You know how Victor can be, one of the girls said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Winona replied, still anxious.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The girl with antern jaw red at Yvette, whose beauty was all-natural, while she had gone through every cosmetic procedure under the sun. Up close, she was convinced Yvette hadn¡¯t done anything, which only fueled her envy. Like Winona, she couldn¡¯t wait to see Yvette get put in her ce.


    The crowd thought Victor was crossing the line, but no one stepped in to stop it. That was just how it went-¡°Don¡¯t go. looking for trouble?


    A couple of guys with dirty intentions closed in on Yvette, grinning creepily.


    Yvette stood her ground, her sharp features cold and filled with disdain, giving off an aura that screamed she wasn¡¯t scared. Seeing Yverte still stand there unfazed, Tobias figured she was just too stunned to react and was about to call on a person¡¯s name to scare them.


    ¡°Stopmanding voice rang-out, just in time.

 Chapter 28

    The moment Victor heard that familiar voice, a chill ran down his spine. The only person he feared more than his grandfather was his older sister, Reba.


    Since they were kids, Reba had always known how to put him in his ce. While he was busy stuck in video games, she was out there collecting awards. His grades were abysmal, while hers were always at the top. By her freshman year of colleg she was already interning at the family business as their grandfather¡¯s assistant.


    But there was someone else who reacted sharply to Reba¡¯s voice-Winona. No matter how hard Winona tried to impres her. Reba always looked down on her, often reminding her that she only got engaged with Victor because of her connection to Yvette¡¯ste mother.


    Winona endured a lot of mistreatment from Reba but felt powerless to fight back. She wanted to marry into the Carter family, and Reba was a key yer in that game. So, Winona had to keep ying nice, even if it stung.


    Reba strode in, nked by four sharply-dressed bodyguards. Her high heels clicked loudly on the floor.


    ¡°Reba, what are you doing here?¡± The moment Victor saw her face, he knew she was furious. ¡®What could possibly upset her? I¡¯m just teaching someone a lesson, right?!


    Reba marched straight up to Yvette. The guys surrounding Yvette quickly stepped aside, understanding that crossing


    Reba wasn¡¯t a smart move.


    L


    ¡°Are you Yvette?¡± Reba asked, her tone sharp.


    Yvette calmly nodded, her expression cool, unfazed by Reba¡¯s fierce energy. In fact, she seemed to hold her own against


    Reba


    Reba felt it and her heart sank-Yvette wasplicated as she expected. ¡°Victor, get over here.¡±


    Victor¡¯s face darkened-with all eyes on him, Reba showed no concern for his feelings. But disobeying her was tough, so he walked over obediently. As he passed Winona, she instinctively reached out to him, grabbing his arm.


    ¡°Winona, you¡­.¡± Victor hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to go over there either.


    ¡°In front of everyone, Ms. Chambers, maybe it¡¯s best if we stop this tug-of-war. It¡¯s just not a good look, Reba said sharply


    Winona¡¯s eyes turned red again, defiance creeping into her voice Reba, I¡¯m already engaged to Victor. I¡­¡±


    Reba scoffed, her tone cutting. ¡°Engaged? You haven¡¯t even had your engagement party yet. Our families haven¡¯t exchanged gifts or anything. It¡¯s way too early for that. Plus, back then, my family agreed to the marriage with Yvette, not


    you


    Victor felt like Reba was crossing a line. Seeing Winona in tears, he quickly stepped in. ¡°Reba, I¡¯m not marrying Yvette. I only want to marry Winona.


    Victor¡¯s deration didn¡¯t lifi Winona¡¯s spirits at all. The strange looks from the crowd made her so embarrassed she couldn¡¯t even look up. With despair in her eyes, she nced at Victor before bolting away.


    Victorined to chase after her, but Reba¡¯s bodyguards blocked his path. He struggled for a moment, but a sharp look from Reba made hip stop. He thought Winona was reasonable and would understand if he cooled things downter. Plus, he figured it was better to May put than to deal with his sister¡¯s anger


    Once Victor settled down, Reba turned to Yvette, her tour pointed. ¡°Ms. Zeller, let¡¯s be reasonable. I don¡¯t know where you found that hacker, but this is Seacrity, and our families have always had a good rtionship. It¡¯s not worth making enemies over someone from the outside.


    B G


    She nced at John and continued, ¡°About John¡¯s injuries, the Carter family will take full responsibility. We¡¯ll even cover his college expenses for four years. As for those who tried to attack you, feel free to deal with them¡±


    Reba delivered her words smoothly but left out Victor¡¯s involvement in what happened. Her tone sounded sincere, but there was a hidden threat beneath it.


    Yvette remained calm, an air of arrogance on her face. ¡°Apologize.¡±


    Reba paused, her frustration bubbling just below the surface, Reluctantly, she motioned for security to bring Victor over. ¡°Go apologize to Ms. Zeller¡±


    Victor stared at Reba, his eyes wide in disbelief.


    Reba shot Victor a look, her eyes zing with disappointment. ¡°Apologize, or I¡¯ll freeze all your ounts and take away your sports car


    What¡¯s Reba thinking? The Chambers family doesn¡¯t hold a candle to the Carter family. Why would I have to apologize to Yvette? Victor felt like he was losing it. But it was clear Reba wasn¡¯t joking. If he didn¡¯t apologize, she would really cut him off.


    Reluctantly, Victor muttered, Tm sorry.¡±


    ¡°Not to me. To him,¡± said Yvette.


    Victor followed Yvette¡¯s finger and saw John, the guy he had just hit.


    Rage boiled inside Victor. John looked just as stunned, and even Tobias seemed taken aback. The crowd around them was dead silent


    Reba¡¯s expression shifted, and she thought Yvette was pushing it too far. Yvette asking for an apology was one thing-it wasn¡¯t embarrassing, especially since both the Carter and Chambers families were part of the four major families. But now, demanding that Victor apologize to some nobody? That was outrageous and downright arrogant.


    Victor straightened his shoulders, convinced Reba wouldn¡¯t make him go through with that.


    The atmosphere grew tense. Yvette and Reba stared each other down-one calm and collected, the other fierce and demanding. The crowd held its breath,


    Reba stayed silent. Suddenly, one of her bodyguards handed her a phone. After a brief conversation, Reba¡¯s face darkened, and her gaze turned steely as she stared at Yvette.


    Yvette was unfazed, even smiling at her, as if she knew exactly what the phone said.


    After hanging up, Reba took a deep breath. ¡°Go apologize to this guy, Victor.¡±


    Reba is actually making me apologize to John? Victor couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Have you lost your mind? I¡¯m not doing it! No way!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Reba nced at him and without hesitation, pped him hard across the face.


    The sting of the p sent Victor spiraling, Reba¡¯s cold, unforgiving look pierced through him. Within moments, he was living one of the most humiliating experiences of his life-being forced to apologize to someone he had hit and looked


    down on


    Reba felt a wave of sympathy for her brother, but there was nothing she could do right now.


    After a moment, Victor finally lifted his head. Elis left cheek still throbbed from the p, and his eyes were filled with anger. He turned to John and managed to mumble, T¡¯m sorry, before pushing past the bodyguard and rushing outside.


    John stood there, stunned. Did Victor really just apologize to me? Is this actually happening? He pinched his thigh hard. Wait, it doesn¡¯t hurt. Am I dreaming? Is this some kind of fluke?


    John, why are you pinching me?¡± Tobias asked, looking puzzled after feeling a couple of sharp jabs while John remained in a dare.


    It¡¯s real! John felt tears welling up in his eyes. Suddenly, a flicker of hope sparked within him. No one could grasp how important Victor¡¯s apology was. Without it, today¡¯s events would be a dark cloud haunting him, making his future meaningless.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you happy now? Can you finally tell your friends to back off?¡± Reba asked coldly.


    Yvette didn¡¯t answer. Reba took a step forward but caught her bodyguard silently signaling, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Who is she? How does she know that top hacker? Reba racked her brain but couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Yet, by the time she realized it was Yvette, it was toote.


    Now, she just said, ¡°Tell Mr. Zachary Chambers, we won¡¯t forget this. We¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Yvette remained unfazed. Her wless face showed no emotion, and she even yawned right in front of Reba.


    So arrogant Reba didn¡¯t want to stick around for even a moment longer. She stormed off, her bodyguard following behind.


    The crowd had just witnessed something they might never see again-Yvette making Victor apologize to John. In just a few hours, the drama had unfolded dramatically, and the audience was on edge the entire time.


    By the end of the day, Argrol University¡¯s campus forum was buzzing once again. But this time, it wasn¡¯t gossip about Yvette but all about school violence and bullying. Many didn¡¯t expect this incident would lead to years of peace from bullying at Argrol University


    The crowd dispersed from the basketball court, and only Yvette and John remained.

 Chapter 29

    Vette pulled a piece of candy from her pocket casually and offered it to John.


    John had just blown off some steam and was feeling a lot better. But now, he felt a bit awkward. When he saw Yvette handing him the candy, his embarrassment grew. He wiped his hands on his shirt and reached out to take the candy, wanting to save it forever.


    Yvette seemed to catch on. She shook her candy box and said, ¡°Go ahead and eat it. I have plenty more.


    John¡¯s face turned red. He worried Yvette might think he was weird, so he exined quickly, ¡°I just want to save it forter.¡± Yvette didn¡¯t push it. ¡°Just eat it. It¡¯ll help your wound.¡±


    John didn¡¯t take that too seriously. He figured she was just trying to cheer him up. Carefully, he unwrapped the candy, and a sweet aroma filled the air. After he finished it, somehow, he felt better- even his leg hurt less, and he chalked it up to his imagination.


    Thanks, Yvette,¡± he said, feeling grateful. If it weren¡¯t for her today, he couldn¡¯t imagine how dark his future might have looked. Her presence felt like a ray of light in his life.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Noticing that Yvette had fallen silent as she munched on candy after candy, he felt uneasy. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to repay


    you I


    Yvette suddenly looked up at him, a strange expression on her face, and asked, ¡°Do you have any money?¡±


    Money: What did she mean? Does she need cash? John was startled. Worried he didn¡¯t have enough, he quickly assured her he could grab more from his dorm while pulling out the remaining 60 dors from his pocket.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the money. ¡°Come with me.


    John didn¡¯t dare ask questions and simply followed her. She led him to a new milkshake shop right at the school entrance. ordering. Ten cups of banana milkshake.


    The staff at the milkshake shop recognized Yvette immediately. She was the kind of stunning beauty one couldn¡¯t forget, especially since she hade in earlier that morning and ordered three cups all for herself.


    ¡°50 dors, thanks. the cashier said.


    Yvette turned and motioned for John to pay up. John was still in a daze, lost in thought.


    With a slight frown, Yvette said, a hint of annoyance in her tone, ¡°Are you trying to stiff me? Just lend me 60 dors for now, and I¡¯ll pay you backter¡±


    John couldn¡¯t believe that Yvette liked milkshakes. He¡¯d always assumed someone from a wealthy family would be sipping fancy coffee at high-end cafes. ¡°No, I¡­ I¡¯m not trying to skip out on paying. I¡¯ll pay, I promise!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s frown softened, and she looked at John more favorably. A ssmate who would buy me milkshakes? Not too shabby!


    About ten minutester, John was juggling ten cups of milkshake Yvette was sitting on a bench by the road, ch**ng one cup after another


    John was stunned. ¡®Wow, her appetite for milkshakes is off the charts! How could a girl drink this much? Doesn¡¯t she care about her figure?¡¯


    9.76%


    After thinking for a while, he began with concern. ¡°Uh, Yvette, will today¡¯s incident cause you trouble? Victor won¡¯t let this slide easily. And there¡¯s Reba. She¡¯s quite a force at Argrol University. I¡¯m worried they might go after you.¡±


    Yvette turned her head, a yful glint in her eyes. ¡°John, when you have real power, any scheme against you is just hot air.¡±


    Without waiting for John to respond, she grabbed thest three cups of milkshake and walked away. ¡°What¡¯s up with that guy watching me?¡±


    John got her words-real power came with real authority.


    Across the street, in a Maybach, Jeremiah had been staring at Yvette for a solid ten minutes. Watching her down cups of milkshake while sitting next to a guy who seemed like little more than a friend was driving him ins


    After finishing his shopping, Andrew returned to find Jeremiah staring off into space. He followed Jeremiah¡¯s gaze and saw a girl chatting with a boy.


    ¡®Look like students from Argrol University? Are they dating? Andrew wondered. The guy seemed pretty average, but that girl was gorgeous-he felt tempted to go say hi.


    ¡°Jeremiah, check out these college students. They seem so happy, dating and sipping milkshakes like it¡¯s some sort of sweet romance. I¡¯m so jealous. As soon as Andrew spoke, a chill ran down his spine. What¡¯s going on? The air conditioning isn¡¯t


    even on!


    Jeremiah clenched his jaw, his dark eyes narrowing, ¡®Sweet romance? I¡¯d like to see just how sweet it really is.


    At the Carter residence, Victor stormed in and knocked over the perfectly arranged fruit tter the ser**nt had set up. Ripe,. red strawberries rolled across the plush carpet, and to top it off. Victor stomped on them, creating a mushy mess.


    The noise echoed through the house, grabbing the attention of Victor¡¯s parents.


    Robert and his wife, Yulia, had always wanted a child. Victor wasn¡¯t their second son-he had an older brother who unfortunately passed away. So, the couple spoiled him endlessly, which only fueled Victor¡¯s reckless behavior, with Robert/ always swooping in to clean up after him.


    After Victor took such a hit to his pride, his mood spiraled ¡°You b**h! All of you-just bi**s!¡±


    Robert and Yulia surveyed the chaos in the living room, bewildered by their son¡¯s apparent breakdown. ¡°Victor, what are you doing?¡±


    Victor squeezed out, ¡°What am I doing? Mom, Dad, do you even know what Reba did today? She made me apologize to Yvette and a nobody! The whole school was watching-everyone saw me get humiliated. How am I supposed to show my face on campus now?¡±


    ¡°What? Reba made you apologize? Are you serious?¡± Robert¡¯s expression darkened. He didn¡¯t even ask for details. In his eyes, his son should never have to apologize for anything.


    Yulia felt the same way and wondered what this had to do with Yvette. She pulled Victor aside to calm him down, instructed the servant to clean up the mess, and asked the butler to call Reba and have hee home.


    To cheer up Victor, Yulia secretly bought him a limited-edition sports car. It finally calmed him down, and he agreed to wait for Reba toe home and exin everything.


    Reba had been busy all day sorting outpany issues. She didn¡¯t even have time to eat before getting a call urging her rush back home.


    When Reba finally returned, the three had just finished dinner and were sitting in the living room enjoying some imported fruit-Robert and Yulia hovered around Victor, taking turns feeding him. Seeing this, Reba rolled her eyes and thought. Spoiling him like this is just going to ruin him. Actually, he¡¯s already a mess!¡±


    As Reba walked in, the three just ignored her as if she wasn¡¯t there. She let out a coldugh and turned to leave.


    ¡°Stop right there! Where¡¯s your manner? Why didn¡¯t you greet us when you got home? Robert scolded.


    Reba was exhausted and didn¡¯t want to argue. She shot back. Just get to the point. I have things to do at Grandpa¡¯s.¡±


    Robert nced at his aplished daughter and felt no warmth toward her. ¡®What got into Dad? Why is he so determined to push Reba while being cold to Victor? All these years, I¡¯ve never had a good rtionship with Reba.


    Just exin why you made Victor embarrassed today, Robert demanded.


    Reba looked at Victor and was stung by the hatred in his eyes Taking a deep breath, she replied, ¡°The one who embarrassed him isn¡¯t me-it¡¯s him. Why don¡¯t you ask him what he did? He nearly took out a student from the physics. department, and he even asked hisckeys to humiliate Yvette in public! How old is he? Is this how he should behave!¡±


    Victor knew he was in the wrong but refused to admit it.


    Yulia chimed in, ¡°So what if he hurt a guy? We can afford to pay for it, right? Why should Victor apologize? That¡¯s just embarrassing


    Robert nodded in agreement, believing that Victor could never do wrong.


    Reba felt utterly helpless. No matter how big of a mistake Victor made, her parents always found a way to shift the me elsewhere-it was never Victor¡¯s fault.


    Tll say it again. If Victor keeps getting away with this behavior, Ill make Grandpa take back his shares. Just think over it. Oh, and I¡¯m here to ry Grandpa¡¯s message. Don¡¯t mess with Yvette. Otherwise, you¡¯ll face the consequences. With that, Reba stormed out, leaving the three in shock.


    Don¡¯t mess with Yvette? What¡¯s so special about that girl from the countryside?¡¯ the three thought dismissively.

 Chapter 30

    After leaving the Carter residence, Reba drove to her grandfather ude¡¯s ce. She had moved out a long time ago. Compared to the Carter residence, she visited the Carter manor where ude lived, more often.


    ¡°Ms. Carter, Mr. Carter is waiting for you in the study and asked you toe at once,¡± said the servant when she opened the door.


    Reba paused for a moment while taking off her high heels. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go right now.¡±


    In the study, an elderly man in his seventies sat beside a chessboard. On the board, the white pieces had nowhere left to retreat, while the ck pieces closed in, leaving the already defeated white pieces with no chance of recovery.


    The elderly man was ude Carter, whose hairstyle was neat, without a single hair out of ce. However, he couldn¡¯t hide the silver strands mingled within his brown hair. His slightly sunken, murky brown eyes revealed a blend of shrewdness and the wear of time.


    ¡°How did it get resolved?¡± ude asked.


    Reba nodded respectfully, her tone cautious. ¡°Grandpa, Yvette forced Victor to apologize to the boy who was hurt.¡±


    ude raised his cloudy eyes and fixed them intently on Reba, lost in thought. After a long pause, he asked. ¡°How much did thepany lose?¡±


    Reba was startled by the question. This was the most significant loss thepany had faced since she joined. ¡°ording to the estimates, approximately 160 million dors,¡± Reba replied.


    ude tossed the white piece he was holding into the middle of the chessboard, scattering the game. He stood up unsteadily with the aid of his cane. ¡°Impressive. That¡¯s Lilian¡¯s daughter; her talent was shocking. She managed to let the Carter family Jose 160 million dors in less than an hour!¡±


    While 160 million dors was not a significant sum for the Carter family, Yvette¡¯s actions were a direct challenge to ude¡¯s limits. Reba recognized that her grandfather was furious, but she took a moment to voice her thoughts.


    ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t think Yvette could have done this. When I arrived, she was arguing with Victor on the basketball court and probably wouldn¡¯t have had time to attack thepany¡¯swork, Reba exined.


    She believed ude was overthinking it; someone as young as Yvette could not possibly breach the infiltrate thepany¡¯s systems.


    e numerous firewalls and


    Anyone capable of such a feat would have to be among the world¡¯s top hackers. The Carter family¡¯s cybersecurity system had been designed by topputer experts from abroad, and Reba was convinced that it could not be breached by a country girl.


    The only exnation she coulde up with was that Yvette had coincidentally met such a hacker, who had helped her today and left some information, forcing her to return to Argrol University to resolve the matter.


    ude stood by the window, his back to Reba, his stooped body and gravelly voice adding to the sense of foreboding. ¡°Even if that top hacker isn¡¯t directly involved, they¡¯re still her ally. Try to avoid any direct confrontation with her for now.¡±


    Today, the Chambers family was filled with anxiety.


    In the morning Yvette, who had just been brought back home, had injured Nellie. In the afternoon, Winona returned in tears. By the evening. Zachary came home and sat in the living room, waiting for Yvette without even eating dinner.


    The Chambers family felt like a bomb that was ready to explode at any by moment.


    At a quarter past seven, Yvette arrived home on time. The milkshake put her in a great mood. In fact, she was the happiest person in the entire Chambers family.


    Zachary silently waited for Yvette on the sofa. Nellie sat nearby, her neck wrapped in a conspicuous white bandage, her eyes- red and swollen. She didn¡¯t really know what had happened, but it was clear that Zachary¡¯s anger was directed at Yvette.


    Winona hadn¡¯te downstairs; she was in her room video chatting with Victor.


    She had already leamed everything that had happened since she left from the campus forum and several friends. She was shocked that Reba had actually pressured Victor to apologize to John. Listening to Victor¡¯sints about Reba on the video, Winona decided to take advantage of the situation. So, she subtly said quite a bit of bad stuff about Reba.


    While she was upstairs chatting sweetly with Victor, she naturally paid no attention to the situation downstairs.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As soon as Yvette stepped inside, she caught Lucas giving her a subtle signal, and then she noticed Zachary¡¯s livid face and Nellie¡¯s smug expression.


    Do you know what you did today?¡± Zachary asked, his voice tight with anger.


    With one hand in her pocket and her eyes slightly narrowed, Yvette looked nonchnt, disying her usual carefree demeanor.


    Zachary was furious. ¡°You let Reba pressure Victor into apologizing today? What do you think you¡¯re doing? Do you have any idea how serious this is? Have you even considered the consequences for the Chambers family?¡±


    The Chambers family has nothing to do with me, Yvette replied. Her words ignited Zachary¡¯s fury. He couldn¡¯t believe Yvette would say something like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Chambers family, and you say it has nothing to do with you? Why can¡¯t you be more considerate like Winona? I¡¯m trying my best topensate you what more do you want? Zachary said.


    Yvette tilted her head and gave him a nce, causing Zachary to dete instantly. He realized that, in Yvette¡¯s eyes, not only the Chambers family but also him, her father, tagged little significance.


    With resolve. Zachary dered, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have lucas arrange everything for you. You¡¯re going to stay in the dorms for a while to cool off.¡±


    Yvette nodded indifferently, her face void of expression, as if the Chambers family were truly insignificant to her. Without another word, she went upstairs.


    A few minutester, Yvette grabbed the ck backpack she had arrived with and walked out of the Chambers residence. without looking back, ignoring Lucas¡¯s calls behind her.


    Once outside, Lucas spotted a red sports car parked at the roadside. Yvette got into the car, which roared to life and disappeared in an instant, leaving only a trail of fumes.


    Lucas was surprised to see Yvette get into the car, which was clearly a limited edition. He wondered how Yvette had such at wealthy friend.


    Zachary slumped down onto the sofa. Watching Yvette leave, he felt a twinge of regret.


    ¡°Honey, Yvette is too headstrong. Making her stay in the dorms is for her own good, After next month¡¯s banquet, it won¡¯t be toote to have her back, Nellie said.


    Zachary nced at the injured Nellie, understanding he still had to uphold appearances. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t me Yvette; she¡¯s still young and surely didn¡¯t mean to act this way. Focus on your recovery, and make sure Winona exins things to Victor properly. After all, we are set to be inws with the Carter family, and it would be bad if things got too tense.¡±


    Nellie nodded. ¡°How could I me Yvette? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that petty, and I would never harbor any grudge towards Lilian¡¯s daughter. As for the Carter family, Winona knows what to do, as she always does. Just take it easy.¡±


    Taking the chance, Nelle pretended to faint, and Zachary helped her upstairs.


    That night, Nellie got what she wanted. When she came downstairs the next morning, she looked radiant, clearly having spent a sweet night with Zachary.


    The next day, in the physics ssroom at Argrol University, Yvee learned that she had be famous.


    The events from the basketball court the day before had spread throughout Argrol University, inexplicably garnering Yvette a group of fans. In just one night, they filled the forum with numerous posts cheering for her.


    There were also those who looked down on Yvette,menting that a country girl was not worth celebrating and that she didn¡¯t deserve the attention. However, Yvette¡¯s fans quickly rebuted these remarks.


    Yvette heard all this from John, who happened to be the president of her fan club. When Yvette learned about her newfound poprity, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    In the ssroom, Tobias was about to introduce Yvette, but the students were already restless.


    Some who hadn¡¯t been at the basketball court the day before were unaware of how Yvette had made Victor apologize. Still, they had heard others speak of how cool and beautiful she was.


    The physics department always had many boys and few girls. Duringrge campus events, the single guys from physics often faced ridicule from students in other departments. But now, things were different; Yvette, the new campus beauty, was from the physics department, and that was enough for them to boast about


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, we already know Yvette!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need for an introduction.


    That¡¯s right! Now everyone knows that the new campus beauty is from the physics department!¡±


    Tobias looked at Yvette, who sat quietly with her head down. He recalled how she hade to him that morning to arrange on-campus housing and wondered if she had been kicked out by her father.


    The more Tobias looked at Yvette, the more he li that she was a kind-hearted girl.


    her. He initially thought she would be a troublemaker, only to discover


    In the situation yesterday, it had been only Yvette who stood up for John. Tobias vowed to take better care of her in the future since she was a poor kid.


    ¡°All right, everyone, be quiet. Yvette, please introduce yourself! he said.


    Yvette gazed at the curious faces of the students, stepped up to the podium, and wrote her name before stepping back down.


    Her handwriting was as cool as she was, sharp yet revealing a carefree attitude.


    Tobias stared thoughtfully at the letters on the board. Suddenly, he found Yvette¡¯s handwriting a bit familiar; he felt like he had seen it before in his old man¡¯s study. But in the next moment, he doubted himself, thinking he must have made a mistake.

 Chapter 31

    In the physics ssroom, Yvette settled into her seat.


    She rested her chin on her right hand while holding a pen with her left. Her fingers were slender and graceful, Bathed in sunlight, her profile was exquisite and wless. The boys in the ssroom couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at her.


    courage,


    Sitting not far from Yvette Bonnie had been mentally preparing herself for quite some time. Finally, gathering her she spoke up. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Bonnie Sanders, the representative of the physics department. I live in the dorm right next to yours, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Yvette turned her head to look at the blushing girl and found her quite adorable. ¡°Hi there, Bonnie.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s face turned even more red. She hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to be so warm towards her. T¡­ um, Mr. Sundend left you some basic physics questions,¡± she stammered.


    Yvette casually scribbled a few notes on her paper. Then, as she noticed the test paper in her drawer, she tossed it into another desk drawer without a second thought. Turning to Bonine, she shed a smile. ¡°Bonnie, did you see the test paper?¡±


    Bonnie was puzzled by Yvette¡¯s actions. She blinked her bright, sparkling eyes at Yvette in astonishment. Yvette chuckled. softly at her reaction, leaving Bonnie momentarily speechless. It struck her just how beautiful Yvette looked when she smiled.


    Yesterday, Bonnie had thought Yvette was cool and aloof, but today she discovered that Yvette could also be gentle.


    I didn¡¯t see it,¡± Bonnie blurted out without thinking. As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted it, feeling that Yvette¡¯s charm had clouded her judgment.


    Yvette nodded in satisfaction and thenzily rested her head on the desk, drifting off to sleep. Bonnie sat still beside Yvette, wanting to let her sleep peacefully


    When Victor arrived at the campus, he noticed that the usual crowd that surrounded him was keeping their distance. Despite Victor¡¯s arrogance, he couldn¡¯t just beat everyone up. Only a few of his minions still followed him because their families rely on the Carter family¡¯s business.


    Victor asked them what was going on, but they stammered and suggested he check the forum.


    Back in his dorm, Victor opened the internal forum and quickly discovered that what had happened on the basketball court had spread throughout Argrol University. Just as he was looking for Yvette to vent his frustration, Simon Sanders, the president of Argrol University, called him over.


    Once in the office, Victor was met with an earful from Simon. Unlike most university presidents, Simon not only held a high ce in the education sector but also had powerful connections with Betrico. No matter how cocky Victor was, he had to listen obediently to Simon.


    When Victor finally left Simon¡¯s office, he felt an even deeper hatred for Yvette. At that moment, he wished for nothing more than to see Yvette utterly destroyed.


    Yvette slept through the entire ss. When she finally woke up, most of the students had left, and only Bonnie, who was sitting attentively as she focused on her physics paper, remained


    Yvette stretchedzily, unintentionally revealing part of her waistline. Upon seeing Yvette¡¯s fair skin, Bonnie, who had already regained herposure, blushed once more.


    ¡°Bon, why are you still here? Yvette asked.


    Bonnie was momentarily taken aback, her face turning even redder. She hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to call her ¡°Bon,¡± which made her feel both shy and ted. She shouldered her bag and dished out of the ssroom.


    Yene chuckled before standing up to leave the physics ssroom. Just as she stepped out the door, she nearly bumped into John, who was holding some papers.


    ¡°Wette, where are you headed?¡± John asked.


    Yvette casually nodded, her tonezy from just waking up. The library


    ¡°Do you want me to show you the way? You are new here, so I guess you don¡¯t know where the library is. Wait for me to drop my stuff off, and we can go together, John offered.


    Yvette waved her hand dismissively. She just wanted some peace in the library without anypany. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll myself.


    John looked a bit disappointed. ¡°Alright then, suit yourself


    Once Yvette had walked away, John reluctantly headed off to the office, still clutching the papers..


    Yvette arrived at the Argrol University library. The shelves were filled with an array of books, including some rare volumes that were hardly found in stores. At Argrol University, students had the freedom to read all the books in the library.


    She walked over to thenguage section, pulled out a few storybooks in Frixyia and German, and then grabbed a couple ofics from theic section. Finding a quiet corner, she settled down, crossed her legs, and immersed herself in reading.


    At lunchtime, the library was rtively empty, as most students opted to eat in the cafeteria or take a nap back at their dorms. Only a few people were reading.


    ¡°Frixyia, German, English, andics. You have quite the variety Jeremiah suddenly appeared beside Yvette.


    Yvette looked up, a hint of annoyance crossing her stunning features at being interrupted. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Jeremiah awkwardly scratched his nose, while Andrew, standing nearby, widened his eyes. More surprising than Jeremiah¡¯s attempt at flirting was Yvette¡¯s icy demeanor. Yvette was the first person Andrew had seen who dared to be so indifferent to Jeremiah, yet Jeremiah wore a smile, undeterred.


    Andrew nced between the impatient Yvette and the doting Jeremiah, thinking he had stumbled upon a huge secret. It seemed that this wasn¡¯t their first encounter.


    As he looked more closely at Yvette, a sense of familiarity washed over him. He felt he had seen her before, but he couldn¡¯t ce where.


    ¡°Just want to say hi. By the way, the pill from that night is great! Jeremiah remarked, grinning.


    Yvette shot him a nce, recognizing him as the man from that night in the alley. She then noticed his name tag that read ¡°Librarian¡± and returned her focus to theic book,pletely ignoring Jeremiah. To her, theic was far more interesting.


    Jeremiah, however, wasn¡¯t offended by being ignored. He casually grabbed a book from the nearest shelf and sat down opposite Yvette, flipping through it as if nothing had happened.


    Andrew wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he decided to go with the flow and sat down next to Jeremiah. Lacking the mood to read, he took out his phone and began posting in a group chat titled ¡®A Man Should Suffer, but Not His Car


    [Guess what just happened?]


    Big news,e check it out.


    [30 thousand dors for the gossip.]


    [Hey, trust me, 30 thousand dors won¡¯t lead you astray.]All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Three minutes passed with no messages in the chat. As soon as money was mentioned, everyone went silent Andrew gritted his teeth, getting ready to drop a bombshell.


    Want to hear some gossip about Jeremiah? You have three minutes.]


    The chat, which had been silent just moments before, exploded with messages.


    Whose gossip! Andy, if you¡¯re lying, you¡¯re dead meat!]


    Yeah. Spill the teal The money has been transferred.)


    Is it really Jeremiah¡¯s gossip?


    [I don¡¯t believe it.]


    Within less than three minutes, Andrew received notification of million dors. He felt like he had stumbled upon a golden opportunity for wealth.


    Andrew: [Everyone, please hold on. Let me tell you the details.]


    [Stop teasing. Didn¡¯t you go to Seacrity with Jeremiah? What gossip could there be?]


    [Don¡¯t fool us, or when you get back to Betrico, we¡¯ll teach you a lesson.]


    Andrew: Jeremiah had his eye on a girl in Seacrity and said hi, but shepletely ignored him.]


    The chat fell into silence for a full minute. Andrew scratched his head, perplexed about what was happening.


    [Andrew has been hacked, someone call him and check it out!]


    [It¡¯s possible. Who¡¯s going to call him?


    [Let me call him.]


    Just as Andrew was about to type a reply, his phone rang. Stunned, he answered the call with a simple ¡°Hello, but the other person hung up immediately. When he looked back at the chat, he was greeted by a flood of new messages.


    II just called him. It¡¯s indeed Andrew himself)


    [Oh my, so the news is true!]


    [Jeremiah got rejected while flirting?]


    (Which girl could turn down Jeremiah?


    I don¡¯t believe it. My idol could never be rejected! Andrew, just admit that you¡¯re making up things!]


    Andrew: [What did I do wrong?]


    Within hours, the high society of Betrico was buzzing with the news that Jeremiah had been mercilessly rejected while firting with a girl in Seacrity.


    Two hourster, Yvette flipped to thest page of her final book


    Andrew was speechless; it was the first time he¡¯d seen someone lip pages so quickly while reading. He doubted whether Yvette could even absorb the content in such a manner. However, Jeremiah didn¡¯t seem to find anything odd about it. Andrew felt as though he was in an entirely different world from the two of them.

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Can Lask a question?¡± Andrew said,


    ¡°No,¡± Wette and Jeremiah answered in unison.


    Andrew awkwardly scratched his head, amazed at their uncanny synchronization.


    ¡°Do you like milkshakes?¡± Jeremiah asked, his voice low and smooth. Andrew wondered if he was trying to flirt with Yvette.


    Yvette propped her chin up, narrowing her eyes slightly. ¡°So, you¡¯re that creep?¡±


    Jeremiah cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment, then quickly said, ¡°No.¡±


    Andrew was curious. Milkshakes? Creep? What are they talking about?


    Yvette clearly didn¡¯t buy it, but she chose not to retort. Seeing her reaction, Jeremiah suggested, ¡°How about I treat you to


    steak?¡±


    Yvette stared at him silently for a moment. ¡°And three milkshakes,¡± she said, her expression as frosty as ever.


    Andrew was stunned when Jeremiah made the suggestion. He had tried numerous times to invite Jeremiah he had always declined. Yet here he was, cagerly extending an invitation to a girl he had just met.


    Deal¡± Jeremiah replied promptly, clearly pleased with Yvette¡¯s appetite.


    out for steak, but


    The three went to a steakhouse. Yvette ordered ten steaks, along with foie gras, caviar, sausages, asparagus¡­ a total of over forty dishes, which filled the entire table.


    Andrew poked at the steak on his te, stunned by the amount of food Yvette had ordered. The girls he usually dined with had small appetites, often iming they were full after just a few bites. This was the first time he had encountered a girl like Yvette, who had such a hearty appetite.


    Yvette leisurely enjoyed her steak, with three milkshakes beside her. Sitting to her left was Jeremiah, and across from her was Andrew. The two guys were both handsome, but Yvette only paid attention to the steak.


    ¡°Wow, those two guys are so handsome.


    ¡°Yeah. I wish I could get their phone numbers.


    ¡°Forget it; the girl sitting next to them is so pretty; they probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in you¡±


    That¡¯s true; let¡¯s go!


    The young girls in the steakhouse were secretly eyeing Jeremiah and Andrew. Some wanted to approach and ask for their contact information, but they hesitated because Jeremiah and Yvette looked like bigshots.


    Tm Jeremiah Chavez, a librarian, Jeremiah introduced himself.


    ¡°Yvette Zeller, a freshman in the physics department, Yvette replied.


    -Andrew felt a bit awkward; he thought their introductions were far too brief.


    After Yvette finished one steak, Jeremiah handed her another te without hesitation. Andrew realized that today had been the most shocking day of his twenty years of life. It was the first me he had seen Jeremiah serving someone their meal and enjoying it so much. He didn¡¯t even want to watch anymore.


    Yvette focused on her meal, while Jeremiah remained silent. This atmosphere made Andrew feel ufortable.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, may I ask how you two know each other?¡± Andrew couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ? 76%


    Yvette slowly finished herst bite of meat. Jeremiah handed her a napkin, which she casually took to wipe her mouth, showing no sign of hesitation.


    Andrew was already used to things like this. Today had presented enough surprises for him.


    Yvette seemed to be in a good mood, her earlier irritability having subsided significantly, so her tone was rtively mild. ¡°Oh, we just met.¡±


    After saying that, she stood up to leave but paused, turning back to pull a piece of candy from her pocket and throw it to Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah picked up the candy Yvette threw on the table, gently rubbing it between his fingers, and then looked smile in his eyes. ¡°Same as that night?¡±


    upText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    with


    Ivette paused for a moment, her gaze slightly dreamy, her tone t. ¡°Not quite; this is to thank you for the steaks.¡± Then she added quietly. ¡°This can be life-saving


    Andrew thought to himself that this girl was quite the exaggerator; he didn¡¯t believe a piece of candy could save anyone¡¯s


    life.


    Simon sat in the Principal¡¯s office at Argrol University. He was already aware of what had happened on the basketball court yesterday and had issued a serious warning to Victor.


    He even called ude, instructed him to make Victor behave, if there was a next time, Simon would not tolerate Victor¡¯s behavior any longer.


    Simon held a low opinion of ude, and ude felt simrly about him. Their disdain for each other had roots that stretched back over twenty years. When Simon had just be the president of Argrol University, ude and the Carter family had not missed a chance to undermine him.


    Their rtionship could be described as one ofplete avoidance. If it weren¡¯t for Victor¡¯s outrageous behavior this time, Simon would not have reached out to ude,


    This incident further convinced Simon that Yvette must know the one codenamed S. Getting the Carter family to back down was not an easy task, and given Simon¡¯s knowledge of ide, he suspected there was more to the story.


    Simon was also troubled by another matter: the genius in physics, S, was nowhere to be found. He hadn¡¯t received any


    emails from S either.


    James called to inform him that higher-ups would send someone to assist in locating S and urged him to cooperate as much as possible. However, nearly half a month had passed, yet no one had reached out to him.


    If it weren¡¯t for James¡¯s personal phone call, Simon would have thought this might all be a hoax,


    On the phone, James had been somewhat hesitant, only hinting that Simon should be careful not to offend this person. But now, that person had yet to show up. Simon could only sigh heavily in the Principal¡¯s office.


    Meanwhile, after finishing her steaks, Yvette returned to the physics ssroom and just happened to see a group of people arguing at the door.


    ¡°Wanna fight?¡± she asked. For some reason, even though the crowd had been quite loud earlier, as soon as Yvette spoke, they


    fell silent.


    1552 Mon, Oct 7BB.


    eve turned around to see Yvette leaningzily against the wall, her mouth curled in a smirk, her delicate and cool face hsting a host of mischief, one leg slightly bent.


    Wananchi she asked again. The crowd seemed to awaken from a dream.


    The gestigator was Sharon Sullivan, Winona¡¯s close friend, who had specificallye to the physics department to get revenge for Winona.


    Brushed up to Yvette, speaking nervously, ¡°Ms. Gorgeous, you should leave quickly. Sharon is here to cause trouble. To you. She is Winona¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Rome and the other physics students surrounded Yvette as if protecting a chick from a hawk. Sharon strode over with an air of superiority, followed by several intimidating-looking girls


    We are civilized people, unlike you, bumpkin. I¡¯m here to challenge you. In three days, there will be a Frixyia speech. tition in the auditorium: if you¡¯re capable,e andpete, Sharon dered.


    The physics students were indignant, voicing their condemnation of Sharon¡¯s shamelessness. Sharon ignored the others and fixed her gaze on Yvette, her contempt barely concealed in her eyes.


    What¡¯s wrong? Are you too scared? If you are, just admit defeat and go apologize to Winona!¡± Sharon said.


    this being


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s puzzled expression. Bonnie quickly lowered her voice and said, ¡°Ms. Gorgeous, don¡¯t agree to this. It¡¯s a tradion at Argrol University for different departments to invite each other for friendlypetitions. Sharon shameless she wants topete with you in Frixyia. She¡¯s one of the top three students in the Frixyia department, and she¡¯s clearly trying to bully you


    After being to Bonnie¡¯s exnation and ncing at the confident Sharon, Yvette¡¯s expression remained calm as she curled helps into a slightly mischievous smile. ¡°Challenge epted¡±


    Sharon smirked. She was eager to defeat Yvette. The physics students felt a wave of concern, believing that Yvette was destined to lose and not understanding why she would agree to such a challenge.


    After genting Yvette¡¯s response, Sharon marched off with her group.

 Chapter 33

    After Sharon and her group left, the physics students went anxious. They couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette would ept Sharon¡¯s unreasonable challenge, it seemed like a self-inflicted humiliation.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Winona spread the news yesterday, students at Argrol University had already learned that Yvette was the daughter brought back from the countryside by the Chambers family. Although she managed to force Victor to apologize, it didn¡¯t mean she could speak Frixyia.


    With the level of education in the countryside, it was impossible for her to have learned thenguage. This was a gamble she was bound to lose.


    Bonnie followed behind Yvette, lost in her thoughts. After making up her mind, Bonnie firmly said to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Gorgeous, how about I take your ce! I know a little Frixyia, and even if I can¡¯t win, I can at least argue with her.¡±


    Yvette smiled slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes ¡°No need I know a little Frixyia, too¡±


    Upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words. Bonnie nodded. ¡°Oh, you know a little Frixyia. Wait a minute, Ms. Gorgeous. What did you just say? You can speak Frixyia?¡±


    With one hand in her pocket, Yvette gently flicked Bonnie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Bonnie heard Yvette say that, her worries inexplicably disappeared. She just blindly trusted Yvette; if Yvette said she knew Frixyia, Bonnie believed her.


    Oh, then Ms. Gorgeous, do you need to review? Do you need any books? I can go find some for you, Bonnie asked.


    Yvette shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse. No, and please don¡¯t call me Ms. Gorgeous


    Bonnie obediently nodded and thought seriously for a moment. How about I call you Yve?¡±


    Realizing that if she didn¡¯t agree, Bonnie would continue calling her Ms. Gorgeous, Yvette nodded in eptance. Bonnie smiled, feeling happy that Yvette epted the nickname..


    In less than half a day, the news that Yvette from the Physics department and Sharon from the Frixyia department wouldpete in a Frixyia speech contest in the auditorium three dayster spread throughout Argrol University.


    As Winona and Victor passed by the campus bulletin board, they noticed a poster for the uing speech contest: [Sharon from the Frixyia department had challenged Yvette, a freshman from the Physics department. Who would win? The results would be known in three days.]


    Winona was somewhat gloating. ¡°Victor, I really don¡¯t understand what Yvette is thinking. Why does she insist onpeting with Sharon in Frixyia? Sharon is one of the top students in the Frixyia department. She even won a second ce inst year¡¯s citywide Frixyiapetition. Yvette is going to be humiliated. I¡¯m really worried about her.¡±


    Victor despised Yvette and was eager to see her embarrassed. He snorted disdainfully. ¡°She just came back from the countryside and hasn¡¯t seen much of the world. She dares to ept any challenge, really courting disaster.


    Winona smiled gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go watch thepetition between Yvette and Sharon. That way, if Yvette loses, I canfort her.


    Victor looked at the angelic Winona and marveled at her kindness. In a doting tone, he said, ¡°If you want to go, I¡¯ll go with


    you


    After they left, Jeremiah and Andrew also passed by the bulletin board.


    Jeremiah, dressed in ck casual wear, walked with long strides, his eyes full of seriousness and his expression aloof, making him seem unapproachable. Andrew, on the other hand, was all smiles, eager to greet every pretty girl that passed by Jeremiah, tell me, how do you know that girl from today? She looks so familiar. Andrew asked.


    Jeremiah ignored him. Unwilling to give up, Andrew pressed on Jeremiah nced at him and narrowed his beautiful eyes. ¡°Is my gossip worth 1 million dors?


    Andrew immediately fell silent. He had forgotten that Jeremiah was also in the group chat because Jeremiah never participated in it.


    1 really shouldn¡¯t do things against my conscience, Andrew thought. But he still said smilingly, Jeremiah, I just wanted to share the news with everyone. Everyone is very concerned about you.¡±


    ¡°Take that I million dors and donate it, Jeremiah said.


    Andrew was reluctant. Indeed, ill-gotten gains are not meant to be kept. The money had just arrived and was gone already. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say. Jeremiah,¡± Andrew said.


    The Chambers family was having dinner. While eating, Zachary asked about how Yvette was doing. This annoyed Winona, so she casually mentioned the uingpetition between Sharon and Yvette


    ¡°Yvette is taking part in a Frixyiapetition?¡± Zachary asked.


    Winona nodded innocently. ¡°Yes, Yvette epted the challenge, and now the whole campus knows about it. In three days, there should be a lot of people watching thepetition!¡±


    Zachary was upset. He couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette would choose topete in Frixyia with a top student from the Frixia department, thinking it would be an embarrassing spectacle.


    Ignoring Zachary¡¯s pale expression, Winona continued, ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you and Mome too and cheer for Yvette?¡±


    Zachary threw down his fork. ¡°No way. It¡¯s bad.enough she¡¯s embarrassing herself; we can¡¯t join her in that. No one is going. understand?¡±


    Of course, Winona wasn¡¯t about to miss the chance to see Yvette humiliated. Pretending to be conflicted, she said, ¡°Dad, Victor is going too. We nned this together. Yvette already made the Carter family upset a few days ago, and if I back our


    DOW


    Zachary¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Alright, you can go. Just don¡¯t upset Victor over this


    Winona nodded happily. Zachary thought for a moment and added, ¡°If Yvette needs any help, do your best to assist her.¡± Winona gripped her fork tightly upon hearing this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I will.¡±


    Nellie had been in a good moodtely. Zachary was spending more time at home, and the private investigator she hired reported that Zachary had significantly reduced his visits to his female secretary. Nellie had been focusing all her attention on Zachary and had no time to target Yvette,


    Besides, with Yvette living on campus, she had no opportunity to deal with her. For now, she was solely focused on winning back Zachary¡¯s heart and wasn¡¯t too concerned about Yvette.


    ¡°Honey, let¡¯s eat. Yvette is old enough to know what she¡¯s doing. Winona is sensible and will help her when needed,¡± Nellie said


    Zachary lost his appetite from the news and went upstairs, saying he wasn¡¯t eating anymore. Seeing this, Nellie also put down her fork and followed him upstairs, leaving Winona alone at the table.


    After sending the servants away, Winona took out her phone and called Sharon. The phone rang twice before Sharon answered.


    ¡°Hello, Sharon, are you busy right now? Winona asked.


    Recognizing Winona¡¯s call, Sharon quickly returned to her room, leaving her half-eaten dinner behind. ¡°Not busy, Winona, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Winona spoke in a sweet, delicate voice, ¡°Sharon, do you really live topete with Yvette? Maybe you should just let it go. Even if Yvette bullied me, I don¡¯t want her to be embarrassed in front of everyone. Really, I can forgive her.¡±


    Of course, Sharon disagreed with Winona.


    ¡°Winona, why should you forgive her? You¡¯re too soft. She¡¯s just a country girl. How dare she bully you? Thepetition can¡¯t be canceled, absolutely not. But you gave me an idea. This time, I¡¯ll make sure she apologizes to you in front of everyone. By the way, I¡¯ll get someone to spread the word about this on the campus forum. I¡¯ve got to go. Winona, just wait for Yvette to apologize to you in front of everyone in three days Sharon hung up.


    ¡°Hello, Sharon? Hello?¡± Winona hung up the phone, then stood by the living room¡¯s floor-to-ceiling window, a wicked smile spreading across her face.

 Chapter 34

    The next day, just like the previous days, Yvette arrived at the ssroom intending to sleep until the ss ended. She had just covered herself with her clothes when she heard a loud thud on her desk.


    Yvette slowly lifted her head, her throat a bit hoarse. Looking at the pile of books in front of her, she felt a moment of


    confusion.


    Bonnie, sweating profusely and panting, said, ¡°Yve, these are all introductory Frixyia books. You should take a look. For the next three days, just focus on reading these books. I¡¯ll handle the tasks assigned by the professor.¡±


    Yvette finally understood. She smiled and casually flipped through a few of the books. Bonnie had brought ten books in total: three introductory, five intermediate, and two containing advanced vocabry.


    ¡°Did you find these books yourself? Yvette asked.


    Bonnie shook her head innocently. ¡°No, a very handsome librarian helped me. He saw me looking for Frixyia books and asked what eded them for, so I told him about your bet with Sharon. He rmended these books, saying you¡¯d definitely need them.¡±


    Yvette frowned slightly but maintained her usual nonchnt expression ¡°Oh.¡±


    Bonnie noticed Yvette¡¯s low spirits and thought she was unhappy with her for meddling, which made Bonnie a bit sad:


    Yvette rarely considered other people¡¯s feelings because they didn¡¯t matter to her at all. Seeing Bonnie¡¯s disappointment, she uncharacteristically added. The books are good. Bonnie¡±


    Bonnie brightened up immediately. So, Ms. Gorgeous isn¡¯t annoyed with me for meddling!¡® she thought. Bonnie was full of energy again and insisted on making Yvette read the books. Yvette had no choice but to start reading.


    The professor noticed Yvette reading Frixyia books and didn¡¯t know what to say. He had also seen the campus¡¯s internal forum and knew about Yvette¡¯spetition with Sharon from the Frixyia department.


    However, he didn¡¯t thinkst¨Cminute studying would help. He felt he couldn¡¯t understand students these days.


    The lecturers and professors had grown ustomed to Yvette. She was the most talked¨Cabout person on campus recently. Regardless of her reputation, no one had high hopes for her GPA. Since she arrived, she had slept through every ss. The professors assumed the courses were too difficult for her and that she couldn¡¯t understand them.


    The Chambers family probably sent Yvette here just to get her a college degree, so the professors chose to ignore her. Now, Tobias was the only one in the faculty who still hadn¡¯t given up on Yvette¡¯s GPA.


    Andrew was ying on his phone when he identally opened the Argrol University forum. He saw a pinned post with ring letters: [Sharon from the Frixyia Department willpete in a Frixyia contest with Yvette from the Physics Department in the auditorium! To be held in three days.]


    Andrew rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. The Yvette mentioned in the post was the same cool girl from the steakhouse,Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    He jumped up from his chair so quickly that it made a screeching sound, attracting unfriendly looks from everyone in the library. Ignoring their reactions, he ran out of the library, sprinting all the way to the vi he shared with Jeremiah off- campus.


    ¡°Bad news, Jeremiah. Something terrible has happened to your girl! Jeremiah, Jeremiah!¡± Andrew shouted at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Shut up¡°¡± Jeremiah had just finished handling a task for his unit remotely when he heard Andrew yelling.


    Andrew took a deep breath anil showed Jeremiah his phone. Jeremiah took one nce at the screen and then looked away.


    Jeremiah, Yvette is actually going topete in a Frixyia contest Andrew was still in shock.


    Jeremiah pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Through the swirling smoke, his expression remained unchanged.


    Jeremiah, you have known about this already, right?¡± Andrew added again.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was hoarse from the smoke, making him speak inore softly and slowly than usual. ¡°Yes¡±


    1 bet you don¡¯t know Yvette¡¯s background, Andrew said.


    Jeremiah turned his head to look at him, his sleeves casually rolled up, revealing a slim, fair wrist. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    This time. Andrew didn¡¯t waste any words and directly recounted what he had read on the forum.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sad story Yvette is the long¨Clost daughter of the Chambers family, one of the four major families in Seacrity. However. Mrs. Chambers in her mother. Yvette¡¯s mother was Mr. Chambers¡¯s first wife, named Lilian. Yvette was recently found by her family. but I heard she got into a conflict with members of the Carter family on the basketball court a few days ago and was kicked but again. Now she¡¯s staying on campus. ver expected such a cold and beautiful girl to have such aplicated background, Andrew sighed


    Jeremih listened to Andrew¡¯s words, his frown deepening. His eyes grew more serious, as sharp as knives. Andrew hadn¡¯t seen Jeremiah like this in a long time and felt a bit scared. It was clear that Yvette was very special to Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah rarely showed his emotions. To be precise, this was only the second time Andrew had seen such an expression on Jeremiah¡¯s face in all these years.


    Andrew, bracing himself, continued, ¡°The forum says if Yvette loses, she¡¯ll have to apologize to her half¨Csister in front of


    everyone


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression grew even colder. He stubbed out his cigarette and pulled out the milk candy Yvette had given him. Despite the days that had passed, the candy hadn¡¯t melted and still tasted as sweet as ever.


    Jeremiah stared at the candy for a while, his eyes unreadable. ¡°She won¡¯t lose


    Andrew wasn¡¯t sure who Jeremiah was referring to, but doubted Yvette¡¯s chances. Frixyia is one of the hardestnguages in the world. Andrew himself had struggled with it, only learning it under immense pressure from his father, and even then, he only achieved mediocre proficiency.


    Yvene,ing from the countryside, couldn¡¯t possibly know Frixyia. She was bound to lose.


    Sering Jeremiah¡¯s confidence in Yvette, Andrew thought to himself that men in lovecked wisdom. Still, since Jeremiah had such faith in Yvette, Andrew decided not to argue. He resolved that if Yvette lost, he would reveal his identity to divert attention and prevent Jeremiah¡¯s girl from being humiliated.


    Andrew didn¡¯t mind losing face himself; he had no shame and could just leave afterward


    In those three days, Sharon¡¯s extensive promotion made almost everyone at Argrol University aware of thepetition.


    Normally, the auditorium didn¡¯t require tickets, but this event drew such a crowd that the student council had to distribute tickets to maintain order.


    Sharon, following Winona¡¯s advice, personally approached Patrick for fairness. Patrick readily agreed, seizing the opportunity to discipline Yvette.


    Victor and Winona secured second¨Crow seats and arrived early to take their ces. Winona even visited the backstage area to encourage Sharon. Seeing Yvette there, she walked towards her in front of everyone.


    Bonnie was pouring water for Yvette and nearly bumped into Winona when she turned around. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see you. Did any water spill? Winona asked with concern.


    Donnie ignored Winona, huffing as she hurried over to Yvette and handed her the water.


    Winona couldn¡¯t stand it. Why does Yvette always have someone doting on her? At home, Dad spoiled her, and now on campus, she even has people fetching water for her, she thought


    Yvette, how can you make others fetch water for you?¡± Winona asked.

 Chapter 35

    Yvette held the Fraxyia book, Bonnie had forcefully given her, tapping the cover absentmindedly with her fingers. She continued to smile nonchntly, leaning back in her chair with one leg slightly bent, her eyes cold.


    Neither Yvette not Bonnie al knowledged Winona. With so many people watching. Winona felt a bit embarrassed. Noticing the beginner Frixyia book in Yvette¡¯s hand, she scoffed lightly.


    ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s probably toote to start learning now. Why don¡¯t you just admit defeat? I can talk to Sharon about canceling thepetition. You can apologize to me privately, no need to make it so embarrassing. Winona suggested.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette nced at her briefly, then continued to ignore her. Boule couldn¡¯t hold back and spoke up to defend Yvette. ¡°Hey, I forced the book on Yvette, and I got the water for her myself. Just mind your own business. Can¡¯t you see we¡¯re not paying any attention to you!¡±


    Winona, anticipating Yvette¡¯s impending humiliation in front of thousands, felt a wave of satisfaction and didn¡¯t argue with Bonnie further. She tucked her hair behind her car and leaned down to whisper something to Yvette before leaving


    Bonnie didn¡¯t catch what Winona said, but she noticed that Yvette¡¯s expression remained unchanged, showing no emotion.


    Sharon saw Winona approach Yvette and wanted to follow, but she was caught up with someone and couldn¡¯t break free. By the time she turned back. Winona had already left the room.


    Sharon red at Yvette, determined to humiliate her publicly and make sure she would never recover from it.


    Thepetition in the auditorium today was nothing short of a spectacle. Students with tickets arrived early, filling the hall eager anticipation. Only when the hall was nearly full did Patrick make his grand entrance, while Tobias and the Frixyia Department teacher, Emily, had arrived much earlier.


    with


    Their meeting was somewhat awkward, mainly because Emily felt a bit guilty. Even she thought Sharon¡¯s challenge was excessive. She and Tobias had never had any conflicts in their many years as colleagues, so this sudden situation made her feel ufortable.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Sundend, d to see you here!¡± Emily greeted with a smile.


    Tobias, who had manners, refrained from taking his frustration put on Emily, knowing thepetition was strictly between the students.


    Tobias had gotten a fresh haircut for the asion, making him look particrly sharp. He smiled charmingly at Emily, ¡°Happy to see you. I thought I shoulde early. I¡¯m not proficient in Frixyia, so I can¡¯t coach her. I can only sit in the audience and cheer for my student.¡±


    Hearing Tobias¡¯s words made Emily feel even more guilty. She smiled awkwardly and fell silent, waiting for thepetition


    to start.


    In the second row, Winona and Victor were in high spirits. A few students recognized them, and one curious girl asked Winona about her thoughts on thepetition between Sharon and Yvette.


    Winona, inwardly delighted, outwardly disyed concern. I can¡¯t make decisions for Yvette. Even if she loses, I can¡¯t force her to apologize to me.


    The surrounding praised her for her beauty and kindness.


    ¡°You know, Winona treats Yvette really nicely!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think Yvette is just overestimating herself, epting any challenge, and now she¡¯s going to make a fool of herself.¡± ¡°Winona is as gentle as an angel, unlike Yvette, who¡¯s always so cold and unapproachable.¡±


    Jeremiah and Andrew had just settled into seats in thest row of the auditorium when they overheard several girls nearby discussing Yvette, mostly in a negative light. They spected she would lose and used her of showing off.


    Andrew, unable to hold back his irritation, interjected, ¡°Hey, thepetition hasn¡¯t even started yet. Why are you talking like that? Why be so mean?¡±


    The girls, seeing that Andrew was a handsome guy, blushed but remained defiant, unwilling to ept such a good¨Clooking man defending Yvette.


    ¡°Handsome, we¡¯re not making this up. This is the consensus at Agrol University. Yvette is definitely going to lose. We all know that Sharon¡¯s Frixyia skills are extraordinary: it¡¯s obvious who will win.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve heard that Yvette doesn¡¯t even bring her textbook to ss and just sleeps through lectures. Even her physics professors have given up on her. Are we wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Gorgeous, you shouldn¡¯t side with people just based on their looks.¡±


    Andrew cleared his throat. He didn¡¯t particrly like Yvette, but Jeremiah did. Jeremiah¡¯s expression had already turned icy. Andrew wished he could silence these girls.


    ¡°Who says liking Yvette is just about her looks? She has other qualities too. She¡¯s smart, considerate, generous, and well- mannered.¡± Andrew said, sneaking a nce at Jeremiah, whose expression did soften slightly.


    Andrew mentally patted himself on the back for his cleverness. He wasn¡¯t done, though, and continued, ¡°A man who likes Wette must be the most excellent, most charming man in the world.¡±


    The girls, overwhelmed by Andrew¡¯s praise of Yvette, found it hard to take. They thought that despite his looks, he seemed a bit delusional


    Andrew let out a proud ¡°hmph¡± and ignored them. The girls, seeing the stern¨Cfaced Jeremiah beside him, stomped their feet and left, not even staying for thepetition. The empty seats were quickly filled by others..


    Before thepetition, Jeremiah went to the lounge, where he happened to spot Yvette near the door. She was leaning against a table, her legszily draped over one side. With her head slightly tilted, Jeremiah could see a hint of impatience in her profile.


    The girls in the auditorium were very noisy, and Yvette was the only one who remained silent and aloof, making her stand


    Yvette nced up and saw Jeremiah standing outside the window. They exchanged a brief look. ¡°Come outside,¡± Jeremiah mouthed


    Understanding what he meant and feeling increasingly annoyed by the noise in the room, Yvette decided to step out.


    Seeing Yvette leave, Sharon, fearing she might back out, shouted after her, ¡°Hey, now that you¡¯re here, don¡¯t even think about running away!¡±


    Yvette, who looked quite skinny from behind, paused for a moment, but she said nothing and continued on her way. Jeremiah¡¯s face showed a subtle, barely noticeable pleasure when he saw Yvette emerge.


    The two of them stood at the door, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, creating a sight to behold, though Yvette¡¯s impatience was hard to ignore. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.


    Jeremiah handed the candies he held to Yvette. ¡°Here. You like sweets. This candy is custom¨Cmade by me, so you can have as much as you want


    Yvette looked at him, puzzled, unable to believe he came just to give her candy.


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Yvette took the candy and put it in her pocket, mixing it with the white milk candies she already had. Jeremiah kept ncing at Yvette, thinking she looked beautiful no matter how he looked at her.


    Yvette lowered her gaze, and her indifference and irritation seemed to fade away. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back inside.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Go ahead. I booked the same steakhouse asst time. Let¡¯s go there after the match.¡±


    Yvette looked up and saw the affection and trust in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, then lowered her head and said ¡°okay¡± softly. ¡°If I win, can I have a little extra?¡± she asked suddenly.


    Jeremiahughed at Yvette¡¯s innocent question, his eyes filled with joy. ¡°Sure, eat as much as you want.¡±


    Yvette nodded, clearly pleased with the answer.

 Chapter 36

    At 1:25 PM, the highly anticipated Frixyia speechpetition kicked off at Argrol University amidst the enthusiastic apuse of faculty and students.


    The host, a friend of Sharon¡¯s, said a few words to liven up the atmosphere before inviting Patrick to the stage.


    Eager to see Yvette make a fool of herself, Patrick didn¡¯t resort to his usual formalities. The students of Argrol University had. prepared themselves for a lengthy speech, but to their surprise, Patrick spoke only a few sentences before dering thepetition officially started.


    The students were relieved to avoid his long monologue, and the apuse grew even more enthusiastic, which pleased Patrick. Unbeknownst to Patrick, the apuse was indeed for him, but not in the way he had imagined.


    The host had previously conspired with Sharon, fixing the draw in the box so that Sharon would be first and Yvette second. As the stage lights illuminated and the curtain lifted, the two contestants were supposed to show up together, but only Sharon stood alone, inciting a wave of murmurs from the audience.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Sharon standing alone here?¡±


    *Could it be that Yvette ran off at thest minute?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to leave here without seeing anything today?¡±


    Winona looked down, biting her lip, the smile at the corners of her mouth sinister and malicious.


    The host nced at the script, confirming that the process was correct. ording to the n, both Sharon and Yvette were supposed to stand behind the curtain and draw lots together.


    The host felt powerless, unsure where the problem had arisen, and could only look to Sharon for an exnation. Sharon was unhappy; she had wanted to shine in thispetition and had gone so far as to buy an expensive outfit and perfect her look, eagerly waiting for this moment. But now Yvetle was missing right before the event was set to begin. Seeing the crowd growing restless, Sharon knew she had to step forward. She took the microphone from the host¡¯s hands. ¡°Hello, everyone. As you can see, Yvette appears to be missing. Perhaps she had an emergency or simply ran away. Regardless, thepetition may not continue today, and as for who wins or loses, I think we all know the answer.¡± Once Sharon finished speaking, the audience¡¯s reactions grew louder and more disdainful.


    Some students had be Yvette¡¯s fans because of the basketball court incident and had even made banners to cheer her on. Now that Yvette was absent, they could not ept it and started throwing their banners on the ground.


    John, sitting in the cheering section, saw them toss their banners and silently picked them up from the floor. He worried that Yvette¡¯s absence was due to something serious and felt an urge to go outside and find her.


    Jeremiah sat in the back row, motionless. The veins in his neck were clearly visible beneath his ck cor, and his subtly trembling Adam¡¯s apple had a certain unspoken allure.


    Andrew was about to lose his patience. ¡®Running away at thest moment is simply too embarrassing. Is this really Jeremiah¡¯s type? Andrew felt a bit of disdain, thinking that even if Yvette lost, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to help her out. But to lose without a light was just too shameful,


    The students were preparing to get up and leave when Victor grabbed Winona and started to walk away. Just then, a soft voice spoke up. Tllpete in Yvette¡¯s ce.


    74%-


    B B.


    Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and at the entrance of the auditorium stood a figure. It was Bonnie, who had gathered her courage to stand there. Seeing everyone looking at her made her nervous, causing her palms to sweat and her body to tremble, but she forced herself to remainposel.


    In her heart, Bonnie cheered herself on, and when she lifted her head again, her eyes sparkled with determination.


    She walked step by step toward the stage, ignoring the murmurs around her. Despite the pressure, she pushed herself to reach the stage.


    Those who were about to leave saw this situation unfold and sat back down, Winona held onto Victor, staying behind; she recognized Bonnie as the girl who had been rude to her for Yvette earlier, nowing to Yvette¡¯s defense.


    Sharon red at Bonnie with disdain, her tone mocking. ¡°You¡¯re going topete for Yvette? Why? She¡¯s a coward, and you¡¯re going to step in and embarrass yourself for her? How stupid.¡±


    Bonnie shook her head firmly. ¡°Yve must have had an urgent matter; she wouldn¡¯t just bail at thest minute. I¡¯m willing topete. What are you scared?¡±


    Sharon sneered, looking smug. ¡°You think I¡¯m scared? Fine. If you lose, you have to say ¡®I¡¯m a pig¡¯ three times in front of everyone. If you agree, I¡¯llpete with you.¡±


    Bonnie knew she couldn¡¯t back down at that moment. If she gave in for Yve, it would only fuel the rumors gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine, I agree


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t agree, Yvette said.1.


    even more. She


    The door to the auditorium swung open again. The moment everyone heard that chilling voice, they knew the neer was Yvette. There was no other voice like hers in all of Argrol University.


    Yvette stood in the doorway, wearing a crisp shirt, her long legs straight and elegant. There were slight bloodshot threads in her eyes, adding an ambiguous fierceness to her appearance.


    All eyes were instantly drawn to Yvette. Even Victor couldn¡¯t help but look over.


    As Yvette passed thest row, she noticed Jeremiah and Andrew sitting upright in their seats, and paused for a moment. No one caught that little action, but Jeremiah saw it clearly. He realized Yvette wasn¡¯t as indifferent as she seemed.


    Andrew¡¯s jaw dropped at the moment Yvette walked in. He had lost hope in Yvette, thinking she wouldn¡¯t show up, but to his surprise, she had returned.


    He nced at Jeremiah, who didn¡¯t appear surprised at all. It seemed Jeremiah had believed from the very beginning that Yvette woulde, which is why he was so calm.


    Andrew couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®Could someone really trust a person they have only met a few times?


    Eventually, he understood that true love at first sight does exist, along with unwavering trust and support, because he himself had met someone like that.


    Bonnie watched as Yvette approached her step by step, tears cascading down her cheeks, hitting the stage below.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Yvette! Yvette really came back!¡±


    ¡°Yealt, she didn¡¯t bail at thest minute.¡±


    ¡°So what if she did? Isn¡¯t that even more humiliating?¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least she shows courage.


    Tobias sat at the outer edge of the front row. As Yvette passed by him, he caught her attention despite Patrick¡¯s unfriendly.


    273


    16:0 Mon, Oct / GB.


    re. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself; I¡¯ll step in and handle this for you.¡±


    9.74%a


    Patrick, of course, disagreed and replied sharply, with a hint of reproach in his tone. ¡°Mr. Sundend, thepetition between students is scheduled; we can¡¯t just interfere. He then pretended to be supportive and said to Yvette, ¡°Go ahead, Ms. Zeller. I know you won¡¯t disappoint us.¡±


    Yvette politely thanked Tobias and then walked up to the stage. Patrick¡¯s irritation only deepened as he watched Yvette ignore him; he felt like he could grind his teeth to dust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a crybaby,¡± Yvette said to Bonnie.


    Seeing Yvette, Bonnie finally released the tension she had built up, rxingpletely as her voice trembled with emotion. Yve, you finally made it.¡±


    Honestly, Bonnie was anxious too; she feared that Yvette might actually bail at thest minute. But her heart reassured her that Yvette wasn¡¯t that kind of person, and sure enough, Yvette didn¡¯t disappoint her.


    Yvette¡¯s delicate features still bore their usual coldness, though there was a hint of softness in her eyes. ¡°Just sit back and watch closely


    Bonnie cheered Yvette on before stepping off the stage. When Bonnie returned to her seat, Yvette finally turned to face Sharon directly.


    Sharon refused to back down and red right back, only to realize that Yvette¡¯s cold eyes seemed to notice her as if she didn¡¯t exist at all.


    ¡°No need for a draw; you can start firsContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    first, Yvette said.


    Sharon and the host were unable to use any of the borate lines they had prepared. Under Yvette¡¯s gaze, both felt a pang of awkwardness, as if Yvette was aware of their n.


    With confidence, Sharon walked to the center of the stage and ced her prepared speech on the podium, ready to begin her presentation

 Chapter 37

    Sharon was extremely confident in her speech.


    The theme for this speech contest had only been finalized the day before, centered around arts, allowing for a free expression of ideas. The winning criteria would be based on the content and spoken delivery, determined by audience votes. Patrick had 30 tickets in hand.


    Sharon had written her speech a long time ago and had polished it repeatedly. What many didn¡¯t know was that she had even won a minor award with this arts-themed speech. She believed that her level of preparation was enough to outshine Yvette.


    For half an hour, Sharon spoke eloquently. As she noticed the awe-struck expressions from her ssmates and the approving nces from their department¡¯s professors, she felt certain that she had already won.


    During her speech, Sharon took the opportunity to nce at Yvette, who was still leaning against the side of the stage.. looking as if she hadn¡¯t fully woken up. This made Sharon look down on her even more.


    Once Sharon finished speaking, the auditorium erupted in enthusiastic apuse.


    ¡°Sharon truly stands out as a top student in the Frixyia department! Though she can be a bit arrogant, her professional skills are undeniably impressive,¡± one student remarked.


    ¡°I agree. Her spoken Frixyia sounds fantastic! Didn¡¯t you see how the Frixyia professors were apuding her?¡± another added.


    ¡°Oh no, what will Yvette do now? I heard she¡¯s been cramming every day; I hope she doesn¡¯t lose too embarrassingly,¡± someone else chimed in.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As Sharon walked past Yvette after her powerful speech, she huffed dismissively, flitting toward Winona like a butterfly. The two embraced, appearing to share a sisterly bond.


    Sharon sat next to Winona. The two whispered to each other in a voice only they could hear. Meanwhile, Victor watched Winona with a doting gaze.


    ¡°Next, we have Yvette from the Physics Department, the host announced.


    The moment the name was called, both apuse and jeers filled the auditorium. Sharon and Winona exchanged smug nces, satisfied with the situation.


    Yvette walked leisurely to the center of the stage, capturing the attention of the entire hall, Remnants of doubt and uncertainty lingered as her eyes scanned the audience. She saw Bonnie nervously wringing her hands, Tobias looking worried, and John holding up a banner in support. In thest row, she spotted Jeremiah and narrowed her


    eyes slightly. Patrick noticed that Yvette wasn¡¯t carrying any speech notes. ¡°Ms Zeller, where¡¯s your speech? Even if you¡¯re from the countryside, you should know that a speech is the most important part of a speechpetition,¡± he asked


    With a blend of defiance and nonchnce, Yvette met Patrick¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    Patrick forced a smirk. ¡°Oh, well, since you don¡¯t need it, let¡¯s get started and not waste any more time.¡±


    Sitting nearby. Tobias realized that Patrick was specifically targeting Yvette. Concern etched on his face, he hoped that the three days of cramming with Bonnie had paid off for her.


    The moment Yvette began to speak, the entire auditorium fell silent. Students and faculty alike were stunned, unable to believe what they were hearing.


    Is this fluent Frixyiaing from Yvette?¡± They felt as if they were experiencing an auditory illusion Ventre¡¯s pronunciation was indistinguishable from that of native speakers.


    Winona and Victor were taken aback, while Sharon looked up in disbelief. Even Patrick was momentarily speechless. However, a few, like Tobias and Bonnie, looked on in surprise and happiness, reveling in Yvette¡¯s performance under the spotlight.


    At that moment, Yvette radiated brilliance. Everyone was riveted, utterly astonished.


    As Sharon listened to Yvette speak, she realized that Yvette¡¯s pronunciation was even more refined than her professor¡¯s, which was absolutely impossible to master in just three days. It was evident that Yvette had likely been fluent all along. The realization hit Sharon hard; she felt like being tricked. Yvette wasn¡¯t indifferent; she was assured and hadn¡¯t considered Sharon a threat at all.


    Defeated, Sharon bowed her head, understanding that she had lost spectacrly. Without any prepared notes in hand, Yvette had spoken effortlessly, with a fluency that made Sharon¡¯s stutters seem all the more ring.


    Tobias didn¡¯t know much Frixyia, but he found Yvette¡¯s speech captivating. He turned to Emily for her opinions.


    Emily nodded and looked at Tobias seriously. ¡°Mr. Sundend, your student is exceptional. Her speaking skills suggest at least ten years of dedication. Yvette¡¯s outstanding performance without a speech script shows that, given her abilities, she should be able to win awards at a provincial speechpetition!


    Tobias, astonished by Emily¡¯s words, looked up at Yvette on stage and felt as if he had stumbled upon a treasure. He remained puzzled as to why someone with such talent in Frixyia would choose physics as her major.


    Later, he realized that Yvette considered her Frixyia proficiency to be just average. By that time, he had already be ustomed to Yvette¡¯s talents.


    Meanwhile, Winona was fidgeting in her seat, unable to grasp how this country girl could speak Frixyia so fluently.


    Despite her disbelief, the sight of Yvette standing confidently without any speech drafts made it clear that this was real. A wave of fear washed over Winona as she realized that Yvette¡¯s talents were beyond anything she had everprehended. ¡°Winona, it turns out Yvette really does speak Frixyia! Oh my gosh, she¡¯s absolutely amazing. Who said she¡¯s just a country, girl? Now Yvette has no reason to be embarrassed, someone said to Winona.


    Winona nodded stiffly. ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t know Yvette¡¯s Frixyia was that good either.¡±


    Sharon felt a twinge of difort at Winona¡¯s words. She suddenly found herself resenting Winona a little; if Winona had known earlier and had told her about this, she wouldn¡¯t have had to embarrass herself in front of so many people.


    ¡°Yvette speaks Frix? Victor snapped back to reality, his gaze darkening as he questioned Winona. Winona became flustered. She and Zeke had oftenmented in front of Victor that Yvette was just a bumpkin who wouldn¡¯t know anything


    Winona bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Yvette speaks Frixyia; she never mentioned it. How can your question me because of Yvette?¡±


    Seeing Winona¡¯s distressed state, Victor felt a pang of guilt, his tone softening. ¡°I was just asking casually. Whether she speaks Frixyia or not doesn¡¯t change anything, Winona, the only person I want to marry is you¡±


    Nearby, Sharon¡¯s expression shifted upon hearing this, but when she looked up again, her demeanor was as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Jeremiah, am I dreaming? Yvette¡¯s Frixyia is even better than yours; it¡¯s incredible!¡± Andrew eximed.


    Jeremiah focused on Yvette on stage; she was both beautiful and proud, her gaze defiant. Yvette¡¯s clear, cold voice echoed in the auditorium, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Even the air seemed to hold still as they listened intently.


    G


    Jeremiah murmured. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s better than me.¡±


    8.74%1


    Andrew was still puzzled about how Yvette could speak Frixyia so fluently, wondering if rural education had now expanded. to include Frixyia


    Unlike Sharon, Yvette didn¡¯t meander on for long. Her speechsted only ten minutes.


    Students from other departments who didn¡¯t understand Frixyia relied on the Frixyia department students to trante. By the time Yvette finished, the audience had a fair grasp of the content of her speech.


    Argrol University students were once again filled with confusion. Thispetition required original speeches. From the content of her speech, Yvette¡¯s insights into art were astonishing


    They wondered whether Yvette,ing from the countryside, truly understood what art was. But the evidence proved that she did understand art. Only someone with true understanding could possess such profound insight.


    Once Yvette stepped down from the stage, the audience slowly began to react, starting to apud for her. One person pped, then another, until finally a united wave of apuse erupted. The auditorium thundered with apuse that carried on for a full five minutes.


    At that moment, Patrick stood up.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Everyone, please be quiet, Patrick said.


    The students of Argrol University assumed Patrick was about to praise Yvette and announce the results of thepetition. After all, the superiority of the two speakers was evident, and there was no need for a vote. Everyone could see that Yvette had won, and decisively at that,


    Adjusting his tie, Patrick looked at Yvette on stage and asked in an usatory tone, ¡°Ms. Zeller, your speech was indeed impressive. However, I have one question that needs your exnation.¡±


    Yvette inclined her head slightly, her tone steady and confident, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The students at Argrol University were captivated by Yvette¡¯s audacity. It was clear she had every right to be proud.


    Patrick was known for being peny at Argrol University. In the past, when he taught sses, he often summoned students to his office for minor infractions and kept them there for hours.


    Many students had been recorded for misconduct, yet no one dared to confront him, as everyone wanted to graduate smoothly and avoid antagonizing a dean.


    Patrick paused for a moment, but in front of so many students, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose his temper. However, his expression instantly darkened.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, you are as headstrong as ever. I want to ask if this speech was truly written by you. As we all know, youe from a rural background, and your record shows that youck even a basic education. How could you possibly speak Frixyia? And how could you give an off-the-cuff speech in just three days?¡± he asked.


    Patrick¡¯s sharp gaze betrayed an insidiousness that seemed unsettling; he stared directly at Yvette. She returned his gaze with a mixture of coldness and impatience, and those around her could feel the tension.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Students at Argrol University couldn¡¯t help but feel a tingle of doubt creeping in. After all, it was indeed puzzling that country girl could master Frixyia; that was, to some, quite unbelievable. Some, influenced by Patrick¡¯s insinuations, began to harbor doubts.


    ¡°Mr. Williams is right; how could Yvette possibly speak Frixyia? This does seem odd.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Frixyia is difficult to learn; we all know that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what Yvette has to say.


    Bonnie and John stepped beside Yvette, and Tobias stood up from his chair and walked straight to her side. The three silently supported Yvette.


    Seeing so many people start to question Yvette again, Andrew felt a surge of anger and was ready to rush forward. However, Jeremiah was quicker; he strode over to Yvette with long strides


    Jeremiah exuded an immense presence, possessing an air of nobility and aloofness that couldn¡¯t be ignored. The surrounding students instinctively parted to create a path leading directly to Yvette


    Patrick attempted to admonish Jeremiah but, upon catching a glimpse of him, found himself frozen in ce by his icy stare.


    At that moment, it felt as if a sharp de were aimed directly at him, and his reprimanding words caught in his throat, unable to be voiced. He understood right away that Jeremiah was not sonicone to be trilled with.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some steaks, Jeremiah said to Yvette, his voice deep and charming.


    Andrew, following closely behind, cast an annoyed nce at Patrick, thinking he was nothing but a fool. ¡°Yvette, let¡¯s go.


    Let¡¯s go and forget about that old bastard!¡± Andrew¡¯s tone was filled with a haughty arrogance. get


    they


    The students surrounding thein were taken aback by the handsome looks of both Jeremiah and Andrew. Not only were th attractive, but their fashion sense was also striking.


    Some girls nced at them and then at their boyfriends, their expressions suddenly tinged with disdain. What shocked everyone the most was Andrew¡¯s audacity to call Patrick ¡°old bastard.¡±


    Winona saw Jeremiah stand beside Yvette, her jealousy spiraling like a vine, wildly growing within her heart. She couldn¡¯t understand how Yvette had only been here for a few days and managed to meet such an exceptional man and friends who would stand up for her. Even the professors from the physics department seemed to trust her immensely.


    Sharon, seeing this sudden arrival who backed Yvette, felt both jealous and a bit relieved. With everyone¡¯s attention focused on Patrick, Yvette, and this striking neer, Sharon thought perhaps she wouldn¡¯t need to apologize after all. She hoped the situation would escte further so that people would forget about her losing thepetition.


    Thinking about the steaks they were about to eat lifted Yvette¡¯s spirits. She looked up, her irritation fading as she pursed her lips and nced past Jeremiah at Patrick Frixyia is quite simple, I learned it when I was young and reviewed it just three days ago!


    This deration stirred up a wave of envy among the crowd. To im fluency from having learned it as a child and reviewed it only three days prior was clearly a testament to Yvette¡¯s genius.


    If anyone else had made such a im, it might have been dismissed as boasting. However,ing from Yvette, no one dared to question it.


    ¡°Oh my god, do all talented people talk like this?¡±


    Tm definitely going to be a fan of Yvette. She¡¯s too cool!¡±


    ¡°Imagine how incredible her memory must be! I can¡¯t even fathom it.¡±


    The students who had thrown down their banners earlier, sensing no one was watching, quickly retrieved them. Then, in unison, they began to shout, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re a genius! You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Yvette facepalmed; this ttery made her feel a bit overwhelmed for the first time. Patrick, now intimidated by Jeremiah, found himself at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that Yvette has such a good memory!¡± Winona suddenly eximed. At this, the students in the auditorium fell silent for a moment.


    Bonnie couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Her cheeks puffed up with anger. ¡°Hey, Winona, don¡¯t think everyone can¡¯t tell what you mean Yve has only been here for a few days; it¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t know her abilities. I think you¡¯re just afraid that Sharon will have to apologize to Yvette for losing: you¡¯re just a hypocrite!¡±


    It was the first time Winona noticed the suspicious looks directed at her from those around. She felt utterly miserable, the image she had worked so hard to maintain was shaken by Bonnie, Winona tried to summon tears, hoping to garner everyone¡¯s sympathy.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not actually going to cry, are you? Bonnie¡¯s right; you¡¯re definitely a hypocrite. Yvette is your sister, yet I can¡¯t shake the feeling that you don¡¯t want her to do well at all, someone said.


    As this was said, another wave of whispers broke out around them. Winona didn¡¯t know if she should cry; her tears were caught in her eyes


    Sharon attempted to minimize her presence, wanting to sneak out quietly. She felt grateful to have avoided a close call, but just as she was about to step out of the auditorium, Yvette suddenly said, ¡°Sharon, apologize to me.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was clear enough for Sharon and the others in the auditorium to hear. Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted back to Sharon, who had reached the door.


    Suddenly, everyone understood: Sharon had lost but was refusing to own up to it, trying to sneak away. The room erupted inughter, and Sharon could no longer take it.


    I¡¯m not apologizing: what are you going to do about it? You¡¯re just the daughter that the Chambers family pulled back from the countryside. Besides, Winona says your dad kicked you out to stay in the dorms; what do you have to be so proud of? My dad is friends with the head of the Lewis family, so you can¡¯t force me to apologize!¡± she shouted.


    Upon hearing this, even Emily felt embarrassed. Losing apetition wasn¡¯t shameful; what was truly disgraceful was that Sharon tried to threaten Yvette with her family background.


    ¡°Sharon, just apologize. Losing isn¡¯t shameful; acting like this is. I¡¯m very disappointed in you,¡± Emily urged.


    Sharon lifted her chin defiantly, refusing to back down. She wore a look of stubbornness, as if she hadn¡¯t heard a word anyone said. Seeing that she remained obstinate, Emily sighed and left the auditorium, deciding that Sharon wasn¡¯t worth


    her concem.


    ¡°The Sullivan family? The Lewis family? I¡¯ve never heard of them,¡± Andrew remarked, breaking the tension.

 Chapter 39

    Andrew wore a proud expression, and his words sent the students of Argrol University into another uproar.


    Everyone knew that the Lewis family, mentioned by Sharon, was at the top of the four major families in Seacrity. In Seacrity, the Lewis family was practically a household name.


    Their enterprises spanned the entire country, and rumors suggested they were also nning to expand overseas this year. The fact that such a colossal family was being belittled by Andrew, who seemed to have appeared from nowhere, struck some as dangerous; a few wondered if Andrew had just sealed his own fate by offending the Lewis family.


    quite foolish.


    There was a sense of pity for Andrew among the crowd. They felt that although he was handsome, he was o Andrew, noticing the sympathetic nces directed at him, was utterly confused.


    He believed he hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. To him, the Lewis family and the Sullivan family were nothing significant. In his eyes, these two families barely qualified as third¨Crate in Betrico, and he didn¡¯t regard them at all. In Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, these families were as weak as ants.


    Andrew¡¯s sister Samantha ran a small business but still had assets far exceeding those of the Lewis family. Of course, the students at Argrol University had no idea of Andrew¡¯s thoughts; to them, the Lewis family seemed an unattainable existence. Yvette, who had remained silent, slowly lifted her head, her eyes darkening and her face devoid of expression. She nced at Sharon and said slowly, ¡°Apologize, or else the Sullivan family will go bankrupt and disappear in Seacrity within an hour.¡±


    Sharon froze for a few seconds before scoffing dismissively. ¡°Yvette, stop talking big. You think you have what it takes to make the Sullivan family go bankrupt and disappear? Ha! I¡¯ll be right here to see how you do that.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah, standing beside Yvette, had not spoken until then, but no one dared ignore his presence. He retrieved his phone and spoke in a cold, deep voice, ¡°Ensure the Sullivan family goes bankrupt within half an hour.¡±


    Sharon looked up at Jeremiah in disbelief, a sense of panic creeping into her heart. Jeremiah truly seemed unlike an ordinary person, but she didn¡¯t believe he could bring down the Sullivan family in just half an hour.


    At that moment,


    someone in the crowd said. ¡°I know him; this guy is a librarian here.¡±


    Everyone fell silent again, surprised that this seemingly noble and powerful man was actually just a librarian. They couldn¡¯t understand how a librarian could make such grand ims.


    Some boys, who were already jealous of how Jeremiah attracted the girls¡® attention, seized this opportunity to mock him. ¡°A mere librarian dares to talk big


    ¡°Right? And he says he¡¯ll inake the Sullivan family go bankrupt


    ¡°He¡¯s just boasting. I thought he was some big deal.


    The girls, however, remained unfazed; they hoped that at a critical moment like this, they¡¯d have a guy willing to stand up for them, even if he was just a librarian.


    ¡°Hey, you guys are just way too jealous. What¡¯s wrong with being a librarian? Look at how he¡¯s defending this girl! Can any of you do that?


    Yeah, exactly!


    The auditorium was now inplete chaos, with everyone shouting. That was what Simon saw when he arrived at the auditorium.


    In front of the auditorium stage, the crowd had split into two groups. One group was led by the arrogant Sharon, will.


    Winona, Victor, and Patrick standing beside her.


    Facing them was another group led by Yvette, which included two men; Simon didn¡¯t recognize them, but he could tell they were not ordinary people. There was also a boy and a girl he couldn¡¯t name. To Simon¡¯s surprise, he spotted Tobias. Tobias. usually avoided getting involved in things, and Simon wondered why he was here.


    ¡°Mr. Sundend is here, someone announced as they turned to see Simon standing at the entrance. The previously raucous auditorium fell silent instantly.


    Simon had barely been on campus for the past year, except for a few major events. Now that he suddenly appeared, everyone was taken aback and greeted him. Simon acknowledged them with nods.


    Patrick quickly stepped forward, eager to please Simon. ¡°Mr. Sundend, what brings you here? Didn¡¯t you have a meeting this morning?¡±


    With a serious expression and an air of cultured elegance about him, Simon responded to Patrick¡¯s ttery with indifference. ¡°The meeting finished early. I heard there was a speech contest today, so I thought I woulde by and take a look. Has thepetition concluded?¡±


    It seemed he was asking Patrick, but his gaze slipped toward Tobias. Tobias avoided Simon¡¯s eyes and lowered his gaze. Disappointed, Simon redirected his attention, understanding that Tobias still hadn¡¯t put his concerns to rest.


    Next, Simon¡¯s eyesnded on Yvette and Jeremiah. Their striking appearances and distinct presence made them impossible to be ignored. Among the crowd, Simon¡¯s eyes were drawn instantly to the two of them.


    Yvette had a cold elegance, her rebellious spirit evident in her eyes. Jeremiah was sharp and reserved, exuding an air of nobility. Simon had encountered many people, but none made him feel a sense of danger simply by standing there like Jeremiah did.


    Patrick wanted to say something, but Tobias spoke up first. ¡°Ms. Zeller from our department won, but Ms. Sullivan from the Frixyia department wants to back out and won¡¯t apologize to Ms. Zeller.


    Patrick¡¯s face darkened, having been interrupted, and he reprimanded Tobias sharply. ¡°Mr. Sundend, I¡¯m still here; what are you butting in for?¡±


    Upon hearing Patrick chastise Tobias, Simon gave Patrick a displeased look. However, Patrick was too caught up in scolding Tobias to notice Simon¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Is what Mr. Sundend said true?¡± Simon asked.


    With all eyes on him, Patrick couldn¡¯t lie and could only nod. ¡°Yes, But Ms. Zeller threatened Sharon, saying she would bankrupt the Sullivan family. The man next to her is a librarian here, and he just helped Yvette threaten Sharon. People like him don¡¯t belong at Argrol University; they¡¯ll corrupt the students.¡±


    Simon turned to Yvette after hearing Patrick¡¯s statement. ¡°Ms. Zeller, do you have any exnation?¡±


    Yvette stood nonchntly, her gaze unfettered and her demeanor haughty. Even in front of Simon, she remained casual, a trait that earned her admiration from the students at Argrol University for herposure.


    ¡°I was speaking the truth, not making a threat, she replied.


    As Sharon noticed Simon¡¯s presence, she realized the situation was beyond salvaging. Patrick was in a different league than Simon, their power and status were too disparate. Sharon felt emboldened to act defiantly in front of Patrick, but she wouldn¡¯t dare do so in front of Simon.


    Yvette¡¯s words were clearly intended to inform everyone that her threat to bankrupt the Sullivan family was not a mere bluff.


    Simon had probably pieced together the situation. He nced at Sharon, and in doing so, he noticed Winona and Victor, who both instinctively took a step back.


    They didn¡¯t dare speak in front of Simon; Victor had just gotten scolded by Simon and then reprimanded by his grandfather, making him wary of attracting Simon¡¯s ire again.


    Sharon instinctively lowered her head, as if she wasn¡¯t the aggressive person who had just refused to apologize.


    ¡°Ms. Sullivan, you must ept the consequences. The first rule of campus is honesty and integrity; apologize,¡± said Simon.


    Just then, Sharon¡¯s phone rang from her bag. A wave of panic filled the faces of the onlookers as they recalled Jeremiah¡¯s words.


    The timing of the call was suspicious. Several people nced at their watches; it had been exactly half an hour, not a minute off. In a flurry, Sharon picked up the phone.

 Chapter 40

    As soon as Sharon answered the phone, her father¡¯s voice boomed across the auditorium, loud enough for everyone to hear.


    ¡°idiot! What the hell have you done? If I had known you would cause such a disaster, I should have suffocated you at birth. The Sullivan family is ruined because of you; it¡¯s all over!¡± he said.


    Sharon trembled, her voice filled with fear. ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? How can our family be over? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously asking me? Do you know who¡¯s targeting us? It¡¯s the Sunrise Group from Betrico. In their eyes, we are nothing. They said this is because you¡¯ve crossed someone you shouldn¡¯t have. You need to go apologize to that person right away and beg for forgiveness, whatever it takes. Hurry up, or you¡¯ll be kicked out of our family!¡± And with that, the phone was abruptly hung up.


    Terror washed over Sharon as she looked at Yvette and Jeremiah, uncertain which of the two had such formidable power. Compared to Yvette, she subconsciously believed more that it was the mah standing next to Yvette who was responsible for


    this situation


    Everyone heard the words on the phone, and they looked at Yvette and Jeremiah in disbelief.


    Few people in this country didn¡¯t know about the Sunrise Group. It was thergest technologypany in the country. having established itself as a leader in the domestic tech industry within just five years. Its owner was extremely mysterious, never having made an appearance since thepany was founded; only the general manager attended variousrge events.


    L


    Spection about this behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes boss was rampant, but it remained nothing more than unverified rumors. The Sunrise Group had taken action against the Sullivan family, leaving them with no way out. The disparity in power between the two was too great.


    Now everyone knew that Yvette and Jeremiah were telling the truth. Within half an hour, the somewhat notable Sullivan family in Seacrity had been finished. But people were still wondering how Yvette and Jeremiah could make the Sunrise Group take action. After all, they thought Yvette was just a girl from the countryside, and Jeremiah was a mere librarian.


    ¡°Is the Sullivan family really bankrupt?¡± someone asked.


    Simon took another careful look at Jeremiah, suddenly feeling that he looked familiar. This man bore a striking resemnce to a prominent figure he knew,


    If Jeremiah were indeed that man¡¯s son, everything would make sense. ¡°But why would he personallye to Security? Simon thought for a moment, and then dismissed the thought as unlikely.


    Winona and Victor were nervous. They both sensed that Jeremiah¡¯s identity was surely not simple, thinking that Yvette was acting so arrogantly because she had found a man to back her up, the man beside her was her source of confidence.


    Victor scoffed. ¡°Hmph, relying on a man isn¡¯t a real aplishment!¡±


    Winona nced over at Yvette and Jeremiah, who looked like a perfect match, and felt a wave of jealousy. She knew that in the same situation, Victor would not step forward to support her, She couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette was so lucky.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Looking at Jeremiah¡¯s handsome face made Winona¡¯s heart race. She began to imagine that perhaps she could be the woman standing next to him. Winona firmly believed she was a hundred times better than Yvette. Whatever Yvette could do, she could do, too.


    She stole a sidelong nce at Victor, who was muttering to himself, then looked back at Jeremiah, lowering her gaze and quiedy nning in her mind.


    After hanging up the phone, Sharon suddenly came to her senses. She rushed toward Jeremiah, trying to grab his sleeve. But before she could touch the corner of his clothing, he kicked her own.


    Sharon fell to the ground her carefully prepared outfit for thepetition now in disarray, her hair disheveled, looking almost like a madwoman. The students of Argrol University were stunned by this sudden scene.


    Jeremiah¡¯s kick shattered Sharon¡¯s pridepletely. Looking around at the pity, disdain, sympathy, and amusement reflected in the eyes of those around her, her emotions spiraled out of control.


    Realizing she had truly provoked someone she shouldn¡¯t have, Sharon disregarded everything and crawled towards Jeremiah, but this time she no longer dared to touch him. Tu sorry. Please spare my family: I¡¯ll do anything you ask, please¡­.


    Upon hearing thest two sentences, everyone understood her intention. Sharon was clearly trying to seduce Jeremiah.


    The crowd looked at the disheveled Sharon. While her character was questionable, her looks were certainly appealing. Everyone was curious how Jeremiah would react to such a pretty girl throwing herself at him.


    Jeremiah grinned slightly, his cold eyes fixed on Sharon, which made her feel a flutter of hope; Jeremiah¡¯s smile seemed to suggest that he might have some interest in her.


    She quickly tidied her hair and smoothed her wrinkled clothes, then shed a flirtatious smile at Jeremiah, appearing coy, before throwing a provocative nce at Yvette.


    Yvette didn¡¯t even lift her head, continuing to standzily to the side. Seeing this, Winona felt a pang of anxiety, worried that Jeremiah might actually be interested in Sharon


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was slow and sounded utterly rxed. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that. The one you owe an apology to isn¡¯t me; it¡¯s


    Yvette


    Sharon¡¯s face turned pale. The murmurs began again among the crowd.


    Sharon truly did not want to apologize to Yvette. She looked desperately at those around her, first ncing at Simon, hoping the president might speak up for her. But Simonpletely ignored her, lost in thought as he stared at Jeremiah.


    Panicking, her eyes darted around, realizing she had no one to turn to for help. Tobias, Bonnie, John, even students from the Frixyia department looked at her with disdain. The once arrogant Patrick was now cowering in the back like a turtle retreating into its shell.


    Finally, she spotted Winona, hidden in the crowd, and Victor standing next to her. Desperate, Sharon called out to Winona as if she had found a lifeline. ¡°Winona, please help me! Tell your sister not to do this, okay?¡±


    Winona was annoyed; she had tried to stay under the radar, yet Sharon had still noticed her. She responded gently, ¡°Sharon, since you lost, you should apologize to Yvette. Isn¡¯t that how it should be? I can¡¯t help you, even if you beg me.¡±


    Winona¡¯s words felt like the final blow to Sharon. She had approached Yvette for apetition on Winona¡¯s behalf and now faced disgrace while Winona remained unmoved.


    Sharon felt foolish. She knew Winona was using her, yet she had been naive enough to act as Winona¡¯s pawn. Suddenly, she remembered she still had Victor, so she turned to look at him, who was standing next to Winona.


    Thinking of his rtionship with Sharon, Victor felt a little guilty. But he wasn¡¯t foolish, he understood that he couldn¡¯t offend the Sunrise Group. Not only him, but even the entire Carter family couldn¡¯t go against the Sunrise Group. Victor averted his gaze, avoiding Sharon¡¯s pleading eyes,


    Sharon was left in utter despair. After a moment, she suddenly burst into manicughter, her eyes filled with malice as she locked onto Winona. ¡°You know what, Winona? You are the most hypocritical person I¡¯ve ever met. You still don¡¯t know that Victor and I slept together beltind your back, do your


    ¡°He held me close, saying he was forced to get engaged to you. If you weren¡¯t Ms. Winona Chambers, Dennis Smith¡¯s beloved granddaughter, he wouldn¡¯t even be with you. Oh, by the way, I had an abortion because of him; it was a baby hou who never got to be born¡± Sharonughed out crazily.


    The biggest regret of her life was listening to Victor¡¯s sweet words and having an affair with him for two years, only to end. up suffering from an abortion, which had ruined her health. In the end, Victor abandoned her when she needed him the most. Sharon felt that after all she had done, she had gained nothing.


    What Sharon said was like a bomb detonated in the crowd.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°God, has Sharon lost her mind? Is she telling the truth? How dramatic this is!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s bad enough that Victor usually runs rampant on campus, but to think he caused a girl to have an abortion?¡±


    ¡°Sharon is at fault, too, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s Winona¡¯s best friend, how could she steal her boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re both in the wrong,¡±


    That¡¯s true.


    ¡°This is absolutely insane. Sharon actually exposed something like this; she must have given up on everything.¡±


    Winona¡¯s face turned pale at Sharon¡¯s words as she turned to look at Victor.


    Victor looked extremely grim. He had never expected Sharon to reveal their rtionship in front of so many people; he thought she was truly crazy.


    When Victor ho**d up with Sharon, it was just for fun; he never imagined she would get pregnant one day. Although she had an abortion, Sharon clung to him afterward. In truth, his novelty toward her had long faded, but because she was always around Winona, Victor didn¡¯t have the opportunity to cut ties.


    Victor quickly grabbed Winona and tried to exin. ¡°Winona, it was this b**h who seduced me! I was just drunk. Please forgive me, okay?¡±


    Sharonughed and pointed at Victor. ¡°You say I seduced you? Sure, maybe I could seduce you once or twice, bute on, you¡¯ve slept with me plenty of times over the past two years. Ha ha..


    Victor waspletely at a loss for words. Winona¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly. Part of her reaction was pure drama, yet a small part of it was sincere. She loved Victor, albeit a little. Winona always loved herself the most.


    She had long been aware, or perhaps had epted, Victor¡¯s wandering ways; such behavior was quitemon in their circle. Yet having Victor¡¯s cheating exposed publicly was aunajor blow to her pride. Deep down, Winona was upset because her self-esteem had been shattered.


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s my best friend¡­ why would she do this?¡± After saying this, Winona ran out in tears.


    As Winona passed Jeremiah, she slowed her steps intentionally and cast a red-eyed nce in his direction, feeling pitiful. But seeing him still focused on Yvette only fueled her jealousy. Victor chased after Winona, desperately trying to catch up to her.


    Quietly, Bonnie leaned over to Yvette and said, ¡°Yve, isn¡¯t this like a game of tag? How boring!¡±


    Yvette chuckled softly, finding Bonnie¡¯s thought rather unique. Andrew couldn¡¯t help butugh as well; Bonnie¡¯sments were just too amusing. He made a mental note of her name, thinking the name Bonnie was cute,


    When Bonnie heard someoneughing at her, she looked up to find the source: one of the guys who had defended Yvette earlier. She politely similed at him before shooting him a re. Her father had taught her that it was important to engage in manners first before showing any aggression.


    Andrew found this amusing. They continued to re at each other like a couple of little kids, which others might have considered silly, but they found joy in the yful confrontation.


    Sharon sat alone, sobbing uncontrobly; no one approached to offerfort.


    ¡°Apologize, Yvette said.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Hearing these two words, Sharon instinctively muttered, Tm sorry. As soon as she realized who had spoken, she immediately lowered her head in shame.


    A self-deprecatingugh escaped her lips. She felt utterly stripped of dignity. In her futile attempt to elevate herself by stepping on Yvette, she had lost everything instead.


    ¡°Take this,¡± Yvette¡¯s voice remained cold. Sharon looked up to see Yvette standing before her, offering a tissue, which caused her tears to flow even more heavily.


    Yvette radiated a wild, carefree bravado that made Sharon realize why she had ever felt the need to challenge her. It wasn¡¯t just about forcing Victor to apologize or Winona¡¯s feelings; it was because Yvette embodied everything that Sharon yearned for yet could never attain, igniting her jealousy.


    As Yvette extended the tissue to her, a fleeting hope crossed Sharon¡¯s mind: perhaps if she pleaded with Yvette, she would let it go. Yvette. I¡¯m sorry. Please spare us!¡± Sharon begged.


    Yvette turned away from her, her slender figure momentarily pausing. She felt disappointed by Sharon¡¯s actions. ¡°No, you have to face the consequences of your mistakes,¡± she replied.


    Yvette¡¯s words felt like cold water sshed across Sharon¡¯s face, awakening her to the absurdity of her actions. She realized that Yvette had no reason to forgive her; everything was of her own making.


    At that moment. Sharon finally came to aplete awakening. Watching Yvette begin to walk away, she wiped her tears fiercely and cried out hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvette. We will leave Seacrity¡±


    Without looking back, Yvette continued on her path. Jeremiah said nothing as he followed her out. Andrew, Bonnie, and John also chose to leave, while Tobias hesitated for a moment, ncing back at Simon, and then left.


    Simon sighed, turning to Sharon in a serious tone. ¡°You should go home. Life is about walking the right path; once your stray, it¡¯s hard to return. I hope this teaches you a lesson; be a better person in the future.¡±


    Numbly, Sharon nodded and left the auditorium. She knew she was wrong, even if it was toote. Simon had pending matters to attend to, and after directing Patrick to handle the follow-up, he left as well.


    Once outside, Yvette pulled out her ck phone and sent a text message to an unnamed, unfamiliar number before continuing forward.


    Jeremiah caught up with Yvette, who looked radiant in the sunlight, her delicate profile illuminated with an unexpected warmth.


    ¡°My subordinates didn¡¯t even have time to act before someone inoved against the Sullivan family,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry; and there¡¯s no candy left, Yvette replied.


    A hint of amusement flickered in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes. He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I made a reservation at that steakhouse. We can talk about the candyter


    Yvette shot him a nce, agreeing eagerly. She was excited to indulge in more steaks. If Eagle King were present, he would undoubtedly be furious. The candy seemed priceless to him while Jeremiah was exchanging it for mere steaks.


    ¡°Keep up¡± Jeremiah instructed. Andrew, Bonnie, and the others followed Yvette and Jeremiah, instinctively maintaining a respectful distance. It was clear that Jeremials was no ordinary person; his icy demeanor intimidated them.


    ¡°Hey, is that guy your brother? Bonnie whispered to Andrew.


    Andrew shook his head mysteriously. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Bonnie rubbed her nose in confusion. ¡°Really? I thought you two were brothers. Are you that close with your other friends.


    Andrew quickly said, ¡°No way! Jeremiah is different from everyone else.


    Tobias felt hesitant to break the silence, knowing that Tobias was his mentor. Although Tobias was usually warm and approachable, John felt a bit awkward being so close to him for the first time.


    John trailed behind them, with John ncing at Tobias, who remained silent, appearing deep in thought. John


    Feeling extremely ufortable, John wondered whether he should say anything at all. Watching Bonnie and Andrew chatting animatedly ahead, he hoped they might notice and save him from the embarrassment.


    Before long, they arrived at the steakhouse. Jeremiah¡¯s reserved room was located on the second floor, while the first floor had an openyout.


    The steakhouse was ordinary in its decor, somewhat aged, yet the dishes here were exceptional. Many people from high society frequented the establishment, drawn by its delicious offerings. The owner was peculiar, refusing to allow takeout; customers could only enjoy their meals on-site.


    Despite this strict policy, the restaurant remained bustling with patrons day after day.

 Chapter 42

    Once they were seated, the atmosphere was notably awkward for the three who weren¡¯t Yvette, Jeremiah, or Andrew.


    Tobias hesitated as he sank into his chair, regretting his decision to join the group. He hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d be tagging along for a student¡¯s meal, and now it felt a bit ufortable.


    Bonnie had intended to sit next to Yvette, but Jeremiah shot her warning look.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Before she could settle into her seat, she awkwardly wiped the chair with her hand, then pretended everything was fine and sat down across from Yvette, casting a longing nce her way. She didn¡¯t have the courage to confront Jeremiah, so she reluctantly distanced herself from Yvette.


    When the waiter knocked and entered, he astutely handed the menu to Jeremiah. Jeremiah took it and naturally passed it to Yvette. She casually epted it and then turned to Tobias, politely asking, ¡°Mr. Sundend, what would you like to eat?¡±


    Tobias smiled and replied that Yvette could order whatever she liked. Nodding in acknowledgment, Yvette nearly ordered everything on the menu. Jeremiah and Andrew were already used to this; during theirst visit, they had ordered a simr amount, only for Yvette to finish it all by herself.


    Bonnie, assuming Yvette was trying to ensure they wouldn¡¯t go hungry, quickly said, ¡°Yve, we can¡¯t eat this much!¡±


    Yvette looked up, handed the menu back to the server, and said nonchntly, I ordered all this for myself. You can order whatever you want.¡±


    John, who was in the middle of taking a sip of water, nearly spat it out upon hearing her words. It dawned on him that Yvette nned to consume all that food by herself, and the sheer volume of it left him utterly shocked.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you sure you can eat all these dishes?¡± Tobias asked.


    Yvette lowered her head slightly, contemting the question seriously before nodding. ¡°Sure I can; the food isn¡¯t that much.¡±


    Tobias was taken aback. He nced at the long list on the menu, momentarily at a loss for words, and finally managed an awkwardugh. ¡°Well, having a big appetite is a good thing¡±


    Yve, you really have quite the appetite,¡± said Bonnie. Andrew nodded in agreement.


    Bonnie felt a pang of envy. Yvette¡¯s hearty appetite was something she could only admire, especially since she herself had to deal with chronic enteritis, which meant she could rarely eat much, particrly spicy food.


    As the waiter stepped out, an embarrassing silence settled over the private room. Yvette loungedzily in her chair, her coat tossed aside. Her eyes seemed misty, and whenever Jeremiah nced down, he could see the fair skin of her corbone peeking out from beneath her shirt, which made him feel slightly awkward.


    Jeremiah awkwardly cleared his throat, startling the others. It wasn¡¯t because they were timid, but because Jeremiah¡¯s presence was so intimidating. Tobias, in his thirties, felt like a schoolboy in front of Jeremiah. It reminded him of how he felt when facing a teacher in his childhood, which was somewhat embarrassing


    Andrew sympathized with those present. Many people were afraid of Jeremiah; even the big shots from Betrico were cautious around him, let alone two college students and an ordinary professor. Therefore, Andrew decided to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Hey. Jeremalt, why did the Sunrise Group suddenly take action Andrew asked. He knew Jeremiah had invested in variouspanies but had never heard of any connection between Jeremiah and Sunrise Group.


    Bonnie, John, and Tobias immediately started eavesdropping. They were also curious about what had led to the sudden copse of the Sullivan family.


    Jeremiah lowered his head, a hint of warmth appearing in his eyes. He nced at Yvette, and his deep gaze met hers. Yvette raised an eyebrow but said nothing.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was low and affectionate. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. My subordinates were intercepted.¡±


    Andrew asked loudly, ¡°How could it not be you? The Sunrise Group is in Betrico, where far from here. How could they know about this so quickly and act so ruthlessly?¡±


    Tobias and the others looked puzzled, unsure who else might have the capability to pull this off. They all looked at Yvette. Yvette sipped her coffee slowly. ¡°Why are you looking at me?


    Bonnie leaned forward cautiously and asked, ¡°Yve, do you have any connection with the Sunrise Group?¡±


    Yvette calmly touched her chin and shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Andrew didn¡¯t believe that Yvette could have any connection with Sunrise Group. Sunrise Group was thergest techpany in the country, while Yvette was just a student at Argrol University.


    He suspected that Jeremiah was hiding his actions. Jeremiah¡¯s silent support for Yvette surprised Andrew; he had never known that Jeremiah knew his way around girls.


    ¡°Hey, what connection could Yvette have with the Sunrise Group? What are you all thinking? I¡¯ve met their general manager, who is old enough to be Yvette¡¯s father. Do you think Yvette is the secret chairwoman or something? Bonnie, your imagination is running wild.¡±


    Tobias and John, hearing Andrew¡¯sment, felt they had overthought the situation. From Andrew¡¯s words, it was clear he had met the Sunrise Group¡¯s general manager. Thus, they were more convinced that Jeremiah was not an ordinary man.


    Andrew deferred to Jeremiahpletely. If Andrew looked down upon the Lewis family, it was evident that Jeremiah would think even less of them.


    Bonnie also thought it unlikely that Yvette had any connection with the Sunrise Group, but couldn¡¯t resist countering Andrew. She and Andrew seemed to be natural adversaries.


    ¡°How do you know? What if Yve is actually the chairwoman behind Sunrise Group? She¡¯s just low¨Cprofile, unlike you,¡± Bonnie said.


    Jeremiah nced thoughtfully at Yvette, Yvette ignored Jeremiah¡¯s gaze and focused on ying a game on her phone.


    Bonnie took a quick look and couldn¡¯t understand the game Yvette was ying. The game¡¯s interface was in anguage and looked like apetitive type.


    foreign


    The game Yvette was ying was actually a new online game by Sunrise Group, but it was still in beta and had not been released to the public


    As Andrew was about to shoot back, the waiter knocked on the door, interrupting his argument with Bonnie. After all the dishes they ordered were served, the table was full. Jeremiah ced all the spicy food closest to Yvette.


    No one noticed Jeremiah¡¯s actions except for Yvette, who was aware of his intention. She liked spicy food. Seeing Jeremiah¡¯s gesture, Yvette paused for a moment while preparing her dipping sauce, then casually speared a piece of meat with her fork.


    As usual, Jeremiah ate very little. After Yvette finished each te of food, he would pass her additional dishes that she liked. The others at the table, sitting across from Yvette and Jeremiah, didn¡¯t bother them and focused on their own steaks.


    Tobias nced at the caviar in front of him and found he hadle appetite. The young couple¡¯s sweet romance made his own food seem less enjoyable.


    John felt a twinge of bitterness. Yvette was so beautiful and talented that he had long known he was not worthy of her; only a man like Jeremiah deserved to stand by her side. However, he quickly reconciled with this thought. Life was not just about romance, but also about friendship. He was willing to stay by Yvette¡¯s side as a friend.


    Everyone was once again astonished by Yvette¡¯srge appetite as they watched her gradually finish all the food she ordered.


    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. When the waiter entered, he respectfully bowed to Jeremiah. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Mr. Langford from the private dining room opposite asked me to check if you have time and if it would be convenient for him toe over and see you.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Jeremiah put his food aside. Without even looking up, he said coldly, ¡°Uh¨Chum.¡±


    The waiter didn¡¯t know what he meant. Since Jeremiah looked too intimidating, he dared not ask him again. He looked at Andrew as if asking for help!


    The waiter remembered that Jeremiah, Yvette and Andrew hade here togetherst time. Jeremiah and Yvette both looked cold and unapproachable, though very attractive. He fell anxious and dared not ask too many questions.


    Moreover, the person requesting to see Jeremiah was the mayor of Seacrity, who frequently appeared on news channels. Even the mayor had to send someone to inquire if Jeremiah was avable, leaving the waiter almost too intimidated to guess Jeremiah¡¯s identity.


    Seeing the waiter¡¯s pleading look, Andrew decided to respond on Jeremiah¡¯s behalf. He felt like he might as well be asking Jeremiah for a paycheck at this rate.


    Jeremiah is avable. Have hime over.¡± Andrew said.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that if Jeremiah refused, the mayor might direct his frustration at him.


    After the waiter left, Andrewined to Jeremiah, Jeremiah, could you be a bit more approachable? Can¡¯t you see you scared the waiter so much that he was afraid to speak?¡±


    Jeremiah gave him a nce and continued eating with his usual limpassive expression. Andrew could only give up.


    Bonnie, noticing Andrew¡¯s difort, snickered quietly to herself. When Andrew caught her, she shed him a teasing smile. Frustrated, Andrew could only vent his irritation on his food. He hadn¡¯t expected that even Bonnie had found an opportunity to mock him.


    prepared


    After dinner, Yvette needed to return to finish the assignment Tobias had left. She stood up, thanked Jeremiah, and to leave. Bonnie, John, and Tobias, who had finished eating earlier, quickly gathered their things and readied their bags to leave with her.


    At that moment, Jeremiah stopped Yvette. ¡°Wait. I¡¯d like to introduce you to someone.¡±


    Yvette considered it for a moment and then sat back down. The others, not wanting to leave before Jeremiah had finished, also stayed. After all, Jeremiah had paid for the meal, and it seemed improper to leave before he had.


    Wyatt was dining out with the Seacrity Chamber of Commerce today. Although big shots like them typically wouldn¡¯t choose a steakhouse like this, this particr one was owned by Wyatt¡¯s sister¨Cinw.


    Since she spent most of her time abroad and rarely returned, the restaurant was usually managed by Wyatt¡¯s wife, providing a more private setting.


    As the mayor of Seacrity, Wyatt¡¯s presence would always create a stir, so he had specifically requested his secretary to arrange for dinner at this steakhouse. To his surprise, he saw Jeremiah and Andrew there, which delighted him.


    Since thest incident, Jeremiah had only visited his office once and had not been seen again. Wyatt had been hesitant to disturb or seek him out, fearing to offend someone known for his ruthless methods in Betrico,


    However, now that they had run into each other, Wyatt was eager to find an opportunity to get close to Jeremiah. Wyatt nned to return to Betrico in the future. Building a good rtionship with Jeremiah would be beneficial. It would be much harder to approach Jeremiah once he was back in Betrico.


    In Wyatt¡¯s private dining room, the beads of the Lewis family, the Chambers family, and the Smith family were all present. However, the Carter family sent Reba, as Robert¡¯s influence within the family had already been diminished.


    At the table, the four appeared to be getting along harmoniously, Reba and Zachary seemed to be enjoying themselves, as if Yvette had never forced Victor to apologize. They tacitly avoided discussing the incident, knowing that their primary purpose for being here was to advance their own family¡¯s interests, and there was no need to create any unpleasantness. Seeing Wyatt preparing to leave, they were concerned that they had somehow offended the mayor and quickly stood up. ¡°Mr. Langford, did we do something wrong? Why are you leaving so soon?¡±


    Yes, please stay a bit longer. We¡¯d love to hear more of your advice?


    Indeed. A word from you is worth more than ten years of study


    Their ttery was evident. Wyatt smiled, but then turned serious. He understood that some rtionships need to be handled with care, considering the historical issues of political and business entanglements.


    As the mayor of Seacrity, he had been cautious about this. Seacrity was merely a stepping stone for him, and he couldn¡¯t afford any blemishes on his record before returning to Betrico.


    Despite receiving numerous gifts from Seacrity¡¯s four major families, Wyatt had never epted them nor explicitly sided with any family.


    The invitation to this dinner was to discuss the uingmercial development, with each party hoping to gain a share. Wyatt, ever shrewd, enjoyed his meal and drinks without making any promises before preparing to leave.


    Zachary, Reba, and the others were not ready to give up and sought to glean more information.


    ¡°Sorry, everyone. I¡¯ve run into an acquaintance and really need to go now. Please enjoy the rest of your meal. As for themercial development ns, the government will issue a public tender. Just try your best,¡± Wyatt said.


    With this, Zachary and the others had no choice but to let Wyatt go, watching as he departed.


    Reba stared thoughtfully at the direction Wyatt had gone. It didn¡¯t seem like he was just making an excuse to leave; he appeared genuinely eager to meet someone. She was curious about who could be important enough for the mayor to rush


    of 10 sec.


    Zachary approached and interrupted Reba¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Reba, how have you beentely?¡±


    Reba turned to him with a cold smile, her tone somewhat unfriendly. ¡°Mr. Chambers, of course, I haven¡¯t been well. After all, I¡¯ve lost 160 million dors. Your daughter is quite something; she even forced my brother to apologize in person. It seems our families¡® marriage arrangement displeases her!¡±


    Zachary was taken aback. To be honest, he admired Reba for her courage, determination, and intelligence. He didn¡¯t understand why she was being so harsh and irrational today.


    In fact, Reba¡¯s reaction was understandable. This was the first major setback she had faced since taking over thepany, and theirwork security system was still inadequate.


    The virus was so sophisticated that even international teams struggled to handle with it. She had received considerable criticism from ude over the issue, leaving her with a lot of pent¨Cup frustration. Zachary had just be her outlet for that frustration today.


    Zachary was confused. He knew Yvette had forced Victor to apologize, but he didn¡¯t see how the 160 million dors loss was rted to him.


    ¡°Reba, Yvette did act inappropriately and embarrassed Victor but how does the 160 million dor loss rte to the Chambers family? That¡¯s not a joke to be taken lightly,¡± Zachary said.


    Reba studied Zachary closely, confirming that he genuinely new nothing about the situation. If he had known about the top hacker behind Yvette, he wouldn¡¯t have sent her away to stay in a dorm.


    Suddenly, Reba¡¯s expression changed as a realization hit her. Her earlier gloom lifted, and her tone became much warmer.


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Chambers. I was just so upset that I said something stupid. Please don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯ll visit you when I have time.¡± she said, then picked up her handbag and left.

 Chapter 44

    Wyatt entered after knocking on the door, only to see Jeremiah banding Yvette a tissue. He was shocked by the scene.


    Jeremiah was known for his aloofness with women, and in Betrico, many socialites admired him from afar. During his time. in Betrico, Wyatt had never heard of Jeremiah being involved with any young women, so he was curious about Yvette¡¯s background.


    Yvette was indeed striking, but her casual demeanor suggested she wasn¡¯t from a prestigious family.


    Wyatt quickly put aside his curiosity about Yvette. Regardless of who she was, it wasn¡¯t his ce to inquire.


    Besides Andrew, everyone else present appeared to be ordinary people, and they seemned quite young.


    As soon as Wyatt entered. Tobias stared at him in shock. When he finally regained his senses, he stood up abruptly, banging his knee against the edge of the table, wincing in pain. John and the other jumped at Tobias¡® reaction, looking at him in confusion. Even Yvette nced over.


    ¡°Mr. Langford!¡± Tobias asked, visibly astonished.


    Wyatt, looking warm and friendly, seemed a world away from his earlier demeanor with Zachary and Reba. Jeremiah, what a coincidence running into you here.¡±


    Jeremiah, still looking at Yvette, casually replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here having dinner with friends.¡±


    Andrew, with a grin, asked, ¡°Mr. Langford, you¡¯re not following us, are you?¡±


    Wyatt quickly denied it, his tone anxious, afraid of being mistaken for a stalker. ¡°No, absolutely not. This restaurant is owned by my sister¨Cinw. She¡¯s rarely here, so the ce is managed by my wife. I was invited to dinner here to avoid trouble, and running into Jeremiah and you was purely coincidental.


    Andrew chuckled. ¡°I was just joking, Mr. Langford, you look so nervous.¡±


    Wyatt was nearly unnerved by Andrew¡¯sment; the joke wasn¡¯t amusing to him at all.


    Jeremiah, however, didn¡¯t suspect that Wyatt had been deliberately following him. He trusted that Wyatt wouldn¡¯t risk having someone investigate his whereabouts, and believed that Wyatt wasn¡¯t foolish enough to do such things.


    After greeting Jeremiah, Wyatt turned to Tobias, who had clearly recognized him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Wyatt Langford. May I know your name?¡±


    Tobias was taken aback, hardly believing that the Mayor of Seacrity was standing before him so graciously. Nervously, he replied, ¡°Hello, Mr. Langford. I¡¯m Tobias Sundend, a physics professor at Argrol University. I had the pleasure of meeting you once during a seminar with the university president.¡±


    Wyatt was surprised to find that Jeremiah¡¯spany included a university professor. ¡°Please, sit down. Don¡¯t let my presence disrupt your dinner with Jeremiah. I just came by to say hello and will be leaving soon


    Wyatt knew the importance of knowing when to step back and showed tact in his conversation. While chatting Jeremiah and Andrew, he also paid attention to John and Bonnie After learning they were students at Argrol University, he encouraged them to continue their studies diligently.


    Most of the conversation was dominated by Wyatt, with Jeremiah listening and Andrew interjecting humorously, making the atmosphere quite pleasant. Finally, Wyatt settled the bill with the waiter and exchanged a few more words before leaving-


    Throughout the encounter, Tobias, John, and Bonnie were visibly uneasy. Jeremiah and Andrew remained calm, and Yvette looked careless. She merely nced at Wyatt when she learned his identity before resuming her game on her phone, paying no attention to their conversation.


    Bonnie was stunned for a long time after discovering Wyatt¡¯s identity. She struggled to understand the topics discussed among Jeremiah, Andrew, and the others, only grasping that the amiable man before her was the Mayor of Seacrity, a prominent figure in the news. For Bonnie, it was the most surreal day.


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, was that really the Mayor? I can¡¯t believe I was chatting with him! He even encouraged me to study hard. I feel so lucky!¡± Bonnie eximed.


    Andrew tapped Bonnie on the head. ¡°Get over it. He¡¯s just a mayor. What¡¯s there to be excited about?¡±


    Bonnie, not picking up on Andrew¡¯s tone, rubbed her head and said, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just happy. Can¡¯t you see? The mayor said the future of this country depends on young talents like us! Hmph!¡±


    To bolster her point, Bonnie looked at Yvette. ¡°Right, Yve?¡±


    Yvette put away her phone and nodded carelessly, which only made Bonnie more pleased and proud.


    Tobias and John, however, were not so naive. They noticed that Wyatt, as mayor, needed to send the waiter to ask if he could meet Jeremiah. His deference and cautious ttery towards Jeremiah were striking.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    While Wyant¡¯s attitude towards Andrew was also telling, it was clear he treated Andrew as an equal, which was intriguing considering the mayor¡¯s high status in Seacrity.


    Tobias and John couldn¡¯t fathom how Jeremiah and Andrew, two prominent figures, could be involved in roles like library staff at Argrol University.


    Reba followed Wyatt out and saw him enter the room across the hall Curious about who could warrant such a personal visit from Wyatt, she wondered if there was someone important in Seacrity that she hadn¡¯t heard of.


    Wyatt¡¯s secretary, J Miller, was stationed at the door. When she saw Reba approaching and peering inside, she understood Reba¡¯s curiosity. J walked over to Reba, who greeted her with a friendly smile, hoping to gather some information.


    Reba approached gracefully, but J quickly blocked her path. ¡°Ms. Carter, you can¡¯t go any further. Mr. Langford is meeting a private acquaintance, and it¡¯s not appropriate for too many people to know about it. I hope you understand.¡±


    Reba¡¯s face momentarily showed embarrassment, but she quickly recovered, shing a bright smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to use the restroom and noticed you here, so I thought I say hello.¡±


    J chose not to nail her and smiled back. ¡°You might want to ask the waiter over there¡±


    Realizing that pressing further would only make things awkward Reba turned and left. Halfway down the corridor, she paused and said in a yful tone, ¡°Ms. Miller, I hope Mr. Langford doesn¡¯t find out about my little detour. It¡¯s quite embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t mention this minor detail to him,¡± J assured her. Reba, relieved, then departed


    However, as soon as Wyall came out of the room, J informed him of Reba¡¯s visit. Wyatt, displeased with Reba¡¯s meddling, decided to give her a warning.


    Reba hadn¡¯t anticipated that her attempt to gather information would backfire, resulting in her offending the mayor and The Carter family receiving only a minimal profit from the uing business district project.


    As Yvette came out of the restroom, she coincidentally encountered a slightly inebriated Zachary. She also saw Lucas, who was here to pick him up.


    ¡°Lilian, Lilian, is that you?¡± Zachary asked.


    Yvette paused and looked back at him with lowered eyes, her expression unreadable. Facing Zachary, she remained detached.


    Lucas was surprised to run into Yvette at the steakhouse. He calcted that it had been a week since Yvette left the Chambers family. ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller. Mr. Chambers came here for business and drank too much, so I¡¯m here to take him. home, Lucas said.


    Hearing what Lucas said, Zachary sobered up a bit and, recognizing Yvette, felt a pang of guilt. He regretted his hasty decision to send Yvette to the dormitory and had been feeling remorseful for days.


    ¡°Yvette, are you dining here too? Zachary asked.


    Yvette adjusted her coat and responded coolly, ¡°Yes¡±

 Chapter 45

    Yvette¡¯s indifference made Zachary heartbroken. He truly didn¡¯t know how to handle this daughter of his.


    Zachary rubbed his head, feeling frustrated.


    Yvette was ready to walk away.


    Zachary quickly said. ¡°Come home. Yvette. I was just angry and


    The hair on Yvette¡¯s forehead hung down as her brow furrowed slightly with a hint of impatience. Her demeanor was cold. and firm. ¡°No need. The dorm is fine.¡±


    Zachary steadied himself, his tone tired. ¡°Yvette, if you don¡¯t want to return to the Chambers family, you can stay at the mansion I¡¯ve given to you. It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Zachary paused, lost in memories. He and Lilian had their happiest times at that mansion. But since she left without saying goodbye, he rarely went there anymore, afraid that the ce would bring back emotions.


    Yvette looked up. Seeing the sadness in Zachary¡¯s eyes annoyed her. To her, it was worthless to show affection now. ¡°If you¡¯re done talking. I¡¯m off


    Yvette¡¯s words pulled Zachary back from his thoughts. That was the ce where your mother and I used to live. I¡¯ll have Lucas bring you the keys tomorrow.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t respond and turned to leave.


    Zachary instructed Lucas to find out what Yvette had ordered. He thought she was with her ssmates and wanted to pay


    her bill


    After ten minutes, Lucas came back looking shocked. He didn¡¯t speak for a while.


    Zachary sensed something was off and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you pay Yvette¡¯s bill?¡±


    Lucas hesitated, words stuck in his throat. He needed a moment to organize his thoughts. The news he received was shocking and hard to take in. ¡°Mr. Chambers, I asked the front desk where Miss Yvette was sitting, and they said she was in


    the VIP Room.¡±


    Zachary sobered up. The VIP Room?


    Few people were aware that the steakhouse was owned by Wyatt Zachary only discovered its connection to Wyatt after he unexpectedly saw Wyatt¡¯s wife managing the ce and did some thorough investigation.


    He wondered, We were unable to book the VIP Room, as it was set aside for honored guests. How did Yvette manage to have a meal there?¡±


    Lucas¡® reply shocked Zachary. ¡°Mr. Chambers, by the time I arrived, someone had already paid ber bill


    Zachary asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    Lucas¡® stern voice was tinged with a slight tremor. ¡°Sir, it was Wyatt!¡±


    Momentarily confused, Zachary asked again, ¡°Who?¡±


    Lucas confidently repeated. ¡°Sir, it was Wyatt, Mr. Langford¡±


    Zachary¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Lucas, whose expression confirmed that the information was indeed true.


    G B


    ¡°How did Yvette get involved with Wyatt?¡® In a moment, Zachary imagined the worst¨Ccase scenario¨CYvette had be Wyatt¡¯s mistress. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of rtionship they could possibly have.


    Zachary was furious as he thought of that. ¡°My daughter is only 20 years old, and Wyatt is much older than she is. How disgraceful!


    Lucas initially had the same thought but then reconsidered, finding it unlikely.


    He didn¡¯t think Yvette was the type to do that. Her pride wouldn¡¯t permit her to be anyone¡¯s mistress.


    Seeing Zachary clutch his chest, Lucas quickly pulled out the medicine he had prepared from his pocket and Zachary, gave it toText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After taking the medicine. Zachary felt a little better but still spoke weakly. ¡°Bring Yvette back. I need to speak to her. If she has done anything to disgrace the Chambers family, I won¡¯t forgive her.¡±


    Lucas felt Zachary was overly worried and losing hisposure. He thought, The rtionship between Mr. Chambers and Ms. Zeller had already hit rock bottom. If he keeps ming her without understanding the situation, their father¨Cdaughter bond might really be severed¡±


    Lucas said. ¡°Mr. Chambers, I don¡¯t think Ms. Zeller would do something like that. I suggest you wait a bit. There might be a misunderstanding.


    Zachary looked displeased but couldn¡¯t let it go. He took out his phone and called Yvette.


    When Yvette returned to the private room, Tobias and the others had left, leaving only Jeremiah, who stared intently at her. His dark eyes were sparkling, his skin was pale, and his voice was husky ¡°You¡¯re back, he murmured seductively.


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Where are Bon and the others?¡±


    Jeremiah replied, ¡°Andrew gave your friend a ride home, and Mr. Sundend left with that guy from your ss.¡±


    ¡°Andrew?¡± Yvette frowned,


    Jeremiah could tell what Yvette was thinking and exined further, ¡°No need to worry. Andrew just runs his mouth. He won¡¯t do anything. Your friend is perfectly safe.¡±


    Yvette looked at him, puzzled, her tone confused. ¡°Safe? That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m worried it might not be safe¡­ for Andrew.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t quite understand her words.


    Yvette sniffed and spoke slowly. ¡°Bonnie mentioned she tends to act up when she drinks. We just had steak, and I saw her secretly drinking a few sses. The wine you ordered is pretty strong, so now¡­¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t need to say the rest; Jeremiah understood it..


    Jeremiah stood up, his trousers were straight without a wrinkle. He picked up his coat from the chair and wrapped it around Yvette¡¯s shoulders.


    Yvette looked up at him, slightly puzzled, as Jeremiah lowered his head slowly. Their eyes met


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Andrew knows what to do. No need to worry, Jeremial said.


    Yvette nced sideways at Jeremiah but said nothing


    Inside the Jeep, Jeremiah drove while Yvette sat in the passenger seat, texting someone.


    ¡°How¡¯s your driving?¡± asked Jeremiah.


    Yvette put away her phone. Her voice, with a slight hoarseness after having steak, sounded particrly pleasant. ¡°Not bad?


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Compared to your Frixyia?¡±


    Yvette thought for a moment and said, ¡°I can¡¯tpare. I don¡¯t really know Frixyia.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at her. Noticing she pondered seriously before responding, he knew Yvette was telling the truth.


    He thought, ¡°Yvette¡¯s skill in Frixyia is good enough for her to work as a trantor, yet she still ims she doesn¡¯t really kno it. Such a mysteriousdy!


    After that, Jeremiah focused on driving without saying anything further while Yvette closed her eyes to rest.


    As they approached the entrance of Argrol University, a phone with a ringtone of a unique piano melody suddenly rang.


    Yvette nced at the phone number and hung up. The caller kept calling persistently. Annoyed, Yvette eventually turned it


    off.


    When Zachary called again, he got a message notifying him that the phone was turned off, making him so furious that he threw his phone on the ground.


    After dropping Yvette off at Argrol University, Jeremiah went to meet Simon. No one knew what they talked about, but Jeremiah became a substitute teather in the physics department the next day.


    Early in the morning. Bonnie came to ss with two dark circles under her eyes. As usual, when she entered, she saw Yvette lying on the desk, asleep.


    People around were whispering, mostly about what happened with Sharon in the auditorium yesterday.


    The story about Yvette and Sharon spread around Argrol University again.


    Some said Yvette was too harsh, using a guy to bully Sharon and leaving Sharon no way out, calling Yvette cold¨Chearted and unkind.


    Others supported her, saying she did the right thing.


    The forums were buzzing, but in reality, no one dared to say anything in front of Yvette after seeing how Sharon was dealt with.


    Early that morning. Sharon came to withdraw from school. She didn¡¯t stay a minute longer afterpleting the procedures. Bonnie sat next to Yvette and turned to re at the people who were whispering.


    The girls immediately went silent, not daring to say more. It wasn¡¯t Bonnie they were afraid of, but Yvette who backed her up.

 Chapter 46

    John was conspicuous, holding a bunch of colorful envelopes with aplicated expression.


    Seeing Bonnie copying something while Yvette was napping, he quietly walked over and sat right next to them. ¡°Hey, Bonnie, what¡¯s with those dark circles? Howte were you upst night? You¡¯re almost turning into a roon.¡±


    Bonnic nodded weakly, her voice just as listless. ¡°I didn¡¯t stay up. Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡±


    John didn¡¯t ask any further.


    Seeing John brought over a pile of envelopes, Bonnie leaned in curiously. ¡°John, who knew you were so popr? Someone sent you love letters and so many of them! ver saw thating¡±


    She sized him up after saying that.


    John shook his head with a wry smile.


    Bonnie was puzzled, unsure of what he meant.


    ¡°Not mine,¡± he said, pausing to nce at the sleeping Yvette and pointing at thetter. ¡°They¡¯re for our goddess. Guys from another faculty asked me to give them to her. They cornered me outside my dorm this morning.¡±


    Bonnie looked at the colorful envelopes, then at John¡¯s helpless face, and finally understood. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until Yve wakes up then


    John nodded as he thought, ¡®Better let Yvette handle her own things


    While the two were whispering, someone outside the door came to deliver a message for Yvette to visit the Principal¡¯s office. The physics ssroom went silent as everyone turned to look at Yvette, who was slumped over her desk.


    Everyone wondered, Who exactly is this transfer student, some kind of big shot? Mr. Sundend personally invited her? At Argrol University, who else could have the principal send someone to find them besides Ryan?¡¯


    Bonnie knew Yvette would be grumpy if woken up, guessing it would take Yvette about an hour to get up by herself. But with Simon personally calling, they couldn¡¯t dy. Bonnie gathered her courage and gently nudged Yvette.


    Her hand barely touched the edge of Yvette¡¯s shirt when Yvette¡¯s eyes flew open, full of alertness and a hint of fierceness.


    Bonnie jolted in surprise. Her hand froze, and her body tensed.


    Yvette returned to her senses and realized she was in a ssroom instead of an arena in Afria.


    The intensity in Yvette¡¯s eyes slowly faded, and her usualid-back attitude returned. She nced at the dumbfounded Bonnie and said nothing. She couldn¡¯t care less about her perfect image.


    Bonnie then said, ¡°Ms. Gorgeous, Mr. Sundend wants to see you in his office.¡±


    Yvette nodded, casually threw on her jacket, and walked leisurely toward the Principal¡¯s office. She bumped into Patrick on the way.


    Patrick gave her a look without saying anything and left.


    The fact that Jeremiah managed to bankrupt the Sullivan family in just half an hour yesterday was a shock for Patrick. Until he knew more about Jeremiah, he didn¡¯t dare cause trouble for Yvette.


    After Yvette left, Bonnie looked down and kept silent. john didn¡¯t understand why she suddenly acted this way like something had dampened her spirits.


    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bonnie?¡±


    Bonnie stayed silent for a while before answering, her voice muted and downcast. ¡°John, what do you think Ms. Gorgeous is like?¡±


    To me, she¡¯s the best person in the whole world. John nodded firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.


    Seeing the determination in John¡¯s eyes, Bonnie hesitated and said, ¡°Earlier, Yve¡¯s re was really scary, like¡­ Bonnie struggled to find the right words before she continued, ¡°Yeah, like a wolf. It was intimidating.¡±


    John thought it over for a while. He understood why Bonnie was acting differently. She found out that Yvette wasn¡¯t how she imagined.


    He asked, ¡°Bonnie, why do you enjoy spending time with Yve? Isit just because she¡¯s pretty or cool? You¡¯ve created an image of her in your mind, but maybe that¡¯s not the real her. So if you¡¯re not sure you want to be friends with her, then I¡¯d suggest keeping some distance.


    Bonnie¡¯s face went pale. She thought, John is right. I had always imagined what Yvette was like without really knowing her past. How can I be worthy of being Yvette¡¯s friend if I¡¯m acting this way? No matter what, Yvette is Ms. Gorgeous, and nothing car change that


    After figuring things out, Bonnie perked up, shaking off her earlier gloom. Patting John on the shoulder, she returned to her usual carefree self. ¡°Thank you. I get it now. I¡¯ll exin to Yveter!¡±


    John gave a helpless smile. He thought, ¡°Wow! Bonnie is the fastest person to change moods I¡¯ve ever met.


    In the Principal¡¯s office, Simon sat on the main couch while Yvette sat across from him.


    Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, shezily slouched against the couch. Her sharp gaze was icy, giving off an air of casual defiance.


    When facing Simon, she showed no trace of fear or anxiety,pletely different from the usual students.


    Simon thought, ¡°Yvette put herself on equal standing with me. What an interesting kid. Rebellious and free-spirited. Such at unique personality!¡¯


    Simon pushed the freshly brewed coffee over s Ms. Zeller,¡±


    voice was gentle, his action humble, like a kind old gentleman. ¡°Try some,


    Yvette didn¡¯t hesitate, reaching over to take it. Nodding politely, she thanked Simon, then downed the coffee in one go before cing the empty cup on the rosewood table.


    Simon wasn¡¯t annoyed. He happily refilled the empty coffee cup ¡°Ms. Zeller, do you know why I called you here?¡±


    Yvette nodded. ¡°I know. It¡¯s about Siren, right?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Simon didn¡¯t expect Yvette to be so direct by immediately bringing up the question he wanted to ask, leaving him temporarily unsure of what to say.


    Simon, being the principal, only took a few seconds to regain hisposure, though his tone became much more serious. ¡°Ms. Zeller, since you know, can you tell me what your rtionship is with Siren?¡±


    Afraid that Yvette might evade the question, Simon quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t even try to say you don¡¯t know him. His papers are extremely valuable, yet he gave you a special rmendation for admission. I won¡¯t believe it if you say you two don¡¯t know each other.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s fingers rhythmically tapped on the armrests of the chair making Simon¡¯s heart pound with anxiety.


    Yvette nced up at Simon, her voice calm and


    ¡°I know Siren, but don¡¯t waste your time. She won¡¯t show up again.


    Persistent, Simon asked, ¡°Is there truly no chance, Ms. Zeller? Siren is crucial for our nation¡¯s new chip research. Mr. Owens from the capital¡¯s physicsb has been searching everywhere for Siren and even¡­¡± Simon paused suddenly,


    He sighed. ¡°Ms. Zeller, please convey my sincerity, I hope Siren will consider it carefully¡±


    Tll pass it on your message, but don¡¯t get your hopes up, Yvette replied.


    Hearing Yvette say that, Simon couldn¡¯t help but feel a little relieved, even the slightest hope was worth the effort.


    At the moment, only Yvette could contact Siren, so Simon had to put all his hopes on her.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Mr. Sundend. I¡¯ll be going now,¡± said Yette.


    Simon noticed Yvette seemed a little tired, so he didn¡¯t say more and just told her to get some rest.


    When Yvette walked to the door, she heard Simon¡¯s sigh from behind.


    A hint of irritation showed on Simon¡¯s face as he grumbled inwardly, ¡®Forget it. I¡¯ll just send a few more emails!

 Chapter 47

    After leaving the Principal¡¯s office, Yvette didn¡¯t go back to the physics ssroom but went straight to the nearby arcade.


    When Eagle King arrived, Yvette was there ying a basketball game with some kids and enjoying herself. It was rare to see her act so yful and childlike, so he didn¡¯t disturb her.


    Eagle King was dressed in a floral tank top today, and his tattoo of an azure dragon across his arms was fully exposed outside. People passing by didn¡¯t dare to look at him for long.


    up the deepest


    Standing at the entrance, he took out a cigarette and lit it. Wisps of white smoke gently rose, stirring up memories buried in his heart.


    In a daze, his mind drifted back to that rainy night seven years ag


    Back then, he had just finished a mission but was ambushed due to his carelessness. He was gravely injured and fled into a narrow alley using hisst strength.


    By that point, he was too weak to move and could only wait for death. In their line of work, life and death had long since been unimportant.


    But then, in a half-conscious state, he heard a cold, piercing voice. ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    His strong will to survive forced him to use hisst breath to reply. ¡°Yes¡± Then, he slipped into a deepa. When he woke up, he was already in Yvette¡¯s apartment.


    What happened next!


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yvette turned around, holding some candy she¡¯d won from the kids, and noticed Eagle King standing at the entrance, looking distant and lost in thought.


    Thetter stubbed out his cigarette and smiled mischievously. ¡°Boss, you might want to look behind.¡±


    Yvette nced back in the direction Eagle King pointed. Those kids she had just yed basketball with seemed about to cry


    at any moment


    ¡®Come on, it¡¯s just some candy, right?¡¯ she thought.


    Juggling the candy in her hand, she sighed and walked back to return it to the kids. However, she kept one pink piece for herself.


    Eagle King saw her sneaking move but decided not to say anything to avoid getting into trouble.


    Suddenly, his expression turned serious, and his tone became formal. ¡°Boss, people in Mysonna have been asking around about you. Word is it¡¯s from the Goodman family. When did you cross them? Braydon Goodman is infamous. If he¡¯s after you, it won¡¯t be easy to shake him off.¡±


    Yvette kicked a pebble at her feet, her voice calm and unconcerned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it He can¡¯t reach me here. Let him make a fuss on his own.¡±


    Eagle King chuckled wryly. ¡°What¡¯s it like having a boss who fears nothing? he wondered.


    The Goodman family from Mysonna¡­ Just hearing their names made people shudder. For decades, they had dominated the underground gangs in MysonnaText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Braydon, especially, became notorious at a young age.


    He was known for being ruthless, with a reputation for killing without a trace. His subordinates were unmatched, with no


    one daring to oppose them in Mysonna


    Eagle King turned worried on Yvette¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s head back to school,¡± Yvette said, the irritation in her heart mostly dissipated. The hostility in her eyes also disappeared, reced by a carefree look.


    Eagle King looked at her with a pitiful expression. ¡°Boss, seriously? You called me over, but before I even getfortable, you¡¯re telling me to leave? That¡¯s so unfairl


    Yvette¡¯s profile was sharp and alluring, radiating undeniable sharpness and arrogance, but her voice was soft as shemented, ¡°You got a problem with that?¡±


    Eagle King trembled inwardly. ¡°No problem at all. By the way, are you really not taking that 100 million dor deal?¡±


    Yvette waved her hand dismissively, leaving behind only lier lean figure. Under the fading light of sunset, she appeared even more frail. ¡°Nope,¡± she answered.


    After Yvette left, Eagle King headed back to the bar.


    Not far away, Winona quickly ducked aside, pretending to look at something, when she saw Eagle King turn back. Little did she know, thetter had already spotted her.


    ¡°Ha! Where¡¯d this straye from, thinking she could spy on us he muttered to himself.


    Winona had stumbled upon Yvette by chance.


    She was originally nning to visit the Carter residence. Reba, for some unknown reason, had insisted shee over for dinner. Normally, Winona would¡¯ve been thrilled, but now, she had new goals and ideas, and she wasn¡¯t as interested in Victor anymore as well. She was only going to the Carter residence out of obligation.


    When she passed by the arcade, she saw Yvette ying games with a group of kids, and she stopped. A few minutest shi saw a man with an intimidating tattoo, wearing a tank top and blue flip-flops, strike up a conversation with Yvette.


    Winona quietly used her phone and snapped a picture of the two of them looking quite close.


    She was ecstatic. With the photo, she was confident that the distinguished man in the auditorium wouldn¡¯t want to be with Yvette.


    After watching Yvette part ways with Eagle King, Winona gathered her courage and started tailing thetter.


    Eagle King, however, deliberately led her in circles. Wearing high heels, Winona had blistered feet from walking. She didn¡¯t dare to cry in pain and could only force herself to keep up.


    Eagle King stopped at a newsstand and bought a newspaper. He glimpsed at Winona¡¯s disheveled appearance from the mirror above the stand.


    He smirked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. He had already recognized her as Winona


    After two hours of wandering, Eagle King finally returned to Night Bar.


    Winona watched him go inside but didn¡¯t dare follow. The bar wasn¡¯t open yet, hence entering now might raise suspicion. She already knew where the guy hanging around Yvette worked, so she wasn¡¯t worried about missing her chance. Victor had sent her over ten messages, asking where she was and urging her to hurry, but she ignored them all. Finding a quiet spot, she took a picture of her swollen, bleeding ankle and sent it to Victor along with her location.


    Victor rushed over as soon as he got Winona¡¯s message, and he found her looking disheveled in a caf¨¦. to her and asked what had happened.


    e quickly went up


    With teary eyes and a vulnerable expression, Winona exined 1-1 identally got hit by a cyclist and twisted my ankle, which is why I couldn¡¯t make it to your ce. I¡¯m sorry¡±


    Victor couldn¡¯t care about the dinner anymore. He called for his driver and rushed Winona to the hospital.


    Meanwhile, Reba was waiting at home, Seeing nobody return, she tried calling Victor, but he didn¡¯t pick up. Her call came in just as Victor went out to get medicine for Winona, so he missed it.


    Winona nced at the phone and saw it was Reba calling. She stared at it for a long time but made no move to answer.


    At Argol University¡¯s cafeteria, Yvette ordered a ribs tter and was quietly enjoying it by herself. A few people nearby recognized her but only dared whisper among themselves.


    Bonnie had been searching all over the school for Yvette. Finally she thought of checking out the cafeteria. To her relief, she found her there. Yvette¡¯s eyes were lowered, her long and thick eyshes hiding her gaze.


    ¡°Yve. I finally found you!¡± Bonnie eximed while wiping off the sweat on her face. She was panting from the running and grabbed the bottled water on the table and chugged it.


    Yvette slowly picked up a piece of rib and murmured, ¡°Not scared of me anymore?¡±


    Bonnie scratched her head, a little embarrassed, but her tone was now firm. ¡°Yve, I¡¯m not scared of you.¡±


    Werte took a bite of the rib and nodded approvingly. It¡¯s tasty, she thought.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± she said.


    Bonnie knew it meant that Yvette had forgiven her. She happily sat down and animatedly began recounting the day¡¯s events in physics ss,


    ¡°Yve, guess what? We¡¯ve got a new teacher in the physics department. Guess who it is?¡± she said.

 Chapter 48

    Yvette nced up at Bonnie¡¯s mysterious expression. A brief flicker crossed her eyes as she spoke coldly. ¡°Jeremiah.¡±


    Bonnie almost choked, coughing. ¡°We, you¡¯re amazing!¡± She rolled her eyes yfully and whispered, ¡®I bet it was Top Dog who told you.


    Yvette sighed, rubbing her temples exasperatedly. Does Jeremiali know that Bonnie called him ¡°Top Dog? she wondered,


    Bonnie rambled on, recounting everything that happened earlier that day. ¡°Yve, you missed quite a show today! Top Dog was on fire today. Some guys from the physics department who isually think they¡¯re all that because of their good grades decided to challenge him, but he answered all their questions without missing a beat, shutting them downpletely. You should¡¯ve seen it; it was epic¡±


    Seeing Yvette listening without surprise, Bonnie thought. Of course, how could someone like me ever hope to reach the heights of these powerhouses?


    As Yvette was finishing her meal, she bumped into Zeke and his group of rowdy friends. Zeke had heard about the recent events at school and was looking for an opportunity to meet Yvette.


    He mainly wanted to ask about the guy who was backing her. Someone who could make the Sullivan family bankrupt in just half an hour and rted to InnoCrest Technologies was no small fry.


    He felt like someone was coveting what was rightfully his


    One of Zeke¡¯s friends started to make a scene. Zeke had been boasting to them that he was close with Yvette. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t make sense if he didn¡¯t greet Yvette.


    With a wide grin, Zeke walked over. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re having lunch here too?¡±


    Yvette looked up to see that it was Zeke. She ignored him and focused on eating her ribs.


    Bonnie stood quietly on the side, too afraid to speak. It was clear to her that Yvette didn¡¯t want anything to do with him.


    Zeke had no choice but to call out to Yvette again. His heart fluttered with excitement as she looked up.


    ¡°Get lost, Yvette ordered.


    Zeke¡¯s expression changed immediately. Luckily, his friends were seated further away, or he¡¯d be embarrassed. Not wanting to be the butt of jokes, Zeke forced a smile despite Yvette¡¯s cold attitude,


    ¡°I just came here to say hi to you. I¡¯ll leave now. Oh, by the way, Dad asked me to remind you toe home for dinner sometime.¡± With that, he turned and went back to his table.


    He lied to his friends, telling them that his conversation with Yvette went well and that she was too shy toe over to say hello. And they believed him, agreeing that Zeke was right. After all, girls could be shy when they were in front of charming people.


    After finishing their meal, Yvette and Bonnie went back to the physics ssroom together. Zeke watched them leave, his gaze dark and unreadable.


    The atmosphere in the physics ssroom was buzzing with excitement.


    Ryan had returned from hispetition in another province, bringing home another trophy for Argrol University, along with a cash prize of 30 thousand dors.


    Though 30 thousand dors wasn¡¯t much to Ryan, whose family could spend the same amount for a single shirt, he had nned to donate the money to the physics department to buy newb equipment. However, Simon insisted that he keep half of it to treat his ssmates to a meal of sorts.


    Ryan knew Simon meant well, trying to help him build better rtionships with his ssmates, but he just wasn¡¯t used to socializing like that.


    He thought about just letting it go, but students from the physics department overheard in the office and spread the word


    back in ss,


    Reluctantly, he agreed to take them all to Sky Nimbus for a meal.


    As soon as the students heard that Ryan was treating them at such a fancy ce, they were over the moon and could hardly focus on the lesson after that.


    When Yvette and Bonnie entered the ssroom, they immediately noticed Rynn surrounded by an excited crowd, looking overwhelmed.


    ¡°Yve, see that guy surrounded in the middle?¡± Bonnie asked.


    Yvette nced over. It was hard not to notice. A guy. Pretty good-looking That was what Yvette could think.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    To her, men were either alive or dead, and now, she could add a new category, a meal buddy.


    Yvette wasn¡¯t interested in who he was and just acknowledged it casually. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Ryan. He¡¯s the top studentin the physics department and Mr. Sundend¡¯s favorite. It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Sundend favors him; he¡¯s exceptionally smart, alwaysing first in every exam, leaving the second ce far behind. He had won countlesspetitions. Most importantly, he¡¯s the sole heir to the Lewis family, one of the four major families in Seacrity. However, it seems he¡¯s not interested in finance. He spends all his time in the physicsb. There¡¯s a rumor circting that his goals were not in Seacrity but in the national physicsb in Betrico. He¡¯s weird though, pretty introverted, and reclusive. You never see him getting close to anyone, and given his prestigious status, not many dare to approach him, so he doesn¡¯t really have friends at school,¡± Bonnie exined


    Ryan felt ufortable being surrounded by the crowd. The constant chatter around him was making him restless. His eyes wandered, trying to find something to distract himself.


    That was when his gaze met with Yvette¡¯s unexpectedly.


    Ryan was taken aback.


    The girl stoodzily at the entrance, her blue jacket casually draped over her shoulders, with a carefree smile on her lips. Her entire demeanor screamed of a nonchnt defiance.


    Confident. Arrogant. That was Ryan¡¯s first impression of Yvette, butter, he woulde to realize that she w


    than that.


    far more


    At that time, Yvette had already reached a level unreachable by everyone else, bing a figure he could only look up to


    The crowd noticed Ryan¡¯s fixed gaze. Turning around, they saw Yvette and Bonnie and went silent simultaneously. Ryan had just returned, so he naturally didn¡¯t know what had happened. He was confused by the situation.


    ¡°Yvette, Bonnie, you¡¯re back!¡± someone eximed.


    Yvette responded with a simple hum. Her cold demeanor was nothing new to her ssmates, and they were used to it. If Yvette suddenly started talking more, they¡¯d probably think something was really off.


    Bonnie, as the ss representative, was quite popr with everyone.


    Everyone started to exin what was going on to Bonnie. Apparently, Ryan had offered to treat the whole ss to a meal at go too.


    Sky Nimbus. As soon as Bonnie found out, she immediately asked Yvette if she wanted to the whole ss to a meal at


    Yvette shook her head at first but eventually gave in to Bonnie¡¯s persistent persuasion.


    Behind them. Ryan paused in the middle of flipping through his book when he overheard Yvette agreeing toe. He adjusted his sses, then quietly returned to reading.


    That afternoon, the physics department¡¯s students went back to their dorms early after ss to get ready. The girls put on makeup: the guys styled their hair. Everyone was taking this dinner very seriously.


    In their department, there wasn¡¯t much room for entertainment. It was either writing papers or conducting experiments, day in and day out. It was nothing but data. So when a chance like this came up, it was hard to pass. Furthermore, it was Sky Nimbus that they were going.


    Everyone was excited and eager to rx and enjoy themselves, and there was good reason for their enthusiasm.


    Sky Nimbus was thergest club in Seacrity that offered dining, leisure, and entertainment elements. The annual membership fee alone was at least 660 thousand dors, taking it a symbol of prestige and status by having a membership


    there.


    Being just a bunch of broke students, none of them had ever set foot in such a ce.


    If it weren¡¯t for Ryan, some of them might never have had the chance to dine there in their lifetime. Therefore, most of the students in the physics department put extra care into their preparations for the night


    It was said that the people who dined there were all suited-up, sessful business types. To avoid looking out of ce, the students had agreed that the merk would wear suits, while the women would don cocktail dresses.


    In the dorm room, Bonnie shared the group chat messages with Yvette.


    ¡°No!¡± Yvette said, pulling the nket over her head, intending to continue her nap.


    Bonnie pouted. Feeling resigned, she went to her wardrobe to find a c**l dress. After all, she wasn¡¯t an effortless beauty like Yverte


    She had observed Yvette closely, noticing that even though she never used skincare, her skin was wless and soft. Fairies didn¡¯t have to deal with mortal problems, she thought and sighed.


    By now, Bonnie was used to feeling defeated. She bet Yvette would still look stunning in a potato sack.

 Chapter 49

    At 8 pm., Ryan and the rest of the physics department students arrived at Sky Nimbus. Bonnie had dragged Yvette, sprinted the entire way, and barely arrived on time with just a minute to spare.


    The group, led by Ryan, marched confidently into Sky Nimbus


    The cool air greeted them as soon as they stepped inside, a refreshing relief in the scorching summer heat. The spacious, spotless lobby, with its gleaming marble floors and grand chandeliers, and the uniformed staff at the reception areas made them feel nervous and uneasy.


    The duty manager approached with a professional smile, his gaze precise, as he headed straight toward Ryan in a respectful


    demeanor.


    ¡°Mr. Lewis, your reserved room is 101 Let me take you there personally, the manager said.


    Ryan nodded. Although he wasn¡¯t dressed in formal attire, his presence waspletely different from when he was at school. Now, he embodied the presence as the heir of the Lewis family in Seacrity, one worth over 3.3 billion dors.


    The students exchanged nces. At that moment, they collectively realized that even though they attended the same sses, Ryan was someone far beyond their reach, and they respected thetter even more.


    The manager had an eye for detail. After sitting in that position for so many years, he could immediately tell the status of a guest, even though the students wore what they thought were their best and most formal clothes.


    I didn¡¯t take long for him to recognize those outfits only cost about 600 dors, with the most expensive not exceeding 670 dors. He knew the elite society well. He¡¯d heard that Ryan was studying at Argrol University, so he knew that thetter might be just showing his ssmates around.


    Other than Ryan, he held no regard for the others.


    The group moved past the lobby to the back area, where their eyes were drawn to crystal-like tables surrounded by leather. couches and arge t-screen TV hanging from the ceiling, providing a full surround experience. It was clear everything


    there was state-of-the-art.


    The manager deliberately described the specific services offered in Sky Nimbus. I assume this is the first visit for most of Mr. Lewis¡¯ friends, so allow me to give a brief introduction. Every member here has ess to their private luxury suite thates with a gym, lounge, bath, and entertainment system. Should there be any need, we also offer professional personal trainers and spa skin treatments. As a diamond cardholder like Mr. Lewis, who pays an annual fee of 3.3 million dors, he has ess to every facility without the need for a reservation.¡±


    The more the manager spoke, the more the students were in awe.


    To them, it was not just a club, but a money pit. Just the membership fees alone cost 3.3 million dors, and that didn¡¯t even cover additional expenses.


    Their initial excitement started to fade as uneasiness set in.


    Unaware of his ssmates growing difort, Ryan didn¡¯t stop the manager¡¯s endlessmentary. To him, it was something ordinary


    Just as the manager was talking endlessly, an impatient voice interrupted. ¡°Are


    you


    done?¡±


    The manager¡¯s voice abruptly stopped.


    From the beginning, Yvette had been quietly following behind the group. Dressed in ck casual cap, she was hardly noticeable to most people.


    othes and a matching


    Since she was with Ryan, the manager knew better than to say anything inappropriate, so he held his tongue,


    ¡°Miss, my apologies. I just thought that since it¡¯s your first time here, unlike Mr. Lewis, you might need an extra introduction. It¡¯d be easier if you decided to get a membership card next time, the manager said.


    The students all understood his words well. They might not have much money, but that didn¡¯t mean they were too dumb to miss the sarcasm in his tone.


    Their faces flushed with embarrassment, as they wanted to speak up but couldn¡¯t find the right words.


    Bonnie was too frustrated to stay silent. She was about to step forward to argue but was pulled back by Yvette¡¯s delicate and soft hands.


    In a voice as cold as ice, she asked, ¡°Does your family own this ce? Are you a member?¡±


    The manager was taken aback, his expression turning sour


    He¡¯d been the manager of Sky Nimbus for years and knew at least a hundred wealthy clients personally. With his position, everyone had always given him respect. This was the first time he was openly mocked by a college student.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯re at the entrance. Just have the waitere over and take our order,¡± Ryan interrupted.


    The manager dared not show any attitude toward Ryan and only smiled. He called a waiter over and excused himself. His face darkened as he passed by Yvette.


    Inside Room 101, there was a massive table that could seat around 40 to 50 people.


    The private room had all kinds of entertainment systems and leisure equipment. One could spend an entire day there and not get bored at all.


    Once everyone was seated, Ryan ordered the dishes and even thoughtfully asked if anyone had dietary restrictions. His manners were impable, leaving no room for criticism.


    After the waiter left, a tense and uneasy atmosphere settled over the table. After what had just happened with the manager earlier, no one was thinking about the meals anymore.


    They were all top students from Argrol University, yet here they were, being looked down upon over a simple dinner.


    After Yvette sat down, she took out her phone, put on her headphones, and started testing a new game. She was unbothered. by others.


    Everyone¡¯s mood was down. Seeing everyone¡¯s low spirits, Bonnie decided to brighten the mood. ¡°Hey, Ryan, how¡¯s the food at Sky Nimbus?¡± She was making small talk to break the silence,


    Ryan didn¡¯t have much experience with social interactions, so he wasn¡¯t too concerned with the emotional shifts of others. He nodded earnestly. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. The chefs here were hired by the owner, Harry Golden, from all over the world


    ¡°Harry Golden?¡± Bonnie exaggerated her surprise, sessfully capturing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What an interesting name,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Yeah, his parents must¡¯ve had big hopes for him. It¡¯s like they want him to be rich!¡± the othermented.


    ¡°Right? Who¡¯d have thought the owner of a ce like this would have such an interesting name!¡± another chimed in.


    ¡°Exactly. His parents really set him up to be someone impressive one said.


    ¡°Well, he lived up to it. Look at how sessful he is now!¡± the other said.


    ¡°I feel like my name night be why I haven¡¯t made it big yet, onemented.


    ¡®Oh, please. Even if you were named ¡®Emperor, you wouldn¡¯t be able to run a club like Sky Nimbus,¡± the other said.


    A burst ofughter was heard. The atmosphere in the room lightened, and soon the tension lifted as the group started chatting more freely.


    ¡°Yve, don¡¯t you think this name is hrious? I bet it was his grandpa who came up with it! Bonnie said.


    Yvette had just finished her game with a perfect score. She pulled off her headphones and adjusted her cor.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± she said.


    Bonnie was puzzled. ¡°Wait, not what?¡±


    Yvette stared intently at the phone screen, where a stream of codes was flying through. ¡°It wasn¡¯t his dad or his grandpa. He chose the name himself. Thought it sounded powerful.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    As she spoke, her fingers danced over the phone screen faster and faster, dazzling those watching.


    Bonnie thought Yvette was just guessing and didn¡¯t take her seriously. Seeing how busy thetter was on her phone, she


    turned to chat with others.


    Ryan was seated not far away from the two and overheard their conversation despite Yvette¡¯s quiet voice. He was surprised


    his own name. It was something Ryan knew because his dad mentioned it to that she was right. Harry had indeed cho


    him once.


    Ryan was the main character of the night. Whenever he got lost in thought, everyone¡¯s eyes naturally turned to him.


    Bonnie, in her usual carefree manner, was the only one among the group aside from Yvette who was not affected by what happened earlier.


    ¡°Ryan, what¡¯s got you daydreaming?¡± she asked.


    Ryan blurted out, ¡°Thinking about Yvette¡¯s words.¡±


    As soon as his words fell, the entire table turned their heads and focused on Yvette.


    Yvette, still wearing her headphones, slowly lifted her head and looked around, confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

 Chapter 50

    Ryan snapped out of his thoughts. His checks flushed slightly. He deemed it impolite to keep staring at ady.


    Wette took out her earbuds. !


    Ryan, looking at Yvette, asked, T¡¯m sorry. I was thinking about what you just said. How do you know Harry gave himself that name?¡± He wasn¡¯t the kind to meddle or get to the bottom of things, but on that particr day, his curiosity got the better of him.


    One of them asked, ¡°What do you mean? Could it be that Yvette was right, and he did choose that name himself?¡±


    Another added. ¡°No way, it feels too¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s possible¡­¡± someone murmured.


    Ryan said, ¡°Harry, the owner of Sky Nimbus, is an expatriate. His entire family moved abroad years ago. He picked the Clusian name to make things easier in the country. His real name is possibly Lisandro,¡±


    Yvette frowned slightly. She nced at Ryan, seeing only curiosity in his eyes, no hostility. Her voice was husky and cold. ¡°Just a wild guess.¡±


    Bonnie said. ¡°Wow, Yve, even your wild guess was precise. Maybe we should set up a booth under the academy bridge and make some big bucks¡­¡±


    The crowd burst intoughter.


    vvelle gave Yvette gave a softugh, both doting and charming.


    Another person said, ¡°Come on, Bonnie. We¡¯re the future of our mothend. Remember harmony, prosperity, and democracy.¡±


    Bonnie put her hands on her hips, pretending to be fierce, which made everyone happy and finally brought the room to life.


    Just then, the waiter arrived with the dishes, leading them to conclude the topic.


    Waiters at Sky Nimbus underwent rigorous training and exams before beginning employment. The basic requirement wasn¡¯t only hospitality; they had to know everything about every dish, from the ingredients to the cooking procedure, and even where the name came from.


    The waiters knew it like the back of their hands. ¡°Everyone, here we have chicken vesuvio, roasted squab, buffalo wings, meatball soup, shrimp remode, cedar-nk salmon, mushroom soup, and cioppino¡­¡±


    The lead waiter pped his hands. A line of waiters then set a small bowl in front of each person. ¡°This is our signature top- tier sunchoke soup, flown in from Jugrea this morning. Enjoy.¡±


    The waiter took a respectable stance in front of Ryan. He bowed politely and gently, saying, ¡°Mr.Lewis, if you need anything, call me. I¡¯ll be just outside.¡±


    Ryan nodded.


    The lead waiter led the staff, and within a minute, they had silently exited the room in an orderly manner.


    After they left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, musing, ¡®No wonder this ce is so upscale. Even the staff are professional and attentive¡­


    Ryan invited everyone to start eating. Everyone exchanged nces, feeling hesitant to begin eating, as well as Bonnie, except for one person. Yvette crossed her legs, headphones around her neck, and picked up her fork, tasting the food before her.


    She said, ¡°Not bad!


    Seeing this. Bonnie swiftly grabbed her fork and started eating too. When they saw Yvette start eating, everyone rxed and began to eat one after the other.


    Finally, the meal they had been waiting for all day started. Everyone drank wine throughout the meal. The atmosphere gradually improved. They drank, yed games, and sang cheerffilly, enjoying themselves.


    After a few bites, Yvette found a couch away from the crowd,y down, covered herself in a jacket, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. The TV next to her was still tuned to the financial news channel.


    Regardless of how wild the physics students were, everyone appeared to have a mutual agreement to stay at least seven feet away from Yvette¡¯s area, knowing her grumpiness when she awoke was no joke.


    Ryan turned down the guys¡¯ invitation and sat alone on the side. They knew he didn¡¯t enjoy lively interactions, so they didn¡¯t push him.


    However, Ryan was preupied with the new chip research article that Simon had shown him. Simon said nothing; all he knew was that it was written by someone named Siren.


    After reading the article, Ryan knew that anyone who could write such arguments must be a physics genius. His mind kept rearranging the data he saw that day, scrambling and reorganizing it in an infinite loop.


    ¡°Oh, look who we have here. Isn¡¯t this Mr. Lewis?¡± A sarcastic voice came out loudly and clearly


    As everyone turned toward the voice, they noticed a young man in his early 20s approaching, apanied by a few young men and women. They were dressed in trendy attire, with a novel style that demonstrated their street smarts.


    The music was turned off, and even those ying games paused. All activities in the room came to a halt.


    ¡°Ethan?¡± Ryan called out, frowning slightly.


    The young man casually found a spot to sit, while the people he had brought along stood behind him, looking unfriendly. Although they were roughly the same age, the physics students appeared to be far more well-behaved.


    ¡°I thought such a noble person like you would have forgotten lowly people like me. I just came over to say hello,¡± Ethan Brooks said,ughing loudly but with irony.


    Ryan cast an obvious disdainful look at him, responding, ¡°Just get straight to the point. We¡¯re having a private gathering with our department pals today. No outsiders are invited.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Ethan smiled indifferently, saying, ¡°Well since we ran into each other today, how about we take a gamble?¡±


    Ryan frowned, musing. I don¡¯t know about gambling. Is he truly attempting to stir trouble? It would be fine if I were alone, but with so many ssmates here, if I refuse to ept the bet, who knows what Ethan will do?


    Observing Ryan¡¯s hesitation. Ethan turned up the pressure and cast an ill-intentioned nce at those behind him, his gaze malicious. ¡°Mr. Lewis, if you refuse, what if your ssmates happen to have something ur to them tonight and get hurt, don¡¯t me me for that.¡±


    The physics department students had heard stories about Ryan and Ethan. Ethan was a junior in the physical education department.


    ording to Ethan¡¯s girlfriend fell for Ryan and wanted to break up with Ethan to pursue Ryan, but Ethan


    disagreed, and Ryan turned her down too. She got so upset that she jumped into ake and couldn¡¯t be rescued. Since then, the two had harbored grudges,


    From then on, Ethan grasped every chance to cause trouble for Ryan. In truth, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered for Ryan if it had been anyone else, but Ethan wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    He was the only son of Seacrity¡¯s deputy mayor, Daniel Brooks. Daniel got him in his old age, and he became so spoiled that he developed a reckless personality. He med Ryan for seducing his girlfriend and causing her death, so he held a grudge


    One was the deputy mayor¡¯s only son, and the other was the heir of the prestigious Lewis family. Neither could touch the other, but confrontations persisted.


    Ryan was forced to ept this losing bet owing to tant threats He knew he couldn¡¯t win against Ethan, who spent all his time at nightclubs, ying dice with others. Losing money wasn¡¯t the main issue. Most importantly, he couldn¡¯t bring the Lewis family into public shame.


    Ryan found himself in a quandary, unable to advance or retreat.


    ¡°How about I take the gamble with you?¡± When those words were spoken, the entire room was stunned.


    Ethan surveyed the room until he spotted someone in an obscure corner with a jacket concealing her head. He mused, ¡®Looks like ady¡¯s outfit. These legs are gorgeous.


    Aside from Ethan and others who apanied him, Ryan and the students from the physics department knew who was speaking.


    Ethan said, ¡°You want to gamble on his behalf, huh? How can someone who never shows their face boast like this? We¡¯re betting way more than thousands of dors.¡±


    Yvette removed the jacket from her head, stood up, and strode over.


    The crowd parted, automatically clearing a path, musing, How could we have forgotten that Yvette is also here?¡±


    Looking at Yvette walking over, Ethan waspletely stunned. He swore she was the most beautifuldy he¡¯d seen in years. with a perfect figure, an impable face, and a cool, untamed aura. This was what people meant by thebination of angel and demon.


    Ethan regained hisposure. He spoke again, this time in a much softer tone. ¡°Prettydy, are you sure you want to gamble on Ryan¡¯s behalf? Our bets start at 1.5 million dors, with no upper limit, and we only ept cash. Have you thought about this?¡±

 Chapter 51

    ¡®No limit? Yvette thought. She clenched her mrs. Indeed, she liked the bet. ¡°Stop with the nonsense. Are we betting or what?¡± Yvette challenged.


    Ethan stared at her gloomily and mocked, ¡°Fine. If you want to bet, 111 join. But let me warn you about Ryan-he¡¯s not as gentle as he seems. If you like him, you¡¯d better watch out.¡±


    He thought Yvette insisted on betting with him to stand up for Ryan, just like his crazy ex-girlfriend who was fascinated with Ryan. He felt resentful.


    Yvette stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked at Ethan as if he was foolish. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Who said I like


    him?¡±


    Ryan knew that no matter what, he could not let Yvette stand up for him. Ethan, if you want to bet, I¡¯ll bet with you.¡±


    Ethan shook his head with a sly grin and said dismissively, ¡°Sorry, but right now, I only want to bet with this beauty.¡±


    Ryan saw the undisguised malice in Ethan¡¯s eyes. It was clear he had bad intentions toward Yvette. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ethan did not give Ryan a chance to speak and got up to leave. As he walked out, his gaze swept over everyone before finallynding on Yvette.


    ¡°See you in the top-floor gaming hall. I assume you all know the way? If not, no worries. Mr. Lewis knows it well,¡± he said.


    After Ethan left, Ryan looked at Yvette with confusion. He did not understand why she would so readily agree to such a bet It would not end without risking at least 15 to 20 million dors.


    He already knew about Yvette¡¯s background. Even though he had not been at school recently, he had heard rumors about her upon returning-some good, some bad. He also learned that she was the daughter the Chambers family recently found, who had been living in the countryside before.


    Did she even understand what kind of bet this was?


    The person she was up against was not just any guy. Ethan was the deputy mayor¡¯s son. Whether she won or lost, she would be in a difficult position afterward.


    The Chambers family was already declining and had no chance against Daniel. Besides, Zachary would not likely sh with the deputy mayor just for her.


    Besides Ryan, other students from the physics department also did not see why Yvette had to get involved in this matter. Was she just trying to stand out?


    Yvette nced around and noticed the puzzled and slightly disapproving looks of everyone. Without saying anything, she turned around and opened the door, letting the waiter at the entrance guide her to the top-floor gaming hall.


    After Yvette left, a few people in the room started toin about her drawing too much attention


    ¡°Seriously, Yvette is always trying to grab the spotlight. What does it have to do with us?¡± one of them said.


    ¡°Yeah, now Ethan is going to hold a grudge against us,¡± another person added.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t havee to this meal another one said.


    Bonnie was originally going to leave with Yvette, but she forgot her bag. When she turned back to get it, she overheard them gossiping about Yvette..


    Her expression darkened. It was the first time she was this angry in front of everyone.


    She shouted, ¡°Do you guys-eyen know what¡¯s what? Didn¡¯t you hear what Ethan said? If Ryan doesn¡¯t bet, can we just walk away? Do you really think Yve wants to get involved? I know how much she hates trouble. She only stepped up because of


    After speaking, she noticed the guilty looks of everyone. She shot a re at Ryan, who was standing there, and scoffed. ¡°You all know that Ethan wants to cause trouble for Ryan, but because of his position, you didn¡¯t dare to speak up and instead. me Yve. I¡¯m embarrassed for you. And you, Ryan, as a grown man, how can you just stand there? You got yourself into this mess, and I really look down on you for not even having the guts to stand up with us against him.¡±


    After saying all that, Bonnie huffed and grabbed her little red bag before leaving. She ran to catch up with Yvette and the


    wailer.


    Bonnie sneaked a nce at Yvette¡¯s expression and noticed she did not seem upset at all. Carefully, she said, ¡°Yve, you weren¡¯t in there just now. I was so impressivelAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Yvette nodded casually and replied, ¡°Yeah, you were the most impressive.


    The top-floor gaming hall in Sky Nimbus was designed specifically for the wealthy


    The entire gaming hall was fitted with clear, bulletproof ss. Inside, high-definition cameras tracked everything in at circryout with no blind spots, allowing onlookers outside to see what was happening regardless of where they stood. People outside did not have to worry about missing anything. The gaming hall was equipped with stereo headsets, making it easy to hear everything being said inside.


    The cost for this gaming hall alorke was over 30 million dors, not including the annual maintenance and upkeep expenses.


    Yvette and Bonnie, led by the waiter, took the VIP elevator directly to the top floor.


    In the meantime, after Bonnie left, Ryan turned to the others and told them to head back first. Only three people left quickly, while the remaining ten agreed to go up with Ryan to support Yvette.


    The rest of them knew in their hearts that Bonnie was right.


    Yvette stepped up entirely for their safety. Before Ethan could use them to threaten Ryan, Yvette showed no sign of doing anything, so they could not be ungrateful. They might not have money, but they understood the basic principle of gratitude.


    Today, Sky Nimbus was particrly lively.


    Ethan was considered a person of status in Seacrity. Since it involved the eldest son of the Lewis family, news of their high- stakes gamble on the top floor spread quickly. When people heard that a beautiful girl was stepping up for Ryan to bet against Ethan, their interest grew even more.


    Everyone flooded to the top floor to witness the event. In less than ten minutes, the outside of the gaming hall was packed with people.


    Justin realized that the girl who had just embarrassed him was defending Ryan. He inwardly mocked her for overestimating herself. Ethan was a regr customer at Sky Nimbus, known for his top-notch gambling skills. How could a student who had not even graduated from Argrol University take him on?


    Justin, eager for drama, had his staff spread the word, which led to the lively scene currently unfolding on the top floor. He felt pleased with himself, eager to see what would happen to Yvetteter.


    Ryan went up to the top floor with the physics students. The upper-ss attendees all recognized him and stood up to greet


    him


    Ryan settled the ten people and then walked into the gaming hall by himself.


    Inside the gaming hall, Yvette and Ethan stood at opposite ends of the table, with a high-ranking croupier in between. Bonnie stood a little distance from Yvette, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.


    16 16 Tue, Oct 8 B G ¡¤


    ¡°Ryan, you¡¯re here. Bormie-fually spotted someone familiar.


    It was her first time in a situation like this, and she could not deny that she was scared,


    She could not really help much, and she certainly should not disturb Yvette, so all she could do was silently cheer her on from the side


    Ryan nodded, then walked over to Yvette¡¯s side and whispered, cover the bets. Don¡¯t worry about winning or losing, just enjoy yourself.


    Ryan did not expect much from Yvette and assumed the money was already lost.


    Even though Ryan¡¯s voice was very low, Ethan and the people outside the gaming hall could hear him.


    Ethan gave Yvette a sinister look. ¡°You said you¡¯d bet with me, be it has to be your own money, not Ryan¡¯s. If you¡¯re scared now, just admit defeat and act cute. I won¡¯t make it hard for you


    The people outside were speaking even more rudely.


    ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s betting with a man¡¯s money, huh?¡± one of the onlookers asked.


    ¡°This is a man¡¯s bet. What¡¯s a woman doing here?¡± another person said.


    ¡°All right, all right. If Ryan wants to, let him. He¡¯s got more money than sense. We¡¯re just here for the show,¡± another person


    teased.


    -Wette shot Ethan a nce, then looked at Ryan. Her eyes were calm, but the glimmer in her eyes was striking. ¡°I don¡¯t need your money,¡± she said.


    Ryan was speechless. How could the Chambers family give her so much cash? Where would she get the money to bet against Ethan? He really could not understand why she was so stubborn.


    Yvette nced at the ck phone in her hand. Three¡­ two¡­ one. ¡°Here ites,¡± she said.


    At this moment, the elevator doors on the top floor opened slowly.

 Chapter 52

    Everyone curiously looked toward the staircase.


    A man about six feet tall wearing a green tank top, red shorts, and flip-flops walked in, followed by a group of men in suits. carrying heavy ck suitcases. They approached Yvette, guided by a waiter.


    It was none other than Eagle King.


    Seeing Yvette nod, the men in ck opened the suitcases, revealing piles of cash that left everyone amazed.


    100 million dors! Everyone gasped internally. The whopping 100 million dors dazzled everyone.


    Most of the people there were wealthy and familiar with money. But it was the first time they had seen someone brazenly show off 100 million dors. Even for them, they would need permission from their families to gather that amount.


    ¡°Who is this girl? How could she easily conte out with 100 million dors so quickly?¡¯ everyone thought.


    Ethan¡¯s


    expression was grim. He never expected Yvette to actuallye up with that much money.


    He was sure the money did note from Ryan. The Lewis family would never hire someone like the poorly dressed man standing opposite him. This meant that the money really came from Yvette herself.


    Ryan was also stunned. He had mixed emotions, realizing he had underestimated Yvette¡¯s abilities.


    Eagle King scratched his messy bedhead, and under everyone¡¯s curious looks, he walked up to Yvette and said in a sleepy tone. ¡°What¡¯s going on, uh¡­ Yve? Why did you decide to y this? Isn¡¯t 100 million dors too little? Why not add more? You rarely show interest in these things. Shouldn¡¯t you go all out How about a check?¡±


    Yvette smiled, her eyes showing a hint of amusement. ¡°No need. I¡¯m just ying casually. You can step back now.¡±


    Eagle King cast a sympathetic nce at the gloomy man across from him, holding a silent three-minute moment of mourning for him, thinking, ¡®Boss¡¯ idea of just ying could really take him out!¡±


    Eagle King¡¯s voice came through the room¡¯s speakers, capturing every word.


    Everyone was shocked and thought, ¡°What kind of lunatic is this? 100 million dors isn¡¯t enough? Add more? What does just ying casually¡¯ even mean? Not having enough fun? What kind of crazy talk is this? Is there no way out for others?


    However, seeing the man¡¯s serious expression made it hard not to believe him.


    Eagle King stepped aside, nced at Ryan and Bonnie, then walked over to Bonnie. ¡°Hey, girl, did youe with Yve?¡± he


    asked.


    Bonnie nodded politely. Normally, if she saw someone like Eagle King, she would steer clear and keep her distance. However, she felt that anyone who got along so well with Yvette was definitely a good person.


    Eagle King never expected that right after their first meeting, Bonnie would already consider him a ¡°good person.¡±


    When he found outter, he insisted on bing Bonnie¡¯s godbrother and wanted to gift her a gold mine, which Bonnie firmly declined before he finally let it go


    ¡°I-I came with Yve. Hello, Boss,¡± Bonnie stammered.


    Boss¡± Eagle King joked. ¡°Girl, I haven¡¯t been the ¡®boss¡¯ for many years now,¡±


    Bonnie was amused, and instantly, their rtionship became much closer.


    ¡°Check it over, and if everything¡¯s okay, we can start,¡± Yvette said


    Ethan gave her a deep look and nodded grimly. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll use the chips from the gaming hall. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s enough for you to trust me with the reputation of Sky Nimbus.¡°


    like.¡±


    Yvette shrugged and nodded indifferently. ¡°As you lik


    The crowd outside was astounded by Yvette¡¯s bold move. Initially, everyone was casually here for the spectacle, but now, they were taking it seriously.


    The deputy mayor¡¯s son and a female university student-two people who seemedpletely unrted. This high-stakes gamble was too exciting to miss,


    If Ethan won, it would be one thing, but if he lost, there could be chaos.


    Whatever the result, Yvette would not end up well. However, for someone to casuallye up with 100 million dors, it


    sejo was hard to believe she did not have any backing.


    Right now, the most crucial thing was the uncertain oue of the bet.


    The students from the physics department were already stunned when they saw that 100 million dors


    They had only one thought in mind, ¡®How could she be just a regr student, a girl from the countryside? She¡¯s clearly a hidden bigwig!


    All they could do was admire her.


    Ethan rested his hands on the chair, asking with a sinister tone, ¡°What are we betting on? ckjack? Grand Hazard?¡±


    ¡°Grand Hazard.¡± Yvette said.


    Ethan smirked confidently, thinking. You had the chance to take the easy path, but now you¡¯ve barged into hell.¡±


    His best skill was rolling dice. He had won a lot of money from many people with it.


    Those outside who knew Ethan sighed, feeling sorry for Yvette. They thought, ¡®If she¡¯d chosen another game, maybe she could have taken a chance. But rolling dice? Her luck is just too low¡­


    The physics students heard the chatter and were confused. One brave guy finally asked the person next to him, ¡°Hi, what are you talking about?¡±


    The man nced at the guy who asked the question, wondering if he was someone brought by Ryan. Although it was clear they did not belong to the circle, the man was in a good mood and replied, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, but Ethan is great at ying dice. Nine out of ten times, he wins. You must be that pretty girl¡¯s friend, right? She¡¯s going to have a hard time today.¡±


    Everyone in the physics department heard this and could not help but start worrying about Yvette.


    ¡°Since you chose the game, don¡¯t use me of bullying. You go first. Each round is 1.5 million dors,¡± Ethan said.


    Yvette sat in the chair, crossing her legs arrogantly. Her worn-out canvas shoes were frayed at the edges, showing they had been worn for a long time.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She extended her long fingers to tap the chips on the table. She waved her hand and said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t like wasting time. 100 million dors-winner takes all in one round.¡±


    Everyone was shocked, bursting into excitement. They muttered inwardly, ¡°100 million dors and the winner takes it all in one round? This is definitely the biggest bet in Sky Nimbus¡¯ history!¡±


    Everyone outside felt that soy¡¯s het was definitely worth attending.


    Eagle King quietly ordered an orange juice when no one was paying attention When Yvette mentioned the bet of 100 million dors for one round, he was the only one there calmly ipping orange juice.


    Bonnie thought the scene looked strange. It was not just her, but everyone outside also felt the same way.


    ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you at all concerned about Yve?¡± Bonnie¡¯s voice was filled with worry. She was so nervous she felt like she might explode.


    Eagle King casually sipped his orange juice while fiddling with his phone, even sending a text message


    He cursed inwardly. That fangirl Flying Fish dares to go missing She¡¯s not replying to texts or calls-she¡¯s really gotten


    bold!¡±


    ¡°Worried? What¡¯s there to worry about? Yve could win even if she yed with her toes. 100 million dors is just for fun to


    her,¡± he said.


    Eagle King looked up at Bonnie¡¯s puzzled face and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl. Unless Mars collides with Earth, Ethan can¡¯t beat her. Rx, here¡¯s another ss of juice for you.¡±


    Bonnie stiffly epted the juice from Eagle King. She took a sip It actually tasted pretty good, but her face still showed


    some worry.


    Eagle King sighed, thinking. Bost charm even caught thedies¡¯ attention.


    Just drink your juice and watch. Trust me, it¡¯s all good,¡± he told Bonnie.


    Hearing what Eagle King said, Bonnie felt much more at ease. She turned to sit next to him, and they started sipping their orange juice together. Somehow, it felt unexpectedly harmonious.


    When he heard Yvette¡¯s words, Ethan¡¯s expression changed immediately. The smug look from a moment ago disappeared instantly.


    He never expected the girl across from him to open with a 100 million-dor bet.


    It was not that he could note up with the money. His grandfather had set aside a fund for him, which happened to be exactly 100 million dors.


    ¡®Should I use the money?¡¯ he thought. With so many people watching now, he was in a difficult situation.


    Everyone was waiting for Ethan¡¯s response.

 Chapter 53

    Ethan gritted his teeth. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go with your n. We¡¯ll use one round to determine the winner. Let¡¯s see who rolls the lowest number.¡±


    The dealer stood in the middle, closest to both of them. Today, he witnessed the start of this high-stakes gambling match firsthand. ¡°Gentlemen, the dice are ready. Please check them, and if everything¡¯s good, we can begin.¡±


    The female croupier first went to Ethan with the tray and lifted the cover, allowing him to check it. Then, she walked over to Yvette, who nced at it and nodded casually.


    She followed the usual procedure and walked around in front of the camera, allowing those outside the venue to get a clearer view.


    The highly anticipated gambling match officially began.


    ¡°Ladies first. Ethan graciously allowed Yvette to go first.


    Yvette paused, her leg casually crossed. ¡°No need. You go first.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    After she produced 100 million dors, Ethan no longer saw Yvette as an ordinary nobody. He needed to be extremely cautious, even though victory seemed certain.


    This game could only end in a wh, with no room for loss.


    Ethan grabbed the dice cup and shook it three times on each side before throwing it high up. His ears flicked slightly, showcasing his unique skill of sound recognition. After three seconds of shaking it up and down, it finally came crashing down with a loud smack on the table.


    ¡°Hey, pretty, I¡¯ll call off this bet if you say yes to being my girlfriend,¡± he urged.


    ¡°No!¡± Ryan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up to stop them.


    Ryan still didn¡¯t believe Yvette could win against Ethan even if she coulde up with 100 million dors. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Yvette walk into the tiger¡¯s den.


    It was the first time Ethan had seen Ryan lose hisposure, which made him feel even more smug.


    Yvette propped her chin on her hand, a yful glint in her eyes. I¡¯m not interested in being your girlfriend, but I¡¯ll consider being your boss.¡±


    Her words sent the crowd into fits ofughter. They couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Yvette¡¯s sharp remark about Ethan.


    ¡°Who is this girl? She¡¯s so funny!¡±


    ¡°I really want to ask her out!¡±


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not worth getting on the Brooks family¡¯s bad side for her.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind dying if it meant I could be with her,¡± the crowd chattered.


    Ethan was so angry he felt like he might spit blood, his teeth nearly grinding to dust as he red at Yvette. ¡°Do you know who my dad is? How dare you talk so big¡±


    Yvette became impatient and wondered why it was taking so long to end a 100-million-dor match. ¡°I know your dad, Daniel Brooks, is Seacrity¡¯s deputy mayor. Is this game on or not? Stop dawdling.¡±


    Ethan realized that she clearly looked down on his family, musing, She¡¯s still so arrogant even when she knows my dad¡¯s identity. Could it be that she really has some backing?¡±


    The man felt a sudden unease. However, he couldn¡¯t back down now, or the Brooks family would be theughingstock of Seacrity.


    He gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°Since you refuse to see reason, I¡¯ll proceed. Don¡¯t regret this.¡± With that, he revealed the dice.


    The high-definition camera zoomed in. All six dice were lined up perfectly, each showing the number one for a total of six.


    Everyone erupted into cheers.


    ¡°Whoa, Ethan is amazing, rolling six ones!¡±


    ¡°His gambling skills are truly incredible.¡±


    ¡°With the smallest possible roll, what¡¯s left to watch? 100 million dors is gone, just like that.¡±

 Chapter 54

    The first to react was Justin, who stood at the casino entrance. He rushed over to Ethan¡¯s side as quickly as he could.


    The man was nearly losing his mind over the turn of events.


    The girl he initially looked down on casually produced 100 million dors, while Ethan, who he thought would definitely win, not only lost miserably but was also so enraged that he spat blood.


    Also, Ethan was Daniel¡¯s son. Mishap must not befall him at Sky Nimbus, or Justin¡¯s career would be over.


    Justin asked concernedly. ¡°Mr. Brooks! Mr. Brooks, are you okay! Hang in there. We¡¯ll get you to the hospital right away.¡±


    Ethan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His anger had affected his health, but he was barely holding on. ¡°You won What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The man had it all figured out-knowing Yvette¡¯s name meant that as long as she was still in Seacrity, she¡¯d have no way to


    escape him


    He couldn¡¯t do much with everyone watching now, but after tonight, he¡¯d involve his dad. After all, how hard could it be to


    deal with one woman!


    A few drops of blood from Ethan sttered onto Yvette¡¯s hand. She looked down at the specks of blood on her fingers, her demeanor turning frosty.


    It was evident that Yvette was in a terrible mood.


    Everyone stared at her.


    Only Eagle King knew that Yvette was highly irritated to the point of feeling murderous, so he handed his orange juice to Bonnie and walked over to Yvette.


    She lifted her eyes, looking at Eagle King with an indifferent expression. ¡°They are dirty.¡±


    Eagle King expertly took a wet wipe from his pocket and carefully cleaned the blood-stained area.


    Everyone was confused, not understanding what he was doing. They wondered if his action was necessary, as it was just a few drops of blood.


    Bonnie had a different opinion from everyone else. She had a strong feeling that if Eagle King didn¡¯t clean up the blood for Yvette, the consequences would be SEVOTE


    A tall, muscr man was carefully wiping the fingers of a young woman, and the scene seemed bizarre no matter how one looked at it


    Eagle King sighed. His gentle voice waspletely different from his intimidating image ¡°Boss, they¡¯re clean now.¡± Yvette stared nkly at her now clean fingers. The ferocity in her eyes slowly faded. The woman spoke softly. ¡°Okay¡±


    Eagle King breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she had finally calmed down.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Seeing this, Ryan stepped forward to block off Ethan¡¯s harsh re. ¡°Enough, Ethan. You¡¯ve already lost. What is there to say for someone defeated?¡±


    Ryan¡¯s words struck the other man like a blow.


    Ethan, who had been trying to keep himself strong, finally couldn¡¯t hold on and passed out.


    The scene became chaotic once again.


    After the fainted man was taken away, Sky Nimbus handed the 100 million dor check to Yvette ording to the rules, but she didn¡¯t even nce at it. The woman merely tossed it to Eagle King and walked away without looking back, only instructing him to send Bonnie back to the dormitory.


    Bonnie, feeling worried, wanted to trail behind Yvette, but Eagle King stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Boss needs some alone time now. She¡¯s better off on her own, he exined.


    Bonnie knew Eagle King had his reasons for saying so. After all, he had known Yvette longer. So, she just nodded obediently.


    With both people involved gone, the crowd lost interest. Before long, everyone on the top floor had dispersed.


    The events at today¡¯s gambling match had exceeded their expectations,


    A rising young girlpeted against the son of Seacrity¡¯s deputy mayor and won with a st**ring 100 million dors at


    stake


    Also, Ethan was so frustrated that he vomited blood while the internationally renowned Gambling King¡¯s skill made its debut in Seacrity


    Any of these topics were more than enough to be the talk of high society.


    After Yvette and the others left, Ryan sent the remaining physics department students on their way, repeatedly emphasizing not to talk about today¡¯s event at school before he headed home.


    Daniel, in a vi in Seacrity, received a call in the middle of the night from Justin of Sky Nimbus, telling him that Ethan was now at Seacrity Hospital.


    He was scared awake, instantly losing any feeling of sleepiness. The man quickly got up and instructed the driver to take him there.


    Upon arriving at the hospital. Justin fanned the mes by recounting the entire situation in detail.


    That was when Daniel learned that Ethan was so angered by an unknown young girl that he fainted, and he had also lost 100 million dors in the bet


    Daniel¡¯s face instantly darkened


    As he had served as deputy mayor for years, very few dared to challenge his authority. To him, his son¡¯s gambling, clubbing, and partying at Sky Nimbus were minor matters.


    Every man had their interests. Fortunately, Ethan¡¯s gambling skills were decent. Over the years, he hadn¡¯t lost much money. In fact, he had made quite a bit. So, Daniel allowed his son to pursue it.


    Who would¡¯ve thought Ethan would get so worked up by a girl today and lose so much money, too? This made the Brooks family a huge joke, leaving Daniel with nowhere to save face.


    Daniel¡¯s voice was as sharp as a knife, sending chills down Justin¡¯s spine. Any info on that woman¡¯s background?¡±


    Justin replied cautiously, ¡°Mr. Brooks, we¡¯re not too sure. She tagged along with Mr. Lewis and seems to be his ssmate.


    Daniel furrowed his brows so tightly that it seemed as if he could crush a fly between them. ¡°Mr. Lewis? Is it Ryan Lewis from the Lewis family?¡±


    Justin nodded with trepidation. He was bound to offend someone in this situation, so he decided it was better to stick with Daniel. ¡°Yeah


    Daniel looked at his son, who was still unconscious on the hospital bed. His anger intensified.


    He had warned Ethan about his conflict with Ryan, advising him to know his limits and not go too far. If Ethan wanted to secure Seacrity¡¯s mayor once Wyatt left, he would need the support of the four major families, especially the Lewis family. It was best to avoid any open conflict if possible. After all, why was Ethan still so worked up over a dead woman and causing trouble with Ryan after all this time?


    Daniel felt a mix of frustration and disappointment. In the past, he could overlook minor disputes, but now that his son was hospitalized, how could he remain indifferent as a father? Since there hadn¡¯t been a direct conflict with Ryan, he decided they could put the matter to rest if Ryan could hand over the girl who had gambled with Ethan..


    The man turned to his secretary and instructed him to call Lionel and tell him to have Ryan hand over Yvette.


    Meanwhile, Lionel was sitting on the couch, waiting for Ryan¡¯s return.


    Lionel was initially supposed to take a private jet to the Lewis family¡¯s branchpany in Mysonna tomorrow, so he went to bed early: Who could have imagined that while he was sound asleep, hk butler came rushing in with a phone, looking worried, and told him it was a call from Daniel¡¯s secretary.


    Lionel was taken aback by the abrupt midnight call and wondered what it could be about. Then, he learned about the incident that had happened earlier at Sky Nimbus,


    His son had taken a girl to the event, and she argued with Ethan. In the end, Ethan was so upset that he started coughing up blood and ended up in the hospital Daniel demanded that the girl be handed over by tomorrow, or there would be


    consequences.


    How could Lionel possibly sleep after hearing this? He tried to call Ryan countless times, but Ryan¡¯s phone was dead, and he couldn¡¯t reach him.


    Therefore, the older man could only sit on the couch and wait for his son to return.


    He was boiling with anger upon seeing Ryan. ¡°Do you know how foolish you were today?¡±


    Ryan hadn¡¯t expected the news to spread so quickly.


    The look on Lionel¡¯s face clearly indicated that he was ready for a confrontation.


    Ryan rubbed his temples. Today¡¯s events had worn him out more than a full day in theb.


    He spoke in a calm, detached tone as if he were talking to a stranger, not his dad. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Lionel threw the cup of coffee in his hand, and itnded right by Ryan¡¯s feet.


    ¡°What? The people you brought p**ed Ethan off so much that he¡¯s been hospitalized, so what do you mean you don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t think you can brush me off just because your grandpa has your back. Listen up. He won¡¯t take your side when he hears about what happened today! You should bring that girl to Ethan¡¯s ward tomorrow and hand her to him before it¡¯s toote. He made it clear that he won¡¯t hold us responsible if we do that, Lionel demande

 Chapter 55

    <h1>Masked In Nobility: Secrets Of Mrs. Chavez </h1>


    Ryan was stunned for a moment, but then his voice grew firm and resolute. ¡°I won¡¯t hand her over, so don¡¯t waste your


    energy trying


    Lionel was utterly enraged by Ryan¡¯s words. His expression named horrendous, and he red at Ryan coldly.


    Ryan stared at Lionel¡¯s eyes challengingly.


    They were locked in a standoff. Neither of them relented. However, the bitter smile on Ryan¡¯s lips betrayed the turmoil.


    within him


    Lionel had always treated him this way since he was a child. He would give Ryan the silent treatment if thetter didn¡¯t do things ording to his will. They were sitting together for a meal, yet it felt as though they were miles apart simply because Ryan wasn¡¯t the child of the woman he truly loved.


    His parents were married for political reasons, and his existence only ruined Lionel¡¯s chances of reuniting with his first love. No one in the family looked forward to his birth except for Jaiden.


    During those years, Jaiden had gone abroad for treatment due to his poor health and seldom returned home. Lionel seized the opportunity to take the illegitimate child whom he had with his first love home. If Jaiden hadn¡¯t returned in time, the current heir of the Lewis family wouldn¡¯t have been Ryan, but that illegitimate child who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Ryan¡¯s heart had long grown cold at Lionel¡¯s attitude toward him


    Ryan, you need to remember that everything you¡¯re using nowes from the Lewis family. Do you know of the serious consequences of offending Daniel over a girl? Your grandpa is still recuperating at the mansion, and if you don¡¯t hand the girl over. I¡¯ll call him, but he can¡¯t afford to get riled up anymore, and you¡¯re well aware of that, warned Lionel


    Ryan looked up in disbelief. Lionel¡¯s tant threat shattered hisst speck of hope.


    He had never expected that Lionel would resort to using Jaiden to threaten him for the information about Yvette.


    Ryan felt caught between a rock and a hard ce.


    If he told him, Yvette woulde to a bad end. If he stayed silent, Jaiden¡¯s illness would be aggravated.


    Ultimately, Ryan decided to let emotion ovee reason. He resigned himself and said with his head low, ¡°It¡¯s Yvette Zeller¡±


    Between Jaiden and Yvette, he chose Jaiden. If he could, he truly wished he hadn¡¯t been born into the Lewis family. He had no choice, and he never had.


    Ryan walked past Lionel and headed upstairs sullenly


    Disregarding Ryan¡¯s feelings, Lionel quickly instructed Lucas to call Daniel¡¯s secretary and give her Yvette¡¯s name.


    It was deep into the night, and the moonlight nketed the ground. A gentle breeze slowly came along, followed by the chirping of insects and the subtle scent of flowers. The trees swayed softly in the breeze, and the leaves rustled.


    At Argrol University, only the library stayed open 24 hours and was brightly lit.


    Argrol University was never short of academic achievers or hardworking students. Either way, they all worked hard for a


    better future


    Jeremiah, is that Yvette at the entrance?¡± Andrew asked.


    Jeremiah wore a thin white shirt with a few buttons casually undone at the cor, revealing his long, slender neck. His


    clothes were neatly honed, entuating his tall and straight figure.


    Jeremiah narrowed his eyes and looked through the cold air and dim light. Over the shoulders of the crowd, his eyesnded on a familiar face.


    At this moment, she was wearing a simple ck T-shirt with ck pants, yet she stood out like an embellishment despite standing there in the night.


    was not in a good mood.


    For some reason, Jeremiah felt that Yvette w


    Jeremiah put out his cigarette and walked over, and Andrew followed behind him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Have you eaten Jeremiah asked Yvette


    Yvette looked up at him indifferently as if Jeremiah¡¯s sudden appearance was a perfectly normal thing, ¡°No.¡±


    As Jeremiah got closer, he smelled a faint fragrant milk scent on Yvette, which reminded him of the sweet aroma of the candy she had given him


    Andrew eximed when he heard Yvette¡¯s response, ¡°What? You haven¡¯t eaten yet, Yvette? It¡¯ste already. You¡­¡±


    Jeremiah interrupted Andrew and asked Yvette in an alluring voice, ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t speak. Hershes fluttered slightly as she nced at him, thinking she had gotten herself a diningpanion.


    Jeremiah¡¯s warm breathnded right on Yvette¡¯s head, making her a little ufortable and tilting her head slightly. After a while, she replied, ¡°Pierogies.¡±


    Andrew was bewildered at her response.


    He bet that Jeremiah would never eat those. Growing up, Jeremiah loathed flour-based food of any kind so much that he wouldn¡¯t even have bread during Christmas dinners. He was such a picky eater.


    ¡°Um, Yvette, why don¡¯t we have-¡± Just when Andrew wanted to suggest eating something else, Jeremiah cut him off. ¡°Let¡¯s go.


    When the three of them sat down at a street food stall outside the campus, Andrew¡¯s face turned awful as though he had egg on his face.


    The moment Yvette was around, Jeremiah¡¯s mysophobia and picky eating were instantly thrown out the window. Andrew inwardly cursed as he stabbed his pierogies with his fork indignantly, Dates before mates, huh!


    Jeremiah took out a piece of tissue and meticulously wiped the fork before handing it to Yvette.


    Yvette cast him a sidelong nce and took the fork, then are the pierogies with relish,pletely ignoring the two men. beside her.


    Jeremiah looked at her deeply, showing no intention of eating.


    ¡°Yvette, why are you hanging around outside the library sote tonight? I¡¯m guessing you were looking for Jeremiah.¡± Andrew shot Jeremiah a mischievous look, seemingly telling him how considerate he was.


    Jeremiah¡¯s body tensed up awkwardly, and he lowered his eyes. He had been through all sorts of difficulties and hardship, yet never had he been this nervous.


    ¡°Are you here to see him? Is that possible? You didn¡¯te here specifically for him, right?¡± Andrew added. Jeremiah had never doubted himself like this before. This was the first time he had felt this way growing up.


    Yvette sniffled. The hot pierogies added a mistyyer to her eyshes, yet Jeremiah could still see her beautiful and delicate side profile.


    Jeremiah looked up and met Yvette¡¯s bright, clear eyes that reflected his figure.


    ¡°No. I was just wandering around,¡± she said.


    A sense of disappointment shed across Jeremiah¡¯s face, and Yvette saw that, wondering what he was disappointed about.


    Andrew tugged at his cor andughed awkwardly, inwardly cursing himself for being mouthy, then quietly eating his pierogies.


    ¡°Thanks for the pierogies. Goodbye,¡± said Yvette.


    Jeremiah nodded without a word, but Andrew began to feel insufferable from the tense atmosphere around him, musing. How could she stay so calm?¡±


    After watching Yvette enter the campus gate across the street, Jeremiah took out his phone and strode aside. The next moment. Andrew seemingly heard Emmett¡¯s name and that he wasing over after three days.


    After Jeremiah hung up the phone, Andrew quickly confirmed the news of Emmetting to Seacrity.


    After getting the answer from Jeremiah, Andrew began plotting his escape route, knowing that he would be doomed once Emmett hade over. He could go on with the messy stories between him and that cold-blooded and ruthless personal assistant over the past years for days.

 Chapter 56

    The next morning. Sylus Fowler delivered the information he had gathered on Yvette to Daniel.


    Looking at the single sheet of paper in his hand, Daniel cast a questioning nce at Sylus, the secretary who had been with him for over ten years. ¡®Since when did he learn to ck off? Why¡¯s there only one sheet? he wondered.


    Seeing Daniel¡¯s skepticism, Sylus felt pained recalling his all-nighter. He had sought various sources but could only gather this much on Yvette.


    Her past seemed to have been erased from existence, so he could only gather her recent records. This paper was a result of his exhaustive work.


    Daniel skimmed through Yvette¡¯s information before throwing onto the hospital bed. Then, he smiled sinisterly, thinking. Well the Chambers family really knows what they¡¯re doing, huh?


    Is Yvette, who caused Ethan¡¯s hospitalization, Zachary¡¯s long-lost daughter? She hurt Nellie and forced the Carter family to apologize. Then, she bankrupted the Sullivan family and caused them to disappear from Seacrity. How did she do all this in less than a month since returning?


    Daniel had heard about the Sullivan family¡¯s recent plight.


    They weren¡¯t considered a top-tier family in Seacrity but had some influence, and their business did fairly well. Thus, when Daniel heard someone had caused their bankruptcy, he was surprised.


    At first. I thought the Sullivan family offended some big shot and caused this disaster. ver expected Yvette to be the mastermind behind this; Daniel wondered solemnly


    In his anger, he nearly forgot something important.


    ording to the duty manager Jimmy. Yvette herself took out 100 million dors to bet with Ethan. It wasn¡¯t Ryan who cashed out, so this meant she had more than that amount in hand.


    Daniel often mingled with Zachary and wondered, ¡°Zachary doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯d simply give his newfound daughter several hundred thousand dors. Besides, the Chambers family isn¡¯t as powerful as it used to be, and that¡¯s not a small amount either.


    ¡®She must have someone powerful behind her. After all, Zachary wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold a position in Seacrity for this long if he were reckless or impulsive. He would¡¯ve been crushed in politics long ago!


    With him not having slept, when Daniel looked up, his stubble that had grown out became obvious. It made him look old and grim.


    His voice was hoarse like nails on a chalkboard. ¡°Do you know what happened between Yvette and the Sullivan family?¡±


    Sylus had worked with Daniel for years and was familiar with his vengeful nature. Especially since the victim was Ethan, his beloved son, he¡¯d surely see the matter to the end


    Thus, he thought, I couldn¡¯t obtain much information, but I¡¯ll make sure to thoroughly investigate this matter involving the Sullivan family. A piece of paper won¡¯t suffice for Daniel.


    Cautiously, Sylus watched Daniel and said, ¡°From what I¡¯ve found, the Sullivan family¡¯s daughter, Sharon, offended Yvette. That led to her taking revenge. However, there¡¯s another mysterious man involved. I doubt she alone could¡¯ve driven them out of Seacrity. He must ve helped her,¡±


    Daniel felt much more relieved hearing that. He had been wondering how Yvette managed to drive the Sullivan family out of Seacrity single-handedly overnight.


    The first time Daniel saw Yvette¡¯s photo, he was taken aback. She had a striking yet distant beauty, Just from the picture, he


    ¦° knew she¡¯d be stunning in person.


    Daniel spected mentally. He and Yvette must have some sort of special rtionship. After all, it¡¯s normal for a powerful man to have a young beautiful university student as his sugar baby. Then, he questioned, ¡°Do we have any information on him?


    Sylus shook his head. He hadn¡¯t found anything about the mysterious man. There were two possibilities behind this-either his identity was so unfathomable that all information was hidden, or he wasn¡¯t rooted in Seacrity and thus impossible to trace. We couldn¡¯t find any info on this guy¡±


    Just then. Ethan¡¯s groans sounded from the hospital bed, and Daniel couldn¡¯t bother with the document anymore, He quickly called for a nurse.


    Once Ethan woke up and saw Daniel standing by the bed, he started iling his limbs in anger. Seeing this, Daniel immediately reminded him to calm down. ¡°Son, the doctor said you need to stay calm. Rx, I know how y


    you feel.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes were filled with poisonous malice. ¡°Dad, go find Yvette and lock her up in the police station. I want to torture her myself.


    Daniel scolded Ethan mentally, Ethan isn¡¯t grasping the severity of this matter. What is he acting so dramatic for? He then said. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Can¡¯t you see the nurse is still here?¡±


    Ethan couldn¡¯t be bothered with morals now. He was seething with hatred, and all he could think about was tearing Yvette to shreds,


    Sylus met Daniel¡¯s nce and knew what was on his mind. Sylus then shot the nurse a sympathetic look and thought, ¡®Oh, poor thing! She¡¯s so unlucky to be assigned to care for Ethan.


    In his fury. Ethan pressured Daniel to call the police to pin any crime on Yvette and get her arrested.


    Afraid Ethan might do something rash, Daniel immediately called the police chief, Jonathan Quigley, and told him to arrest Yvette, who studied at Argrol University, on charges of assault.


    Jonathan answered the call instantly and promptly instructed his team to arrest Yvette.


    Over the years, Jonathan managed to maintain his position as police chiefrgely due to Daniel¡¯s support. Naturally, he did some dirty work for him too. They understood each other well


    Since Wyatt ascended to his position as mayor, Daniel and Jonathan¡¯s contact went under the radar. They couldn¡¯t be as tant as before. Yet, when Daniel had him arrest a university student, Jonathan didn¡¯t think to be careful. After all, what trouble could a student cause?


    After giving his orders, Jonathan left for a meeting, but by the time he returned, the police station was in chaos. Unfortunately, it was already toote to fix things.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    At Argrol University, the police first went to the office of the dean, Patrick. They showed him the arrest warrant and retrieved Yvette¡¯s records.


    Patrick was secretly pleased seeing it. ¡®What did Yvette do to have the police issue an arrest warrant ande personally to detain her?¡¯ he wondered.


    After thest incident, Patrick didn¡¯t dare do anything to Yvette. However, he grew excited again seeing the arrest warrant.


    ¡®No matter what, people can¡¯t fight against the authorities. No matter how powerful the man supporting Yvette is, he wouldn¡¯t dare go against the state Thinking that, Patrick eagerly led the police to a ssroom in the physics department.


    Which one of you is Yvette? The two police officers scanned the room but didn¡¯t see Yvette. Realizing she probably wasn¡¯t in ss, given Yvette¡¯s striking beauty would stand out anywhere one asked. ¡°Does anyone know where Yvette is?¡±


    The physics students felt uneasy seeing the police at the door. Recalling yesterday¡¯s incident in Sky Nimbus, they fell silent. Some pretended to be absorbed in books, while others pretended to be focused on discussions. They all acted like they hadn¡¯t heard the police¡¯s questions,


    There was an awkward silence..


    It was the first time the police officers had been ignored like this so they felt a bit embarrassed. However, since no one was breaking thew, they couldn¡¯t force the students to do anything


    Thus, Nn, one of the police officers, practiced patience and asked again, ¡°Where is Yvette?¡±


    Patrick stood awkwardly aside, wondering what the students were doing.


    Meanwhile, Bonnie quietly asked the person before her to block her from the police¡¯s view. Hearing her request, two guys before her instinctively moved closer together and conveniently blocked their view.


    Bonnie had just fished out her phone to text Yvette and tell her not toe to the ssroom. But before she could send it. she heard a familiar voice. Looking for me?¡±

 Chapter 57

    The two policemen turned to the other end of the hallway,


    A beautiful girl was holding ¨¤ blue bag with a few books inside. She obviously got impatient, and her eyes were cold.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, the police are here. They said you have been charged with assault and wanted you to assist in the investigation. What happened?¡± Patrick¡¯s voice was so loud that everyone in the building could hear.


    People from other departments heard the noise and came out to see what all themotion was about, including Winona Besides the physics department, no one else knew what was happening. Everyone was surprised to see the police and began to specte.


    ¡°What happened with Yvette? The police are here. She must have done something against thew,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a misunderstanding. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions yet.¡±


    Theard Mr. Williams talking about some kind of assault charge. That must be it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Yvette is that kind of person.¡±


    Winona had been thinking about finding the right time to spread the photos of Yvette and a man in the past two days. Little did she expect the police toe looking for Yvette that day. An assault charge? What¡¯s going on? she wondered.


    She moved closer, pretending to be concerned and worried, and said, ¡°Yvie, are you okay? It must be a misunderstanding. Mom¡¯s wound has already recovered. How could you hurt someone?¡±


    After hearing Winona¡¯s words, the onlookers recalled the recent incident in which Yvette reportedly injured her stepmother. Even those who had defended Yvette earlier were now silent


    Winona was secretly pleased to see her n working. Delight was written all over her face.


    Bonnie rushed out of the ssroom and tried to exin, ¡°Officer, Yvette didn¡¯t hurt anyone. It was Eth-


    Before Bonnie could finish her words, Yvette interrupted, ¡°Shut up, Bonnie. Go back to ss.


    Those from the physics ssroom quickly dragged Bonnie back. It was clear that Yvette didn¡¯t want to involve Bonnie in the


    mess


    The news that the police had taken away Yvette spread like wildfire through every corner of Argrol University. Even the cleaners heard about it. That was actually part of Winona¡¯s n.


    Then, she found a quiet ce to brew her emotions and called Zachary, ¡°Dad, Yvie got taken away by the police!¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t wait to tell Simon the news, thinking he could seize the opportunity to get rid of Yvette. However, things didn¡¯t go as he had nned. Upon hearing the news, Simon canceled his afternoon meeting and rushed to the police station Patrick could tell from Simon¡¯s anxious demeanor that Simon wasn¡¯t looking for a confrontation.


    After Yvette had been taken away, Bonnie was in a panic and couldn¡¯t think of a way to help. Suddenly, an idea struck her- Jeremiah. She rushed to the physics office, but Jeremiah wasn¡¯t around. So, she quickly ran to the library to find Andrew, hoping he might know Jeremiah¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Andrew! Help she shouted.


    Andrew had just made a cup of coffee and was about to take a sip when Bonnie rushed in and bumped into his back, spilling coffee all over his shirt. Just like that, his 30-thousand-dor shirt was ruined.


    ¡°Bonnie, you clown! Can¡¯t you be more like ady?¡± he snapped


    Bonnie didn¡¯t have time to care about Andrew¡¯s shirt. ¡°Do you know where Top Dog is?¡±


    Andrew was confused about who she was talking about.


    Realizing Andrew had no idea who ¡°Top Dog¡± was, Bonnie smacked her forehead and tried to catch her breath as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s Jeremiah¡±


    Only then did realization dawn on Andrew. Only Ronnie coulde up with such a nickname, he whispered inwardly. Thinking Bonnie couldn¡¯t have anything urgent, he casually wiped the coffee stain, saying, Jeremiah has returned to Betrico to take care of something. Why are you looking for him?¡±


    Bonnie couldn¡¯t believe how coincidental it was that Jeremiah had gone to Betrico. ¡°It¡¯s Yve. The police just came to school and took her away.


    Andrew¡¯s expression turned solemn as soon as he heard it was about Yvette. His voice became noticeably colder. ¡°Calm down and tell me everything. What happened?¡±


    Bonnie recounted everything that had happened the night before.


    Andrew immediately understood the situation and mused, ¡®So it was the deputy mayor¡¯s son, Ethan, who lost and refused to admit it and even used the police to arrest Yvette. He must have a death wish!¡¯


    Not daring to dy, he called Jeremiah to exin everything in detail. He clearly understood how Jeremiah felt about Yvette. If Jeremiah found out she was taken to the police station, Seacrity would be in chaos.


    After hanging up, he drove straight to the police station together with Bonnie.


    Jeremiah, on the other hand, immediately had Emmett arrange a private jet back to Seacrity. Emmett wondered what emergency Jeremiah had that Jeremiah skipped the uing military meetings and was ready to leave immediately. He dared not press further and went to make arrangements.


    Jeremiah then called Wyatt. After receiving the call, Wyatt rushed to the police station, silently cursing Daniel and Jonathan, Damn! How dare they mess with Jeremiah¡¯s people? Do they have a death wish and try to drag me in, too?


    Meanwhile, in Seacrity Police Department, Yvette was taken to the istion room. Even if she had deliberately assaulted someone, she shouldn¡¯t have been brought there. Jonathan, however, had specifically mentioned giving her special treatment. The two officers naturally knew what that meant,


    L, the older of the two officers, thought Yvette was a delinquent girl and scoffed inwardly, Hmph! I have plenty of ways to deal with such people.


    He nced at the paper in his hand. It was Ethan¡¯s injury report from Daniel. The word [Concussion] was printed in bold at the bottom, which was hard for one not to notice.


    Everyone at the station knew Ethan well. He used to cause a lot of trouble in the past, but having an influential father made all the difference. Every case closed with the fault on the other party, allowing him to leave the police station confidently.


    It didn¡¯t matter who was in the wrong. From the moment Yvette entered the police station, everything was predetermined- she was bound to be guilty,Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    L pped the paper before Yvette and reproached, ¡°Yvette Zeller, right? Look. This is the evidence of your assault charge-concussion. If you confess, you¡¯ll still have a chance to reduce your sentence. But if you stay silent, no one can save you


    That was his standard trick. He was confident Yvette would be terrified and confessed everything. Once she admitted it, he¡¯d have fulfilled his duty and could gain favor with Daniel.


    Yvette hadn¡¯t said a word since she arrived at the police station. Both officers thought she was too scared to speak, so they didn¡¯t pay much attention,


    But now, Yvette crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, and smirked. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m scared?¡± She wasn¡¯t intimidated by L¡¯s words and chuckled instead.


    L and Nn, the young officer, exchanged nces. Nn hadn¡¯t said much since entering the istion room, as they had nned to use the ¡°good cop, bad cop tactic. There was always a chance someone would fall for it.


    Nn said gently, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯d better be honest and confess. Dragging this out won¡¯t change anything. You know the person you injured, Ethan Brooks, has a special status, right? When the deputy mayores to interrogate you personally. it¡¯ll be much worse than it is. now.


    Yvette remained unfazed and unwilling to cooperate. Her eyes looked unnaturally calm as if she weren¡¯t in the istion room but insteadfortably at home. That made the police wonder if she even realized where she was.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk when Danieles, then!¡± After Yvette said that, she closed her eyes and ignored everyone.


    The two officers couldn¡¯t use violence, so they could only bear with it, fuming. The sight of Yvette¡¯s leisurely look made them angrier, and they thought. Who¡¯s the cop here?


    Meanwhile, outside the police station, several factions in Seacrity were making their move. All this was for one person. A storm was brewing.

 Chapter 58

    Zachary arrived at the police station ahead of everyone. Winona had only mentioned Yvette was taken away by the police on an assault charge. Zachary was frustrated and concerned, wondering what Yvette had done this time to end up in the police station.


    Does Yvette even care about her reputation? Which prestigious family would want a daughter-inw who¡¯s been to the police station?¡¯ cursed Zachary internally, feeling an oing headache. Plus, is it a big issue? Did the police investigate properly before arresting Yvette? Don¡¯t they know Yvette is my daughter? Does my prestige mean nothing to the police?¡¯ he continued fuming inwardly.


    When Zachary arrived at the police station wanting to bail out Yvette, the police refused his request.


    Lucas quietly bribed a young officer, who disclosed that Yvette had gotten on the wrong side of Daniel. She¡¯d apparently caused Ethan so much distress he was hospitalized until now.


    Upon hearing that, Zachary was upset, but he couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Yvette get convicted, so he started figuring out how to get her released. If worsees to worst, I can ask Yvette to apologize to Ethanter. There¡¯s no way Daniel wouldn¡¯t at least give me some respect after getting an apology, he thought resignedly.


    Just then, L, who had been questioning Yvette, stepped out for a smoke. The young officer immediately approached L and whispered to him, after which L nced at Zachary doubtfully before walking over toward Zachary ¡°Who are you?¡± asked L


    Zachary, still being too proud, stayed quiet, allowing Lucas to take over the conversation. ¡°Hello, sir. Yvette is the Chambers family¡¯s eldest daughter. Could you tell us how we can arrange for her bail? We will fully cooperate with any follow-up,¡± stated Lucas.


    L carefully observed the stoic-looking Zachary, recognizing him as one of the four prominent families¡¯ head, the Chambers family¡¯s head. He was shocked to know Yvette was the Chambers family¡¯s eldest daughter.


    ¡®But her surname is Zeller, while Zachary¡¯s is Chambers! How could they be a family? However, Zachary has personallye down to the station, so it couldn¡¯t possibly be a lie!¡¯ thought L, feeling slightly nervous dealing with someone important like Zachary ¡°Mr. Zachary Chambers, I¡¯m surprised to see you here. As a low-ranked officer, I can¡¯t decide on this. Maybe you could call the chief, Jonathan Quigley, yourself¡­¡± he said


    Right then, a furious voice cut through the police station lobby. Bail? Yvette hurt Ethan, yet you still want to talk about bail? Daniel had rushed in and coincidentally caught Zachary discussing bailing Yvette out.


    Recognizing Daniel¡¯s voice, Zachary stood up eagerly to greet him.


    However, even after seeing Zachary¡¯s reaction, Daniel deliberately ignored him, briskly walking past as if Zachary was


    invisible.


    Zachary immediately felt embarrassed.


    Daniel doing this in front of everyone else meant he was ready for a fallout with Zachary over this issue.


    Unaware of the truth and thinking that since Yvette was at fault, Zachary forced a smile as he stepped forward, bringing him face-to-face with Daniel


    Dantel couldn¡¯t pretend anymore that he didn¡¯t see Zachary


    ¡°Mr. Brooks, it seems there has been a misunderstanding. Yvette didn¡¯t know who Ethan was, or she wouldn¡¯t have harmed Ethan otherwise. I¡¯ll cover all his hospital expenses andpensate for his emotional damages. And, I promise to bring Yvette around to apologize in person another day. Can we settle this privately?¡± asked Zachary humbly.


    Daniel snorted. ¡°Mr. Chambers, it¡¯s easy for you to say that since Yvette¡¯s not hurt, but Ethan is still in the hospital. Do you think the Brooks family can¡¯t afford his medical expenses?¡± But Daniel wasn¡¯t done venting yet. He looked at Zachary and sneered. ¡°The Chambers family¡¯s eldest daughter sure knows how to make an entrance. Just yesterday, at Sky Nimbus, Yvette made a massive 100 million dor bet.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you really spoil hert She has only returned to the family yet has such substantial fortune. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still unaware, but the duty manager, Justin, said Yvette was already aware of Ethan¡¯s identity while at the casino and wasn¡¯t intimidated by it. So stop it with the misunderstanding story. It seems like, to Yvette, my reputation carries no weight at all¡± scoffed Daniel.


    Zachary¡¯s face went stiff as he mechanically repeated, ¡°100 million dors? So the rumored girl betting 100 million dors yesterday at Sky Nimbus was Yvente?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Daniel shot an annoyed nce at Zachary. Do you think I would lie about something like this and frame Yvette?¡±


    Of course, Zachary knew Daniel wouldn¡¯t do that, so he was convinced this incident must be true. This morning, when the news about the 100 million dor bet at Sky Nimbus had spread throughout high society, Zachary even jested with Lucas about who the daring soul was, never imagining it could be Yvette!


    Zachary recalled the Frixyiapetition Yvette mentioned a few days ago. When he had Lucas go over to Argrol University to deliver the mansion keys, Zachary had also asked Lucas to check with Yvette about thepetition results. Hearing that Yvette had won left Zachary both surprised and slightly proud. Yvette was, after all, Zachary and Lilian¡¯s child, and despite growing up in the countryside, Yvette was still outstanding


    Right after that, Zachary heard a rumor that the Sullivan family, whose daughterpeted against Yvette, went bankrupt overnight and left Seacrity. People said it was because of Yvette, but Zachary didn¡¯t quite believe it. Then, he unexpectedly


    met Yvette at a steakhouse and Wyatt personally picking up the bill.


    Zachary thought, If Yvette was the rumored person from the casino yesterday, then the whole situation has be even more puzzling. Where did she get the 100 million dors from! Ever since Yvette left the Chambers residence, except for her ck backpack and the Heart of Lorry that I gifted and was seen lying on the table in her room by Lucas, Yvette hadn¡¯t taken anything from the Chambers residence.


    The mansion transfer papers I sent her had just been finalized. There¡¯s no way Yvette could have turned the mansion into cash that fast, which means she came up with the 100 million dors on her own to gamble with Ethan¡¯


    With everything adding up, Zachary realized he couldn¡¯t underestimate Yvette anymore. ¡®What has Yvette experienced all these years? Just like Lilian, who vanished suddenly back then, what secrets is she hiding? he wondered confusedly.


    Sensing Zachary¡¯s silence, Daniel assumed he had nothing to say and turned to L, demanding. ¡°Where¡¯s Yvette? Take me to her.


    Since Daniel arrived, L hadn¡¯t dared to say another word. The conversation between Seacrity¡¯s important figures wasn¡¯t something a small fry like him could join in. L nodded and nced at Zachary before saying. ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ve got Yvette locked up in the istion room.¡±


    When Zachary heard that, he became even more anxious. How could they lock a girl up in an istion room?¡¯ he fumed inwardly.


    He was sure it wasn¡¯t L¡¯s idea, so it must have been Daniel¡¯s orders. ¡®Since he¡¯s using this method against Yvette, it seems like things won¡¯t be resolved smoothly today, thought Zachary. He then demanded assertively. ¡°As Yvette¡¯s family member, I have the right to see my daughter, don¡¯t I?


    Daniel had anticipated Zachary¡¯s response. He frowned but kept a businesslike demeanor as he replied, ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait. As the victim¡¯s family member and Seacrity¡¯s deputy mayor, it¡¯s my duty and responsibility to question her personally With that, he followed L into the istion room.

 Chapter 59

    Zachary could only wait anxiously and helplessly outside. After all, he could do nothing at the police station.


    Daniel saw Yvette with her eyes closed just as he entered the istion room. close found her even more beautiful un than in the photos. He scrutinized her sharply, filled with curiosity.


    He thought. She heard mee in, yet she remains so calm andposed. With such a mindset, she¡¯s indeed not easy to deal with. No wonder Ethan lost so badly!


    Daniel sat opposite Yvette, looking posing with two police officers by his side. ¡°Yvette, do you think staying silent will you out of this? My son is in the hospital because of you, with a concussion that will affect his future. With the injuries he


    get sustained, you¡¯ll be in jail for years,¡± he said.


    Yvette slowly opened her eyes, casually ncing at Daniel with a noticeable look of disdain and arrogance.


    Provoked by such a look, Daniel couldn¡¯t help but stand up and m the table. The sound was so loud that even Zachary outside heard it.


    He shouted, ¡°Yvette, stop pretending to be deaf and dumb! It¡¯s useless. No one can save you. If your dad thinks he can get you out of the police station alone, he¡¯s dreaming. Confess honestly, and I¡¯ll consider being lenient


    Yvette paused and asked, ¡°What do you want to hear from me? That your son couldn¡¯t handle losing 100 million dors? Or that he has such poor mental resilience that he coughed up blood from anger?¡±


    Seeing Yvette remain stubborn and unyielding, Daniel became furious. Just as he was about to say something, a knock on the door interrupted him. Holding back his anger, he shouted, ¡°Come in!¡±


    A young officer entered and walked directly to Daniel, whispering. There¡¯s a man named Simon outside. He says. The officer nced at Daniel¡¯s displeased face and braced himself to continue, ¡°He says he¡¯s here to bail out Yvette.


    Daniel¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the officer who brought the news. ¡°Who did you say? Simon? Which


    Simon


    Startled by Daniel¡¯s ferocious expression, the officer took an involuntary step back. His voice trembling as he repeated himself, barely louder than a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s Argrol University¡¯s president, Simon Sundend¡±


    In the confined istion room, everyone could hear it clearly, even though the sound was very low.


    The young officer had almost gotten into Argrol University but missed it by a few points. Back then, he was so eager to get in that he nearly put up a photo of Simon and prayed to it daily. So, when Simon entered the police station, he recognized him immediately.


    In truth, Daniel already knew who it was when he heard the name Simon, but he just didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    Yvette must have some serious connections if even Simon is stepping in to bail her out! That old geezer is a significant figure in the education sector, not just in Seacrity but nationwide. If he insists on bailing her out, it won¡¯t be easy to handle. Thinking that, Daniel red frustratedly at Yvette, who sat with her legs crossed and a faint, mocking smile. With Argrol University¡¯s president backing her, no wonder she¡¯s so confident,


    Since Simon showed up, Daniel couldn¡¯t ignore him. ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t think Simon¡¯s arrival will change anything. Nobody can save you be warned.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers stopped tapping on the table. She looked at Daniel, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She chuckled softly and asked, ¡°Really?


    Furious, Daniel mmed the door and left. The two police officers finally realized Yvette was more difficult to handle than they had thought. L, who had threatened her earlier, felt deted and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else.


    In the police station lobby, Zachary was surprised to see Simon arrive. Why is he here at this time? he wondered.


    When Zachary learned that Simon was there to bail out Yvette, he was even more surprised. But after the shock, he felt a bit more confident.


    Simon was different from the typical businessman. His social status and influence are formidable. With him speaking up, no matter how angry Daniel was, he had to think twice.


    Stepping out the door, Daniel quickly adjusted his sullen expression and put on a fake smile. Seeing Simon seated in the distance, he strode over with an attitude much better than when he faced Zachary,


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, what brings you here? If you had informed me in advance, I would have personally arranged a banquet for you at Sky Nimbus, Daniel asked knowingly, and Simon was well aware of itText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Simon looked down on Daniel Under Daniel¡¯s control, Seacrity was politically and socially chaotic. Only after Wyatt took office did Seacrity begin to develop and achieve its current state. Daniel then no longer dared to act recklessly. Over the years, Simon had ignored all the messages Daniel passed over.


    Regarding Yvette¡¯s case. Simon didn¡¯t jump to conclusions like Zachary, ming everything on her. He knew Ethan¡¯s character well. From the first time he met Yvette, he could tell she wasn¡¯t someone who caused trouble unless provoked. She wouldn¡¯t start conflicts on her own.


    Simon showed no reaction to Daniel¡¯s enthusiasm. With a stern face, he got straight to the point. ¡°I wonder what mistake Yvette has made for the police to arrest her at school and for you toe to the station to interrogate her personally.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s outstretched hand hung in mid-air awkwardly. This old geezer is indeed pushing his luck! he scolded inwardly. Since Simon didn¡¯t show him any respect, Daniel saw no reason to be polite. As he spoke, he casually withdrew his hand. ¡°You might not know it, but Yvette argued with my son at Sky Nimbus yesterday, causing him to cough up blood. He¡¯s still in the hospital, diagnosed with a concussion.¡±


    Simon pursed his lips and frowned, thinking, Ethan has a concussion? How could a grown man be beaten into a concussion by a young girl? Simon didn¡¯t believe a word Daniel said..


    ¡°Are there any witnesses or evidence? How can you arrest someone based solely on Ethan¡¯s one-sided story without even questioning her? Simon questioned


    Zachary also wondered how Yvette managed to give Ethan a concussion. There are doubts everywhere from the beginning. Even if Yvette won 100 million dors from Ethan, how did Ethan get a concussion? It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Mr. Sundend is right. You need evidence to arrest someone. How exactly did my daughter give Ethan a concussion? Don¡¯t you think you should exin that?¡± Zachary said.


    Daniel¡¯s expression briefly faltered, but he quickly put on a stern face and imed formally, ¡°Yesterday, at Sky Nimbus, my son had a bet with Yvette. Losing 100 million dors was one thing, but Yvette was arrogant and verbally abusive. In a fit of anger, Ethan fainted and hit his head on the table, resulting in a concussion. Shouldn¡¯t Yvette be held responsible?¡±


    Daniel knew the reason was embarrassing, but he had no choice. Things had reached the point where releasing her easily would cost him his dignity, and he couldn¡¯t predict Ethan¡¯s reaction in the hospital.


    Simon had been teaching for many years, and it was the first time he felt so angry that he wanted to curse. He fumed inwardly. ¡®Daniel dared to have the police arrest someone at school for this baseless reason? Intentional assault? That¡¯spletely unreasonable!


    ¡°Are you arresting someone based on this reason? Do you think it¡¯s justified? Yvette is a student at Argrol University, and as the president, I have to protect my students. You¡¯ve arrested her, and now I¡¯m here to bail her out through the proper channels. Why won¡¯t the police release her?¡± Simon asked


    Daniel righteously dered, ¡°It¡¯s not up to me whether to release her or not. That¡¯s for Mr. Quigley to decide. Unfortunately, he¡¯s out at a meeting and won¡¯t return for a few hours. Yvette will have to endure a bit longer in the istion room.¡±


    Daniel


    Zachary was surprised that Daniel showed no respect to Simon,


    The three of them stood still in a stalemate, without moving.


    ¡°What a disy of authority! A young man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the police station¡¯s entrance.

 Chapter 60

    Andrew was at the police station entrance, with Bonnie by his side, and Wyatt rushing behind them.


    Andrew wore casual clothes as usual, but he seemed different that day to Bonnie. He had less of his usual carefree attitude. and more of a rebellious and elegant temperament.


    Daniel, Simon, and Zachary turned upon hearing the sound.


    Daniel ignored the looks of Andrew and Bonnie and focused directly on Wyatt, who was standing nearby. Daniel¡¯s body instantly went stiff, and a chill ran down his spine. He somehow felt that some things were beyond his control.


    Looking unfriendly, Wyatt entered the lobby with Andrew beside him.


    Everyone inside the police station was stunned. First, the deputy mayor showed up, and right then, the mayor was at the police station.


    They were top figures in Seacrity, usually only seen together on TV. Seeing the two of them together then could give anyone


    a heart attack.


    When Wyatt consciously stepped behind Andrew, everyone present was even more surprised. They were wondering who Andrew was. Wyatt¡¯s action revealed a lot, and Andrew¡¯s status was clear.


    Zachary seized the opportunity to chat with Wyatt. He didn¡¯t expect Wyatt toe in person. He didn¡¯t even to guess;


    he already knew who Wyatt hade for.


    Zachary already had suspicions about the rtionship between Yvette and Wyatt. As soon as Wyatt arrived, Zachary¡¯s mind started wandering again.


    However, there was no time to worry about other things then. In Seacrity, if anyone could keep Daniel in check, it had to be Wyatt, the mayor.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Langford. Did you alsoe because of Yvette?¡± Zachary said.


    Wyatt was stunned for a moment. He wondered what connection Zachary had with Yvette, who was hanging out with Jeremiah


    After seeing Wyatt¡¯s puzzled look. Zachary grinned and exined, ¡°Mr. Langford, you might not know, but Yvette is my daughter whom I just reunited with


    Upon hearing that, Wyatt immediately became friendlier. If Yvette was important to Jeremiah, surely Zachary carried more weight than an ordinary businessman. That was what they meant by riding on someone¡¯s coattails.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Wyatt warmed up considerably toward Zachary. ¡°So, Ms. Zeller is the daughter you just found. You¡¯re so lucky!¡±


    Zachary looked confused. He wondered why Wyatt was being so polite. Even if he had some close connection with Yvette, it seemed a bit excessive


    Andrew turned when he heard Zachary¡¯s words and greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Chambers in Andrew, Yvette¡¯s best friend¡­¡± Zachary was caught off guard by the attention. When someone who even Wyatt respected came to talk to Zachary, he didn¡¯t dare to act arrogant and quickly nodded. ¡°Hello, I might have to trouble you to deal with Yvette¡¯s problem.¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s just a small issue, Andrew responded.


    Daniel was blocking Simon, so he went unnoticed by everyone until Bonnie saw him. Then, she said softly, ¡°Hello, Mr. Sundend.


    We


    Everyone instinctively shifted their gaze to the figure standing behind Daniel. Simon took a step forward, finally revealing


    his face.


    Wyatt had crossed paths with Simon numerous times. Although they didn¡¯tmunicate much on a personal level, they had a professional rtionship


    Wyatt greatly admired Simon, who had dedicated his youth and life to education. He gave his all and nurtured talented individuals for Seacrity and the nation. He deserved respect.


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, what brings you here? Wyatt asked.


    Simon nodded and said. T¡¯m here for Ms. Zeller¡±


    Right then, it was Wyatt¡¯s turn to be puzzled. He thought, ¡®Could it be that Jeremiah asked Simon for help? That didn¡¯t seem right


    Simon¡¯s gaze shifted to Andrew, who was standing by the side..


    Andrew was the son of the deputymander of the Betrico military district. He was also a true third-generation official, Arnold Mitchell¡¯s most cherished grandson. He was someone powerful born with a silver spoon-no wonder he was so


    arrogant.


    Someone like Daniel really wasn¡¯t significant. It seemed like his presence that day was unnecessary. If nothing unexpected happened. Jeremiah should be arriving soon.


    Simon¡¯s health wasn¡¯t great, to begin with. After a busy morning, he was tired. He bade farewell to Wyatt and the others before leaving. With Andrew and Wyatt present, there was no need for him to stay.


    After Simon had left. Andrew finally found a moment to look at Daniel angrily. ¡°Are you Daniel?¡±


    Andrew was furious that someone had dared to mess with Yvette To Andrew, Yvette was Jeremiah¡¯s beloved, so she was his friend. He couldn¡¯t let Daniel bully Yvette.


    Daniel wasn¡¯t sure of Andrew¡¯s identity, but upon seeing Wyatt¡¯s respectful attitude, he realized that Andrew wasn¡¯t someone ordinary and that he shouldn¡¯t mess with him.


    Daniel instinctively stood straight. ¡°Hello, I-¡±


    Andrew interrupted him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Who cares who you are?¡± Andrew¡¯s words made it clear to everyone that Daniel¡¯s identity didn¡¯t matter.


    Daniel was humiliated.


    The police in the lobby all kept their heads down, too afraid to draw any attention.


    Daniel was embarrassed. For so many years, no one had dared to humiliate him so openly,


    Wyatt figured that Andrew had vented enough by then. After all, Daniel was the second inmand in Seacrity, so he still deserved some respect.


    asked.


    ¡°Daniel. I heard you arrested Yvette from Argrol University¡¯s physics department for assault. What¡¯s going on here!¡± Wyatt


    Daniel¡¯s heart skipped a beat; he was right, Wyatt and Andrew were there for Yvette. Daniel thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Yvette supposed to be some girl they found in the countryside? How does she even know Wyatt?¡±


    Since Wyatt and Andrew showed up. Daniel was no longer arrogant.


    The only trick up Daniel¡¯s sleeve was getting Sky Nimbus¡¯ duty manager, Justin, to destroy that day¡¯s surveince footage and sweeten the deal with 330 thousand dors for a consistent story.


    It didn¡¯t matter who came. He must firmly insist that Yvette was the one who had caused Ethan¡¯s concussion. Otherwise, the consequences would be serious. Daniel said. ¡°Mr. Langford, you don¡¯t know the whole story. Yvette¡­¡±


    Andrew scoffed, and his tone sounded hostile. ¡°Do you really think you can just call her ¡®Yvette¡¯?¡±


    Daniel clenched his fists tightly. He was so angry with Andrew that it gave him a headache. Daniel nced at Wyatt.


    g resentful toward


    Wyatt avoided his gaze, pretending not to hear what Andrew had said. Daniel took a deep breath, feeling Wyatt as well


    He vowed to get back at them for that day¡¯s humiliation. But little did he know, he wouldn¡¯t even get the chance.


    It was difficult for Daniel to address Yvette respectfully. With so many people watching at the police station, he wondered how he would face anyone after that.


    Yesterday, at Sky Nimbus, Ms. Zeller wasn¡¯t satisfied after winning 100 million dors from my son, Ethan, Daniel said.


    ¡°She also insulted him, making him so angry that he fainted and identally hit his head on the table, resulting in a concussion. That¡¯s why Ms. Zeller is here today for questioning. Daniel continued.


    On the way, Andrew had heard Bonnie exin the cause and oue of the whole situation. Ethan was a sore loser. Currently, he used this concussion as an excuse to arrest people. What a disgrace to men.


    Andrewughed coldly and c***d his head to the side. Wyatt felt a bit embarrassed, too.


    Obviously, Daniel was abusing his power, but he didn¡¯t expect to sh with Yvette, If anyone should be held ountable, it was his fault for not disciplining Ethan well.


    ¡°Where is Yvette being held now?¡± Daniel hesitated before speaking


    ¡°In the istion room, one of the police officers said.


    The words ¡°istion roompletely sparked Andrew¡¯s anger. He stepped forward and grabbed Daniel by the cor.

 Chapter 61

    ¡°Let go. Andrew,¡± came themand. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the door.


    Jeremiah strode in, d in his military uniform, emphasizing his sleek, upright physique. Tall and imposing, his sharp, well- defined features-de-like eyebrows and a sculpted straight nose-added to his cold, emotionless eyes and calm, distant expression.


    He had just finished a brief meeting and flew back to Seacrity from Betrico on a private jet without even changing out of his military uniform. One could imagine how urgent the situation must have been.


    Emmett followed behind, carrying a ck briefcase, his expression equally stoic, focused solely on Jeremiah¡¯s affairs. though he didn¡¯t understand why Jeremiah was in such a rush to return.


    As Jeremiah approached, everyone froze in ce at once.


    The gold star on his uniform immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention. It clearly symbolized his rank as a major general in his twenties, an undeniable force in Clusia.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yvette?¡± Jeremiah asked, his words met with a sense of numbness from those present. Clearly, he was there for the girl who had just been arrested.


    But who exactly was she? The principal of Argrol University, the Chambers family, the mayor, and right then, even a major general had shown up. The entire police station was on the verge of being turned upside down.


    Andrew let go and pushed Daniel away. He stumbled and fell, struggling to get up.


    The moment Jeremiah arrived, Daniel realized that he was finished, thinking, ¡®A major general had personallye to the police station for Yvette.


    Andrew shouted. That jerk locked Yvette in the istion room! Don¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m going to beat him up!¡±


    Following quietly behind Jeremiah and almost unnoticed, Emmett shot a subtle, unreadable nce at Andrew.


    Andrew¡¯s words confirmed Emmett¡¯s suspicions. ¡®Jeremiah had rushed back to Seacrity for this girl, Yvette, even bringing in that force for her, Emmett thought.


    Normally, Andrew would have noticed something off in Emmett¡¯s demeanor, but he was too consumed by thoughts of Yvette being locked up.


    A storm brewed in Jeremiah¡¯s icy and unforgiving eyes as his gaze zeroed in on Daniel, who was still sprawled on the ground.


    Daniel trembled under that stare, struggling to breathe and rise.


    Jeremiah stepped forward, towering over him, then kicked him back down with his military boot. Everyone in the police station lowered their heads further.


    Wyatt felt a headacheing on, thinking. ¡®Andrew¡¯s impulsiveness is one thing; now, even Jeremiah is losing hisposure:


    He continued to ponder, ¡®Daniel¡¯s the deputy mayor of Seacrity. How¡¯s he ever going to show his face in politics again after that kick?


    After some deliberation, he finally stepped forward and spoke carefully. ¡°Jeremiah, Daniel is the deputy mayor of Seacrity,


    after all You.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Wyatt coldly, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain, causing thetter to shadi


    @K 67%1


    Without a word, Jeremiah-headed straight to the room at the end of the police station¡¯s hallway, with Andrew and Bonnie close behind.


    Zachary stood there frozen, dumbfounded as he witnessed Jeremiah kick Daniel without hesitation.


    He just kicked the deputy mayor like it was nothing. Who on earth is this Yvette to have someone so powerful back her?¡± Zachary struggled to understand it.


    Today¡¯s events are simply unbelievable. Even a major general from Clusia stood up for Yvette, Zachary thought it over and decided to stay where he was, waiting for Yvette toe out.


    The istion room was located at the far end of the police station. Dim and oppressive, it had a way of breaking most detainees down **l** entered.


    Wyatt felt uneasy, worried he had said something wrong.


    Just then. Jeremiah approached with a briefcase. He nced at the anxious Wyatt and pulled out a stack of documents, cing them in front of him.


    ¡°Mr. Langford, here¡¯s the evidence of Daniel¡¯s bribery, collusion with officials, and embezzlement of public funds. You know how to handle this, right?¡± Jeremiah remarked.


    Wyatt was shocked. He quickly reached out to take the documents and flipped through them.


    F


    The more he read, the more rtned he became. Just how many atrocities had Danielmitted over the years het questioned silently.


    Even more troubling was how Jeremiah had uncovered everything, even from ten years earlier, in just half a


    A cold sweat broke out on Wyatt¡¯s back. The influence and capabilities of Jeremiah from the Chavez family were far greater


    day. than he had ever imagined.


    Meanwhile, still lying there motionless, Daniel had no clue about the conversation between Jeremiah and Wyatt.


    He only saw Wyatt take the documents, and then, after looking through them, Wyatt¡¯s expression changed.


    With Jeremiah gone, Daniel regained some confidence and shouted in Wyatt¡¯s direction, ¡°Mr. Langford, I¡¯m still the deputy mayor of Seacrity! Are you just going to stand there while he humiliates me?


    Wyatt heard the shout and looked at Daniel sympathetically as hey limp like mud.


    He let out a sigh, thinking, ¡®He still doesn¡¯t get it. Jeremiah¡¯s evidence is enough to ruin him. This once-proud deputy mayor, prominent for decades, is heading to prison.


    Daniel had only himself to me. Of all people, he had chosen to target Jeremiah¡¯s love interest.


    ¡°Take Daniel into temporary custody, Wyatt ordered.


    The police exchanged confused looks. How had they gotten to the point of arresting the deputy mayor?


    But with Wyatt¡¯s order, they had no choice. They approached Daniel, helped him up, and handcuffed him.


    Naturally, Daniel resisted, yelling, ¡°Why? Even if he¡¯s a major general, he can¡¯t just act recklessly! You have no reason to arrest me. I¡¯ll appeal and sue him! Wyatt, you¡¯re helping the enemy, and I¡¯ll report this to the higher-ups!¡±


    As Daniel continued his defiant rant, Wyatt¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡®Still trying to threaten me?¡¯ he thought.


    Without a word, Wyatt threw the documents in his hand at Dani


    As he read, his face turned¨Cfrom gray to ashen, then deathly pale Those were his darkest secrets from the past. ¡®How did they all get uncovered?¡® he thought.


    Upon realizing the gravity of the situation. Daniel ceased resisting, despair radiating from him. If those documents went public, his political career would be over, and he would also spend the rest of his life in prison.


    As the deputy mayor for so long, he understood the seriousness of his crimes better than anyone.


    epting his fate, he allowed the police to cuff him, his posture slumping as he suddenly looked ten years older.


    As Daniel shuffled past Wyatt, he paused his shaky steps and askerl, still unwilling to ept defeat, ¡°Who is that man? Even if he¡¯s a major general, you don¡¯t have to be so humble, do you?¡±


    Having worked together, Wyatt saw no reason to hide the truth. He nced at Jeremiah, who stood silently nearby, and leaned in to whisper to Daniel, ¡®He¡¯s Jeremiah from the Chavez family in Betrico.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Daniel¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he realized. Jeremiah? The Cluvez family? No wonder he¡¯s a major general at such a young age. Only the Chavez family in Betrico could produce someone like that.¡®


    He should have figured it out sooner. No ordinary major general wouldmand such deference from Wyatt. But it was toote.


    If he could do it all over again, Daniel would never have dared to mess with Yvette


    His biggest regret was having her arrested. Sadly, there was no way to reverse that.


    The door to the istion room creaked open.


    el¡¯s face, sc**g the papers at his feet. Daniel broke free from the police, knelt down, and picked one up to read.

 Chapter 62

    ¡°You young people shouldn¡¯t overindulge too much, Yvette said casually as the door swung open. Andrew and Bonnie froze, disbelief etched on their faces. Jeremiah strode in calmly, his expression unchanged. They exchanged baffled looks, both silently questioning what they had just heard


    Jeremiah immediately spotted Yvette. She loungedzily in a chair, one leg crossed, her left hand propped on the table, her foot swinging slightly. She lookedpletely at case. Across from her sat two police officers-one older, one younger- staring at her with utmost seriousness.


    Andrew and Bonnie couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°What on earth is happening here?¡¯


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, watching Jeremiah as he stepped in. She paused for a beat, then, as if nothing unusual had happened, spoke mischievously to Nn across from her. If you don¡¯t get a grip, you¡¯re going to be in real trouble.¡±


    L and Nn, thinking it was Daniel who had entered, straightened up in a sh and pretended to interrogate her. One of them said, ¡°You better start talking, or else¡±


    Yvette pointed a finger toward Jeremiah. ¡°No need to fake it. It¡¯s not the deputy mayor


    They turned to look, their jaws nearly dropping in surprise. Rubbing their eyes, they realized that the man who had just walked in, wearing a single gold star on his shoulder, was a major general.


    They scrambled to their feet, stunned. Neither had ever seen such a young major general before. Meeting Daniel earlier had been enough to fuel their bragging rights for weeks, but that was something else entirely. They stammered, ¡°H-He¡­ Hello,


    Jeremiah gave Yvette a quick once-over, his eyes scanning her from head to toe for any signs of injury. Upon seeing that she was unhurt, his icy expression softened slightly. ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    There was an unconscious hint of affection in his voice. Yvette¡¯s gaze remained cool as she replied tly. ¡°It was fine.¡±


    Bonnie finally mustered the nerve to ask, her voice timid, ¡°Yve, are you okay?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    She hesitated as she stepped into the istion room, a shiver running down her spine. The ce gave her the creeps; even her friends couldn¡¯t convince her to y escape room games, and right then, she was there. Wisely, she waited until Jeremiah and Yvette had finished talking before speaking up.


    Yvette nodded, her tone softening. T¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay at school? Why did youe here?¡±


    Andrew jumped in, feigning drama. ¡°Yvette, I came to rescue you, too! The least you could do is look at me. Poor me¡­¡±


    Jeremiah shot him a sideways nce. ¡°Poor you for what?¡±


    Andrew instantly deted. He thought, Poor me for being ready to go through hell and back for Yvette because of Jeremiah, who doesn¡¯t even appreciate it.


    With a sheepish grin, he replied, ¡°Nothing. This ce just creeps me out. Let¡¯s get out of here-I reserved a table at Sky Nimbus to help us get rid of Yvette¡¯s bad luck¡±


    While the group chatted away, L and Nn exchanged incredulous nces. ¡®Do they even realize they¡¯re in an Istion room? If anyone saw this, they¡¯d think these guys were here for a friendly visit, not an investigation. And they¡¯re talking about food? one of them thought.


    Once they left the police station, Yvette noticed Zachary and Lucas waiting near a sleek ck Bentley parked nearby. She felt a flicker of surprise. I didn¡¯t expect him to show up, she thought.


    Zachary stepped forward quickly, casting a cautious nce at Jeremiahs before turning to Yvette. ¡°Are you okay? Come home


    Da


    E-


    with me.¡±


    Standing on the top step. Yvette looked down at Zachary, who stood below with a pleading expression. She rubbed her temples, irritation clear on her face. Tm not going home. You go by yourself.¡±


    The distance and indifference in Yvette¡¯s voice made Zachary ufortable, but he knew he had no one to me but himself. If he hadn¡¯t driven her away, maybe things would be different then, and she wouldn¡¯t treat him as a stranger.


    Sighing, his voice heavy with regret, he said, ¡°Yvette, I really messed up. Can¡¯t you forgive me, just this once?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s casual butmanding voice cut through the tension. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re runningte for dinner.¡±


    ¦°


    Zachary swallowed hard, his words dying in his throat. Embarrassed, he quickly found an excuse to leave. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re always wee at the Chambers residence. I¡¯ll be waiting for you toe home¡± With that, he turned and walked away.


    Lucas followed him to the car but hesitated before returning to Yvette. He bowed slightly, his tone respectful. ¡°Mr. Chambers had his reasons, Ms. Zeller. As soon as he got Ms. Chambers¡¯ call, be postponed the hospital checkup and rushed here. He didn¡¯t mean to make you stay in the dormitory¡±


    With Jeremiah present. Lucas didn¡¯t dare say more. Yvette¡¯s expression was cold, her gaze distant and unfeeling. Once Zachary¡¯s car was out of sight, she stood for a moment. Then, she casually pulled out her phone and removed Zachary¡¯s number from her blocked list. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said.


    Jeremiah was driving a ck Jeep that day that had been airlifted from Betrico-so ordinary it couldn¡¯t have looked iner. But Yvette knew better. She ran her hand over the vehicle¡¯s exterior, a flicker of recognition in her eyes..


    It was Mysonna¡¯stest bulletproof material-a single piece worth several hundred thousand dors, not yet avable for sale in Clusia. Mysonna hadn¡¯t started selling it publicly, yet Jeremiah had reinforced the Jeep¡¯s body and windows with it. It


    was extravagant,


    There was no way Clusia could have gotten their hands on that yet, and even for a major general, there was no way Jeremiah could have obtained it so quickly. Looks like Jeremiah has another identity. Interesting,¡¯ she thought


    Yvette settled into the passenger seat while Andrew and Bonnie took the back. From the moment they got in, Andrew and Bonnie began to bicker non-stop. Andrew wasn¡¯t sure why they always shed, but he didn¡¯t realize their connection wasplicated untilter-like a fate meant to be.


    Jeremiah driving himself was unusual, but it made sense since Emmett had left with Wyatt before they all went out of the police station.


    Suddenly, Bonnie¡¯s expression changed as if she remembered something important. She nced at Yvette in the front seat and Andrew beside her, hesitation written all over her face,


    She said, ¡°Yve, I forgot to tell you-Mr. Sundend showed up at the police station today. He wanted to bail you out! Can you believe it? He¡¯s our principal, and we¡¯ve never seen him step in for any student before. You¡¯re the first!


    As Bonnie spoke, Andrew remembered the same news. Jeremiah had arrived toote to see Simon, but that piqued his curiosity ¡°Wait. Yvette, you know Mr. Sundend? Why would be bail you out otherwise? He even stood up to Daniel for you. Be honest-did you, like, save his life or something?¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t even look up from her phone, her tone indifferent. ¡°We¡¯re not close. I didn¡¯t save anyone¡¯s life.¡±


    Outside, the chaotic blur of neon lights from the square mixed with the darkness, creating a hazy glow that illuminated the night sky. Soft rain began to fall, misting the windows as the night deepened. The dark sky was sprinkled with stars, and everything felt wrapped in a quiet, peaceful stillness

 Chapter 63

    As they entered the lobby of Sky Nimbus, Yvette and Jeremiah immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. They were quite the striking pair. Everywhere they went, they became the focus of attention.


    Not to mention, Andrew and Bonnie were pretty good¨Clooking, too. They were noticeable in any crowd but tended to get overlooked around Jeremiah and Yvette.


    Those who had witnessed the gambling yesterday were deeply impressed by Yvette¨Cthe first woman who had made the son of Seacrity¡¯s deputy mayor cough up blood from anger.


    The crowd whispered among themselves.


    A person said, ¡°See thatdy in ck over there? She won 100 million dors from Ethan in one go yesterday.¡±


    Someone asked, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    The person responded, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe it? You¡¯re so outdated! I saw it with my own eyes. Ethan was so angry that he actually coughed up blood.


    Every word the crowd said reached Jeremiah¡¯s ears. He leaned slightly toward Yvette and whispered, ¡°Was the win thrilling?


    A tingling sensation slowly spread on the back of Yvette¡¯s neck, making her slightly ufortable. She subtly moved aside. Unperturbed, Jeremiah casually stepped closer to her.


    Yvette pulled up the ck hood attached to her jacket and stayed quiet. Jeremiah wasn¡¯t upset andughed lightly.


    The next second, Yvette took a candy from her pocket and put it in her mouth. In less than a minute, her rapidly beating heart calmed down. Her old condition seemed to act up again.


    That day, another manager, Jimmy Lowe, was on duty at Sky Nimbus. He had heard about yesterday¡¯s events from the staff.


    Jimmy was very busy that day. The headquarters had informed him that the general manager would arrive at Sky Nimbus/ by 8 p.m. He had been preparing for the reception all day.


    The general manager was the chairman¡¯s close confidant. Usually, the regional managers would be sent for inspections. For the first time, the general manager woulde in person. The entire Sky Nimbus was buzzing with excitement.


    Jimmy had his own motives. He had been in that position for a long time, and whether he could transfer to Betrico¡¯s headquarters or not depended on that opportunity.


    Amid the busy moments, the staff reported to Jimmy that Yvette was there again, dining in the VIP room. However, he didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    Their ce wasn¡¯t short of rich and powerful people. It wasn¡¯t worth his while to personally greet someone who had wor 100 million dors. He casually told the staff to attend to the guests and then proceeded to check on the dishes in the kitchen.


    Jeremiah, Yvette, Andrew, and Bonnie took their seals in the VIP room. Only Bonnie felt uneasy while the other three were used to it.


    To hide her unease, Honnie casually flipped through the menu. She hadn¡¯t looked closely when Ryan had treated them to the meal and was shocked to find that a te of pasta cost 300 dors. Is it food or gold they serve here? she thought. jeremiah ordered 12 dishes, all of which were Yvette¡¯s favorites. The waitress was surprised, wondering if they could eat all


    that


    Andrew and Bonnie knew about Yvette¡¯s appetite and said nothing. No matter how much food there was, nothing would


    967%ÈÕ


    to waste as long as Yvette was there.


    Avette


    You


    Andrew acted all mysterious. Yvette, I heard from Bonnie that a big guy came to give you money yesterday. Are y involved with some mafia? How is it? Is the maba world exciting? Do you think I have what it takes to join them?¡± He appearedpletely serious with no hint of joking.


    Yvette took her eyes off her phone, picked up a ss of water, took a sip, and gave Andrew a long, steady look. ¡°T¡¯ll ask around for youter. Joining the maha means cutting off a hand or something. Be prepared


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯d rather not join. My hands are important. I¡¯ll pass Andrew chuckled awkwardly.


    Yvette nodded. Her neck looked unusually tanned and alluring under the light. ¡°Sure¨Cthink about it and let me know.¡±


    Andrew felt a chill as if his hand had already been chopped off and pulled his suit jacket closer around him. ¡°No, no¨CI don¡¯t need to think about it anymore.¡±


    Yvette put the ss down, and Jeremiah casually refilled the empty ss with water. Yvette took another sip. Jeremiah said, ¡°Don¡¯t scare Andrew. He had this idea when he was eight. Then


    Bonnie, her curiosity piqued, bravely asked, ¡°What happened next, Top Dog?¡±


    After hearing Bonnie call him that nickname again, Jeremiah paused, then nced at Andrew. ¡°Then, his dad tied him to a tree and gave him a lecture until he quieted down.¡±


    Andrew seethed. He racked his brain for dirt on Jeremiah and finally gave up.


    Jeremiah was Betrico¡¯s top elite and Clusia¡¯s youngest major general at the age of 27. He could live afortable life just with hispany shares. Besides, he had various skills and talents.


    He had been a nightmare for Betrico¡¯s young scions since childhood. Everyone wanted topete with him, but nobody could outdo him. Worst of all, they had to live in his shadow.


    Three luxury cars parked outside Sky Nimbus, and about a dozen bodyguards got out of the two at the back.


    The door of the remaining car opened, and a pair of ck leather shoes came into view. The man, in his forties, was dressed in a ck suit, his face reflecting the passage of time.


    It was Hector Kirk, the general manager of Sky Nimbus and the most trusted person of the chairman, Harry. He was there that day because of yesterday¡¯s gambling incident.


    Hector hadn¡¯t seen Yvette for years, and she had grown into a youngdy. He wondered how she was doing and was relieved to know that she could easily afford 100 million dors. He sighed, thinking, ¡°What Mr. Ross did back then was ruthless!¡±


    Upon seeing Hector arrive, Jimmy straightened his uniform and hurriedly stepped forward, weing the former in an ingratiating manner. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Kirk. I¡¯m the manager here, Jimmy Lowe


    Hector interrupted Jimmy. He didn¡¯t go there to waste time with unrted people. Once he found Yvette, he would fly back to Mysonna to handle some matters. ¡°Mr. Lowe, let¡¯s get to the point. Do you have the membership information of thedy who bet 100 million dors with Ethan here yesterday?¡±


    Jimmy lookedpletely bewildered. It turned out Hector wasn¡¯t there for inspection but for Yvette, who didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with Hertor. ¡°Mr. Kirk, thisdy isn¡¯t our member. So¡­ we don¡¯t have her information,¡± he said, sneaking nces at Hector¡¯s face. After seeing Hector¡¯s grim expression, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    A waiter behind Jimmy recognized Yvette and knew that she had dinner in a private room that day. He quickly stepped forward and said, ¡°Mr. Kirk, thedy you mentioned is dining in the VII room.¡±


    Jimmy suddenly remembered that the waiter had mentioned that earlier, but he had been busy preparing for Hector¡¯s reception at that time and forgot about itN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    As Hector thought that his effort would be in vain again, things took an unexpected turn. Coincidentally, Yvette dined at Sky Nimbus that day. Over the years, Hector and his boss had been disappointed countless times.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Take me to the private room now. Hector nced at the waiter, then turned to Jimmy. ¡°Promote him to team


    leader.¡±


    Sky Nimbus¡® system was strict. It took at least five years to be promoted from an ordinary waiter to a team leader. Besides, passing three assessments without any mistakes was required.


    The waiter was almost in tears with joy. With a sry three times higher, he finally felt hopeful about his life, thinking of his bedridden father at home.


    Jimmy nodded and led Hector to the private room. Sky Nimbus private rooms were exceptionally soundproof, and they couldn¡¯t hear anything inside.

 Chapter 64

    Jimmy saw Hector stand still at the door for a long time. He couldn¡¯t figure out what Hector was thinking, so he stayed by thetter¡¯s side and kept himpany.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and Bonnie came out of the room.


    Hector looked past Bonnie and onto Yvette, who was eating. His eyes narrowed slightly. With just one nce, he recognized Yvette. Even with her head down, Yvette¡¯s features from her childhood years were still vaguely visible.


    Bonnie was startled by the sudden appearance of a strange man. Politely, she asked. ¡°Hello, sir. Can I help you with something?¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s words caught everyone¡¯s attention, including Jeremiah¡¯s and Andrew¡¯s, who were chatting with their backs toward


    the door.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah and Andrew turned to look at the door. Jeremiah even gave Hector a nk yet piercing and cold look.


    Instantly, Hector¡¯s body tensed up. He sensed that Jeremiah was dangerous.


    Simrly, Andrew frowned. After all, no one would be happy to be interrupted during a meal. ¡°This guy looks decent, but what is he up to?¡¯ he thought.


    Andrew wondered if news got out earlier at the police station, so people were trying to approach Jeremiah now that they knew his identity. With that thought. Andrew¡¯s expression also seemed grim


    On the other hand, Hector was slightly confused. He didn¡¯t understand how he had offended the two men without saying a word.


    Meanwhile, none of them noticed the brief moment of shock in Yvette¡¯s eyes when she looked up.


    ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s me, Hector,¡± said Hector.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t expect the man at the door to know Yvette, not to mention how Hector seemed like a well-acquainted elder. Thus, Jeremiah withdrew the coldness he exuded.


    ¡°Sir, you know Yve? Come on in, then.¡± Bonnie invited Hector politely.


    However, Hector didn¡¯t move. Instead, like a friendly old neighbor, he thanked Bonnie kindly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside, Yvette said coldly,


    Hector wasn¡¯t surprised and showed no displeasure at Yvette¡¯s attitude. Instead, he looked at her affectionately and nodded, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you outside. No rush. Take your time to finish eating.¡±


    Jinuny¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he heard that.


    After all, Hector was known for being stern and cold at thepany, showing no emotion. When had he ever shown such an attitude to anyone? I find it hard to ept how she spoke even as an outsider, thought Jimmy as he saw that not only was Hector not mad, but he was also being very gentle.


    Jimmy questioned his life so much that he even wondered if the world was ending.


    Meanwhile, Hector closed the door, walked to the other end of the corridor, and instructed Jimmy to have his bodyguard bring the briefcase from downstairs.


    Juside the private room, Yvette stuffed herself absentmindedly and proceeded to take off her jacket. She wore a simple white crew-neck T-shirt underneath, paired with casual pants, and those familiar worn-out canvas sh


    shor


    B


    Andrew found Yvette quite interesting. One might say she was poor, but Yvette could easily wager 100 million dors against Ethan and not care much about the money she won since Bonnie said she passed it to the guy who delivered her the money without much thought.


    Yet, it seemed sort of true to say Yvette was poor because she was always in the cheapest white T-shirt and casual pants with a ck jacket and canvas shoes.


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for Yvette¡¯s stunning looks and undeniable demeanor, she would be invisible in a crowd in that outfit.


    ¡°You guys should eat first. I¡¯m heading out for a bit,¡± said Yvette in a low voice as she walked out calmly.


    Andrew joked. You better hurry back, or we¡¯ll finish everything, and you¡¯ll end up starving!¡±


    Yvette smiled but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Jeremiah watched Yvette¡¯s slender back as she left, thinking. How is this girl not gaining anything with everything she eats? She¡¯s still so skinny. I should bring her out for meals more often


    Yvette stepped outside and saw Hector in the distance, smoking. His figure was slightly hunched. She sighed softly as she thought. Why did he show up when we¡¯re not meant to see each other again?


    Then, Yvette returned to her carefree, slightly rebellious demeanor. She lifted her foot and walked over. Hector looked up.


    and their eyes met.


    Hector was excited, but Yvette¡¯s gaze remained calm and steady. Under her gaze, Hector gradually calmed down.


    He put out his cigarette and asked, ¡°Yvette, have you been doing well all these years?¡±


    Yvette nodded nonchntly,zily leaning against the wall, and replied indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not bad, Hector.


    Hector shuddered as Yvette¡¯s voice brought back memories. He remembered how Lawrence Ross chose her among 1000 children when she was little.


    At five, Yvette had shown remarkable talent. While other kids took three days to learn the piano, she only needed half an hour. No matter how challenging the piece or obscure the notes were, Yvette could master them all effortlessly.


    Lawrence also raised Yvette to be his sessor. She might already be a world-famous pianist if it weren¡¯t for that incident.


    Yvette was the most talented and outstanding child Hector had ever seen. It was a pity that Lawrence destroyed such a genius because of his selfishness.


    From age three to eight, Hector treated Yvette like his own child. However, Yvette left after that and was gone for more than ten years, only to reappear then.


    Hector, a man in his forties, teared up as his voice trembled. ¡°Yvette, Lawrence regretted what happened during his final moments. He said he was sorry. If he could choose again, he definitely would..


    Upon hearing that, Yvette lifted her head and sneered. ¡°He would what? Expose his son for giarizing a student¡¯spositions? Mr. Ross wouldn¡¯t do that. Hector, you know it very well.¡±


    Hector¡¯s face changed because he knew Yvette was right. No one knew Lawrence¡¯s sellish nature better than he did.


    ¡°Yvette, Mr. Elliot Ross has been resting on hisurels for all these years. He has no talent. He¡¯s still using thepositions you left behind Mr. Derek Ross said that if you want, he¡¯ll reveal the truth and return wha


    rightfully yours,¡± said Hector.


    Hector looked at Yvette with hopeful eyes. He truly wished Yvette could return to music and not waste her talent. He was confident that it wasn¡¯t toote even if Yyette started then. With her talent, her future was limitless.


    Yvette looked down, feeling both irritated and indifferent. She looked at her hands, thinking about how much blood had


    2./3


    ) B


    stained them. Thus, she decided not to touch the piano anymore.


    ȯ


    66%=


    I¡¯m done ying. Tell Derek not to look for me anymore.¡± said Yvette. Yvette knew that Derek was looking for her all those years. However, she didn¡¯t care to respond. She hadn¡¯t expected to be discovered in a ce like Seacrity. So annoying, she thought.


    Hector wanted to say more, but he knew it was pointless when he saw Yvette¡¯s increasingly cold face. Since she was a child, nothing could change her mind once she had decided.


    Still, Hector lowered his voice and pleaded, ¡®Give me your number, Yvette. I¡¯m heading back to Mysonna tomorrow and won¡¯t be in Seacrity for a while.¡±


    Yvette paused, gave her phone number, then turned and left.


    Hector stood still for a long time, staring in the direction where Yvette had disappeared. His gaze was distant and heavy as if he was seeing through the past, observing all the dust and mour throughout the years.


    After a while, a bodyguard came up and handed Hector his briefcase. Hector nced inside to ensure that everything was okay. Then, he instructed the bodyguard to deliver it to Jimmy with a message before flying back to Mysonna


    Before he boarded the ne, Hector made a phone call after some consideration.

 Chapter 65

    After dinner, Jeremiah sent Yvette and Bonnie back to their dorm before he and Andrew headed home to their opulent,st- minute acquisition¨Ca sprawling 3,000¨Csquare¨Cfoot condominium in the city¡¯s center.


    They returned home at midnight. Andrew was so exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep that even a storm could not


    wake him.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The mansion stood in serene silence, broken only by the soft, lonely glow of the studymp, where Jeremiah stood by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, gazing out at Seacrity¡¯s towering skyline. His eyes were as dark and unfathomable as the night sky that seemed to pierce the distant horizon.


    The soft cigarette glow illuminated his sharp features, the shadows ying across his strong nose, giving him an enigmatic presence. Just then, the phone on the table rang abruptly. Jeremiah turned, picked up the receiver, and put it to his ear.


    ¡°Jeremiah, I traced the email address you gave me. We had three of the world¡¯s best hackers on it for three days and finally pinpointed Siren¡¯sst known location¨CSeacity, informed the person on the other line.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice remained as icy as ever when he replied. ¡°Noted. No need to dig any deeper. With that, he ended the call.


    Jeremiah hade to Seacrity at James¡® request to investigate Siren. The moment he stepped into the Night Bar, he recognized her¨Cthe girl from James picture, now fending off some pushy guys. She was Siren¡¯s only known connection, so Jeremiali discreetly followed her as she slipped into the alley behind the bar.


    Jeremiah had a clear vision of his own path from a young age. His mother envisioned him taking over the family business and living a stable life, while his father pushed for a secure government job. He followed neither path, opting to join the army instead, where he had served to the present day. Little did he know he would fall for the girl, Yvette, one day and experience the consequences. A deep sigh echoed through the darkness of the night from the ever¨Cresilient Jeremiah, who had never wavered.


    The next day was painted with clear blue skies, the aftermath of a heavy rain shower that had passed overnight. Ethan stayed home, waiting for Daniel to return with good news about Yvette. He was hoping Daniel would tell him that Yvette had been taken to the police station and tortured.


    Time passed as he waited, and Ethan was about to leave when the doorbell rang


    He opened the door excitedly, expecting Daniel¡¯s return, only to be greeted by a line of uniformed prosecutors and police.


    ¡°Who are you two?¡± he asked. The visitors that day were the famous prosecutors from Seacrity. They had been hastily called into the office the night before as Daniel¡¯s case was too significant to ignore. They had spent the entire night working with the other prosecutors and had only finished their work in the morning


    Daniel¡¯s case involved a staggering total of 300 million dors, excluding the embezzled city construction funds. It was thergest corruption scandal Seacrity had seen in thest decade. Headquarters acted quickly, issuing a search warrant to search Daniel¡¯s homeprehensively.


    With a respectful tone, the lead prosecutor asked, ¡°Hello, is this Daniel¡¯s residence?¡±


    Ethan, lost in thoughts of revenge against Yvette, nodded absently and replied, ¡°Yeah, what do you want?¡± ustomed to his own arrogance and bolstered by Daniel¡¯s support, Ethan did not take the group seriously.


    In response to his rudeness, the prosecutors felt no need to y nice. After all, Daniel¡¯s time as deputy mayor would be over by the end of the day, and his son would be nothing. This is standard procedure. Here¡¯s the warrant. Please step aside,¡± the prosecutor said.


    Erhan took the document and checked the official seal to confirm its authenticity. He stood there frozen as disbelief washed over him. A sudden thought struck Ethan, and he hurriedly grabbed his phone to call Daniel. He dialed once, twice, and three times, but each attempt went unanswered


    B


    The prosecutor, growing impatient, repeated. ¡°Please step aside


    Ethan stood in the doorway, gripping the door frame tightly. He knew exactly what was hidden inside the house. His mind raced, thinking. They must not find them. If they do, Dad¡¯s finished! Then, Ethan demanded, ¡°What are you trying to find? Where¡¯s my dad? He¡¯s Daniel, the Deputy Mayor of Seacrity! Do you have any idea what that means?¡±


    The lead prosecutor noted Ethan¡¯s stubbornness and wasted no time informing him that Daniel had been arrested earlier that day ¡°Mr. Ethan Brooks, you may not know this, but your father was arrested earlier today. As for the consequences. we¡¯re just following the rules. There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡± With that, the prosecutor motioned for the police to take Fihan aside


    Two officers moved forward and grabbed Ethan, who, ustomed to a life of luxury, was no match for their strength. With minimal effort, they pulled him aside. He struggled desperately, but the officers were unyielding, pinning him to the ground. After a dozen minutes of futile struggle, hey there, gasping for breath like a beaten animal.


    Throughout the morning, the prosecutors removed severalrge boxes and five safes, and it was clear to everyone what might have been hidden inside. By the time they finished their work and feft, it was well after 1 pan.


    Eventually. Ethan relented and stopped fighting. The police allowed him to sit in a chair at the mansion¡¯s entrance. He could only watch as boxes were carried past him, followed by the heavy safes being loaded onto trucks.


    Ethan¡¯s color drained, thinking, What happened to Dad? The prosecutors wouldn¡¯t be so bold as to search the deputy mayor¡¯s house without solid evidence.


    The prosecutor took onest look at the distraught Ethan as he left and mused, ¡°It¡¯s about time. Mr. Brooks has been abusing his authority for years. Atst, someone has had the courage to bring him down. I don¡¯t know who it is, but it feels immensely satisfying. Seacrity is finally rid of the corrupt figure.


    After everyone left. Ethan returned to the mansion and picked up thendline to call Daniel, but there was no answer. His anxiety grew as he called government officials who often visited and had a close rtionship with Daniel. He tried about a dozen times, but each call went unanswered. Ethan pondered, ¡°Even if something happened to Dad, how could they all be in trouble, too? Dad won¡¯t expose these connections so quickly¨Cthey¡¯re his trump cards!


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, Jeremiah¡¯s influence forced Wyatt to be more vignt. Within an hour of returning to the office, Wyatt ordered everyone connected to Daniel detained for interrogation. The political scene in Seacrity was shaken, and Daniel¡¯s party waspletely removed from power because of the information Jeremiah provided.


    Ethan¡¯s hands trembled as he clung to hisst shred of hope and made onest call. After several rings, the line finally connected, and joy flooded him. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me, Ethan. Can you tell me what happened to my dad? The prosecutors just arrived.¡± he said urgently


    On the other end, Ethan heard the sound of shuffling, like someone tidying up as they spoke, ¡°Ethan, your dad¡¯s finished. He¡¯s been reported for corruption. You must leave Seacrity immediately, or it might be toote.¡±


    The call was abruptly cut off before Ethan could push for more information. He sank back onto the sofa, clutching the phone that had just been cut off. A wave of confusion and helplessness washed over him as he struggled to understand who had been offended or how the report hade to light.

 Chapter 66

    ¡°Have you heard? Our deputy mayor, Daniel Brooks, has been dismissed and is under investigation for embezzlement and bribery. For that piece ofnd in the southern district a few years ago, he took about 200 million dors all by himself. It¡¯s unbelievable, someone said,


    ¡°I saw it this morning, too. No wonder Ethan hasn¡¯t been to ss thest few days. He¡¯s probably too embarrassed toe,¡± anothermented.


    ¡°His dad might end up in prison for life, someone added.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Howe I don¡¯t know anything?¡± said a guy in a blue checkered shirt, scratching his head. He had been so busy preparing for the school festival that he waspletely out of the loop on current events.


    Just as his friends were about to exin what happened. Ethan, who had not shown up for days, walked toward them. Today, Ethan wore a suit, tidying himself up early in the morning. He couldn¡¯t stand the idea of embarrassing himself in front of his ssmates, but little did he know that wearing that in the middle of summer made him look even more ridiculous.


    Ethan was there to undergo the school withdrawal process. His granddad had tried everything but couldn¡¯t save his father. The only way to keep Ethan from getting involved was to send him abroad, cutting off ties. Ethan was unwilling to, but eventually, he agreed. He would be done if even his granddad gave up on him.


    Ethan had been going through a rough timetely. Ever since Daniel had been arrested, everyone in the upper echelons knew about it, and no one wanted anything to do with him. Those who had been close to him were nowhere to be found.


    Ethan was at his wit¡¯s end. In just one day, his father¡¯s associates were taken down. Even the uncle hest spoke to couldn¡¯t escape and was also taken away by the authorities. Still, Ethan kept his pride and looked arrogantly at the group approaching him, waiting for them to greet him. He even coughed a few times on purpose, afraid they might have not noticed him. However, the three of them exchanged nces and quickly lowered their heads as they briskly walked past Ethan, avoiding him like the gue. In the blink of an eye, the three were already far away.


    Ethan¡¯s face turned gloomy, and his anger reached its peak as he almost spun around to chase after the three people, wanting to ask them what they meant. They used to almost idolize him, eager to please him, but now they acted like he did not even exist. Ethan thought to himself, Even though my dad is gone, I can still stand on my own and build my career from the ground up. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let those poor students look down on me!¡® He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked ahead in disbelief.


    Yvette strolled leisurely with her hands in her pockets, looking content and in good spirits. Next to her was John, carrying pile of physics test sheets. The two were chatting about the physics problems Tobias had assigned that day. Actually, it was more like John was talking all the time while Yvette asionally added ament or two.


    I¡¯m telling you, you only did three out of those thirty basic physics questions fromst week. Mr. Sundend is practically ambushing me in alleys!¡± John said, giving Yvette a sad look.


    Yvette was confused and asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    John sighed and replied, ¡°Oh, my goddess! Isn¡¯t it obvious it¡¯s because of you?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Yvette took a piece of candy out of her pocket and started to eat it. She had not really been into candytely. Now she realized there were things tastier than candy, like steak, BBQ, and lobsters. Ever since Jeremiah showed up, Yvette discovered her passion for food.


    ¡°Because of me?¡± Yvette asked, confused.


    John looked seriously at Yvette and replied, ¡°Goddess, you haven¡¯t forgotten that Mr. Sundend told us to form a study group so I can help you with your homework, have you?¡±


    173


    66%i


    Yvette had indeed forgotten, She smiled apologetically and asked sincerely. Is it okay if I don¡¯t do them?¡±


    John was a bit dazed by her beautiful smile, His heart pounded hard, reminding himself to stay strong and not get smitten. but who could resist such a smile? John¡¯s face instantly turned red.


    Yvette did not think much about it, assuming he was sunburned, and even showed him some concern.


    John firmly said, ¡°No, goddess. You have to do it. Mr. Sundend mentioned it¡¯s a waste not to use your photographic memory. If you concentrate, you can catch up. Plus, your basics are too weak. You chose C on all three questions. It¡¯s not wise to do that even if you were guessing. He rambled on, and Yvette could feel a headacheing on.


    ¡°Wette, why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the police station? Ethan asked, running up to Yvette like a madman. The meat suit he wore in the morning was now wrinkled, with sweat stains around the cor and a bad smell.


    John knew Ethan well. Ethan and Victor were the school¡¯s known bullies. One came from a wealthy family, and the other had influence. They got along well and often hung out together, partying and chasing girls. Almost everyone in the upper- level students of Argrol University knew them, including John.


    ¡°Police station? What police station?¡± John asked in confusion. That day, he had some personal matters, so he did not go to Sky Nimbus. Thus, he had no idea what had happened. Ryan told those who went there not to disclose what happened at Sky Nimbus that day. The students from the physics department, not wanting any trouble, agreed to keep it a secret, so John


    Yvette¡¯s smile disappeared as she turned her eyes to Ethan, her voice turning cold as she said, ¡°You¡¯re still able to attend school Looks like life in prison for Mr. Brooks isn¡¯t so bad after all!¡±


    When Ethan heard that, he was immediately furious. He red at Yvette and tried to control his rising anger. He stepped forward to grab Yvette, intending to teach her a lesson.


    When John saw that things were about to turn violent, he quickly stepped forward to protect Yvette. Given Ethan¡¯s strength. Yvette would surely get hurt if he acted.


    Ethan¡¯s fist flew forward, and John rushed in front of Yvette, ready to take the blow for her. As the first blow approached, John reflexively closed his eyes and thought, ¡®One second¡­ three seconds¡­ Eh, why doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡® John stealthily opened


    At some point, Yvette stood in front of John and grabbed Ethan¡¯s wrist with just two fingers. Ethan struggled desperately, but Yvette¡¯s two fingers didn¡¯t even budge.


    Once again, John realized the great power of his goddess.


    Yvette¡¯s gaze at that moment was incredibly wicked. Her icy eyes cut through Ethan, making it hard for him to breathe.


    She¡¯s terrifying¡® Ethan thought. He felt a presence, powerful and overwhelming, making him feel like a dying fish gasping


    forair


    Moments ago, Ethan had shown his fangs, but now his body stiffened, and under Yvette¡¯s gaze, his mental defenses Chambled. Ethan admitted defeat, crying and begging for mercy. Please let go! I was wrong. I¡¯ll never bother you again!


    However, Yvette diel not let go. Her eyes were filled with a wicked aura. The next second, John heard a ¡°crack sound. There was silence in the air.


    A few secondster, Ethan let out a howl that sounded like a ghost¡¯s wailing.

 Chapter 67

    ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Yvette said to John.


    John mechanically nodded, giving a sympathetic nce at Ethan, whose wrist was twisted, and then looking at the casual, indifferent Yvette. He wondered. ¡®She¡¯s so ruthless. How strong is she to break someone¡¯s bones like that?¡®


    He also made a mental note, I have to avoid infuriating Yvette in the future. My small arms and legs can¡¯t take it. I¡¯ll be more tactful when asking her to finish her homework! John then hurried to catch up and replied, ¡°I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming! Wait for me, my goddess!¡±


    Neither of them paid any attention to Ethan, who was groaning on the floor. Ethan took out his cell phone and called Lucas to pick him up and handle his school withdrawal.


    When Ethan got back, he angrily told his granddad what had happened. Only after his granddad repeatedly promised to take revenge for him did Ethan agree to leave the next day to recuperate and study abroad.


    Ethan¡¯s granddad was no fool. Daniel¡¯s arrest at that time meant that he had offended someone important. How else could a deputy mayor have fallen from grace so easily? Many people had been investigated in just one day. That was not something an ordinary person could do.


    He had gone to ask around and found out that Daniel had been taken to the police station, possibly because of a young girl. However, the girl had walked out of the station unharmed while Daniel had been interrogated. As a veteran, Ethan¡¯s granddad was quick to understand the situation. When he had found out that Ethan had been the cause, he had lost all hope in him.


    The girl¡¯s identity or the people supporting her weren¡¯t something his small family could afford to challenge. He would not risk that for a worthless grandson. Over the years, he had seen the father and son¡¯s wrongdoings firsthand. No matter how many times he had tried to put a stop to it, nothing had changed. So, he finally gave up.


    Years ago, when Daniel married his daughter, it hadn¡¯t taken long for him to start having affairs, which ultimately led to his h daughter¡¯s tragic death.


    The Brooks family was negatively influencing Ethan. The problem was deep¨Crooted, but since Ethan was the child of his only daughter, he couldn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing. So he sent him abroad, hoping to reform him. He wouldn¡¯t mind leaving him an inheritance for support if he turned out well. However, he would let Ethan follow Daniel¡¯s path if he remained stubborn and hopeless.


    Ethan was unaware of the situation and thought he was going abroad to live avish lifestyle as before. Onlyter did he learn that his granddad had ced him in a strict boarding school, where he was left to his own devices, except for some pocket money that was sent periodically.


    In the end, he fell in with a wild group of rich kids overseas, developed a drug addiction, and tragically died on the streets, but that was another story for another time.


    Meanwhile, Simon received an e¨Cmail from Siren in the Principal¡¯s office early in the morning. He opened it¨Cexcitedly. It contained the third phase of the discussion about the new chip. He quickly forwarded it to Betrico, then sat back in his chair, feeling restless. It was quite unexpected to receive an article from Siren about the chip after such a long time.


    Simon took a sip of his coffee, calming his nerves. He had a pretty good idea why Siren had emailed him again. It must be about what happened with Yvette a few days ago. Maybe Siren was repaying him for going to the police station that day. He thought. It seems Siren values Yvette even more than I thought. Simon put down his coffee cup and stared nkly at a tree outside the window, wondering. Has that person found any clues?


    In the meantime, a crowd had gathered around the bulletin board of Argrol University that day. Students from various faculties were eagerly rubbing their hands together in anticipation, each one more excited than thest.


    As Yvette and Jolin passed by, Bonnie struggled to make her way out from the crowd, but the sea of people made it impossible, She was jostled around, losing hope with each push


    °×ÒÏ66%Á¿


    ) BU


    Bonnie had just fueled herself up and was ready to dash when the bustling crowd suddenly fell quiet. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Could it be that the heavens have heard my silent plea? Bonnie wondered. Confused, she saw Yvette and John standing just a few feet away. ¡°Ah, no wonder. It¡¯s Yve! she thought to herself.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Almost every student at Argrol University knew Yvette. Several incidents had caused quite a stir, and now she was the trending topic on the school forum. In second ce was Winona, Before Yvette came, Winona was the well¨Cknown campus belle of Argrol University. Now, Yvette was way ahead in the campus beauty polls. It was hard to predict who would be the next campus beauty queen. Even the lecturers of different faculties knew about Yvette.


    Some people at the scene had never met her before and thought her photos were heavily edited, unable to believe that a girl could be both beautiful and have wless skin. When Yvette appeared, everyone fell silent. Those who saw Yvette for the first time were amazed by her beauty.


    Bonnie waved her hand excitedly and called out. ¡°Yve, you¡¯re here! The cafeteria is serving your favorite pork ribs today!¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. The cafeteria¡¯s pork ribs were very delicious. One would miss them if they werete, and with the lunchdy¡¯s unsteady hands, one would only get a few pieces per serving, which was never enough.


    Bonnie¡¯s voice was very loud. Now, everyone knew that the cafeteria was serving pork ribs.


    John, holding the documents to his chest, looked puzzled as he asked Bonnie, ¡°What¡¯s happening today? Why is everyone gathered here?¡±


    Bonnie wiped the sweat from her hands before saying, ¡°John, have you lost your mind? Our school¡¯s annual Art Festival ising up! Don¡¯t we put up annual posters and have each faculty prepare candidates to participate? You¡¯ve been in theb so long. You¡¯re foggy! Rememberst year you helped the finance department with¡­ Oh, what was it called?¡±


    John quickly interrupted her, looking awkwardly at Yvette, feeling nervous. ¡°That¡¯s old news, Bonnie. Can we not talk about


    i


    Bonnie gave him a look that was a sign of her understanding.


    John did not know whether tough or cry. He knew Bonnie was probably daydreaming again. He thought, If she doesn¡¯t be some entertainment reporter, her talent will be wasted!


    ¡°Art Festival?¡± Yvette asked.


    Bonnie thought Yvette was interested, so she quickly exined. Yve, this Art Festival is quite interesting. It¡¯s a unique tradition at our university, different from other schools. We use a point system because Mr. Sundend values traditional culture, so there are only four events: piano, chess, calligraphy, and oil painting. Each year, the winners in these areas can earn 70,000 dors for their faculty. Starting with our ss, Ryan won first ce in chessst year, giving the physics department a win.¡±


    Bonnie paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°As for the oil painting¡­ Winona won itst year. She¡¯s on her way to being epted as a student by Mr. Griffin of the Art Association. So, she definitely knows her stuff. When Bonnie saw that Yvette was not upset, she added, ¡°As for piano and calligraphy, I didn¡¯t pay much attentionst year, so I don¡¯t know which faculty


    won.


    As the three of them were talking, a very arrogant voice rang out from the distance, ¡°Are you Yvette?¡±

 Chapter 68

    A group of girls, all wearing student council uniforms, marched assertively toward Yvette and her friends.


    The leader was a girl with short, ear-length hair. Her face looked like it had gone through several cosmetic procedures, and in the sunlight, one could almost see the translucent prosthetic in her nose.


    Bonnie quickly turned around and tugged at Yvette¡¯s sleeve, her voice so soft it was barely louder than a whisper. ¡°Yve. they¡¯re from the student council. The one leading them is Ruby Scott, our student council president.¡±


    Yvette responded with a casual hum¡­


    Bonnie grew flustered, thinking. The student council seems to mean trouble!¡±


    She said. ¡°Yve, Ruby used to be Ethan¡¯s girlfriend. After they broke up, she swore she¡¯d win him back. Everyone at school is wary of her. The student council is a tight-knit group, and they¡¯re not easy to handle.¡±


    Yvette stayed indifferent, speaking with an air of nonchnce. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±


    Bonnie and John were already used to Yvette¡¯s calm demeanor. Besides, even if the student council meant trouble, it was hard to say who woulde out on top. John recalled Ethan, down on his knees, begging for mercy. Yvette¡¯s strength was not something to be underestimated.


    Bonnie forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. ¡°Hello, Ruby, Hello, everyone.¡±


    John chimed in with a greeting as well.


    Ruby didn¡¯t even spare them a nce. She was there for one reason to ca


    cause trouble for Yvette.


    Earlier that morning, Ruby had learned from her parents that Daniel had gotten into trouble and was detained, while Ethan was preparing to go abroad. She tried contacting Ethan immediately, but he wouldn¡¯t answer. Desperate, she called Ethan¡¯s grandfather using a number she had memorized in secret back when they were dating. She was told that Ethan would be flying out of Seacrity the next morning and that she shouldn¡¯t try to contact him again.


    * 2 *6# 236 255 25


    Ruby spent the entire morning crying at home, her eyes swollen from the tears. She genuinely liked Ethan-not because he was the deputy mayor¡¯s son or for his money, but for who he was. They had a big fight and broke up after she found our Ethan had been cheating on her with a young model. Then, she regretted it and wanted to reconcile, but Ethan had never given her the time of day since.


    Ruby had watched the girls around Ethane and go, but she never gave up hope. She believed that even if Ethan wasn¡¯t ready to get back together, if she kept trying, she¡¯d eventually win him back. But before she could convince him, she found out he was nning to go abroad.


    Frustrated and with no outlet to vent her anger, she ran into Winona from the student council.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Winona started singing Yvette¡¯s praises. Yvette had been the talk of the school, making waves wherever she went. This only furled Ruby¡¯s curiosity. She wanted to know what was so special about this girl. Yvette had been at Argrol University for less than two weeks, and it already felt like the ce had be her territory.


    ¡°Are you Yvette?¡± Ruby asked, leading a group of girls toward the trio and repeating the question with a tone full of sarcasm and arrogance.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, remaining as calm as ever, her gaze steady and rxed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Under the intense stares of the other group, Bonnie gave a stiff rod and was about to leave with Yvette.


    Ruby had no intention of letting Yvette leave so easily. With just a nce at the girls beside her, they immediately understood and quickly surrounded Yvette, Bonnie, and John.


    Then, Ruby strutted toward them, arrogant and full of attitude. Yvette, a senior is asking you a question. Isn¡¯t it a bit rude not to respond?¡±


    Yvette turned around calmly, her toneposed. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Ruby stuttered, her anger ring even more. She believed Yvette was pretending not to know her as a way of humiliating


    her.


    However, Bonnie and John knew that Yvette genuinely didn¡¯t recognize Ruby. Yvette wasn¡¯t the type to lie-she truly had no idea who Ruby was


    ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re quite the actress. No wonder you¡¯ve stirred up so much trouble since you got here. Now it all makes sense. Haha!¡± Ruby sneered


    ¡°Ruby is the student council president, and you say you don¡¯t know her? Stop pretending already!¡± one of Ruby¡¯s friends


    said.


    That¡¯s right. What¡¯s with the act?¡± another added.


    ¡°You need to apologize to Ruby right away, another eximed,


    The girls trailing behind Ruby chimed in endlessly, demanding that Yvette apologize to Ruby. Meanwhile, Ruby stood there, arms crossed, waiting for Yvette¡¯s apology.


    John couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Under Ruby¡¯s leadership, the student council had be nothing but a mess. Students hadined to the dean, but Patrick always brushed it off, saying Ruby was an excellent student who just needed time to improve. Nothing ever came of it.


    ¡°Ruby, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯re leaving now. The teacher is waiting for Yvette¡¯s assignment, so please excuse us. John said firmly.


    As soon as John said that, Ruby had a different expression, thinking, ¡®Such a sly fox, even John is standing up for her. Ruby often saw John in the teacher¡¯s office and knew he was the favorite student of Tobias Sundend, the physics teacher Although she wanted to give Yvette a hard time, Ruby wasn¡¯t foolish enough to let the teachers find out.


    ¡®Hmph, I won¡¯t do anything to Yvette today. I have plenty of ways to handle her. There¡¯s no need to rush, Ruby thought. Today, she hade for a different reason.


    Yvette remained unfazed by Ruby¡¯s provocation, and Ruby wasn¡¯t bold enough to make a move at school. Though she felt like she was about to explode inside, she kept up the appearance of being generous,


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If Yvette doesn¡¯t want to apologize, I won¡¯t force her. I¡¯m actually here for a different reason today. I¡¯d like to invite you to participate in the school¡¯s Art Festival. As students, it¡¯s our duty to support the event. The physics department has four spots, and aside from the ones reserved for Ryan and a few others, there¡¯s one more open. I think you¡¯d be perfect for in Yvette. I¡¯m personally inviting you. Surely, you won¡¯t turn down the opportunity?¡± Ruby was brimming with confidence. She didn¡¯t believe that Yvette would turn her down in front of everyone.


    However, in the next moment, Yvette lowered her gaze and turned slightly to the side, her voice cold. I¡¯m not interested


    Ruby¡¯s face darkened, and the girls around her fell silent when they noticed her change in expression. ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t push your luck. I¡¯m not asking for your opinion-I¡¯m informing you. Argrol University has a rule that allows the student council to assign one spot to any student. Ruby was trying to use the campus rules to force Yvette toply.


    Bonnie stepped forward and whispered in Yvette¡¯s ear. ¡°Yve, what Ruby said is true. This rule was put in ce by the student council a long time ago and has been used ever since. It¡¯s meant u give talented students a chance to shine, and while it¡¯s mandatory on paper, both sides generally reach a consensus. Ruby¡¯s definitely pushing it by trying to force you to participate in the festival.¡±


    Ruby looked smug. The rule was legitimate, so she wasn¡¯t concerned about getting into trouble. If anyone questioned her. she¡¯d simply insist that she chose Yvette because she believed Yvette was talented, leaving no room for criticism. On the other hand, if Yvette refused. Ruby wouldn¡¯t hesitate to spread the word that the so-called celestial being was nothing more than a shallow figure. By then, people would hesitate to support Yvette.


    A sly smile crossed Yvette¡¯s face, a blend of both charm and mischief. Her lips parted slightly as she said, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll join.¡±

 Chapter 69

    John quickly stepped forward to intervene. ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen to Ruby, Yvette. We¡¯ll talk to Mr. Sundend. If you don¡¯t want to join, then you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Hearing that Yvette had already agreed, Ruby quickly jumped in ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed to join Arts Festival, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. The application forms will be sent to cach department by the student council.


    With that, she led her group away, clearly eager to leave before Yvette could change her mind.


    Yvette noticed the worried looks on Bonnie and John¡¯s faces, and she felt a bit touched by their concern.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. If we don¡¯t hurry, the pork ribs in the cafeteria will be gone Bonnie suddenly remembered the ribs, pped her thigh, and quickly pulled Yvette along.


    John followed behind, carrying the documents, watching as Bonnie rushell ahead while Yvette strolled calmly,pletely unfazed. He sighed, wondering how these two could be thinking about pork ribs at a time like this.


    This is apetition in front of the entire school, and sometimes even media sponsorse to broadcast it live. If we don¡¯t do well¡­ John felt sick with worry. But then he remembered thest Frixyianpetition, and that thought calmed him a little-


    She always has a way of surprising people. If she agrees to join Art Festival, she must have something up her sleeve! John thought. Ever since he met Yvette, John couldn¡¯t help but feel like he¡¯d turned into a nagging mom.


    Wait for me. I want


    it some too, John called out.


    In the cafeteria. Andrew stared at his bowl, then nced at his dish and Jeremiah¡¯s. He felt a surge of unfairness. Why did the cafeteriady pile so much food on Jeremiah¡¯s te but skimp on mine? Jeremiah¡¯s te is overflowing with ribs, while I only have three or four pieces-for the same price! This is tant discrimination, he thought.


    ¡°If you keep staring like that, you¡¯re going to burn a hole through your bowl, Jeremiah teased.


    Jeremiah¡¯s long legs didn¡¯t quite fit under the cafeteria table, forcing him to bend them slightly, looking a bit ufortable. The girls nearby casually nced over at Jeremiah and Andrew, though most of their attention was naturally focused on Jeremiah.


    Andrew nced at Jeremiah, who was slowly chewing his food. Jeremiah, what¡¯s going on with you today? Trying to relive your high school days or something with that outfit?¡±


    Jeremiah was wearing a white T-shirt, track pants, and a pair of sneakers. Even back in college, Andrew had never seen him dressed like this. He waspletely shocked.


    Jeremiah hesitated slightly, his cutlery in hand. ¡°Just threw something on,¡± he replied casually.


    Andrew was speechless. Does Jeremiah think I¡¯m blind? He spent half an hour picking out that outfit beforeing here. And he calls that ¡°Just threw something on?¡±


    It might look simple and ordinary, but Andrew wasn¡¯t easily fooled. Jeremiah¡¯s outfit was all custom-made from the exclusive old designer brand in Betrico, and those shoes? They probably cost him tens of thousands of dors.


    When did Jeremiali start lying so tantly? He¡¯s changed! He¡¯s gonepletely downhill! Andrew remarked silently. Andrew examined Jeremiah¡¯s outfit again. Why does this look so familiar?¡±


    Then, Yvette walked in, and it hit him. They¡¯re in matching outfits! Isn¡¯t this how Yvette usually dresses? No one would believe they aren¡¯t a couple after seeing their outfits.


    ¡°Yvette, Bonnie, over here, over here!¡± Andrew called out.


    The table with Jeremiah and Andrew stood out in the whole cafeteria, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    Even from ten feet away, one could feel Jeremiah¡¯smanding presence, Aside from a few bold girls who tried to get closer and strike up a conversation, everyone else kept their distance. Despite this, Andrew, having grown used to eating with Jeremiah, didn¡¯t find it strange.


    When Andrew called out to them, Bonnie quickly dragged Yvette over. To be honest, even without Andrew¡¯s call, their table was hard to miss.


    It was lunchtime, and everywhere else was packed. Their table was the only one with empty seats, making it impossible to ignore.


    ¡°Andrew, Top Dog, you¡¯re eating here too? What a coincidence¡­ Bonnie said.


    Jeremiah nodded in acknowledgment, then looked over at Yvette Tve gof your ribs and rice ready; sit down and enjoy:


    Yvette casually pulled a candy from her pocket and ced it in front of Jeremiah. The message was clear-a candy in exchange for the meal.


    Jeremiah chuckled, picked up the candy, and slipped it into his pocket.


    The other three felt like they were already full from the couple¡¯s sweetness before even starting their meal. Bonnie, not expecting Jeremiah to serve her, winked and nudged John to go get some food.


    Andrew felt slightly upset seeing Bonnie¡¯s carefree attitude, as it she had no concern for maintaining proper distance between men and women. ¡®Doesn¡¯t this girl know there¡¯s a difference between boys and girls? All that pulling and tugging isn¡¯t appropriate!


    Andrew cleared his throat and said, ¡°Hey, John, you just stay seated. Bonnie and I will get the food.¡±


    Then, Andrew pushed John into a chair and dragged Bonnie off to get food. Even from a distance, one could hear the two of them bickering.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t drag me around! This is the cafeteria, and I¡¯m the physics department representative. Show some respect!¡± Bonnie protested.


    Andrew let go of his hand. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll show you some respect.


    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s better. Bonnie huffed.


    John felt like a huge third wheel right then. It¡¯s creepy how these two even eat at the same pace! he mused.


    Right now, John wished he could just disappear into thin air.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When Bonnie and Andrew returned, they saw John sitting exactly the same way as before. When he saw them, his eyes lit up, as if they were his saviors.


    Bonnie couldn¡¯t get any food, but Andrew, using his charm on the cafeteriady and saying a few kind words, managed to snag thest two servings. Bonnie and John each got a portion.


    With this small victory, Andrew regained his confidence. Indeed, as long as I¡¯m not standing next to Jeremiah, I still have my own charisma


    At the dinner table, apart from an asional conversation between Andrew and Bonnie, it was mostly silent.


    Yvette was focused on eating ribs, while Jeremiah refilled her ss.


    10 66% 1


    B


    John kept his head down, eating without lifting his gaze much.


    After the meal concluded, everyone was full.


    Bonnic sneaked a look at Yvette, nced at Jeremiah, and then observed both of them for a while. Jeremiah and Yvette were both very observant, and they noticed Bonnie¡¯s gaze right away, but they both ignored her.


    It wasn¡¯t until Bonnie let out a curious huff that Yvette looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Bonnie pped her forehead and shouted. ¡°I finally figured out what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Even John, who was focused on his meal, reflexively looked up. ¡°Bonnie, why the fuss?¡±


    Bonnie suddenly realized


    everyone was looking at her. She scratched her head awkwardly and quickly sat back down. To Dog. I just realized you and Yve are wearing matching outfits today-like a couple¡¯s outfit,¡± Bonnie remarked.


    Jeremiah kept a calm expression but gave Bonnie an approving look. Godd. She¡¯s more observant than Andrew. She¡¯s definitely worth keeping an eye on.


    Yvette set down her cutleries, nced briefly at Jeremiah, and shook her head. ¡°Not really,¡± she replied.


    Jeremiah felt a bit disappointed and thought, ¡®What does ¡°not really¡± mean?


    Bonnie nodded with a simple smile. ¡°Yeah, now that I think about it, it doesn¡¯t really look like it. Yve, you usually wear canvas shoes, while Top Dog here sticks to sneakers.¡±


    Andrewughed in disbelief. ¡°Where did these twopletely clueless womene from? What kind of exnation is that? The most baffling part was that Yvette looked like she totally agreed with it¡¯


    Andrew was starting to feel a bit sorry for Jeremiah. He felt Jeremiah still had a long way to go to win Yvette over.


    At that moment. John¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out, saw it was Tobias, and quickly answered.


    After exchanging just a few words, John hung up and nced over at Yvette, who was busy eating ribs. ¡°Hey, someone¡¯s looking for you in the office.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Yvette slowly responded. ¡°Got it. You guys keep eating. I¡¯ll go over there.¡±


    Jeremiah stood up, looked at Andrew, and tossed his car key to him, saying, ¡°Drive the car back to the mansion. Emmett is waiting for you there¡­¡±


    Andrew was confused. He thought they had only bought an apartment in Seacrity for convenience. He had no idea when they had bought a mansion. Jeremiah, did you buy another mansion?¡± he asked, bewildered.


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Yeah. Emmett finalized the paperwork a few days ago. The mansion¡¯s in Nusridge. Contact him for the exact address


    Andrew felt a headacheing on just thinking about living under the same roof as Emmett. He could already picture the endless nagging


    Bonnie and John exchanged a knowing nce, their thoughtspletely in sync. How do some people buy a mansion like it¡¯s nothing? In Nusridge,nd is as valuable as gold! A single mansion must cost at least 66 million dors. Honestly,paring yourself to others can be so depressing!


    Yvette and Jeremiah left the cafeteria together. Meanwhile, a pair of jealous eyes watched them intently from behind. Victor and Winona were eating at the cafeteria. They spotted Yvette and her friends right away when they entered the


    Victor muttered something about how shameless Yvette was for always hanging around with guys. Normally, Winona would have been quick to add her own remarks, but this time, she was unusually silent. Her gaze was locked on Jeremiah¡¯s table, sharp jealousy rising as she watched how in sync he and Yvette seemed.


    Victor called Winona¡¯s name a few times, but she didn¡¯t respond. Frustrated, he noticed her zoning out, eyes fixed on the back of Yvette and Jeremiah. It enraged him, knowing exactly who Winona was really focused on the guy who had stood up for Yvette at the auditorium.


    Victor mmed his cutlery down, the tter snapping Winona back to reality. When she saw the anger written across Victor¡¯s ashen face, her heart skipped a beat. She had been so absorbed in watching Yvette that she¡¯dpletely forgotten Victor was sitting right there


    Winona quickly tried to smooth things over with a sweet smile, tucking her hair behind her ear and speaking gently, as ifpletely unaware of Victor¡¯s anger. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Victor? Does the food not suit your taste today?¡±


    Jeremiah snorted coldly, staring straight at Winona with clear suspicion and anger in his eyes. ¡°Winona, why did youe to the cafeteria for lunch today?¡±


    Winona¡¯s hand clenched suddenly under the table, her face turning pale as she struggled to remain calm. ¡®Did Victor find out something?¡±


    Winona put on a sad expression, adding a slight sob to her voice, ¡°What are you talking about, Victor? I just heard they¡¯re serving pork ribs today, and everyone says they¡¯re really good. I thought I¡¯d bring you to try them. If you don¡¯t like them. that¡¯s fine, but why get upset with me?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Winona¡¯s acting skills were impressive. She could pull off a convincing emotional scene with ease. As Victor listened to her exnation, the doubt in his eyes slowly faded.


    Winona knew exactly what kind of girl Victor liked, and she had been ying the part perfectly. Victor was convinced that Winona was madly in love with him, willing to tolerate anything for his sake. Just like with the Sharon incident, he believed a little sweet talking would make Winona forgive him and not dig any deeper.


    ¡®How could a woman like her possibly fall for someone else? This thought made Victor¡¯s expression brighten, the rough


    K65%


    edges in his attitude softening. His tone became gentler.


    ¡°Winona, I was just asking. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to hug her. Winona yfully punched him. her voice shy as she said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s watching. It¡¯s not appropriate. Go back and finish your meal.¡±


    Seeing Winona¡¯s shy demeanor made Victor¡¯s heart flutter, and he nearly lost control right there in the cafeteria.


    ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯m not doing anything. Winona,e home with meter. My parents have been wanting to see you for a while. You skipped out on meeting my sisterst time, and she wasn¡¯t too happy about it. You should give her a call and apologize to smooth things over, okay?¡± Victor said.


    Winona was grinding her teeth in frustration, yet she had to keep a forced smile, thinking, ¡®Why should I apologize to


    Reba?


    Since childhood, Winona had always been inferior in front of Reba. Whenever there was a conflict, she was the one apologizing, always taking the me. After thest incident, Winona had thought that Victor would distance himself from Reba, but to her surprise, all it took was a limited edition can for him to act like nothing had happened. He treated Reba¡¯s words as if they were sacred, constantly saying, ¡°My sister said this,¡± or ¡°My sister said that¡­


    Winona was tired of hearing it all. She had her sights set on a new goal. She knew that if she could find someone wealthier and more powerful than Victor, her mom wouldn¡¯t push her to marry him.


    From the moment Winonaid eyes on Jeremiah, she was captivated. It wasn¡¯t just his striking looks and demeanor¨Cit was also the fact that he was close to Yvette. Winona was determined to win Jeremiah over, just to make Yvette truly feel heartbroken..


    Winona knew Nellie all too well. For as long as she could remember, besides loving Zachary, Nellie had only loved money and power. Nellie¡¯s determination to marry her off to Victor was all about securing the Carter family¡¯s influence in Seacrity.


    Winona put on a troubled expression and said, ¡°Victor, I¡¯m sorry. My mentor ising to Seacrity next week. I¡¯ve been at home painting to prepare myself for the apprenticeship ceremony. I need to stay focused, so I might not be able to visit your family. Please apologize to your parents on my behalf


    Victor understood the significance of the apprenticeship ceremony, so he didn¡¯t say much.


    Meanwhile, at the Principal¡¯s Office at Argrol University, Simon, Tobias, and Jimmy were all present.


    When Yvette knocked and entered, Jimmy quickly stood up, nervously straightening his clothes. Simon and Tobias exchanged puzzled looks. ¡®Why is Mr. Lowe acting so tense? After all, he is just meeting a young woman who hasn¡¯t even graduated yet. Why does he act like he is meeting someone important?¡±


    When Yvette strolled in casually, Jimmy immediately stepped forward respectfully and said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Yvette paused, took her hand out of her pocket, and politely replied, ¡°Hello,¡±


    Jimmy was ttered. Yvette didn¡¯t even show regard for their general manager, so he was quite surprised when Yvette was so polite to him. Besides, he might soon be working under her.


    After finishing her conversation with Jimmy, Yvette turned to Simon and Tobias, greeting them calmly, ¡°Hello, Mr. Simon Sundend and Mr. Tobias Sundend¡±


    If Jimmy hadn¡¯t seen Yvette confidently strutting around their casino with her carefree attitude and rebellious charm, he might have believed she was just a pretty, innocent student.


    Simon smiled warmly. He had grown a liking to Yvette since Siren had just sent him her third paper.


    Meanwhile, ever since the library and Frixyiapetition incidents, Tobias had held a consistently favorable opinion of Yvette. He didn¡¯t really see her as a typical student. More often, le viewed her as a peer, given her maturity and boldness beyond her years.


    ¡°Did you finish the physics problems I assigned you?¡± Tobias asked.


    Yvette nodded with a cheeky and rxed demeanor. ¡°I did, Mr. Sundend. Do you and Mr. Simon Sundend called for me


    Simon and Tobias both shook their heads.


    Werte quickly realized the situation. With three people in the room, if Tobias and Simon weren¡¯t seeking her out, then it must be the other man. She turned to Jimmy. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    Jimmy first nodded and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not me, Ms. Zeller. Our general manager asked me to send this document to you.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Although Yvette had an excellent memory, she wouldn¡¯t spend extra time thinking about things she didn¡¯t care about. With that, she didn¡¯t remember the person before her was the man who had followed Hector.


    Confusion was written over Yvette¡¯s face as she wondered, What general manager?


    The person I know should still be busy with new product research in Betrico. How could they ask a stranger to bring me something? Who is he?


    Jimmy quickly realized Yvette didn¡¯t remember him. He hurriedly tried to ease the


    nation, saying, ¡°Ms. Zeller, perhaps it¡¯s true people forget easily. I¡¯m the duty manager at Sky Nimbus. My surname is Lowe. We met at Sky Nimbus that day when I was with the general manager. Mr. Kirk.¡±


    After Yvette heard that, her expression turned cold. A trace of impatience appeared between her brows, and arrogance and sharpness were hidden in her demeanor.


    She could roughly guess why Hector sent Jimmy to meet her.


    Before Jimmy could state his purpose, Yvette interrupted, ¡°You can leave and take the stuff back with you. Tell Mr. Kirk I don¡¯t need #. Take care. I won¡¯t see you out. Then, she pointed at the door.


    Tobias pretended to cough several times and thought, ¡®She really doesn¡¯t hold anything back when speaking. They hardly spoke, but she was about to send the person out¡±


    Simon was indifferent and sat on the couch, notmenting on Yvette¡¯s attitude. He was somewhat curious about how she knew Hector from Sky Nimbus.


    Simon had met Hector once at Sky Nimbus in Betrico. He normally wouldn¡¯t go to such clubs, but he had to go due to special circumstances.


    During the gathering, he and Hector exchanged a few words. Although it was a brief conversation, he could tell thetter was capable and polite.


    He heard Hector had been abroad for a long time and only recently returned to develop Sky Nimbus, which had backing from the forces in Mysonna, so it was quite famous in Betrico. No one dared to cause them trouble.


    Sky Nimbus was impressive and lived up to its reputation, so it was worth visiting.


    Jimmy wouldn¡¯t dare go back and report empty-handed, unless he didn¡¯t want his job anymore.


    His transfer to the capital would be almost certain if hepleted today¡¯s task. Beforeing, he told himself it was all or nothing. He was determined to make Yvette ept the document regardless.


    Jimmy said tteringly, ¡°Ms. Zeller, would you like to read through before deciding?¡±


    Jimmy was confident that once anyone saw the contents, they couldn¡¯t refuse. After all, it was enormous wealth. As long as Yvette agreed, she would receive a constant flow of wealth-something many could only dream of but never obtain.


    Yvette¡¯s bright, blue eyes calmly gazed at Jimmy without any emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    After that, Jimmy was certain that she already knew the document¡¯s contents,


    It¡¯s undeniable that she¡¯s a student at Argrol University. Even if she¡¯s the daughter the Chambers family has found, how wealthy could she possibly be?


    She might be able take out 100 million dors topete with Ethan, but it¡¯s not the same as having a constant flow of money, which is free.


    ¡°Did you finish the physics problems I assigned you?¡± Tobias asked.


    Yvette nodded with a cheeky and rxed demeanor. ¡°I did. Mr. Sundend. Do you and Mr. Simon Sundend called for me?¡±


    Simon and Tobias both shook their heads.


    Yvette quickly realized the situation. With three people in the room, if Tobias and Simon weren¡¯t seeking her out, then it must be the other man. She turned to Jimmy. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    Jimmy first nodded and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not me, Ms. Zeller. Our general manager asked me to send this document to you.


    Although Yvette had an excellent memory, she wouldn¡¯t spend extra time thinking about things she didn¡¯t care about. With that, she didn¡¯t remember the person before her was the man who had followed Hector.


    Confusion was written over Yvette¡¯s face as she wondered, ¡®What general manager?


    The person I know should still be busy with new product research in Betrico. How could they ask a stranger to bring me something? Who is he?


    Jimmy quickly realized Yvette didn¡¯t remember him. He hurriedly tried to ease the situation, saying, ¡°Ms. Zeller, perhaps it¡¯s true people forget easily. I¡¯m the duty manager at Sky Nimbus. My surname is Lowe. We met at Sky Nimbus that day when I was with the general manager. Mr. Kirk


    After Yvette heard that, her expression turned cold. A trace of impatience appeared between her brows, and arrogance and sharpness were hidden in her demeanor.


    She could roughly guess why Hector sent Jimmy to meet her.


    Before Jimmy could state his purpose, Yvette interrupted, ¡°You can leave and take the stuff back with you. Tell Mr. Kirk I don¡¯t need it. Take care. I won¡¯t see you out.¡± Then, she pointed at the door.


    Tobias pretended to cough several times and thought, She really doesn¡¯t hold anything back when speaking. They hardly spoke, but she was about to send the person out.¡±


    Simon was indifferent and sat on the couch, notmenting on Yvette¡¯s attitude. He was somewhat curious about how she knew Hector from Sky Nimbus.


    Simon had met Hector once at Sky Nimbus in Betrico. He normally wouldn¡¯t go to such clubs, but he had to go due to special circumstances.


    During the gathering, he and Hector exchanged a few words. Although it was a brief conversation, he could tell thetter was capable and polite.


    He heard Hector had been abroad for a long time and only recently returned to develop Sky Nimbus, which had backing from the forces in Mysonna, so it was quite famous in Betrico. No one dared to cause them trouble.


    Sky Nimbus was impressive and lived up to its reputation, so it was worth visiting.


    Jimmy wouldn¡¯t dare go back and report empty-handed, unless he didn¡¯t want his job anymore.


    His transfer to the capital would be almost certain if hepleted today¡¯s task. Beforeing, he told himself it was all or nothing. He was determined to make Yvette ept the document regardless.


    Jimmy said tteringly, ¡°Ms. Zeller, would you like to read through before deciding?¡±


    Jimmy was confident that once anyone saw the contents, they couldn¡¯t refuse. After all, it was enormous wealth. As long as Yvette agreed, she would receive a constant flow of wealth-something many could only dream of but never obtain.


    Yvette¡¯s bright, blue eyes calmly gazed at Jimmy without any emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    After that, Jimmy was certain that she already knew the document¡¯s contents.


    It¡¯s undeniable that she¡¯s a student at Argrol University. Even if she¡¯s the daughter the Chambers family has found, how wealthy could she possibly be?


    ¡®She might be able to take out 100 million dors topete with Ethan, but it¡¯s not the same as having a constant flow of money, which is free.


    ¡°Why would anyone think too much money is a problem? Jimmy thought and couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Kirk specifically instructed me to discuss this with you. Please take a look so I can report back,¡± he pleaded.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As Jimmy spoke, he was about to kneel, and Tobias knew this couldn¡¯t happen and thought, What will people think of Yvette if word gets out? He quickly stepped forward to pull Jimmy up


    Jimmy felt he had no choice but to go all in, hoping to gamble on Yvette¡¯spassion.


    ¡°Yverte, could you please take a quick look? It would really help Mr. Lowe out,¡± asked Tobias,


    Given how spontaneous Yvette could be, Tobias wasn¡¯t sure if she would heed his advice. However, he couldn¡¯t stand watching someone kneel like that.


    Yvette nced at Tobias before at Jimmy, who seemed on the verge of tears. Feeling frustrated, she extended her tanned hand and signaled to him.


    Jimmy quickly jumped to his feet and handed over the documents. ¡°Here you are, Ms. Zeller. Please take your time? Yvette gave Jimmy a meaningful look and whispered in a voice only the two could hear, ¡°Next time, if you like kneeling so much, just stay down and don¡¯t get up.¡±


    A shiver ran down Jimmy¡¯s spine when he heard those words. Yvette clearly saw through his little scheme.


    Jimmy suddenly remembered the fate of the Brooks family and was too scared to speak. He stood quietly at the side while Yvette read the documents.


    Yvette read through the documents thoroughly. As she had suspected, Hector wanted to separate Heavenly Pavilion in Seacrity from the headquarters and gift it to her-something she had anticipated long ago.


    She thought so because the entire business scale of Sky Nimbus was her idea, and the currentyout was just like the drawing she had made when she was six years old


    Yvette read over a dozen pages in less than five minutes.


    She tossed the documents to Jimmy, who caught them nervously. Trembling, he said, ¡°Mr. Kirk asked me to tell you that you must ept Sky Nimbus in Seacrity. He said it rightfully belongs to you, and if you refuse, he might have to return to handle this personally


    Although Jimmy wasn¡¯t sure why Hector imed it belonged to Yvette, he didn¡¯t dare ask further. It wasn¡¯t something at lowly duty manager like him should question.


    Simon hadpletely lost his earlier calmness and was surprised.


    Tobias was even more shocked, his mouth agape.


    ¡®Hector will give the branch in Seacrity to Yvette. We¡¯re not talking about several hundred thousand dors here. It¡¯s at least several million dors just given away like that.


    Sky Nimbus is a gold mine. Yvette will have a continuous source of ie as long as it¡¯s open. This isn¡¯t just a gift. It¡¯s like hitting the jackpot. Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by that? Tobias eximed inwardly.


    Tobias rubbed his ears and was sure he hadn¡¯t heard wrongly


    He eximed inwardly, I can¡¯t believe Yvette actually refused without even looking at it. This work is crazy. No, she¡¯s crazy.


    Hector knew Yvette¡¯s temperament very well. She definitely wouldn¡¯t want it if he gave it to her like this. Only by saying it in this way right she consider epting it.


    Yvette rubbed her temples and thought, Is Simon giving me this aspensation? I really don¡¯t need it.


    When it came to money. Yvette¡¯s bank ount in Mysonma probably had so many digits that she couldn¡¯t count them all. She could easily buy as many Sky Nimbuses as she wanted.


    ¡°To others, it was something they could only dream of, but Yvette didn¡¯t want to ept it to avoid trouble.


    Simon, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly said, ¡°If Yvette doesn¡¯t want it, forget about it. She¡¯s still studying and has no time to manage Sky Nimbus. Mr. Lowe, please leave. Tell him I said Yvette is still young and should prioritize her studies. She¡¯ll decide whether to ept the shares after she graduates.¡±


    Seeing Yvette had decided and Simon supported her, Jimmy cdldn¡¯t insist on staying. He could only excuse himself and report this matter back to Hector.


    After Jimmy left. Yvette turned and politely thanked Simon.


    Simon let Tobias leave first and asked Yvette to stay.


    The two sat on the couch, and Simon casually poured Yvette a cup of coffee, its subtle aroma wafting in the air.


    Simon stared thoughtfully at Yvette before asking. ¡°Are you Siren?¡±

 Chapter 72

    Yvette¡¯s expression hardened as she set her coffee cup on the table, the sound of a quiet but deliberate click that filled the tense silence. Her lingers lingered on the rim for a moment, tracing its edge, before she finally raised her gaze, eyes sharp and piercing. Yet, she said nothing.


    Simon rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the stress from the past few weeks pressing down on him. It fueled his desperation to find Siren. How old is Yvette, anyway? How could she possibly be Siren? he thought to himself.


    ¡°I am,¡± Yvette said, breaking the silence.


    ¡°You can go ba¡± Simon stopped mid¨Csentence, freezing in disbelief. His eyes shot up to meet hers, his expression a Tumultuous mix of shock and confusion.


    Alwaysposed and graceful, he now struggled to regain his control. His voice trembled as he stammered, ¡°Yvette, you¡­ What did you just say? Say it again.¡± He stared at her intently, searching her eyes for some kind of exnation that would make sense of this revtion.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers, which had been tapping a steady rhythm on the table, suddenly stilled. She lifted her gaze, cold and detached, her voice t and almost indifferent. ¡°I am Siren.¡±


    Those three words hit Simon like a thunderp. He remained motionless and speechless as the weight of the revtion settled over him. At over fifty, he found himself surprisingly at a loss, grappling with a truth he had never expected.


    The person he had been searching for was right in front of him all along. Yvette wasn¡¯t just acquainted with Siren¨Cshe was Siren, the physics genius that James had admired so much. It all made sense now, including the email he received from Siren right after Yvette went to the police station.


    If Yvette was indeed Siren, then it wasn¡¯t just physics in which she excelled. She probably had a deep knowledge ofworks too¨Cmaybe even hacking. The whole thing was mind¨Cboggling, yet Simon didn¡¯t doubt her for a second; this was a truth that couldn¡¯t be fabricated.


    ¡°Am I the only one who knows?¡± he asked urgently. ¡°Did you only tell me?¡±


    Yvette nodded. Her expression was indifferent, as if the weight of this revtion meant little to her. To her, it was simply a matter of no one bothering to ask; she had never intended to keep it a secret. Yvette disliked unnecessary trouble.


    Simon clutched his chest and sank into a chair, taking a moment topose himself. ¡°Yvette¡­ No, Siren, do you know that James Owens from the National Physics Lab in Betrico has been searching for you?¡±


    He then continued, ¡°Mr. Owens¡® desperate to find you, and even¡­ Forget I said that. But the country needs a mind like yours. You could help advance our nation, make it stronger.¡±


    Yvette remained silent; her expression unchanged. From the moment Simon uncovered her true identity, everything shifted. He could no longer see Yvette as just a student. She had be something much greater in his eyes.


    Leaning forward, his tone turned deeply sincere. ¡°Mr. Owens is eager to recruit you. He said theb¡¯s doors will always be open to you¨Cwhenever you¡¯re ready! After speaking, Simon looked at Yvette with intense determination, as if a fire had been lit inside hum


    Yvette¡¯s gaze fell, and she withdrew her hand from the table, T¡¯m not interested, she said tly.


    Simon had learned not to push her: Yvette wasn¡¯t someone to be pressured. Who knew what unpredictable path she might take if he did? He let out a sigh, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in his chest


    ¡°Can you at least think about it and give me an answer by tomorrow?¡± His tone was almost pleading, stripped of any pretense. He didn¡¯t care. After everything he¡¯d gone through to find her, a little humility was worth the risk


    Yvette didn¡¯t respond, but a flicker of irritation crossed her face, Simon pressed on. I¡¯ll keep your secret, but there¡¯s one person I can¡¯t hide it from¨CMr. Owens, He¡¯s getting older, and this search has worn him down. I owe it to him to tell him the truth, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Just then, a knock on the door broke the tension. Simon quicklyposed himself, slipping back into his usual stern demeanor. ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened, and Patrick stepped in, surprised to find Yvette seated on the couch. Ever since the Sky Nimbus incident, he had harbored suspicions about the rtionship between Simon and Yvette.


    Why else would Simon have rushed to the police station that day? Something¡¯s going on. What exactly is their connection?¡± Patrick thought, his mind racing with possibilities.


    He gave Yvette a brief, assessing nce before turning his attention back to Simon ¡°Mr. Sundend, Lewis Group will meet with you in ten minutes to discuss the talent exchange program for next quarter,¡± he stated, trying to keep his tone neutral.


    Simon nodded, his mind clearly elsewhere, still lingering on the conversation with Yvette. ¡°Got it,¡± he replied, waving Patrick away dismissively.


    But instead of leaving. Patrick lingered just outside the door, curiosity getting the better of him as he hoped to catch more of their conversation. He heard Simon say, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you.


    Unable to resist, Patrick moved closer, straining to eavesdrop. Just then, the door swung open unexpectedly, and he nearly stumbled into Simon, who stood in the doorway, an icy re directed at him. ¡°Mr. Williams, is there something else?¡± Simon said coldly.


    Caught in the act, Patrick let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Oh, I just remembered something, Mr. Sundend. I was going to knock again. Just wanted to remind you about your trip to Betrico next week¡­ Ipletely forgot.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    His excuse felt ridiculous, and even Yvette, sitting in the room, smirked at the absurdity. Her amusement only deepened Patrick¡¯s embarrassment.


    Why is Yvette sofortable, sitting there like she belongs, while I, the dean of Argrol University, am standing here being lectured?¡® he thought bitterly. With every passing moment, his sense of shame.deepened, apanied by growing resentment toward Yvette.


    Simon wasn¡¯t fooled by Patrick¡¯s excuse. Normally, travel arrangements were handled by someone else. Patrick had no business mentioning it. But with Yvette present, Simon held back from reprimanding him.


    The office was soundproofed, so he wasn¡¯t worried about Patrick overhearing anything important. There¡¯s no need to concern yourself with that. Leo handles the details.¡±


    Now visibly uneasy, Patrick nodded and hurried out. He knew better than to eavesdrop again. Simon had no tolerance for nonsense. Getting caught a second time might cost him his job.


    The more he reflected on his mistake, the more anxious he became. For days afterward, he made sure to avoid Simon, like a mouse dodging a cat


    Once Patrick had left, Simon turned back to Yvette. ¡°About what said, you¡­.¡± But Yvette was already on her feet Without a word, she moved paar summon and walked out, her long legs carrying her swiftly from the ulice. She paused briefly at the door before exiting

 Chapter 73

    ¡°Whatever. Just tell the people at Betrico to stop tracking my information. If it happens again, there will be consequences. Yvette slid her hands into her pockets, opened the door, and walked out.


    After she left, Simon sat on the couch for a full ten minutes, motionless. His expression shifted as he wrestled with hist thoughts, and finally, he seemed to reach a decision. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and walked over to the office phone, dialing the number for Betrico.


    The phone rang several times before a deep, seasoned voice answered. ¡°Simon, do you have news about Siren?¡±


    Simon hesitated, his tone heavy. ¡°Yes, Mr. Owens. L¡­ I have news about Siren.


    They spoke for nearly half an hour. By the time Simon hung up, his hand ached from holding the receiver. He sighed, reflecting on the conversation.


    James had repeatedly emphasized not to pressure Yvette. He insisted that once his current experiment was finished, he would personallye to Seacrity. In the meantime, James urged Simon to make Yvette¡¯s life asfortable as possible-


    her in any way, whether in her studies or daily life.


    support


    Simon let out a bitter chuckle. Yvette¡¯s refusal to join the physicsb wasn¡¯t some coy act. James had asked him to try to


    convince her.


    ¡°But convince her with what?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®Money? She casually handled deals worth 100 million dors. Mr. Kirk from Sky Nimbus even offered her shares, and she couldn¡¯t have cared less. Power? Jeremiah clearly had his sights set on her, and who could challenge his influence?


    ¡®And Yvette herself? She didn¡¯t care about money, power, or fame. If she did, she would have revealed her identity as Siren long ago instead of waiting for me to ask, he thought.


    James sounded desperate, and Simon knew that if it weren¡¯t for the importance of the experiment, he would have rushed back from Betrico by now. But even if he did return, Simon doubted the oue would change. He sighed again, staring out the window of his office.


    Meanwhile, at the Carter residence, Robert and Yulia sat before avish dinner spread, but neither touched their food. They wore tight expressions, especially Robert, whose features hardened with anger.


    Yulia sat silently, afraid to make a sound. Robert had hit her many times in the past, especially in the early years when he took out his frustrations on her after dealing with ude.


    As their children, Victor and Reba, grew older, Robert had cut back on the physical abuse-at least in front of them. But behind closed doors, Yulia still asionally bore the scars of his rage. Over time, she had grown used to it, enduring in silence.


    Suddenly, Robert threw his fork down, the loud tter startling Yulia. Her flinch only fueled his anger. ¡®Other men¡¯s wives support their husbands and help them with their problems. And what does she do? Spa treatments, poker games, shopping. What good is she for? Robert thought


    He made Yulia go find Yvette to break off the engagement. She had been dragging her feet and still hadn¡¯t done it, which only fueled Robert¡¯s anger. He red at her, his tone sharp. ¡°Have you talked to Yvette about ending the engagement yet?


    Yulia¡¯s face went pale. She had hesitated to speak to Yvette, partly out of respect for her friendship with Lilian. She didnt want to embarrass Lilian¡¯s daughter, which is why she had dyed her visit.


    But deep down, she knew Robert would never allow Victor to marry Yvette-someone with no talent, no connections, and no real support, especiallypared to someone like Winona After a long pause, Yulia stammered, ¡°Since she¡¯s Lilian¡¯s daughter, maybe we could want a litle longes-¡±


    Robert cut her off sharply, his voice dripping with venom. ¡°Quit wasting time! Lilian¡¯s been dead for how many years now? She didn¡¯t care about her daughter when she ran off with Zachary and abandoned the Chambers family. So why are you pretending to care now?¡±


    He continued, ¡°Lilian gave up her title as Mrs. Chambers. Do you think that¡¯s our problem now? Get your things together and go to Argrol University. I heard Yvette¡¯s in the physics department. Go straight to her and settle this once and for all.¡±


    Robert¡¯s frustration boiled over. This entire mess stemmed from ude¡¯s insistence that Victor marry Yvette,plicated further by a marriage contract Lilian had drawn up years ago. Lipless Yvette agreed to void it, the arrangement would stand.


    But Robert had no intention of letting Victor marry her. After Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony next week, Robert nned to let Victor propose to her. He wanted all of Seacrity to know that the Carter family had secured such a prestigious match with Winona, thest student epted by the Art Association president.


    As for ude, Robert had already decided to act first and deal with the falloutter. By then, it would be toote for anyone to object.


    Trembling with fear, Yulia quickly nodded and stood up, grabbing her purse from the couch. She didn¡¯t want to linger, terrified that Robert mightsh out again. ¡°Wait!¡± he called.


    Yulia froze, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Robert looked at her with disdain. She seemed old, timid, and weak. She couldn¡¯tpare to the vibrant energy his younger mistress exuded. Take the engagement letter with you. Have Yvette sign it. If she does, this whole thing ends.


    He added, ¡°If she refuses, offer her a check-whatever she wants, within reason. Just get this done before it messes with Victor and Winona¡¯s wedding ns. After next week¡¯s ceremony, I¡¯ll make the engagement official.¡±


    It was clear Robert had already made up his mind. Yulia had no choice but toply. She went upstairs to retrieve the engagement letter, then called for the driver to take her to Argrol University.


    At the university¡¯s physics department, Yulia hadn¡¯t told Victor about her visit. She hoped to handle the situation quietly and avoid embarrassing Yvette. After asking around, she finally found her way to the ssroom.


    Yulia had seen pictures of Yvette beforehand. She resembled Lilian, who was stunning with a cool, aloof demeanor. But as Yulia peered into the room, she didn¡¯t see Yvette anywhere. Someone with her looks would stand out in any crowd. Unsure what to do, Yulia nervously paced outside the door.


    Bonnie and Andrew had just finished lunch and parted ways with John. On her way back to the ssroom, Bonnie noticed a woman in her forties standing at the door, looking lost. Curious, she approached with a friendly smile. ¡°Hi, are you looking for someone?


    Yulia turned to see a cute youngdy, clearly a student. She smiled politely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking for Yvette. Do you happen to know her!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Bonnie nodded, thinking to herself, ¡°Why is everyone after Yvette today? She then replied, ¡°Yeah, I know her. She should be on her way back from the Principal¡¯s office. Would you like toe in and wait?¡±


    Flustered, Yulia quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll just wait out here. But thank you for the offer.


    Just then, Bonnie¡¯s gaze drifted down the hallway. She pointed, and Yulia followed her line of sight. When she saw who was approaching, her expression froze.

 Chapter 74

    Yulia looked at the girl walking from afar, and for a fleeting moment, she thought it was a young Lilian. They looked so much alike, especially those eyes, as if they were carved from the same mold. However, the girl in front of her was even more beautiful than Lilian.


    ¡°Yves, you¡¯re back! The next ss is with Top Dog. I thought you might not make it! Bonnie said.


    Yvette nodded slightly and lifted her eyes, aid¨Cback expression in her gaze. She looked at Yulia, who was staring at her in a daze.


    Yulia was wearing thetest fashion from LV. Although she was in her fifties, she was well¨Cmaintained. Apart from a few visible wrinkles on her face, she looked lively.


    When Yulia noticed Yvette looking at her, she suddenly became tongue¨Ctied.


    Bonnie, looking puzzled, whispered, ¡®Yve, thisdy came to find you. Don¡¯t you know her?¡±


    Yvette turned slightly, revealing a portion of her wrist. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked in a chilly andzy tone.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Noticing that people around were starting to nce in their direction, Yulia quickly introduced herself, ¡°Hello, Yvette. I¡¯m Yulia, Victor¡¯s mother, and¡­ and your mother¡¯s close friend.


    Last time on the basketball courty¨Cshe had spoken ill of Yvette to appease Victor. Yulia didn¡¯t know the full story, only that Yvene had gotten involved, which angered her. She felt Yvette shouldn¡¯t have helped outsiders go against Victor. Later, after calming down, she realized Reba was right. Victor¡¯s spoiled nature was her doing, and he deserved some setbacks.


    Time had passed, and Yulia no longer harbored those feelings. Seeing Yvette in person now stirred some old memories. Lilian had treated her kindly back then, viewing her as a close friend, though their rtionship could never reach a heart¨Cto- heart level due to too many entangled interests. Yulia could never truly be sincere with Lilian.


    After hearing Yulia¡¯s words, Yvette¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, exuding a cold aura that made Yulia feel uneasy. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cafe outside the campus, Yvette said. Then, she tilted her head and said to Bonnie, ¡°Tell Jeremiah I have something to do and won¡¯t make it to ss.¡±


    Bonnie, still a bit dazed, nodded and said, ¡°Got it, Yve


    After they left, Bonnie pped her own head and thought, ¡°How stupid of me!¡± She hadn¡¯t expected that the woman was Victor¡¯s mother. They didn¡¯t look alike at all. Bonnie didn¡¯t know that Victor had inherited his looks from the paternal side of the family.


    But why did his mothere to find Yve? It must be a scheme, an absolute conspiracy!¡® she thought.


    While Bonnie was muttering to herself, Jeremiah approached with a textbook in hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Yvette?¡± he asked, startling


    Bonnie


    She clutched her chest in surprise. ¡®Why did Top Dog walk so quietly like a ghost?¡¯ she wondered,


    By now, Bonnie wasn¡¯t as nervous around Jeremiah as before. After some hesitation, she decided to tell him about Victor¡¯s mother seeking out Yvette. She thought, ¡®One can never know someone¡¯s true intentions, and what if that woman tried to threaten Yve? Just like in those TV dramas where money gets thrown at people, followed by angry threats. I¡¯ll go all out for Yve¡¯safety!


    Jeremiah frowned slightly when he saw the determined look on Bonnie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Top Dog, just now Victor¡¯s mother came to see Yve. They went to the Heartbeat Gale next to the campus, Bonnie said, while mentally assuring herself that she wasn¡¯t tattling.


    In an instant, Jeremiah¡¯s eyes deepened like an unfathomable abyss. Someone from the Carter family? he thought.


    In the cafe, Yvette and Yulia sat by the window. From Yvette¡¯s seat she could see the school¡¯s que with the words ¡°Teach and Educate inscribed by Simon, hanging at the school entrance.


    Yvette ordered a milkshake, since she preferred its sweetness over coffee. Meanwhile, Yulia chose an Americano.


    For the first five minutes, neither of them spoke. Yvette sat with her legs crossed, head lowered, lost in thought. Yulia considered reminding her to sit properly, but she hesitated and decided against it. Ufortably fidgeting with her handbag. Yulia reminded herself of why she was there and felt a pang of guilt as she looked at the girl in front of her.


    Another five minutes passed.


    Yulia¡¯s coffee was almost gone, but Yvette still hadn¡¯t spoken. Finally, unable to wait any longer, Yulia carefully began, Yvette, I¡¯m here today because of the marriage agreement Lilian and I made between you and Victor. You know that when Lilian was five months pregnant, she disappeared, and you were inissing for over twenty years. Because of that, with your father¡¯s consent, the marriage arrangement was transferred to Winona. This matter has long been settled. Plus, Victor and Winona have developed deep feelings for each other over the years. As parents, we can¡¯t break them up over a mere agreement. I¡¯m here today to¡­ to make it clear that the engagement will be called off.¡±


    Yulia finished in one breath, not daring to look at Yvette¡¯s face afterward. She knew it wasn¡¯t the right thing for the Carter family to do and had prepared herself for Yvette¡¯s reaction. Thepensation promised by Robert was set at 15 million dors, but Yulia privately decided to add an extra 1.5 million dors, as a nod to her old friendship with Lilian.


    Yvette sipped her milkshake, stretchedzily, and yawned.


    Yulia had expected Yvette to be furious, to use her, or even cry and throw a tantrum over the engagement. She thought Yvette might demand an exorbitant amount of money aspensation. But Yvette¡¯s calm reaction shattered all her expectations.


    ¡°Oh, I wish Victor and Winona a long and happy marriage and lots of kids. Yvette said, putting down her empty cup and getting up to leave.


    Her interrupted nap time had left her in a bad mood.


    Yulia quickly called her back, nervously continuing, ¡°Yvette, you might not know this, but your mother left behind a marriage agreement. Did she give it to you?¡±


    Yvette thought for a moment. A marriage agreement? she wondered. Then, she recalled that she had probably given to someone in the vige who needed something to start a fire with back then. She didn¡¯t remember it clearly. Either way, it had probably been thrown away or ended up in some trash can in the vige by now


    ¡°I threw it away. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t resurface, Yvette said


    Yulia didn¡¯t believe her. She thought, ¡®How could such an important document be carelessly discarded? Is Yvette nning to use it for some scheme, like demanding more money? With that thought, Yulia¡¯s guilt lessened..


    ¡°Yvette, maybe you just forgot where it is. Why don¡¯t you think again? Oh, and I brought this check for you today,¡± Yulia said, pulling out a check for 16.5 million dors from her bag and pushing it toward Yvette.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes shed with amusement. Why did people keep trying to throw money at her? Did she look poor?


    Yvette definitely did look poor, Yulia had noticed her old, worn¨Cout canvas shoes and assumed she was living in rough conditions. She lud forgotten about the things Reba had mentioned about Yvette.


    Yvette picked up the check. Seeing that, Yulia¡¯s expression brightened. As expected, how could Yvette turn down 16.5 million dors? Yulia thought.


    Yvette dangled the check between two fingers, waving it arrogantly in front of Yulia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mrs. Carier, do you think this is a

 Chapter 75

    Yulia¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡®Does she think it¡¯s not enough?¡¯ she wondered.


    Yulia felt that Yvette was being greedy, and her tone changed slightly, bing sharper. ¡°Yvette, though this amount isn¡¯t much, it¡¯s more than enough for most people for a lifetime,¡± she said. Her words, both overtly and subtly, used Yvette of insatiable greed.


    Yvette tossed the check over. Though it was just a light sheet. Yulia felt a cold gust apany its descent, causing a bead of cold sweat to trickle from her temple.


    ¡°This money. Yvette said.


    ¡°Consider this money as a wedding gift from me and Yvette to Victor and Winona. We wish them a long, happy marriage and many children. Mrs. Carter, you should take it back. It¡¯s too little to be offered, or others might think the Carter family has gone bankrupt,¡± Jeremiah interrupted Yvette. His sudden appearance made Yvette pause slightly.


    It doesn¡¯t matter, the meaning is the same anyway. But weren¡¯t the one who wished them a long, happy marriage? How unoriginal of this diningpanion to reuse that she thought.


    Yulia was shocked. Who¡¯s talking?¡¯ she wondered. When she turned and saw Jeremiah walking over, she was utterly stunned by his appearance. Who¡¯s this guy?¡¯ she thought.


    Refined and powerful was Yulia¡¯s first impression of Jeremiah. His looks surpassed any wealthy heir she had ever met


    Jeremiah wore a light-colored casual outfit, a crisp white shirt, and wrinkle-free trousers. With a cold gaze, he swept over Yulia indifferently, his expression dismissive and aloof


    Yulia felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Not knowing his identity. Yulia dared not act superior. She cautiously asked, ¡°And you are!¡±


    Jeremiah couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond and instead looked directly at Yvette. His gaze was calm as water, but a hint of affection in his eyes betrayed him. ¡°Are you done? Let¡¯s go back to school. The next ss is Mr. Sundend¡¯s. If you¡¯rete. he¡¯ll startining about you again, he said.


    Jeremiah¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t a question. It was a statement. Yvette didn¡¯t find it inappropriate either, so she responded with a hum


    As they reached the door, Yvette turned to look at Yulia, who was still sitting dumbfounded. ¡°Before my mother left Seacrity. did shee to see you?¡± she asked.


    Yulia stiffly turned around, looking conflicted. Indeed, before Lilian left, she hade to see Yulia. But she hadn¡¯t said much, just one odd sentence, warning Yulia not to trust her father-inw. Then, she left in a hurry. ¡°Yes,¡± Yulia replied,


    A flicker of light shed through Yvette¡¯s eyes. She had asked casually, but had unexpectedly hit the mark. She had discovered that back then, Lilian had been closest to Yulia, so she asked on a whim. She hadn¡¯t expected to gain any useful information.


    Tell me what my mother said to you, and I guarantee that the marriage agreement will never resurface, Yvette said. In reality, the agreement was long gone. She was merely bluffing.


    As expected, Yulia hesitated no more. The person was already dead. What harm could it do to spill the secrets!


    She said, ¡°Your mother came to see me the night before she left. It was raining heavily in Seacrity. She braved the rain find me, and all she said was one confusing sentence: Be careful. Be careful of your father-inw.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Yulia probably wasn¡¯t lying. Even if she were, she wouldn¡¯t make up something so unbelievable. What did Lilian¡¯s death have to do with ude? Some truths were slowlying to light


    Having learned what she needed, Yvette turned and left without looking back.


    When they left the cafe, Jeremiah mentioned going to buy some books from a nearby street. Yvette wasn¡¯t really interested in attending ss anyway, especially after Jeremiah offered to help her get permission from Tobias. She agreed to apany him


    On the shaded path, the scorching sum baked the earth. Apart from a few workers, there were only a handful of people around. Few students from Argrol University were outside at this time, as most were attending sses. Still, that didn¡¯t stop them from attracting countless admiring nces. They were used to the attention and paid no mind.


    Walking side by side at a rxed pace, both remained silent.


    ¡°You have a marriage agreement? Is it still around?¡± Jeremiah broke the silence first.


    Yvette¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as she recalled. ¡°I used it to light a fire for the neighbor¡¯s kid in the countryside. It¡¯s long gone,¡± she replied


    Yvette¡¯s voice was as soft as a willow branch touching the water in early spring, stirring ripples in the pond. It was also like a tiny feather, gently tickling Jeremiah¡¯s heart.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes noticeably brightened, a hint of satisfaction flickering within. The marriage agreement didn¡¯t matter to him Whoever he set his sights on wouldn¡¯t be influenced by some trivial document. However, knowing that Yvette had burned it made him inexplicably happy. It meant she had never intended to marry into the Carter family.


    Yvette turned her head and wondered, ¡°What¡¯s he smiling about How odd. Did I say something funny?¡±


    Jeremiah was browsing books, nning to buy a few foreign ssics to read. If he didn¡¯t, Yvette might think he was just messing with her,ing to the bookstore and not buying anything.


    Yvette wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the ssics, having already read most of them. Thus, she found a sunny spot to sit and wait for Jeremiah. With her head lowered, she dozed off.


    Yvette had mastered the art of sleeping while sitting. During those years in Mysonna, any chance to rest was a luxury. She could sleep through anything, even explosions.


    Suddenly, a shadow fell over her.


    Yvette had long noticed someone approaching but didn¡¯t raise her head, sensing no malice from the


    person.


    A voice came. I¡¯m sorry, Yvette.


    Yvette snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, her expression indifferent. The person standing in front of her was Ryan.


    After that night, Ryan had been avoiding Yvette, taking a leave of absence. Today, he came back to school to cancel his leave. As he was passing by a bookstore, intending to buy a couple of books, he unexpectedly saw Yvette sitting in a corner, bathed in sunlight, looking less cold and unbelievably beautiful. Her delicate profile glowed.


    Ryan had stood there for a while before mustering the courage to approach her. He owed Yvette an apology. He had betrayed his conscience and wronged her.


    That night, after revealing Yvette¡¯s name, Ryan couldn¡¯t sleep. The next day, he wanted to go to the police station to exin, but his father, Lionel, had locked him in the house with bodyguards watching him until yesterday. It was then that Lionel finally relented and let him out.


    Ryan had been puzzled. Knowing his father, Lionel would never have released him if he hadn¡¯tplied. Then, after getting his phone back and going online, Ryan learned that Daniel had fallen from power, and the Brooks family had copsed. Ethan had been sent abroad by his family.


    He had underestimated Yvette. To have orchestrated Daniel¡¯s downfall, causing his faction to crumble overnight. How could that be the work of a girl from the countryside?


    Yvette¡¯s ideained a mystery to Ryan. Though she was safe, he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for his betrayal


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Yvette asked.


    Ryan wasn¡¯t sure how to apologize to a girl. This wasn¡¯t how he had envisioned the scene. For the first time, the academic star began to doubt himself.


    He thought perhaps Yvette didn¡¯t know why he was apologizing, so he exined, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m sorry. I betrayed you. Daniel approached my father, and I¡­ I failed to stand my ground and gave up my principles. I caused you trouble. After speaking, Ryan bowed his head deeply.


    He was waiting for Yvette¡¯s judgment.


    At that moment, Yvette¡¯s phone buzzed in her pocket. She nced at it. It was a text message: [Boss, Flying Fish¡¯s in trouble. I need to go to South EYulia¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡®Does she think it¡¯s not enough?¡¯ she wondered.


    Yulia felt that Yvette was being greedy, and her tone changed slightly, bing sharper. ¡°Yvette, though this amount isn¡¯t much, it¡¯s more than enough for most people for a lifetime,¡± she said. Her words, both overtly and subtly, used Yvette of insatiable greed.


    Yvette tossed the check over. Though it was just a light sheet. Yulia felt a cold gust apany its descent, causing a bead of cold sweat to trickle from her temple.


    ¡°This money. Yvette said.


    ¡°Consider this money as a wedding gift from me and Yvette to Victor and Winona. We wish them a long, happy marriage and many children. Mrs. Carter, you should take it back. It¡¯s too little to be offered, or others might think the Carter family has gone bankrupt,¡± Jeremiah interrupted Yvette. His sudden appearance made Yvette pause slightly.


    It doesn¡¯t matter, the meaning is the same anyway. But weren¡¯t the one who wished them a long, happy marriage? How unoriginal of this diningpanion to reuse that she thought.


    Yulia was shocked. Who¡¯s talking?¡¯ she wondered. When she turned and saw Jeremiah walking over, she was utterly stunned by his appearance. Who¡¯s this guy?¡¯ she thought.


    Refined and powerful was Yulia¡¯s first impression of Jeremiah. His looks surpassed any wealthy heir she had ever met


    Jeremiah wore a light-colored casual outfit, a crisp white shirt, and wrinkle-free trousers. With a cold gaze, he swept over Yulia indifferently, his expression dismissive and aloof


    Yulia felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Not knowing his identity. Yulia dared not act superior. She cautiously asked, ¡°And you are!¡±


    Jeremiah couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond and instead looked directly at Yvette. His gaze was calm as water, but a hint of affection in his eyes betrayed him. ¡°Are you done? Let¡¯s go back to school. The next ss is Mr. Sundend¡¯s. If you¡¯rete. he¡¯ll startining about you again, he said.


    Jeremiah¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t a question. It was a statement. Yvette didn¡¯t find it inappropriate either, so she responded with a humAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    As they reached the door, Yvette turned to look at Yulia, who was still sitting dumbfounded. ¡°Before my mother left Seacrity. did shee to see you?¡± she asked.


    Yulia stiffly turned around, looking conflicted. Indeed, before Lilian left, she hade to see Yulia. But she hadn¡¯t said much, just one odd sentence, warning Yulia not to trust her father-inw. Then, she left in a hurry. ¡°Yes,¡± Yulia replied,


    A flicker of light shed through Yvette¡¯s eyes. She had asked casually, but had unexpectedly hit the mark. She had discovered that back then, Lilian had been closest to Yulia, so she asked on a whim. She hadn¡¯t expected to gain any useful information.


    Tell me what my mother said to you, and I guarantee that the marriage agreement will never resurface, Yvette said. In reality, the agreement was long gone. She was merely bluffing.


    As expected, Yulia hesitated no more. The person was already dead. What harm could it do to spill the secrets!


    She said, ¡°Your mother came to see me the night before she left. It was raining heavily in Seacrity. She braved the rain find me, and all she said was one confusing sentence: Be careful. Be careful of your father-inw.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Yulia probably wasn¡¯t lying. Even if she were, she wouldn¡¯t make up something so unbelievable. What did Lilian¡¯s death have to do with ude? Some truths were slowlying to light


    Having learned what she needed, Yvette turned and left without looking back.


    When they left the cafe, Jeremiah mentioned going to buy some books from a nearby street. Yvette wasn¡¯t really interested in attending ss anyway, especially after Jeremiah offered to help her get permission from Tobias. She agreed to apany him


    On the shaded path, the scorching sum baked the earth. Apart from a few workers, there were only a handful of people around. Few students from Argrol University were outside at this time, as most were attending sses. Still, that didn¡¯t stop them from attracting countless admiring nces. They were used to the attention and paid no mind.


    Walking side by side at a rxed pace, both remained silent.


    ¡°You have a marriage agreement? Is it still around?¡± Jeremiah broke the silence first.


    Yvette¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as she recalled. ¡°I used it to light a fire for the neighbor¡¯s kid in the countryside. It¡¯s long gone,¡± she replied


    Yvette¡¯s voice was as soft as a willow branch touching the water in early spring, stirring ripples in the pond. It was also like a tiny feather, gently tickling Jeremiah¡¯s heart.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes noticeably brightened, a hint of satisfaction flickering within. The marriage agreement didn¡¯t matter to him Whoever he set his sights on wouldn¡¯t be influenced by some trivial document. However, knowing that Yvette had burned it made him inexplicably happy. It meant she had never intended to marry into the Carter family.


    Yvette turned her head and wondered, ¡°What¡¯s he smiling about How odd. Did I say something funny?¡±


    Jeremiah was browsing books, nning to buy a few foreign ssics to read. If he didn¡¯t, Yvette might think he was just messing with her,ing to the bookstore and not buying anything.


    Yvette wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the ssics, having already read most of them. Thus, she found a sunny spot to sit and wait for Jeremiah. With her head lowered, she dozed off.


    Yvette had mastered the art of sleeping while sitting. During those years in Mysonna, any chance to rest was a luxury. She could sleep through anything, even explosions.


    Suddenly, a shadow fell over her.


    Yvette had long noticed someone approaching but didn¡¯t raise her head, sensing no malice from the


    person.


    A voice came. I¡¯m sorry, Yvette.


    Yvette snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, her expression indifferent. The person standing in front of her was Ryan.


    After that night, Ryan had been avoiding Yvette, taking a leave of absence. Today, he came back to school to cancel his leave. As he was passing by a bookstore, intending to buy a couple of books, he unexpectedly saw Yvette sitting in a corner, bathed in sunlight, looking less cold and unbelievably beautiful. Her delicate profile glowed.


    Ryan had stood there for a while before mustering the courage to approach her. He owed Yvette an apology. He had betrayed his conscience and wronged her.


    That night, after revealing Yvette¡¯s name, Ryan couldn¡¯t sleep. The next day, he wanted to go to the police station to exin, but his father, Lionel, had locked him in the house with bodyguards watching him until yesterday. It was then that Lionel finally relented and let him out.


    Ryan had been puzzled. Knowing his father, Lionel would never have released him if he hadn¡¯tplied. Then, after getting his phone back and going online, Ryan learned that Daniel had fallen from power, and the Brooks family had copsed. Ethan had been sent abroad by his family.


    He had underestimated Yvette. To have orchestrated Daniel¡¯s downfall, causing his faction to crumble overnight. How could that be the work of a girl from the countryside?


    Yvette¡¯s ideained a mystery to Ryan. Though she was safe, he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for his betrayal


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Yvette asked.


    Ryan wasn¡¯t sure how to apologize to a girl. This wasn¡¯t how he had envisioned the scene. For the first time, the academic star began to doubt himself.


    He thought perhaps Yvette didn¡¯t know why he was apologizing, so he exined, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m sorry. I betrayed you. Daniel approached my father, and I¡­ I failed to stand my ground and gave up my principles. I caused you trouble. After speaking, Ryan bowed his head deeply.


    He was waiting for Yvette¡¯s judgment.


    At that moment, Yvette¡¯s phone buzzed in her pocket. She nced at it. It was a text message: [Boss, Flying Fish¡¯s in trouble. I need to go to South E

 Chapter 76

    Yvette put her phone away. She cracked her krickles andzily nced up. Her face was tanned and clear, her eyes cold and sharp.


    Ryan¡¯s body abruptly froze.


    Yvette said, ¡°Get it


    Her words stunned Ryan I turned out that he was worried about nothing and that Yvette did not care. She was not concerned about what a stranger like him had done. Her response made him feel worse.


    Ryan, who had been egotistical since childhood, had never experienced such indifference. Heughed bitterly and, after pause, stated firmly, ¡°No matter what, I owe you an apology


    Jeremiah said. Tve made my choice¡±.


    Ryan turned back, stunned.


    Jeremiah stood behind Ryan, holding a few foreign publications. His handsome face was chilly, his eyes narrowing slightly and gleaming with a sharp icy re, giving off an intense, intimidating aura that made Ryan uneasy,


    Ryan was regarded as a gifted individual from childhood. From everyone¡¯s view, he was the only heir to the Lewis family and owned over 3.3 billion dors. Yet, Jeremiah stood there, giving him an overwhelming presence. He had to admit that he felt slightly inferior to Jeremiah.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yvette responded


    The two then left together, their backs inexplicably harmonious, leaving Ryan standing there dazed.


    Jeremiah feigned to nce back at Ryan casually Ryan felt a twinge of danger from that nce alone, giving him the chills. Jeremih nced sideways at Yvette, his voice slightly hoarse. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy? A ssmate!!


    With a brief pause. Yvette replied. ¡°It¡¯s Ryan.¡±


    Jeremiahughed, his voice low.


    When Zeke returned to the Chambers residence from the nightclub drunk, it was already past one in the morning. He had been hanging out at nightclubs as he had not been interested in anythingtely and had been sleeping with women, but none had piqued his interest


    All he could think about was Yvette. That was because Yvette embarrassed him in the cafeteria, something he had never experienced. So, he decided to put Yvette, the ungrateful woman out of his mind for the moment


    ¡°Zeke, stop right there¡± Nellie, wearing white silk pajamas, was seated on the couch. She had spent more than two hours sealed there.


    Zachary had not been home muchtely. Winona said earlier that Yvette had been taken to the police station. She was ecstatic. beleving Yvette would not get another chance to turn things around. However, she did not expect Zachary to go so far as to offend Daniel to bail her out.


    When Zachary returned from the police station, Nellie discreetly tried to ascertain the reason behind Yvette¡¯s arrest from him. After rounds of questioning he said briefly that she had a minor quarrel with ke¡¯s son, nothing serious.


    Zachary did not seem pleased, so Nellie opted to drop the question rather than risk upsetting him further.


    Several dayster, the news that Daniel had been ousted was released, leaving Nellie anxious for days She was aware of the


    hambers family¡¯s power. Zachary could not bring down Daniel the deputy muyor, even if he risked all for Yvette


    ¡°Was Yvette involved in Daniel¡¯s downfall? This question stuck in her head, bothering her for days.


    When Yvette stabbed Nellie before, she was cold, ruthless, and cynical. Recently, every time Nellie fell asleep, she would dream about that day, turning it into a haunting nightmare.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Zeke was startled, musing. A spooky female voice sounds in the middle of the night is creepy.


    The lights were turned on. The mansion quickly lit up, as bright as day.


    Seeing Nellie with a disgruntled expression, Zeke knew he could not dodge a lecture that day. He was not concerned by it because he was used to it. Since childhood, he had only been scolded without further punishment..


    Zeke¡¯s excessive drinking had left him with a hoarse voice and a noticeable alcohol odor in his speech. ¡°Mom, why aren¡¯t you asleep? Sitting here in the middle of the night is eerie.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s expression was gloomy. Zeke was the child she had hoped for and nurtured from an early age, but in the end, he could notpare to Winona in any way. To maintain his image before outsiders, she had spent a fortune to help him stand out among the scions.


    Besides Ryan, the son of the Lewis family, Zeke got the most attention and had the best reputation. But Zeke was not living up to expectations. All he did was enjoy himself. Nellie had no idea what else he could do but hang out at nightclubs and never return home


    Now that Yvette had returned, Nellie could see Zachary¡¯s kindness for her. She felt hopeless for Zeke if things remained like this. All Nellie felt now was disappointment for Zeke, who was not living up to his full potential.


    Nellie scolded. ¡°Were you going to the nightclubs again? Don¡¯t you know your dad already knows you often hang out there? You keep indulging without restraint. Do you still want the Chambers family inheritance?¡±


    The mention of the inheritance brought Zeke to his senses.


    He said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m the only son in the Chambers family. Who else would Dad give the money to but me? Enjoy your life as an affluent wife, ying poker and shopping daily. I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m just feeling a bit down and need to rx. If it bothers you, I¡¯ll stop going out starting tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Zeke was good at coaxing Nellie. He always dismissed the matter with thosements but did not expect Nellie to be so persistent this time. Hearing Zeke¡¯s words did not alleviate Nellie¡¯s rage, in fact, it aggravated her.


    Nellie argued, ¡°Zeke, how many times have you made these promises? Did you do as you said? After a few days, you¡¯ll be back in the nightclub. Half a year ago, you got ady pregnant and had here to you, leaving me to clean Luckily, your dad was on a business trip. If I hadn¡¯t handled it, have you thought about the consequences? The Chambers up the mess. family¡¯s reputation would have been destroyed if it had spread


    Zeke only remembered the episode when Nellie mentioned it, musing, Thatdy is only a passing interest. Did she truly believe she could marry me and climb in status? He had previously sent someone to deal with her, but she managed to escape and find the Chambers family.


    The matter did make Zeke terrified. If Zachary found out, he would certainly force Zeke to take responsibility.


    ¡°I swear, Mom, this is thest time, Please, no more lectures. It¡¯s sote, if you don¡¯t get some sleep now, you¡¯ll look exhausted tomorrow. Lora, hurry, get some milk for my mom,¡± he said, considerately massaging Nellie¡¯s shoulders and legs. Looking at Zeke¡¯s attempts to please her, Nellie could only sigh dotingly.


    She said, ¡°You leave me with no choice. Fine. Lora has already made hangover soup for you. Do something to make us proud. I¡¯ve arranged for Winona to marry into the Carter family to pave the way for you. I also have a n for dealing with that brat. Yvette. At Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony, I¡¯ll ensure Yvette¡¯s reputation is ruined. Just wait, Zeke, no one car get in your way!


    Zeke felt relieved. If he could not have her, he would rather ruin her. Nellie and Zeke were up to no good.


    In the faint light around the corner of the second floor, a face flickered, makin

 Chapter 77

    The next day. Bonnie emerged from the dormitory with dark circles under her eyes. She hadn¡¯t slept for most of the night and could hardly open her eyes


    It was her fault for watching a horror movie. She was so scared that she couldn¡¯t even go to the bathroom. If Yvette hadn¡¯t returned, she might have held it in all night. She swore she¡¯d never watch a horror movie again. It was too torturous,


    Bonne was so tired she could fall asleep while walking. She moved purely by instinct, and her head suddenly hit something. In a dare, she felt around, trying to figure out what it was. It was soft, fleshy, small, and quite springy..


    She didn¡¯t even notice Andrew¡¯s face growing stiffer. ¡°Bonnie, if you want to take advantage of me, just say so. No need to beat around the bush. You could¡¯ve just asked, and I would¡¯ve let you,¡± said Andrew,


    Bonnie was now fully awake. She looked up and immediately jumped back nearly three feet. Where did Andrewe from Dhd L. bump into him? What did I just touch? she thought


    She stole a nce and noticed the two red marks on Andrew¡¯s chest, which were particrly conspicuous. ¡®Oh my god, what did 1 feel Boumes face turned bright red.


    Andrew wasted to tease her, but seeing her almost hang her head to the ground, he suddenly felt embarrassed too. After all, no girl had ever touched that part before!


    They stood under the tree. Neither of them looked at each other or spoke.


    Fmally Andrew spoke, and only then did Bonnie look up. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s no big deal. You¡¯re usually so confident. You touched me, and I didn¡¯t say anything. Why so embarrassed?¡±


    Bonnie looked like a cat with its fur standing on end. ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed! I just wasn¡¯t fully awake! What¡¯s it got to do with you? Hmph


    For once. Andrew didn¡¯t argue back. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just say you were waking up. You¡¯re fully awake now, right?¡±


    Bonnie nodded, her face still red. ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are you here so early? Don¡¯t you have ss?¡±


    Of course, Andrew had something important to do. Jeremiah got orders early in the morning and didn¡¯t even have time to pack before he flew to South East Aploth on a military ne.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t say what it was, but Andrew thought it must be important. If Jeremiah needed to be dispatched in a hurry, it had to be a national matter. He didn¡¯t dare to ask


    For military personnel like his father and Jeremiah, everything was confidential. He didn¡¯t even know how many missions has dad had been on over the years.


    Before leaving Jeremiah wrote a note and asked him to deliver it to Yvette.


    Andrew was speechless What era is this? Can¡¯t he send a text? Why do I have to deliver it myself Men in love are crazy. No. thas looks like unrequited love. Older men in unrequited love are even crazier. It¡¯s just the pits! he thought


    He got up early and skipped breakfast just to wait for Yvette. Who would ve thought that instead of her, the unreliable Bone showed up!


    ck tracksuit.


    irrying some orange ju


    juice and sandwiches she bought from the cafeteria


    The campus paths were hustling with people. Andrew saw Yvette right away. Her appearance was so striking that she stood


    was hard to min. Yvette over here¡±¡±.


    Yvette saw Andrew and Bonner paused, and then walked over. Youre here! What¡¯s up?¡± she asked


    Andrew didn¡¯t waste time and handed over Jeremiah¡¯s note. Yvette didn¡¯t take it and frowned. She didn¡¯t understand Andrew¡¯s intention she was here, but a note?


    Jeremiah asked me to give it to you. He left for a mission this morning and isn¡¯t sure when he¡¯ll return. Andrew exined.


    Yvette took the note and nced at it. It read: Something urgent came up. Wait for me, and we¡¯ll have quiche together. Call me if you need anything. There was a phone number at the end Yvette memorized it instantly. ¡°Got it.¡±


    She nced at the sleepy Bonnie and the disinterested Andrew, then handed over her bag of food. Andrew looked ttered. by the gesture,


    Bonnie didn¡¯t react. Lately, Yvette always brought her breakfast after her morning exercise. With her around, Bonnie could just be a happy couch potato waiting to be fed.


    ¡°For me?¡± Andrew asked again, unsure.


    Yvette kicked a pebble by her foot and nced at the excited Andrew, with a look that said, ¡°Is this guy out of his mind? Look


    at this fool¡±


    Andrew realized he was the fool and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m so touched¡­ You¡¯re sharing your food with me? How generous!¡±


    Bonnie sat nearby, munching on her sandwich and watching Andrew¡¯s clown show. ¡°Why do those two always hang out together! Just look at Top Dog-ssy and subtle. You can tell he¡¯s got substance. Then look at this guy¡­ a total airhead. What a difference, she thought t


    After they split up, Yvette and Bonnie went to ss.


    Andrew cked off. Since Jeremiah wasn¡¯t around, he didn¡¯t feel like being a librarian and booked a flight back to Betrico. A big bed, sports car, fine wine¡­ Andrew¡¯s back, baby, haha¡­ he thought to himself.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    However, he hadn¡¯t been happy for long when a message from Jeremiah popped up. Jeremiah ordered him to stay on standby as a librarian in Seacrity.


    Andrew fell straight from heaven to hell. He resigned himself to packing up and returned to the library cabin to continue his role as a ¡°struggling worker.


    The invitation letters for Argrol University¡¯s Art Festival were sent out, four for each department. They had just arrived at the physics ssroom. Ryan got one and, unsurprisingly, signed up for chess.


    Of the remaining three, the one for Yvette was left untouched on the table, while the others took theirs. One signed up for puno and another for calligraphy, leaving painting as thest option. Everyone knew that painting was Winona¡¯s forte, so they all avoided it.


    Ever since the news of Yvette¡¯s participation spread, people started secret betting pools. The odds were ten to one in favor of Yvette winning With the festival three days away, the betting was in full swing. More people ced bets, mostly betting that Yvene would lose.


    ¡°What a joke. Winona¡¯s been a painting prodigy since she was little and won countless awards. Mr. Griffin is set to take her as his apprentice. Who would be dumb enough to bet on Yvette? That¡¯s just asking to lose.¡± This was the general sentiment.


    Besides the students in the physics department, there were a few people from other departments who bet on Yvette. They were probably just thinking about the 20 dors or so at stake-if they lost, they lost. It was just a way to support her.


    Jolin bet on Yvette to wm. People from other departments rocked him, saying he was throwing money away. Out of frustration, John bet all his savings on Yvette.


    Bonnie had just finished a sandwich and was sipping her orange juice, content, telling Yvette what she had heard yesterday, ¡°Yve, theres a rehearsal for today¡¯s Art Festival opening ceremony. They said everyone participating needs to attend. heard the rules have changed this year.¡±


    Yvette twirled the pen in her hand. Her mind wasn¡¯t on the ss. Jeremiah went to South East Aploth today, and Eagle King rushed over there yesterday. Those two.. she thought.

 Chapter 78

    In the afternoon, Ruby arrived early at the auditorium with the student council to begin preparations.


    The opening ceremony of the Art Festival would begin with her performance. Ruby nned to y a world-famous piece. Bryan¡¯s Second Life Concerto,


    Ruby practiced day and night for this performance, hoping to make a big impression at the Art Festival. She knew she wouldn¡¯t win first ce in other events, so she didn¡¯tpete in those. However, she was confident she could win the top prize in the piano event.


    Argrol University¡¯s Art Festival had invited Seacrity¡¯s upper ss and the media. It would also feature an important figure as a mystery guest.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Unbeknownst to others, Ruby, as the student council president, already knew who it was. She had already invited this mystery guest twice. This time, the guest agreed toe because of his rtionship with Simon.


    The mystery guest was none other than Zion Holmes, a famous young pianist in Clusia.


    Ruby had always dreamed of joining his studio. For anyone studying piano in Clusia, joining Zion¡¯s studio was a dreame true. So, the performance at the opening ceremony was vital for Ruby. If she could leave a strong impression on Zion, she might have the chance to join his studio.


    Bonnie came along with Yvette and Ryan. She was the physics department¡¯s representative, so she volunteered for the opening ceremony. Even though she wasn¡¯tpeting, she still had the opportunity to attend.


    Besides, Bonnie always felt that Ruby had some hidden agenda, so she insisted on staying close to Yvette and not giving Ruby any opportunity to take advantage of her. The rumors she had heard weren¡¯t for nothing.


    The auditorium was already filled with people, including participants from various departments and volunteers like Bonnie who were there to help.


    ¡°Ruby, Yvette and the others are here. Just as Ruby was directing people to move the piano to the center of the stage, she heard her friend saying that Yvette had arrived.


    She looked in Yvette¡¯s direction, her eyes filled with malice. Ruby then nced at Ryan standing beside Yvette in a white shirt and cks. She was somewhat confused


    Ryan was well-known at school for being introverted. He never seemed close to anyone. ¡°Why did hee with Yvette? Is he also bewitched by Yvette? Ruby wondered.


    In front of everyone, Ruby put on quite a performance, humbling herself as she came down. She had a big, warm smile,pletely different from the other day when she was being difficult. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you came! I thought¡­ you wouldn¡¯t? Mr. Lewis, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    Yvette looked down and ignored her. Ryan simply adjusted his sses, nodded at her, and then looked away. Ruby¡¯s eyes were the sort of thing he¡¯d seen plenty of since he was young-people acting humble, desperate to please, and cautious, all because he was the son of the Lewis family


    Bonnie was fuming. Ruby had never seemed faker than ever. She was the one who insisted Yvette attend the Art Festival, yet anyone who didn¡¯t know the truth thought it was Yvette¡¯s problem. ¡°Ruby, you


    Ruby was afraid Bonnie would muplicate her, so she quickly interrupted. ¡°Forget it. Juste. Yvette, you and Bonnie are in thest row.


    Hope you don¡¯t mind that. There are too many people, so I nonchntly told Ryan, ¡°Your seat is the second chair in the front row¡±


    old only give you thest row. Then, she


    Ryan nced at Yere, who was quietly fiddling with her phone No, it¡¯s line. I¡¯ll sit in the back with the representative and Yvette. You can give my seal in somnour else¡±


    Yvette put away her phone and looked up, asking Bonnie. ¡°Where are we sitting?¡±


    The noisy room instantly fell silent. Even though Ruby spoke for a long time, Yvette hadn¡¯t listened at all. Ruby¡¯s face turned ashen. She couldn¡¯t even force a fake smile. Bonnie couldn¡¯t hold back and burst outughing. To Ruby, thatughter was nothing but pure mockery.


    However, she misunderstood Bonnie Bonnie just genuinely thought it was funny, thinking Yvette was impressive. With just one question, Ruby was furious. How did she not notice this talent before? Even Ryan, who was usually so serious, couldn¡¯t helpughing a little.


    When she saw Ryan alsoughing at her, Ruby¡¯s resentment for Yvette grew, as she was humiliated in front of everyone. Then, she thought about the Art Festival, and Ruby could only slowly suppress her anger. Just wait. I¡¯ll make sure Yvette has


    hard time then, she thought.


    ¡°All right. Mr. Lewis. Do as you wish,¡± she said, lifting her head proudly and straightening her back before returning to the center of the stage.


    The others didn¡¯t dare to say anything. As the student council president, Ruby had considerable power. She often lost her temper with the lower-ranking members, and anyone who had been in the student council for a while knew about her short temper and tried to avoid provoking her,


    When the three of them sat down, Ryan cautiously sat three seats away from the other two. After all, he wasn¡¯t particrly familiar with them, so sitting together felt inappropriate. They were the only ones in thest row, leaving arge space there. Everyone had moved to the front, so no one noticed Yevite taking out her ck phone. She hacked into a website effortlessly, scanned through ten lines, and logged out in less than a minute without a trace.


    At Murphia¡¯s Department of Homnd Security, an officer reported, ¡°Sir, it seems our firewall was just attacked. The attacker was probably a top-tier hacker, but they didn¡¯t seed. The attack was too brief for us to trace their location.¡±


    Manuel Cruz, the Secretary of Homnd Security, calmly lit a cigar,pletely unconcerned. Incidents like this happened all the time. There were always reckless individuals trying to attack the national security system, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously


    at all


    Manuel was sure that their national security system was the most secure and toughest in the world, thinking no one could break it. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? This kind of thing happens all the time, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like they breached it. Don¡¯t panic next time, okay?¡±


    The young officer who reported the incident felt something was off. The code was messed up for a moment and then returned to normal after a few seconds, but it shouldn¡¯t affect anything. Maybe he misread.


    He figured Manuel was right. Their country¡¯s security system was the best in the world. All the top hackers were in Mysonn¨¢. He was certain no one could breach the system and steal anything. He must have drank too muchst night.


    They didn¡¯t take it seriously, but little did they know that in just a few seconds, Yvette had entered the system and got the information she wanted


    Bonnie was so tired that she fell asleep on Yvette¡¯s shoulder. Eventually, she was woken up by the sound of a piano. She rubbed her eyes, gradually regaining consciousness.


    She found herself leaning on Yvette¡¯s shoulder and quickly straightened up. When she checked her watch, she saw that an hour had already passed. Yve, why didn¡¯t you wake me up? Your shoulder must be sore.¡±


    Yvette shook her head. Her eyes were as clear as spring water, but there was a hint of coldness in her expression. ¡°It¡¯s not,¡±


    Only then was Bonnied relieved, and she looked ahead. Ruby was sitting at the piano, sound-checking. The sounds of her piino ying had woken Bonnie up.

 Chapter 79

    Bonnie felt a bit confused about what was happening. Unbeknownst to her, the rules for this year¡¯s Art Festival had been. announced while she was asleep.


    It was now rehearsal time for the pianopetition participants. If Bonnie had not fallen asleep. Yvette would have already Jeft.


    ¡°Yve, what do we do now? Have they exined the rules?¡± Bonnie asked.


    Yvette nodded, and Ryan, standing beside her, piped up, ¡°Bonnie, they¡¯ve already told us the festival rules are the same asst year. It¡¯s still a point system. The only difference is that each person can enter four events this year.


    Bonnie shook her head, still confused. What a weird rule. Each person can participate in four events? This is redundant because no one¡¯s doing that. Which oddball on the student council thought of this? How unnecessary, she thought.


    Bonnie was not the only one thinking this way. Ryan also felt that entering four events was too much; there was no way anyone could win all four. The rule was not logical at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The cafeteria is serving your favorite buffalo wings today,¡± Yvette said.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Ryan was surprised. He did not expect Yvette to remember what Bonnie liked to eat. Perhaps she was not as cold and unapproachable as people thought.


    Bonnie¡¯s mouth started watering. The cafeteria had three delicious dishes: ribs, chicken wings, and the quiche that was only avable on Fridays. Getting one¡¯s hands on them depended on luck because they were snatched up fast.


    Bonnie was about to get up but thought better of it and sat back down. She had been asleep for so long that she did not even notice her legs were numb.


    Bonnie had a miserable look on her face. She


    ne was feeling upset because she would not make it in time to get the buffalo wings.


    ¡°Yve, my legs are numb. Why don¡¯t you go ahead? I¡¯ll just stay here,¡± she said, swallowing hard.


    Yvette had just gotten up but sat back down. Tm not going. I¡¯ll stay here with you,¡± she said, her tone cold as ever.


    Bonnie gave a silly grin. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Yve.¡±


    Ryan, off to the side, suddenly felt a pang of envy. He envied Bonnie and Yvette. Their friendship was genuine and beautiful, something he could never have. Being born into the Lewis family meant he would never have any true friends.


    On stage, Ruby, for some reason, nced behind her. Seeing Yvette, Bonnie, and Ryan still there made her secretly happy. Soon, she would make sure Yvette saw just how much better she was than her.


    Ruby sat elegantly at the piano and lifted her hands. The light around her and the piano created a perfect atmosphere. As her fingers fluttered across the keys, a slow, beautiful melody filled the auditorium. Everyone listened quietly.


    Seeing the audience entranced, Ruby felt proud. She specifically arranged this rehearsal to intimidate the other contestants and make them back down. There was also a surprise bonus: showing Yvette the difference in their abilities.


    It was Bonnie¡¯s first time hearing Ruby y the piano. Although Ruby¡¯s personality was not great, to be fair, her skills were undeniable, even to someone like her who knew nothing about the piano.


    Bonnie saw that Yvette had her eyes closed and thought she was enjoying the piano music, so she whispered, ¡°Yve, Ruby¡¯s piano skills are pretty good, huh?¡±


    Yvette stopped swinging her leg and turned to look at Bonnie.


    She squinted her pretty eyes and exined slowly and calmly, ¡®s average. She yed the second bar of the first section and the third bar of the second section wrong. There was no feeling in it.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s mouth dropped open. Yvette¡¯s critique sounded rather professional. Yvette¡¯sments even made Ryan turn around.


    No wonder he felt something was off while listening to Ruby y earlier, but could not quite ce it. Once Yvette pointed it out, he understood. It was not just about hitting the wrong notes.


    The main issue was that Ruby¡¯s yingcked emotion. She was just showing off her technique, which might fool those with an untrained car.


    Yvette¡¯s observations were spot-on. These were not words one would expect from someone who knew nothing about the¡± piano. Hence, Ryan was certain that Yvette not only knew how to y the piano but also had deep expertise.


    None of them noticed a man wearing a white casual outfit and a baseball cap sitting in the secondst row. That man was Zion. He had snuck in to watch Ruby¡¯s performance today.


    Ruby had left a strong impression on him. Initially, she approached him, expressing her desire to get a chance to join his studio. He had given Ruby that chance but was not very impressed with her piano ying. It was skillful butcked emotion.


    ying the piano without emotion was practically a joke, so he turned her down. After that, Ruby tried all sorts of ways to get close to him, but Zion was put off by such tactics, so he never gave her another chance.


    Argrol University had been reaching out to him for two years to invite him to be a guest speaker. If he refused again, it would not look good:


    After all. Argrol University was a prestigious institution with a century-long history. If others caught wind of his constant rejection, it would not look good. Also, he was good friends with Simon, hence, he agreed to attend this year¡¯s Art Festival.


    Today, Zion dropped by the piano rehearsal on a whim. He wanted to see if Ruby had improved over the past two years. Hearing her y, Zion was disappointed yet again. She still was not ying with any emotion!


    After listening for a while, Zion was about to leave but unexpectedly overheard Yvette¡¯sment as he passed thest row,


    Zion was pleasantly surprised. Someone who could make such an assessment must really know the piano well.


    Her voice sounded somewhat cold, but he could tell it was a young girl¡¯s voice. For her to be here at this hour, she was more than likely to be an Argrol University student.


    Zion stopped in his tracks, looking excitedly at Yvette sitting inside, his eyes bright and his voice full of anticipation. He approached her and asked, ¡°Excuse me, do you also y the piano? If it¡¯s possible, I hope you could help guide my student.¡±


    Yvette and Bonnie stopped talking and both looked up at the person speaking. Zion took off his baseball cap.


    His face was handsome, with well-defined features and sharp lines. His eyes, bright like stars, shone with intelligence. He was of average height, slightly slender, and had a gentle smile on his lips. He had a gentle and graceful aura


    Yvette restrained the smile in her eyes. Shezily plopped her arm on the armrest and repliednguidly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how


    Zion could not believe it. How could she not know how to? Would someone who doesn¡¯t know how to y the piano be able to make such an observation? he thought.


    Zion wanted to ask another question when Yvette nced at him He could see the annoyance practically burning in her eyes.


    This feeling was somewhat new to him. Ever since he became famous, it had been a long time since anyone had treated him this way. But since she did not want to talk about it, he could keep pressing


    Zion apologized for bothering her and left. When he reached the door, something came to mind, so he turned back, pulled a business card from his pocket, and handed it over.


    Bonnie instinctively took it. She was aware enough to know it was not meant for her.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my card. I hope we get a chance to talk sometime. With that, Zion walked away and did note back.

 Chapter 80

    Bonnie held up the business card and nced at the gold embossed letters.


    Ryan overheard the conversation just now. He could see the words and phone number on the card from where he was. The name Zion Holmes caught his eye. He stood there, stunned..


    Turning around. Bonnie saw Ryan¡¯s surprised expression. She was puzzled as to what was special about the business card.


    Bonnie carefully examined the card in her hand. From her perspective, aside from the fancy lettering of the words ¡°Zion Holmes, there was not much to it.


    Seeing Ryan in a daze, Bonnie waved the card in front of his face. ¡°Ryan, what¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s just a business card.¡± She then turned to Yvette. ¡°Yve, has Ryan lost it or what?¡±


    Yvette sat in her chair, a bit distracted, her knuckles turning white as her hands gripped the armrests.


    Ryan snapped back to reality, noticing Yvette¡¯s indifferent expression and Bonnie¡¯s curious look. He uttered softly. ¡°Do you know what that card in your hand means?¡±


    Bonnie shook her head and pointed at the card. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it just a business card?¡±


    Ryan smiled bitterly and said. ¡°Bonnie, the card in your hand is every piano student¡¯s dream in Clusia. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that man is Clusia¡¯s well¨Cknown young pianist, Zion Holmes. He¡¯s currently the only one who has held a concert in Mysonna Concert Hall. He is also an honorary member of the Piano Association. Everyone is desperate to get into his studio, extremely selective¡±


    which is


    Bonnie neither yed the piano nor knew much about it. She had never heard of Zion, but it sounded like he was very famous. ¡°Wow! Yve, from what Ryan said, this person seems really famous.¡±


    Ryan wondered if Yvette would remain calm when she knew who Zion was,


    Hearing it. Yvette just paused expressionlessly, as cold andposed as ever. She did not care at all who Zion was.


    Bonnie suddenly thought of something and pped her thigh too hard. She winced in pain, then chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Since this card is so important, well. She pointed at Ruby, who was still energetically ying the piano on stage. ¡°Would she like to have it, too?¡±


    Ryan nodded nkly. ¡°As far as I know, Ruby once approached Zion but got turned down. She must want it very much


    Bonnie nced slyly at Yvette, who was sitting on the chair with her eyes half¨Cclosed. ¡°Hey, Yve, should we tease that arrogant Ruby with this card?¡±


    That¡¯sme,¡± Yvette responded.


    Bonnie admitted it was indeed ame idea. She casually slipped the business card into her pocket, nning to give it to Yvetteter. However, she knew Yvette too well. There was a high chance that the card would end up in some corner, just like those colorful love letters, and no one would care about it.


    Ryan waspletely at a loss for words now. He thought, These two are really¡­ How should I put it? Well, let¡¯s just say they¡¯re as unique as can be.


    Few people in Clusia would turn down Zion¡¯s business card and casually stuff it away even after finding out who he was.


    Bonnie did not even notice that after hanging out with Yvette for a while, she had be pretty chill about certain things. She thought, ¡°Who could be more mysterious and powerful than Top Dog? No matter how impressive this pianist is, he can¡¯tpare to Top Dog. That¡¯s right. Stay calm,


    When Ruby finished ying the piano and stood at the center of the stage, everyone apuded passionately. Whether it was because of her good performance or her status as the president did not really matter.


    Several people praised Ruby, Ruby ys well. It¡¯s mesmerizing/


    Yeah, absolutely. She¡¯s got some serious skills.¡±


    Theard Ruby has passed the Level 8 piano exam. I bet she will be champion in the pianopetition this time.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too. Didn¡¯t you see how discouraged the other contestants looked? They probably realized they didn¡¯t stand a


    chance.¡±


    ¡°Ruby¡¯s mean. It¡¯s just a rehearsal. Everyone was already intimidated even before thepetition. Who else canpete with her for the championship?¡±


    Ruby lost herself in the crowd¡¯s admiration. She could not wait to get the trophy and show it off. She felt even more proud when she saw that Yvette and some others in thest row were gone. She knew Yvette could notpare to her and thought Yvette had run away in defeat.


    However, Ruby seemed to have seen a familiar figure earlier, but she could not remember where she had seen that person before.


    Zion returned to the hotel. He had just entered the room when there was a knock on the door. He opened the door, and standing there was Sawyer Lane, a student he brought from Betrico


    Sawyer had potential but was still inexperienced. He needed more humility and some refining. Zion wanted to take this opportunity for Sawyer to interact with students from Argrol University. Music was not meant to be solitary.


    Zion thought of Yvette and sighed. It would benefit Sawyer greatly if she were willing to give him a few tips. Sadly, she turned down his invitation.


    Sawyer was a tall young man with nothing special about his appearance except for the ambition shining in his eyes.


    Since he was young. Sawyer believed he had an extraordinary talent for the piano. His path of learning was smooth. While others worried about the exams, he passed them easily, one after another, ultimately earning his ce in Zion¡¯s studio, making quite a name for himself.


    Sawyer felt destined to be the next Zion. Or rather, he believed he would surpass Zion one day and be an even more outstanding figure than him.


    ¡°Mr. Holmes, I came by earlier, and you weren¡¯t here. The invitation from Argrol University just arrived, Sawyer said


    Zion took a sip of water before saying, ¡°Just leave it there. Come with me in a couple of days. Argrol University is the best university in Seacrity, and it¡¯s full of talented piano students. This is a great chance for you to exchange ideas with them.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Sawyer seemed a bit dismissive. To him, exchanging ideas with students from a local university was meaningless. It would be worth his attention if it were Betrico University where the best talents gathered. Still, he agreed sincerely, ¡°Okay, Mr. Holmes.


    Ahbough Zion was drinking water with his head down, he was constantly watching Sawyer¡¯s expression. Zion was not just anyone. Over the years, he had met all kinds of piano students. No matter how well Sawyer hd his true nature, Zion could see through the ambition in his eyes and the perfunctory tone in his words


    In fact, based on his standards, he would not have epted Sawyer, no matter how talented thetter had been. For a pianist, the most important quality was simplicity. If one were too ambitious and obsessed with fame and status, their desire would eventually destroy their music career


    Zion had seen too many talented pianists destroy themselves in the end. He would give Sawyer a chance. If Sawyer still could not realize this, there was nothing more he could do.


    Sawyer waspletely unaware of the world beyond his own and did not know there was always someone better than him.


    just like the genius Yvette, whom Zion had met today.

 Chapter 81

    John rushed back into the physics ssroom in a hurry. He could not even catch his breath. ¡°Yve, something happened!¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s nap was quite a rollercoaster. She was first woken by Ruby¡¯s piano ying in the auditorium, and then, just as she was about to nod off again in ss, John burst in shouting.


    Bonnie rubbed her messy hair. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be in the physics office helping the teacher sort some files? Why are you back so early?¡±


    Yvettezily leaned against the chair, her legs propped up on the windowsill. She casually typed on her phone: [The game is too easy. Redo it.]


    Somewhere in Betrico, there was a young man who wore a red checkered shirt. He had a charming baby face, cute dimples on his pale cheeks, andrge ck-rimmed sses.


    The table was full of unopened lunchboxes. Scattered around the table were white sheets of paper, all scribbled with messy markings.


    The phone screen lit up for a moment. The young man eagerly picked up the phone to read the message before feeling a pang of disappointment.


    ¡®As I¡¯ve expected, Boss isn¡¯t impressed with my designs, he thought.


    The hard-working man put down his phone, lowered his head, and resumed typing on the keyboard.


    After sending the text, Yvette nced at John, who had just walked in. Her expression remained neutral, revealing nothing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    John took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over with a serious expression. ¡°Yve, look at this. Your name is on this list.¡±


    Yvette took it and nced at it. The big, bold letters read: [20th Art Festival Participant List]


    Bonnie leaned in. ¡°So what? You know Yve is participating in a painting event. Why the surprise? Didn¡¯t you bet on her to win? Are you getting forgetful? What¡¯s so interesting about this?¡±


    John shook his head. He would not be so worried if there were not any issues with the list. However, the list not only had problem but it was a major one.


    He said, ¡°Take a closer look at the event listed after Yve¡¯s name.¡±


    Bonnie carefully searched for Yvette¡¯s name. The next second, her eyes widened in surprise. In disbelief, she rubbed her eyes, thinking perhaps she was still drowsy.


    After she was sure she did not see wrongly, she stammered, ¡°Y-Yve, when did you sign up for four


    events?¡±


    a


    Yvette nced at the list and lifted her gaze. Her eyes darkened while her expression remained calm with a slight hint of tiredness.


    Her tone was calm and steady. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡±


    Bonnie and John naturally knew it was not Yvette who signed up for the events herself. It was clear someone was trying to embarrass thetter.


    Only a few could tamper with the registration, and they thought of someone simultaneously.


    Bonnie and John stated in unison, ¡°Ruby.¡±


    Yvette slightly lifted her chin, nodded faintly, and said softly, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s probably her.¡±


    Bonnie rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush out. Her face turned red with anger.


    Yvette asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Bonnie was so mad she almost started swearing.


    ¡°Yve, Ruby has gone too far. Isn¡¯t she purposely trying to set you up? I was wondering who changed the Art Festival rules to let one enter four events out of nowhere. It makes no sense unless it¡¯s to set you up. I¡¯m going to talk to Mr. Sundend about this. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s no fairness. Docs Ruby really think she runs the student council?¡±


    John also thought rifying things with the teachers was necessary and that Ruby¡¯s actions were outrageous. He eximed. inwardly, ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Yve, I agree with Bonnie. We can¡¯t simply ignore this. I overheard people talking about you earlier, saying you¡¯re overestimating yourself. The forum about you entering four events is going viral. Let¡¯s go talk to Mr. Sundend about having the list changed.¡±


    Bonnie was surprised. ¡°John, did you say the forum? How could the news spread so quickly on the school forum?¡±


    John looked frustrated and helpless. ¡°As soon as the list was released, the student council posted it on the school forum. The post quickly rose to the top, so now it seems the whole school knows about it.¡±


    A few ssmates in the ssroom overheard John and immediately grabbed their phones to log into the forum. Sure enough, they saw the top post: [Art Festival Highlights (The Physics Department¡¯s Campus Beauty Yvette Signs Up for Four Events)]


    Thements below had already reached over a thousand.


    [Wow, is that Yvette from the physics department who defeated Sharon? Or could it be another person with the same name?]


    [Yes, it¡¯s her. She signed up for four events. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. How impressive.]


    [No way. Do you really think she can do all that? I think she¡¯s just trying to seek attention.]


    [I agree. That¡¯s what I think too.]


    [Agreed!]


    Bonnie eximed, ¡°Yve, how can you still be so calm? Come on, let¡¯s quickly remove your name.¡±


    Yvette propped her chin up with one hand, shaking her head slightly as she gazed out the window, her eyes reflecting a vast


    sea of stars.


    ¡°There¡¯s such an interesting thing? I should surprise the nner, but I wonder if it¡¯s what she wants, she thought.


    Yvette said, ¡°No need. Just let her have her way.¡±


    Bonnie and John stood there stunned but didn¡¯t say anything. They respect Yvette¡¯s every choice, supporting and trusting her unconditionally. ¡°Yve, we believe in you.¡±


    Ryan rushed back as soon as he heard the news. Before he even entered, he heard Yvette¡¯s cold and distant voice.


    He thought, Seems that she already knows someone has registered her for four events. Doesn¡¯t she know that many celebrities are invited to the Art Festival? Did Ruby n this to embarrass her? How can she still be so unconcerned and calm?


    Ryan froze in ce, his expression cold. Since Yvette already knew, he did not need to take any further action.


    Yvette turned and smiled, her features refined and striking in the sunlight.


    Bonnie was sure the Art Festival was going to be spectacr. She secretly nced at Yvette, and her intuition told her that Ruby¡¯s schemes might backfire.


    Not only that, but Ruby could end up losing more than she gained.


    As Yvette¡¯s hardcore fan, Bonnie was confident that the former would definitely impress everyone again at the Art Festival two dayster.


    ¡®She might unlock a new skill. Maybe not just one, but four. But can that really happen?¡¯ Bonnie thought and was a bit worried.


    To support Yvette, Bonnie brainstormed all sorts of ideas.


    On the day of thepetition, Bonnie¡¯s enthusiastic support left Yvette and everyone else feelingpletely shocked. As night fell and the sky darkened, a bright moon slowly rose in the east. Stars twinkled in the night sky, dazzling and mesmerizing.


    Bonnie returned to the dorm, showered, and immediately fell asleep. Soon, soft snores sounded.


    In the darkness, Yvette stood on the balcony in ck clothes, almost blending into the night as the moonlight illuminated her. It had been a while since shest dreamt of nightmares.


    Yvette rubbed her temples. Her eyes were bloodshot as she recalled the scene of an endless sea of blood and unrelenting violence.


    The sudden ring of the phone pulled her back from her memories. She took out her phone and nced at the number momentarily before finally answering.


    The person on the phone said, ¡°Hello. It¡¯s me, Jeremiah.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Yvette paused momentarily with the phone in her hand. Her voice was steady. ¡°I got it.¡±


    In a farmhouse in South East Aploth, Jeremiah stood in casual ck clothes under the moonlight. Fresh blood dripped from his sleeves.


    Behind him was a group of men with tanned skin in traditional local attire, pinned to the ground by his men.


    They cursed loudly in their nativenguage and spoke an iprehensible dialect.


    Yvette¡¯s clear and cold voice made Jeremiah¡¯s heart skip a beat. I saw the school forum.¡±


    Yvette looked up at the stars and ced the candy she had held back in her pocket. She paused momentarily and softened her voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay.


    Jeremiah chuckled. His tone was gentle and indulgent.


    Beside him, the soldier who had rushed over to report stood frozen in ce and dared not move.


    ¡®Oh my. Did the fierce major general-the military¡¯s devil-smile? Do I have a fever?¡¯ thought the soldier, who touched his forehead, confirming he had no fever. ¡®He actually smiled!¡¯ he eximed inwardly.


    Jeremiah noticed the soldier opposite him and nodded faintly. The soldier instinctively stepped back as he did not dare eavesdrop on Jeremiah¡¯s call.


    Jeremiah said, ¡°Okay. If you need anything, find Andrew. He¡¯s free.¡±


    Andrew was soaking in the bath and humming a song, unaware that Jeremiah had volunteered him asbor for Yvette.


    Suddenly, Andrew sneezed and muttered to himself, wondering which beautiful woman was thinking about him. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Yvette.


    Jeremiah added, ¡°Sleep early.¡±


    She said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Even through the phone, Jeremiah could feel Yvette¡¯s indifference. Feeling disappointed, he said, ¡°Bye, then.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Yvette.


    Jeremiah immediately put the phone back to his ear, a hint of anticipation growing inside him.


    ¡°What does Yvette want to tell me?¡¯ he wondered. He awkwardly cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, ¡°What is it? I¡¯m still here¡±


    On the other side, Yvette adjusted her clothes, lowered her eyes, and pressed her lips together. ¡°Those guys said thest batch of goods is in the basement of a guy named Gamma¡¯s house. No one can find out,¡± she stated.


    Jeremiah was taken aback. The next moment, he understood what Yvette meant and thought, ¡®Yvette actually understands


    Strange


    dialects?


    The captives were part of an international human trafficking organization. They used various tricks to drug women and children, smuggling them abroad to ces to sell inwless areas like the Golden Triangle, profiting immensely from their crimes.


    If anyone disobeyed, these traffickers would brutally harvest the o***ns and sell them to different countries


    Jeremiah came to South East Aploth to uncover their hideouts and take them down at once.


    The traffickers knew that thest group of women and children was their only bargaining chip and refused to surrender.


    Jeremiah had already thought of a way to get them to talk, but Yvette surprised him. ¡°Okay. I got it.¡±


    After the two hung up, the soldier rushed over anxiously and said, ¡°General, they won¡¯t talk. What should we do now?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes flickered, his gaze fierce and deep like a night fire. His handsome face turned somber. After hanging up, he returned to the vicious devil figure feared internationally.


    He spoke coldly, ¡°Nothing. The captured people are at the house of a man named Gamma from this group.¡±


    The soldier rejoiced that they finally discovered the whereabouts of thest group, although he did not know their situation.


    The soldier hated the criminals. After seeing the miserable condition of those who had been captured, he wished he could shoot those criminals on the spot. They deserved severe punishment.


    They were not people but animals. The youngest among the kidnapped children was only four, and they injured their legs and forced them to beg on the streets. Young women were harassed and killed, their bodies left on hillsides unattended.


    Although the soldiers had witnessed such evil doings, the traffickers¡¯ cruelty still shocked them.


    However, there was not anything they could do. In such international cases, they had to keep them alive for higher authorities to judge. After all, it involved two countries, and a soldier like him could not make such decisions.


    Jeremiah nced at the men who were still struggling desperately in the distance. His darkened eyes narrowed, gleaming with a sharp chill. ¡°Execute them!¡±


    The soldier suddenly lifted his head and stared at Jeremiah. In the darkness, his eyes sparkled with admiration.


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± The soldier finally understood why Jeremiahmanded such high respect in the military.


    Even he understood the implications, so there was no way Jeremiah did not know, but thetter still issued such an order.


    The reason could only be to bring justice to those who were brutally killed.


    From that moment on, Jeremiah had be a figure of faith in the soldier¡¯s heart.


    In the dorm at Argrol University, Bonnie got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. On her way back, she noticed flickering lights on the balcony and sleepily went over to check it out.


    She asked, ¡°Yve, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? It¡¯s already three o¡¯clock.¡±


    Yvette turned around and turned off her phone. ¡°Just about to.¡±


    Bonnie asked no more questions and climbed back into bed to continue sleeping.


    The next day, Simon frowned in the principal¡¯s office, holding the list for the Art Festival. He could tell someone was deliberately targeting Yvette. Given her personality, she would never sign up for four events.


    Being in the spotlight was not her thing. Given her trouble-averse nature, she probably did not even sign up for any of the events herself.


    Simon usually stayed out of these minor conflicts among the students. He was always busy, so he did not have time to handle them. However, he could not stand by idly since it was Yvette being targeted.


    Besides James¡¯ request, Simon felt a certain connection with Yvette.


    If someone was plotting against Yvette, he could not just stand by and let it happen, and he thought the university could not allow such chaotic behavior to take root.


    Simon picked up the phone and made a call. ¡°Mr. Williams, can youe to my office for a moment?¡±


    Patrick immediately stopped working on his lesson n when he got the call. When he arrived at the office, Simon handed him the list and asked, ¡°Who finalized this list?¡± His tone was ambiguous.


    Patrick instantly felt a bit guilty. He knew exactly who hadpiled the list because he was also involved.


    He did not expect Simon, usually very busy, to pay attention to such a minor issue. The only problem with the list was Yvette¡¯s name. He thought, ¡®So, is Mr. Sundend stepping in for Yvette again?¡¯


    Patrick felt slightly regretful but realized he could only y dumb at this point.


    Patrick exined, ¡°Mr. Sundend, the student council made the list. What¡¯s wrong? It was released yesterday afternoon. I¡¯ve been busy with work and haven¡¯t had a chance to look at it yet.¡±


    Simon stared at Patrick, who grew more uneasy.


    Eventually, Simon looked away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just curious. I noticed Yvette from the physics department signed up for four events Are you sure there¡¯s no mistake?¡±


    Patrick nced seriously at the list in his hand. ¡°Mr. Sundend, there shouldn¡¯t be any mistake. The student council wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve confirmed with her, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Simon listened to Patrick and thought he made some sense. He wanted to call Yvette to ask her about it but decided not to avoid putting any pressure on her.


    Simon would never have thought that the person framing Yvette was the student council president, Ruby.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I understand. You can leave now. If Yvette wants to back out, don¡¯t make it difficult for her. Just remove her name from the list,¡± said Simon.


    Patrick nodded repeatedly, and when he returned to his office, a teacher asked him why he had rushed to the principal¡¯s office.


    He did not exin and just glossed it over. ¡®Back out? I¡¯ll never let Yvette know what Mr. Sundend said,¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 83

    It was a Wednesday morning at the Chambers residence.


    Zachary returnedst night. Thrilled, Nellie instructed the housekeepers to prepare his favorite breakfast in the morning and asked Zeke and Winona toe downstairs earlier to eat.


    Nellie¡¯s words a few days ago had made Zeke behave himself for several days. Recently, he had beening home early to have dinner with her.


    Winona had not contacted Victor oftentely. Aside from attending sses, she had been home practicing her painting.


    She considered next week¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony more important than anything else.


    Winona kept a secret that nobody knew. With each passing day leading up to the apprenticeship ceremony, she grew more anxious.


    Recently, Winona lived in fear daily and even dreamed of her secret being exposed, leaving her troubled.


    Nellie noticed it but did not think much of it, assuming the stress was taking a toll on Winona,


    She did notfort Winona, believing that pressure was what drove motivation. Winona was expected to outshine the other girls.


    The others picked up the forks only when Zachary sat at the table.


    Zachary noticed most of the dishes were his favorites, and when he saw Nellie looking at him expectantly, he nodded and uttered in his usual tone, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Nellie felt disappointed. No matter how hard or perfect she tried, Zachary always treated her this way, indifferently. Although Nellie was not happy deep down, she still maintained a facade of grace and virtue. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. As long as you and the kids enjoy the meal, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Winona nced at the bourbon-zed meatballs before Zeke, then at the pistachio cake closest to her..


    She lowered her eyes, thinking, ¡®What a great mom. I bet she has forgotten that I¡¯ve been allergic to pistachios since I was young. She only remembers what Dad and Zeke like to eat. How ridiculous.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Lucas walked in with an invitation card. Winona and Zeke immediately recognized it was the university¡¯s Art Festival invitation.


    Zeke asked, ¡°Lucas, is it the university¡¯s Art Festival invitation?¡±


    Lucas nodded respectfully. ¡°Yes, Mr. Zeke Chambers. This just arrived from Argrol University.¡±


    Zachary motioned for Lucas to bring over the invitation. Thetter understood and respectfully handed it over with both hands.


    Zachary opened it and saw that the Art Festival was on Friday, only two days away.


    Argrol University would invite the four major families to attend the Art Festival yearly. He was away on business trips and missed them in the past two years, so he was determined to attend this year.


    After their unpleasant parting at the police stationst time, Zachary did not have a chance to see Yvette again. He had countless questions and was determined to ask her face-to-face.


    During this period, Zachary could not sleep well. The thoughts of Yvette and the people around her had be a knot in his heart.


    Zachary said, ¡°Keep it safe. I have no ns on Friday, so I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Nellie assumed Zachary was going to support Winona, so she was excited. Turning to Winona, she said, ¡°Winona, your dad ising to watch yourpetition. Make sure you do well!¡±


    Although Zachary did not have feelings for Nellie, he was quite fond of Winona. ¡°Winona, you¡¯re still participating in painting this year, right?¡±


    Winona nodded with a smile, a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°Yes, Dad, oil painting. Our department¡¯s teacher helped me register right away.¡±


    Zeke chimed in with a hint of amusement, ¡°Mom, Dad, you probably still don¡¯t know. Yvie ispeting too.¡±


    Surprised, Nellie shot Winona a reproachful look, wondering why she had not been told earlier.


    Winona¡¯s fingers tightened around her fork as she hastily picked up a piece of food and popped it into her mouth, only to realize it was her least favorite-pistachio cake.


    Nellie chuckled and felt a bit relieved seeing Zachary¡¯s calm expression. ¡°Which event has Yvette signed up for?¡±


    Zeke stated, ¡°Mom, unlike Winona, Yvie didn¡¯t just sign up for oil painting. There is also music, chess, and calligraphy.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s hand, poised to pick up food, froze mid-air as he nced at the grinning Zeke. ¡°Really? Doesn¡¯t the Art Festival allow one to sign up for only one category?¡±


    Zeke restrained himself, knowing how highly Zachary valued Yvette, and quickly stopped smiling. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Winona.¡±


    Winona lifted her head. ¡°Yes, Dad. Yvie has signed up for four events, and the list is already out.¡±


    Zachary stayed silent for a long time before leaving with Lucas.


    Nellie, Zeke, and Winona were left behind, exchanging nces.


    Nellie eximed, ¡°Has Yvette gone crazy signing up for four events? Does she think she¡¯s so smart?¡±


    Zeke agreed with Nellie. They vented their frustrations about Yvette at home.


    This time, Winona did not say anything and kept her head down as she ate. She despised Yvette and disliked the two in front of her just as much. One was her mother, while the other was her brother.


    The Argrol University Art Festival started as scheduled.


    Early in the morning, the university was already bustling with activity. When one stepped onto the campus, huge banners were hanging on both sides of the road, with the prominent message: [Wishing the Argrol University Art Festival Great Sess].


    The auditorium had been decorated early, filled with balloons, string lights, flowers, and various small decorations, which created a vibrant atmosphere. Every seat even had colorful ribbons tied to it.


    The students were excited.


    Throughout the year, aside from winter and summer breaks, all departments were free from sses only during the three days of the Art Festival¡¯s opening andpetitions. The students were allowed to enjoy the event freely.


    Since the auditorium had limited seating, arge screen was set up on the field for a live broadcast so the students could watch the performances andpetitions..


    The Argrol University Art Festivalmittee not only invited some renowned entrepreneurs and artists from Seacrity but also media outlets for interviews.


    The entire Argrol University was filled with the vibrant spirit of youth.


    In the VIP room at Argrol University, Ruby prepared a luxurious lounge, separating it from the main guest area to curry favor with the four major families.


    However, this year, Simon decided to take an interest in such minor matters. He rejected the suggestion and insisted on treating all guests equally, mandating that everyone use the same room.


    With no other choice, Ruby had to rearrange everything again. However, she was clever enough to list the Lewis and Carter families first, with the Chambers and Smith families following behind.


    Zachary arrived with Nellie.


    Nellie wore a purple gown that entuated her curvy figure. Around her neck hung a stunning emerald ne while matching emerald earrings dangled from her ears. Her thoughtful choice of attire added to her allure, making her stand out at the event.


    Zachary did not look much different. He was still wearing his usual dark suit from the office. Standing together, they looked like a perfect match.


    When Zachary and Nellie arrived, they coincidentally met Reba at the gate.


    Unlike Winona, Nellie was older than Reba. In front of so many people, Reba politely showed respect, greeting her with a warm smile. The media at the scene quickly captured this moment.


    While taking the pictures, they even thought of a headline: [Ms. Carter Goes Out of Her Way to Win Over the Chambers Family for Her Brother¡¯s Marriage to Ms. Winona Chambers.]


    The three of them smiled awkwardly, posing for the cameras, but secretly, they were plotting their ns.


    ¡°Reba, Mr. Chambers, Mrs. Chambers, it¡¯s been a long time,¡± someone said.-


    Those still in the photo shoot were momentarily taken aback. They were surprised to hear the voice.

 Chapter 84

    Zachary, Nellie, and Reba all turned to look toward the roadside.


    Beside a vintage car stood an elderly man leaning on a walking cane, dressed in a dark suit with intricate embroidery. His gemstone thumb ring was particrly striking. His thin face was wrinkled, and only a few ck strands remained in his almostpletely white hair. His gray-white eyebrows hovered over eyes that shone with authority, somanding that no one dared meet his gaze.


    Zachary, Nellie, and Reba felt their hearts skip a beat at the same time. They thought, ¡®Why is the old man here?¡¯


    The personing was Jaiden Lewis, the head of the four major families.


    A young reporter at the scene was clueless and tactless, still trying to ask for more photos. A senior reporter immediately snapped at him, telling him to be quiet. The young report¨¦r felt aggrieved but did not dare to say anything.


    Zachary was the first to step forward and shake Jaiden¡¯s hand, greeting him, ¡°Mr. Lewis, what brings you here today? This Art Festival is truly honored by your presence!¡±


    Nellie, following Zachary, bowed slightly and greeted Jaiden politely, ¡°Hello, Mr. Lewis.¡±


    Reba, realizing she was a step behind, quickly followed the other two with a broad smile and greeted, ¡°Mr. Jaiden Lewis, I¡¯ve wanted to visit you for a long time. Mr. Lionel Lewis told me that you were resting at the old manor, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. ver expected to see you here today. How is your health?¡±


    When Zachary noticed Reba¡¯s eagerness to ask about Jaiden¡¯s health, he scoffed inwardly, ¡®She¡¯s too young and impatient. Everyone knows about Jaiden¡¯s health. In the past few years, he¡¯s been in and out of the hospital seven or eight times for various illnesses. Can he really be healthy? Isn¡¯t it just asking for trouble to ask that now? How could I not realize how clueless Reba was before? I¡¯ve overestimated her!


    With a walking cane in his hand, Jaiden fiddled with the thumb ring, his eyes filled with depth. He looked at Reba before saying, ¡°This body of mine won¡¯t have many years left. I thought I¡¯d make the most of my good days by spending time with my unruly grandson.¡± Jaiden coughed several times as he spoke, and someone beside him quickly handed him a handkerchief.


    Zachary said with concern, ¡°Mr. Lewis, it¡¯s windy outside. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Jaiden¡¯s eyes shone with approval at those words. Reba felt frustrated, thinking, ¡®Zachary got ahead of me again. She still did not realize that it was not just about being ahead. From the beginning, everything she said was always wrong, causing Jaiden¡¯s constant disapproval.


    Lionel had originally nned for Ryan and Reba to get engaged, but Jaiden¡¯s opposition ruined the n and ended it before it even began.


    After everyone went inside, the young reporter, Mason, was frustrated. He asked George, the senior reporter, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me take more pictures?¡± Since Mason stood at a distance, he did not hear much of the conversation, and he assumed Jaiden was just an ordinary old man.


    George pulled him aside, lit a cigarette, and said, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Do you know who he is? That¡¯s Jaiden Lewis, the former head of the Lewis family in Seacrity. He was a big shot long before you were born!¡±


    Mason, feeling arrogant after covering some hot news, muttered, ¡°So what? I¡¯m just taking some pictures. What¡¯s he going to


    do about it?¡±


    George let out a puff of smoke and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t know how Jaiden acted back then in Seacrity. All four major families have shady backgrounds. If this were happened in the past, you would probably be thrown into the sea to be fed to the fish,¡± he said.


    George recalled some events from his past. Back then, he had been in his twenties, just starting out in the media industry. always thinking about how to catch explosive news and make a name for himself. There had been a time when an informant had given him a tip about some big news involving Jaiden. Just like Mason, his strong desire for sess had pushed him to follow the lead, even though he had known the risks of dealing with Jaiden.


    He had finally uncovered some big news, but it had not been about Jaiden. Instead, it had been about a rivalpany rted to him. Thepany¡¯s factory had severely polluted wastewater, posing a significant environmental threat. He had dedicated an entire page to reporting on the issue, so he had stood out among many other reporters. Later, however, he had stumbled upon something that seemed wrong and had decided to investigate further. Eventually, he had found out that the factory had not been at fault-it had all been a trap set by Jaiden.


    Just as he had been about to make the matter public, he had received a package. Inside the package had been photos of his wife and son, 330 thousand dors in cash, and a ¡°thank you¡± note that Jaiden had signed. George had been aware that he had already exposed himself, causing him immense pain and conflict inside. In the end, however, he had suppressed his conscience and destroyed the evidence. Later, George had heard that thepany¡¯s chairman had gone bankrupt overnight and lost his family. The chairman had been unable to cope with the shock, so he had decided to end his life by jumping off a building.


    That incident had be a lifelong nightmare for George, as his conscience had been constantly tormented by guilt. He had realized that he had been used from the beginning. It had all been Jaiden¡¯s plot.


    When he looked at Mason, he was reminded of himself back then.


    Apart from Arthur Chambers, the former head of the Chambers family, who had passed away from illness, the other three who were still alive were all ruthless individuals. The tactics of those upper-ss people were beyond what ordinary folks could imagine.


    Meanwhile, the auditorium seats were almost full, with only the two front rows of VIP seats remaining empty. Students of Argrol University knew those seats were reserved for important figures invited to the Art Festival.


    On the first day of the arts festival, after the opening ceremony performance, the pianopetition immediately followed. Argrol University valued efficiency, so the fourpetitions had no unnecessary segments. Each event had a main judge.


    The contestants took turns performing, and the judges scored them. The highest score determined the champion of each event. Of course, anyone with an objection could voice it under the principles of fairness and transparency. However, it had never happened in recent years, as the judges for each event were authorities in their fields with absolute credibility.


    The current Art Festival had just announced the list of judges for the fourpetitions on the public notice board outside. They were the young pianist Zion Holmes, who judged the pianopetition; Alexander Reed, Vice President of the Seacrity Chess Association, who judged the chesspetition; Simon Sundend, President of Argrol University, who judged the calligraphypetition; and Vincent Marsh, Vice President of the Seacrity Painting Association, who judged the oil paintingpetition.


    The significance of those four individuals was undeniable, making the current Art Festival lineup the most prestigious in recent years.


    Meanwhile, Ruby stood at the auditorium entrance in her white dress, beaming with confidence. She was certainly not there- to greet the ordinary students attending the event but rather to greet important figures like the Lewis family, Simon, and Zion.


    The group was led by Jaiden, followed by Zachary, Nellie, and Reba, who were among the first to arrive. The Smith family did not send anyone then, so Nellie represented them.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Kubyposed herself and stepped forward. ¡°¡±Hello, I¡¯m Ruby Scott, the organizer of this Art Festival and student council president from the finance department. Please follow me,¡± she said.¡±


    The group, all prominent figures, nodded in response.


    Ruby led the way, introducing herself as they walked, and the group politelyplimented her efforts. She was secretly pleased, thinking they were praising her excellent nning. Little did she know, they were just being polite. Those people had seen everything. A hall and stage design like that did not even catch their attention.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°Yve,e here, there¡¯s a seat, Bonnie called. Ruby had made her do the backstage cleaning early in the morning as payback for something she had done and had just finished. Bonnie had looked around for a seat, but the only avable ones were in the second row.


    As soon as Zachary heard Yvette¡¯s name, he immediately looked toward the stage. Reba and Nellie, who had been chatting with Jaiden, stopped to look over. Curious, Jaiden followed their gaze and saw a gorgeous girl standing by the stage.


    Yvette was still wearing her usual ck tracksuit and canvas shoes, though they were new at the time, recing the worn¨Cout pair she used to wear. All eyes quickly fell on her. She frowned slightly, obviously annoyed by the attention.


    When she looked up, the fierceness and defiance in her eyes were hard to miss¨Cdangerous yet captivating. Zachary suddenly stood, saying, ¡°Yvette, do you need a seat? Come sit here.¡±


    The auditorium had quieted down upon the group¡¯s arrival. Most of the students at Argrol University knew who Jaiden and the others were. They kept their voices low, hoping to make a good impression. Everyone knew that being on the right side of those people could lead to job offers after graduation.


    After Zachary spoke, hushed whispers filled the room. Jaiden narrowed his eyes and asked. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Reba looked at Nellie, her tone mocking as she spoke. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t heard. She¡¯s the daughter the Chambers family just found¨Cthe child of Mr. Zachary Chambers¡® ex¨Cwife. Despite the irritation on Nellie¡¯s face, Reba continued, ¡°Mr. Chambers really dotes on her; she¡¯s his beloved daughter¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nellie forced a smile and thought, ¡®What is Reba up to? Is she trying to embarrass me?¡® Then she replied, ¡°You are right, Ms. Carter. A daughter is the apple of her parents¡® eye. I hear you are even more treasured than Victor at the Carter residence.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s words struck a chord. Everyone knew that Reba¡¯s high standing in the Carter family had little to do with parental love and everything to do with ude. Matthew had often made it clear that girls should have stayed at home, supporting their husbands and raising children rather than pursuing careers.


    Reba¡¯s face immediately hardened, clearly indicating that Nellie had struck a nerve. Jaiden, however, was not interested in their bickering. His focus was on Yvette, who leaned casually against the wall, hands in her pockets,pletely at ease. She looked so much like her mother, Lilian.


    Jaiden remembered meeting Lilian at a banquet over 20 years ago¨Cher beauty had been unforgettable. No wonder Zachary had fallen head over heels for her back then, even going so far as to cut ties with the Chambers family.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, giving Zachary a cold, assessing nce. Her voice was low andzy as she said, ¡°No need.¡±


    Everyone had expected Zachary to be annoyed by her tone, but to their surprise, he smiled warmly and replied, ¡°Yvette, how about I help you find a seat?¡± His words left the room in stunned silence.


    Most of the students at Argrol University believed, based on Winona¡¯s subtle gossip, that Yvette had been neglected by her family¨Cunloved and sent to live in the dorms as an afterthought. However, Zachary¡¯s reaction left them baffled and wondered, ¡®Isn¡¯t she supposed to be ignored? Look at Mr. Chambers. His tone and that warm smile¨Che can¡¯t possibly dote on her any more than he already does!¡±


    It became painfully clear that the rumors about Yvette being unloved were nothing but lies. Nellie, seething with jealousy, wondered, ¡®Does Zachary not care about Zeke and Winona at all! Is Yvette the only one who matters to him? Nellie clung to Zachary¡¯s arm and smiled sweetly, saying, ¡°Darling, if Yvette doesn¡¯t want to sit with us, that¡¯s perfectly fine. The school has probably already arranged seats. No need to worry.¡±


    Reba suddenly took Nellie¡¯s side and sarcastically interjected. ¡°Mr. Chambers, I¡¯m sure the seats are already assigned. We¡¯re just guests here; there¡¯s no need to bother the school. Besides, look at Victor and Mr. Lewis¨Cthey¡¯re sitting with the students. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for Yvette to sit with us, dont you think?¡±


    After Reba¡¯sment, Zachary found himself unable to argue any further. He shot Nellie a look of clear dissatisfaction, but she did not care. She couldn¡¯t stand to see Zachary treat Yvette so well.


    Meanwhile, Ruby was leading Simon and Andrew through the auditorium when she overheard someone mention Yvette. Andrew immediately picked up the pace, with Simon close behind. Ruby, not knowing why they were speeding up, had to practically jog in heels, which were three inches high, to keep up. A few momentster, Simon and Andrew entered the room. Ruby was no fool. She knew Andrew was someone important with only one look at him.


    Anyone who could keep Simon at his side was no ordinary man. Ruby had already noticed Andrew¡¯s shirt and jacket were thetest LV¨Cluxury items that few people in Seacrity could obtain so quickly. Ruby had tried to engage him in conversation throughout the walk.


    Andrew, however, was unimpressed. He had seen countless beautiful women and was not interested in Ruby. He only responded to her asionally, enough to make her happy.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? It looks lively,¡± Simon roared as he entered the room.


    The students turned to greet Andrew and Simon as the doors swung open. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Sundend,¡± several students greeted.


    *****


    The students at Argrol University did not recognize Andrew, so they naturally greeted Simon instead. Andrew quickly spotted Yvette and Bonnie in the corner before ncing at the group in the front row. Except for Zachary, whom he had seen at the police station, Andrew did not recognize any of the others.


    Before Andrew could say a word, Ruby, still in her high heels, stormed forward, ignoring any questions about what had happened and heading straight for Yvette in a huff. ¡°Yvette, why do you always cause trouble wherever you go?¡± Ruby snapped, her irritation palpable.


    Andrew¡¯s expression darkened as he thought, ¡®What is she doing? Who gave her the nerve to talk to Yvette like that?¡®


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her eyes icy and sharp. ¡°Just remember to take your medications,¡± she shot back, implying Ruby was acting crazy.


    Ruby froze, and the auditorium erupted inughter. Yvette had put Ruby in her ce with that one line. Andrew, who was about to intervene, stood still. He knew Yvette would not back down, but he had not expected her to be so sharp.


    Andrew thought, ¡®Impressive! She¡¯s clearly Jeremiah¡¯s partner¨Cthere¡¯s a reason she¡¯s at the top of her game. If she weren¡¯t capable, the sharks at Betrico would have taken her down by now!


    Simon cleared his throat, and the room fell silent again. ¡°Can someone exin to me what just happened?¡± he asked, his voice calm butmanding.

 Chapter 86

    ¡°Mr. Sundend, it¡¯s nothing serious. Just now, Yvette and her friend couldn¡¯t find a seat, so I invited her to sit with me Suddenly, this girl. Ruby Scott, came in and used my daughter without knowing anything. Who is she to use my daughter when she¡¯s just a nobody?¡± Zachary said.


    Ruby, who had been frozen in ce, turned pale after hearing Zachary¡¯s words. In that situation, she could only keep her head down. She couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong.


    Didn¡¯t Winona im that Yvette wasn¡¯t favored by her father in the Chambers family? And that¡¯s why Yvette was kicked out? It seems like Winona deceived me. If what she imed was right, why would Zachary step up for Yvette in a ce like this, disregarding his status Ruby pondered.


    Ruby despised not only Yvette but also Winona. She kept her head down, not daring to say a word. At that moment, Ruby caught a glimpse of Andrew¡¯s figure, steadily walking toward her,


    Ruby, who was feeling dejected moments before, saw a ray of hope. ¡®Is he here for me? Is he my prince charming, here to save me in my time of need? she wondered. Her heart pounded, and her pale face began to turn red


    Jaiden, Nellie, Reba, and the other students in the auditorium kept an eye on Andrew. Everyone expected him to be Ruby¡¯s knight in shining armor. Only Simon, Zachary, and Bordie, who was sping her hands, knew Andrew wasn¡¯t there to help Ruby.


    Everyone thought Andrew was heading toward Ruby. Nellie and Reba eagerly awaited the oue of Yvette¡¯s fate, expecting a good show. Jaiden remained uninvolved, staying neutral in the situation. He was over 70 years old and had no intention of mocking a young girl he didn¡¯t know..


    Andrew stopped in front of Ruby, who looked up excitedly and asked, ¡°Mr. Mitchell, are you here for me¡± However, Andrew walked past Ruby before she could finish her sentence and approached Yvette, who was behind her. Ruby¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She just stood there, watching Andrew walk toward Yvette. ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Yvette leaned against the wall, her gaze as cold and indifferent as ever. Her stunningly beautiful face remained expressionless, unresponsive to Andrew¡¯s approach. Andrew was used to Yvette¡¯s asional cold demeanor, just like Jeremiah. He was more used to it than anyone.


    Andrew rubbed his chin, ignoring the stares from everyone around, and piped up in a yful tone, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s sit together. You better not turn me down. Someone has ordered me to take care of you.¡± He had a cheeky grin on his face.


    Yvette¡¯s expression changed subtly, and an expression that others couldn¡¯t read shed across her fair face. The next moment, she returned to her usual indifferent expression.


    After speaking with Yvette, Andrew turned to face Bonnie, who was cowering in a corner, counting on her fingers. Where¡¯s the usual boldness she showed around me? She lookedpletely helpless!¡± he wondered. ¡°Come over here, Bonnie. Sit


    with us.¡±


    When Bonnie heard Andrew call her, she looked up to see everyone¡¯s eyes on her. She suddenly grew nervous. ¡®Oh my gosh. I¡¯m not Yve, who could remain calm in every situation. This is the first time I¡¯ve received this much attention from so many people,¡¯ she mused.


    Bracing herself, Bonnie shouted, ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± She shouted with all her might to conceal her nervousness, and her voice echoed through the auditorium. Blushing, Bonnie bolted over to Andrew and Yvette¡¯s side hurriedly.


    Simon was dumbfounded, wondering what was going on. He didn¡¯t know much about Ruby, the student council president. Normally, Patrick handled any dealings with her. But now, seeing how unreliable she was, Simon felt that she was impulsive and impatient.


    With a stern expression, Simon furrowed his brow, making it clear to everyone that he was displeased-Without raising his voice, he said with dignity, ¡°Ruby, didn¡¯t I instruct the student council to reserve several seats!¡±


    When Ruby heard her name, she didn¡¯t have time to dwell on her previous humiliation and dashed over to Simon, answering respectfully, ¡°Mr. Sundend, we¡¯ve reserved a few seats for you. It¡¯s in the front row, right beside yours¡±


    Simon nced at Ruby, then at Yvette. His face remained stern, and his voice was cold, full of authority. ¡°Ruby, as president of the student council, why didn¡¯t you prepare a seat for Yvette, who is a participant in thepetition?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Andrew let out a sarcastic snort. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? She did it deliberately¡±


    Ruby¡¯s expression turned gloomy as she looked around. She thought Andrew was there to help her, but he was actually Yvette¡¯s ally, and he was now mocking her. ¡®Yvette¡¯s rtionship with her father wasn¡¯t as strained as I expected. Now, even Mr. Sundend is publicly questioning me on her behalf. Why does she have so many people supporting her?¡¯ Ruby wondered


    Ruby regained herposure. The situation was unfavorable to her, and the only way out was to y the victim. Her eyes reddened as if she were about to cry. Her tactic worked. Some of the students around her began to sympathize.


    ¡°Mr. Sundend, the issue with Yvette¡¯s seat was a mistake by the student council. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ruby apologized. Then, she turned to Yvette and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She had learned how to use reverse psychology to her benefit. Those around her sympathized with her actions and spoke up for her.


    ¡°I think Ruby¡¯s pitiful. It¡¯s normal to overlook small things like this,¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t need to be so harsh.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s just a girl. It¡¯s not easy for her too.


    Simon also felt troubled. As the principal, making a student cry would be disastrous if word got out. Furthermore, because Ruby had already apologized, he couldn¡¯t take the matter any further. ¡°All right. This was an oversight by the student council. I hope you learn from your mistake and don¡¯t repeat it again, Simon uttered.


    Ruby nodded and purposefully wiped her eyes with her sleeve, her voice trembling with emotion. ¡°Understood, Mr. Sundend.


    Next, Simon smiled gently at Yvette, expressing kindness. His expression changed almost instantly. ¡°Yvette,e sit with me. I¡¯ve reserved a seat for you in the front row. Your friend can join us too.¡±


    The auditorium fell silent. Bonnie was almost certain that Simon was referring to her. It was another lucky break in her life,


    Jaiden, who was obstructed by the crowd, was surprised by Simon¡¯s attitude toward Yvette, which differed significantly from how he treated Ruby. He had known Simon for many years. Simon had never been so courteous to anyone, let alone a student. Thus, Jaiden was certain that something was off.


    Ruby kept her head down, her fingernails digging deeply into her palm, almost into her flesh. So the seat Mr. Sundend had reserved was actually for Yvette. The front row is where all the top figures in Seacrity would be seated. What right does Yvette have to sit there?¡¯ she thought.


    But, in front of those people, Ruby didn¡¯t have the right to speak her mind. She had no choice but to remain silent and keep everything to herself. The atmosphere became subtle. Zachary, Andrew, and Simon all wanted Yyette to sit next to them


    Everyone wondered whether Yvette would choose Zachary, Simon, or the mysterious man who hade with Simon. Everyone was waiting for Yvette¡¯s response.


    ¡°Sorry, I was dyed due to an incident.¡± Another voice suddenly rang out from the auditorium entrance.

 Chapter 87

    Zion and Sawyer hurried all the way and only managed to arrive at the university half an hour before the opening Ceremony of Art Festival. Their car had broken down halfway, Herause it broke down in a remote area, the two of them had to wait for a long time by the roadside before a taxi came by.


    eliable


    After a morning of frustration. Zion was fine, but Sawyer was furing. Heined about how unreliable Argrol University was for not sending a better car to pick them up. He looked upset the whole ride.


    ¡°Mr. Holmes, the crowd murmured. Inside the auditorium, many of the art students recognized Zion. As a world- renowned pianist, he was a role model for all piano students in Clusia. Zion wore a dark blue suit that day, indicating how much he valued Art Festival.


    Those familiar with him knew that Zion only wore suits on special asions and at concerts. Otherwise, he usually dressed casually. Zion approached Simon with courtesy and extended his hand to greet him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Sundend.¡±


    Even though Zion and Simon were close, formal asions require a certain level of etiquette to avoid unnecessary rumors. Simon also extended his hand returning the handshake. ¡°Hello, Mr. Holmes¡±


    Nellie and Reba had both attended Zion¡¯s piano concerts before, so they were familiar with him. Reba was especially excited.


    Reba not only admired Zion but also harbored feelings for him, which she kept hidden well enough that no one noticed. ¡°Hello, Mr. Holmes. Ist saw your solo concert two years ago, and it was an amazing experience.¡± Reba smiled, her beautiful eyes full of admiration.


    If Yvette hadn¡¯t been there, Reba would undoubtedly have been the most beautiful woman in the auditorium. Zion nodded slightly in acknowledgment. He knew that Reba was the daughter of the Carter family, one of the four major families in Seacrity.


    Whenever he held a concert in Seacrity, she would always attend to see him perform. However, Zion didn¡¯t have a favorable impression of her because when she first attended his concert, she subtly boasted about her family.


    There was also one time after a concert when he left a littleter than usual and saw Reba pping her bodyguard on the side of the road, her expression fierce and malicious.


    Zion remembered it clearly. Later, Reba repeatedly expressed her admiration for him and invited him to dinner several times, but he had declined each time.


    He had been busy with his concert tours in Mysonna in recent years and hadn¡¯t returned to Clusia often, so he hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time. ¡°Hello, Ms. Carter.¡±


    Nellie had only attended two of Zion¡¯s concerts. Knowing her ce, she didn¡¯t take the initiative to greet him. She knew it would be awkward if he didn¡¯t recognize her.


    Ruby was the happiest of all the people when Zion arrived. She was convinced that Zion was the one person who would side with Yvette. She was about to go and greet him when she saw Zion finish greeting Simon and others, then look around until his gazended on her.


    Ruby immediately gave him a charming smile. But to her surprise, Zion¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t linger on her. His gaze swept over her and settled on someone behind her. When Ruby noticed that, her heart fell


    Zion was overjoyed and pleasantly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect to run into the girl he had met a few days ago. With so many students at Argrol University, he couldn¡¯t check with everyone. ¡°What a coincidence. You¡¯re here too, Zion said as he briskly walked toward Yvette.


    The auditorium fell into silence again. Everyone was speechless, unsure what was going on. However, they were aware of who Zion was approaching. Andrew, seeing him approach, nudged Bonnie with his elbow. ¡°Yvette knows him!¡°


    Bonnir nodded vigorously and then shook her head, leaving Andrew confused. ¡°Does she know him or not?¡± he asked.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Bonnie hesitated for a moment. ¡°Probably not. A few days ago, daring Art Festival¡¯s rehearsal, he gave Yve his business card, but she didn¡¯t even look at it.¡±


    Andrew chuckled mischievously. He had heard of Zion a few times while in Betrico. His sister was a huge fan of Zion, and his sister and Zion seemed to get along pretty well.


    He never cared much for piano or guitar, or any of that stuff. His family would asionally receive concert tickets from a maestro or a celebrity, but he never attended them.


    Zion, now entirely focused on Yvette, didn¡¯t pay any attention to Andrew beside him. If he took a closer look, he would realize that Andrew slightly resembled the person lie liked.


    Yvette slowly raised her head and arched her brow. Her long legs stretched out as she stood up straighter, exuding a rxed but cool demeanor. Behind Zion, Sawyer was surprised by Yvette¡¯s striking beauty, but her casual demeanor displeased him.


    In his opinion, someone of Zion¡¯s status who was willing to speak kindly to a student deserved the highest level of respect. Yet. Yvette was acting nonchnt and indifferent. Sawyer immediately took a dislike to her.


    ¡°I forgot to introduce myself the other day. I¡¯m Zion Holmes. Nice to meet you. Could you tell me your name?¡± Zion inquired. Everyone was surprised by his attitude.


    After all, Clusia¡¯s most famous pianist was being so courteous to a student who hadn¡¯t even graduated from the physics department. Zachary was unfazed. His daughter was friends with a major general and the mayor, so a pianist wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    In a corner where no one noticed, Nellie¡¯s face darkened, and she almost tore her gown¡¯s sleeve in frustration.


    Reba¡¯s jealousy grew as she observed Zion¡¯s behavior toward vette. ¡®Why is Zion so cordial to Yvette? Why? I¡¯ve spent so much money on concerts just to have a meal with him, and it never happened. Yvette seems indifferent to Zion, yet he¡¯s eager to know her name. How ironic. All of my previous efforts seem ridiculous, shemented inwardly.


    Im Yvette Zeller, Yvette replied.


    Ruby stood stiffly to the side, too scared to turn and look at Yvette. She had no interest in whatever Yvette and Zion were talking about. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t help but overhear Yvette and Zion¡¯s conversation.


    Ruby was on the verge of breaking down at the time, and she realized what it was like to be isted and helpless. She had met Zion more than anyone else there. She knew how cold he could be because she had experienced it firsthand.


    Nheless, Zion, who remained distant and unyielding even in the presence of wealthy tycoons and high-ranking officials, inquired about Yvette¡¯s name. He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a nice name. I like it¡±


    Everyone present was utterly shocked. They found it unbelievable that Zion, a well-known artist, was making an awkward attempt at conversing.


    Even Zion felt a bit embarrassed after saying that. He scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. He had neverplimented anyone so awkwardly before. He looked at Yvette¡¯s expression, which was difficult to read.


    Zion scratched the back of his head again, looking a bit sheepish for a man in his thirties. His attempt at ttery was clearly unsessful


    He didn¡¯t care what others thought of him. His priority now was to find a chance to talk to Yvette privately. ¡°Yvette, after Art Festival, I was wondering if you¡¯d have some time to chat? You can decide the time. I¡¯m fine with any time.¡±


    Yvette remained quiet for a moment before she looked up. The light highlighted her elegant profile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bonnie, noticing that the two¡¯s conversation had ended, approached Yvette and whispered, ¡°Yve, where should we sit?¡± She

 Chapter 88

    The seating drama finally settled down, and everyone returned to their ces. Yvette chose to sit with Andrew, while Bonnie took a seat nearby.


    ¡°Really? Was it that serious? It¡¯s just a matter of two or three seats Do they really have to make such a big deal? We¡¯re all in the front rows anyway. Does it even matter where we sit? Bonnie thought, rolling her eyes.


    Simon didn¡¯t mind. With so many people around, even if he wanted to talk to Yvette, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Zachary was used ? Yvette¡¯s indifference, so her not sitting with him didn¡¯t surprise him. The most disappointed was Zion, who felt he had missed a great chance to chat with her.


    Jaiden, meanwhile, sat next to Simon. Originally, Simon thought Lionel from the Lewis family would attend, but it turned out to be Jaiden instead. Since they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a while, they switched seats on purpose to catch up.


    Backstage. Ruby stormed into the dressing room, tears in her eyes. She mmed the door shut and, in a fit of rage, trashed the makeup on the table. She stared at her furious reflection in the mirror. Wiping away her tears, she clenched her fists.


    I swear I¡¯m going to take Yvette down in the pianopetition,¡¯ she thought to herself. The piano was Ruby¡¯s domain-her true stage. The people backstage heard the loud crashes from the dressing room and backed away cautiously, not wanting to get caught in Ruby¡¯s fury.


    At 9:30 am., Art Festival officially kicked off. Four hosts led the opening ceremony, and Simon was the first to take the stage. His speech encouraged the participants topete with both grace and skill, ending with a wish for the festival¡¯s sess.


    Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for-the musical performances. Ruby was set to y the piano, and despite her earlier outburst, it barely dampened the crowd¡¯s excitement.


    Backstage, Ruby redid her makeup and changed into a flowing white dress. As she stepped under the spotlight, the audience¡¯s attention was solely on her. This was her ce, where she felt she truly belonged.


    With a small, confident smile, she brushed off her earlier frustration. Determined to stay positive, she didn¡¯t even nce at Yvette. Taking her seat at the piano, Ruby began to y. Her fingers danced across the keys, producing an enchanting melody that captivated everyone.


    However, while the audience admired her performance, Zion frowned slightly, thinking, ¡®She¡¯s ying it just like she did in rehearsals. There¡¯s no emotion in it-only bitterness. Ruby might have masked her emotions outwardly, but her resentment seeped into her music, dulling the performance.


    Sitting behind Zion, Sawyer watched with a smug expression, unimpressed by Ruby¡¯s ying. He thought, Is this the person Mr. Holmes rmended to me? Her ying¡¯s so average. She even missed a few notes. And this is the opening performance? Give me a break.


    He nced around at the audience, many of whom seemed entranced by Ruby¡¯s ying. It only made him feel more incredulous. But when his eyesnded on Yvette, he paused.


    Among the crowd of admiring faces, only Zion and Yvette appeared unimpressed. Yvette, in particr, sat with a neutral expression, her brows slightly furrowed. Sawyer raised his eyebrows, surprised by their shared reaction.


    ¡°Ruby is ying so well!¡± Nellie said, ncing over at Yvette, who had pulled her hood down over her eyes and crossed her arms, already asleep. How tacky, falling asleep at an event like this, Nellie thought with disdain.


    Dressed in a gown and trying to hold in her stomach, she was focused on maintaining her image, even though her ribs ached. The only thing keeping her motivated was the thought of the uing pianopetition. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Ruby crush Yvette on stage.


    The mere thought of it made her feel giddy with anticipation. Next to her, Zachary noticed the excitement radiating from Nellie but couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    Reba, however, was focused on the performance. ¡°Ruby¡¯s ying is really impressive. No wonder she passed Level 8 in piano,¡± she said.


    Andrew, sitting nearby, seemed less interested in the music and more focused on Yvette. He nced at Bonnie, who was casually munching on snacks. ¡°Bonnie,¡± he said, trying to get her attention.


    Startled, Bonnie jumped, spilling her snacks everywhere. ¡°What?¡± she eximed, looking up at Andrew. ¡°You scared me! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Andrew pointed at Yvette, who was still asleep. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about her?¡±


    Bonnie waved him off, umbothered. ¡°Worried? Nah, Yve knows what she¡¯s doing. Rx. Here, have some chips,¡± she said, offering him the bagN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Andrew chuckled, panting her on the head affectionately. ¡°All you do is cat.¡±


    Nearby. Nellie overheard the conversation about Ruby passing her Level 8 in piano and felt a spark of satisfaction. If Ruby has passed Level S, there¡¯s no way Yvette stands a chance, she thought. She could practically taste the victory.


    When Ruby finished her piece, she basked in the apuse, her confidence fully restored. The earlier frustration melted away as she stepped off the stage and returned to her usual smug self. Now, all she could think about was how great it would feel to defeat Yvette in front of everyone.


    Art Festival¡¯s opening ceremony was lively, featuring performances from various departments thatsted for two and a half hours. Once it wrapped up, everyone anticipated one of the main events-the pianopetition.


    Rows of chairs lined the field, packed with students eager to see who would take the championship. Most of the audience. was rooting for Ruby, a pianist who had passed Level 8, a significant achievement in the university,


    However, Yvette had her share of supporters, too. News of her entry into four events had reignited her fanbase, who cheered her on through university forums. Every year, after Art Festival, students voted for the ¡°Most Popr Award¡± on the forums, and this year thepetition was fiercer than ever,


    The winner of that award would receive a piece of Simon¡¯s calligraphy, a rare and coveted prize. Since Simon was an honorary member of National Calligraphy Association, his works were not only treasured collector¡¯s items but could also fetch a hefty price on the market


    Only one piece was awarded each year, andst year it had gone to Ryan, Who would walk away with it this time?


    The pianopetition¡¯s order wasn¡¯t determined by drawing lots; instead, it was randomly generated by aputer, and. the lineup was finalized the day before the festival. By sheer coincidence, Ruby was second tost, with Yvette going right after her.


    Ruby was thrilled with this arrangement. She was confident that her performance would intimidate Yvette so much that she would barely have the nerve to step on stage. To top it off, Ruby had chosen to perform ¡°Dream,¡± the most famous piece in Bryan¡¯s repertoire.


    This legendaryposition was written as a tribute to Bryan¡¯s beloved wife-and Ruby had been practicing it for three years. She had perfected every note, but until today, she had never performed it in public. This would be her moment.


    In Ruby¡¯s eyes, Yvette was nothing more than a stepping stone, and this song was her ticket to triumph. Her thoughts were consumed by her desire to secure a spot in Zion¡¯s prestigious studio.


    The performance order was disyed on the big screen for everyone to see. The audience quickly noticed that Ruby and Yvette were performing back-to-back. Excitement filled the auditorium as whispers spread among the attendees.


    Some people thought, ¡°This is fate! Destiny¡¯s design. When rivals sh, who will emerge victorious?

 Chapter 89

    The first on stage was a cute round¨Cfaced girl named Giselle.


    She had chosen a Level 6 piece, ¡°Alternating Thirds,¡± which was unremarkable. It wasn¡¯t special, but she performed without mistakes


    Zion gave Giselle a score of seven and gave her some encouraging words..


    Giselle knew she didn¡¯t have much chance of winning, so she left the stage cheerfully upon Zion¡¯s encouragement.


    Subsequently, contestants performed one after another, but most chose Level 5 or Level 6 pieces. Only one girl from the¡± chemistry department attempted a Level 7 piece and upon watching her performance, Zion didn¡¯t hold back his praise


    Given everyone knew the highlight today wasn¡¯t these performers, they all appeared disinterested. Ultimately, they knew the highlights were Yvette and Ruby.


    After all. Ruby was recognized as Argrol University¡¯s best pianist and had the most advanced piano grade among the contestants. She already reached Level 8.


    Meanwhile¨CYvette, who came from the countryside, had only been at Argrol University for just over a month. Although she won a Frixyian contest, and everyone acknowledged her intelligence, this was a pianopetition¨Callpeting students had been learning to y the piano since young.


    Everyone knew one couldn¡¯t excel at piano simply by having a photographic memory. Piano required years of consistency. ongoing practice, and continual practice. Even if Yvette was smart and talented, there was no way she could master the piano in a few days.


    Even if Yvette had learned some basics, she wouldn¡¯tpare to them, let alone Ruby, who had already passed Level 8.


    The oue was obvious.


    After three full hours, the majority of Argrol University students couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. Even Andrew and Bonnie felt their backsides grow sore from sitting for so long.


    Meanwhile, Sawyer grewpletely disinterested after watching a few performances, and when Zion wasn¡¯t looking, he sneakily nced elsewhere and daydreamed.


    Simon and Jaiden were older, thus sitting for such a long time was hard on them. However, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for either of them to leave earlier in this event, so they just sat there idly and chatted asionally to pass the tire..


    Reba wanted to put down her ego and speak to Zachary, but he didn¡¯t spare her a nce. Moreover, with so many watching, she knew she couldn¡¯t force a conversation, or it could disgrace the Carter family.


    Zachary and Nellie were fine overall. However, Nellie persevered out of sheer willpower to see Yvette embarrass herself Her back pain was excruciating, but she had to maintain her image as a dignifieddy, so she forced herself to maintain her posture.


    The only ones who werefortable there were Zion and Yvette.


    Zion carefully critiqued each contestant¡¯s performance, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses with precisements, and offered them appropriate advice.


    Except for a few sips of water, he had barely moved because he knew everyone could see his every action.


    Everyone¡¯s regard for Zion rose considerably at his dedication. It was no wonder he was Clusia¡¯s most outstanding pianist. His serious and responsible attitude alone deserved admiration and respect.


    ?


    @ Y


    ¦°


    Knowing Yvette was participating in the pianopetition today, Andrew came to support her, hoping his presence would help her stay rxed and calm.


    However, when Andrew turned, he saw Yvette leisurely leaning back in her chair, bouncing her foot with her legs crossed.


    An incredulous expression appeared on Andrew¡¯s face as he thought, ¡®Huh. I was worried for nothing. She doesn¡¯t look nervous at all. Hah! I might be more anxious about thepetition than she is. How funny


    Andrew¡¯s gaze was so focused on Yvette that she opened her eyes, rested her chin on her hand, tilted her head, and shot him an indifferent look. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Andrew really wanted to shout. Yeah, something up! Something big is happening. Can¡¯t you see there are only two more contestants before Ruby¡¯s tum? After Ruby, you¡¯re next! he eximed internally.


    He wanted to ask where she got her confidence but instead, he questioned, ¡°It¡¯s almost your turn. Aren¡¯t you going backstage to prepare Then, he nced at Yvette¡¯s outfit. ¡°Where¡¯s your dress! If you don¡¯t change soon, you won¡¯t have enough time.¡±


    Yvette narrowed her eyes and then lifted an eyebrow. She dered nonchntly, I don¡¯t have one.¡±


    Andrew had just picked up his water for a sip when his hand froze mid¨Cair. ¡°Are you saying you didn¡¯t even prepare a dress?¡±


    Yvette nodded.


    Andrew put down the ss and briefly wondered about the sess rate of simply taking off with Yvette now. He pondered, This is ridiculous. Yvette never even prepared a dress. Is she really just going to perform in ck sportswear!


    Amazing music would be wasted. All the performers earlier wore carefully selected attire and looked stunning and elegant.


    Pfft. You¡¯d think anyone who can spend 100 million dors like that could afford a dress. There¡¯s only one exnation- Yvette never intended to wear one. Andrew sighed and wondered. Why¡¯s my life so difficult? How did I end up mingling with entrics like Jeremiah and Yvette?


    There is nothing we can do now. It¡¯d be futile to say anything more. All I hope is Yvette won¡¯t lose too badly. With me here, surely Ruby wouldn¡¯t dare to misbehave, right?¡±


    Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for had arrived.


    All other contestants had finished performing. Now only Yvette and Ruby were left.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The entire audience suddenly livened up, as if they had just been revived. Those who were dozing woke up, sneaky snackers stopped eating, and those chatting quietly stopped talking.


    Almost everyone had waited three hours for this. Even the students peeking in from outside sat in their seats with anticipation.


    Just like everyone inside, they might not have known what happened before the event, but Yvette¡¯s reputation at Argeol University was no joke.


    The showdown between Yvette and the student council president Ruby was highly anticipated; no one wanted to miss it.


    From backstage, Ruby walked onto the stage with a powerful aura once the host finished announcing. There were no signs. of her earlier embarrassment.


    In those past few hours, Ruby had already rewired her mindset.


    Ruby firmly believed that as long as she won today¡¯spetition, no one would care about what happened before. Once she won, whenever people talked about her and Yvette, they¡¯d only mention that she beat her.


    Ruby nced briefly at the few people in the front who had stood up for Yvette earlier and scoffed inwardly thinking, Pift


    No matter how many people speak up for Yvette, thispetition is judged based on skill.


    With so many people watching. Yvette wasn¡¯t worried Zion would be biased toward Yvette. Unless he wanted to destroy his reputation and cheat openly, she was sure she would win today¡¯spetition..


    Ruby¡¯s piece of choice for today¡¯spetition was ¡°Dream¡± by Bryan Brooks


    This was one of his most famous pieces. It was graded at Level and far more difficult than the ¡°Second Life Concerto¡± piece. she yed at the opening


    This would be her most brilliant moment.


    Ruby bowed to the audience, walked to the piano, sat down, and took a deep breath. Subsequently, beautiful music flowed seamlessly from her fingertips.


    This time, even Zion nodded in agreement. He had to admit Ruby yed this piece very well. Unlike before, her music now carried a deep sense of romance.


    Zion nced sideways at Yvette, who had her eyes closed, and wondered if she was going to surprise himter. Ruby had truly excelled, and Yvette would have a hard time topping her performance.


    Yet, Zion still had high hopes for her. After all, anyone who could offer such critiques must have profound piano expertise. Thus, he highly anticipated Yvette¡¯s performance.


    Ruby infused her feelings for Ethan into the music and transformed the entire piece.


    She took a big risk given Zion often critiqued that her yingcked emotion. This time, she was determined to impress


    Entranced, the audience listened attentively as her moving and emotive music struck a chord. Once Ruby ended her piece. the auditorium erupted into enthusiastic apuse, Everyone was cheering.


    ¡°Ruby yed excellently, a member of the audience praised.


    ¡°I may be clueless about music, but I feel like Ruby¡¯s performance now is better than the opening one,¡± anothermented


    ¡°Bro, you¡¯re not the only one. I agree,¡± another said.


    ¡°Seems like Ruby showcased her best this time, another said.


    ¡°That was incredible!¡± One apuded.


    Ruby stood on stage. Now, she appeared humble instead of her usual arrogant self and asked politely and respectfully, ¡°Mr. Holmes, could you please share your thoughts on my ying?¡±

 Chapter 90

    Zion paused for a moment, then raised the scorecard in his hand. ¡°Nine points.¡±


    The entire audience gasped in surprise, buzzing with conversations. The highest score for the previous contestants was only eight-point live, so everyone knew about Zion¡¯s strict judging.


    With Ruby scoring nine points, it practically assured her victory. Was there any suspense left now?


    Nellie couldn¡¯t hide her glee, and Reba gave Yvette a gloating look. They thought, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she have any reaction? Is she just pretending? Let¡¯s see if she can keep up that nonchnt attitudeter..


    Only Zachary looked at Yvette with concern. Yvette was so mysterious. Zachary couldn¡¯t quite figure out Yvette¡¯s piano skills whether she could y at all, and how good she might be. But deep down, he still doubted Yvette could win against Ruby


    Zion looked at Ruby, who was trying her best to hide her joy on stage, and spoke softly. ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve made great progress. It¡¯s clear how much effort you¡¯ve put into this piece ¡®Dream¡¯ by Mr. Brooks. You¡¯ve truly grasped the mood of the piece¡±


    He continued. ¡°I hope you always remember your mindset while ying ¡®Dream¡¯ today. Only by staying true to yourself can. you go further on the piano path.¡± Zion subtly emphasized the importance of ¡°attitude¡± to Ruby.


    Ruby was already dazed by the high score. She only knew she had scored the highest among everyone and simply ignored


    Zion¡¯sments.


    Ruby had another n, she was determined to aplish something at this event today. If she seeded, she could finally join Zion¡¯s studio, something she had always dreamed about


    Ruby clenched her fingers, staring straight at Zion, with ambition and desire inly visible in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Holmes, do you think my ying is good enough for you to give me a chance to join your studio?¡±


    Zion frowned, his expression turning cold. Such petty tactics-he hadn¡¯t expected Ruby to ask such a question in front of


    everyone


    Zion remainedposed. ¡°Ms. Scott, my studio has an annual assessment. If you¡¯re interested, you can apply for that. At that time, the instructors will assess and decide whether to ept you. For now, let¡¯s focus on thepetition.¡±


    Ruby gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, her nails digging to her palms. She thought she had performed well enough this time, and even Zion had already praised her. Why wouldn¡¯t he give her a chance?


    Why did she have to wait for the studio instructors to review? She knew that in the end, Zion would have the final say in his studio In short, Zion just wasn¡¯t willing to give her the opportunity.


    Ruby forced a smile, knowing she wasn¡¯t yet capable of confronting Zion. She could only find a way to back down with so many people present, suppressing her anger and dissatisfaction.


    ¡°All right, Mr. Holmes,¡± she replied.


    After Ruby stepped down, everyone knew who was up next. In unison, all eyes looked to the first row. It was quiet. Why wasn¡¯t anyone moving?


    Bonnte lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Yve, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Yvette instantly opened her eyes, still a bit sleepy, and yawned.


    Reba and the others in the first couple of rows were speechless. This was apetition; why was she soid back? Did Yvette think this was just a game?


    Even Jaiden was a bit surprised this time. Yvette¡¯sposure was impressive. However, whether she had the skills or was just acting remained to be seen.


    Jaiden nced over at Simon and cautiously asked. ¡°You¡¯re quite interested in Yvette, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Simon and Jaiden have been friends for many years, but they still have secrets between them. Lewis Group also invested in chip research


    Yvette¡¯s identity as ¡°S¡± was top secret. James had repeatedly warned her not to let anyone know of her identity.


    Regardless of whether Yvette wanted to join theb or not, she would definitely be a highly protected national talent in


    the future.


    Simon didn¡¯t trust Jaiden, as he was ultimately a businessman. He absolutely couldn¡¯t allow anything unexpected to happen. to Yvette right under his nose.


    Simon waved his hand casually. ¡°It¡¯s just that the kid caught my eye, so I paid more attention to her.¡±


    Jaiden nodded, still a bit doubtful. He thought, What could a kid from the Chambers family in the countryside possibly be capable of? She really has nothing worthy of Simon¡¯s attention. I must be her quirky personality. But since when did Simon start liking such quirky students?¡±


    On the other side, Yvettezily rolled up her sleeves, tilted her head slightly, and lifted her gaze; her eyes were cold and


    calm


    She stood up and walked onto the stage. Even the way she walked showed a hint of nonchnce. The stage lights followed Yvette as she moved.


    Yvette shot a nce at the distant tform, feeling a bit annoyed Didn¡¯t the lighting crew notice that? Winning aside, who wouldn¡¯t want to take a longer look at such stunning beauty? Everyone could see that attractive people received special


    UcanchL.


    Considering the previous performers, the lights only came on after they sat down to y the piano. But for Yvette, the lights followed her even before she got on stage. It was a good move


    Under the dazzling lights, Yvette¡¯s face was wlessly like ivory; even her slightly lowered jawline was perfectly without blemish. Her gaze was both rebellious and alluring, causing a collective gasp from the audience.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Yvette slowly walked to the piano and extended her right hand to casually press a few keys. The sound was okay, considering the piano was a beginner-level model.


    Sitting in the audience, Ruby felt disdain. She felt that Yvette was just wasting time. Zion stared at Yvette, who had just sat at the piano, his eyes full of anticipation.


    The host on stage felt a bit awkward. All the pieces were impromptu, with no pre-arranged order. This was an idea Ruby and the student council came up with to add mystery and excitement to the pianopetition.


    The host thought Yvette would change into another dress backstage or something, so she didn¡¯t hurry to ask for her piece.


    Unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t follow the norm and just casually wore her sportswear onstage. It was the first time the host had seen such a situation. She had hosted many events, but Yvette was the first to perform in sportswear.


    The host had to bite the buller and ask, ¡°Ms. Zeller, what¡¯s the piece you¡¯ll be performing?¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, her eyes distant, her voice soft but clear. ¡°Dream


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s have Ms. Zeller bring us¡­ What Dream?¡± The host¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. She thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this the same piece Ruby just performed?


    With uncertainty and hesitation, the host asked again, ¡°Ms. Zeller, what is your Dream?¡±


    Yvette shifted her gaze from the piano to the host, feeling annoyed. ¡°Dream by Bryan.¡±


    The auditorium, which had just quieted down, erupted once more. Ruby suddenly shot up from her seat. She couldn¡¯t believe it: her mind was buzzing


    Had Yvette gone crazy? Choosing the same piece as her? What was she trying to achieve? ¡°Did I hear that right? Yvette chose the same piece. Dream? Pinch me, I must still be asleep


    Another replied, ¡°No¡­ I heard it too.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Wow, this Yvette is really daring. Ruby just scored a high nine,¡± someone said.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s taking on more than she can handle,¡± onemented.


    Another said, ¡°Not necessarily, have you all forgotten? What happened in the Frixyiapetition¡­¡±


    Zion was also quite surprised. He cleared his throat. ¡°Ms. Zeller, since you¡¯ve made your choice, let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Chapter 91

    A beam of light shone on Yvette. Closing her eyes and ignoring the surrounding noise, she gently lifted her slender, delicate fingers.


    Everyone in the auditorium held their breath along with her movements.


    In the next moment, her nimble fingers danced on the piano keys. The sharp, high-spirited tune was perfectly fitting and carried an intense passion.


    The second half of the melody suddenly became gentle, warm, peaceful, and quiet, stirring the crowd.


    Until thest note faded. Yvette was wholly absorbed in it. Her whole being was integrated into the piece. The piano held at truly unique significance for her, after all.


    The audience was dumbfounded. If they hadn¡¯t seen it themselves, they would never have believed that Yvette had yed the piece.


    Yvette withdrew her hands, pursed her lips, and lifted her gaze. Stage light reflected in her eyes, and the irritation in her heart had decreased significantly


    Zion was utterly surprised by Yvette¡¯s technique.


    She hadn¡¯t even opened her eyes throughout the piano y. No one else in Clusia could y piano with their eyes closed. not to mention to y it wonderfully. He thought Yvette¡¯s piano skills were already beyond his ability toment on.


    I wasn¡¯t mistaken. She¡¯s truly a genius. I¡¯ve spent two years searching for someone who can secure a spot for Clusia in the international pianopetition in a year¡¯s time. I believe I¡¯ve found that person now, he whispered inwardly.


    Zion was confident that Yvette¡¯s mastery of the piano had reached an extraordinary level. As long as she was willing topete, she would surely surpass Mysonna¡¯s consecutive victories in international pianopetitions.


    Soon, everyone snapped out of the music. Their eyes were filled with excitement. Countless apuse resounded, each time louder than before.


    The audience burst into cheers. Someone started chanting Yvette¡¯s name, and soon, everyone joined in. ¡°Yvette! Yvette!¡± The chanting was so loud that it nearly shook the roof.


    Andrew, who was in the audience, took a bite of his half-eaten chips and thought his worries were unnecessary. He nced at the carefree Bonnie and mocked himself inwardly. Fine. It turns out I¡¯m the worrywart here.


    He wondered what else Yvette could do and thought he might need to reassess the education in the countryside and see which vige had produced a genius like Yvette.


    Zachary watched Yvette on stage, feeling proud. Unable to contain his excitement, he deliberately turned to Simon and Jaiden and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe she can y the piano quite well


    Simon and Jaiden exchanged nces and shared a knowing smile. They knew Zachary was showing off but didn¡¯t me him. Anyone who had a child who grew up in the countryside for over 20 years and turned out that excellent would probably be even more arrogant than him.


    Simon gazed at Yvette, who looked calm at the center of the stage, profoundly admiring her brilliance. Others might not know, but he was aware of Yvette¡¯s secret identity as Siren and wondered if there was anything she couldn¡¯t do.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look forward to the chess and calligraphypetition the next day, eager to see what miracles Yvette would aplish next.


    The contestants who had mocked Yvette earlier felt a bit regretful now, thinking they shouldn¡¯t have underestimated her or doubted her before she even performed.


    Nellie, who was sitting in the second row, had already dug her nails into her flesh. Next to her, Reba was unusually quiet. She only stared at Yvette with an unreadable expression, thinking, ¡®Maybe Grandpa was right. We shouldn¡¯t underestimate one like Yvette. I was too careless¡¯


    Ruby sat motionless in her seat. Her face was as white as a sheet as she locked her gaze on Yvette. Her eyes were filled with malicious intent.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    She mused. ¡®How could Yvette be so good at piano? She¡¯s only a country bumpkin. Even if she returned to the Chambers family, how could she have learned such aplicated piece in just a few days? I¡¯ve carefully prepared for it, but she¡­


    To practice the piece, she¡¯d blistered her fingers and stayed up life. Yet, Yvette had just yed it effortlessly. Not only that. Yvette also did it beautifully.


    It was the same piece, and Ruby knew she had lostpletely this time. However, she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat. She forced herself to calm down and thought. There must be a way, I can¡¯t lose. Otherwise, how can I continue to be the student council president? I need to stay calm¡­


    Zion waved his hand, and the students in the auditorium gradually quieted down. ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you a score,¡± he said


    The students didn¡¯t understand what he meant and began to discuss.


    ¡°What does Mr. Holmes mean by he can¡¯t give a score? Does he have some bias against Yvette?¡±


    I don¡¯t think so. Didn¡¯t he just invite Yvette to sit with him earlier? Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Holmes did invite Yvette earlier. Let¡¯s see what he has to say?¡±


    Upon hearing some murmurs, Zion felt resigned as he actually hadn¡¯t even finished speaking yet. He picked up the microphone and said, ¡°Everyone, what I¡¯m saying is not that Yvette doesn¡¯t deserve a score, but I¡¯m not qualified to judge Yvette at my level¡±


    His words caused an uproar as everyone thought he was already holding Yvette in high regard.


    Sawyer quietly lowered his head at the back, lost in thought.


    Simon was taken aback. He knew Zion well. Zion wouldn¡¯t speak like that unless Yvette¡¯s piano skills were unmatched. He wondered if Yvette¡¯s piano skills had reached that level.


    The usual students might not know, but Jaiden and the group were well aware of Zion¡¯s status in upper-ss society. Zion¡¯s acim for Yvette could already ce her at the top of the music industry. No one else in Clusia could evaluate her if Zion couldn¡¯t


    Ruby was so upset that her lips were trembling. She couldn¡¯t imagine how she would leave the auditoriumter.


    Yvette nodded. Her expression was as cold as usual when she replied, ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m leaving then.¡±


    Zion chuckled. Thinking that Yvette might really leave if he still didn¡¯t say something, he cleared his throat and uttered, ¡°Ms. Zeller, just a moment, please. Since it¡¯s apetition, there are winners and losers. So, I can only give you a ten, the highest score here. Do you have any problem with it?¡±


    Nellie clenched her teeth, whispering inwardly, ¡®What problem can Yvette possibly have? It¡¯s already a perfect score. She should be content with that


    She rubbed her sore back and thought she had wasted her time there just to watch Yvette drawing attention.


    Nellie started to doubt the information she¡¯d found about Yvette who was supposed to have grown up in the countryside and knew nothing. It turned out it was all lies. She fished out her phone and quietly slipped away while Zachary wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    When everyone was cheering for Yvette, Ruby suddenly spoke. Everyone looked at her, confused as to what else she wanted to talk about at that moment.

 Chapter 92

    Ruby saw everyone¡¯s gaze and forced herself to suppress the jealousy and resentment in her heart. She nced at Yvette, who was on the stage lowering her eyes, and said coldly. ¡°Mr. Holmes, I just want to ask, does what you said before still count?¡±


    The crowd was puzzled, even Zion was a bit taken aback, not understanding why Ruby suddenly asked that. He nodded and said, ¡°Ruby, I stand by my words, rest assured.¡±


    Ruby gave a smug smile. That was exactly what she wanted to hear from Zion. ¡°Mr. Holmes, I admit that Yvette ys better than I do. I won¡¯t argue. But you once told me that ying the piano isn¡¯t just about focusing on technique. It¡¯s about capturing the true emotions of the piece. Only by doing so can the performance truly move people, right?¡± she said.


    Zion remembered his own words clearly. Ruby was not wrong. He had indeed said that, and not just once. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said, he replied.


    Ruby looked at Yvette triumphantly, then raised her voice and said, ¡°We pianists all know the love story of Bryan Brooks and his wife. This piece, Dream, was a birthday gift heposed for his wife. The piece expresses Mr. Brooks¡® love and promise to his wife. But just now, what Yvette yed waspletely off the mark. Did you hear any lingering love in her performance! No matter how well it was yed, if it doesn¡¯t capture theposer¡¯s true intent, how can she deserve a perfect score?


    The contestants murmured in agreement. Although Yvette¡¯s performance was excellent, the emotional interpretation was indeed off. The rest of the students in the auditorium, who did not understand music, whispered to those who did, asking if Ruby was right. After receiving confirmation, some started murmuring about how unfair it was that Yvette received a perfect score despite her ws.


    Zion was stunned for a moment. He had to admit that Ruby was right. Yvette¡¯s interpretation of the piece did not align with the emotional context of the story. Based on her skill level, she surely would not have missed this backstory.


    Zion could not figure out what was going on either Yvette¡¯s ying did not convey the sense of love the story was supposed to evoke, only a kind of mutual respect with a hint of sorrow for a departed soul.


    Zion directed his gaze toward Yvette. Only she could answer the question now.


    The people in the first two rows¨CAndrew, Simon, Zachary, Jaiden, and others¨Calso turned their attention to the stage. The entire auditorium wanted to hear how Yvette would respond. They wondered if she truly deserved that perfect score.


    Yvette scanned the room and narrowed her eyes slightly, pondering for a moment before she spoke, unusually serious. ¡°It¡¯s fake¡±


    The auditorium erupted into chaos.


    ¡°Yvette says it¡¯s fake? What does she mean? Is she saying the story behind the piece is fake?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? I learned piano too, and our teacher told us the e same story. Ruby wasn¡¯t wrong¡±


    ¡°Is she just making things up to defend her perfect score?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?


    Ruby sneered, folding her arms across her chest. Zion wouldn¡¯t give me a chance, why should Yvette get one? Her face was full of mockery and disdain as she said, ¡°Yvette, are you out of your mind? If you want to argue, at leaste up with a better reason. Fake? Are you saying Mr. Brooks was lying? And to think you y his music without even knowing the story behind it. How embarrassing¡±


    She turned to Zion and asked, ¡°Mr. Holmes, you don¡¯t agree with Yvette, do you?¡±


    Ruby was like a mad dog, biting at anyone she could. She no longer cared about being polite to Zion, her attitude.pletely changed from before.


    Andrew took a step forward, and Ruby instinctively took a step back, visibly intimidated. He said, ¡°You¡­ Ruby, right? You lost. Stop making excuses. If you can¡¯t handle defeat, why enter thepetition?¡±


    Ruby could not understand why such an outstanding, handsome man always defended Yvette. She gritted her teeth in anger but said nothing, her face still showing signs of defiance as she red at Zion. She could not provoke Andrew, but she had already gone too far to back out now. She waited, hoping to hear what Zion would say.


    Zachary, Simon, and the others remained silent. Since they were not as familiar with piano, they did not feel qualified to weigh in. Ultimately, it was up to Zachary to decide whether Yvelle¡¯s perfect score was justified.


    Zachary wanted to speak up for Yvette but held back. He knew that if he spoke, no one would be convinced. All he could do was anxiously wait for Zion¡¯s response.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Everyone exchanged nces, waiting for Zion¡¯s verdict. After a long pause, Zion sighed softly. ¡°Yvette, what¡¯s your thought on Ruby¡¯s question? Why do you say the story is fake?¡± he asked


    As Zion¡¯s words echoed in the room, all eyes turned to the center of the stage. Under the bright lights, Yvette, dressed in all ck, exuded a cold arrogance, her sharp gaze making her look fierce. Her entire aura was dark and foreboding, sending chills down people¡¯s spines.


    Yvette casually put away her phone. A moment ago, during the conversation between Ruby and Andrew, Yvette¡¯s phone had buzzed, though only the nearby host had noticed.


    ¡°Wait¡± Yvette said calmly. Zion paused and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ruby would not give Yvette any chances. She said, ¡°What are we waiting for? You owe us an exnation. Over a thousand people are waiting here. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡±


    Yvette frowned slightly, giving Ruby a cold nce. That single look sent shivers down Ruby¡¯s spine, and the words she was about to say got stuc in her throat.


    Yvette said, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    The next second, a phone rang, ying a unique ringtone. Zion found the melody familiar but could not ce it.


    Yvette answered the phone, pressing a button, and instantly, the screen disyed a video call with an elderly foreign man, around seventy, wearing reading sses and a straw hat. His blonde hair had mostly turned white, with a few golden strands still visible. His deep¨Cset eyes hinted at the handsomeness of his youth. Behind him was a field of vibrant roses.


    In broken Clusian, the old man said, ¡°You finally decided to call me, you heartless girl! You have no conscience at all!¡±


    No one in the auditorium knew why Yvette was suddenly on a video call with an elderly man, let alone a foreigner. But Zion could not stay calm.


    He would never forget that voice. Five years ago, he had been fortunate enough to meet and converse briefly with that very man. There was no mistake about it. He was sure it was the famous pianist.


    Does Yvette know him? Zion wondered. Hisposure shattered as he stared at Yvette¡¯s phone, his face full of excitement. At first, no one noticed his strange behavior, but when he spoke tremblingly, everyone became aware of his shock. ¡°Yvette, is that person in the video¡­ is it him?¡±


    The entire auditorium was confused when they saw Zion lose his calm. Who is it? Who could make Zion this emotional they wondered.

 Chapter 93

    Zion was very cautious, afraid of disturbing the person in the video. ¡°Is it Mr. Brooks?¡± he asked,


    The crowd lost itsposure. However, an eerie silence followed. No one spoke. All eyes were fixed on Yvette¡¯s phone, their gazes filled with doubt, shock, and disbelief. They mused, Can anything more absurd happen? An ordinary physics student is on a call with the world-renowned pianist, Bryan: Nobody would believe such a thing.


    Bryan, hearing his name called, responded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± His awkward Clusian silenced everyone in the room. It was truly Bryan.


    Bryan, who was in Mysonna, had not heard from Yvette in three years. When he saw the familiar number, he quickly put¡± down his scissors, ignoring his favorite flowers. His face on the video screen was filled with frustration.


    Yvette had been Bryan¡¯s best student, or rather, a natural prodigy. The Ross family had chased her away when she was young, and he had been trying to find her since. Seven years ago, she had reached out to him after learning about his wife¡¯s illness.


    She even mailed him some medicine. After that, his wife recovered, but he could no longer reach Yvette. In these past Jew years. Yvette had only contacted him three times, each time to send medicine.


    Yvette, though cold, was more loyal than anyone else.


    Yvette had no interest in small talk. ¡°For whom did youpose Dream?¡± she asked in her usual terse tone.


    Below, Zion wiped the sweat from his hands, stunned by Yvette¡¯s straightforward attitude toward Bryan. He was not alone everyone was collectively shocked.


    That was Bryan, a world-ss pianist who only appeared in textbooks and had not been seen in public for nearly ten years. Every one of his appearances caused a sensation in the music world, so much so that even the president of Mysonna struggled to invite him.


    Jaiden, gripping his cane, had deep calctions in his eyes. He realized he had to reevaluate the value of the Chambers family¡¯s newly found eldest daughter, knowing Bryan was not a simple connection at all. The Lewis family was nothingpared to him. Yet, Yvette could converse with Bryan on equal terms-not even equal terms. Bryan¡¯s attitude toward Yvette was exceptionally kind.


    Jaiden thought of his grandson, Ryan, who was about the same age as Yvette and from the same department. ¡®Could there be potential there?


    y more


    Zachary was thoroughly impressed. First, it was a major-general a mayor, and now a world-ss pianist. How many. powerful connections did his daughter have? If this continued, his heart might not survive the shock.


    Standing silently to the side, Reba felt a chill down her spine as she watched Yvette chat with Bryan on stage. First a top hacker, and now a world-renowned pianist. There was no way it was thework of a simple girl from a rural town. Even the people Reba had sent to investigate Yvette came back with no results. It was as if Yvette did not exist in the world.


    The most frightened person in the room was Ruby, standing rigid in one position from start to finish, unable to move. Her mind hadpletely copsed. She thought she had cornered Yvette, but it turned out that Yvette even knew Bryan. At that moment, Ruby realized just how terrifying an existence she had provoked.


    Bryan¡¯s voice came through the video, loud and clear. ¡°I told you before, the piece wasposed for an old friend I used to Iran piano with Some people wrongly assume it was written for my wife, and when they y it, how should I put this? In Clusian terms, it feels tangled and messy.¡±


    At this point, it did not matter whether Yvette asked the question. Knowing Bryan personally was proof enough. There was no way she could not know the barkstory.


    2 Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    Zion could not hold back any longer. He took a fewrge steps onto the stage and excitedly asked Yvette, ¡°Can I speak with Mr. Brooks for a moment?¡±


    Bryan heard this and, thinking it was Yvette¡¯s friend, did not mind. ¡°Sure, what do you want to say?¡± he asked.


    Yvette paused for a moment and then handed the phone to Zion


    Zion took the phone with trembling hands. Seeing Bryan¡¯s familiar face, he became even more excited. He said, ¡°Mr. Brooks, hello! I¡¯m Zion, a pianist from Clusia. I once had the honor of meeting you briefly at the international pianopetition in Mysonma. 1 benefited greatly from our conversation, and ver expected to see you again in such a way.¡±


    Bryan studied him for a moment, recalling the encounter. He remembered meeting Zion a few years ago when he had impulsively agreed to be a judge at the international pianopetition. Zion had represented Clusia and asked him a few questions. Bryan thought the young man was promising, so they chatted a bit. He had heard that Zion had developed quite well since then.


    Bryan, kind and unpretentious, smiled warmly. He replied, ¡°I remember you, young man. How do you know this girl? Are you thinking of apprenticing under her as well?¡±


    Zion did not know how to respond to that. He had caught onto Bryan¡¯s use of ¡®as well¡±. Zion wondered, Who else wants to be apprenticed under Yvette? And why did Mr. Brooks think I wanted to? He was at a loss.


    If it were the mysterious pianist, Dulcem, who had risen to fame internationally three years ago with an originalposition, he might want to be her apprentice. But Yvette was not Dulcem.


    The audience could not hold back any longer. They had just heard Bryan ask if Zion wanted to be Yvette¡¯s apprentice. That had to be the most absurd joke. How was that possible?¡¯ they thought,


    Bryan, hearing themotion from the video, realized there were quite a few people on Yvette¡¯s side. ¡°What¡¯s going on. Yvette? Where are you?¡± he asked.


    Yvette took the phone from Zion¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing I¡¯m hanging up now


    Bryan quickly said, ¡°When will youe and visit me?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression softened, and after a moment¡¯s thought, she replied, ¡°Maybe when there¡¯s a chance¡±


    Bryan looked visibly disappointed but knew Yvette did not like to be pressed. He repeatedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t put it off too long. Make sure you find time toe by.¡± He reluctantly ended the call.


    Yvette pocketed her phone and nced at Ruby, whose face was full of despair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yvette saidAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Bonnie immediately stood up, walking to Yvette¡¯s side without hesitation as they left the auditorium together.


    Ruby copsed to the ground. Yvette had not said a word to her, yet it felt worse than if she had been killed The absolute disregard was crushing. From beginning to end, she was nothing more than a clown in Yvette¡¯s


    After the Art Festival, Ruby was personally dismissed as student council president by Simon. From then on, whenever she encountered Yvette, she took a detour, never daring to face her again.


    As Yvette left, the students also exited the auditorium in an orderly fashion, still reminiscing about the day¡¯s events. They had been incredibly fortunate. Not only had they heard a beautiful piano performance, but they had also seen the world- renowned pianist, Bryan. That alone would be something to brag about for the rest of their lives.


    Once again. Yvette became the trending topic of Argrol University. The media on the field were the most excited of all. They had not experied an ordinary university Art Festival to not only showcase a rising genius but also feature a surprise appearance by the world-renowned pianist, Bryan.


    They already had their headlines for tomorrow: [Argol University¡¯s Physics Genius Emerges: World-ss Pianist Bryan Makes a Special Appearance).


    They knew that tomorrow¡¯s trending topics would surely explode


    After leaving the auditorium, Yvette saw a message just sent to hier phone. She frowned, her eyes deep with thought.


    [Boss, Flying Fish is in trouble. Come to the Golden Triangle immediately.]

 Chapter 94

    Outside the auditorium. Yvette told Bonnie to leave first and found a quiet corner to call Eagle King.


    After two rings, a familiar, urgent voice came through the phone ¡°Boss, how soon can you get here?¡±


    They had a tacit understanding that they didn¡¯t need to say anything extra to know what the other meant.


    While talking to Eagle King. Yvette checked thetest flights from Seacrity to Thymion. Then, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be in Thymion¡¯s capital in four hours. What happened with Flying Fish?¡±


    Eagle King gritted his teeth, his voice serious and slightly worried. ¡°Boss, Flying Fish has offended thergest underworld¡± family in Golden Triangle, the Kerton family. After sending me a message, Flying Fish disappeared. I¡¯m already in Kransbay. where Flying Fish wasst located. It¡¯s a littleplicated. Il exin more when you arrive.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay¡± Yvette hung up the phone and sent Simon a message. Then, she returned to her dorm to grab her bag and took a taxi straight to the airport.


    Simon was at a restaurant with Jaiden and Zion. Just as he was about to eat, he received Yvette¡¯s message.


    He was slightly taken aback after reading the message. He then continued to entertain the two as if nothing but he seemed a bit distractedpared to before.


    had happened.


    Yvente asked for leave! And the duration is uncertain. Sigh. I could protect her if she were under my watch, but now she¡¯s leaving. How can I keep an eye on her?¡¯ Simon thought in worry


    At the dining table, Jaiden tried to cozy up to Zion with ttering remarks. Zion, aware of Jaiden¡¯s intentions, was reluctant to engage with businessmen, so he just had some casual conversation without getting too involved.


    On the contrary. Sawyer, who came along with Zion, was very enthusiastic toward Jaiden. They were engrossed in lively


    conversations.


    Simon couldn¡¯t help but sigh whenever he thought about Yvette being somewhere unknown. The others noticed, and Zion put down his cutlery, gently asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Thinking it was nothing major, Simon told them Yvette had taken leave for personal matters.


    Hearing that, Sawyer scoffed. ¡°I bet Ms. Zeller is backing out. I heard she has a few more matches in the next two days.¡±


    Zion was displeased with what he heard and nced at Sawyer, who was gloating. For the first time, he wondered if he had chosen the wrong student. In his view, arrogance was eptable, but not malice. He had brought Sawyer along to help him step out of hisfort zone and socialize more, but it seemed futile. ¡®Forget it. Once we¡¯re back in Betrico, Ill let him find his own way, he thought.


    Jaiden didn¡¯t react much but just smiled nonchntly. He remained silent and sipped his coffee, hiding the calctions in his mind.


    Simon was briefly stunned. Sawyer¡¯s harsh words reminded him of an issue: how he should manage Yvette¡¯s uingpetitions. A momentter, he came up with a solution. ¡®No choice. Although it¡¯s my first time, I can only pull some strings for her, he thought


    That day, the university¡¯s website announced a rule change: students could no longer register for multiple events to allow more participation. That sparked brief discussions among students, with some pleased by the change as the previous rule was seen as unreasonable.


    Thepetitions went on smoothly over the next few days, but it had nothing to do with Yvette anymore.


    At that moment, Yvette was already on the ne to Thymion. A young man, Kevin Garcia, noticed her beauty and felt a desire to flirt with her since she was traveling alone.


    Just one seat apart, Kevin struck a handsome pose and approached Yvette. ¡°Hello, Miss. Are you also going to Thymion? Me too. Are you going for a vacation? I¡¯m going with my uncle to explore Kransbay.¡±


    Yvette instantly opened her eyes and turned to look at him. He appeared to be around 19, dressed in shy luxury brands. The only impressive feature was his charming eyes, adding a touch of handsomeness to his face.


    ¡°Kransbay,¡± Yvette replied coldly.


    Kevin shivered, not expecting such a cold voice from such a prettydy. He felt a bit intimidated. Despite his earlier flirtatious demeanor, it was his first time doing so.


    Yvette nced at him and immediately realized he was just nervously trying to talk to her. ¡°Why are you going to Kransbay?¡± she asked.


    Under Yvette¡¯s gaze, Kevin spilled everything he¡¯d promised his uncle, Martin Garcia, to keep secret. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going to Kransbay because there¡¯s an auction in three days. My uncle runs a jewelry store, and he¡¯s going to stock up.¡±


    Kevin kept his head low, deeply regretting what he had just said. Oh no! Forgive me! If Uncle Martin finds out I told a stranger so much, he surely won¡¯t let me off, he thought.


    Yvette closed her eyes, her face expressionless, with a hint of coldness in her delicate features.


    Kevin raised his head, sneaking a peek and wondering. Did she fall asleep?


    He reassured himself, thinking Yvette might not know what an auction was. He doubted an ordinary person would go such a ce, which made him feel more at ease.


    Afterward, Kevin lost the desire to talk to Yvette. He preferred women who were pretty and gentle. Although Yvette was beautiful, she was too fierce for his taste.


    After a four-hour flight, the ne finallynded in Thymion¡¯s capital. Known for its tropical climate, the ce was notoriously hot year-round, with temperatures often over 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Especially since it was in the summer, the heat could be quite aggravating.


    As soon as Kevin saw his uncle, he startedining about Thymion¡¯s weather, saying that the climate back in Clusia was much better, with its distinct seasons.


    When Yvette exited the airport, she saw Eagle King standing by the roadside.


    Eagle King had not disclosed his whereabouts to anyone on his trip to South East Aploth. Dressed in floral pants, he cut an imposing figure, and the tattoos on his arms attracted thedies on the roadside, having them frequently turn their heads.


    But it was reasonable that thedies were turning their heads to him. After all, the gender ratio was quite imbnced in Thymion, and men as tall and handsome as Eagle King were indeed rare.


    ¡°Boss, over here¡­ Here!¡± Eagle King instantly noticed Yvette and shouted


    In such dreadful weather, the only person who would cover herself head to toe in ck would be Yvette. Eagle King was well aware of Yvette¡¯s sensitivity to the cold.


    Upon hearing the sound, Yvette nced around and walked toward Eagle King with her ck bag on her back, not noticing another person dressed in a long white overcoat nearby.


    Emmett, dressed in a ck suit, stood before a ck car and opened the door. Just as Jeremiah was about to get in, he heard someone speaking Clusian. He paused slightly, gazing into the distance, and only saw a thin figure dressed in ck.


    His heart suddenly skipped a beat. He found it strangely familiae When he tried to get a clearer look, the car had already driven away. Jeremiah mocked himself inwardly, ¡®We¡¯re just a few days apart, and I miss her this much?


    When he got into the car, Jeremiah took out his phone and hesitated for a while. Finally, he made the call.


    However, what he heard was. The number you have dialed is unavable.¡±


    Her phone is off?¡¯ Jeremiah thought, hesitating for a moment before sending a message to Andrew. Shortly after, he received a reply, typed [Yvette just won the nspetition. In keeping an eye on her, so don¡¯t worry.]


    Andrew, too engrossed in his game, was unaware that the person he was supposed to watch over was already in Thymion.


    After reading the message, Jeremiah felt relieved. Little did he know that he had just missed out on Yvette because of Andrew¡¯s text.


    Putting away his phone, Jeremiah frowned deeply, realizing that things were more challenging than he had imagined. It was rted to the Kerton family, thergest underworld family in Golden Triangle

 Chapter 95

    Once Yvette got in the car, she skipped the small talk and immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Flying Fish?¡±


    Eagle King had dark circles around his eyes, and he looked pretty bad. He sounded tired. ¡°Boss, a few days ago someone ced an order on the ck Gold website targeting a man from Clusia, I don¡¯t know if Flying Fish lost her mind or if she¡¯s gone stupid over that celebs, but she didn¡¯t even check the details before taking the job. She only discovered after arriving there that the man she was supposed to kill wasn¡¯t just anybody. He¡¯s a Clusian major general¡±


    He continued. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal to go through with it, but Flying Fish found out that it was Caleb who ordered the hit. That major general had destroyed one of his transnational crime organizations. Once she knew, she wanted to call it off.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you know that crazy woman despises human traffickers and would love nothing more than to tear them all to pieces. Why would she take the job when someone else was doing her a Livor by targeting those lowlifes!¡± Eagle King sighed softly. both affectionate and exasperated with Flying Fish.


    He then exined. ¡°I got her text, and that¡¯s basically what it said. Since I arrived in Kransbay, I¡¯ve been investigating Flying Fish¡¯sst known location. I finally discovered hertest signal in the Kerton family¡¯s turf down south. She must¡¯ve been caught by ident.¡±


    ¡°The good news is she didn¡¯t reveal she was Flying Fish when she took the job, she used a regr ount. Can you imagine what the Kerton family would¡¯ve done to her if they knew that they had captured the world¡¯s third¨Cranked assassin? Boss, you know a lot of people want Flying Fish dead,¡± said Eagle King.


    Yvette¡¯s hand paused as she held her phone. A major general from Clusia? Golden Triangle a few days ago? So, the person Flying Fish wanted to kill must be him,¡® she pondered.


    For the first time, Yvette felt a slight headache. She was almost certain that that person was still somewhere in Golden Triangle. What if they ran into him?


    A wave of inexplicable nerves rose within her¨Ca feeling she had never encountered before, making her somewhat uneasy.


    Yvette nced at Eagle King. He probably hadn¡¯t slept for several days. She gazed downward, took a candy from her pocket, and tossed it over. Eagle King didn¡¯t turn his head and caught it with one hand. He ate it without even bothering to unwrap


    She didn¡¯t say anything when she saw that. The wrapper was edible and even had therapeutic effects, though few people knew that. Eagle King was one of them. ¡°Do you know Caleb¡¯s recent whereabouts?¡± she asked


    Eagle King nodded. After days of investigation, he¡¯d finally made some progress. ¡°That old coward Caleb rarely appears in public. It¡¯s mainly his eldest son, Bradley, who¡¯s been representing him. Plus, ording to my local contacts, Caleb has about ten martial arts experts he¡¯s hired to protect him day and night


    He furrowed his brows. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, but just three hours ago, I received reliable info that Caleb will attend an auction three days from now. The auction will be held at the exhibition hall downtown. It¡¯s said to be a huge event that attracts gem lovers from all over the world, with strong backing from the Kransbay government. The Kerton family is reportedly the organizer behind the scene


    Eagle King wasn¡¯t worried about those so¨Ccalled martial arts experts. The real challenge was finding Caleb. Like a clever rabbit with multiple burrows, no one knew where he was. Any rash action would only alert their enemies.


    If Flying Fish hadn¡¯t been captured, Eagle King would have alreally barged in with heavy weapons and smashed those scum to pieces.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette¡¯s brows furrowed as she listened. Then, she took out her phone and, after brielly fiddling with it, the ck device swiftly transformed into a mini handheldputer. In no time, all of the Kerton family¡¯s potential hiding spots, including their underground bunkers, were disyed on a map.


    ¡°Get us two invitations. Flying Fish won¡¯t go down that easily, she has some self¨Cpreservation. Even if Caleb catches her, he can¡¯t do anything to her. Flying Fish has the Drunken Beauty I gave her, and unless she allows it, no one can get close to her so quickly.¡± Yvette casually put away her phone. Her eyes were clear, but the chill emanating from her grew stronger.


    Eagle King felt much more relieved when Yvette mentioned that Flying Fish had the Drunken Beauty. He wondered where Yvette had met such an expert in toxins and medicine.


    For example, if he hadn¡¯t tasted it himself so many times, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that the ordinary¨Clooking candy she gave him could heal injuries. Moreover, it also regted internal energy.


    It was the kind of ¡°candy¡± no one would believe if you told them about it. The first time Eagle King tried it, he had been skeptical, too. Only afterward did he realize its amazing effects.


    Sometimes, when he saw Yvette eat it like a snack, Eagle King couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of anxiety. Eating one could easily cost millions of dors. It¡¯s better to not think about it¡­ Only someone like Boss can afford such extravagance. Who knows who¡¯s backing her? he thought.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll drop you off at the hotel so you can rest. I¡¯ll head to my friend¡¯s ce. He should have some invitations. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Eagle King was pushing his limits. Despite his strong physique, pulling several all¨Cnighters in a row was taking a toll on him¨Cjust like it would anyone else.


    Yvette shook her head and looked at Eagle King, who was struggling to stay awake. She said firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel. Once you¡¯ve slept for at least 12 hours, you can leave,¡±


    Eagle King saw Yvette¡¯s exquisite, cold face in the rearview mirror. He paused, then nodded. ¡°All right. I get it, Boss.¡± He end up realized that he was acting a bit irrationally. If he kept that up, they might not rescue Flying Fish, and he would just being a burden to Yvette.


    Yvette was pleased with Eagle King¡¯s attitude. If he hadn¡¯t listened, she would¡¯ve had to knock him out.


    hat evening. Kevin was helping his uncle with the luggage outside the hotel when he suddenly spotted the girl he had seen¡± on the ne earlier that day. He considered going over to say hello but then noticed a tall man walking over, helping her carry a ck bag. They entered the hotel together


    Kevin patted his chest, relieved he hadn¡¯t gone over. That guy would¡¯ve probably turned him into mincemeat! He counted his lucky stars that he dodged a bullet


    Yvette and Eagle King made their way to the presidential suite at the far end of the third floor. Eagle King had booked the room himself. When he wasn¡¯t on a mission, he spared no expense on himself and had high standards for amodation.


    However, he had been on the move constantly the past few days, so Eagle King hadn¡¯t had a proper night¡¯s rest there yet.


    Meanwhile, in VIP Presidential Suite 301 on the third floor of the hotel, Jeremiah was sitting on the couch in silence. Beside him. Chris was reporting the information he¡¯d gathered.

 Chapter 96

    ¡°Mr. Chavez, we have solid information. Caleb will be attending the uing emerald auction with Bradley in three days It has been five years since hest appeared at these events, and since we recently dismantled his human trafficking group, he has suffered significant losses. He has no choice but to attend the emerald auction and try to make arge profit to cover his past losses,¡± Emmett reported solemnly.


    Caleb was a tough opponent. He had been the dominant yer in the Golden Triangle for many years. The local governmentrgely ignored his actions and even offered him protection. They worked closely together, using Kransbay as Caleb¡¯s headquarters, where most of his influence was centralized. It was very difficult to find evidence to arrest him. Jeremiah¡¯s secret forces had to remain hidden, making it more difficult to rely solely on the visible ones, which worried


    Emmett


    Jeremiah got up, walked to the window, and looked at the busy traffic below.


    The city shone brightly above, but many innocent people were buried underground. It was a ce filled with crime, theft, and arson, where danger lurked around every corner.


    The light cast a soft shadow across Jeremiah¡¯s face. He turned and instructed, ¡°Be prepared. Caleb¡¯s reckless actions against Clusia have consequences. We cannot let troublemakers do as they please. Those who vite ournd must be punished¡± Thest words were chilling and sent a shiver down the spine.


    Emmett nodded. He understood Jeremiah well.


    The moment they discovered Caleb was the mastermind behind the international human trafficking, he considered Caleb already sentenced to death.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, I will have everything ready for the emerald auction in three days. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± Emmett said.


    Jeremiah waved his hand with a decisive motion.


    Emmett bowed and left, reaching the elevator just as Eagle King returned with supper.


    As they passed by each other, both slowed down. Emmett was shocked andmented inwardly, ¡®Such an intense internal


    energy¡­


    Eagle King paused for a moment, sensing the presence of an angentbat artist in Emmett.


    They both turned their heads at the same time, and their eyes met as they unleashed their internal energy. There was a fierce confrontation in the silence.


    Just then, a cleaningdy came out of a room into the hallway and saw them standing still. She was puzzled. ¡°Gentlemen, do


    need anything?¡± the cleaningdy asked Eagle King and Emmett in her Uprian ent.


    you


    Eagle King withdrew his energy and nodded to the cleaningdy as he replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Then, he turned to Emmett and said, ¡°There¡¯s no winner or loser this time. Let¡¯s have angther matchter.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Emmett replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Once Eagle King had gone, Emmett took a step back. He had only managed to hang on through sheer determination, Eagle King¡¯s internal energy was truly impressive. He would have been in trouble if it had gone on for another three minutes. Emment thought. That expert must be here for the emerald auction. Will he mess up Boss¡¯ n? He felt uneasy, sensing that the trip to Kransbay at the time would be full of unexpected twists


    In the meantime, Yvette was sitting on the couch, reading about Caleb on her phone. In less than ten minutes, she found out everything about Caleb.


    She mused. ¡°He killed his father as a child and took over Kerton Group at twelve or thirteen? In ten years, he has greatly expanded his influence through drug dealing, human trafficking, running casinos, and supplying weapons to Afria terrorists. Not to mention moneyundering with government assistance at the emerald auction? That¡¯s shocking. He hasmitted all kinds of crimes!


    Yvette¡¯s information was more detailed than the information Emmett had gathered. It included unknown details, such as Caleb¡¯s mistress in a mansion north of Kransby and Bradley¡¯s desire to overthrow him.


    As Eagle King entered the room, he noticed Yvette nestled on the couch,pletely engrossed in whatever captured her attention. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s time to eat. I thought you might not like the food here, so I bought some dishes from a nearby Clusian restaurant,¡± said Eagle King.


    Eagle King filled the table with food, including risotto, pasta, donuts, pizza, duck confit, mu**ns, and more. When he purchased the food, the restaurant owner inquired about the number of people it was served for. Upon hearing that it was for just two, the owner was surprised. Eagle King recognized Yvette¡¯s steady appetite. He noticed that when she was well-fed, her mood greatly improved.


    Yvette picked up her fork and ate slowly and carefully. Thirty minutester, every dish on the table had been entirely devoured.


    After tidying up. Eagle King sat down on the other side of the couch. He pulled out two white envelopes from his pocket containing invitations to the Emerald Auction. The invitations had three levels: regr, gold, and diamond, which was the highest level


    For the uing Emerald Auction, any bidder without an official invitation from the Kransbay government or the Jewelry Association will be required to pay a deposit of 80 million Manchernius dors to themittee to secure their participation. Each level had a different price. The invitation in Eagle King¡¯s hand was the highest, costing 500 million Manchenius dors


    Yvette pulled out her organized map and pointed to three locations before instructing, ¡°I¡¯ve marked three ces where Caleb might be hiding people, and Flying Fish might be in one of the ces. To avoid alerting them, watch these ces for anything unusual for the next three days. If Caleb goes to the auction, he¡¯ll probably bring a lot of security. If I go to the emerald auction, you should use the opportunity to rescue them and then meet me.¡±


    Eagle King was surprised that Yvette had found all of Caleb¡¯s hiding ces so quickly. With Yvette by his side, he felt that nothing in the world was out of reach. However, there was something he found perplexing and difficult to understand. So he asked, ¡°Boss, since you know where Flying Fish is locked up, why are you still going to the auction? Can¡¯t we just rescue her and leave, or do you have other ns?¡±


    Yvette paused for a moment andzily nced down as she stretched. After some thought, she looked up at Eagle King and replied calmly. ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, why keep those people around?¡±


    What a coincidence! Eagle King shared the same thought, ¡®Caleb should face serious consequences for messing with my people! I have to get Boss and Flying Fish to safety before returning to kill Caleb. Since Boss has said to do it. I¡¯ll eliminate Caleb to save trouble, I don¡¯t want to return here because it¡¯s too hot.


    Meanwhile, Caleb was upset at the mansion. He had no idea that as the leader of a Golden Triangle crime family, he was considered expendable by others.


    In the basement of a luxurious mansion in northern Kransbay, woman in a red dress was locked up. She was none other than Flying Fish.


    Flying Fish tugged at her dress with a hint of disdain, thinking. D**n! My carelessness led to my capture by Caleb¡¯s crew. He tricked me by using a child. How infuriating! A week has passed, and I smell terrible. Those b***rds! If Eagle King rescues me, il destroy this ce. I won¡¯t let my reputation as the third-se***st assassin go to waste!

 Chapter 97

    Three days passed in a sh. During that time, Eagle King had roughly determined where Flying Fish was imprisoned after close observation.


    Who would¡¯ve thought the sly Caleb would hide Flying Fish in his lover¡¯s mansion? If it weren¡¯t for his subordinates slipping up while chatting and was overheard by Eagle King who was monitoring them, he never would¡¯ve guessed Flying Fish would be held in such a ce.


    He truly admired Yvette. These three ces were each weirder than thest, but Flying Fish was actually in one of them Tonight, he¡¯d show those sc****ags hell. With Yvette around, Eagle King wasn¡¯t worried about Caleb at all.


    The weather in Kransbay was exceptionally good today. Huge clouds floated across the clear blue sky. Wildflowers with fiery red petals bloomed along the path. Under the sun, the ground was smoldering and dusty.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Emerald Auction was like apetition among emerald merchants, a contest of wealth, insight, and courage. Before the auction began, all the raw emeralds were numbered, indicating the quantity, weight, and starting price, though the starting. prices were generally low. They were all publicly disyed for three days


    The merchants would carefully examine each exhibit, select the raw emeralds they needed, and evaluate their value to determine the best bidding price before cing them in the bidding box.


    As many werepeting and none knew of the other¡¯s bid prices, setting the right price for the same raw emerald was tricky. If the price was too high, they¡¯d suffer losses. But if it was too low, someone else might buy it. In auctions, it wasmon to lose out on a piece worth several hundred thousand dors by underpricing by just a few dors.


    The exhibition hall was filled with old-mine raw emerald pieces, with prices ranging from several hundred thousand dors. to several million dors. Gigantic raw emeralds weighing several tons with excellent surface quality could reach over 30 million dors.


    This year¡¯s Emerald Auction was held in the city center exhibition hall, which could amodate tens of thousands of people. Emerald enthusiasts from around the world gathered here, hoping to buy the best stone for the lowest price. Some people arrived at the exhibition hall early, carefully examining each stone.


    Stone gambling was where one cut could lead to one¡¯s wealth or ruin. Many desperate people came here to risk it all. In short, they all had one goal-money.


    Only two people differed from the crowd. One was Yvette who was already at the entrance, and the other was Jeremiah who was still on the way. They were there for Caleb.


    At the entrance, Kevin and Martin held the lowest-grade invitations. The staff on both sides took a quick nce and pointed toward a random direction. In Clusia, Kevin¡¯s family was quite wealthy, and he was often addressed as Mr. Garcia wherever he went. He had never been treated so indifferently before, and felt slighted for the first time by the gatekeepers.


    His face filled with resentment as heined, ¡°Uncle Martin, these Kransbayans are too contemptuous of us.¡±


    Martin looked at Kevin¡¯s naive expression and felt helpless, knowing he was spoiled by his family andpletely unaware of the harsh realities. He scolded, ¡°Do you know where we are? This is Kransbay, a no-man¡¯s hand. If you keep talking recklessly like that and someone hears you, no one can save you


    Kevin was onlyining, so he shrank back at Martin¡¯s words. He knew this ce was a hundred times more dangerous than Clusia, so he didn¡¯t dare speak out. He didn¡¯t want to appear submissive to Martin either, so he could only look around. awkwardly


    At that moment, Kevin spotted the girl he¡¯d met on the ne and at the hotel. He thought it was too coincidental. As he was upset with Martin, Kevin seized the chance while Martin was engrossed in checking some raw emeralds and quickly headed toward the entrance.


    Yvette wore a loose white T-shirt that revealed a hint of her corbone with some baggy sweatpants. One would think she apanied by ten expert martial artists, and the hall is full of his men equipped with heavy weapons. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not suitable to fight here.¡±


    Jeremiah ced his cup down, his expression unpredictable and his tone mysterious. ¡°No need to rush. There are plenty of opportunities.¡±

 Chapter 98

    On the first floor of the exhibition hall, Kevin and Yvette wandered around aimlessly, asionally stopping before moving along again. Whenever they encountered a promising raw emerald, Kevin would pull out a mini shlight, magnifying ss, and other professional tools from his pocket, examining the emeralds like an expert.


    But with his limited budget, he only inspected emeralds priced around several hundred thousand dors.


    They had already covered nearly half the area, checking out numerous emeralds, but Kevin was still unsure whether any would yield high-quality emeralds


    Yvette trailed behind him quietly, as if she were invisible. Yet, no matter where she went, people couldn¡¯t stop murmuring words like ¡°pretty¡± and ¡°beautiful.¡± She pretended not to notice, but Kevin was getting more attention just because she was with him:N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    After surveying the entire area, Kevin had pretty much made up his mind, eyeing two raw emeralds. One was a white 170- pound raw emerald, and the other was a ck one of nearly the same weight. Both were within his budget, but due to his limited funds, he could only choose one.


    Torn between the two, Kevin was filled with indecision as both seemed to have the potential for high-quality emeralds.


    Yvette walked leisurely with her hands in her pockets, appearingpletely at ease. When she saw Kevin pause in front of a raw emerald, she turned and walked back to him. Clearing her throat, Yvette asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Kevin was a bit surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Yvette, this seemingly aloof beauty, to actually show concern. After a moment of hesitation, he nced at the raw emerald in front of him and then pointed to the ck emerald he¡¯d seen earlier in Zone A ¡°Which one do you think has high-quality emeralds inside?¡± he asked.


    Kevin looked at Yvette with anticipation, assuming she might have some knowledge, considering her presence at the event. Surely, she wouldn¡¯t havee all this way just for sightseeing, he thought


    Yvette nced at the two emeralds before casually pulling her hands out of her pockets and pointing toward another emerald in the far corner. This one, however, weighed only around 11 pounds and was priced at tens of thousands of dors. Kevin followed her gaze, baffled.


    He had noticed that emerald earlier, but not because it stood out rather, it seemed pitifully smallpared to therger ones weighing tons. Nobody had shown any interest in it.


    Typically, such raw emeralds were included by organizers as filler, meant to deceive outsiders unfamiliar with the trade. A family of jewelers as experienced as the Garcia family would never consider such a store.


    Kevin nced at Yvette¡¯s unreadable face. He didn¡¯t want to let her down, despite knowing she was likely inexperienced. Though she means well, she¡¯s just a novice, he thought.


    Yvette, still calm, lowered her gaze slightly and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hurry up and ce your bid,¡± she said coolly


    Kevin hesitated for a moment before sighing. Fine, just to please her. It¡¯s only around 100 thousand dors. I guess it¡¯s money lost, he thought. ¡°All right¡­ I¡¯ll go right now. Wait here. It won¡¯t take long


    For these types of bids, it¡¯s all about firste, first served. It should only take a few minutes, and I can even have the emerald cut right here. There¡¯s always someone cutting stones on-site to excite the crowd. Nothing drives impulse buying like that, Kevin reflected.


    After Kevin left. Yvette leaned against arge raw emerald and polled out her phone, scrolling casually. Suddenly, amotion arose from the distance. Her ears perked up, and she recognized a familiar voice. With a thoughtful expression. she tucked her phone away and made her way toward the source of the noise.


    In Zone D, Martin, Kevin¡¯s uncle, was engrossed in a massive, one-ton emerald. As the second eldest in the Garcia family, he was known as Mr. Garcia in the jewelry world. He was carefully assessing the raw emerald, estimating a 90% chance that it would yield high-quality emeralds.


    However, this raw emerald had attracted the interest of many, including the Garcia family¡¯s long-standing rival, the Jones family. The Jones family had sent their general manager, Edward Jones, a seasoned veteran, who was also eyeing the same raw emerald.


    Priced at 43 million dors, the raw emerald was still within Man¡¯s budget, but going all in on it would severely limit his ability to purchase other raw emeralds. He was in a difficult position.


    If this raw emerald didn¡¯t yield high-quality emeralds, his bidding journey could end early, leaving him with nothing for the remaining three days. On the other hand, walking away from such a potentially valuable raw emerald was a tough pill to swallow.


    As Martin hesitated. Edward strolled over with a smug smile. ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t Mr. Garcia Eyeing this one too? I was just about to head to the counter and im it. Your family¡¯s been doing quite well with emeralds this year; how about letting me have this one


    As soon as Edward made his remark, the crowd around the raw emerald surged forward, excitedly discussing it was sure to contain high-quality emeralds, encouraging Martin to ce a bid. Zone D quickly became the center of attention.


    Martin could feel Edward¡¯s mocking gaze. The Garcia family had had a rough year, with finances strained by less sessful ventures, and Edward knew it. Gritting his teeth, Martin nced at the massive raw emerald, trying to ignore Edward¡¯s smug face. 1- Martin began.


    But before he could continue, a voice interrupted, ¡°Since Mr. Jones wants this emerald so badly, why not do him the favor of letting him have it, Mr. Garcia?¡± The crowd went silent in shock, unsure of who had spoken.


    Yvette stepped out from the crowd, hands in her pockets, wearing a casual yet defiant smile. Her gaze was cool and unbothered. Some had noticed her earlier, but now their murmurs grew louder.


    ¡°Who is this Aplothian woman, and why is she getting involved one person muttered.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to understand how things work here. Speaking out of turn during the bidding is a big no-no,¡± another whispered


    ¡°But she¡¯s stunning!¡± someone else added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what she has to say,¡± suggested another.


    Martin frowned in irritation. ¡®She¡¯s just a woman who tagged along with Kevin. What right does she have to speak up like this?¡¯ he thought


    Edward smirked, recognizing Yvette as the woman who had been with Kevin and assuming she was his sugar baby.


    ¡°Mr. Martin Garcia, surely you¡¯re not going to take advice from her, are you? I saw her hanging around with Mr. Kevin Garcia. Seems like he knows how to enjoy himself, bringing a woman along to an event like this.¡± As he spoke, Edward shot Yvette a disdainful nce.


    ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense!¡± Kevin shouted, his voice cutting through the crowd. Afterpleting his paperwork, he noticed themotion and walked over, realizing Yvette was involved. There was nothing going on between him and Yvette. Hearing Edward¡¯s insults, Kevin couldn¡¯t stand by any longer.


    ¡°Kevin, stop!¡± Martin ordered immediately. Any conflict during a bidding event could result in both parties being cklisted, a serious consequence neither family could afford. Kevin froze in ce, his face flushed with anger, but he held back.

 Chapter 99

    Just minutes ago, when Emmett returned from the restroom and passed the first-floor exhibition hall, he saw Yvette standing by the raw emerald, idly ying with her phone.


    Emmett thought. Her? He had seen Yvette at the police station before. Previously, Jeremiah had rushed back to Seacrity from an important military meeting to pick her up from the police station.


    It was obvious how important Yvette was to Jeremiah. In all the years Emmett had served Jeremiah, this was the first time he had seen thetter show affection toward a woman.


    If nothing urred. Yvette¡¯s future status would be unmatched, ji was clear-if Jeremiah had chosen her, no one could stand in his way.


    However, Emmett wondered what made Yvette so special. With all the high-societydies in Betrico, he couldn¡¯t understand why Jeremiah would choose Yvette, a mere university student.


    Emmett thought, Because she¡¯s pretty? There are plenty of beautifuldies. Why her? Before he could ponder further. Emmett returned to the VIP room on the second floor to report the situation to Jeremiah.


    Meanwhile on the first floor, Edward was still trying to prod Martin, pushing him to bid on the piece of raw emerald.


    However, Martin was not foolish. There was no way Edward would be so generous. Growing doubtful of the emerald, Martin cooled off and declined, ¡°If you like it so much, Mr. Jones, go ahead.¡±


    Edward gritted his teeth in frustration when he saw that Martin no longer wanted to bid. He had heard a rumor that the raw emerald in question was problematic, with its green surface drawing suspicion.


    If Martin made the purchase, the Jones family would have surpassed the Garcia family as the leading jewelry business in Lommore this year. However, everything was ruined now because of Yvette.


    Edward¡¯s eyes gleamed with malice. He had connections with the local gang, so dealing with Yvette would be child¡¯s y.


    Meanwhile, Martin had a newfound respect for Yvette, though he chalked it up to the coincidence that she had interrupted him at just the right moment.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Jeremiah¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he strode toward Yvette. His heart raced in excitement, more so than ever before, as the person he had been longing for stood right before him.


    Surrounded by onlookers, Yvette heard Jeremiah¡¯s voice and showed a brief sh of surprise, followed by a sigh. She had not expected to run into Jeremiah here.


    As Jeremiah approached, the crowd instinctively parted for him, his imposing aura leaving little choice. Behind him trailed. Emmett, d in a sharp ck suit, equally exuding a don¡¯t-mess-with-me vibe.


    Jeremiah walked up to Yvette, and their eyes met. The warmth in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes was intense and fervent. Yvette, unable to hold eye contact, averted her gaze and replied, ¡°A couple of days ago.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jeremiah nodded, his tone softening with a tenderness reserved only for Yvette. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Without much thought, Yvette nced at Jeremiah, her voice losing its earlier coldness. ¡°All right. She followed him, showing a deep, almost unconscious trust in him, and did not even ask where they were going


    Nearby, Kevin, seeing the two about to leave, mustered unexpected courage and called out, ¡°Hey, Yvette, are you just going to leave?


    Yvette paused for a moment before turning to face Kevin. Ignoring the conflicted look from Martin, site pulled out an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Kevin. ¡°Here. With that, she left.


    Kevin stood there, staring after Yvette until she disappeared around the corner.


    Edward, who had fallen silent the moment Jeremiah appeared, did not dare say a word. Moments ago, he had been scheming about how to deal with Yvette, but now, he would not even dare breathe loudly.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    This was because Edward recognized the white envelope Yvette handed to Kevin. It wasn¡¯t just any invitation-it was the highest-level VIP pass, one that money alone couldn¡¯t buy, a diamond VIP invitation.


    Edward thought. ¡®If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, she had pulled the invitation from her pocket. It was not handed to her by the man she was with. That meant she was no ordinary person


    Without daring to say another word. Edward slunk away, tail between his legs.


    Meanwhile, Kevin was puzzled, wondering how Edward¡¯s attitude had changed drastically. Just moments ago, thetter was sn**y, ready to take on this and that. Now, he was actingpletely different.


    Even Martin was baffled, staring at the envelope in Kevin¡¯s hand. If he did not realize by now that he had misunderstood, he¡¯d have to be a fool.


    It was clear that Yvette was not here as Kevin¡¯s plus one. She hade on her own-and with a diamond VIP invitation, no less. Compared to that, the regr invitation they had was nothing.


    Moreover, Martin could tell the man next to Yvette was no ordinary person either.


    ¡°Uncle Martin, do you know what this is?¡± Kevin asked, waving the envelope in his hand casually


    Martin quickly stepped forward, carefully taking the envelope from Kevin, his voice filled with excitement. ¡°My goodness, Kevin, this is a diamond VIP invitation. With this, we can head to the second floor.¡±


    ¡°During the auction, we won¡¯t have to fight for space in the main hall-we can bid directly from the private rooms. Where did you meet that girl? You lucky fool, you¡¯ve lucked out, Martin added.


    Kevin w


    just as baffled. He thought, ¡®A diamond VIP? He had only spoken to Yvette because he thought no one was looking after her. Now, he felt embarrassed to learn Yvette was a hidden big shot.


    In the second-floor VIP room, Yvette leaned back in her chair with crossed legs, while sipping coffee that Jeremiah had poured for her. She remained silent, ying a newly downloaded game on her phone.


    Jeremiah, knowing Yvette¡¯s habits, did not say much either. After finishing his coffee, he refilled Yvette¡¯s cup, making sure it was full.


    The proper etiquette was not to fill a cup to the brim, but Yvette found it inconvenient to keep drinking half-full cups. Hence, Jeremiah always filled hers to the top, to make sure she wasfortable.


    Initially shocked, Emmett was now numb. In thest half hour, he had watched Jeremiah, who was usually serious, sneak nces at Yvette, pouring her coffee and even cing a te of fruit in front of her.


    Emmett would not be surprised if Jeremiah offered to feed Yvette if she allowed him to. In all honesty, he felt Jeremiah would be more than happy to do so.


    Since entering the room, Yvette had barely spoken a word. Apart from answering Jeremiah¡¯s questions, she had remained salen. Jeremiah and her were a perfect match in theirck of words


    Emmett couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Yvette could stay soposed. This was Kransbay, not Clusia. Danger lurked around every corner.


    It was suspicious enough for a young woman like Yvette to be at a stone gambling auction, but she was way too calm for someone who had just run into acquaintances here.


    ¡°Interested in stone gambling? ying h**y?¡± Jeremiah pulled out a chair and sat close to Yvette, his voice warm and teasing.


    Yvette set down her phone, narrowed her eyes, and replied unhurriedly, ¡°So-so. I didn¡¯t skip ss, just took a leave.¡±


    Emmett sighed inwardly. That¡¯s not the point. Shouldn¡¯t the bigger question be why she¡¯s here in Kransbay and at an emerald auction exhibition hall of all ces? This isn¡¯t a ce for college students

 Chapter 100

    Emmett remained wary of Yvette, as he was of anyone who appeared around Jeremiah. His duty demanded extreme caution to ensure nothing went wrong. He couldn¡¯t help but question Yvette¡¯s presence.


    Yvette¡¯s sudden appearance at the auction on such an important day was highly suspicious. Even if she was here by coincidence, her presence might disrupt their ns. Nothing was certain


    Emmett thought Yvette was a hindrance. If a conflict broke outter, he would have to protect her, and it would be a burden.


    After ncing at Yvette, who remained silent with her eyes lowered, Emmett hesitated before cautiously asking, ¡°Ms. Zeller. did youe here alone?¡±


    Yvette turned and nced at Emmett, her eyes filled with their usual indifference. ¡°No, I came with a friend. He went to take care of something¡±


    Upon hearing that. Jeremiah¡¯s expression darkened, his brows furrowed, and his voice grew cold. ¡°Pull our people out Return to standby


    Shocked. Emmett thought, Retreat? Jeremiah had meticulously nned this for days, waiting for Caleb to appear so they could finally capture him


    Emmett could not understand Jeremiah¡¯s intention in withdrawing their men, but he knew it was because of Yvette. This time, Jeremiah was being far too ferational.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Regardless, Emmett was loyal to Jeremiah to the point of following him to death without hesitation. Still, his resentment toward Yvette grew.


    If it weren¡¯t for Yvette, such a carefully nned operation that had cost much manpower and resources would not have beeri abandoned at thest minute.


    However, Emmett knew he could not change Jeremiah¡¯s decision. He nodded reluctantly. ¡°Understood, Mr. Chavez. I¡¯ll give the orders now.¡± With that, he stepped out of the room.


    Yvette rested her left arm, her beautifully tanned skin visible at her wrist. Her strikingly beautiful face followed Emmett¡¯s exit with a calm expression. Then, she pursed her lips slightly. ¡°Did I offend him?¡±


    Jeremiah, who had been pouring coffee, paused as he thought, ¡®She¡¯s sharp. Emmett thought he had hidden his displeasure well, but Yvette had already.noticed it


    ¡°No. he doesn¡¯t mean any harm. He just doesn¡¯t understand why you¡¯re here,¡± Jeremiah replied.


    Yvette turned, staring at Jeremiah differently. After a few seconds of silence, her tone became more serious. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I¡¯m here?¡±


    Jeremiah smiled faintly. It was gone as quickly as it appeared. However, in that brief moment, Yvette was momentarily stunned. She had to admit he was the most handsome man she had ever seei


    Upon noticing Yvette¡¯s distraction, Jeremiah felt a flicker of satisfaction. It seemed that Andrew¡¯s idea of using a ¡°beauty trap¡± was working


    Yvette was taken by it, and for once, Andrew¡¯s suggestion was notpletely off the mark. Jeremiah felt he could use this trick more often in the future.


    Jeremiah cleared his throat awkwardly, his voice slightly raspy, and said with a focused intensity. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ve never asked why I¡¯m at Argrol University, either


    her coffee cup.


    Yvette lowered her cry


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    blew on it gently, and, once the temperature was just right, took a light sip.


    Then, Yvette lifted her gaze slightly and exchanged a silent smile with Jeremiah. Everything was conveyed without a word.


    Suddenly, a knock came at the door. ¡°Excuse me, sir, may I interrupt for a moment?¡±


    Jeremiah gestured toward the couch. ¡°Rest there. I¡¯ll call you when the bidding starts.


    ¡°Okay, Yvette replied


    Jeremiah collected himself and returned to his usual aloof, untouchable demeanor, exuding an air of cold elegance. His voice was as icy as ever. ¡°Come in


    The woman who entered was one of the exquisite courtesans meticulously selected to serve the VIP guests on the second floor. Their ultimate goal was to be chosen to work for the clientele on that level.


    To be selected, one had to not only possess striking beauty and a captivating figure but also speak several foreignnguages, as the guests hailed from all over the globe.


    Despite the stringent requirements, the temptation of generous pay drew many women topete fiercely for a chance.


    Moreover, the auction operated under unspoken rules. It was understood that as long as the price could satisfy both parties, the girls at the auction could be taken away.


    There were plenty of stories of girls being swept off their feet by wealthy businessmen, and their lives and statuses transformed overnight.


    Lily, who had entered after knocking, had her eye on Jeremiah, a handsome, powerful, and charming man. She used every trick in the book to attract him, but he did not even nce her way.


    Disappointed, Lily initially thought it was because Jeremiah was not interested in women, only to watch as he returned with an incredibly beautiful girl.


    Having worked in this industry for long, Lily knew some people were simply beyond her reach. If Jeremiah did not take an interest, she¡¯d just move on. After all, losing her life over this job wasn¡¯t worth it.


    As Lily entered, she stood straight, bowed at a ny-degree angle, and respectfully said, ¡°Hello, sir. Someone on the first floor just opened an AAA-grade emerald¡±


    ¡°ording to the auction¡¯s customary rules, the guest who opens it will gift a bottle of rare wine worth 100 thousand doll to one of the guests present,¡± Lily exined.


    ¡°That guest asked to have it sent to your lounge and expressed his gratitude to Ms. Zeller, Lily added.


    Lily hadn¡¯t expected the wine to go to this powerful and mysterious man in front of her, but lounging on the couch. She had misjudged Yvette¡¯s status, which was worlds apart from hers.


    ther to the beautiful girl


    Jeremiah turned to look at Yvette, who was on the couch. She was casually leaning back, her expression somewhat dazed, her gaze deep and contemtive, as if she hadn¡¯t heard Lily at all.


    ¡°Just put it on the table. What¡¯s the name of the person who opened the AAA-grade emerald?¡± Jeremiah inquired.


    After cing the wine on the table. Lily stepped back and leaned down slightly. ¡°Sir, that guest said hisst name is Garcia, and that Ms. Zetter would know him. With that, she gracefully retreated, holding the tray.


    Jeremiah furrowed his brow and turned his gaze slightly. ¡°That gay from earlier? Did youe with him?¡±


    Yvette sat up from the couch, her voice slightly nasal. ¡°No, we met halfway. He¡­ is not bad.¡±


    Jeremiah felt a twinge of jealousy. ¡°Not bad¡± meant Yvette held a high opinion of that person. He wondered what she thought of him


    ¡°He¡¯s lucky,¡± Yvette nodded nonchntly, Jeremiah felt slightly better at her indifference.


    Earlier on the first floor, after Yvette left, Kevin stared at the raw emerald receipt in a daze. Having already spent a hefty sum, he had no intention of taking the raw emerald back for processing


    After some pondering. Kevin thought it might be better to just cut it open here. After all, he had no idea where else to put it.


    Kevin called over Martin, who, upon hearing that Yvette had suggested Kevin buy it, brushed it off. Upon closer inspection of the raw emerald, he believed it would be nearly impossible to contain such a high-quality emerald.


    They both figured the money was lost and decided to cut the raw emerald in the exhibition hall, not expecting anything from it.


    However, when the cutting master made the first incision, a vibrant green hue appeared, leaving thempletely stunned.

 Chapter 101

    As soon as the crowd heard that emerald could be seen, they warmed forward, packing the stone-cutting area.


    Once the person in chargepletely cut open the raw emerald gasps rippled through the crowd. It was an AAA-grade emerald. The color was rich, a vivid green color, dazzling to the eye. The piece, the size of a fist, was wlesspletely free of any impurities.


    If it were polished and crafted into jewelry, it would be worth a fortune-at least 15 million dors.


    Kevin felt like he was dreaming, and Martin was extremely excited. An AAA-grade emerald was rare to see on the market. The discovery of this emerald could save the Garcia family from their crisis.


    Kevin had never imagined that he could spend only 100 thousand dors and end up with an AAA-grade emerald. Now, when he returned to the Garcia family, he could finally hold his head high.


    He felt extremely grateful to Yvette. Without her, he probably would¡¯ve returned empty-handed again, and the elders of his family would ve berated him for being a spoiled brat.


    In the midst of his joy and excitement, Martin suddenly remembered Yvette, who had suggested that Kevin buy the raw emerald. ording to Kevin. Yvette just pointed at the raw emeralds randomly.


    Martin didn¡¯t believe it at all. It was impossible that someone could point casually and end up choosing an AAA-grade emerald. She has to be an expertat stone gambling. The fact that she gave Kevin the raw emerald without bidding on it herself shows that she didn¡¯t care about the money. Who is she? he thought.


    Martin nced at Kevin, who was gleefully dancing around, and sighed. This foolish nephew. Where did he get such luck? This girl is our savior! he pondered.


    Later, when they learned that Yvette and Jeremiah had entered VIP Room No. 1, they had a discussion. Yvette had given them such a generous gift. They couldn¡¯t pretend to be unaware. They wanted to show their gratitude, so they decided to send over a bottle of red wine.


    When Emmett finished handling the matters outside and returned to the room, he found Yvette curled up on the couch. eyes closed, with her long legs draped over the armrest. She was covered with Jeremiah¡¯s white casual jacket,


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze fell on the familiar jacket for a moment before he sighed and wondered, ¡®Didn¡¯t Mr. Chavez have mysophobia? Normally, Jeremiah would never let anyone use his clothes, not even his own mother, thedy of the Chavez family. Yet, it was draped over a girl now.


    Emmett walked softly toward Jeremiah and whispered, Boss, I¡¯ve arranged everything. Our men have left the exhibition. hall, but some of them stayed to monitor Caleb¡¯s movements. If he makes any move, we¡¯ll know right away.¡±


    Just then. Yvette turned over on the couch, revealing her slim, perfectly curved back to the two men.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Emmett fell silent, his gaze sharp. Later, he withdrew his gaze after confirming that Yvette was truly asleep After all, one¡¯s breathing couldn¡¯t be faked. Little did he know that if Yvette wanted to mask her presence, no one could detect her.


    When Emmett raised his head again, he was met with Jeremiah icy gaze, which made him uneasy. Jeremiah fiddled with the coffee cup in his hand, his gaze soft as he looked at Yvette¡¯sck. Then, he nced at the nervous Emmett and uttered. ¡°Emmett, if you ever show even a hint of hostility toward her again, you can leave.¡±


    Emment¡¯s expression changed immediately. Is Mr. Chavez dismissing me? This is worse than death, he mused as he bowed his head. ¡°Mr. Chavez, I was wrong. Please punish me.¡±


    Jeremiah set the coffee cup down. His action wasn¡¯t forceful, but it struck Emmett deeply. Emmett knew Jeremiah too well. He knew that if he showed the slightest disrespect toward Yvette again, he would be banished to Mysonna and never allowed bark to Betrico.


    @TO


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it happen again Jeremiah said.


    Yvette, who had been lying with her back to them, slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were clear, showing no signs of sleepiness. She had woken up the moment Emmett entered. As expected, Jeremiah and his men were also there for Caleb,


    At 10:30 am, the bidding officially began. The bidding was divided into two types: sealed bids and open birls,


    Sealed bids involved the organizer issuing numbered forms where buyers could fill in their name and the price they were willing to pay for a particr raw emerald After interested buyers filled out the information, the forms were then sealed in a box. When the bids were opened, the winning bidder and their price were publicly announced.


    In contrast, open bids gathered all potential buyers in one ce. Each time the host announced a raw emerald number. everyone at the venue took turns bidding, with the highest bidder winning the raw emerald. Thepetition was much fiercer than sealed bids. Every year, unexpected things happened during open bids.


    The host of the auction was a young woman dressed in a low-cut gown Her voluptuous figure and flirtatious demeanor drew the attention of every man present. She seemed to be ustomed to such situations. She didn¡¯t feel the least bit ufortable. On the contrary, she seemed to relish the gazes fixed on her.


    She strutted up to the center of the exhibition hall, where a stage had already been set up,plete with a table and a gavel. Several burly bodyguards in ck suits and sunsses stood nearby, looking intimidating and fierce.


    ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m Liza, the host of today¡¯s auction. Wee to Kransbay. Mr. Caleb Kerton, our chairman, has carefully selected these raw emeralds. I hope everyone finds what they¡¯re looking for. Everyone knows the rules here, so let¡¯s not waste anymore time. I now dete that the raw emerald open bid has officially begun,¡± the host, Liza, announced.


    Apuse thundered through the hall as the crowd watched Liza pose on stage. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement. The locals who knew of Liza¡¯s true identity, remained much calmer than the outsiders.


    She was Caleb¡¯s most favored mistress, often apanying him to important events. No one there dared to make any careless remarks, for fear that Caleb would hold a grudge and cause trouble for them.


    Once the crowd had been sufficiently hyped, Liza looked at the audience and announced, ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee the eldest son of the Kerton family, Bradley Kerton, to present the first piece of raw emerald-for auction.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a man in his twenties, with a in and somewhat sleazy appearance, slicked-back hair, and colorful local attire, stepped onto the stage.


    ¡°Everyone, thank you foring. I¡¯m Bradley Kerton. I¡¯ll be hosting the auction for the first piece of raw emerald. Our experts evaluated it and determined that it has an 80% chance of producing high-quality emeralds. I¡¯m sure you know what that means. The bidding starts now at 1.7 million dors, Bradley uttered.


    *185 million dors.¡±


    ¡°Come on. Mr. Hughes, 1.85 million dors? I¡¯ll go for 2 million dors.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Il bid 2.3 million dors then!¡±


    *2.6 mullion dorst¡±


    In less than ten minutes, the price of the first piece of raw emerald had climbed to 5 million dors.


    When it hit 5 million dors, everyone stopped bidding. The first raw emerald was eventually won by an emerald merchant from Mysonna


    Bradley couldn¡¯t stop smiling. They had intentionally acquired that batch of raw emeralds at a low price from the mining site, knowing that only a few contained high-quality emerald.


    The rest of the raw emeralds wouldn¡¯t be anything extraordinary. After all, not everyone could get as lucky as Martin and


    Kevin who had just uncovered an AAA-grade emerald.


    On the second floor, Emmett¡¯s phone rang

 Chapter 102

    At the same time, Yvette¡¯s phone also rang in her pocket. Emmett didn¡¯t pay her any attention, as the call he received was from those closely monitoring Caleb. Something important must have happened. Otherwise, they would just send a message.


    Emmett stepped aside to take the call. A few secondster, his expression changed. After hanging up, he quickly approached Jeremiah. This time. Emmett didn¡¯t avoid Yvette, who had just woken up and was sitting on the other side. In his opinion, someone like Caleb was beyond Yvette¡¯s reach, so he felt there was no need to be discreet.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, the people we had watching Caleb reported that after Caleb received a phone call, he got really mad and left the auction in a hurry. Now, he¡¯s leading a group of men back to his mansion in the northern district. We¡¯ve scouted the location, and it¡¯s where one of his long-term mistresses lives. Nothing out of the ordinary Emmett uttered.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze sharpened, and his expression darkened. Something significant must have happened. Caleb wouldn¡¯t abandon such an important event as the auction for no reason. There had to be something they missed or overlooked.


    ¡°Tell our people to keep an eye on the mansion. Since he¡¯s shown himself, tomorrow night-Jeremiah paused and turned slightly, catching sight of Yvette¡¯s head. Her hair was soft and fluffy, and she looked obedient and adorable.


    Jeremiah cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet him tomorrow night,¡± he said, giving Emmett a look. Emmett understood immediately. Jeremiah was nning to make his move tomorrow night.


    Yvette, who was casually scrolling through her phone, raised an eyebrow. She looked tired as she nced at the two men before looking back down at her phone, fiddling with it leisurely


    On the screen was a message from Eagle King: [Boss, Flying Fish has been rescued. We¡¯re back at the hotel, awaiting your return.]


    Meanwhile, the auction continued smoothly, with the highest bid for a piece of raw emerald reaching 30 million dors. The merchants downstairs were growing increasingly excited, and the atmosphere in the hall was bustling.


    The first day of the emerald auction started at 10 am, and ended at 4 p.m. Only then did the crowd begin to disperse.


    Kevin and Martin, having already hit the jackpot with the AAA-grade emerald, only bid on another piece of raw emerald for 3.3 million dors before deciding to call it quits. With the AAA-grade emerald, they had already made more than enough to cover their trip and resolve their family¡¯s crisis.


    As they were about to leave, Kevin wanted to say goodbye to Yvette, but Martin stopped him. Martin said earnestly, ¡°Kevin, I hope you don¡¯t have any feelings for that girl. That girl and the man she¡¯s with aren¡¯t ordinary people. We can¡¯t afford to offend them. She¡¯s out of your league.


    As Martin spoke, he gave Kevin a disapproving look. Kevin felt wronged, thinking. What¡¯s Uncle Martin saying? Feelings for Yvette? He has never spent time with her and doesn¡¯t know how cold she is. ¡°Uncle Martin, what are you talking about? I just wanted to thank her in person,¡± Kevin uttered.


    Still feeling wronged, he muttered, ¡°Besides, am I really that had Sure, I may not be as well-built, handsome, or stylish as that guy, and I may not have as much money or power as him¡± As Kevin thought it over, he had to admit that Martin was right. He was no match for Jeremiah.


    Seeing that Kevin didn¡¯t have any romantic feelings for Yvette, Martin felt relieved. He was genuinely worried that his not- so-bright nephew might do something reckless like try to snatch Yvette away from Jeremiah and end up dead without knowing how it happened.


    and


    Meanwhile, in a mansion in the northern district, chaos reigned Bullet holes were everywhere, blood stained the floors, an even the basement door was blown off, leaving only half of it hanging on its hinges.


    Sitting on the couch was a man in his fifiies, dressed in a suit. He had ferocious eyes and a deeply wrinkled face. His expression was grim as he berated the man kneeling before him


    Some of them were limping, others had injured arms, one had a wound on his face, and another was in even worse shape. lying motionless on a stretcher. If not for the faint signs of breathing, he could easily have been mistaken for a corpse.


    Standing nearby were several bodyguards in ck suits. At the other end of the couch sat a young woman in her twenties. She wore a ck nightgown, her legs pale and trembling, too scared to even look up.


    The woman silently thanked her lucky stars that she had gone to a friend¡¯s house to y cards on a whim. Otherwise, she might have ended up among the bodies being carried out earlier. The bodyguards remained expressionless, having grown ustomed to such scenes.


    ¡°A bunch of useless fools! That woman was locked in the basement, with over thirty of you guarding her, and you let her escape? Almost 20 of our people died! Useless idiots! Why am I even paying you? Caleb chastised.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He was furious, his chest heaving, his brows furrowed in anger. He had his reasons for keeping the woman locked up. She was perfect in every way, and there was no way he¡¯d let a woman like that go easily.


    However, the woman was strange. Anyone who got within seven feet of her would mysteriously faint. Even the doctors. couldn¡¯t figure out why. He had nned to keep her locked up until she broke down mentally, thinking she would eventually submit.


    He had no idea that while he was gone for only a few hours, someone had broken into the mansion. He had lost more than 20 men, half of whom were his most elite fighters. It was a huge blow. ¡°Tell me. How many people attacked? How did they manage to do this to you?¡±


    One of the kneeling men gulped slowering his head even further, his voice barely audible. ¡°One.¡±


    Caleb couldn¡¯t believe his ears. His face darkened, and he asked again, ¡°Repeat it louder. How many?¡±


    The man trembled, raising his head slightly, and spoke a bit louder. Just one, Boss. The guy came alone, armed with heavy


    weapons


    Caleb was livid, his face twisted in fury. Rage surged through him, making his face flush. ¡°You¡¯re telling me one guy killed so many of my men? Who is he? Who dares to provoke me in Kransbay? Search the entire city, and spread the word. Whoever in the underworld can provide a clue gets a 660-thousand-dor reward¡±


    All the bodyguards standing behind him nodded


    By nightfall, all of Kransbay¡¯s underworld knew that Caleb¡¯s mansion had been attacked by a single person. Many were secretly gloating, watching the situation unfold from the sidelines. Caleb had long been known for his domineering ways, and many smaller families had suffered under his threats and harassment. Now that someone had put him in his ce, they were more than happy.


    After the auction ended, Emmett led Jeremiah and Yvette back to the hotel. He was stunned when Yvette joined them on the same floor, entering the presidential suite at the far end of the third floor.


    Emmeu looked at Jeremiah¡¯s expression, but there wasn¡¯t even a hint of surprise, as if he had known all along. Pointing at Yvette¡¯s retreating figure, Emmett awkwardly asked. ¡°Mr. Chavez does Ms. Zeller stay here as well?¡±


    Jeremiah stood there, watching until Yvette entered her room, before turning away. He had known a bit earlier than Emmett. ¡°Same hotel? Same floor? She and I are clearly destined to cross paths, Jeremiah mused.


    Emmett had no idea that his boss had already started thinking about destiny.


    ¡°Yes. Come in. Let¡¯s get to business, Jeremiah answered.

 Chapter 103

    ¡°Guess who I am?¡± someone asked. The room was pitch-ck, with no light in sight.


    As soon as Yvette entered the room, a pair of hands covered her eyes. She paused slightly andmented, ¡°You seem to be in good spirits.¡±


    Suddenly, the lights flicked on, illuminating the room. The hands moved away. Yvette opened her eyes and turned around. Standing behind her was Flying Fish, the woman Eagle King just rescued


    The first thing Flying Fish did after being rescued was take a bath and enjoy a sulent meal. She stood before Yvette, about five feet nine inches tall, d in a white bathrobe that entuatest her curves. She had a perfect hourss figure. Her face was oval-shaped, with almond-shaped eyes that exuded an air of allure. Droplets of water continued to drip from her hair, adding a touch of sensuality.


    ¡°Boss, I missed you so much! I knew you loved me the most. If I¡¯d waited for Eagle King to rescue me, I would¡¯ve been dead by now. It would¡¯ve been a great loss for humanity if a perfect woman like me was dead!¡± Flying Fish eximed.


    She nodded seriously, fully agreeing with her own statement. Eagle King, lounging on the couch, was used to her narcissistic personality. She had been like that since they were kids.


    Yvette crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and spoke in a rxed tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you die.¡± Eagle King jolted from the couch. Yvette nced at


    invisible in the conversa, then looked at Flying Fish before walking over to the couch, knowing she¡¯d soon be


    Eagle King was furious. ¡°Have you lost your mind from fangirling over celebrities? What¡¯s the number one rule of being an assassin? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten! How could you ept a job without even checking your target¡¯s background? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    Flying Fish knew she was in the wrong, and her voice softened, though she still stubbornly argued with Eagle King. ¡°Haven¡¯t you scolded me enough? I went days without food or sleep in that basement. I¡¯ve suffered enough. I already know I was wrong. And what¡¯s wrong with fangirling over celebrities? It makes me happy!¡±


    When Eagle King heard her first few sentences and considered the hardships she had endured in the past few days, his heart ached for her. He realized his words had been too harsh. Just as he was about to say something tofort her, he heard her mention fangirling and im it made her happy.


    His anger red up again. ¡°Fangirling makes you happy? Sure, you were so happy you got yourself caught! You¡¯re an assassin. Why are you fangirling over someone?¡±


    Flying Fish wasn¡¯t actually into celebrities; she was just provoking Eagle King. It irritated her that he clearly had feelings for her but refused to admit it. She nced at Eagle King, then lowered her head, soon beginning to sob.


    Hearing the sobs, Eagle King panicked. In all the years they¡¯d known each other, he¡¯d never seen her cry, not even when she nearly lost a leg during their brutal training in the rainforest. He wondered if he had gone too far and made her cry. Flustered, he rushed over. ¡°Fine, I was wrong. Please stop crying, okay?¡±


    Yvette, sitting on the couch, saw Flying Fish give her a meaningful look. She massaged her temples, thinking Flying Fish was too into this act. Flying Fish kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with Eagle King, and continued to cry sofily. Eagle King, feeling helpless, looked toward Yvette for help, but she ignored him.


    Eagle King gritted his teeth. Tm sorry. If fangirling makes you happy, I¡¯ll support you. I own an entertainmentpany in Betrico. Tell me which celebrity you like, and I¡¯ll bring them to you.¡±


    Flying Fish immediately stopped crying. Seeing that, Eagle King was unhappy and wondered, ¡®Does she like that celebrity this much? As long as she¡¯s happy, I¡¯ll let it be


    ¡°Promise you won¡¯t scold me anymore, Flying Fish said pitifully still sounding as though she¡¯d been crying.


    R


    ¡°I won¡¯t. As long as you stop crying. I¡¯ll agree to anything.¡± Eagle King uttered..


    ¡°Oh? You said it. You must keep your promise.¡± Flying Fish remarked. Eagle King felt like something was off, but before he could make sense of it, he heard Flying Fish ask. ¡°You¡¯re not going back on your promise, are you?¡±


    Afraid she would cry again. Engle King quickly promised. I wont take it back, absolutely not.¡±


    The next moment, Flying Fish raised her head, revealing a smug smile-there were no traces of tears. When Eagle King saw Yvette¡¯s amused expression, he realized he¡¯d been fooled by Flying Fish once again.


    But seeing how happy Flying Fish was and the smile on Yvette¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t mind being fooled. Those two were the most important people in his life. If tricking him made them happy, so be it.


    ¡°S**id Eagle King, you must keep your word. You said you¡¯d agree to anything, so you can¡¯t get mad at me now,¡± Flying Fish piped up.


    Eagle King felt resigned. Fine. I¡¯m not mad anymore. But where lid you learn this awful trick? Don¡¯t use it on others. It¡¯s embarrassing¡±


    Flying Fish whipped around, walking toward the couch as she replied, ¡°I only embarrass myself like this in front of you.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Eagle King¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®Only in front of me? Is it because we are close?¡¯ he pondered.


    Flying Fish turned around and slouched into the couch. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the n for tomorrow? That old bastard, Caleb, dared lock me in a dark, filthy basement, thinking he could make me his lover. In his dreams! I must teach him a lesson!¡±


    Eagle King walked over and sat next to Flying Fish. Flying Fish shot him a disdainful nce and moved away, still holding a grudge. Eagle King didn¡¯t mind her pettiness. ¡°Yeah. Boss, what¡¯s the n? What about leaving him to me? You two can wait at the hotel. Once it¡¯s done, we can leave together.¡±


    ¡°No way. I want to be there when Caleb dies,¡± Flying Fish insisted


    Both turned to Yvette, awaiting her decision. Yvette sat with her legs crossed, her face glowing softly in the warm light. Her gaze was savage and alluring. Her expression was grim, but when she looked at Eagle King and Flying Fish, her expression softened


    She reached out and poured two cups of coffee, pushing them toward Eagle King and Flying Fish. Her tone was firm. ¡°Tomorrow, you two book a flight back to Mysonna. I¡¯ll handle Caleb alone.¡±


    Eagle King and Flying Fish replied in unison, ¡°No way¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do, but I want to join in and have some fun too. Besides, this is a sc**ag we¡¯re talking about. No need to dirty your hands with him.¡± Flying Fish stated.


    Eagle King nodded in agreement. ¡°Flying Fish is right. We can easily deal with him. You don¡¯t need to get involved.¡±


    Yvette leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand, shaking her head. ¡°Enough. I¡¯ve made up my mind. The first flight leaves at 6 am Should I s see you off?¡±


    Seeing her resolve, Eagle King and Flying Fish could only mod. ¡°Okay, Boss. We¡¯ll head back to Mysonna first. Once our business is settled, Flying Fish and I will go find you in Seacrity, Eagle King said.


    Yvette answered, ¡°Okay¡±

 Chapter 104

    The next day, before dawn, Yvette woke up, saw Eagle King and Flying Fish off at the door, and returned to the hotel to get some more sleep.


    Around 9 am, the doorbell rang. Yvette got up, put on an oversized T-shirt, and walked over to open the door, her eyes half closed.


    When the door opened, she saw Jeremiah standing outside in light-colored casual clothes, holding a food container. She had already guessed it was him and wasn¡¯t surprised. She nced at the food container in his hand. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Jeremiah immediately noticed Yvette¡¯s long, straight legs under her oversized T-shirt. Her corbones were clearly visible due to the oversized shirt. Jeremiah cleared his throat awkwardly and walked in, acting like nothing had happened, slightly averting his gaze.


    ¡°The hotel here doesn¡¯t serve Clusian food, so I went out and got you some. As he spoke. Jeremiah neatlyid everything out on the table.


    Yvette sniffed, her voice groggy from just waking up, sounding muffled andpletely different from her usual cold tone. ¡°Wait a sec. I¡¯m going to brush my teeth and wash my face,¡± she said, heading into the bathroom.


    Jeremiah paused for a moment. ¡°Okay¡±


    Ten minutester. Yvette came ont of the bathroom, yawning as she scrolled through her phone. She pulled out a the dining table, sat down, and started eating,


    chair at


    Jeremiah sat beside her, casually handing over a napkin as he asked, ¡°Do you have any nster? Want to go out and walk around!¡±


    Yvette took a bite of the food, which was juicy and tender. She looked up at Jeremiah. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After finishing their meal, Yvette randomly grabbed an outfit from the wardrobe. She only brought a ck bag with her and nothing else. Eagle King had prepared the clothes in advance, with everything in the ck-and-white sporty style that Yvette preferred.


    Kransbay¡¯s weather was exceptionally good that day. Compared to the previous days, the temperature had dropped slightly The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly,


    A gentle breeze drifted through the air, while rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating shifting shadows on the ground. Cicadas buzzed endlessly on either side of the trees.


    The two of them left the hotel and found a nearby food street. They wandered around, sampling various local snacks. Yvette wasn¡¯t particrly impressed by the food; it wasn¡¯t quite to her taste, so she only took a few bites before stopping.


    Jeremiah noticed she wasn¡¯t really into the local snacks. They eventually found a Clusian restaurant. It was a barbecue ce run by a northern Clusian man. The owner, seeing theirplexion, immediately knew they were from Clusia and warmly


    weed them.


    Once seated, Jeremiah and Yvette ordered several skewers and handed the menu back to the owner. Having done business there for many years, the owner had a keen eye for people. He could tell that they weren¡¯t ordinary people. They were clearly wealthy and distinguished. The chubby owner asked, ¡°Are you two here for the emerald auction?


    Jeremiah stopped wiping the table. His eyes flickered as he looked up with a smile. ¡°How did you know? Can you tell fortunes Jeremiah quickly became friendly with the owner after only a few word,


    The owner chuckled and looked confident.


    over the worlde to buy raw emerald I¡¯ve been here for years. Every year around this time, people from all


    folks make the fortune here, while others aren¡¯t so lucky. Every year,


    people would jump off the building across the street. Stone gambling is too risky.¡±


    Thu, Oct 10 @


    .


    He then pointed toward some men in ck in the distance and whispered, ¡°Since you¡¯re also from Clusia, I¡¯m giving you a friendly reminder-be extra careful these days. Yesterday, our local gang leader, Caleb, issued an order to catch a guy. No idea who was bold enough to steal from Calebs. That thief has guts. But if they catch him, he¡¯s dead for sure.¡±


    The owner nced at Yvette, who was focused on her phone, and continued, ¡°Are you two a couple? You look great together, like a match made in heaven¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette paused when she heard that. She kicked an empty beer can under the table, nced up without a word, and then looked back down Jeremiah turned to look at Yvette. Seeing herck of response, he pretended not to hear too.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. The owner, realizing he might have said something wrong, chuckled nervously and quickly left with the menu


    After the owner left, Jeremiah thought for a moment before asking gently, ¡°Are you mad about what the owner said?¡±


    Yvette paused, putting her phone back in her pocket. She picked up the ss on the table and poured herself some water. After a brief moment of thought, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Jeremiah, her voice calm. ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand froze mid-air as he reached for his ss. After a long pause, he lifted his head and nodded seriously, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing that. Yvette didn¡¯t move. She stared at Jeremiah for a while, her gaze unwavering. Then, she leaned back in her chair, her tone indifferent. ¡°When did it start?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze darkened. It seemed as though there was a swirling vortex in his eyes, drawing people in and making them impossible to escape. ¡°Love at first sight.¡±


    Yvette was stunned. She looked at Jeremiah, finding it hard to believe those words came from him.


    Just then, the owner arrived with their skewers, interrupting the moment. The two ate their meal quietly, neither mentioning the previous conversation.


    It was the first time Jeremiah, who was nearly 30 years old, confessed to a woman. Despite his usual calm demeanor, he couldn¡¯t keep his cool now and was only pretending to beposed. Seeing that Yvette seemed unaffected, he felt a twinge of disappointment. Thus, Jeremiah¡¯s first confession ended in vain over a barbecue.


    When they returned to the hotel, they ran into Emmett, who had juste back from running errands. From a distance, Emmett could already smell the strong scent of barbecue on them.


    As he got closer, the smell intensified. ¡®Mr. Chavez had taken Ms. Zeller out for barbecue again, Emmett pondered, Normally, Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t eat such things, yet now he kept making exceptions.


    Emmett was dressed casually that day, a departure from his usual ck suit look, giving him a more youthful and energetic appearance, far from looking 30. This time, he greeted Yvette politely, ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller¡±


    Yvette nced at him and nodded in acknowledgment. She could tell the two had something to discuss and wasn¡¯t interested in listening. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first¡±


    Jeremiah handed her the takeout that he had brought back. Yvette took it. ¡°Okay. Tonight might get a little chaotic around. here. Stay in your room and rest. We¡¯re nning to fly back to Seacrity tomorrow afternoon. Want toe with us?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    Yvette casually nodded. One night was enough ¡°Sure.¡±


    I¡¯ll book your ticket then,¡± Jeremiah uttered.


    ¡°Okay, Yvette replied.

 Chapter 105

    After Yvette left, Jeremiah and Emmett entered the room. Emmett stood aside, bowing. ¡°Mr. Chavez, everything is ready. We¡¯ve figured out Caleb¡¯s schedule. We can take action tonight at midnight. Caleb stormed out of the auction yesterday because someone broke into his northern district mansion and stole something¡±


    ¡°He issued an order in the middle of the night-whoever finds the thief will be rewarded 660 thousand dors. For the locals, that¡¯s no small sum. Some people in Kransbay are itching to move. We haven¡¯t been able to figure out who did it, only that it was a man. Emmett added.


    Jeremiah nodded, took off his dark green watch, worth over a million dors, and casually ced it on the table. He stepped out to the balcony next to the bathroom,


    Leaning against the railing, he took out a cigarette and his phone from his pocket. He lit the cigarette, held it between his index and middle fingers, and smoked. With his left hand, he scrolled through his phone while saying ¡°Okay. Go get ready¡±


    It was deep into the night. The sky was covered with clouds; there were no stars or moon in sight. The surroundings were shrouded inplete darkness.


    In the northern mansion district, the night was hazy, buildings looming in the shadows. Only a few dim lights filtered through the windows, faintly reflecting the figures inside, making them blurry and indistinct.


    In the master bedroom, Caleby in the soft bed, sweating profusely, seemingly having had a nightmare. The next moment. he jolted awake. Under the dim nightlight, he nced at the woman still asleep beside him and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    Thankfully, it was just a dream, though it had felt too real. In the dream, he had been shot right between the eyes, dying a homble death.


    Caleb wanted to get up for a ss of water. Just as he put on his slippers, he heard a chewing sound. In the dead of night, it was especially eerie. His hair stood on end, his face darkening with fear. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out. Stop ying tricks!¡±


    ¡°Caleb, a voice called out.


    Caleb stiffly turned his head and saw someone sitting on the couch. He couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face, but he knew they were dressed in ck. Judging by the voice, it was a woman.


    Hearing a woman¡¯s voice, Caleb lowered his guard. He turned on therge bedsidemp, instantly brightening the entire room. Only then did he see the person on the couch clearly.


    His eyes filled with astonishment-she was stunning, seductive but not gaudy, even more beautiful than the woman he had captured and locked in the basement a few days ago.


    A woman this beautiful, appearing in his mansion in the middle of the night-it was suspicious, to say the least. Caleb didn¡¯t dare lower his guard entirely. ¡°Who are you? Why did you break into my mansion in the middle of the night? How did you get in?¡±


    Yvette, dressed in ck, satzily on the couch, her legs crossed, blending into the darkness. She exuded an air of mystery and danger. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she nced at Caleb. Her gaze was devoid of any emotion, only filled with coldness and defiance. ¡°Do you want to die by your own hand, or should I do it?¡±


    Calet stared at her as if he¡¯d heard a joke andughed out loud. Have you gone mad? You want to kill me? This entire mansion district is my territory. What can a woman like you possibly do to kill me? Believe it or not, at mymand, countless people will rush in and tear you apart. Hahaha!¡± Heughed as he spoke.


    ¡°Oh? Go ahead then. Remember to shout louder,¡± Yvette uttered.


    Caleb¡¯sughter abruptly stopped. He caught a glimpse of Yvettes calm, mocking expression and suddenly sensed


    .


    something was wrong. With how loud his voice had been, someone should¡¯vee by now. Why was it still so quiet?


    Caleb thought of something and nudged the sleeping woman beside him. Once, no reaction. Twire, still nothing. She was breathing, which meant she wasn¡¯t dead-just unconscious. Did that mean everyone in the vi had been drugged and rendered unconscious, just like her?


    His thoughts immediately went to the woman who had been rescued. Back then, anyone who got within ten feet of her would mysteriously faint and only wake up seven or eight hourster. Calebs was now certain that the woman before him. and the one from before were working together. His eyes shed with calction, and his attitude changed dramatically. bing somewhat ingratiating.


    The


    ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t know who you are, but if you¡¯re here to avenge the woman I captured, I can give you money. No-gold bars.


    a safe in this mansion with gold bars in it. I¡¯ll give them all to you. I didn¡¯t even touch her, so there¡¯s no deep grudge between us, right? You can take the gold bars and leave. Let¡¯s pretend this never happened,¡± Caleb suggested.


    While he spoke, his right hand hidden behind him, reached for the second drawer of the nightstand, where he had stashed a gun. His words were a distraction to lower Yvette¡¯s guard. Just as he was about to grab the gun, Yvette sent three silver needles directly into three acupuncture points on his body.


    Caleb felt a surge of numbness and pain. He gritted his teeth and managed to grab the gun, ignoring the growing difort in his body. Once he had the gun in his hand, his face twisted with rage, his eyes filled with malice. He stared at Yvette intently with a lecherous gaze.


    ¡°Ha, stupid woman. Today¡¯s yourst day. But if you¡¯re smart enough to please me for a few days, maybe I¡¯ll have mercy and let you go. As Caleb gloated, he imagined how he would sell this rare beauty off to Afria after he had his fun, fetching a hefty price. The more he thought about it, the louder heughed.


    Yvette rubbed her ear and stood up from the couch, hands in her pockets, looking at Caleb as if he were already dead. ¡°Have youughed enough? If so, die.¡±


    Caleb exploded with rage when he heard her words. If she didn¡¯t know what was best for her, he¡¯d send her to hell. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he realized his hand wouldn¡¯t move. The gun dropped to the floor.


    Suddenly, his entire body felt cold and racked with unbearable pain, as though invisible beasts were tearing him apart. His body began to tremble uncontrobly, his limbs spasming, and agonizing groans escaped his lips. Caleb, feeling his heavy body grow light, rolled on the floor in agony, his legs kicking and twitching against the expensive flooring.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    He desperately ripped at his shirt with his spasming hands, his bloodied fingers trembling. His body alternated between arching and copsing, his eyes wide open, rolling wildly in their sockets, his mouth letting out horrifying screams.


    Opposite him, Yvette stood calmly, hands at her sides, her expression indifferent, her eyes devoid of emotion.


    With hisst ounce of strength, Caleb crawled toward Yvette. ¡°Help me¡­ I¡¯ll give you¡­ money¡­ anything. As soon HL finished his sentence, his body slumped to the ground, lifeless. His eyes remained wide open in death.


    he


    Until his death, Caleb never knew what poison had killed him. And so, a notorious drug kingpin of Golden Triangle had silently died in his lover¡¯s mansion.


    Yvette stepped over him without a second nce and jumped down from the second floor. Afternding, she checked her watch. The timing was perfect-the person should be arriving soon.


    She thought of Jeremiah¡¯s words earlier that day, feeling a mix of emotions-irritated, mostly. Love? What was the point of talking about that? Wouldn¡¯t talking about food be better?

 Chapter 106

    ¡°Mr. Chavez, something¡¯s off.¡± Emmett said. Everyone exchanged nces. It was indeed very strin


    When Jeremiah arrived with Emmett and his men, the mansion was brightly lit, but the girlon could be heard. This was highly unusual. Emmett was unsure what to do. He asked. ¡°Mr Chungsters We


    Jeremiah pursed his lips, raised his hand to signal silence, and after a long pane, litted sail finessere slightly, his face cold, and his voice sounded especially chilling in the night ¡°Let¡¯s go m. Somieder v|||0 us¡± Jeremiah said, stepping calmly into the mansion.


    Hearing that. Emmett got the hint and signaled to a few subordinates to follow closely behind as they allere mansion. The mansion¡¯s front door was open. The group entered as if they owned the ce. In reality, ever be mansion had been knocked out by Drunken Beauty and wouldn¡¯t wake up for hours.


    The moment Jeremiah and his men entered, they saw a man in a ck suit slumped over a table in the front ganjar Emmett signaled for his subordinate to check it out. A man with thick eyebrows andrge eyes, wearing a cuda bulletproof vest, nodded and stepped forward.


    He pulled out his gun and slowly approached the man lying face down. Using his gun, he prodded the moss head Chesh was no response. He then checked his breathing-it was there bar faint.


    Turning back, he nodded at Jeremiah, his voice serious. ¡°Mr. Chavez, this man is still alive, but it seems he¡¯s been druge He won¡¯t wake up for several hours.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, his gaze deep and calm,pletely unshaken. Okay.¡±


    They approached the mansion¡¯s entrance. Emmett stepped forward and pushed the door open. It creaked as it swung inward. Jeremiah walked in,


    Emmett and the others followed, guns drawn, prepared for any unexpected situation. They didn¡¯t know who had broken into the mansion or whether this person was a friend or a foe, so none of them dared to let their guard down. The mannos interior was just as usual, with no signs of a fight.


    Looking around, they saw people lying everywhere-on the couch, the carpet, the stairs, and even the kitchen floor. Their faces were peaceful, uninjured, as if they were merely asleep. It was eerie. Far too eerie.


    Emmett nudged the person lying on the couch, checked their bathing, and confirmed that they were just unconscious. Emmett and his men scouted the area and returned to Jeremiah with a grave expression. ¡°Mr. Chavez, everyone here has been drugged, just like the ones outside. Whoever did this is very skilled-we can¡¯t find any clues.¡±


    Emmett was worried. They had been monitoring Caleb¡¯s mansion all along. In the few hours they had pulled back to regroup, everyone inside had been knocked out. To incapacitate so many people in such a short time was no small feat


    He had inspected the scene thoroughly but couldn¡¯t find any trace of where the drug had been administered The most likely way to knock out so many people at once would be through the food, but he just checked and found that no one had cooked in Caleb¡¯s mansion.


    A woman in the kitchen was still holding washed vegetables, clearly knocked out before she could even begin cooking. This meant the drug wasn¡¯t in the food. It had likely spread through the air. However, to his knowledge, no drug in the world had such potency. The most dangerous enemies were the ones lurking in the shadows.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained calm as he listened to Emmett¡¯s report, his gaze unreadable. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs. It¡¯s likely that someone has already dealt with Caleb for us.¡±


    Emmett exchanged shocked nces with the others. They were wondering if Jeremiah meant Caleb was already dead.


    O


    @ T


    Jeremiah was the first to head upstairs. When he passed by a man with rugged features lying on the ground, he didn¡¯t hesitate to kick him down the steps and continued walking as if nothing had happened.


    Emmett nced at the man who had been kicked and immediately recognized him. He had just read the man¡¯s profile a couple of days ago-Caleb¡¯s top henchman, responsible for handling drug deals and stained with countless innocent lives.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    When Jeremiah reached a bedroom on the second floor, he smelled a strong scent of blood, pungent and sharp. He turned slightly, his expression grim, hiding the cold glint in his eyes. ¡°Except for Emmett, the rest of you-find the people we identified in the reports and kill them.¡± The word ¡°kill¡± was spoken with ruthless finality, sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard it.


    Everyone responded in umison and went downstairs to begin purging Caleb¡¯s most loyal and corrupt followers-those who had aided him in trafficking drugs, enving people, andmitting countless atrocities. Their deaths would rid the world of another evil


    With Caleb and Bradley gone, the Kerton family¡¯s power was essentially dismantled. Caleb still had several illegitimate sons. In no time, they¡¯ll be busy fighting each other.


    Emmett pushed the bedroom door open. What greeted them was the sight of Caleb¡¯s corpse lying on the floor. He was very much dead-his gaunt bodyy stiff, his face ghostly pale and sinken, his fingers bloodied from scratching at something-


    His eyes were wide open in terror. The floor around him was streaked with blood from where he had wed at it in agony. His death had clearly been excruciating.


    wasnta


    Jeremiah walked over and crouched beside Caleb¡¯s body, staring into his eyes and scanning his entire body. There w single visible wound, yet there was so much blood.


    Jeremiah squinted, and a thought crossed his mind. He inspected Caleb¡¯s wrist and chest closely and, as expected, found tiny needle marks-so small they were nearly invisible. He was killed by silver needles


    The person who killed Caleb wasn¡¯t just an expert in poisons but also a skilled ancientbat artist. To embed a needle so deeply into the body required a high level of mastery.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze darkened as he stood up and surveyed the room his eyesnding on a window to the south. He fell silent, lost in thought, before saying calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Emmen nodded stiffly. He had expected a b**dy battle that night, but nothing happened. They had reaped the benefits of someone else¡¯s work,pleting their mission with ease. It was the first time someone else had dealt with their enemy for them. It felt strange, but overall the oue was good.


    Jeremiah and his men returned to the hotel at 3 a.m. Emmett had originally booked a flight for 2 pm, but due to thest- minute addition of Yvette, he changed it to 3:30 p.m.


    It was toote in the night, so Jeremiah didn¡¯t wake Yvette up. He just stood quietly outside her door for a few minutes before returning to his own room.


    Inside, Yvette hadn¡¯t slept all night. She stared nkly out the window until the sun rose, pulling her from her thoughts. It was the same bl**dy, violent dream. It was another sleepless night.

 Chapter 107

    The next day. Jeremiah brought breakfast and knocked on Yvette¡¯s door again. This time, he waited for a long time, but no one answered. Just as he was about to take out his phone, he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± Yvette asked.


    Jeremiah paused with his phone in hand, then put it back in his pocket. Turning around, he saw Yvette, dressed in a white tracksuit. Her bangs were slightly damp, and her hair was tied in a ponytail that swayed as she walked, giving her a youthful energy.


    Jeremiah was momentarily stunned. It was the first time he had seen Yvette like that. He quickly concealed his surprise, pressing his lips together, lifted the bag in his hand, and nodded, ¡°Yes, I brought you breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Come in. Yvette piped up.


    Jeremiah followed Yvette into the room. Once the door was closed, Jeremiah reached out and grabbed Yvette¡¯s wrist. Yvette instinctively countered, gripping his hand in return. The two stood there, each holding onto the other, neither making a


    Jeremiah looked down, while Yvette looked up, their eyes meeting with sparks of tension between them. Jeremiah released her hand, his voice carrying a hint of concern. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    Yvette also let go of his hand, raised an eyebrow, and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t get much sleep.


    Jeremiah pursed his lips and dropped the topic. He turned and began setting the breakfast on the table. The flight this afternoon is a little after 3 p.m. Do you need to pack anything?


    Yvette shook her head, taking a bite of the food, and mumbled. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve only got one bag. I¡¯m ready to go at anytime.


    Jeremiah nced at the worn-out ck backpack sitting in theer of the couch, remaining silent for a moment. ¡°Okay then. We¡¯ll head out directly.¡±


    Yvette picked up the newspaper, which the hotel had delivered this morning-a rushed edition. The headline read: [Gang Leader Caleb Kerton and His Son Bradley Found Dead in Their Mansion. Both Died a Gruesome Death.]All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    That morning, a major event shocked Kransbay. The head of thergest local gang, Caleb, and his son, Bradley, were found dead at home. Most of their confidants had been killed too. Caleb¡¯s death caused a massive stir, especially since his only son. Bradley, was also murdered


    With both father and son dead, their subordinates were in turmoil. Caleb¡¯s vast empire had no immediate heir, and everyone wanted a share of it. Even smaller families outside the organization were eager to make a move¡­


    Just as some small families were trying to band together to stir trouble, Caleb¡¯s illegitimate children learned of the news and began appearing, demanding paternity tests. Once their identities were confirmed, all of them would have inheritance rights.


    Even the government officials of Kransbay who had dealings with Caleb were on edge, fearing they would get into trouble.


    At 3 pm, Jeremiah, Yvette, and the others boarded the ne as scheduled. Yvette napped during the flight. Sitting beside her, Jeremiah noticed her asleep and quietly draped his jacket over her.


    Yvette, half-awake, nced at him, paused for a moment, and murmured. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jeremiah smiled gently, his voice soft and filled with affection. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Sleep. I¡¯ll wake you when wend.¡± When he looked back, Yvette had fallen asleep again, her warm breath gently brushing against his arm, giving him a tingling sensation. Jeremiah leaned closer, gazing at her, his eyes full of emotions. Then, he resumed reading Its book


    @T


    Behind them, Emmett witnessed the whole scene and let out a sigh. It seemed that Jeremiah had truly fallen for Yvette. Since he¡¯d chosen Yvette, she was destined to be the futuredy of the Chavez family. Emmett couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Yvette would be able to handle such a responsibility.


    He could already imagine the storm Yvette would face in the future in Betrico. After all, how could the daughter of a small family from a second-tier city be worthy of themander¡¯s grandson, the Chavez family¡¯s sole heir?


    The road ahead would be challenging. But if Jeremiah insisted, with the oldmander¡¯s affection for him, no one would be able to stop him. Everything was still unknown.


    After a four-hour flight, theynded in Seacrity. A car had been arranged to pick them up at the airport. ¡°Let¡¯s take you back to university first,¡± Jeremiah suggested. Since getting off the ne, he had been carrying Yvette¡¯s ck backpack.


    Yvette epted his help without saying anything. She nodded, her expression calm as she cleared her throat. ¡°Okay, thank


    you


    When they arrived at the entrance of Argrol University, Yvette got out of the car first and waved. Jeremiah stayed in the car, nodding through the car window. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yvette replied, still as terse as ever. She slung her backpack over her shoulder. Aside from her captivating beauty, she looked just like any ordinary university student.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yvette¡¯s figure disappearedpletely that Jeremiah instructed Emmett to drive away. Barely ten minutes after Yvette walked into the campus, the campus forum erupted in activity once more.


    Some people posted photos they had secretly taken of Yvette walking, and thements section quickly filled with praise. There were only a few dissenting voices.


    [Has our campus belle returned? Wow! She¡¯s still as stunning as ever.]


    [After winning the pianopetition, she just disappeared. She keeps too low a profile. We finally get to see her again.]


    [With Yvette¡¯s return, I have a strong feeling that our campus is going to be lively again.]


    [Thementer above, stop pretending. You said that because you know Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony is in two days. right?]


    [Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Sunday is Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony and Yvette¡¯s wee home party. Too bad we can¡¯t attend and see it in person. It¡¯s such a shame.]


    [I saw it in the entertainment news too. No idea why the Chambers family put both events on the same day. It¡¯s like a recipe for disaster! Feels like there¡¯s going to be some drama between the sisters.).


    [Honestly, I think so too.]


    [I¡¯m sad. I wanna watch.]


    [] think


    you guys ju


    [Shameless!]


    ys just love drama. But you know what? Same here! Haha.]


    Yvette pushed open the door to her dorm room. The room was silent, and Bonnie wasn¡¯t around. After setting down her backpack, Yvette went to take a shower. When she came out, Bonnie happened to walk in from outside,


    The moment Bonnie saw Yvette, she let out a squeal and pounced on her, wrapping her in her arms. ¡°Yve, you¡¯re finally back! I¡¯ve missed you so,


    maveribay. I¡¯ve lost three pounds!¡±


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    ?


    Yvette pulled Bonnie off of her and hung up her towel. She then turned to take a good look at Bonnie. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve lost weight. Should I get revenge for you and beat up Andrew?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s serious tone left Bonnie dumbfounded. She wondered Yvette was really thinking about hitting Andrew. Bonnie flinched and saw the teasing glint in Yvette¡¯s eyes. She finally realized it was a joke. She was almost scared to death.


    Just kidding. You seem to care about Andrew a lot, Yvettemented.


    Hearing that, Bonnie flustered and shook her head vi

 Chapter 108

    Bonnie took out a gold-trimmed envelope from the second drawer. The envelope¡¯s surface featured a delicate ink painting of mountains and rivers, clearly crafted with care.


    Handing the envelope to Yvette, Bonnie said. ¡°Vve. Winona sent this here. She personally came to our dorm to deliver it the day after you left. It seems to be an invitation to her apprenticeship ceremony on Sunday. She also mentioned that your father would publicly announce your identity at the event¡±


    Bonnie paused, then said angrily, ¡°Yve, you have no idea how annoying Winona is. She said the apprenticeship ceremony is really important and hoped you¡¯d be there on time. Her apprenticeship ceremony and your wee home party are happening at the same time, but she¡¯s acting like it¡¯s all about her.¡±


    Yvette nodded indifferently, casually putting on a tracksuit. Without a second nce, she tossed the envelope onto the table. She pinched Bonnie¡¯s cheek yfully, her tonezy. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not worth getting mad over something so insignificant. I¡¯ll treal you to a milkshake¡±


    Bonne nced at Yvette, whose face remained expressionless. It seemed she had been worried for nothing. Yvette didn¡¯t care at all. Thinking back to how arrogant Winona had been when she delivered the invitation, Bonnie couldn¡¯t help but grumble.


    They first went to Argrol University students¡¯ favorite milkshake shop, only to find it closed. A note on the door exined that the owner was getting married and the shop would be closed for three days.


    Left with no choice, they went to a slightly farther dessert shop, famous for its cream cakes and a favorite hangout for couples from Argrol University


    After ordering their milkshakes, Yvette told Bonnie to go inside while she waited outside. Standing near the entrance with one hand in her pocket. Yvette pulled out her phone with the other hand, scrolling through the news. She came across an entertainment article about Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony.


    The entire article was filled with over-the-toppliments-calling Winona a genius, ady of grace, a role model, and perfect in every way. Just as Yvette was about to scroll past it, something caught her eye.


    It was said that Matthew from the Carter family would make a major announcement at the event, urging readers to stay tuned. It was a typical media tactic to add a sense of mystery.


    ¡°Miss, your milkshake¡¯s ready.¡± The guy at the milkshake shop had been distracted while making milkshakes, sneakily ncing at Yvette the whole time.


    As he handed over the milkshake, he saw Yvette¡¯s slender, fair hand. The guy¡¯s face turned red. Seeing Yvette was about to head inside, he mustered the courage and called out to her, ¡°Wait. I added extra caramel for you. Hope you like it.¡±


    Yvette stopped, turned around, and, with her usual cool expression, politely thanked him, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The guy hadn¡¯t expected a response from such a seemingly aloof girl. His face turned even redder, and he shouted after her. ¡°Goddess. I¡¯m Flynn Reynolds from theputer science department, and I¡¯ll always support your


    His shout drew passersby¡¯s attention, but the guy was so happy that he didn¡¯t mind the stares. Yvette simply turned her back to the crowd.


    Inside the dessert shop, Bonnie sat in a corner by the window-the same spot where Yvette and Yulia had satst time. It had the best view of the entire shop, but Bonnie was visibly ufortable.


    Yvette, holding two milkshakes, walked over, and halfway there, the understood the reason for Bonnie¡¯s unease. Not far from her sat Tobias, engaged in conversation with a stylish young woman. Tobias¡¯ seat faced directly toward Bonnie.


    Bonnie was clearly ufortable, trapped in an awkward situation. A simple hello would have sufficed, but who would have


    thought Tobias was on a blind date?


    In the five minutes she¡¯d been sitting there, Bonnie felt like she had been there for an eternity. Worse still, she overheard the woman across from Tobias belittling his profession and sry, making her furious.


    As Yvette passed by Tobias, she stopped and greeted him, ¡°Hello, Mr. Sundend.¡±


    Tobias hadn¡¯t wanted to be there in the first ce. The blind date was arranged by Simon. He had been nagging Tobias endlessly about the importance of marriage and children. Simon had been the principal of Argrol University for years, yet


    he was still a conservative man.


    Tobias felt he could manage just fine by himself. He only had to worry about himself and no one else. He didn¡¯t want to get married, but Simon wouldn¡¯t stop nagging him every day. To stop the constant badgering. Tobias had reluctantly agreed fo the blind date.


    Yet from the moment he sat down, the woman had been criticizing him non-stop, even suggesting that if they got together, he should quit his job. He had been trying to leave for a while, but the woman insisted they continue talking.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He couldn¡¯t refuse, so he had no choice but to bear it with a forced smile. Yvette¡¯s appearance saved him from the awkward situation. He immediately stood up. ¡°Yvette, is your business all settled? Did you just get back? Are you here specifically to


    Tobias saw Yvette as his savior and looked at her with hope. His rapid string of questions momentarily caught Yvette off guard, but when she looked at Tobias and his date, she realized what was going on.


    ying along, she responded politely, ¡°Yes. If you¡¯re avable, I have some questions I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    Tobias eagerly nodded, ¡°Of course! Let¡¯s discuss it right away.¡±


    Relieved to have an excuse to leave, Tobias turned to Sophia Morris, the woman across from him, and said with a gentlemanly smile, ¡°Ms. Morris, I¡¯m sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to. The coffee is on me, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯re a good match. It seems you don¡¯t find me suitable either. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    Sophia was from a wealthy family in Seacrity and hadn¡¯t been interested in the blind date at first. However, after meeting Tobias in person, she was drawn to his looks. Her family had enough money that she didn¡¯t care about his ie. She wanted Tobias to marry into her family. That was why she had said so many things to belittle him.


    She hadpletely forgotten her father¡¯s advice before she left to be polite and not offend Tobias by acting spoiled. When Yvette showed up. Sophia initially assumed she was Tobias¡¯ ex-girlfriend. Upon learning Yvette was a student, Sophia felt relieved but still ufortable.


    She could tell that Yvette was a natural beauty. She knew it because she had had several cosmetic surgeries. Jealousy crept in. and she didn¡¯t hide it


    When Tobias publicly rejected her and prepared to leave with Yvette, Sophia mmed her ss on the table, making a loud noise.


    ring at Yvette, she sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm, Tobias, you should be grateful thar someone like me took a liking to you. However, you¡¯re blind and don¡¯t know what¡¯s best for you. Well, if that¡¯s the case, forget it. Even after saying that, she was dissatisfied and attempted to ssh water at Tobias.

 Chapter 109

    However, the next moment, the cup was already in Yvette¡¯s hand. Tobias only saw a blur as Yvette moved to the other side. When he looked again, the cup was in her hand. Yvette kept a straight face, raising an eyebrow as she gazed at Sophia,


    Sophia panicked. Yvette¡¯s terrifying stare made her feel as if she were a mere bug. She struggled to pull the cup back, but no matter how much strength she used, the hand on it remained inmovable. Realizing the situation was bad, Sophia grabbed her bag, muttering curses as she stormed out without daring to look back.


    Tobias stood there, dumbfounded. Yvette had managed to get rid of Sophia without saying a word, while all his attempts had failed. Once Sophia left. Tobias sighed in reliet. Finally, it was over. Turning to Yvette, he expressed his gratitude. ¡°Imi d you showed up. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known how to get out of that situation.¡±


    Tobias had always got along well with his students. Given his rtively young age, he rarely acted like a strict teacher unless a student seriously misbehaved. Particrly with Yvette, whom he already regarded as more of a friend than an average university student.


    Yvene handed the milkshake to Bonnie and nced at the relieved Tobias. In a calm voice, she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t like something then don¡¯t do it. Why make things so hard for yourself?¡±


    Tobias froze, silent for a moment, before smiling bitterly as he looked at Yvette, who had already settled herself on the couch. His tone was tinged with mncholy. ¡°Easier said than done. Many things in life are out of our control.¡± It was unclear if he was talking about being forced into a blind date or something else entirely, but he appeared somewhat sorrowful


    Standing nearby, Bonnie had no idea what they were talking about. It was just a blind date-why were they making it so philosophical? She gave up trying to understand and focused on sipping her milkshake.


    Yvette took a sip of her milkshake, savoring the sweetness. She wasn¡¯t one to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs, but she just felt like saying something that day.


    Tobias didn¡¯t say anything else. He just sat down and drunk his coffee. The three of them sat in silence, each drinking their respective beverages. In the middle of it. Tobias received a phone call. hastily saying goodbye to the two before leaving.


    After finishing their drinks, Yvette and Bonnie headed toward the campus entrance, only to spot a ck MPV parked there. A man stepped out and walked straight toward Yvette. Upon reaching her, he bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, would you pleasee with me? Mr. Chambers is waiting for you.¡± The man was Lucas, dressed in a suit. As he looked at Yvette, his heart filled with admiration. He was the one who brought her back. Back then, he already had a feeling that Yvette was no ordinary person.


    As it turned out, in just a month¡¯s time, Yvette had achieved numerous things. First, she won the Frixyiapetition. Then, overnight, the Sullivan family went bankrupt and got kicked out of Seacrity. Shortly after, she somehow forced Reba to take action, leading to Victor apologizing to an ordinary person


    Yvette had even gotten into a conflict with Daniel¡¯s son, which resulted in the intervention of Simon, Wyatt, and Jeremiah. Daniel was eventually taken down. Just recently, she won a pianopetition. Although Lucas wasn¡¯t there to witness it, heter heard from Zachary that Yvette knew the world-renowned pianist Bryan. Bryan had even video-called her to show his


    support


    With each event piling up, it became evident that Yvette was far from the country girl they had assumed her to be. On the contrary¡­ Lucas stared nkly at Yvette¡¯s delicate face, lost in thought. It wasn¡¯t until she spoke that he snapped back to reality. Yvette¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lucas knew that getting Yvette to agree wasn¡¯t going to be easy, and he braced himself. If necessary, he was prepared to shamelessly beg her to get inside the car. However, before he could fully prepare himself, Yvette spoke again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lucas¡¯ heart leaped like he had just been on a roller coaster. He was ecstatic, though he couldn¡¯t figure out why Yvette had agreed so quickly this time. Nevertheless, he was relieved that he didn¡¯t have to resort to his shameless n. Otherwise, with


    @


    so many people watching, he would¡¯ve felt extremely embarrassed.


    Next, Yvette turned toward Bonnie and said. ¡°You head back first Bonnie nodded, taking their shopping bags and walking away. Yvette got into the car. After closing the door, Lucas climbed into the front passenger seat. He was so focused on Yvette that he didn¡¯t notice Winona and a group of girls watching them from the university entrance.


    ¡°Winona, didn¡¯t that man look like your family¡¯s butler? Wan¡¯t be the one who brought your art supplies the other day?¡± one of the girls asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I remember now. I think it was him,¡± another chimed in.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t here for you? Why did he leave without seeing your one asked,


    They had only caught a glimpse of Lucas closing the car door al hadn¡¯t seen much of what had happened earlier. All they saw was a silhouette. Everyone was perplexed and wondered why Lucas had shown up if he wasn¡¯t there for Winona.


    Only Winona knew who Lucas opened the door for. She recognized Yvette immediately. She was sure she wasn¡¯t mistaken. She clenched her fist so tightly that her nails dug into her palm, but she maintained a calm demeanor. ¡°He was here to bring me something. I asked him to check on Yvie, to see if she needed any help,¡± she exined with a smile.


    When the girls heard Winona say that, they couldn¡¯t stop showering her withpliments.


    ¡°Winona, you¡¯re so kind. Don¡¯t listen to those people on the forum. They¡¯re framing you because they¡¯re captivated by Yvette, one said.


    ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t let it get to you. No matter how impressive Yvette is, people will eventuallye back to support you,¡± the other uttered.


    Winona remained silent. Finding an excuse to leave the group, the snuck off to a quiet corner of the sports field, biting her lip as she dialed Nellie¡¯s number.


    Meanwhile, Nellie was ying cards with a man named ke. ke was a local gangster in Seacrity. Nellie had been having an affair with him for quite some time. It wasn¡¯t really an affair, but rather a case of using each other for mutual benefit


    Over the years, Nellie had paid ke to help her with various shady dealings. Nellie admired ke for his skills in bed, and they had maintained this discreet rtionship for over ten years. Nellie didn¡¯t really feel anything for ke, but ke had developed some genuine feelings for her, so he never hesitated to do whatever she asked-including investigating Yvette.


    Unfortunately, ke¡¯s information was inurate. There was a big difference between the Yvette in the information and the Yvette in real life. Ever since. Nellie had been seeing ke often, and their ¡°nning had always concluded with them in bedOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.


    Nellie slipped into a s**y nightgown, got out of bed, grabbed her phone from her bag, and answered the call. On the bed. ke reached out for her, but she signaled him to wait a moment. ¡°Hello? Winona, why are you calling me at this hour?¡± Even though Nellie tried her best to hide her ho**e voice, Winona still picked up on the odd tone

 Chapter 110

    ¡°Mom, I just saw Lucase to pick up Yvette. I think she¡¯s going to meet Dad. Do you know what it¡¯s about?¡± Winona asked. Actually, the fact that Lucas came to pick up Yvette wasn¡¯t a big deal, hut Winona somehow felt uneasy


    When Nellie heard Winona mention that Lucas had gone to pick up Yvette, her expression changed. Since the pianopetition a few days ago, she had heard from Zeke that Yvette had, for some unknown reason, taken a leave of absence and hadn¡¯t returned to university.


    Zachary had been busy with a foreign bidding project at thepany for the past few days and hadn¡¯t been home, so Nellie didn¡¯t know why Lucas went to pick up Yvette either.


    ¡°Winona, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. I¡¯ll find out what your father wants with Yvette. Your main focus right now should be the apprenticeship ceremony in two days. Don¡¯t let anything distract you. I¡¯ll handle this. Yvette won¡¯t get in your way. I¡¯ve alreadye up with a n to deal with her. Don¡¯t worry. By Sunday, she¡¯ll be aughingstock among the wealthy families in Seacrity, Nellie confidently assured Winona over the phone.


    Hearing that, Winona felt much more at ease. Recently, Nellie had been treating Winona like a precious jewel, pampering her more than she ever did with Zeke. Winona had been living morefortably in the past few days than she had in the past two decades.


    After hanging up. Winona stared at her phone, standing in a corner with a satisfied smile on her face. It was her mother who was plotting against Yvette, so it had nothing to do with her.


    At the hotel, after ending the call, Nellie stood still, lost in thought, her expression vicious and malevolent. ke had gro


    grown impatient and grabbed her from behind, pulling her into the bed. Nellie went along with his actions, and the two enjoyed another passionate round.


    When things finally settled, ke reached for a cigarette at the bedside and started smoking. Seeing that, Nellie slipped out of his embrace, took the cigarette, and took a few puffs. ncing at ke, who was still panting, she thought, ¡°He¡¯s definitely getting old and less capablepared to the young guy I fooled around with recently.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that ke still had some influence and could get things done for her, she would have dumped him long ago. Nellie thought this in her mind but didn¡¯t let any of it show on her face. She handed the cigarette back to ke, who continued smoking withoutint.


    ¡°The task I gave you-is it done? This time, don¡¯t mess up again. Make sure your men stay alert, or you know how I can be.¡± Nellie said.


    ke knew he had indeed messed up the previous task of investigating Yvette, but it wasn¡¯t really his fault. Yvette was just too mysterious. He had already dug up everything that could be found, but Nellie insisted it wasn¡¯t right. There was nothing he could do but keep digging.


    Blowing out a puff of smoke, ke nced at Nellie, recalling the n she had mentioned for Sunday. Indeed, the most vicious thing in the world was a woman¡¯s heart; he couldn¡¯tpare. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will go wrong this time. They arrive tomorrow. I¡¯ll get them settled and wait for your call on Sunday. Then, I¡¯ll send them over.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s expression softened considerably as she heard that. She gently replied, ¡°Good. Be ready. On Sunday, I want Yvette to be utterly ruined.¡±


    ke smiled without saying a word. If Nellie wanted someone gone, he¡¯d provide the knife because he couldn¡¯t live without her. The two cuddled for a while longer before Nellie got dressed and left for Chambers Group


    At Chambers Group, Lacas led Yvette to the private elevator that went straight to the top floor, exclusively for Zachary, Seeing that, the receptionists and some employees were buzzing with excitement. It was the first time they had seen a woman other than Nellie use the private elevator. Everyone was eager to know who Yvette was.


    One particr gossipy employee spected that Yvette might be the daughter Zachary had recently found. She shared this guess with everyone. Everyone was shocked because it was said that the Chambers family didn¡¯t like Yvette.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ???


    T


    .


    * 49%2


    As expected, rumors were just rumors and couldn¡¯t be trusted at all. In all those years, the employees at Chambers Group had only seen Nellie a few times. They had never seen any other Chambers family members, only Zachary¡¯s children, in the


    entertainment news


    They only knew about the uing banquet where Winona would formally be the apprentice of the president of the Art Association. Yet, this recently found daughter was able to enter Chambers Group first, personally escorted by the chairman¡¯s butler.


    The ordinary employees didn¡¯t think too much of it, considering it normal. But the senior employees who had been with Zachary for many years saw this as a significant sign.


    Inside the chairman¡¯s office, Zachary frowned deeply, his refined face showing signs of exhaustion. He had been staring at the document in his hand for two hours. Finally, he sighed and signed his name at the bottom of the page. From that moment, the document became legally binding.


    Knock Knock!


    ¡°Mr. Chambers, I¡¯ve brought Ms. Zeller over, Lucas uttered.


    Zachary stood up excitedly. He thought Lucas might have to put in some effort to bring Yvette over, but she had arrived much sooner than expected. Nervously, Zachary straightened his suit, making sure everything was in order before saying. ¡°Come in.¡± Though Zachary tried to keep his voice calm, Yvette could still hear the excitement in it from outside the door.


    Lucas opened the door and bowed slightly, gesturing for Yvette to enter first. With her hands in the pocket, Yvette walked into the office leisurely with her lung legs.


    From Zachary¡¯s perspective, he could see her beautiful profile. Her eyshes were long and beautifully curled. Zachary couldn¡¯t help but be struck by how much she resembled Lilian. He greeted Yvette warmly, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re here.¡±


    still


    Yvette nodded, then casually found a seat on the couch and crossed her legs. She nced at Zachary, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his suit, smiling at her. Her tone was indifferent. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She was still as aloof as


    ever.


    Zachary thought for a moment, then walked over with the document he had just signed in his hand. Lucas, ever observant, poured coffee for the two and stepped aside, bowing his head.


    Zachary sat down on the couch opposite Yvette and handed her the document. His eyes were fixed on her as he said sincerely. ¡°Take a look at this document. If there are no issues, I have thewyer process it.¡±


    Yvette picked the document up and nced at it. It was a will. She was slightly taken aback but didn¡¯t even bother to read its contents before tossing it back onto the table.


    ¡°This is my will. Why is she treating it like trash?¡¯ Zachary mused. He was about to lose his mind. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he asked. Zachary hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to be so disinterested in his will. While he knew she wasn¡¯t living as badly as he had once imagined, Chambers Group wasn¡¯t a small asset. Isn¡¯t she tempted at all? he wondered.


    Yvette took out a piece of vani toffee and popped it into her mouth right in front of Zachary, savoring it. The next moment, she inquired, ¡°Are you dying? Why make a will now?¡±

 Chapter 111

    Zachary was so upset by Yvette¡¯s words that his chest hurt. ¡°This daughter of mine is infuriating he thought.


    Meanwhile, Lucas wished he could shrink into a tiny gnome, thinking Ms. Zeller is so brave. Can¡¯t she see that Mr. Chambers head is practically steaming with anger?


    Lucas also wondered why Zachary would suddenly make a will, not to mention calling Yvette over there alone without Nellie, Winona, or Zeke. The whole thing was strange on its own. Still, Lucas lowered his head further, knowing that sometimes ignorance is bliss.


    Zachary took a sip of his coffee to calm himself. His expression seemed gloomy as he sighed softly.


    ¡°Yvette, I know you¡¯re still mad at me for kicking you out and forcing you to live in the dorms. Let¡¯s move on from that. I had my reasons. I won¡¯t make you if you don¡¯t want to return to the family. This will is a token of my affection to you. Could you please do me a favor and look at it?¡± said Zachary


    Zachary had lowered his pride and practically begged. Even Lucas felt bad for Zachary as he thought about how deep thetter¡¯s feelings were toward Yvette.


    However, Yvette looked up with her brows slightly furrowed. Her gaze was cold as she seemed unmoved.


    Zachary hung his head in defeat. Is it still not enough? Yvette doesn¡¯t even care about the inheritance. Just how much does she detest me?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Give me,¡± Yvette said.


    Instantly, Zachary lifted his head. His eyes were filled with immense joy as he replied shakily, ¡°H-Here. Take your time, Yvette. There¡¯s no rush. No rush¡­¡±


    Zachary carefully ced the documents in Yvette¡¯s hands and refilled her coffee cup attentively when she read the document.


    Even Lucas couldn¡¯t stand watching Zachary¡¯s behavior. Lucas thought, ¡®Is this the same man who ruled the business world? He¡¯spletely devoted to his daughter¡¯All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Yvette skimmed through the document, which was about 20 pages. Spending less than 30 seconds on each page, it only took her five to six minutes to finish them. When Yvette finished reading the will and put it down, the coffee Zachary poured was still warm.


    Then, Zachary said, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯ve finished already? Do you want to look again? There are many additional uses. You-¡±


    Yvette interrupted, ¡°No need. I¡¯m done.¡±


    Zachary was astonished, but he didn¡¯t doubt Yvette¡¯s words. He was merely surprised how she read everything in underten minutes. How can anyone read that fast? He couldn¡¯t grasp what kind of extraordinary daughter he and Lilion had giv


    birth to.


    Yet, seeing Yvette¡¯s expressionless face after reading the document, Zachary couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uneasy.


    What does this mean? Is she dissatisfied? I already left 60% of my shares, plus the mansion, my antique collection, and a trust fund to her, thought Zachary


    Zachary racked his brains, wondering what else he had. However, no matter how much he tried, those were all his assets. Thus, he said. These are all I have. There¡¯s really nothing else. They¡¯re all yours when I¡¯m gone one day.¡±


    Lucas stood by in astonishment. He never imagined the content of the will would be so shocking. The will had basically made Yvette the future heir of the Chambers family.

 Chapter 112

    Nellie didn¡¯t dare to show any attitude toward Zachary, so she smiled and said, ¡°Darling, I was just in a hurry. Please forgive me this time. I¡¯ll let you know before Ie next time.¡±


    Nellie smiled brightly. However, despite her charm, there was no hiding the fine lines on the face of a woman in her fifties like her. There was still a big differencepared to a young woman in her twenties.


    Especially when Nellie stood beside Yvette, their faces formed a stark contrast. Thus, Zachary frowned slightly with displeasure when Nellie acted coquettishly.


    Didn¡¯t she see where we¡¯re at? Yvette is right here. So inappropriate, thought Zachary


    Nellie didn¡¯t expect her attempt to please Zachary would backfire and that the usual trick that worked would upset him further. The atmosphere instantly became awkward.


    Then, Yvette got up. With her hands in her pockets, she tilted her head, raised her eyebrows, and returned to her carefree self. ¡°Tm leaving,¡± she said.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Zachary¡¯s attitude changed immediately. He quickly spoke, worried that Yvette would be gone if he hesitated.


    ¡°Yvette, we can put that matter we¡¯ve just discussed aside for now. See me when you¡¯ve thought it over. The most important thing right now is your wee home party this Sunday. You muste. I¡¯ll have Lucas pick you up from school that day. I¡¯ll get a designer to design your dress, okay? Just let me know if you have any other requests. I¡¯ll do everything I can to make it happen.¡± said Zachary


    Next to them. Nellie was clenching her teeth so hard that her smile froze. She looked horrible and extremely pale


    The highlight of the party was supposed to be Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony, but Zachary¡¯s words indicated that Yvette¡¯s wee home party was the priority,


    Nellie knew how much Zachary used to care about Winona¡¯s apprenticeship. However, everything has changed ever since Yvette returned. Winona was no longer the star of the party.


    Nellie couldn¡¯t ept it. She was furious with hatred, and the hostility in her gaze toward Yvette was obvious.


    Lucas briefly nced up at them and lowered his gaze again. Mr. Chambers favors Ms. Zeller so tantly without caring. about Mrs. Chambers¡¯ feelings Didn¡¯t he notice how grim Mr. Chambers¡¯ face is? Sigh. What if Mrs. Chambers finds out about the will? I can¡¯t imagine what would happen, thought Lucas.


    Lucas also wondered if the Smith family behind Nellie would stand by and watch.


    Meanwhile, Yvette stopped in her tracks on her way out. She didn¡¯t look back but nodded slightly.


    That small gesture was enough to make Zachary ecstatic. He knew that meant Yvette agreed. With that, he could finally rx. Zachary was prepared to swallow his pride to convince her if Yvette refused


    It was no doubt that Zachary and Lucas¡¯ minds worked simrly after being together for so many years.


    Nellie also suppressed the jealousy inside her when she saw Yvette nod. After all, Nellie¡¯s n wouldn¡¯t work if Yvette didn¡¯t attend the party. Thus, Yvette¡¯s return was just what Nellie wanted.


    Yvette¡¯s demeanor seemed cold as she pushed the door open to leave.


    ¡°When Yvette returns.


    I¡¯ll find her a top designer team. Don¡¯t worry, Darling,¡± said Nellie.


    Zachary¡¯s expression softened a bit upon hearing that. He turned slightly, showing Nellie a kinder attitude than before as he said, ¡°Okay. Put in some effort. Money is not a problem. Make sure Yvette¡¯s happy, okay?¡±


    Nellie noticed Zachary¡¯s expression change like that of a doting father whenever he talked about Yvette.


    Suppressing her annoyance, Nellie maintained a sweet demeanor as she replied, ¡°Okay, Darling. I got it. I¡¯ll make sure you see a gorgeous Yvette. The tailors are downstairs. I¡¯ll call them up now, okay?¡±


    Having solved a major problem. Zachary felt much happier and decided to let Nellie¡¯s uninvited visit slide. Thus, he nodded. and replied. ¡°Let theme up. I still have work after they take the measurements, so you should leave.¡± He asked Nellie to leave without mercy.


    Nellie almost dug a hole in her bag, but she didn¡¯t dare in show it on her face. ¡°Okay,¡± she said.


    When the tailors arrived, Nellie nned to look at the documents Zachary had just put away to see the contents while he tried on the suit. However, as though he could read her mind, Zachary gestured for her to sit on the couch and had Lucas help him get dressed.


    While Nellie lowered her head to sip her coffee. Zachary quickly ced the document into the safety deposit box on the left side of the office.


    Even though Nellie was sipping her coffee, she was distracted and watched Zachary¡¯s actions. She paused when she s putting away the document. Then, she acted like she hadn¡¯t seen anything and continued with her coffee.


    What sort of document needs to be in a safe? wondered Nellie. At that moment, she was increasingly certain that the document was no ordinary document. She had to find a chance to discover what document Zachary had shown Yvette


    him.


    The next day, Yvette was in the Principal¡¯s office. Half an hour ago, she was called to the office by a staff member when she had just stepped into the physics ssroom.


    By the time Yvette arrived, Simon had alreadypleted all his tasks. He had also prepared coffee, so the air was filled with


    the coffee¡¯s aroma.


    There were also some snacks and nuts on the table. One might even mistake it for a tea party. Who would have expected it to be the Principal¡¯s office of the renowned Argrol University?


    Simon wasn¡¯t fond of coffee, but he kept a box in the office because Yvette liked it. These preparations were because she would be a regr visitor in the future. Besides that, Simon even made sure to stock up on some snacks that girls tend to like.


    When Yvette entered, Simon¡¯s eyes lit up as he nced at her from top to bottom. ¡°Hmm. Good. She¡¯s perfectly fine. If she were to get hurt outside, Mr. Owens might charge over here, thought Simon. He then said, ¡°You¡¯re here, Yvette. Have a seat.


    Yvette nodded politely. Looking rxed, she greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Sundend. Then, she nced at the items prepared on the table, sat casually on the couch, and lowered her gaze.


    Simon was ustomed to Yvette¡¯s aloofness and simply grinned at her kindly. ¡°Have you sorted everything out? If you need. any help, just let me know. Don¡¯t be shy,¡± he offered.


    Yvette looked up and replied calmly, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, Mr. Sundend¡±


    Hearing that, Simon didn¡¯t pry any further and merely moved the snacks on the table toward Yvette.


    ¡°Got these specifically for you. I wasn¡¯t sure what young girls like to eat, so I had someone gather a selection. Try them and let me know which ones you like. I¡¯ll keep some in the office for you in the future, so you don¡¯t only have coffee with an old man like me when you visit again,¡± said Simon.


    Yvette paused slightly and nced at the snacks on the table. There was a brief silence as she thought of how tasty the snacks looked. Finally, Yvette looked up and, for the first time, thanked Simon sincerely. Simon¡¯s smile widened.


    Simon cleared his throat and spoke to Yvette, who was munching on some chips. ¡°A couple of days ago, the Chambers family sent me an invitation for Sunday¡¯s event. They¡¯vebined Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony with your wee home party. Whose side was bead


    Treme took a bene of her chip and replied ¡°alle¡±

 Chapter 113

    Simon¡¯s hand froze mid¨Cair, the coffee cup hovering as he frowned. He could already guess what Nellie was scheming- ¡®Really? She just got Yvette back home, and now she wants to embarrass her? What kind of lousy n is this? Who knows what other tricks she¡¯ll pull at the banquet? he thought.


    Initially, Simon had not nned on attending. He and Tobias were supposed to head home that day to deal with some matters. But now, watching Yvette happily munching on her chips, he changed his mind.


    He¡¯d go to the Chambers family banquet¨Cjust to make sure nothing unexpected happened to her. If Jeremiah was going, Simon wouldn¡¯t be as worried. But knowing him, Jeremiah probably wouldn¡¯t attend.


    Crowds were never his thing. In all his years in Betrico, Jeremiah had barely attended any banquets, and events in a small ce like Seacrity were unlikely to change that. No one could convince him otherwise.


    Simon sighed, his mind drifting to the past. ¡°Nellie isn¡¯t easy to deal with. When she was younger, she was known for being stubborn and spoiled. After your mom passed, she got pregnant with your dad¡¯s child, which stirred up a scandal among the elite.


    He continued. ¡°Mr. Matthew Chambers practically threatened to end his own life if your dad didn¡¯t agree to the marriage. Your dad eventually gave in. So, Nellie married into the Chambers family, just like she wanted. Over time, she cleaned up her act, and people started forgetting her past.¡±


    ¡°These days, she has a solid reputation among high society. But still, people can change, and you never know their true intentions. If she ns to host both events at the same banquet, be cautious. Better safe than sorry, he added.


    Yvette¡¯s hand paused on her coffee cup, and surprise flickered briefly in her usually calm eyes. She tapped the cup thoughtfully before nodding. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Later, at 9:00 p.m. in Argrol University¡¯s library, Andrew had been pestering Jeremiah for two hours, trying to convince him to go to the bar. Jeremiah remained unyielding, his eyes calmly scanning the pages of a ssic novel.


    Andrew wore his most charming smile. ¡°Jeremiah, I was wrong. I really didn¡¯t know Yvette would leave right after thepetition. Come on, be the bigger person, and let it slide just this once.¡±


    Finally, Jeremiah closed his book and stood. He was dressed in perfectly pressed pants, not a wrinkle in sight. His action made Andrew¡¯s face light up with hope. But Jeremiah¡¯s cold words quickly dashed his excitement. ¡°No,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Andrew¡¯s smile fell. ¡®All Arnold¡¯s fault for insisting that Jeremiah keep an eye on me, he thought.


    If Arnold found out he went to the bar again, he¡¯d probably drag him back to Betrico for a beating so severe he wouldn¡¯t get out of bed for days. He had experienced that once when he defied Arnold, and he had no desire for a repeat.


    Desperate, Andrew moved around Jeremiah, suddenly struck by an idea. His eyes lit up. ¡°Come on, Jeremiah! Let me go just this once. Keep it quiet, and I swear, whatever you need, I¡¯m there. I¡¯d even take a bullet for you!¡±


    Andrew almost convinced himself with his own words, but Jeremiah¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°No¡±


    Andrew slumped in defeat. ¡®Fine. If he says no, it¡¯s no. Jeremiah¡¯s just being petty because I didn¡¯t tell him about Yvette leaving. Choosing a girl over your best friend. How typicall he thought.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Outside the library, Winona stood alone in the cold night, wearing a white V¨Cneck dress that left her legs exposed below the knee. She had meticulously applied her makeup to attract attention, but in the chilly breeze, she looked pitiful, hugging herself for warmth.


    When Jeremiah and Andrew walked out, they spotted her by the door, her face flushed from the cold. As they approached, Winona sulitly shifted in their direction, pretending not to notice them. She ¡°identally tripped on a small stone, teetering as if she were about to fall into Jeremiah¡¯s arms.


    But things didn¡¯t | go as nned. Instead of catching her, Jeremiah sidestepped smoothly, avoiding herpletely. Winona¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she tried to stop herself, but she had put too much force into the fake fall. Now, there was no stopping it.


    She hit the ground hard, her white dress tearing and getting dirty. The pain was very real this time, and tears welled in her eyes. She looked up at Jeremiah, her tear¨Cfilled eyes brimming with emotion.


    Andrew snorted, thinking. This trick? Winona doesn¡¯t realize this act is so overyed among the socialites in Betrico.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t even nce her way. He had seen plenty of women¨Cfar more beautiful and interesting¨Cand none had caught his attention. Andrew struggled to suppress hisughter, crossing his arms as he watched Winona¡¯s performance.


    In her usual soft voice, Winona called out, ¡°Mr. Chavez, I¡¯ve twisted my ankle. Could you help me?¡±


    Jeremiah calmly pulled out his phone, his long fingers tapping a quick message to Yvette,pletely ignoring Winona on the ground. Winona, though embarrassed, still felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Only a man like him is worthy of me. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to win him over, she thought.


    When Jeremiah finished his text, he finally nced down at her Winona¡¯s heart leaped; her face looked even more pitiable, as though she might burst into tears at any moment. ¡°Mr. Chavez, please help me. My ankle hurts so much,¡® she said.


    Without a word, Jeremiah pulled a tissue from his pocket, wiped his hands, and tossed it casually onto Winona¡¯s dress. In azy tone, he said, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t pick up trash.


    Winona¡¯s face turned pale, her hands trembling as rage boiled inside her. She thought to herself, ¡°What did he just say? I thought Jeremiah would treat me with gentleness,passion, affection, admiration, or even infatuation. ver imagined he would be so heartless and cold¡­


    Never in her life had anyone called her trash. She stared at Jeremiah in disbelief, thinking, ¡°How could someone so powerful and mysterious say that? Why would he humiljate me like this?


    However, she swallowed her anger, refusing to believe that Jeremiah could be indifferent to a woman throwing herself at him. ¡®Even if he¡¯s with Yvette, does he really n to stay faithful to her forever?¡® she thought. She refused to ept it.


    When Winona looked up again, there was no hint of displeasure in her eyes; instead, she maintained a pitiful expression toward Jeremiah, her voice softened. ¡°Mr. Chavez, if you don¡¯t want to help me, that¡¯s fine. But why insult me?*


    Winona decided to change tactics. Since Jeremiah didn¡¯t respond to her previous approach, she would try something new. After all, she had pretended for years by ying the role Victor wanted. She could easily pretend to be the kind of person Jeremiah liked. There was no real difference.


    Andrew, observing her effortlessly shifting emotions, was almost impressed. ¡®She¡¯s like a character straight out of a role- ying game, he thought. But unfortunately for her, this was Jeremiah, and he wasn¡¯t ying along.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained unreadable. He looked down at her, his tone indifferent. ¡°You want me to help you?¡±


    Andrew¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®No way! Is Jeremiah actually falling for this?¡® he thought.


    Winona¡¯s heart soared as she thought, ¡®So he¡¯s not immune after all. She bit her lip, pretending to stay strong.

 Chapter 114

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chavez Winona said, reaching out her hand. One second passed, then two seconds¡­ but nothing happened.


    Winona lowered her head, waiting for what felt like an eternity without any response, Panic began to creep in as she finally nced up, her face pitiful and tears welling in her eyes.


    Jeremiah hadn¡¯t even looked at her, while Andrew stood casually with his hands in his pockets, his expression full of tant disdain. Still unwilling to give up. Winona called out again, ¡°Mr. Chavez, can you help me?¡±


    This time. Jeremiah gave her a brief, cold nce, his gaze sharp enough to sting. Without another word, he looked past her into the distance. Suddenly, his expression softened, revealing a glimpse of something more vulnerable beneath his usual stoic demeanor.


    Winona¡¯s heart sank at the sight. Stiffly, she turned her head to follow his gaze and spotted two figures approaching in the distance. Her heart dropped, filled with disappointment and a stubborn resolve not to give up.


    Yvette had just finished showering when she received Jeremiah¡¯s text. She was about to sit down at herputer but quickly changed her ns, grabbing Bonnie to head out. Dressed in casual workout clothes, they left together. Thanks to Yvette¡¯s influence, Bonnie had also started favoring athleisure.


    Though while Yvette wore simple ck and white, Bonnie preferred bright, yful colors. Yvette was in ck, while Bonnie wink. They drew attention wherever they went, especially with Yvette¡¯s reputation at Argrol University.


    stance, Bonnie spotted Jeremiah and Andrew at the library entrance, their striking appearances impossible to miss. noticed a girl in a white dress sitting on the ground, though she couldn¡¯t make out who it was


    Watching the situation, Bonnie thought, Is this girl trying to pull a stunt? Probably not for money. More likely this is just because of Jeremiah¡¯s good looks¡­ To Bonnie, Jeremiah already felt like he belonged to Yvette.


    Yvette, focused on replying to a message from Eagle King, had not looked up yet. Bonnie, fuming, grabbed Yvette¡¯s arm and eximed, ¡°Yve, someone¡¯s pulling a stunt on Jeremiah. For love and justice, we have to save him!¡± Without waiting for a response, she tugged Yvette toward the library.


    Hearing this, Yvette finally looked up and spotted the library entrance. Unlike Bonnie, she instantly recognized the girl on the ground as Winona, Jeremiah, noticing their approach, walked toward Yvette and Bonnie. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he said.


    Andrew remained where he was, ncing down at Winona. I have got to give her credit for sticking around this long: he thought to himself.


    Yvette nodded, her expression calm and indifferent, carrying a hint of defiance. As Bonnie moved closer and realized it was Winona sitting on the ground, her irritation intensified. ¡®Why is she here?¡± she thought, feeling a surge of annoyance.


    ¡°Bonnie, you look like you¡¯re ready to bite someone. What¡¯s got you so worked up?¡± Andrew teased, but Bonnie wasn¡¯t in the mood for banter. She pointed at Winona, who was still sitting on the ground, her face full of exaggerated sorrow.


    ¡°What¡¯s her deal?¡± Bonnie asked.


    Andrew waved his hand dismissively, sounding exasperated. ¡°We found her copsed at the library entrance when we walked out. She¡¯s been refusing to get up, insisting someone help her.¡±


    His blunt words left no room for Winona to save face. Herplexion turned pale as she nced toward Jeremiah and Yvette standing together on the steps. Neither spoke, but the quiet understanding between them was palpable, leaving not room for anyone else.


    Yvette hadn¡¯t even acknowledged Winona¡¯s presence, and that cold indifference stung the most. Winona clenched her fists. her nails pressing into her palms as anger simmered within her, she thought, ¡°How dare Bonnie, of all people, look down on me?


    Noticing the scrape on Winona¡¯s leg and the blood trickling down, Bonnie¡¯s irritation softened slightly. Despite her anger, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to kick someone while they were down. ¡°Hey, do you need help getting up?¡± she asked gruffly, surprising Andrew, who had expected Bonnie tosh out.


    Bonnie is still too young; she could easily be fooled by such a simple trick. She¡¯d probably get conned without even realizing it, he thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, Jeremiah, standing beside Yvette, caught the fresh, cool scent of her body wash. His throat tightened as he thought, ¡°My self-control around Yvette is slipping. This isn¡¯t good.


    Hearing him sigh, Yvette turned slightly, looking up at him with a curious expression. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± she asked.


    Jeremiah was caught by the focused, serious look in Yvette¡¯s eyes, as if he were the only person in her sight, and felt his heart skip a beat. Without thinking, he reached out and gently turned her toward him.


    As his hand touched her shoulder, Yvette instinctively tensed, ready to defend herself. But the moment she realized it was Jeremiah, she rxed, and they stood face to face. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Jeremiah said softly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡­¡± He trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.


    Yvette furrowed her brows in frustration. She hated it when Jeremiah left his thoughts hanging; it was one of her biggest pet peeves, Meanwhile, Winona watched Jeremiah and Yvette, her jealousy boiling over.


    At that moment, if she¡¯d had a knife, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to use it. She was convinced that if Yvette were out of the picture, everything would be hers.


    Bonnie noticed the dangerous look on Winona¡¯s face and instinctively took a step back, right onto Andrew¡¯s foot. ¡°Ouch! Bonnie, why¡¯d you step on me?¡± Andrew yelped.


    His shout snapped Winona back to reality. She quickly masked her fury, recing it with her usual gentle expression. Standing up with effort, she brushed the dirt off her skirt, making sure to highlight the cut on her leg. Ignoring Andrew and Bonnie, she limped toward Yvette and Jeremiah.


    ¡°Yvie, Mr. Chavez, are you two together? Does Dad know?¡± Winona asked provocatively, her tone sharp. Realizing there was no point in pretending anymore, and considering Yvette wouldn¡¯t believe her no matter what, she decided to drop the act and go all in.


    Yvette nced at her, her expression unreadable, then calmly put her phone away. Her voice was icy, sending a chill down Winona¡¯s spine. ¡°You must have a lot of free time, she remarked,


    Winona was caught off guard, momentarily confused by the sudden shift in the conversation. Nearby, Bonnie snickered, already anticipating what was about to unfold. Yvette continued, her tone cool and unyielding, ¡°Since you¡¯re so eager to poke your nose into other people¡¯s business.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It took a moment for the sting of the insult to fully sink in, but when it did, Winona¡¯s face flushed with humiliation. Even in front of Jeremiah, she fought to maintain herposure and not let her emotions show.


    The more arrogant Yvette bes, the more I¡¯ll y the understanding one. Sooner orter, Jeremiah will see my worth. she thought to herself.

 Chapter 115

    Winona¡¯s eyes were red as she nced at Yvette, looking incredibly frightened. Anyone who did not know better might think. Yvette had done something to her. ¡°Yvie, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. I need to prepare for Mr. Griffin¡¯s arrival tomorrow, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    he was determined


    After saying that, Winona nced at Jeremiah pitifully with an affectionate look before limping away. She to annoy Yvette even if she could not ruin their rtionship for the time being.


    Winona had not walked far when she heard Jeremiah say to Yvette, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve ordered you your favorite steak and milkshake. It¡¯ll be ready when we get there.¡±


    Winona paused, unable to resist turning around. She watched as Yvette and the others walked away. Finally unable to keep it together, she sat on a nearby bench and burst into tears.


    She swore to herself that she would repay the humiliation she suffered today double to Yvette and would not let Bonnie off the hook either.


    Winona sat on the bench in a daze for a while before pulling out her phone and calling Victor. Right now, he was the only one she could rely on.


    Meanwhile, Victor, who received Winona¡¯s call, was lost in the tenderness of a woman¡¯s embrace.


    Lately, Winona had not really talked to Victor much, and since he could not stand loneliness, he ended up hooking up with a young model.


    Victor did love Winona. But for him, love and sex were separate things. His love for Winona did not stop him from sleeping with other women. For guys, this was nothing out of the ordinary


    ¡°Hey, Winona, what¡¯s up?¡± As Victor was speaking, a pair of tender hands wrapped around his chest, caressing him. He felt both guilty and excited, his voice trembling slightly.


    He covered the phone and whispered to the woman beside him. ¡°Be good, okay?¡±


    The woman was getting into the mood. She knew men were like that, acting like it was nothing when they were clearly enjoying it.


    Victorforted the young model and picked up the phone again.


    Winona purposely stayed silent, unaware that this gave Victor time to flirt. She was trying to be smart, only to make things.


    worse.


    Victor asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Winona, say something. Did something happen? I¡¯m really worried when you don¡¯t speak.¡±


    Finally, Winona let out a soft sob, and gradually, her crying became louder.


    Hearing the distress in Winona¡¯s cry, Victor realized something was seriously wrong. Winona rarely cried like this in front of him. Her tears dispelled any mischievous thoughts he had.


    To Victor, Winona was different from other women. With the others, it was just a fling. But Winona was his childhood sweetheart, meant to be his wife someday.


    Not to mention, Victor genuinely cared for Winona. He was worned that something might have happened to her. He got up andOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.


    pur on his clothes as he spoke into the phone. ¡°Winona, please don¡¯t cry. Where are you! I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Winona wore a satisfied smile, though her voice still sounded tearful. Im at school Victor, you don¡¯t need toe over I¡¯m line really¡±


    2 Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    Victor was relieved to hear that Winona was at school. But the more she insisted, the more he found it strange. He told her to stay put and wait for him. He hung up the phone, grabbed his car keys, and headed out.


    The young model was not happy to see Victor leaving and reached out to stop him. ¡°Victor, it¡¯s sote. Can¡¯t you just stay?¡±


    Victor still found her somewhat intriguing and patiently coaxed her a bit before leaving without a backward nce, leaving her fuming in the hotel rooms.


    The young model thought, Victor¡¯s fianc¨¦e sure is a tough one to deal with. Humphr


    Jeremiah had reserved a VIP room at the steakhouse as usual. This time, before heading there, he had already ordered everything Yvette liked and even had the staff get milkshakes from next door. So when they arrived, the food was ready.


    During the meal, Bonnie stared at Jeremialy and then nced at Yvette, who was focused on her steak. Unable to hold it in. she asked. ¡°Jeremiah, is Winona trying to flirt with you?¡±


    Andrew had just taken a bite of his steak when he started choking. He quickly grabbed his ss and took several gulps, not forgetting to kick Bonnie under the table.


    He thought. Bonnie that fool! How dare she ask something like that right to Jeremiah¡¯s face? Who on earth gave her the guts to probe into Jeremiah¡¯s private life?


    Bonnie looked at Andrew, puzzled. ¡°Why did you kick me? I just identally stepped or your foot. Are you grudge?


    still holding a


    Jeremiah paused with his fork in mid-air, ncing at Andrew who was making faces at Bonnie, then casually put sd on Yvette¡¯s te. Seeing Yvette act like she did not hear Bonnie, he felt somewhat disappointed.


    Jeremiah shifted his posture. His voice was light andzy as he spoke to Bonnie, but his gaze remained fixed on Yvette. ¡°Tve given my heart to someone¡±


    In an instant, Andrew and Bonnie turned their eyes to Yvette.


    Three pairs of eyes-one intense, two filled with gossip-made it hard for Yvette to ignore them. She slowly lifted her head, picked up the milkshake, took a sip, and remained silent.


    Bonnie began to ask the question. ¡°Jeremiah, is the person-


    Yvette quickly interrupted her, ¡°Bonnie, have some food.¡±


    Bonnie sheepishly mimed zipping her lips. Seeing Yvette was not angry but clearly was not interested in the topic, she decided to drop it. She originally attempted to help Jeremiah but totally failed in the end.


    Until the steak meal concluded, Jeremiah and Yvette barely spoke to each other. It was the usual scenario with Jeremiah serving and Yvette eating while Andrew and Bonnie bickering


    Meanwhile, Victor saw Winona sitting on a bench by the roadside when he reached the school in his limited-edition luxury car. He quickly got out of the car and went over to her, ¡°Winona, what¡¯s wrong? What happened? Did someone bully you?¡±


    When Winona saw Victor after enduring the blow from Jeremiah and the contempt of Andrew and the others, her bottled- up grievances burst forth. She rushed over and hugged him tightly, only to catch a whiff of floral-scented perfume.


    Winona¡¯s expression changed at once. She had not seen Victor for three days, and the scent was not from her perfume, which could only mean he had just been with another woman.


    Winona swallowed her disgust. Right now, Victor was the only person she could rely on. She had no choice but to pretend not to notice the scent. ¡°Victor, I¡¯m so upset. Yvie¡­ Yvie¡­


    As Victor heard it involved Yvette, he started venting his anger een before knowing the details. It¡¯s her again! Why can¡¯t she

 Chapter 116

    The hustle and bustle began around 8 am on Saturday at the Chambers residence. Nellie was up early and donned the dark green gown tailored for her, adorned with her precious gemstone ne worth millions, looking royally elegant.


    Since that was the day the president of the Art Association, Richard, would be visiting Seacrity, Nellie had been getting ready since 7 a.m., despite the flight arriving at 10 am.


    Once she finished preparations, she went downstairs, not seeing Zeke anywhere. The housekeeper told her that Zeke was still sleeping in Annoyed, Nellie went upstairs to drag her son out of bed.


    What time is it already? Trying to pi** me off? Did you forget what day it is? I told you to turn in early. Why have you stayed up again? Look at you! The hell of an impression you¡¯ll make on Mr. Grillin. Get up right now! You¡¯ll have half an hour to prepare before we head to the airport to receive him, fumed Nellie.


    Zeke impatiently ruffled his messy hair. Seeing how mad his mother was, he dared not argue as he crawled out of the covers. Leave me. Mom. I have no clothes on. I promise I¡¯ll be downstairs in half an hour.¡±


    Nellie nagged at Zeke a bit before heading downstairs. Knowing how important the asion was, Zeke dawdled no further and quickly washed up before getting dressed.


    The night before at Victor¡¯s condominium, Winona tossed and turned, having not slept a wink. When she went to the living room to get water, she passed by Victor¡¯s room and noticed his light was still on, so she thoughtfully fetched him a cup of


    Just as she was about to knock on the door, Victor¡¯s voice came. ¡°Be good. I¡¯lle over next week. Didn¡¯t you like that limited edition bag we saw the other day? I¡¯ll get you that if you behave.¡±


    Winona clenched the cup with her head down, Eyes clouded with grim, she paused for a moment, looked up, and emitted at snort before walking away. Inside the room was Victor,pletely unaware as he continued flirting with that model.


    Winonay in bed, staring at the ceiling until dawn motionlessly like a corpse, her eyes filled with madness and hatred. Suddenly, the phone rang. The buzz went off and on repeatedly for a solid ten-minutes.


    It was then that as if Winona finally heard it. Her fingers twitched as she stiffly got up to grab the phone from the table. Checking the caller ID, she paused, cleared her throat, and answered, ¡°Hello, Mom¡±


    Then came Nellie¡¯s frustrated tone through the line. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? You stayed out all night and never answered your phone this morning. Mr. Griffin¡¯ll bending soon, so where are you? Have I been too easy on youtely, Winona, letting you stay out without even calling home? Do you know how worried I was?¡±


    Sarcasm marred Winona¡¯s face. Worried? She? More like afraid I¡¯d mess up and ruin the apprenticeship ceremony, then fail to pave the way for my dear brother, not to mention catering to her own dignity among Seacrity¡¯s noblewomen, was her thought


    Winona might ponder that way, but she showed no hint of dissatisfaction toward Nellie. Drawing a deep breath, she cooed, ¡°My bad, Mom. I¡¯m at Victor¡¯s ce. I¡¯ll be home in a minute. My phone¡¯s out of juice, so I missed your messages.


    Hearing that, Nellie probed in a jiffy, ¡°Winona, did you¡­ Did you and Victor ever¡­ You know?¡±


    Winona understood what Nellie meant. With a tinge of shyness, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡­ I haven¡¯t done it with him. We were in separate rooms.¡±


    Only then did Nellie rx. She had faith that Winona would not bluff, considering how she had brought her daughter up. and that made Nellie¡¯s tone turn pleasant.


    ¡°Alright, Winona, I¡¯m just looking out for you. You should know that men won¡¯t cherish whates too easily. Only with some means to keep Victor intrigued will it make him treasure you. Trust me; I¡¯d never lead you astray.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s speech seemed so sincere that those who did not know better might really think she was a good mother looking out for her daughter, but only Winona knew Nellie was selfish, looking out for nobody except herself


    The sneer on Winona¡¯s face intensified. Never would she buy any of Nellie¡¯s words, musing. ¡®If she spoke the truth, she¡¯d not have shared Dad¡¯s bed and then used me and Zeke to ckmail Dad to wed her


    To think that Nellie spilled out those righteous words, it felt nothing more than a joke to Winona. The only reason Winona had yet to sleep with Victor was to keep her options open


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Winona paused for a moment and then asked, ¡°Mom, is Lucas gonna bring Yvette home today?¡±


    Nellie was seething on that note. ¡°Yeah. Your dad asked the daughter of the Sterling family to custom-make a gown for her. She¡¯ll be delivering it personallyter this afternoon for Yvette to try on.¡±


    ¡°The Sterling family? Winona secretly eximed, shocked, so she asked again to be sure, ¡°Is she Sienna Sienna Sterling?¡±


    Nellie had already confirmed time and again that it was indeed that very Sienna, wondering if Zachary had been suspicious of her, letting her in on it only the day before. She was also surprised when she first heard it.


    Sienna was infamously a difficult person. In her teens, her family sent her abroad to study fashion design. It was only in recent years that she became internationally renowned and coborated with somebody to create her brand. Vibe


    The second Vibe clothing lineunched, it shot to fame worldwide, making 300 million dors in sales in its first quarter The Sterling family was but an average family in Seacrity, yet with Sienna¡¯s sess, their status soared, propelling them into the upper echelon as a top-tier family.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s that same Sienna. Who knows what¡¯s gotten into her? Usually, she¡¯ll only make five custom gowns a year. This year, she¡¯s already met her quota. Still, she epted your dad¡¯s order. He must¡¯ve paid her a lot. I was hoping she¡¯d make one for you but it¡¯s toote now. No worries, though. I¡¯ve already contacted Eminence Couture to design your custom gown. It¡¯ll be just as stunning,¡± said Nellie.


    Winona also thought Nellie had a point. Without reading into it, Winona only felt incredibly jealous, for her father had willingly spent on Yvette. It was then that she checked her watch.


    ¡°Mom. I¡¯m gonna pack up now, I have some everyday cosmetics and clothes here at Victor¡¯s ce. Ill get everything ready here and meet you guys straight at the airport,¡± she suggested.


    Nellie was so focused on advising Winona that she lost track of time. Realizing that Winona would be rushing back and forth, Nellie agreed with Winona¡¯s n to rendezvous at the airport. After Winona hung up, she went to wake Victor up.


    Opening his eyes, Victor was astonished by Winona¡¯s haggard look as she stood by the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Winona? Why do you look so tired? Those dark circles made you look worse!¡±


    Winona was still holding a grudge about what happened the night before, thus being icy toward Victor¡¯s concern, only nodding in return. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Hurry and get ready. We¡¯re gonna pick Mr. Griffin up at the airport.¡±


    Of course, Victor knew exactly who Winona was talking about. He dared not take the matter lightly, so he got up in a heartbeat to tidy himself and even donned a formal suit.


    Seeing Victor ready, Winona smiled with satisfaction as she stepped forward to help him with his tie. Her disy of a perfect partner image made Victor feel appreciated.


    Victor took it so seriously because he was aware of just how important Richard was-hardly anyone would be clueless about what the president of Art Association represented.

 Chapter 117

    Winona happened to bump into Nellie and Zeke at the entrance of Seacrity Airport. They exchanged greetings and went into the airport lobby together.


    As they chatted along the way, Nellie nudged Victor, subtly suggesting that he should keep a respectful distance from Winona before marriage and not act impulsively.


    Victor just nodded with a smile, unsure if he really understood. Nellie wasn¡¯t sure if he understood either. As an elder, she couldn¡¯t say much more, so the topic was dropped.


    Winona was quiet on the sidelines. Zeke fell a step behind to walk beside her. He sneered coldly and said unkindly, ¡°Look at how much Mom worries about you, Sis. She¡¯s afraid Victor might take advantage of you, but I think she worries too much. You know, if you don¡¯t sleep with him, there¡¯s plenty of women out there waiting to pounce on him, hehe¡­


    Winona gave Zeke a sideways nce. She was already ustomed to this kind of sarcasm, having had a strained rtionship with Zeke since childhood.


    She said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, but you should watch yourself. With Dad spoiling Yvette, are you sure you¡¯ll inherit the Chambers family as the rightful heir? Instead of mocking me, you¡¯d better focus on your grades. If Dad finds out you¡¯ve been using a stand-in for your exams, it won¡¯t end well for you.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s face darkened as he shot a sinister re at Winona, his voice dripping with malice. Im warning you, if you dare to backstab me. I¡¯ll have Mom deal with you. You know whose side she¡¯s on between the two of us, right?¡±


    Winona understood her circumstances. She knew that in front of Nellie, she¡¯d never prevail against Zeke, so she wouldn¡¯t invite bad luck upon herself. After all, the three of them were in the same boat. They prospered together and suffered together. She understood this..


    She replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to bother with you, so you¡¯d better not make fun of me, either. Ourmon enemy is Yvette. You should focus on how to deal with her in the future. If things continue like this, will we still have a ce in Dad¡¯s heart or the Chambers family? Think about it carefully.¡±


    Winona knew exactly what mattered most to Zeke: being the heir to the Chambers family and the shares that their father held. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zeke stopped ring at her and looked down, saying nothing. Winona knew Zeke was taking her words seriously,


    ¡°Good, let them fight it out. I can take advantage of it as a bystander, she thought.


    Richard came to Seacrity this time with only two people. Both were fifth-level members of the Art Association, around thirty years old. They were able to be fifth-level members naturally due to Richard¡¯s indispensable aid.


    When Richard stepped out, Winona immediately noticed him. It wasn¡¯t because Richard was particrly noticeable. Rather, he insisted on wearing a suit with a morning coat wherever he went, which made him stand out in any crowd. Apart from his distinguished position, Richard looked like a typical elderly manN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Mr. Griffin, over here¡­ over here!¡± As soon as Winona called out. Nellie quickly nced over to see-Richard in his navy suit. followed by two men carrying suitcases.


    Over the past few years, Nellie had seen Richard a few times, usually while apanying Winona for art lessons. They hadn¡¯t interacted much, mainly because Richard was nearing seventy years old and they didn¡¯t have much inmon.


    Before he agreed to take Winona as his apprentice, Nellie personally visited Richard and handed him 15 million dors. Fortunately, the money wasn¡¯t wasted, as Richard finally agreed to take Winona as his apprentice.


    Richard also noticed Winona and was atisfied with her. Part of the reason he agreed to mentor her was Nellie¡¯s 15 million dors, but Winona did show some talent. More importantly, the painting from Cyanbird that Winona received yed a key role.


    B


    The painting was the best evidence. With it, he had some leverage against Cole Pavben. There were too many association members who secretly doubted him, so Winona¡¯s painting became an essential asset.


    Richard walked over to Winona and her friends, looking at her fondly. ¡°Winona, you¡¯re still as beautiful as ever. Have you been under a lot of pressuretely? You look a bit tired.¡± He then nced at Nellie, who stood next to her.


    Nellie smiled and nodded. ¡°Hello, Mr. Griffin, it¡¯s been a while. How have you been?¡± As she talked, she brought Zeke over. ¡°This is my son and Winona¡¯s brother, Zeke. Please look after high in the future¡±


    Zeke, always quick to understand, gave Richard some flowers he had just bought at the airport and greeted him politely. ¡®Hello, Mr. Griffin


    Richard nodded in approval. ¡°Not bad, young man. You have a bright future ahead of you.¡± He then nced at Winona again, puzzled by the heavy dark circles under her eyes. Surely being excited about bing his apprentice wouldn¡¯t cause this


    Winona didn¡¯t bother to cover the dark circles; she had her reasons, Winona kept her head down, not responding to Richard. When Richard had finished speaking, Victor immediately stepped up. ¡°Mr. Griffin, Winona is being bullied by her sister. You have no idea what her sister-¡±


    Winona tugged sadly at Victor¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Victor, please don¡¯t say it. I¡¯m begging you,¡± she said.


    Victor felt even more sympathy for her, his heart filled with indignation. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll say it. Yvette has bullied you so much, and you¡¯re still covering for her.¡±


    Richard looked confused. He had never heard this name before and hadn¡¯t been following Seacrity¡¯s news, so naturally, he had no idea who Yvette was. ¡®Based on what he said, she¡¯s Winona¡¯s sister? But doesn¡¯t Winona only have a brother? Where did this sistere from? Richard thought, looking puzzled. He asked, ¡°Who is Yvette? And who are you?¡±


    Victor bowed slightly, speaking politely and respectfully to Richard, ¡°Hello, Mr. Griffin. I¡¯m Winona¡¯s fianc¨¦, Victor Carter.¡±


    Richard looked him over carefully from head to toe. He had heard of Winona¡¯s fianc¨¦, supposedly from one of Seacrity¡¯s four major families. He had also heard about the Carter family a few times in Betrico.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re young Winona¡¯s fianc¨¦. She¡¯d mentioned you often. Nice to finally meet you. Not bad, young man. Are you saying that Winona¡¯s issues are rted to her sister?¡± asked Richard.


    Victor nodded and was about to speak when Winona politely addressed Richard. ¡°Mr. Griffin, you must be tired from such a long flight, right? Don¡¯t worry about us, we¡¯ll take you to the hotel first. My mom has prepared a meal. Since you have a sensitive stomach, you shouldn¡¯t dy your dinner.¡±


    Winona appeared genuinely concerned for Richard¡¯s well-being, which touched him deeply. He was d he epted Winona as his apprentice and became less fond of this Yvette character even without meeting her. He also felt more genuine concern for Winona,


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s listen to Winona. We¡¯ll go to the hotel first, and once we¡¯re there, you can tell me everything that¡¯s happened recently. Don¡¯t hide anything from your mentor. You¡¯re my apprentice, and I want to see who dares to bully you!¡± he said.


    Nellie was secretly pleased. With Richard standing up for Winona, tomorrow night¡¯s ns were sure to go more smoothly. ¡°Yes, you see, none of us are as thoughtful as Winona, Mr. Griffin must be hungry. Let¡¯s head to the hotel first.¡±


    Ethan and Zeke stepped forward to take the suitcases from the two men. The two men pretended to refuse for a bit but eventually allowed them to take the suitcases.


    Just as Richard and the others arrived at the hotel, Winona¡¯s phone started ringing.

 Chapter 118

    Winona nced at her phone/ greeted Richard, and asked Victor and the others to go ahead. Then, she went to a corner to answer the call.


    ¡°Hello.¡± A stranger¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Ms. Chambers, I¡¯ve given Lucas the sleeping pills as you instructed. He just thought he felt unwell and didn¡¯t suspect anything. He¡¯s already lying down. Like you said, he asked me to pick up Ms. Zeller, so I¡¯m heading out now. I¡¯ll take her to the hotel as you requested.¡±


    He paused, then continued, ¡°Ms. Chambers, you know how strict Lucas is with the household staff. If he finds out, I¡¯m finished. So I hope you make sure to send me the 150 thousand dors as promised. I¡¯ve already booked my flight back home.¡±


    Winona was afraid that Fabian would make mistakes and get caught by Yvette, so she patiently reassured him, even though she was utterly disgusted on the inside. She usually felt dirty just by looking at this kind of household staff.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fabian. As long as you bring her over today, I¡¯ll make sure the 150 thousand dors is transferred to your ount. With that money, you can return to the countryside and reunite with your wife and children.¡± Winona first dangled a promising reward in front of him.


    Then, she paused and threatened him. ¡°But don¡¯t get too excited too soon. If you screw this up, you know the consequences. Crushing you would be as easy as stepping on an ant¡­


    On the other end of the line, Fabian was startled by Winona¡¯s tone. He couldn¡¯t believe that the usually gentle Winona could be such a frightening person!


    Fabian also couldn¡¯t grasp why Winona wanted him to take Yvette to the hotel instead of back to the Chambers residence. When he got Winona¡¯s message in the middle of the night, he couldn¡¯t believe it. He hesitated for a long time before agreeing.


    After all, it was just taking Yvette to a hotel in broad daylight. Winona wouldn¡¯t do anything inappropriate. Ultimately, Fabian couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of money and agreed to Winona¡¯s deal.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Winona hung up the phone with a sinister smile on her face. She deleted the phone number and transaction details, ensuring she left nothing incriminating.


    Yvette walked out of Argrol University with a ck backpack, still simply dressed in athletic wear and worn-out canvas shoes. With her current attire, who would guess she was the eldest daughter of the Chambers family, one of the four great families in Seacrity?


    Fabian was standing next to the car and immediately spotted Yvette. In terms of looks and charisma, the eldest daughter outshone Winona by a mile. Before Yvette appeared, the housekeepers had already considered Winona beautiful. After Yvette showed up, they understood that there was always someone better.


    He approached and lowered his head. ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m Fabian Evans, Lucas¡¯ assistant. Lucas is suddenly unwell, so I¡¯m here to pick you up. Please get in the car.¡±


    Yvette nodded and got into the back seat of the car. She took out her phone and opened the chat. Thetest message was from Jeremiah. It read: [Aren¡¯t you nning to invite me tomorrow?] The message was followed by a cute smiley emoji.


    An imperceptible smile flickered across Yvette¡¯s eyes, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Yvette was silent for a few seconds, chose not to reply to Jeremiah, and put her phone away


    Then, she turned to look out the window, propping her chin up with one hand as sunlight streamed in through it. When the breeze blew, light and shadow danced, lending an air of tranquil leisure.


    Yvette casually nced at Fabian, who was driving. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    Fabian panicked, nearly losing control of the steering wheel. He had indeed peeked at Yvette several times. He thought she hadn¡¯t noticed, but it turned out she was aware of his every move.


    He remembered Winona¡¯s warning and quickly exined to Yvette, ¡°Ms Zeller, I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t peeking on purpose. It¡¯s just¡­ The more nervous Fabian got, the more incoherent he sounded. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    Yvette looked away, her cool expression carrying a hint of sharpness. Fabian wiped his sweat. Yvette¡¯s gaze was too piercing If she kept it up, he¡¯d be unable to withstand it.


    As he tried to hide his nervousness, Fabian¡¯s breathing became heavier. He didn¡¯t notice it, but Yvette immediately sensed the change in the car¡¯s atmosphere. The next second, she said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the way to the Chambers residence, is it?¡±


    Just as Fabian was calming down, he got nervous again. However, Winona had already taught him how to handle Yvette, so he had mentally prepared himself. His answer was much smoother this time.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, today is the wee party for Winona¡¯s teacher, Mr. Griffin. The family is at Exoir Hotel, and Mr. Chambers instructed me to take you there,¡± he replied,


    Fabian thought his exnation was perfect, but in reality, it was full of holes. Yvette nced at Fabian, gave an amused smile, looked down, and stayed silent.


    Since Yvette didn¡¯t ask any more questions, Fabian thought he had managed to fool her, and he felt much less nervous. After today, he¡¯d take the money and disappear. It wouldn¡¯t concern him anymore.


    Zachary rushed over to Room 203 of Exoir Hotel right after finishing work because he couldn¡¯t overlook Richard¡¯s reputation.


    At first, Richard was unhappy when he didn¡¯t see Zachary. Nellie repeatedly exined that he was stuck in traffic, apologizing sincerely at the dinner table. Winona also chimed in with exnations until Richard¡¯s mood improved.


    When Zachary finally showed up, it was obvious he was in a hurry, so Richard didn¡¯t make a fuss. After all, Zachary was his apprentice¡¯s father, and it was important to respect him.


    Everyone at the dinner table was chatting animatedly, toasting each other. Zachary had been working in the business world. for many years, so he naturally knew how to entertain Richard. In a short while, the two of them were almost like good friends.


    Suddenly, Richard put down his fork and nced at Winona, who was quietly sitting at the table and looked uninterested. Then, he looked at Zachary and sighed.


    Zachary was confused, not understanding why Richard was acting this way all of a sudden. He asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Mr. Griffin, what¡¯s the matter? Is there some difficulty you¡¯re facing? If there¡¯s anything I can help with, just let me know. I assure you, if it¡¯s something I can do, I won¡¯t hesitate to assist¡­


    Richard had just learned from Nellie and a few others that Yvette was Zachary¡¯s newly found daughter, and she had managed to cause quite a ruckus in less than a month since her return. ording to them, she was a troublemaker, very crude, and, on more than one asion, had bullied Winona.


    Richard already regarded Winona as his apprentice, so he naturally felt the need to protect her. He paused with a feigned show of thought before speaking. ¡°I heard that you recently found a daughter named Yvette, is that right?¡±


    Not waiting for Zachary¡¯s answer, he continued, ¡°These two girls are very dear to you. You shouldn¡¯t neglect one for the other Winona has seemed very upset recently, but no matter how I asked her, she wouldn¡¯t tell me what was wrong¡±


    He added, ¡°Eventually, it was Victor who told me it¡¯s because your other daughter keeps bullying Winona. Honestly, the Chambers family issues aren¡¯t my business, but after tomorrow, Winona will officially be my apprentice. If no one else will care for her, I surely will. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

 Chapter 119

    Richard ignored Zachary¡¯s displeased expression and continued, ¡°After Winona bes my disciple, she will join the upper echelons of Betrico society. Seacrity can¡¯t hold her back. So, if anything happens to Winona again, I will seek justice for her, even at the cost of my reputation.¡±


    After speaking, Richard sat down without sparing a nce at Zachary,


    Zachary was furious upon hearing that, but his anger was not directed at Yvette. Instead, it was aimed at the few people at the table, including Nellie. They clearly could not tolerate Yvette. In just a few hours, they had already poisoned Richard¡¯s mind against her.


    Zachary shot a look at Victor, who was attentively sitting next to Winona. His gaze darkened, full of discontent. When Victor noticed Zachary¡¯s expression, he guiltily lowered his head. He was not wrong. Zachary was indeed biased towards Yvette, neglecting Winona.


    Suppressing his anger, Zachary exined to Richard, ¡°Mr. Griffin, we lost Yvette for over 20 years, and I only want to make up for the fatherly love shecked all these years. If you think I don¡¯t care for Winona, that¡¯s a misunderstanding. Winona and Zeke grew up with a silver spoon, with the best of everything. But Yvette suffered all these years outside, and I feel immense guilt towards her. So please, understand.¡±


    Richard¡¯s face stiffened. If Zachary had confronted him head-on, he would have had more to say. But now, reasoning, if he did not relent, it would seem ungracious.


    with such


    The room went silent. Nellie and the others dared not speak, knowing that Zachary was already angry, though he held back out of respect for Richard. Only Winona lowered her head, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. That was exactly the oue she had hoped for.


    Two men in their fifties, refusing to give in to each other, and the tension at the table was thick with unspoken hostility.


    The knock on the door momentarily broke the tension. Everyone assumed it was the food, and did not pay much attention, But when the waiter opened the door, all eyes turned to the person who walked in behind them, Yvette.


    Except for Winona, who knew what was happening, and Richard, who did not recognize her, everyone else was shocked ¡°Why is Yvette here?¡¯ they wondered.


    Zachary was the first to react. In that situation, Yvette¡¯s arrival was not a good thing. Richard was already siding with Winona, and now Yvette had walked right into the fire. Zachary was confused. He had specifically instructed Lucas to take Yvette to the Chambers residence. How did she end up here? What went wrong? he wondered.


    ¡°Yvette? Why are you here? Didn¡¯t Lucas take you straight home? You were supposed to try on dresses this afternoon,¡± Zachary said.


    Yvette paused, hands in her pockets, surveying the room with a cool gaze. Her eyes brieflynded on Winona before moving on. That single nce confirmed to Richard that what Victor had said was true-Yvette often bullied Winona


    ¡°Oh, Fabian sent me here. He said it was on your orders,¡± Yvette replied in a cold and indifferent voice, carrying her characteristic detachment.


    Zachary quickly pieced it together. Clearly, someone here had plotted to bring Yvette to the hotel. After thinking it through, he realized that the only person capable of such a scheme was Nellie. His disgust for her deepened. ¡®Once Sunday¡¯s banquet is over, some things need to be addressed, he thought.


    Nellie, noticing Zachary¡¯s suspicious gaze, knew he was ming her for sending Yvette to the hotel. She was about to exin. when Winona interrupted her. Enthusiastically, Winona approached Yvette and said, ¡°Yvie, you¡¯re here! Come in and sit. I know you don¡¯t like sitting with me, so you can sit next to Dad. Excuse me, could we get another set of cutlery, please?¡±


    Zachary gave Winona an approving look. At least she had not beenpletely misled.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Winona internally sighed with relief, her smile bing even more sincere. She looked at Yvette as if she were her real sister.


    Victor, on the other hand, felt that Winona was too kind, which was why she was constantly bullied by Yvette. That only made his anger grow.


    Richard, now realizing that this young girl was the Yvette they had been discussing, sized her up from head to toe with a somewhat hostile gaze. Yvette sensed this and looked back, her expression calm but sharp enough to surprise Richard. This Yvette is no pushover, Richard thought.


    Ignoring Richard, Zachary affectionately pulled Yvette to sit next to him, smiling with indulgence. ¡°Come, sit with me,¡± he said.


    Yvette nodded, hands still in her pockets, and slowly made her way to the seat beside Zachary. She sat down, crossing her legs,pletely indifferent to the eyes on her.


    Zachary, doting on Yvette, continued to serve her food, not caring what anyone else thought. After all, it was not often that they had a chance to share a meal together. Everyone else in the room seemed to fade into the background.


    Richard, seeing how Zachary and Yvette ignored everyone around them, grew even more displeased. Yvette clearlycked manners, he thought. He deliberately let out a cold snort, loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Mr. Zachary Chambers, your daughter seems tock some respect. Does she not acknowledge my presence?¡±


    Just moments ago, he was not addressing Zachary formally. The shift in tone made it obvious that Richard was angry.


    Zachary, no pushover himself, grew colder as he replied, ¡°Mr. Griffin, what are you trying to say? Are you suggesting that I¡¯ve been a poor host? If you¡¯re unhappy with me, feel free to say so directly.¡±


    With that, Zachary subtly redirected Richard¡¯s displeasure toward himself, signaling that any issues should be dealt with between them.


    Everyone at the table understood the message, though their reactions varied.


    Winona was gripping her fork so tightly it nearly bent. Zachary was truly biased to his core. She had nned to use Richard


    to teach Yvette a lesson, bur xpected Zachary would actually offend Richard for Yvette¡¯s sake, disregarding her


    entirely. Winona nced at Richard¡¯s angry face. Things were spiraling beyond her control.


    Seeing Zachary siding with Yvette so openly, Richard felt humiliated. Since bing president, he had been treated with the utmost respect everywhere he went. And now, Zachary was willing to offend him over a daughter he had only recently reconnected with. It seemed he was not afraid that Richard might refuse to take Winona as his disciple in retaliation.

 Chapter 120

    Richard put down his fork, and everyone at the table didn¡¯t even dare to breathe.


    Only Yvette kept her head down, unaffectedly enjoying her meal


    This behavior showed ack of concern in Nellie¡¯s and the other¡¯s eyes, as Yvette heartlessly let Zachary take the heat for her without a second thought.


    Nellie silently cursed Yvette, who sat across from her countless times.


    Richard noticed it, too.


    ¡°Mr. Zachary Chambers, since you don¡¯t appreciate my gesture, I have nothing more to say. But your daughter is already in her twenties. Bullying her own sister is inexcusable. Everyone is here today, so she should exin herself. Can she really rely on the Chambers family to protect her forever when she enters society?¡± His voice was upset.


    Then, he stared at Yvette, indicating he wouldn¡¯t let her go until she exined.


    Zachary¡¯s anger red. He wondered what Richard was referring to by bullying. He knew Yvette wouldn¡¯t waste her time bullying Winona. ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yvette interrupted, her voice calm and steady.


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡®Does she really not know me: She must be doing this on purpose, he mused. Doesn¡¯t she even know who her family invited? How is that possible? She¡¯s clearly trying to insult me.


    Winona stood up and nervously nced at Yvette, looking scared. ¡°Mr. Griffin, it wasn¡¯t intentional. She just got back from the countryside and might not recognize you. Please don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    Then, she nced at Yvette again, her voice bing softer. ¡°Yvic, please apologize to him. Don¡¯t make it difficult for Dad, okay? Please. Mr. Griffin¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, so please don¡¯t anger him.¡±


    Winona spoke with heartfelt sincerity and thoughtfulness. She appeared filial and kind, deeply touching Victor and the others.


    It was clear to Nellie now that Winona was using Richard to pressure Yvette.


    She, too, stood up and joined in the conversation. ¡°Yvette, Winona¡¯s right. Even if you don¡¯t know Mr. Griffin, he¡¯s still an elder. Just apologize, okay?¡±


    Already displeased with Yvette, Victor desperately wanted Richard to teach her a lesson. ¡°Yeah, Yvette, you were out of line. How could you disrespect Mr. Griffin?¡±


    Zeke relished in the drama as Yvette¡¯s ingratitude led him to give up his concern for her.


    Winona was right. For now, Yvette was their mutual enemy.


    He nced at her with glee, curious to see if she would apologize in this situation, musing, Didn¡¯t she always act tough? I wonder how she¡¯ll maintain her bravado with so many against her.


    ¡°Yvie, Mr. Griffin¡¯s older than Dad. Surely, you understand the importance of respecting your elders. Just apologize already. Why make this more difficult for yourself?¡± Winona urged.


    Richard shed a smug smile. With so many backing him, he was sure Yvette would apologize to him. Then, he would


    humiliate her to vent his frustration


    So, the man stood there, waiting for Yvette to give in and apologize, with everyone¡¯s condemning gazes focused on her.


    Yvette leaned back in her chair, casually crossed her arms and legs, and sipped her coffee. She lifted her cynical gaze and pressed her lips together, saying coldly, ¡°You want me to apologize?


    Richard sneered. ¡°As your elder, if you apologize to me, I¡¯ll graciously forgive you. We¡¯ve all been young and reckless. Just say sorry to me and Winona, and we can move past this.¡±


    Winona struggled to contain the excitement bubbling up inside her. She could already picture Yvette bowing her head, humbly apologizing.


    Yvette scoffed, her expression turning frosty. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time someone had told her such a joke.


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re worthy of my apology? A lot of people expect me to apologize, but¡­¡± she paused, a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    The woman continued, ¡°Most of them are dead now. If you¡¯re willing, I wouldn¡¯t mind sending you their way.¡±


    The others were stunned by the wild intensity in her eyes, briefly convinced that she was not lying and had actually taken at life.


    Richard was so furious that his hands trembled. He pointed at Yvette while clutching his heart, looking like he was about to faint.


    Seeing this, the two people with him quickly produced medicine bottles from their pockets, supported him, and fed him at few white pills.


    Richard had a severe heart condition and almost always carried heart medication with him.


    The two of them trembled with fear. If anything happened to Richard, they would lose their backing in Art Association.


    Winona rushed over to him, helping him catch his breath while ring at Yvette, dropping her niceties act


    Zachary massaged his temples, feeling an iing headache. He mused, ¡®Yvette is determined to drive Richard crazy. It¡¯s also bad news for us if Richard suffers a mishap here.¡¯


    Neither Victor, Zeke, nor Nellie expected Richard to be so upset by Yvette. They gathered around the man with concern while Zachary remained by Yvette¡¯s side.


    Once Richard calmed down, he red at Yvette, wanting to tear her apart.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that she not only refused to apologize but also mocked him, saying she could end his life.


    Yvette stood upzily, ncing at him and the others opposite her.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her expression remained unchanged in response to their hostile res as if she were looking at a crowd of the dead


    She turned to the side and raised a brow at Zachary. ¡°Are we leaving or not?¡±


    Zachary paused. He caught Yvette¡¯s gaze and understood what she meant. The choice was more than whether to leave.


    Leaving would mean choosing Yvette while staying behind would mean giving up on Yvette in her eyes. Zachary smiled biuerly.


    He mused. If that happens, she won¡¯t attend the event tomorrow


    Zachary nced at Nellie and Winona, seeing the hope and anticipation in their eyes.


    Yvette nced at Zachary, who seemed torn and indecisive, with irritation flickering in her eyes. She turned to leave.


    Zachary gritted his teeth, decided, and looked at Yvette with determination. ¡°Yvette, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s head home together,¡± he said.


    The next moment, Nellie slumped onto the bench, her eyes red and frightening, showing signs of madness. Deep down, she still held onto a sliver of hope.


    Even if he didn¡¯t choose me, he can¡¯t possibly leave Zeke and Winona behind, can he? They are his biological kids, too. Are they not more important than Yvette, who just returned to the family? she sobbed inwardly.


    Meanwhile, Winona didn¡¯t react strongly, but the trembling in her left hand revealed her inner turmoil.

 Chapter 121

    A silent


    $75 filled the private room.


    After Zachary left with Yvette decisively, Winona convinced Richard to return to his room.


    Before he did, he stated, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Yvette pays for this.¡±


    No one uttered a word, especially Nellie, whose expression of rage and insanity seemed to threaten to engulf her.


    Yvette hung her head low in Zachary¡¯s car on the way back to the Chambers residence, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.


    Zachary, not wanting to disturb her rest, remained silent. He stole a few nces at her.


    He had no idea how to handle his daughter. How would her stubborn nature fit into society? Who would protect her once he was gone!


    Zachary suddenly thought of Jeremiah, who had previously appeared at the police station. He wondered if someone from Jeremiah¡¯s background would be interested in Yvette.


    He might have some sway if they were in Seacrity, but Jeremiah¡¯s background wasn¡¯t simple. He probably belonged to one of those long-established affluent families in Betrico.


    These families greatly valued social status and equal matches, so the more Zachary thought about it, the more troubled he became. He unknowingly let out a gentle sigh.


    Yvette slowly opened her eyes, her expression calm and her gaze captivating. She turned and looked at her dad, her voice rxed. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡±


    Zachary was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice Yvette was awake. Her sudden question startled him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.


    She nodded and probed, ¡°Why are you sighing?¡±


    It took Zachary a few moments of pondering before he finally spoke, looking somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Um, Yvette, are you interested in that major general that showed up at the police stationst time?¡±


    Yvette was surprised, not understanding why Zachary suddenly brought up Jeremiah. ¡°Why mention him?¡±


    Zachary scrutinized her and saw that when he mentioned Jeremiah, Yvette didn¡¯t react unusually, making him think he might be overthinking


    Maybe Yvette was genuinely uninterested in Jeremiah, which eased his mind.


    Had he and Lilian not had such a vast family disparity, they wouldn¡¯t have met Matthew¡¯s opposition and endured many hardships.


    Unlike Winona, who was set for an arranged marriage to solidify their status, Zachary truly hoped for Yvette to find happiness.


    Zachary chuckled and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I was just curious, so don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    She nced at him before closing her eyes and staying quiet.


    Lucas was already waiting at the door when they arrived at the Chambers residence,


    After he woke up, he sensed something was off. The man asked around and discovered that Yvette hadn¡¯t returned. He also called Fabian dozens of times, but no one answered. Then, the butler knew something must have gone wrong.


    He was frantic that something bad might have happened to Yvette. Just as he was about to call Zachary, he received a message from him, which calped Lucas down. It turned out Yvette had been taken to Exoir Hotel.


    Lucas wanted to bring her back personally, but a surprise visitor arrived just as he stepped out. And so, he had no choice but to stay and entertain the guest.


    Lucas led the staff as they gathered at the door. He quickened his pace to greet Yvette and Zachary respectfully when they returned.


    ¡°Mr. Chambers. Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re back. The person delivering the dress has arrived and is waiting for you, Ms. Zeller, Lucas stated.


    Zachary nodded and tumed to Yvette. Let¡¯s go, Yveite. Check out the wress that Tasked the Sterling family to tailor for you. They say Sienna only makes five dresses a year. I thought she wouldn¡¯t take the job, merely wanting to try my luck. Surprisingly, she agreed right after asking who it was for, and we didn¡¯t even discuss the price.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Yvette paused, her eyebrow raised. ¡°Sienna?¡±


    Zachary often heard how hard it was to persuade Sienna to make clothes from Nellie and others.


    He didn¡¯t pay much attention to the fashion world and knew nothing about the woman¡¯s personality. All he knew was that she was notoriously difficult to deal with.


    Zachary thought it was all rumors, though. He had talked to Sienna on the phone, and she seemed friendly and polite.


    Lucas looked hesitant before he whispered something into Zachary¡¯s ears.


    Just like that, Zachary¡¯s expression turned odd. He raised his voice slightly, looking at Lucas doubtfully. ¡°Sienna came personally? She¡¯s in the living room now?¡±


    Lucas was surprised when he first saw her. ¡°Why would someone as busy as Ms. Sterlinge herself just to deliver a dress?¡± he mused. This is absurd. Since when does she have to handle these minor matters?¡±


    Lucas nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yes, Mr. Chambers. Ms. Sterling has been sitting in the living room for half an hour now,¡±


    Zachary didn¡¯t expect her to have waited for half an hour now. It was impolite on their part, and hardly anyone wouldn¡¯t get impatient by now.


    He quickly entered the room, momentarily forgetting that Yvette was behind him. She didn¡¯t say anything and just followed him at a leisurely pace,


    A young woman, probably in her twenties, sat in the middle of the living room. She wore hot pants and a tank top, with long purple hair down to her waist. Her ears had shy pink earrings, and she wore two-inch high heels.


    Sienna was drinking coffee.


    To Zachary¡¯s surprise, she didn¡¯t seem impatient. Instead, she looked excited, scanning her surroundings


    Sienna felt disappointed and didn¡¯t bother getting up to greet Zachary when she noticed he was alone.


    The disappointment was obvious even to Zachary. He wondered what was going on.


    The next moment, when Sienna saw the person following Zachary, her eyes lit up. She excitedly stood up and walked over.


    Zachary thought she wasing to greet him and eagerly stepped forward. Then, he watched as the woman bypassed him and went straight to Yvette.


    Surprisingly, she even reached out her arms as if to hug Yvette.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t seed. Yvette put up a hand to block her by the shoulder. ¡°I dare you to take another step.¡±


    Sienna had no choice but to stop. She looked at Yvette with a pitiful gaze, her eyes carrying a hint of usation as if saddened by her heartlessness and shamelessness.


    Wette ignored her gaze and didn¡¯t bother to respond. She walked directly to the couch and sat down.


    That left Zachary and Latcas standing ther

 Chapter 122

    Yvette massaged her temples, watching Sienna¡¯s smug face from across her. She was exasperated, thinking. ¡®What kind ofme excuse is that? Who would believe you?¡±


    As expected, Zachary wore a ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡± look. Even the housekeepers in the living room noticed Sienna¡¯s tant lies.


    Meanwhile, Sienna continued making faces at Yvette as if afraid people wouldn¡¯t figure out their rtionship.


    Zachary didn¡¯t want to expose her lies, so he went along with it. Ms. Sterling, since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t disturb you two. I need to handle some matters, too.


    With that, he turned to Lucas and said sternly, ¡°Come upstairs with me.¡±


    Sienna secretly wished everyone in the living room would leave, leaving her and Yvette behind, so she quickly nodded.


    ¡°Mr. Chambers, go ahead with your work. Don¡¯t mind me. Yvette and¡­ I mean, Ms. Zeller and I will be fine here,¡± she voiced.


    On Sienna¡¯s face was an expression that screamed, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet? Can¡¯t you move any faster.¡±


    Zachary sighed, wondering why he wasn¡¯t weed.


    After Zachary and Lucas went upstairs, Sienna nced at the other housekeepers. ¡°You all can leave. I¡¯ll stay here with Ms. Zeller. Leave the gown. I¡¯ll try it on her myself


    The housekeepers exchanged nces but didn¡¯t move. Then, they looked at Yvette. Seeing her nod gently, they left


    Once everyone had left, Sienna jumped up from the couch and rushed to Yvette. Then, she crouched down, hugging Yvene¡¯s leg, and started wailing theatrically.


    ¡°Wow, Boss! You¡¯re finally back. You¡¯ve been gone for three years, leaving Vibe with me. I¡¯ve worked diligently, never daring to ck off, and have been so busy. I haven¡¯t even had time to date!¡± Sienna cried.


    She said while pointing to her cheeks, ¡°Look at my face. Once full of cogen, now it¡¯s gone for good. The fine lines around my eyes are even more than three years ago. If this keeps up, I¡¯ll never get married. If that happens, I¡¯ll have to stick with you forever.¡±


    Yvette sat on the couch with her legs crossed. Her eyes were cold as she stayed silent.


    Without reacting to Sienna, who was dramatically ying the victim, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three minutes to say what you


    want.¡±


    Sienna peeked through her fingers at Yvette. She paused and cautiously asked in a small voice, ¡°Boss, can you take charge of the designs for next quarter¡¯s ready-to-wear collection?¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the couch armrest.


    Sienna¡¯s heart beat in sync with the tapping, thinking, ¡®Geez, she still just as intimidating after three years.¡±


    Sienna had already seen how extraordinary Yvette was the first time they met.


    She had never seen a girl, not even 18 years old, make over 20 strong men kneel and beg for mercy.


    Sienna had never seen such a talented person before. Even without any background in fashion design, Yvette¡¯s casually drawn sketches were enough for the principal of the top fashion school in Mysonna to deliver an eptance letter to her personally.


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork


    @


    Moreover, Yvette pult up 160 million dors to help a girl she had only met twice start a fashionpany, then disappeared for three years, making all significant decisions solely through phone calls.


    She experienced all of this three years ago, and Sienna was the person who, after just meeting Yvette twice, received an investment of 160 million dors.


    Indeed, Sienna¡¯s current position wasrgely due to her hard work, but it was made possible by Yvette¡¯s initial support. Without that investment, Vibe, worth 2 billion dors today, wouldn¡¯t exist.


    Yvette nced at Sienna, who was lost in her memories. ¡°Sure,¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Sienna snapped out of her memories and asked, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, amused. She replied casually. ¡°Oh, forget it then.¡±


    There was no way Sienna would let Yvette back out now after all the effort she put into getting this chance. She quickly. shed a charming smile.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ Boss, I was just too surprised. I need it. I really need your help,¡± the woman pleaded..


    Yvette teased, ¡°All right, once I¡¯m done with the drawing. I¡¯ll send it to you. You can date someone now.¡±


    Sienna knew Yvette had already figured out her little scheme, so she scratched her head awkwardly. Even though she dressed like a rebellious teen, she acted like a schoolgirl before Yvette.


    ¡°Boss, actually, I have a boyfriend, and he¡¯s from the Goodman family in Mysonna. His name is Nathan. Sienna admitted.


    Yvette leisurely picked up the coffee cup and paused, showing no hint of surprise in her eyes.


    Sienna knew her boss wasn¡¯t as simple as she had thought. Besides, the Goodman family was quite famous in Mysonna, so it wasn¡¯t weird that Yvette knew Nathan.


    Meanwhile, Yvette drank her coffee. She wasn¡¯t fond of the current cuppared to the coffee in Simon¡¯s office.


    Yvette looked up at Sienna, a look of seriousness on her face. ¡°If you want to be with Nathan, you need to be ready for the dangers that maye in the future. If you¡¯re looking for a simpler life, stay away from him.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t like small talk. When speaking, she got straight to the point. No one had the right to interfere in someone else¡¯s life, and she was no exception.


    As for Sienna, she got up and sat on the couch quietly after hearing Yvette¡¯s advice. Her eyes were filled with a mix of mncholy and hesitance.


    After a while, Siennaughed bitterly.


    ¡°Boss, I realized a long time ago that he¡¯s not just an ordinary person. Nathan ims he¡¯s in legitimate trade, but I¡¯ve seen groups of well-trained men dressed in cke to him several times. Twice, he returned at night smelling like blood. Nathan thinks he¡¯s fooled mepletely, but I¡¯ve always known the truth. I just¡­ always let him believe I knew nothing. Boss, you know Nathan. What exactly does he do? Could you please tell me?¡± the woman probed.


    Sienna¡¯s eyes were hopeful as if just one word from Yvette could dispel all her doubts and hesitations.


    Meanwhile, Yvette¡¯s face was alluring in the sunset glow, with a cold expression and slightly narrowed almond-shaped eyes.


    Yvette exined, ¡°Nathan, the heir to the leading underground matia family in Mysonna, the Goodman family, which controls most of the firearms and drug business there. He¡¯s the eldest son, raised by Damian Goodman since he was young. Five years ago, he took over the family¡¯s legitimate business operations while alsoundering money on the side. Nathan. appears gentle, but he¡¯s true muthless. Over the vents in meanle huve verished in his hands¡±


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    The light in Sienna¡¯s eyes gradually faded.


    She had never imagined that the boyfriend she had been with for a year and nned to spend the rest of her life with was the eldest son of a mafia family in Mysonna


    Guns? Drugs? Murder? These words had never appeared in her life. But now, they seemed closer than ever. She felt a dark cloud looming over her while her heart twisted and turned in turmoil and pain.


    Just the thought of Nathan¡¯s murderous acts made her feel sick. She fought to suppress the nausea rising inside her and forced a weak sinile at Yvette.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m leaving now. The dress is in the box, tailored to your size, so it should fit. I-I¡¯ll be going now,¡± she said.


    With that, the woman quickly walked away. Yvette sat on the couch, silently watching her leave.

 Chapter 123

    As soon as Sienna stepped outside, she ran into Nellic. Winona, and Zeke, who wereing back from the restaurant.


    Nellie immediately recognized Sienna; she had invited her several times before to design custom dresses.


    After all, anyone who wore Sienna¡¯s dress was certain to gain the fashion industry¡¯s attention.


    Nellie wasn¡¯tcking money right now; what she needed was fame.


    Sienna was preupied with thoughts of Nathan, and Nellie was in a bit of a daze. Without realizing it, they bumped into each other.


    Only then did Sienna notice the three people in front of her.


    She knew these three from before she went to Mysonna, especially Winona.


    She and Winona were about the same age, and Winona was quite well-known among the prestigious families.


    As for Zeke, he was a troublemaker who once tried to pursue her, and she had pped him for that. He retaliated, and if she hadn¡¯t left the country, he¡¯d probably still be bothering her endlessly.


    Nellie was about to start shouting, but when she saw it was Sienna, her expression changed instantly from anger to delight in just two seconds.


    ¡°Oh wow, isn¡¯t this Ms. Sterling? Are you here to deliver a dress to Yvette?¡±


    Nellie and Winona both hoped that Sienna would deny it. They held onto the slim chance that someone like Yvette wouldn¡¯t. have Sienna deliver a dress in person.


    Zeke narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at Sienna


    Hearing her name, he finally recognized that she was the Sienna he failed to pursue a few years ago. How did she be


    like this?


    The Sienna from before was such a well-behaved girl, dressing verydylike. How did her fashion sense be so wild


    now?


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh ar how the fashion industry couldpletely change a person.


    Zeke couldn¡¯t understand why so many people were crazy about the clothes designed by women like her.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day, when Yvette showed up at the party wearing a custom dress made by Sienna that he realized what it meant to be truly breathtaking.


    Sienna didn¡¯t even look at the three of them, nor did she spare Nellie a friendly nce. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with a bunch of schemers who harbored ill intentions toward her boss.


    Sienna acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard Nellie, walking right past her, Winona, and Zeke, and got into the car.


    She started the sports car and zoomed away in an instant, leaving only exhaust fumes and the three of them standing there, stunned


    Nellie didn¡¯t care whether the housekeepers were watching or not. She hurled curses,pletelycking the poise of a


    socialite


    It took Winona and Zeke a while to calm Nellie down


    In the study. Zachary sat at the desk, lost in thought, his gaze sharp.


    Lucas stood to the side, but this time he wasn¡¯t as rxed. His face was a bit tense.


    ¡°We can¡¯t reach Fabian? His phone¡¯s been off since noon?¡± Zachary asked.


    Lucas nodded.


    48


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve already investigated. Late at night, someone saw Fabian secretly take a call, then he kept tossing and turning in bed. ording to his roommate, a driver, Fabian seemed unable to sleep and got up very early. I¡¯ve had my blood tested and it confirms I¡¯ve been drugged with sleeping pills. I¡¯ve also checked Fabian¡¯s luggage and documents, and they¡¯ve all disappeared. Mr. Chambers, he must have left Seacrity by now, Lucas reported.


    In just a few hours, Lucas had uncovered so much information, which was efficient.


    Zachary wasn¡¯t unreasonable, and much of his anger had dissipated.


    Zachary reached into his drawer and took out a cigar, lit it, and took a puff.


    It was clear someone was targeting Yvette. Besides his suspicions about Nellie, there was another person who seemed very suspicious, but Zachary didn¡¯t want to think this way.


    He¡¯d rather believe it was Nellie plotting against Yvette than imagine it could be the kid he¡¯d watched grow UP.


    After a while, Zachary let out a barely audible sigh. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s end this investigation. There¡¯s no need to dig further.¡±


    Lucas had also figured it out. Clearly, it was someone from the house who did it.


    Seeing that Zachary didn¡¯t want to pursue it any longer, Lucas understood he must have realized who did it and said, ¡°Okay,


    Mr. Chambers.¡±


    Zachary sat at the table smoking a cigar while Lucas silently stood beside him.


    After Zachary finished his cigar, he looked up at the antique clock on the wall and realized it was already six in the evening ¡°How¡¯s the setup for tomorrow¡¯s party? Has Mrs. Chambers shown any special interest in anything?¡±


    Lucas shook his head, unsure why Zachary asked that, and wondered, ¡°What did he mean by special interest?¡±


    Lucas hadn¡¯t attended today¡¯s party, so he didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    He chose to leave with Yvette, knowing that based on how well Zachary knew Nellie, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go easily. There was no telling what tricks she might pull to trouble Yvette.


    Lucas carefully looked at Zachary¡¯s expression and replied respectfully, ¡°Mr. Chambers, the party arrangements have mostly been handled by Mrs. Chambers herself. I haven¡¯t heard of any special ns.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Tomorrow at the party, you need to keep a close watch on her. If you notice anything unusual, tell me immediately.¡±


    Lucas didn¡¯t know why, but he would always listen to his boss.


    Over the years, Lucas thrived in the Chambers family, and he became Zachary¡¯s trusted confidant. This was not only due to his cleverness and attention to detail but also his unmatched loyalty.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, tomorrow I¡¯ll make sure to stay by Mrs. Chambers¡¯ side, Lucas said.


    Zachary closed his eyes, indicating he didn¡¯t want to talk anymore, and waved his hand to signal Lucas to leave.


    In the dark, Zachary¡¯s presence appeared unusually lonely..


    Lucas quietly stepped back to the door and carefully closed it without making a sound.


    He already sensed that tomorrow¡¯s banquet might be chaotic. What happened today to make Zachary to be so wary of Nellie?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    In the bedroom, Nellie stared nkly at herself in the mirror, lost in thought, until a sly grin suddenly spread across her face.


    Then, she picked up her phone from the makeup table and sent a text message.


    After getting a reply a few minutester, she started talking to herself in the mirror. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯ll make sure you end up with nothing. I¡¯ll ruin youpletely. Hahaha!¡±


    After Zeke and Winona escorted Nellie to her room, they returned to their own rooms without speaking to each other.


    The carefully prepared dinner by the housekeeper was leff untouched. Zachary, Yvette, Nellie, Winona, and Zeke didn¡¯te down to eat.


    After telling the housekeepers to clear the table, Lucas hesitated for a moment before deciding to go upstairs to brief Nellie on the details and issues regarding tomorrow¡¯s banquet.


    He had to.


    Just as Lucas reached the bedroom door to knock, he heard an eerieugh from inside.


    Theugh startled Lucas, causing him to tremble slightly and freeze in ce as he wondered; ¡®Should I go in or not?


    As he was caught in his dilemma, the door opened.


    Nellie saw Lucas standing at the door and was surprised, and she gave him a somewhat unfriendly look. Her voice was eerie. ¡°What are you doing here? What did you hear?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Lucas had only heard Nellie¡¯s creepyughter and nothing else. He shook his head before saying, ¡°Mrs, Chambers, Mr. Chambers asked me to go over the details of tomorrow¡¯s party with you and check the seating n to see if any changes are needed¡±


    Nellie stared at Lucas momentarily before finally looking away and instructing. ¡°Come in.¡±


    In her bedroom. Winona paced back and forth with her phone in her hand, her eyes fixed on the screen, hoping she wouldn¡¯t miss any messages. Winona had been waiting from six in the evening until eleven at night, but there was still not message. She finally gave up, tossed her phone on the table, and went to remove her makeup and wash up.


    ed to be at my best in front of everyone for tomorrow¡¯s party. Winona thought determinedly.


    Winona waited for Jeremiah¡¯s reply. She had tried hard to get Jeremiah¡¯s phone number and had been texting him since early morning, inviting him to tomorrow¡¯s party. However, by midnight, when Winona had finished getting ready for bed, Jeremiah still hadn¡¯t replied. In fact, if Winona sent Jeremiah another text, she would realize she had already been blocked. Unfortunately, Winona still had hope.


    At least having Jeremiah¡¯s number meant she still had a chance. Besides, who could predict what the future would bring? After all, she couldn¡¯t believe Jeremiah would remain faithful to Yvette forever. Winona was sure that sooner orter, they would tired of each other. Soon after, Winona fell into a sweet dream, full of excitement for the next day. She fell asleep quickly, and whatever she was dreaming about made her smile like a Cheshire cat.


    The next day, the Chambers family had thousands of red and yellow roses flown in from overseas, all picked the day before and delivered overnight to Seacrity. The Chambers family decided to host the party in their backyard of more than 10,000 square feet.


    Zachary had specifically instructed Lucas to ce identical signs at the entrance to the garden indicating both events to emphasize the importance they ced on both the apprenticeship ceremony and the wee home party. Zachary wanted everyone to know that he treated everyone equally.


    That day, the Chamber family¡¯s housekeepers wore matching uniforms as they circted the event, each carrying wine and pastries flown from Mysonna that morning. Nellie even made a special effort to hire Seacrity¡¯s most famous pastry chef to prepare forty-nine types of desserts just for the party. The party cost nearly 3.3 million dors, making it one of Seacrity¡¯s most expensive events.


    When Nellie got up in the morning, she instructed the driver to take Richard from Exoir Hotel to the Chambers residence, Then, she went to the kitchen for breakfast


    Last night, Zachary slept in the guest room on the second floor. When he returned, he usually spent more nights in the guest room than in the master bedroom, and Nellie was used to it. It was always the same. Whenever they argued, Zachary went silently to the guest room, pretending Nellie did not even exist.


    No matter how frustrated Nellie felt, she could only hold it in because she was deeply in love with Zachary, Life would be meaningless to Nellie if Zachary chose to leave her one day, so she was always the first to apologize to him.


    That time was no different. Even though Zachary had publicly embarrassed her, she couldn¡¯t let him go. Nellie had to give in again. ¡°Darling, are you awake? Nellie asked as she stood at the door and knocked gently a few times, but there was no answer. Even so, Nellie kept knocking patiently.


    Atst, Zachary opened the door. He was already dressed in a dark suit with a neatly knotted tie for the party. He even wore an antique watch that he did not wear very often. He looked at Nellic, who was holding breakfast at the door and felt a little guilty, so he was not as cold as usual. ¡°Have you had breakfast yet? If not, why don¡¯t youe down and join me?¡± Zachary suggested.


    Nellie was surprised by Zachary¡¯s offer. She had been prepared for Zachary¡¯s usual indifference, but his attitude waspletely different at that time. She nodded happily, her voice filled with excitement. ¡°All right! Yes!¡± she chirped, her surprise and joy evident in her voice,


    When they went downstairs and sat at the dining table, Nellie asked the housekeeper to bring her another breakfast set. The kitchen staff was puzzled by Nellie¡¯s request since she had eaten less than half an hour before. When Nellie attended a party. she usually ate less than usual. They wondered why she was eating more on such an important day. Although the kitchen staff was curious, they went ahead and obediently prepared another serving


    Zachary picked up the newspaper on the table. It was full of news about the Chambers family Zachary scanned it, but nothing was special: there was just some gossip and nothing too serious After all, the entertainment section always needed a httle sensationalism. Zachary sipped his coffee and nced at Nellie before asking. ¡°Which newspaper did you give the exclusive rights to cover today¡¯s party?¡±


    Nellie¡¯s hand hung in the air as an uneasy feeling enveloped her. She studied Zachary¡¯s expression, which seemed matter-of- fact, as if he were only asking casually.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Nellie felt reassured and confidently replied, ¡°Well, I was going to give it to Seacrity Financial, but their editor seems to be in some legal troubletely. I was worried there might be some issues, so I gave the exclusive to Seacrity Daily instead. Their editor assured me that they would promote it heavily. Still, I only gave them three invitations. I¡¯m worried that too many reporters might upset some guests.¡±


    Zachary was not overly concerned about such matters. Nellie always had a knack for social situations and handled them with ease. Zachary nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Hmm, not bad. Three reporters will be enough. You¡¯ve considered this carefully.¡±


    When Nellie heard Zachary¡¯spliments, she beamed even wider.


    Zachary put down his coffee as Lucas returned from the garden. Lucas had been busy since five o¡¯clock in the morning, and now the garden was finally ready to wee guests. It had been a long time since Lucas had seen Zachary and Nellie having breakfast together, so he was a little surprised.


    Yesterday, Mr. Chambers had instructed me to keep an eye on Mrs. Chambers, but today they seem so affectionate Lucas thought confusedly as he walked over to the dining table. He greeted Zachary and Nellie respectfully and said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, the garden setup isplete.¡±


    Zachary looked over at Lucas. Since Lucas was getting on in years and had been dealing with a lot recently, he looked a little tired, so Zachary kindly suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and rest for a bit? There¡¯s an evening party you can attend. Let the housekeepers take care of the minor tasks. After all this time, haven¡¯t you learned to delegate? At your age, you should stop trying to do everything yourself.¡±


    Zachary seemed to be giving Lucas a hard time, but he was actually showing concern for Lucas. Nellie chimed in with a 1 words of concern from her seat across the room. ¡°Yes, Lucas. Take a short break. Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Nellie advised


    Lucas felt touched. His eyes became slightly moist as he thought, It was indeed my good fortune to meet Mr. Chambers. Over the years, Lucas had lived morefortably than any other butler working for prestigious families, rarely getting into trouble, which was a rarity in upper-ss families.


    As for Nellie, Lucas simply listened to her pretentious concern, fully aware that she was the one who had insisted that he supervise the garden workte at night. And now she¡¯s saying this? For what? Lucas fumed inwardly, understanding everything perfectly.

 Chapter 125

    Lucas lowered his head as he said, ¡°All right, Mr. Chambers. I have something else to report. Yvette¡¯s makeup team had a problem from Betrico to Seacrity, and they might not arrive on time. Should we call for the backup makeup artist?¡±


    That was an unforeseen circumstance. Fortunately, Lucas was experienced. To prevent such problems, he had a backup n. and hired two makeup artists. If there was any problem with one, the other could step in. That was why Lucas was still calmly reporting the situation to Zachary


    Zachary was not overly concerned. He replied, ¡°Just get it sorted out. Get the other makeup artist toe over immediately. Yvette is probably still asleep. When they arrive, have the staff wake her up. Let her get some rest; it¡¯s going to be a long day


    Nellie sat in the chair, head down, suppressing her hatred. She picked up her milk as if nothing was wrong, hiding the hint of malice in her eyes as she scoffed inwardly, ¡®Makeup artist? I wonder which makeup artist is brave enough to do Yvette¡¯s makeup!


    Lucas did not waste any time. He took out his phone and called the backup makeup artist directly. The call connected, but after exchanging only a few words. Lucas nodded mechanically and hung up. His expression was stiff and stoic.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Zachary could tell from Lucas¡¯ expression that something unexpected had happened. Zachary¡¯s face turned somber. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Lucas had no choice but to be honest. ¡°Mr. Chambers, the backup makeup artist said he got into a car ident and has just been taken to the hospital, so he can¡¯t make it,¡± Lucas exined.


    Zachary had never expected such an unlikely thing to happen right at the crucial moment. ¡®Since the poor guy had a car. ident and is hospitalized, surely, I can¡¯t force him toe now, Zachary thought, frowning,


    It was a tricky situation. Zachary might not know much about such things, but he knew that good makeup artists must have been booked in advance. Trying to find a good one now would be nearly impossible, and Zachary did not want topromise with just anyone. If Yvette uses an average makeup artist today, the guests might gossip, and who knows what stories they might spread outside? I don¡¯t want Yvette to suffer such unnecessary embarrassment, Zachary thought worriedly.


    Right then, Nellie suddenly spoke up, Darling, if Yvette doesn¡¯t mind, she can use Winona¡¯s makeup artist. Since we are running out of time and I have coincidentally hired two makeup artists for Winona, they could each have one. It would work out perfectly.¡±


    Zachary still had doubts about Nellie, but he did not think she would be so bold as to y a trick on Yvette openly. He hesitated momentarily before finally agreeing, ¡°All right, let¡¯s stick with that n. Two makeup artists-one for Yvette and one for Winona so there won¡¯t be any time conflict.¡±


    Nellie was pleased with the oue and understood why Zachary paused before agreeing. She scoffed inwardly. In the end, it all came down to him not trusting me. Hmph! But that¡¯s fine. He has to believe that I wouldn¡¯t dare to hurt Yvette. Too bad. I n to do just the opposite. I already have a n, and even if things get out in the end, I can make sure that no suspicion falls on me


    At lunchtime, Winona and Zeke went downstairs together. When they saw Zachary sitting on the sofa, there was no awkwardness as they approached him and greeted him warmly, Good afternoon, Dad It seemed as if the incident of Zachary choosing Yvette over them yesterday had never happened.


    Zachary was quite pleased with how well-behaved they were. His expression softened with kindness as he replied, ¡°Winona! Zeke! Lora has kept your share. Co and have a bite¡±


    Winona and Zeke exchanged nces and thought, Leftover food? So it¡¯s not freshly made? Both of them felt a little disappointed. Normally, they would not eat that kind of food-they would throw it away. However, they both knew Zachary did not like to waste food, so they always pretended not to mind in front of him.


    Given what happened yesterday, Winona and Zeke were feeling a bit uneasy. Although they did not say it directly, they were increasingly displeased with Zachary. After seeing what he had done yesterday, they knew Yvette was important to him. So now, regardless of how unhappy they were or how little appetite they had, they had no choice but to sit down and eat. They were taking their time eating. They still had not touched their tes after more than ten minutes.


    Winona looked around but saw no sign of Nellie. Normally, Nellie always hovered near Zachary. Today was an exception. It had been a long time, but there was still no sign of Nellie. ¡°Dad, where¡¯s Mom? Why haven¡¯t I seen her?¡± Winona asked sweetly, looking at Zachary,


    Zachary¡¯s expression turned cold.


    Winona felt anxious, unsure of what she might have said something wrong. Is it just because I asked where Mom was?¡¯ she wondered.


    ¡°She¡¯s at the west mansion entertaining the temperamental Mr. Griffin. He doesn¡¯t want toe here and insists on showing up only when the event begins, Zachary grumbled unhappily. Winona felt quite ufortable, as if on pins and needles.


    Yesterday, Zeke had also noticed how unfair Zachary was. He knew that he and Winona were on the same side at the moment. Even if they did not like each other, they were still blood-rted. Winona had be Richard¡¯s apprentice to pave the way for their future, and Zeke was not stupid. He knew who to support and who to help.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s normal for someone in Mr. Griffin¡¯s position to have a temper. Besides, yesterday, Yve upset him, and it was Winona who calmed him down. Without her, today¡¯s party might have been a disaster,¡± Zeke grumbled, rolling his eyes. Zeke seemed to be speaking for Richard, but he was actually reminding Zachary of how unfair he had been the day before.


    Sure enough. Zachary remained silent after hearing Zeke¡¯s words. However, the mood in the living room had be a little less cheerful.


    Winona looked at Zeke in surprise and wondered, Is Zeke supporting me now? Does he finally understand who our mutual enemy is?


    When Winona and Zeke saw Zachary head upstairs for a nap, they immediately put their forks down. Winona got up without saying anything and went to the west mansion, leaving Zeke behind.


    Zeke was a big guy, so he would not be satisfied with just that amount of food. He asked the housekeeper to bring some grilled fish and steak to his room. After all, he was not Winona, who had to maintain her figure for the banquet that night and was even avoiding drinking water.


    At the western mansion, Richard had deliberately refused to go to the main house to give Zachary a reality check. After returning to the hotel yesterday, Richard had be increasingly angry about what had happened at dinner that he had barely slept. Richard was determined to vent his anger at the party that night. He fumed inwardly. ¡°What would happen to my reputation if word got out that I, as chairman, allowed such a humiliation to happen?¡¯


    Nellie patiently tried to calm Richard down but to no avail. Finally, she had no choice but to reveal her n for that day.

 Chapter 126

    Upon hearing Nellie¡¯s words, Richard grinned slyly. He was pleased with her tactics against Yvette, though he thought they weren¡¯t harsh enough.


    Nellie was well aware of Richard¡¯s vindictive nature. She thought, I¡¯m not worried about him revealing any secrets. Given how Yvette disrespected him yesterday, I¡¯m certain Richard would want her to see her embarrass herself even more than I


    do


    Richard and Nellie exchanged knowing smiles. Each was harboring their own ns.


    Winona saw Richard and Nellie smiling at one another as she entered but pretended she hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°Mr. Griffin, Mom,¡± Winona greeted Richard before she greeted Nellie, and this tiny act of putting him first allowed her to make points with


    him.


    Besides the Cyanbird painting. Richard¡¯s apprentice Winona gratified him greatly. Thus, smiling at her tenderly, he asked, ¡°Winona, how did you sleepst night?¡±


    Winona smiled warmly. ¡°Mr. Griffin, please don¡¯tugh at me, but I¡¯ve been so thrilled about officially bing your apprentice today that I couldn¡¯t sleep all night.¡±


    Richardughed heartily when he heard this, and his gaze toward Winona grew kinder and more doting


    Nellie was pleased with how well Winona could read the situation and gratify Richard. She then thought, ¡®I feel reassured my efforts in raising Winona didn¡¯t go to waste. I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll be Zeke¡¯s best support in the future.


    What could Yvette possibly have topare with Winona? After today, she¡¯ll be Seacrity¡¯sughing stock and only be able to live in obscurity.


    Winona exchanged polite small talks with Richard before turning to Nellie, who sipped coffee on the side. ¡°Mom, I heard from Lora that you sent the makeup artist we hired to Yvie?¡± Winona asked.


    She was careful not to mention Yvette by her first name because she seemed sweet and considerate to Richard and had to keep up that persona.


    Nellie shot Richard a mysterious look, and they shared a tacit understanding. However, that left Winona utterly confused. wondering. ¡°Why would Mom be so kind as to send my makeup artist to Yvette? I can¡¯t make sense of it.


    Richard, who had already figured out why, spoke to the perplexed Winona, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Winona? Are you upset about that arrangement? Are you unhappy?¡±


    Winona immediately shook her head. Worried she¡¯d be misunderstood, she replied hurriedly, ¡°Mr. Griffin, why would I be? It¡¯s an honor Yvie chose my makeup artist. I¡¯m just puzzled about the change. Why can¡¯t her styliste all of a sudden? That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡±


    Nellie casually informed Winona, ¡°Oh, Yvette¡¯s makeup artist had a car ident and can¡¯te.¡±


    Winona¡¯s heart sank when she noticed Nellie¡¯s expression and suspected mentally, ¡°Wait, the makeup artist was involved in a car ident? The chances of that happening are incredibly low yet, it just happened? Mom must have orchestrated this


    somehow.


    Looking back on past events, Mom couldn¡¯t have aplished all those things all by herself. Could it be that her secret lover is involved again?


    I have long known that Mom has a secret lover. I¡¯ve tried to investigate, but she¡¯s always very discreet, and I don¡¯t want to be too obvious while investigating either. So, even now, I have no clue who this person is. I have no leads at all!


    Winona watched Nellie and Richard sip their coffee, lowered her head slightly, and didn¡¯t ask any further.


    ¦°


    Meanwhile, in the main-mansion¡¯s living room, Yvette had already gotten up at five in the morning for a run but avoided everyone on her way out and back.


    No one knew Yvette had gone out, and when she returned and woke up after taking a quick nap, everyone assumed she had just woken up then.


    Lucas rested for a while in the mansion before getting dressed in his uniform. That¡¯s when he met Yvette, who wasing


    down the stairs.


    Still dressed in her unbranded tracksuit and canvas shoes, Yvette¡¯s attire seemed mismatched to her exquisitely beautiful face. Despite that, Lucas greeted her respectfully, ¡°Miss, shall I prepare breakfast for you?¡±


    Technically, it was almost noon, but Lucas thought Yvette had just woken up so he asked if she wanted breakfast.


    Yvette casually slipped her hands into her pockets. Then, she pulled out a piece of vani toffee with her slender fingers, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. She did that all while staring at Lucas wordlessly.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Lucas felt uneasy under her gaze. What is that look from Ms. Zeller? Did I leave something on my face just now when I was rushing? he wondered anxiously while touching his face.


    Yvette paused noticing Lucas fiddling with his face. Subsequently, she reached into her pocket again and tossed him another piece of candy.


    Lucas instinctively caught the candy Yvette threw his way with an incredulous expression. At my age, I really shouldn¡¯t be eating these, especially since my teeth can¡¯t handle it.


    ¡°Go ahead and eat it. Your heart isn¡¯t getting enough blood flow. If you don¡¯t take care, you won¡¯tst more than a couple of years, Yvette warned.


    Lucas couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Although his heart had minor issues, it wasn¡¯t as serious as Yvette made it out to be. Yet, when he saw her seriousness, he was shaken up and thought he¡¯d better get it checked after the banquet. Little did he know, this simple act would end up saving his life.


    Yvette eyed the candy in Lucas¡¯ hand before nodding at him to take it. Lucas had long noticed Yvette¡¯s special fondness for this candy. He knew she really liked it. Therefore, not wanting to refuse her kind gesture, he unwrapped the candy and put it in his mouth, even if it meant risking his teeth.


    Lucas thought it was hard candy. However, to his surprise, the candy dissolved in his mouth immediately. It smelled sweet at first but had a slightly medicinal taste. Despite that, it wasn¡¯t bad, in fact, it was quite refreshing. After finishing it, Lucas even smacked his lips, savoring the aftertaste.


    Seeing Lucas had eaten it, Yvette went to the living room wordlessly but paused before a painting on the wall. Her expression was calm, but in her eyes was an inexplicably profound look with a hint of coldness. ¡®Oh, Zachary¡­ Ah, never mind, just a reminder would suffice,¡¯ she thought.


    Yvette nced back at Lucas, who still stood dumbfoundedly at the bottom of the stairs. Then, she looked upward and spoke with an icy tone, ¡°I suggest you take that painting down.¡±


    Hearing Yvette¡¯s voice brought Lucas back to reality. Ah, I must have looked so silly being immersed while enjoying a piece of candy. Oh, I¡¯m so embarrassed, he thought.


    Abashedly, Lucas walked over to Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, pardon me. What did you say? I didn¡¯t quite hear you.¡±


    Yvette tried to stay patient and repeated herself, ¡°Take this Cyanbird painting down.¡±


    Lucas was shocked and pondered, ¡°Take it down? How could I? Mrs. Chambers has stressed many! ced in the most noticeable spot so every guest can see it immediately,


    that it should be


    ¡®Ms. Zeller wouldn¡¯t say such a thing without reason. Before, I might have suspected her of jealousy, but now I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. What could be the reason then? Why does she want me to take it down?¡¯


    Lucas was puzzled, but taking it down was not an option. Therefore, he could only patiently exin to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t take the painting down. Both Mrs. Chambers and Mr. Griffin insisted strongly that it stay here. It was. specially prepared for today¡¯s banquet.¡±


    Yvette nced at the central painting again. With a meaningful gaze, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Oh, then suit yourselves.¡±

 Chapter 127

    Just as Laicas was unsure what to do with Yvette, a housekeeper reported, ¡°Lucas, the makeup artist has arrived and is waiting at the door.¡±


    Upon hearing the makeup artist¡¯s arrival, Lucas instructed the housekeeper to escort Winona back from the west side of the mansion for makeup. Then, he carefully approached Yvette, who was sitting on the couch.


    He said. ¡°Ms. Zeller, the makeup artist is here. Please go back to your room first. I¡¯ll have theme up to do your makeup shortly.


    Yvette was not interested in these matters, but remembering Lilian¡¯s dying wish, she nodded quietly and replied coldly. ¡°Got it


    Lucas thought for a moment and decided he needed to tell Yvette about the makeup artist. Just as he was about to speak, Winona and Nellie returned, interrupting him. Nellie said, ¡°Lucas, the makeup artist is here, right? Quickly, send her to Winona¡¯s room. We can¡¯t afford any dys.¡±


    After finishing her sentence, Nellie suddenly noticed Yvette sitting on the couch. With Zachary not around, Nellie stopped. pretending, and her words were filled with insincerity. ¡°Oh, Yvette, you¡¯re here too? My eyesight is getting bad¡±


    The living room couch was facing the door, making Yvette visible as soon as one entered, Still, Nellie insisted on making a few rude remarks to her.


    Winona stood quietly and thought, ¡®Mom will definitely not let Yvette off easily today!


    She figured she might as well enjoy the spectacle without getting herself involved. Her task today was to be the perfect, lofty princess admired and envied by everyone.


    Yvette didn¡¯t lift her head, her delicate, fair hands fiddling with her phone. Her gaze carried a unique, cool arrogance


    She uttered, ¡°If your eyesight is bad, you should check it sooner rather thanter because once it¡¯s toote, there¡¯s no going back.


    Nellie was speechless. Yvette¡¯s words infuriated her, causing her face to flush with rage. Nellie eximed inwardly. ¡°This brat is even more vicious than Lilian. Back in the day, I could deal with Lillian well, but doing the same with Yvette is definitely not going to be easy!


    Nellie held back her anger and thought bitterly, ¡®Be as arrogant as you want. It won¡¯tst past today. I¡¯m waiting to see Yvette cryter


    Nellie forced a smile as she gave Yvette a nasty look and said maliciously, ¡°Yvette, I truly hope you can always be this sharp- tongued.


    Yvette finally lifted her head, looking at Nellie as if she had seen something disgusting. Though she said nothing, it drove Nellie even crazier than if she had spoken. Yvette¡¯s disdainful and cold gaze almost pushed Nellie to the brink of losing control of her anger.


    Yvette ignored her reaction, put away her phone, walked upstairs, and paused midway. Without turning her head, she said something thatpletely shattered Nellie¡¯sposure.


    Lucas almost couldn¡¯t suppress hisughter at the side and mused, ¡®Ms. Zeller is truly impressive. I can¡¯t believe she mentioned Mrs. Chambers¡¯ menopause in front of everyone.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s menopause had only begun this year. She tried hard to keep it a secret and only had Lora make her special medicine. However, there was no such thing as a secret that couldn¡¯t be discovered. The housekeeper has talked about it privately, but no one dared to mention it aloud as Nellie was terrified of aging


    ¡¤Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Thest thing Nellie wanted to admit was that she was going through menopause. She took all sorts of supplements daily to maintain a youthful appearance. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want Zachary to know about it. It was a matter of pride for her, and it was how she reassured herself she was still young and that he wouldn¡¯t leave her because she was losing her looks.


    When Yvette revealed Nellie¡¯s menopause in public, it was like stripping away herst veil of dignity. Yvette turned around and went to her room, leaving Nellie infuriated in the living room.


    Soon. Lucas escorted the makeup artist and the team upstairs to Yvette¡¯s and Winona¡¯s rooms.


    In Yvette¡¯s room, Lucas had long removed the cheap pink decorations that Nellie initially set up for her. Only a few outfits that had been prepared back then remained in the closet.


    Yvette never even bothered to look.


    The makeup artist of Yvette, Tony Leach, was known in Seacrity for being sharp-tongued. After gaining some fame, he often bullied neers. This time, he made a deal with Nellie. He would receive a check worth 15 million dors if he got the job done. He never thought highly of Yvette, anyway. To him, she had an undeserved reputation.


    When Tony entered the room, he saw the in tracksuit and canvas shoes with no logos and noticed the emptiness inside with hardly any decent decorations. He secretly peeked inside the closet. As makeup artists, they must be familiar with clothing brands and thetest trends. He immediately recognized the colorful outfits that had been out of fashion for years. He recalled-Winona¡¯s room filled with antiques, world-ss paintings, and a vanity adorned with diamond nes and gemstone ring.


    He was more convinced of Nellie¡¯s words, saying Yvette was indeed an unloved daughter. With that thought, he felt even less burdened. He didn¡¯t know Yvette had just moved back into this roomst night and didn¡¯t n on staying long.


    Moreover, he had no idea that the seemingly simple tracksuit was custom-made, with Yvette being the only person in the world who owned it. Because of his disdain, he also overlooked the Vibe designer dress from Sienna tucked away in the corner. The gift box had abel exclusive to top-tier VIPs


    Tony confidently instructed his assistant and two interns to arrange all the makeup and tools without consulting Yvette, acting as if he were in his own home.


    The assistants and the interns felt uneasy, ncing at Yvette, who sat quietly on the side, ying her phone the whole time.


    One of the adorable female interns worked up the courage to look up and asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller, where do you think we should put this?¡±


    Tony had intended to make things difficult for Yvette, but his subordinates ruined this n, leading him to immediately reprimand the female intern who spoke. ¡°Do your job and stop with the nonsense,¡± he snapped.


    The intern who was scolded felt embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t regret what she had done. Since childhood, her mother had always taught her that the least one should have was politeness, a fundamental principle she couldn¡¯t abandon. However, she figured she would lose her job soon and thought, ¡®No big deal. I can always find another one. After all, I¡¯m not learning much from Tony anyway


    An assistant nced at Tony, feeling sorry for the young intern. He had thought the intern was quite talented and hardworking, but now it seemed her time here was over.


    The next


    next moment, they heard Yvette, quietly sitting on the couch, suddenly shout, ¡®Get out!¡±


    Tony turned around and saw Yvette putting down the cup and standing up. Her gaze was surprisingly cold, with an air of indifference that was striking.

 Chapter 128

    Tony stared at Yvette in disbelief.


    Yvette¡¯s words were directed at someone, and everyone present could tell. Tony was no fool. He certainly understood Yvette was telling him to leave. His expression fell immediately.


    All the eyes in the room focused on the two of them, and everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.


    Tony was tempted to walk away but remembered his deal with Nellie. He suppressed his anger and pretended he hadn¡¯t heard Yvette¡¯s words. Grinding his teeth, he spoke slowly. ¡°Ms. Zeller, would you please sit here so we can begin the makeup!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s tone was still full of arrogance. ¡°Get out.¡± Her voice grew even colder, sending a shiver down everyone in the room. She untered the exact words


    Tony couldn¡¯t believe it. Despite him giving Yvette a way out, she still told him to get lost. It was intolerable. Putting down. the makeup brush, he scoffed, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you sure you want to send me away? You¡¯d better think this through. I advise you not to be so stubborn. If no one styles you today, the Chambers family will be embarrassed. I don¡¯t care. Whether I do this job or not makes no difference to me. But what about you?¡±


    Tony¡¯s words were filled with threats, implying that if he left, Yvette would be embarrassed. Smugly, he thought, ¡®I bet Yvette should understand what I mean now, I can¡¯t wait to see how she apologizes to meter.


    ¡°As for the makeup? Whether it turns out good or bad is up to me. I can easily make her look bad. After all, what does a girl who just returned from the countryside know about aesthetics of fashion?


    When Yvette heard that, she pressed her lips together. Her gaze was void of emotions. She stepped forward, grabbed Tony¡¯s cor with one hand, and lifted him.


    The others in the room were stunned and speechless. ¡®Ms. Zeller is really strong, they eximed inwardly.


    Only the intern, who asked Yvette where to ce the items earlier, looked at her with admiration. Her eyes sparkled like stars. She eximed inwardly, Wow. Finally, someone is doing what I¡¯ve always wanted but was too afraid to do. It¡¯s so satisfying¡±


    Tony froze, his entire body stiff as he wondered, Did Ms. Zeller just lift me so easily?¡±


    Realizing what had happened, Tony desperately struggled and shouted at Yvette, ¡°What are you doing? Let me go! This is ridiculous! Let me go!¡±


    No matter how hard Tony tried, he couldn¡¯t free himself from Yvette¡¯s grip. Her hand was like a steel mp firmly holding


    him.


    Emotionless, Yvette opened the door with her left hand. The next second, Tony was thrown out, crashing into the antique in the corner andnding heavily on the ground. His perfectly styled hair was now disheveled, and the eyeliner around his eyes had smudged from the struggle, making him look like quite a mess. He no longer appeared like the clean and well-dressed man he was earlier.


    An assistant quickly ran over to help Tony up, and everyone, except the female intern, instinctively rushed to his side. Although they knew it was Tony¡¯s fault, what could they do? Unlike Yvette, they relied on the fashion industry for their livelihood. Siding with Tony was their path forward, so they had to put up with it. They feigned concern, asking if he was seriously hurt, offering hollow words of sympathy.


    Meanwhile, Yvette leaned against the doorframe, hands in her pockets, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    Tony pushed himself up from the ground, suspecting he had hurt his spine. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t hurt so much.


    Tony dropped the act, red at Yvette, and uttered, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you sure have quite the temper. Since you don¡¯t need me, 1 won¡¯t waste my time here. I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ll manage without me.¡±


    After saying those harsh words, Tony waited to listen to Yvette¡¯s response. No matter how much he was offered now, he didn¡¯t want to do her makeup.


    Yvette ignored him, turning instead to nod at the giggling female intern in the room. ¡°You there. Do you want to do it?¡±


    The female intern was bewildered by Yvette¡¯s question and wondered, ¡°What did she mean by that? Is it what I thought it was? Ms. Zeller is asking me to do her makeup. That¡¯s insane!¡±


    She had worked for Tony for a long time and never once applied makeup herself. She was always tasked with running errands. It was the first time someone specifically asked her to do the makeup. Although this opportunity seemed toe by chance, she reckoned maybe the universe felt sorry for her and gave her the opportunity.


    After she came to her senses, the intern eagerly nodded and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯d be d to do your makeup!¡±


    Tony and the others outside couldn¡¯t believe Yvette would let an unknown intern do her makeup. If words got out, it would surely cause a ruckus.


    This time, Tony surprisingly didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, heughed, mocking Yvette.


    Tony said. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you probably grew up in the countryside and might not know the rules of upper-ss society. Letting this intern do your makeup today will make you aughingstock The women in the four major families hire top-tier makeup artists like us. Only we are worthy of the status of the wealthy. How about this? Apologize to me, and I¡¯ll let this go and follow your instructions to do your makeup.¡±


    Tony keptpromising just for Nellie¡¯s 1.5 million dors. The main reason was that he had recently lost more than 30 million dors at the casino and desperately needed the money to cover the loss. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t stoop so low.


    However, Tony didn¡¯t receive Yvette¡¯s apology. Instead, he was met with her indifferent gaze as she coldly shut the door in


    his face.


    Tony red at his assistant and the two interns, threatening harshly, ¡°If anyone dares to talk about what happened today. I¡¯ll make sure they can¡¯t survive in this industry. Understand?¡±


    All three nodded repeatedly. They wouldn¡¯t dare talk about it even if Tony didn¡¯t mention it. In this circle, rumors spread quickly. If he found out they spoke, their careers would definitely end.


    The assistant and interns helped Tony as he limped down the stairs. When he reached the entrance on the ground floor, he ran into Sienna, who was holding a stylish bag.


    Tony was familiar with Sienna, one of the most famous fashion designers internationally and a co-founder of Vibe. Recently, he heard that she returned to Seacrity to find a makeup artist studio for a long-term partnership. Being chosen by her would mean he could be a top-tier makeup artist, make his way to international


    Ognition, and even participate in fashion weeks in Mysonna. It was every makeup artist¡¯s dream, including his.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The assistants and interns behind him also recognized Sienna. She was featured in all the recent fashion magazines and interviews, making it hard not to know her.


    When Tony saw Sienna, his legs felt much more nimble, and he quickly approached her.


    Sienna was eager to meet Yvette and didn¡¯t notice anyone else around until Tony blocked her. She stopped. Frowning slightly, she wondered, ¡°Who¡¯s this rude guy?

 Chapter 129

    Tony was lost in the Joy of seeing Sienna,pletely oblivious to Sienna¡¯s impatient expression. Excitedly, he extended his hand, nodding and bowing obsequiously toward Sienna. ¡°Hello, Ms. Sterling, I¡¯m Tony, a first-level makeup artist at Seacrity. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here, what a coincidencel¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t extend her hand in response; she simply gave a cold nod, thinking. This guy must be here to do makeup for that Winona. I don¡¯t have time to deal with some random makeup artist ¡°Is there something you need?


    Tony didn¡¯t care at all about Sienna not shaking his hand; in fact, he thought it was perfectly normal. After all, her status was up there, and to her, someone like him, a mere makeup artist, was probably as ordinary as can be. Meeting Sienna. Tony instantly realized his ce¡­ Actually, for Tony to get to where he was today, he had to have a bit of cunning. If Nellie hadn¡¯t brainwashed him into thinking Yvette was just a tool for an arranged marriage, he wouldn¡¯t have treated Yvette so rudely.


    Naturally, Tony pulled his hand back, and despite Sienna¡¯s indifference, his enthusiasm only grew, Tony assumed Sienna was here to see Winona and had automatically ignored Yvette.


    How could Yvette possibly be worthy of someone as important as Sienna seeking her out personally? If she¡¯s here for Ms. Winona Chambers, that must mean they¡¯re close. And if she¡¯s close to Winona, she must also dislike that Ms. Zeller from the Chambers family. Thinking he had found a way to cozy up to Sienna, Tony said, ¡°Are you here to see Winona, the grand designer?


    Sienna waspletely puzzled. ¡®Why would I be here for Winona? She was about to exin, but then thought, Why should I bother exining to some stranger like Tony? So she didn¡¯t say anything


    Secing Sienna stay silent. Tony took it as confirmation, bing even more convinced that she was here to see Winona. He continued. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it, Mrs. Chambers and Winona have been so kind, but Ms. Zeller¡¯s makeup artist got into trouble, so they sent me to do her makeup. But this Ms. Zeller, she¡¯s so arrogant, can¡¯t tell good from bad, has a terrible temper, and she¡¯s nothing like Winona. I mean growing up in the mountains, how could she everpare to someone like Winona who¡¯s been pampered her whole life? And me? I was just being nice, offering to do her makeup, and she kicked me our and threw me to the ground. If I weren¡¯t such a gentleman, I¡¯d definitely have demanded an exnation!¡± Tony¡¯s voice became tinged with grievance as he spoke,pletely unaware of how Sienna¡¯s face had grown darker and her eyes more murderous.


    ¡®Is this idiot seriously badmouthing Yvette in front of me? My boss? My benefactor? My friend? Where does he get the courage to talk such nonsense. Sienna looked around. Why isn¡¯t there a big hammer or something in this living room? I¡¯d love to smash this fool to bits. The smile on Sienna¡¯s face grew colder.


    After talking for a while, Topy noticed that Sienna hadn¡¯t reacted Logically, after all I¡¯ve said, she should have at least agreed. with me, right? Something felt off, so he looked up at Sienna.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sienna gave him a big smile and beckoned him over with a finger


    Thinking things were going well, Tony hurried over eagerly. But as soon as he got close, Sienna, still smiling, extended a leg and kicked him in the stomach. Completely unprepared, Tony was knocked to the ground, unable to get up.


    The assistants and interns nearby werepletely stunned. What¡¯s going on now? Why¡¯s he getting kicked?¡¯ None of the three moved, frozen in ce.


    Tony, lying on the floor, was just as shocked. Why did Sienna kick me?¡¯


    Ignoring the stunned people around her, Sienna walked over to Tony, looking down at him from above. Then, with a hint of guilt, she said, ¡°Sorry about that, just a reflex. Whenever I see someone rushing over, I feel like kicking them. Come on, let me help you up. Sienna¡¯s face was full of sincerity.


    Though a little suspicious, Tony figured Sienna wouldn¡¯t target him on purpose. Maybe it really was just a reflex, so he extended his hand toward her.


    Sienna took his hand, and just as Tony was lost in the softness of her palm, Sienna released her grip, leaving Tony with a


    14 Thu, Oct 10


    look of disbelief


    Tonynded t on the floor again, and everyone heard a loud crack, followed by Tony¡¯s agonized scream. He knew his tailbone waspletely broken


    Disgusted. Sienna stepped back, pulled out a tissue from her pocket, and thoroughly wiped the hand that had touched Tony. She then tossed the tissue onto his body with a cold snort and walked upstairs without looking back.


    The assistants finally snapped out of it and hurried to drag Tony away


    Still lying on the floor. Tony couldn¡¯t understand what he had done wrong to make Sienna treat him this way. Unwilling to let it go, he shouted angrily at Sienna¡¯s back. ¡°Sienna, what did I do to offend you? Why are you treating me like this?¡±


    stenna stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at him with disgust, her voice cold. ¡°You didn¡¯t offend me, but you did make one mistake. I¡¯m not here to see Winona, I¡¯m here for the arrogant Ms. Zeller from the Chambers family you were just badmouthing With that, she headed upstairs, leaving Tony and the others behind.


    this point, if Tony still didn¡¯t get it, he truly was an idiot. T¡¯m such a fool¡­ Nellie said Yvette didn¡¯t have any friends, so how could she possibly know someone as important as Sienna? But there was no time for Tony to think about that now. He huredly told the assistants to take him to the hospital before it was toote, or he¡¯d be bedridden for the rest of his life.


    Upstairs in Yvette¡¯s room. Sienna knocked and entered, only to see Yvette sitting alone.


    casually plopped down on the sofa, tossing her bag aside carelessly. ¡°Boss, why didn¡¯t you tell me you didn¡¯t have a makeup artist? Lindas been borell out of her mindtely. If you¡¯d told me earlier, I could¡¯ve brought her over. At least she


    ldn¡¯t be stuck ying some snarky beauty judge all the time. I just ran into that fool you kicked out downstairs, him a good beating. Someone like that thinks they¡¯re good enough to touch your face!¡±


    Before Sanna could finish, there was a loud ¡°bang¡± behind her, clearly the sound of something falling.


    Yvette¡¯s gaze moved past Sienna, her pale fingers gripping her coffee cup, eyebrows raised slightly.


    Sienta turned around to see an ordinary-looking girl holding a makeup bag, standing there awkwardly. On the floor, there was a smashed bottle of foundation.


    After a pause. Sienna looked back at Yvette, who was sipping her drink, and said, ¡°Should we kill her to keep her quiet?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the intern immediately copsed to the floor.

 Chapter 130

    Sienna smiled apologetically at the girl lying on the floor. ¡°Maybe I went a little too far with the joke. I scared the poor thing¡± She quickly stepped forward and helped the intern up. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re too easily scared! I was just joking. We¡¯re the good guys, why would we go around killing people? It¡¯s aw-abiding society, we need to be harmonious, democratic, and loving citizens.¡± As Sienna spoke, she winked at the intern and patted her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?


    Nervously fidgeting with her fingers, the girl whispered. ¡°Ms. Sterling, 1. my name is Betsy Betsy had really thought she wouldn¡¯t make it out alive. It had always been like this in TV dramas, someone identally stumbled upon a secret in a wealthy family, and then they¡¯d kill her to keep her quiet, leaving her body to rot¡­ She never expected that the mysterious and powerful person behind the fashion brand ¡°Vibe¡± was actually Yvette, the long-lost daughter of the Chambers family.


    Earlier in the car. Tony hadpletely trashed Yvette, saying she was just amoner pretending to be something she wasn¡¯t crude and ignorant, probably ugly and from the countryside. But what had just happened shattered Betsy¡¯s worldview. Ugly and from the countryside? If those words describe the woman in front of me, then is there anyone attractive in this world! Amoner pretending to be a princess? The person behind Vibe is worth over 300 million dors. and just that fact alone could outshine most of the second-generation heirs at Seacrity. Crude and ignorant? No way¡­ Betsy had a strong feeling that the cool and distant Ms. Zeller of the Chambers family was far from ignorant. Her intuition was always spot-on


    Seeing Betsy¡¯s dazed expression, Sienna thought she was still scared, so her tone softened even more. ¡°Betsy, are you okay?¡±


    Snapping out of it, Betsy gave a shy smile. Like Bonnie, she had two little dimples when she smiled, though not as prominent as Bonnie¡¯s.


    Yvette nced up, giving her an extra moment of attention.


    ¡°Ms. Sterling, I¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re nothing like I imagined.¡±


    Siennaughed heartily and said, ¡°Betsy, now you know who my boss is, right? You better keep it a secret. Our boss here hates trouble. You don¡¯t want her tossing you into the sea to feed the sharks!¡± She finished with aical nce at Yvette. ¡®How did I end up with a boss who hides just to avoid trouble? Where¡¯s the justice in that?¡±


    Hearing Sienna¡¯s words, Betsy nodded along, ying along with the joke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Sterling, my memory¡¯s terrible. What just happened? I¡¯ve already forgotten. After what had just happened, she had a better sense of Sienna¡¯s personality, realizing that she was just kidding.


    Sienna gave her an approving look. ¡°Good, you¡¯re getting the hang of it!¡±


    Sitting in her chair, Yvette cast a nce at the spilled foundation on the floor, her eyes deep and inscrutable, hinting at something unfathomable. The air was filled with a scent she was very familiar with-lead powder. It was such a small amount that most people wouldn¡¯t have noticed it, but Yvette was different. Her senses were naturally far more sensitive than most. The moment the foundation boule broke, Yvette had alreatly detected the strange smell.


    Little did Betsy know that her clumsiness had just foiled Nellie¡¯s plot. Nellie had intended to frame Yvette using a foundationced with lead powder. She hadn¡¯t expected Tony to mess things up, much less that a small intern would ruin the foundation meant for Yvette. It was as if fate itself had intervened


    Betsy nced at the clock on the wall-it was already 2 PM, and the banquet was set to start at 5 PM. Time was getting tight ¡°Ms. Zeller, um, time¡¯s a bit tight now. I need to start doing your makeup right away¡±


    Yvette responded with a casual nod, her voice as cold as ever, ¡°No need.¡±


    Sienna wasn¡¯t surprised at all. She knew Yvette hated makeup and had always preferred going without it. Seeing the disbelief on Betsy¡¯s face, Sienna felt a deep sense of sympathy for her. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s not that the boss doesn¡¯t like your work. She never wears makeup. Besides, just look at her face-what is there to improve?¡±


    Betsy hadn¡¯t dared to really look at Yvette until now. Taking a closer look, she thought, ¡®Alright, I admit Ms. Sterling is right. This face has proportions better than the models we used in makeup ss. There isn¡¯t a single visible w or pore. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start?


    Still, Betsy couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed. I thought I get the chance to show off my skills today, but I guess not. She hung her head for a moment, but quickly shook it off. ¡®It¡¯s not a big deal. There¡¯s always next time. I just wonder if I ever have another chance to meet someone as perfect as Ms. Zeller again. Betsy still felt a bit regretful.


    Sienna, having worked in the industry for so long, instantly recognized the look in Betsy¡¯s eyes. ¡°How about this? I¡¯m attending the banquet too. You can do my makeup instead, but you better make me look good, or I¡¯ll be upset.


    Betsy¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She nodded eagerly and asked, ¡°Really? Ms. Sterling, you¡¯re letting me do your makeup? Really? Really?¡± She was so thrilled she asked three times in a row. When Sienna finally nodded, she was close to tears, solemnly promising Sienna that she would give her absolute best to perfect her look!


    Sienna plopped herself down in front of the makeup mirror and called Betsy over to do her makeup.


    Betsy sneaked a nce at Yvette, seeing her head down, fiddling with her phone. It seemed like she was ying some kind of game. Ms. Zeller doesn¡¯t care at all about Ms. Sterling¡¯s actions. I knew I was overthinking it; it seems like their rtionship is really good With that, she felt reassured and started doing Sienna¡¯s makeup,


    Betsy wasn¡¯t wrong. Yvette was indeed ying a game, but it was an online game by FastPulse Technologies, still in beta testing and not yet released. Yvette held veto power over the gate, which meant that whether this game, eagerly awaited by global yers for three years, would beunched this year was entirely up to her.


    Around 4:30, Zachary, along with Nellie, Zeke, and all the Chambers family¡¯s servants, had already started weing guests in the back garden.


    Nellie was dressed in a purple tight dress, with arge pearl ne around her neck, but an emerald bracelet on her wrist. Thebination seemed a bit mismatched.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zachary, on the other hand, kept it simple, wearing his usual dark suit but with an added red tie. No one knew that this tie had been a Valentine¡¯s Day gift from Lilian years ago, and Zachary had treasured it all these years. Even Nellie thought he simply liked the tie. Choosing this tie for the asion was clearly meaningful-it represented Lilian. He hoped she could witness the important announcement he was about to make, even if only symbolically.

 Chapter 131

    Outside the Chambers residence, a seemingly endless ne ofe Some of these cars were even custom-made and could be found on


    For this banquet, the Chambers family had invited almost all the celebrities in received an invitation. Some small-time celebrities were eager toe and i invitation, but most of them failed


    Even the few small-time celebrities and models who got invitat


    personally overseeing this to ensure that women like them didip in. He had persona everyone¡¯s background, making sure none of these


    In the Chambers family¡¯s garden. Zachary and Nellie greened wave after wave of green, witle wealthy second-generation elites. Amidst the clinking of gasses and siran igins, the ¡°money.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chambers. I¡¯ve heard that your newly reunited sister is quine the beauty & sme and lecherous, with an ugly mole by his left eye. He was coronde a Sec


    a chain of hotels. Though his family had some weath fine was bo


    Seeing the lustful look on Jamie¡¯s face, Zeke knew


    he had already given up on Yvette, in his mind, the


    However, seeing everyone around waiting for his response wih


    ¡°My sister is indeed stunning, but she¡¯s got a bit of a temper, so you guys should be inte Zeke subtly spread rumors about Yvette among the group of worldlys hers.


    The rich heirs around them, upon hearing this, thought. A bad semper. That¡¯s putting in some unknown rural ce; she¡¯s probably a rough uncultured person who ducati being Yvette immediately diminished.


    At that moment, a maid led Victor¡¯s family into the garden. Thatine. Deze ment Robert, Victor, and Yulia. Reba was abroad on a busines break off the engagement with Yvette. Robert had bribed Chambers family banquet from him. He intended to sende prominent families in Seacrity as witnesses. Once it¡¯s sente


    Robert, not putting on airs, approached the Chamber family with a broad a


    following behind. ¡°Ah, Zachary, congrattions, congratnt Winona s maly something-she


    have another international artist¡±


    Though it was a party for two people, Robert only mentioned Wine Everyone get intermo? na De Care Fami was here to support Winona.


    Zachary caught on to this as well, his tone cooling shighch


    After Robert finished, he gave Victor a look. Victor oberently bed to Zachary and if ¡°We Comes. Wiss Chamber


    hello.


    After all, it was a happy asion today, and everyone!


    though Zachary was still bitter about how Victor had criticised Tee in one of hard a few


    embarrass Victor in front of everyone. Still, there was a hint of


    Nellie, of course, couldn¡¯t let Victor lose face-after all be was the son-


    need to protect him a bit. Nelbe warmly greeted Yale and the


    at Victor, her tone doting ¡°Victor, you look so handsome today armorter


    Hearing this, the onlookers all understood. This is the future mache seems the two families will he sealing the deal today! For businesses that had conflicts with the Carter and Chambers families, this alliance would be bad news.


    Robert had been a little annoyed by Zachary¡¯s earlier attitude, but after hearing Nellie¡¯s words, he could no longer say anything. With both families standing together, it looked to outsiders like they were having a lively chat, but in reality, only Nellie and Yulia were keeping the conversation going to avoid awkward silence.


    By around 3:30, almost all the guests invited by the Chambers family had arrived. The only ones missing were the two leadingdies of the night. Aside from Zachary, everyone was more excited about Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony,


    Just then, at the garden entrance, one of the stars of the night, Winona, made a grand entrance arm-in-arm with Richard, fashionablyte. Winona knew exactly how to draw attention to herself. She was well aware of her assets, and today she had instructed her makeup artist to give her a bold and radiant look. She wore a long, red strapless gown with a seven-foot train that required two servants to carry.


    As soon as Winona entered, she indeed made a stunning impression. Usually, Winona wore white to banquets, and most of the guests were familiar with her in that style. No one expected her to dress so differently today.


    Even Victor, who usually preferred the innocent ¡°lily-white¡± type, was momentarily stunned, his face filled with admiration, his eyes gleaming with desire, and his heart racing.


    ¡°Wow, Winona looks absolutely gorgeous today! That outfit must have cost millions!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet it¡¯s at least 10 million. Just the onyx ne around her neck must be worth over 3 million alone.


    ¡°The Chambers family really spares no expense. No matter what happens with Ms. Zeller, who they recently found, can you reallypare her to someone like Winona?¡±


    ¡°Winona really yed her cards well today. If Ms. Zeller makes an appearanceter, the contrast is going to be brutal.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If I were that Yvette, I wouldn¡¯t dare show my face. I¡¯d just hide inside and avoid the humiliation.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Besides, ever since she returned to the Chambers family, she hasn¡¯t made any public appearances or attended any banquets. It¡¯s obvious the family doesn¡¯t care much about her. This banquet is just a formality-clearly, it¡¯s all about Winona


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°That must be Mr. Griffin next to her. Winona really knows how to make an entrance-she hasn¡¯t even officially be an apprentice, and she¡¯s already getting this kind of treatment!¡±


    As Winona made her way through the crowd, she heard all thements she had hoped for, feeling immensely satisfied inside.


    Beside her, Richard also felt a sense of pride. ¡®Winona is about to be myst student, after all. Complimenting her is ast good asplimenting me.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 132

    Winona gracefully walked to the center of the garden, where Zachary and the others were standing She greeted Zachary and Nellie sweetly, then turned to Robert and his wife. ¡°Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, hello¡±


    Although Richard didn¡¯t need to show too much deference to the Carter family, since Winona was soon to marry Victor, be still maintained a cordial attitude.


    Yulia stepped forward, took Winona¡¯s hand, and showered her with praise. ¡°Winona is my ideal daughter-inw-good family background, talented, and now with Richard as her mentor. She¡¯s perfect in every way. Any lingering guilt Yulia hard about Yvette disappeared with everyone¡¯spliments for Winona. Only a girl like her is worthy of being our future daughter-inw


    Robert, equally pleased, nodded and smiled at Winona, but he didn¡¯t immediately respond. Instead, he extended his hand to Richard with a fawning expression. ¡°Ah, Mr. Griffin, you¡¯re as vigorous as ever! Thest time I saw you was at the Betrica auction, where one of your paintings sold for 660 thousand dors. That event is still vivid in my memory! It was such a shame mypany had an issue at the time, or I would ve gone for 3.3 million, maybe even 7 million-I regret it so much Robert¡¯s tone sounded genuinely regretful.


    Richard enjoyed hearing this, and his attitude toward Robert warned. ¡°Mr. Carter, you¡¯re too kind. That painting only fetched such a price because the elite of Betrico were being generous. It¡¯s nowhere near as great as you say. But with Winona soon to join the Carter family, we¡¯ll all be family soon. I happen to have an earlier piece of mine. If you don¡¯t mind, Mr Carter, you cane by Betrico and pick it up whenever you like.¡±


    Robert was overjoyed. As expected, Winona is the bridge that¡¯s changed Richard¡¯s attitude toward me. A few years ago in Betrico, Richard wouldn¡¯t have even looked at him. But now everything was different. This shift in attitude strengthened Robert¡¯s resolve to announce the engagement today. To make sure nothing could go wrong, he had already had Yulia firalize the engagement details with Nellie beforeing.


    Victor¡¯s lecherous eyes were fixed on Winona.


    From the moment Winona entered the garden, she could feel Victor¡¯s gaze on her. She deliberately pretended not to notice, teasing him by keeping him on edge. Once she felt he had waited long enough she shot him a shy, fleeting nce before quickly looking away. This whole act had Victorpletely hooked, his eyes glued to her.


    All this time, Zachary, who had been standing silently, nced toward the garden entrance. Not seeing the person he was waiting for, he furrowed his brows. Ignoring the ongoing conversation, he called Lucas over. ¡°Go check upstairs. Why hasn¡¯t Yvettee down yet at this time?¡±


    Lucas nodded and quickly walked out of the garden to look for Yvette.


    Nellie overheard Zachary¡¯s words and smirked coldly from a spot where he couldn¡¯t see. Come out? Yvette¡¯s face is probably ruined by now. How could she have the nerve to show her face to the guests?¡±


    Winona, Zachary, Nellie, and the Carters greeted Richard, and then she and Victor joined the younger group.


    The Chambers family and the Carters dispersed, while Zachary and Robert each went off to chat with acquaintances in


    business.


    Nellie and Yulia stayed by Richard¡¯s side, one on each side, looking very much like his guardians.


    ¡°Wow, Winona, you¡¯re stunning today! Who are you trying to charm?¡± one of the girls, decked out in luxury jewelry, said while ncing at Victor-it was obvious what she meant. Everyone in their circle knew about the engagement between the Carter and Chambers families. Winona and Victor had long been recognized as a couple by them.


    ¡°Exactly¡± The moment you walked in, you could see everyone¡¯s eyes light up That dress is Louis Vuitton haute couture, isn¡¯t it? Must have cost at least 2 million dors-absolutely gorgeous!¡±


    Compliments were flying around nonstop like free gifts, and though Winona appeared shy on the surface, she humbly replied to everyone¡¯s praise, Come on, you guys, stop teasing me. She even blushed and hid behind Victor.


    At this moment, Victor¡¯s macho pride was fully satisfied, and he quickly stepped in to speak for Winona. ¡°Winona¡¯s shy, you all know that. If you keep going, my wife might just run away, and then what? You¡¯ll have to find me a new one!¡±


    Winona blushed even more at his words, and the crowd burst into cheers again, praising the couple as a perfect match. But amidst the excitement, someone suddenly mentioned Yvette¡¯s name, and the whole scene fell silent, bing awkward The girl who brought it up instantly regretted it and didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore.


    Victor gave the girl a sharp look, his tone disdainful. ¡°Why bring her up?¡±


    The crowd exchanged nces and started speaking.


    Yeah, yeah, everyone knows this party is for Winona. That Yvette is just an extra.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Winona, you¡¯re the star today. Besides, it¡¯s gettingte, and we still haven¡¯t seen your sister. She¡¯s probably hiding in some corner, never been to a party like this.¡±


    ¡°I bet she hasn¡¯t even tasted the desserts or wine here before!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a country bumpkin. Aren¡¯t you giving her too much credit by even discussing her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s raise a ss to Winona. After tonight, Winona will officially be Mr. Griffin¡¯sst student! When you make it internationally famous, don¡¯t forget us!¡±


    Hearing everyone belittle Yvette made Winona feel much better inside. This is exactly what wanted-to show Yvette the difference, the insurmountable gap between us today!¡± ¡°My sister is actually really nice, so please don¡¯t have any prejudice against her.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The more Winona defended Yvette, the harsher the crowd became, saying even nastier things about her.


    Winona picked up her ss of wine, watching the group¡¯s heated discussion, where everyment was a put-down of Yvette. She briefly curled her lips into a sinister, satisfied smile, but when she looked up again, her face was innocent and harmless.


    In less than ten minutes, Lucas, whom Zachary had sent to find Yvette, stiffly walked back into the garden.


    A few people close by had overheard Zachary¡¯s instructions earlier, and soon, word spread-everyone in the garden knew that the Chambers family¡¯s Lucas had gone to fetch the rumored Yvette from the countryside.


    Now, seeing Lucas return alone, with a strange expression on his face, people felt puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just fetching someone? What¡¯s with that look? Most of the guests figured Yvette must have chickened out, overwhelmed by the event, making them take her even less seriously.


    Zachary was distracted while chatting, frequently ncing towar

 Chapter 133

    Lucas bent slightly, dazed, and under everyone¡¯s expectant gaze, said one sentence. ¡°Mr. Lewis, I think I just saw a goddess¡±


    Zachary¡¯s face darkened, his lips tightening into a straight line. What kind of asion is this? How could Lucas, a representative of the Chambers family, speak such nonsense? A goddess? What on earth?


    Lucas, seeing Zachary¡¯s expression, suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing what he had just said. ncing at the perplexed faces around him, Lucas blushed slightly and quickly added. ¡°Mr. Lewis, Miss Zeller is almost here-she¡¯s at the second gate now


    Zachary nodded, his expression easing. Now that Yvette was arriving, it meant nothing had gone wrong, and his mind finally settled. ¡°As long as Yvette¡¯s here, that¡¯s fine. What nonsense were you talking just now?¡±


    Lucas didn¡¯t exin his earlier words but looked like he had more to say. ¡°Mr. Lewis, you¡¯ll understand in a minute. I really can¡¯t describe it.¡±


    Zachary waspletely baffled, but he didn¡¯t think Lucas had lost his mind-he¡¯d been perfectly fine just ten minutes ag


    sago.


    As they spoke, Nellie, helping Richard, along with Robert, Yulia, Winona, Zeke, and Victor, all gathered around Zachary. They had overheard what Lucas said and were just as confused.


    Nellie had only caught that Yvette had reached the second gate, and she knew right away that Tony must have messed something up. That ipetent fool-useless as always! He couldn¡¯t even handle such a small task. But it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take over from here, and I¡¯ll seed for sure.¡±


    The next second, some people started noticing that everyone around them had suddenly frozen, all staring toward the garden entrance. Confused, they followed suit, and soon they, too, were left in shock, their eyes filled with awe and disbelief. It really does seem like we¡¯re seeing the ¡°goddess¡± Lucas was talking about


    The night was as cool as water, with moonlight spilling across the ground. The trees and flowers, shadowy and indistinct, were like they¡¯d been draped in a veil of mist. Roses danced in the air, chasing one another in the breeze, their branches. swaying, casting shifting shadows that twirled in the wind.


    In the midst of this y of light and shadow, a woman slowly approached, walking under the moonlight. Her eyes sparkled with a crystalline rity, her slightly curledshes resembling a wisp of fog drifting from the mountains. There was a hint of coldness in her gaze,manding both respect and fear. Her white fringed gown swayed gently in the breeze, and with every step she took, the dress seemed to change with the light, emitting a rainbow of colors-brilliant, like the stars. The thousands of roses in the garden had now be mere ornaments to her presence.


    As she drew closer, everyone realized her white fringed dress was adorned with hand-sewn diamonds. Those with at discerning eye immediately recognized that they were real diamonds. There must be at least a hundred diamonds on that dress, right? And the price? AstronomicalfThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The woman furrowed her brows slightly, like a stone dropped into still waters, rippling with a touch of impatience. Just then, Zachary¡¯s voice, calling ¡°Yvette, snapped everyone¡¯s thoughts back to reality.


    ¡°Yvette?¡± The people present stared at the girl in disbelief, their faces transforming as if waking from a dream Yvette! Yvette? So this is the rumored country girl, rough and uncouth, the supposedly in and rustic Ms. Zeller from the Chambers family? Who started that rumor! If this is what they call ugly, then what are we? And they call that rustic? Might as well let a lightning bolt strike us! The crowd that had surrounded Winona earlier fell silent.


    Winona stood there like a statue, her face drained of color, her expression ashen. The dark, twisted look in her eyes sent a chill down anyone who saw it. Her pale lips trembled slightly, and her left hand was clenched so tightly that her nails dug painfully into her palm. Winona lowered her head, saying nothing. She had already noticed the crowd¡¯s enraptured and mesmerized gazes directed at Yvette-even Victor had been momentarily stunned. She knew she couldn¡¯tpete with Yvette in terms of beauty, so when Nellie¡¯s n was revealed to her, she had felt a secret thrill. Now, can someone please exin to me why Yvette¡¯s face is still perfectly fine?


    Nellie, always keeping an eye on Winona, knew that at this moment, she couldn¡¯t allow Winona to falter in any way. When no one was paying attention, she walked up to Winona, pulling her aside and, with a stern expression, whispered coldly. ¡°Winona, you better pull yourself together. Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself. Tonight is your moment. You may have lost in the looks department, but if you don¡¯t put up a light now, you¡¯ll lose everything. As long as you¡¯re epted by Mr. Griffin as his studentter, you¡¯ll still be the center of attention. Stop sulking here. I¡¯ve already dealt with Yvette¡¯s situation-you don¡¯t need to worry about it. I¡¯ll make sure she payster.¡±


    Winona kept her head down, silent, no longer trusting Nellie. In the end, I can only rely on myself. After a long pause, she finally looked up and said, ¡°I understand, Mom. Don¡¯t worry


    Seeing that Winona had calmed down. Nellie rxed and returned to Zachary¡¯s side.


    The crowd was buzzing, and the chatter grew louder.


    Zachary saw this and stepped forward to speak to Yvette in a soft, gentle tone, his elegant face full of affection,pletely ignoring the stares of those around him. ¡°Come on, Yvette let¡¯s go sit over there with Dad. The banquet will start soon. Have you eaten anything yet? Are you hungry? Don¡¯t skip meals to maintain your figure-your health is the most important thing for a young girl.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s attitude said it all. The people present were all businessmen-they could read between the lines. The rumors. outside couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Zachary hasn¡¯t shown this much affection even toward Winona, who¡¯s about to be Mrs Griffin¡¯s student. Yet, with his newly found daughter, he¡¯spletely doting and attentive. Doesn¡¯t that tell us everything we need to know? If they still didn¡¯t get it, they might as well be blind.


    Standing behind Zachary, Winona felt utterly crushed by his affection for Yvette. What does Yvette have that I don¡¯t? In such a short time. Dad only has eyes for her. On a night as important as this, does he really have to make me look this bad? The hatred inside Winona was growing uncontrobly, twisting her expression even further.


    But now, no one was paying attention to Winona anymore-the focus was all on Yvette. Compared to Yvette, Winona¡¯s earlier moment of mour seemed insignificant


    ¡°Did you notice something?¡± A girl who had been hanging around Winona earlier stared at Yvette, her breathing bing slightlybored, her voice filled with surprise and disbelief.


    The crowd turned to look at her, puzzled, even Zachary and Richard nced her way. Someone asked, ¡°What did you notice


    The girl first nodded in certainty, then shook her head as if in disbelief, her eyes conflicted. After a few moments, as the crowd¡¯s patience was running thin, she finally spoke again, Ive seen that white gown Ms. Zeller is wearing before.¡±

 Chapter 134

    The woman who was speaking was named Lana. Her family owned an art gallery, and they were fairly well-known in Seacrity.


    Everyone else was confused, not sure what Lana meant by herment. Although the dress Yvette from the Chambers family was wearing looked expensive, the people present were no strangers to luxury. Sure, the dress was beautiful, but without this girl wearing it, it wouldn¡¯t have looked so stunning.


    Some of the women present had already started to feel jealous and hostile towards Yvette. ¡®Who¡¯d want to be outshone by a girl who was just found in the countryside?¡¯ Most of the women in the garden were seething with jealousy. ¡®Didn¡¯t you see how the men couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her? They were practically drooling!¡¯ When Winona stepped out earlier, the women only felt a little ufortable, but Yvette¡¯s appearance had magnified their jealousy and darkness.


    Some girls saw an opportunity in Lana¡¯s words, and their intentions weren¡¯t good. ¡°Hey, you said you¡¯ve seen this dress before, right? Does that mean Ms. Zeller¡¯s dress was worn by someone else? That wouldn¡¯t be good, would it?¡± ¨C


    Wearing a previously worn dress was a huge embarrassment in high society. If it were true, the reputation of the Chambers family¡¯s Yvette, who had just been found in the countryside, would be ruined, and she¡¯d be utterly humiliated.


    Nellie and Winona stood by eagerly, watching Lana. ¡®It¡¯d be great if she really had seen it before. That would mean Yvette is just wearing a hand-me-down dress, and there¡¯d be some real drama to watch!


    Winona¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. Her previously gloomy mood had lifted. She thought maybe Sienna had just grabbed a second-hand dress to deal with Yvette: ¡®If that¡¯s the case, today¡­ Yvette will be the biggest joke!¡¯


    All eyes were on Yvette, who stood in the center of the garden.


    Yvette looked up slightly, her expression calm. Her deep eyes were cold and mysterious, like dark ink hiding a vast whirlpool. Her long, veil-likeshes cast shadows, and she swept her gaze lightly over the crowd without saying a word.


    Once again, her beauty stunned everyone. However, some thought her silence meant she was admitting the girl¡¯s usation, that the dress really was second-hand.


    Holding back her excitement, Winona stepped forward. ¡°Wearing a second-hand dress is a big taboo at our high-society events. How about this, I have an unworn dress in my room. Why don¡¯t youe with me and change into it?¡± Winona spoke with sincerity, acting as if she was doing Yvette a huge favor.


    Yet, the people around her found her words odd. She imed to be helping her sister, but if Yvette wore one of Winona¡¯s dresses, she¡¯d be even more humiliated, always a step behind Winona. The girls who usually got along with Winona knew who to help, urging Yvette to go change.


    ¡°Winona is so kind, being so thoughtful of her sister at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go change, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go on, change.¡±


    ****


    Some people, afraid of offending the Chambers family, muttered quietly.


    Zeke looked at Yvette, standing there alone, and felt proud. ¡®If I don¡¯t take a shot at her now, when will I?¡¯ So, he stepped forward and joined in. ¡°Go change with Winona. The banquet¡¯s about to start, and we¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    Nellie didn¡¯t say anything this time, seeing that Zachary was growing more and more upset. ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to get involved when these people are doing it for me. I don¡¯t want to make him madContent provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    No one noticed that Lana, who had started all of this, was sweating profusely, trying to speak but unable to get a word in.


    Richard was also watching Yvette with a smug grin, as was Robert. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I was smart enough to break off the engagement with Yvette early and switch to Winona. Otherwise, our whole Carter family would¡¯ve been humiliated today!


    Yulia couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for Yvette, but then again, she thought it was Yvette¡¯s own fault. ¡®She¡¯s been back with the Chambers family for so long, how does she still not understand the rules?¡¯


    Zachary¡¯s face had darkened considerably, feeling suffocated by the scornful looks around him. He also believed that Sienna might¡¯ve just grabbed some dress that had been worn before to deal with Yvette. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me, Yvette wouldn¡¯t be so humiliated. ¡°Enough! My daughter from the Chambers family can wear whatever she likes! There¡¯s no need for everyone to be so judgmental!¡±


    Winona¡¯s eyes grew fierce. ¡®Dad is siding with Yvette again, even at the cost of offending so many people!


    Seeing that Zachary was genuinely angry, people began to feel uneasy. Though the Chambers family had declined, they were still one of the four major families, and not someone these small families could mess with.


    Yvette looked up at Zachary, her faceposed and calm, seemingly unaffected by the people around her. She slightly furrowed her brows, then turned her nk expression toward Lana, who had imed to have seen the dress before. Her voice was cold and distant, like a feather brushing over a mountain stream. ¡°Where did you see it?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Lana, who was drenched in sweat and looking nervous.


    Winona purposely walked over to Lana and said gently, ¡°Lana, right? I remember you. You said you¡¯ve seen this dress before, so who wore it?¡± She gave Lana an encouraging look.


    Finally given a chance to speak, Lana thought to herself, ¡®If I had known onement would cause such a misunderstanding, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything!¡¯ Fearing she might be interrupted again, Lana took a deep breath and blurted out everything in one go.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me! I said I¡¯ve seen this dress, but ver said I saw someone wear it! I saw this exact dressst year at the Mysonna Art Gallery exhibition. It was one of their collection pieces. At the time, I thought it was so beautiful that I asked if it was for sale. The gallery staff told me it wasn¡¯t, because it was a unique piece designed by Sienna, the designer from ¡®Vibe, for her muse. The gallery¡¯s director had to beg Sienna to disy it for two days. Since I loved the dress so much, I asked about it in detail. The fabric is pure silkworm silk, and it took 135 hours to make, all by hand, with over a hundred workers. Did you notice the diamonds on the dress? They¡¯re the world¡¯s purest diamonds, privately owned, and each one alone costs over 3 million. And even if you wanted to buy it, you couldn¡¯t**it¡¯s only avable at auctions¡­¡±


    Lana paused, her eyes filled with envy. ¡°The gallery staff told me Mrs. Mith from Mysonna offered 70 million for it, but Sienna refused to sell. So this dress isn¡¯t just incredibly expensive, it¡¯s one of a kind in the world.¡± Lana let out a deep breath after finishing her exnation. ¡®Finally! That was exhausting. Huh? Why¡¯s it so quiet?¡¯ She cautiously looked around.


    Everyone was staring at Yvette in the center of the garden, mouths agape. The ce was dead silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the thousand-square-yard garden.

 Chapter 135

    aring a previously worn dress was a huge embarrassment in high society. If it were true, the reputation of the Chambers family¡¯s Yvette, who had just been found in the countryside, would be ruined, and she¡¯d be utterly humiliated.


    Nellie and Winona stood by eagerly, watching Lana. ¡®It¡¯d be great if she really had seen it before. That would mean Yvette is just wearing a hand¨Cme¨Cdown dress, and there¡¯d be some real drama to watch!This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Winona¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. Her previously gloomy mood had lifted. She thought maybe Sienna had just grabbed a second¨Chand dress to deal with Yvette: ¡®If that¡¯s the case, today¡­ Yvette will be the biggest joke!¡®


    All eyes were on Yvette, who stood in the center of the garden.


    Yvette looked up slightly, her expression calm. Her deep eyes were cold and mysterious, like dark ink hiding a vast whirlpool. Her long, veil¨Clikeshes cast shadows, and she swept her gaze lightly over the crowd without saying a word.


    Once again, her beauty stunned everyone. However, some thought her silence meant she was admitting the girl¡¯s usation, that the dress really was second¨Chand.


    Holding back her excitement, Winona stepped forward. ¡°Wearing a second¨Chand dress is a big taboo at our high¨Csociety events. How about this, I have an unworn dress in my room. Why don¡¯t youe with me and change into it?¡± Winona spoke with sincerity, acting as if she was doing Yvette a huge favor.


    Yet, the people around her found her words odd. She imed to be helping her sister, but if Yvette wore one of Winona¡¯s dresses, she¡¯d be even more humiliated, always a step behind Winona. The girls who usually got along with Winona knew who to help, urging Yvette to go change.


    ¡°Winona is so kind, being so thoughtful of her sister at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go change, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go on, change.¡±


    ****


    Some people, afraid of offending the Chambers family, muttered quietly.


    Zeke looked at Yvette, standing there alone, and felt proud. ¡®If I don¡¯t take a shot at her now, when will I?¡® So, he stepped forward and joined in. ¡°Go change with Winona. The banquet¡¯s about to start, and we¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    Nellie didn¡¯t say anything this time, seeing that Zachary was growing more and more upset. ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to get involved when these people are doing it for me. I don¡¯t want to make him mad


    No one noticed that Lana, who had started all of this, was sweating profusely, trying to speak but unable to get a word in.


    Richard was also watching Yvette with a smug grin, as was Robert. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I was smart enough to break off the engagement with Yvette early and switch to Winona. Otherwise, our whole Carter family would¡¯ve been humiliated today!


    Yulia couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for Yvette, but then again, she thought it was Yvette¡¯s own fault. ¡®She¡¯s been back with the Chambers family for so long, how does she still not understand the rules?¡®


    Zachary¡¯s face had darkened considerably, feeling suffocated by the scornful looks around him. He also believed that Sienna might¡¯ve just grabbed some dress that had been worn before to deal with Yvette. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me, Yvette wouldn¡¯t be so humiliated. ¡°Enough! My daughter from the Chambers family can wear whatever she likes! There¡¯s no need for everyone to be so judgmental!¡±


    Winona¡¯s eyes grew fierce. ¡®Dad is siding with Yvette again, even at the cost of offending so many people!


    Seeing that Zachary was genuinely angry, people began to feel uneasy. Though the Chambers family had declined, they were still one of the four major families, and not someone these small families could mess with.


    Yvette looked up at Zachary, her faceposed and calm, seemingly unaffected by the people around her. She slightly furrowed her brows, then turned her nk expression toward Lana, who had imed to have seen the dress before. Her voice was cold and distant, like a feather brushing over a mountain stream. ¡°Where did you see it?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Lana, who was drenched in sweat and looking nervous.


    Winona purposely walked over to Lana and said gently, ¡°Lana, right? I remember you. You said you¡¯ve seen this dress before, so who wore it?¡± She gave Lana an encouraging look.


    Finally given a chance to speak, Lana thought to herself, ¡®If I had known onement would cause such a misunderstanding, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything!¡® Fearing she might be interrupted again, Lana took a deep breath and blurted out everything in one go.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me! I said I¡¯ve seen this dress, but ver said I saw someone wear it! I saw this exact dressst year at the Mysonna Art Gallery exhibition. It was one of their collection pieces. At the time, I thought it was so beautiful that I asked if it was for sale. The gallery staff told me it wasn¡¯t, because it was a unique piece designed by Sienna, the designer from ¡®Vibe, for her muse. The gallery¡¯s director had to beg Sienna to disy it for two days. Since I loved the dress so much, I asked about it in detail. The fabric is pure silkworm silk, and it took 135 hours to make, all by hand, with over a hundred workers. Did you notice the diamonds on the dress? They¡¯re the world¡¯s purest diamonds, privately owned, and each one alone costs over 3 million. And even if you wanted to buy it, you couldn¡¯t¨Cit¡¯s only avable at auctions¡­¡±


    Lana paused, her eyes filled with envy. ¡°The gallery staff told me Mrs. Mith from Mysonna offered 70 million for it, but Sienna refused to sell. So this dress isn¡¯t just incredibly expensive, it¡¯s one of a kind in the world.¡± Lana let out a deep breath after finishing her exnation. ¡®Finally! That was exhausting. Huh? Why¡¯s it so quiet?¡® She cautiously looked around.


    Everyone was staring at Yvette in the center of the garden, mouths agape. The ce was dead silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the thousand¨Csquare¨Cyard garden.

 Chapter 136

    With the situation spelled out so clearly, if Richard still kept assuming it was about him, he¡¯d only further humiliate himself. No¡­ to be precise, when Wyatt and Simon said in unison that they weren¡¯t here for his apprenticeship ceremony, his dignity had already been shattered. Richard didn¡¯t speak again, but the trembling of his hands revealed the turmoil and anger within him.


    The crowd watched as Richard, clearly furious yet forcing a smile, stood there, while Winona beside him looked utterly embarrassed and unsure of what to do. ¡®So what¡¯s really going on? If these two important figures aren¡¯t here for Winona¡¯s apprenticeship ceremony, what could it be?¡¯ Everyone was baffled. ¡®It couldn¡¯t possibly be for this recently-returned Ms. Zeller from the Chambers family¡¯s wee home party, could it? That would be absurd!¡¯


    Simon wasn¡¯t concerned about Richard¡¯s expression. He had rushed to the banquet for one person only. His gaze swept across the garden, and finally, in a small corner, he spotted Yvette eating dessert. There was another girl sitting beside her, and from their proximity, they seemed close.


    At the same time, Wyatt also noticed Yvette, a sh of admiration crossing his eyes. This was the girl he¡¯d once briefly encountered at a steakhouse. What had struck him most about her, aside from her beauty and cold demeanor, was her rebellious attitude, so different from other society girls. Seeing her today again, ¡®No wonder Jeremiah, that iron-blooded king, treats her so differently. Such a stunning beauty-there¡¯s no match for her among the women of Betrico¡¯s noble families.¡¯


    Having found the person he came to see, Simon had no time for small talk. He greeted Wyatt and Zachary briefly before heading straight toward Yvette.


    Winona, who had remained silent, saw Simon leaving and, as if suddenly struck by an idea, stepped forward to block him. Her voice carried a hint of plea. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared seats for you and the mayor at the head table. Please, join me.¡±


    Zachary frowned slightly, but Wyatt said nothing. His expression, however, darkened. ¡°This Winona is ying a little game here, trying to publicly guilt Simon into sitting with her.¡¯


    Simon paused and nced at the pitiful-looking Winona. His voice, old and cold, replied, ¡°First of all, congrattions, Winona. But I won¡¯t be sitting at the head table.¡± With that, he brushed past her without a hint of politeness, leaving Winona standing there, face flushed with embarrassment. Simon walked straight up to Yvette in front of everyone and stopped. ¡°Finally found you.¡±


    Yvette leisurely raised her head, her demeanorzy and casual, with a gleam in her beautiful eyes. Her upturned eyes carried a rebellious air, and even though she was wearing a gown, she couldn¡¯t hide her roguish attitude. Still, she greeted Simon politely. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Simon nodded cheerfully, ignoring the curious nces and stares from others, and sat right down next to Yvette, engaging her in friendly conversation.


    The scene was nothing short of shocking. Yet, the two people involved seemedpletely unaware of how out of ce it looked. ¡®Is this really the same serious and stern Simon of Argrol University that we know? Unbelievable!¡¯


    Winona was grinding her teeth so hard they were about to break. Her expression darkened further, radiating a cold, hostile air. She forced herself to endure the odd looks and whispers from those around her and turned her gaze to Wyatt. ¡®Right, there¡¯s still Wyatt¡­pared to him, Simon is nothing. ¡°Mr. Langford, would you like to¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Wyatt, as if knowing exactly what she was about to say, interrupted her. ¡°Ms. Chambers, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m here for Ms. Zeller of the Chambers family. I won¡¯t steal the spotlight. Please, let Mr. Griffin take the head seat.¡±


    Once again, the crowd erupted in shock. No one could remain calm. ¡®Are both of these elusive, high-status men here for the recently returned Ms. Zeller from the Chambers family?¡¯ The entire crowd was buzzing!


    Winona finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. She staggered back a step, her ears buzzing, her hands trembling uncontrobly. ¡°How have you been, Ms. Zeller?¡± Wyatt¡¯s tone, attitude, and the kind expression on his face all conveyed one message: respect. He ced Yvette on equal footing with him.


    Wyatt had no idea what was going through everyone¡¯s minds. If he did, he would¡¯ve told them, ¡®You¡¯re overthinking it. Why would I consider myself on the same level as the woman Jeremiah has set his sights on?¡¯


    Yvette simply nodded casually in response, treating Wyatt with no more warmth than she had shown Simon earlier.


    The difference in treatment was clear as day, ¡®Wow, she really is something! I wish I could be as nonchnt as her, not even caring about the mayor!¡¯


    Wyatt didn¡¯t seem to mind. After greeting Yvette, he also sat down nearby, instantly turning the once-empty corner into the center of attention in the garden. As he sat, Wyatt seemed distracted. ¡®Is heing or not?¡¯


    Zachary sighed. At this point, he had to step up and take control of the situation.


    Nellie invited Richard to take the head seat and, seeing that there were fewer people around, led Winona aside. Victor noticed and followed them.


    Sienna was a little curious but chose not to ask questions given the situation. ¡®It¡¯s not surprising who the boss knows!


    From afar, Robert stared at Yvette and the others, his expression dark and suspicious. He turned to Yulia, who seemed stunned, and asked, ¡°Did Yvette make a fuss when you called off the engagement?¡±


    Yulia, watching Yvette chat with Simon and Wyatt from a distance, shook her head. ¡°No, she¡­ she was very straightforward about it. And¡­ she didn¡¯t seem upset at all. I think Yvette¡­¡± She hesitated.


    ncing at Robert¡¯s grim face, Yulia continued cautiously. ¡°Yvette didn¡¯t seem to care about the engagement with Victor.¡±


    Robert clenched his teeth but said nothing. ¡®Maybe Yvette just identally got close to these two. Yeah¡­ that must be it. Otherwise, what kind of reckless decision did I make?¡¯


    Meanwhile, Wyatt, sitting off to the side, was restless, frequently checking his phone. Finally, the ringtone broke the silence, and Wyatt answered immediately. ¡®The person I¡¯ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Wyatt stood up and headed out.


    Everyone noticed his sudden movement. ¡®Why is he leaving so abruptly?¡¯


    ?


    As Wyatt stepped outside, he saw his secretary leading Jeremiah to the entrance. Jeremiah, dressed in a ck shirt, had sword-like brows and starry eyes, his prominent Adam¡¯s apple adding to his appeal. His dark, cold eyes narrowed slightly, his expression wrapped in a chilling frost. His gaze was as still as a frozenke, his calm demeanor terrifying. One hand in his pocket, his movements casual yetmanding, he walked at an unhurried pace.


    Wyatt quickened his steps and approached Jeremiah. To everyone¡¯s astonishment, Wyatt bowed respectfully and greeted him. ¡°Master Jeremiah.¡±


    neal


    Just that single ¡°Master¡± from Wyatt was enough to reveal the terrifying status of this man. What kind of power couldpel Mr. Langford to address someone as ¡°Master¡±?


    Jeremiah nodded, his voice cold, making everyone present shudder inwardly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who is this mysterious, powerful man? When did someone like him appear in Seaerity¡¯s high society?¡¯ thought everyone.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah scanned through the crowd in the garden and immediately spotted a young girl enjoying her dessert. The next second, his lips curled into a world-stopping smile.

 Chapter 137

    With long, straight legs, Jeremiah strode toward Yvette, while Wyatt hurried to follow. The crowd¡¯s gazes followed him the entire way¨Csome amazed, some suspicious, others shocked, and some deep in thought.


    Jeremiah approached Yvette just as she finished a piece of dessert.


    Yvette lifted her head, her long, pale neck gleaming, the hint of her corbones showing through, her wless face meeting Jeremiah¡¯s eyes.


    Jeremiah looked down, his brows carrying a hint of a smile, his voice maic and pleasant. ¡°You look beautiful today.¡±


    Yvette leaned backzily, raising her eyelids slightly, her expression still somewhat indifferent. A faint cold mist seemed to linger in her eyes, with a touch of wildness. She said casually, ¡°Only today?¡±


    Jeremiah was clearly stunned for a moment when he heard that. Did she just tease me?¡® But a hint of joy rose in his heart. He gazed at Yvette, serious and focused, raising his eyebrows slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve always looked beautiful.¡±


    Yvette rested her hand on her chin, her voice light and slow. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve always been beautiful.¡±


    Sienna rubbed her forehead, ncing around at thedies, all ring daggers at Yvette. She really wanted to say, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not just good¨Clooking, you¡¯re drop¨Cdead gorgeous. But could you tone it down a little? Can¡¯t you see all these women are practically ready to eat you alive?¡± But given the overwhelming presence of this man who had just appeared, she kept her mouth shut. She¡¯s not dumb. She could clearly see that the two of them were flirting,monly known as ¡°dog abuse,¡± and she was the dog closest to the action.


    Simon, sitting nearby, never expected Yvette to say something like that. He coughed awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t realize this kid had a slight narcissistic streak. But I guess it¡¯s not really narcissism, more like speaking the truth. After all my years of living, Yvette is indeed the prettiest student I¡¯ve ever had. No argument there!


    The corner of Jeremiah¡¯s mouth remained upturned, but this expression was reserved only for Yvette. His gaze briefly swept over Sienna, who wore a nosy look, making his meaning abundantly clear.


    Sienna shot


    up


    and excitedly said to Jeremiah, ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± She then stormed off to sit at a seat farther away from Yvette. Jeremiah naturally took Sienna¡¯s former seat, nodded politely at Simon, and then focused solely on Yvette. Yvette nced at him with her pretty eyes, pressed her lips together, and said nothing.


    To those around them, this was as good as Yvette giving tacit approval to his actions. ¡®So, are they a couple?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Carter family broke off their engagement with Yvette and switched to Winona. Looks like it¡¯s true. Otherwise, how could she be sitting so openly with another man?¡±


    ¡°Yvette really has it made, huh? First, she was found by the Chambers family, and now she¡¯s got this handsome, amazing boyfriend. And on top of that, she looks like that? Life sure is unfair.¡±


    ¡°I used to think Victor was pretty handsome, butpared to this guy, the difference is just too much.¡±


    Victor had just walked into the garden with Nellie and Winona when he overheard this. He was instantly fuming, but when he saw the man sitting next to Yvette, his anger deted. The most frustrating thing was that they weren¡¯t wrong¨Che knew he couldn¡¯tpare, so all he could do was sulk in silence.


    Winona already knew that after the apprenticeship ceremony, the two families would officially announce her engagement to Victor, so she had given up on Jeremiah for now. She wasn¡¯t foolish. Her mother was right¨Cher priority now was to secure Victor. As for Jeremiah, I won¡¯t give up on him in the future if the chance arises. For now, I¡¯ll just put it aside.


    At the center of the garden, Cyanbird¡¯s painting, gifted to Winona, was prominently disyed on the faux wall.


    B


    Richard had taken the main seat, with Zachary, Nellie, Robert, and Yulia beside him.


    Everyone had tacitly agreed to drop the earlier incident, and Richard had returned to his usual arrogant self.


    ? ? 3 84%=


    0


    Zachary had just announced to everyone that the apprenticeship ceremony would be held first. This decision brightened Winona¡¯s mood considerably, as it showed Zachary still valued her and understood what was important. That¡¯s why he put her apprenticeship ceremony ahead of Yvette¡¯s recognition event. Winona paused deliberately as she passed Yvette, a hint of smugness on her face. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m going up first.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t even acknowledge her, not bothering to open her eyes, just curling her lips coldly.


    Winona was furious at her reaction but didn¡¯t dare lose her temper in front of Jeremiah, so she gritted her teeth and walked


    away.


    The apprenticeship ceremony went by quickly, the whole process taking just twenty minutes.


    During that time, Yvette kept her eyes closed, resting. Everyone assumed she was jealous of her younger sister and didn¡¯t want to watch, but those nearby could hear her soft, steady breathing¡­


    Jeremiah shifted slightly, blocking the breeze blowing from afar. From a distance, it looked like Yvette was cradled in his


    arms.


    Wyatt noticed the subtle gesture, his eyes darkening. ¡®Looks like Jeremiah has truly fallen for her. But can Yvette pass the test set by the old chief?¡®


    After the ceremony, Winona officially became Richard¡¯sst student. With this title, she gained significant confidence, knowing she now had the strongest backing in the field of oil painting.


    Everyone raised their sses to congratte Winona, seemingly having forgotten the earlier events, and she quickly returned to her initial air of triumph.


    At that moment, a man in his forties, wearing sses and ordinary clothes, walked into the garden and shouted, ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ve got something to say.¡±


    The crowd turned to see the stranger who had just barged in¡­


    It was none other than Richard¡¯s nemesis, Cole Paben, the current vice president of the Art Association. He despised Richard¡¯s corrupt, nepotistic ways, using his power for personal gain and running the association into chaos. Back when the previous president was in charge, the Art Association had always been fair and just. But Richard had used underhanded tactics to drive the old president out, and now he was trying to elevate his newst student within the association. Cole could not tolerate this, so upon learning about it, he rushed to Seacrity overnight.


    He had already heard a secret about Winona from the former president. ¡®How could a little girl tell such an outrageous lie and fool everyone? I absolutely cannot let someone like Winona enter the Art Association.¡®


    Richard¡¯s murky eyes red at Cole. ¡®Why is he meddling in this? What does my taking on a student have to do with him?¡± ¡°Mr. Paben, why aren¡¯t you overseeing the Art Association in Betrico? What brings you to Seacrity?¡±


    Some people only now recognized him¨CCole Paben, the Art Association¡¯s vice president and one of the most internationally awarded national oil painters. Word spread quickly, and soon the whole garden knew his identity.


    Ignoring Richard, Cole fixed his gaze on Winona, standing next to the painting in the center of the stage. His eyes narrowed, sharp and cold, as he asked, ¡°Winona, right?¡±


    Winona panicked under his gaze. ¡°Yes, Mr. Paben.¡±


    Cole took a step forward, his presence imposing as he pointed to the painting behind her. ¡°You said this was a gift from Cyanbird?¡±


    With long, straight legs, Jeremiah strode toward Yvette, while Wyatt hurried to follow. The crowd¡¯s gazes followed him the entire way¨Csome amazed, some suspicious, others shocked, and some deep in thought.


    Jeremiah approached Yvette just as she finished a piece of dessert.


    Yvette lifted her head, her long, pale neck gleaming, the hint of her corbones showing through, her wless face meeting Jeremiah¡¯s eyes.


    Jeremiah looked down, his brows carrying a hint of a smile, his voice maic and pleasant. ¡°You look beautiful today.¡±


    Yvette leaned backzily, raising her eyelids slightly, her expression still somewhat indifferent. A faint cold mist seemed to linger in her eyes, with a touch of wildness. She said casually, ¡°Only today?¡±


    Jeremiah was clearly stunned for a moment when he heard that. Did she just tease me?¡® But a hint of joy rose in his heart. He gazed at Yvette, serious and focused, raising his eyebrows slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve always looked beautiful.¡±


    Yvette rested her hand on her chin, her voice light and slow. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve always been beautiful.¡±


    Sienna rubbed her forehead, ncing around at thedies, all ring daggers at Yvette. She really wanted to say, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not just good¨Clooking, you¡¯re drop¨Cdead gorgeous. But could you tone it down a little? Can¡¯t you see all these women are practically ready to eat you alive?¡± But given the overwhelming presence of this man who had just appeared, she kept her mouth shut. She¡¯s not dumb. She could clearly see that the two of them were flirting,monly known as ¡°dog abuse,¡± and she was the dog closest to the action.


    Simon, sitting nearby, never expected Yvette to say something like that. He coughed awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t realize this kid had a slight narcissistic streak. But I guess it¡¯s not really narcissism, more like speaking the truth. After all my years of living, Yvette is indeed the prettiest student I¡¯ve ever had. No argument there!


    The corner of Jeremiah¡¯s mouth remained upturned, but this expression was reserved only for Yvette. His gaze briefly swept over Sienna, who wore a nosy look, making his meaning abundantly clear.


    Sienna shot up and excitedly said to Jeremiah, ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± She then stormed off to sit at a seat farther away from Yvette. Jeremiah naturally took Sienna¡¯s former seat, nodded politely at Simon, and then focused solely on Yvette. Yvette nced at him with her pretty eyes, pressed her lips together, and said nothing.


    To those around them, this was as good as Yvette giving tacit approval to his actions. ¡®So, are they a couple?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Carter family broke off their engagement with Yvette and switched to Winona. Looks like it¡¯s true. Otherwise, how could she be sitting so openly with another man?¡±


    ¡°Yvette really has it made, huh? First, she was found by the Chambers family, and now she¡¯s got this handsome, amazing boyfriend. And on top of that, she looks like that? Life sure is unfair.¡±


    ¡°I used to think Victor was pretty handsome, butpared to this guy, the difference is just too much.¡±


    Victor had just walked into the garden with Nellie and Winona when he overheard this. He was instantly fuming, but when he saw the man sitting next to Yvette, his anger deted. The most frustrating thing was that they weren¡¯t wrong¨Che knew he couldn¡¯tpare, so all he could do was sulk in silence.


    Winona already knew that after the apprenticeship ceremony, the two families would officially announce her engagement to Victor, so she had given up on Jeremiah for now. She wasn¡¯t foolish. Her mother was right¨Cher priority now was to secure Victor. As for Jeremiah, I won¡¯t give up on him in the future if the chance arises. For now, I¡¯ll just put it aside.


    At the center of the garden, Cyanbird¡¯s painting, gifted to Winona, was prominently disyed on the faux wall.


    B


    Richard had taken the main seat, with Zachary, Nellie, Robert, and Yulia beside him.


    Everyone had tacitly agreed to drop the earlier incident, and Richard had returned to his usual arrogant self.


    ? ? 3 84%=


    0


    Zachary had just announced to everyone that the apprenticeship ceremony would be held first. This decision brightened Winona¡¯s mood considerably, as it showed Zachary still valued her and understood what was important. That¡¯s why he put her apprenticeship ceremony ahead of Yvette¡¯s recognition event. Winona paused deliberately as she passed Yvette, a hint of smugness on her face. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m going up first.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t even acknowledge her, not bothering to open her eyes, just curling her lips coldly.


    Winona was furious at her reaction but didn¡¯t dare lose her temper in front of Jeremiah, so she gritted her teeth and walked


    away.


    The apprenticeship ceremony went by quickly, the whole process taking just twenty minutes.


    During that time, Yvette kept her eyes closed, resting. Everyone assumed she was jealous of her younger sister and didn¡¯t want to watch, but those nearby could hear her soft, steady breathing¡­


    Jeremiah shifted slightly, blocking the breeze blowing from afar. From a distance, it looked like Yvette was cradled in his


    arms.


    Wyatt noticed the subtle gesture, his eyes darkening. ¡®Looks like Jeremiah has truly fallen for her. But can Yvette pass the test set by the old chief?¡®


    After the ceremony, Winona officially became Richard¡¯sst student. With this title, she gained significant confidence, knowing she now had the strongest backing in the field of oil painting.


    Everyone raised their sses to congratte Winona, seemingly having forgotten the earlier events, and she quickly returned to her initial air of triumph.


    At that moment, a man in his forties, wearing sses and ordinary clothes, walked into the garden and shouted, ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ve got something to say.¡±


    The crowd turned to see the stranger who had just barged in¡­


    It was none other than Richard¡¯s nemesis, Cole Paben, the current vice president of the Art Association. He despised Richard¡¯s corrupt, nepotistic ways, using his power for personal gain and running the association into chaos. Back when the previous president was in charge, the Art Association had always been fair and just. But Richard had used underhanded tactics to drive the old president out, and now he was trying to elevate his newst student within the association. Cole could not tolerate this, so upon learning about it, he rushed to Seacrity overnight.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He had already heard a secret about Winona from the former president. ¡®How could a little girl tell such an outrageous lie and fool everyone? I absolutely cannot let someone like Winona enter the Art Association.¡®


    Richard¡¯s murky eyes red at Cole. ¡®Why is he meddling in this? What does my taking on a student have to do with him?¡± ¡°Mr. Paben, why aren¡¯t you overseeing the Art Association in Betrico? What brings you to Seacrity?¡±


    Some people only now recognized him¨CCole Paben, the Art Association¡¯s vice president and one of the most internationally awarded national oil painters. Word spread quickly, and soon the whole garden knew his identity.


    Ignoring Richard, Cole fixed his gaze on Winona, standing next to the painting in the center of the stage. His eyes narrowed, sharp and cold, as he asked, ¡°Winona, right?¡±


    Winona panicked under his gaze. ¡°Yes, Mr. Paben.¡±


    Cole took a step forward, his presence imposing as he pointed to the painting behind her. ¡°You said this was a gift from Cyanbird?¡±

 Chapter 138

    Winona bit her lip, her fingers gripping the frame tightly, turning white with tension. She forced herself to lift her head, her voice trembling slightly, with a hint of tears. ¡°Mr. Paben, I don¡¯t understand what you mean by asking this. Everyone knows the truth. Why are you going out of your way to ask again? I know you¡¯ve always had issues with my teacher, but you shouldn¡¯te here to stir trouble and embarrass him. You¡¯re being too much.¡±


    Winona¡¯s tactic of redirecting me worked perfectly. Upon hearing her words, Richard shot up from his seat, furious, and began to use Cole. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Paben! If you¡¯ve got an issue, take it up with me. What kind of man takes it out on a student?¡±


    Winona lowered her gaze, hiding the triumph in her eyes.


    Cole¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, disying no concern for Richard¡¯s anger. He maintained his unwavering gaze on Winona and spoke with conviction, ¡°Allow me to inquire once more, are you absolutely certain that Cyanbird gave you this painting?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Winona on the round tform. Winona silently cursed Cole in her heart. She had encountered Cole before during her exams at the Art Association. All the judges had passed her, except for him, who gave her the lowest score, preventing her from passing level five. And now, out of nowhere, he was questioning her about this painting.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡®Could it be¡­ that he¡¯s really discovered something? No, that¡¯s impossible. Back when I was in Mysonna, the underground seller assured me that no one would ever find out. Could it be that Mr. Paben is just trying to trick me? Yes¡­ I need to stay calm¡­ Everything¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯ll be fine. By this time, she had no way out. ¡°Yes, this painting was a gift from the master Cyanbird a few years ago when I was in Mysonna. He greatly admired my work and character and gifted it to me specially.¡±


    Winona¡¯s firm response made everyone present feel that Cole was being unreasonable. Even if he had conflicts with Richard, he shouldn¡¯t be taking it out on a young girl. Many people began to speak up for Winona.


    The first to speak was Robert. ¡°Mr. Paben, you heard Winona¡¯s answer, didn¡¯t you? The whole of Seacrity knows that master Cyanbird gave this painting to her, and the private seal on the painting can¡¯t be fake, right? Are you being so aggressive to bully the Carter and Chambers families? Winona is already engaged to Victor and will be my daughter-inw of the Carter family, so we won¡¯t let you nder her like this!¡± Robert¡¯s words were a clear announcement of Winona and Victor¡¯s engagement to everyone present.


    Zachary frowned slightly. ¡®Who Winona is engaged to no longer concerns me as her ¡°father.¡±


    Nellie, her eyes reddened, also stood up to reproach Cole. ¡°Mr. Paben, Winona is still just a child. How can you question her like this in front of so many people? This is the Chambers family, not the Art Association, and you¡¯re not one of our invited guests. I hope you leave immediately.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the crowd below started to act as righteous defenders again.


    ¡°Mr. Paben, you¡¯d better leave quickly. It¡¯s not right to ruin their happy day like this.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, you¡¯re not young anymore. What¡¯s the point of bullying a young girl?¡±


    ¡°Leave¡­ just leave, no one here wants you¡­¡±


    In the corner, Yvette opened her eyes. She first nced at Jeremiah, who was closest to her, then looked towards the noisy round tform in the distance.


    Jeremiah immediately looked down at Yvette, his eyes dark and bright, his voice soft and unusually tender. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    Simon, Wyatt, and Sienna also turned to look at Yvette at the same time¡­ Wyatt got goosebumps from Jeremiah¡¯s voice. ¡°That can¡¯t be the iron-blooded Major General anymore, right? In front of Yvette, Jeremiah is like one of those so-called cute puppy types? A cute puppy? Oh my¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine. That¡¯s too terrifying!¡±


    Sienna from Argrol University casually sat down beside them. ¡°Hey¡­ Yve¡­ you slept soundly, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s been a lively scene up here. Some guy barged in just now, iming to be the vice president of the Art Association, Cole. He¡¯s questioning Winona about that painting. From what he said, it seems like there¡¯s some issue with it.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s beautiful eyes were still slightlyzy, though there was a coldness deep within them. Her upturned eyelids carried a wildness as she stretched andzily nced at Cole, who was being surrounded by the crowd. Her voice had a bit of drowsynguor. ¡°The painting is fake.¡±


    Sienna eximed in shock, ¡°The painting is fake?¡±


    The power of that shout silenced the bustling garden once again. The crowd had been so focused on criticizing Cole that they had forgotten about the line of big shots seated there. What had Sienna just yelled? ¡°The painting is fake?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Could it be that Sienna knows some inside information?¡¯


    Cole turned to look at Yvette¡¯s side, his eyes suddenly shining brightly, and his hands trembling with excitement. However, everyone was too focused on the other side to notice Cole¡¯s strange behavior.


    Sienna realized her voice had been too loud. ¡®But it¡¯s not my fault! The boss made such a shocking statement! I could believe if someone else were making stuff up, but if the boss says the painting is fake, then it must be fake! If that¡¯s true, then this is a big deal¡­


    ¡°Sienna, why did you say the painting is fake? Do you have any evidence? You can¡¯t just make ims like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re only using Winona because you¡¯re close to Yvette. Did Yvette put you up to this? Don¡¯t let yourself be used as someone¡¯s pawn.¡±


    *****


    Egged on by thesements, the crowd turned their eyes to Yvette, now filled with suspicion. ¡®Could Yvette really have prompted Sienna to step in and frame Winona?¡¯


    Winona stepped down from the tform, her expression showing she¡¯d clearly suffered a major blow. Tears streamed down her face as she cried sorrowfully. ¡°Why are you helping outsiders bully me? Why? Ever since you came back to the family, have I done anything to upset you? I¡¯ve always made concessions for you and never dared to make you angry because you¡¯re my half-sister. I¡¯ve always wanted to get along with you, but you¡¯ve never given me a chance. Today is the most important day of my life, and you had Sienna speak up for you. You¡¯re going too far!¡±


    Winona¡¯s words evoked deep sympathy from the crowd, especially from Victor, who rushed to her side, ring at Yvette as though they had some deep-seated grudge.


    Yvette, her legs crossed, rested her hands on the chair, tapping rhythmically with her left hand. Her gaze was calm and deep, with a mischievous smirk on her face, her features so stunning that people couldn¡¯t look directly at her-both seductive and untamed.


    Yvette¡¯s demeanor left the crowd breathless. ¡®She¡­ she¡¯s just too beautiful. Her breathtaking beauty captured everyone¡¯s hearts, and even those who had just been using her were now left speechless.


    Sitting beside her, Jeremiah casually handed Yvette a ss of orange juice he had poured. Yvette took it without hesitation, took a sip, and then, amidst the stunned gazes of everyone, finally spoke.

 Chapter 139

    Yvette said, ¡°Bullying you? You might not know the extent of my bullying. Those I bully end up in two fates: either death or a living hell worse than death. If you wish to experience it, I wouldn¡¯t mind fulfilling that wish. And that fainting is fake; no matter how genuine it seems, a counterfeit can never be the real one. However, you do have a merit: you¡¯re quite bold. This painting has been on the ck market in Mysonna for several years. Do you know why no one dares to buy it? The person who forged this painting was brutally beaten, had their hands and feet broken in a single night, and left in a deste wilderness. In the end, they were devoured by wild wolves.¡±


    Everyone shuddered at the thought of being eaten by wolves. That was seriously brutal


    Yvette¡¯s words were so vivid that they felt like they were actually there, instinctively taking a step back.


    Everyone present started to doubt thting¡¯s authenticity.


    Yvette didn¡¯t mind the crowd¡¯s reactions. She rested her chin on one hand and casually nced at Nellie in the distance, wearing a faint smile. ¡°One more thing, it¡¯s early to mention being half-siblings.¡±


    The others ignored Yvette¡¯sst remark, but Zachary and Nellie on the tform showed a noticeable change in their expressions.


    Nellie felt cold. Her mind was racing, and she could not concentrate on Winona¡¯s issues. Her only concern was whether Yvette had discovered something


    Zachary nced at Nellie, noticed her pale face, and lowered his head deep in thought.


    As Winona looked at Yvette in disbelief, her expression changed dramatically.


    The color slowly drained from Winona¡¯s face. She was utterly shocked and began trembling uncontrobly when she realized that Yvette had found that she had bought this painting on the ck market in Mysonna


    The next moment, a sudden idea struck Winona. So what if Yvette revealed the painting¡¯s origin? As long as I continue denying it, who could prove the painting is fake? Since Crescent Moon, Cyanbird hasn¡¯t released any new works. Only the agent Travis has met Cyanbird, and Travis is far away in Mysonna. No one here has his contact information, so


    Winona lookedpletely wronged and deeply upset.


    ¡°Yvie, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. What ck market? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Should you really want to frame me, why must you think of such a ridiculous excuse? There are so many people here, including Mr. Langford. You can¡¯t just start throwing usations¡­¡± Winona didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but her eyes drifted to Wyatt


    Wyatt casually lifted his head, ying dumb, saying, ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t we talking about the painting? Sorry, I was dealing with some official business. Where were we? Go on..


    After speaking, Wyatt waved the phone in his hand, seeming to be confirming his remarks.


    Everyone thought, ¡®We believe Mr. Langford. Please don¡¯t treat us like fools¡­


    Wyatt didn¡¯t care about their reactions. Seeing the satisfied look from Jeremiah, he knew he had made the right move.


    Wyatt happily lowered his head and returned to his so-called ¡°official business¡±.


    Winona was furious, but she didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to offend Wyatt, so she spoke sternly to Yvette, ¡°Yvie, if you say this painting is fake, please provide evidence, or I won¡¯t tolerate this any longer.¡±


    Winona was certain Yvette had no evidence since Yvette had acimed that the person who forged the painting was already


    B.


    dead.


    ¡°I am the evidence. I can prove that Ms. Zeller is telling the truth. No one knows better than her whether the painting is real or fake Cole stepped out of the crowd, heading straight to Yvette.


    When he got in front of Yvette, he was unsure how to behave, as awkward as a child. He stammered, ¡°Cyanbird¡­ 1-Im Cole Paben. Hello, nice to see you again.¡±


    Everyone present was dumbfounded.


    They wondered What did he say? Cold called Yvette Cyanbird. So, Yvette is an internationally famous and mysterious genius painter whose single painting is worth 30 million dors and admired by countless people? No way! This is really unbelievable! But why would Mr. Paben tell such a lie?


    Zachary, Richard, Nellie, Rober


    Victor, and Zeke all stood there, dumbfounded.


    Winona was the one who found it most uneptable, she¡¯d rather believe the world was ending than ept that Yvette was Cyanbird.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her clear and bright eyes carrying a touch of coldness and mischief.


    With a casual yetzy demeanor, she said smilingly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while, You¡¯ve aged quite a bit; hasn¡¯t Mr. Harrington been taking good care of you?¡±


    Cole scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°No, Mr. Harrington treats me very some time already.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    well. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s been sick and hospitalized for


    When Cole mentioned this, he seemed a bit down. Thomas didn¡¯t have much time left to live; the doctors had already issued a critical condition notice.


    Upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words, the people present were shocked that Yvette had just admitted that she was Gyanbird indirectly.


    It was shocking news.


    The Chambers family¡¯s child, who had been missing for over twenty years and was recently found, was Cyanbird, the most enigmatic figure in the international art world.


    This was definitely today¡¯s biggest news,


    Some smart people immediately realized if Yvette was Cyanbird, the painting Winona had must be a fake.


    This was huge.


    Though he was surprised, Jeremiah was not as shocked as the others. He wondered how much more of Yvette¡¯s secrets he did not know about.


    He had even bid on Cyanbird¡¯s paintings before. It turned out the artist he admired was right beside him all along.


    Simon never imagined that Yvette had another identity.


    Now that he knew she was Siren, discovering that she was also a great artist wasn¡¯t too hard to ept.


    Some people were just born with incredible talent, and others couldn¡¯t help but envy them.


    Richard, leaning on his cane, shakily walked over to Winona. As he walked, he thought that even if Yvette was Cyanbird, he couldn¡¯t admit Winona¡¯s painting was fake.


    Admitting it now would make himpletely lose face, so he was determined not to do so.


    He whispered a few words in Winona, and she immediately understood what he meant.


    Senior people were indeed more resourceful.


    Winona said, ¡°Mr. Paben, stop acting along with Yvie. Everyone knows she grew up in the countryside. How could she possibly be Cyanbird? It makes no sense. We don¡¯t believe you unless you can get Cyanbird¡¯s agent Travis Rojas to attest to it


    Everyone became suspicious again after hearing this, thinking Winona might have a point.


    After all, no one had ever seen Cyanbird


    It had always been the agent handling things. Cole¡¯s statements weren¡¯t enough to make them believe Yvette was Cyanbird.


    He was the most experienced art agent in Mysonna


    And Travis wasn¡¯t just anyb


    It was not easy to reach out to him.


    These people were divided into two groups. Some people believed Winona and Richard, while others trusted Yvette and


    Cole


    Everyone was caught in a dilemma.


    When Winona noticed people around her began to speak in her favor again, she felt a bit confident again.


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that Yvette was actually Cyanbird.


    Sienna stepped forward, took out the phone from her handbag, and said to everyone, ¡°Finding Travis is easy. I have his contact info. Why not call him on video and confirm it?¡±


    Winona suddenly felt a wave of panic.


    She had forgotten that Sienna hade back from Mysonna; with her connections, it was not surprising she knew Travis.


    Richard¡¯s face suddenly darkened.


    Actually, he had already believed Cole¡¯s words. In Richard¡¯s opinion, that stubborn man wouldn¡¯t care to lie about something like that.


    Richard finally understood what it meant to be stuck in a difficult situation.


    Richard looked at Yvette and suddenly felt everything go pitch ck before his eyes.


    Sienna didn¡¯t care about that; she found Travis¡¯ phone number and dialed it.


    The call was connected right away.


    In the video, a young, handsome, blond man wearing a floral shirt appeared. The background suggested that he was on a


    beach


    ¡°Hey, Sienna, what¡¯s up? Aren¡¯t you back in Clusia?¡± He spoke wless Clusian.


    Before Sienna could respond, Winona chimed in, ¡°Hello, Mr. Rojas, someone here in Clusia is impersonating Cyanbird. Could you help confirm whether she is actually Cyanbird?¡±


    Hearing this, Travis yelled in annoyance, ¡°Who? Which bastard dares to impersonate my goddess? Is she out of her mind? Step forward! I swear¡­ I¡¯m not kidding around.


    Sienna gave him a sideways nce, thinking, ¡®s¡­ good luck to you, you fool.


    Then she pointed the camera at Yvette.


    Travis, who had been so arrogant, went silent and swallowed hard. He bowed after he rubbed his eyes to make sure who it was. ¡°Ti. Cyanbird.¡±

 Chapter 140

    Travis¡¯s words sent the whole party into a frenzy¡­


    All eyes turned to Yvette, who sat with a faint smile and a mischievous, haughty, casual, and carefree look in her eyes.


    The people present werepletely shocked and silent.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been quite idletely, Yvette said softly as she nodded slightly at Travis in the video.


    Sienna felt sympathy for Travis, pondering. The boss really knows how to keep secrets. It turns out she¡¯s a mysterious genius artist with international recognition, Boss has another identity. As her employee, I¡¯m feeling a lot of pressure.¡±


    Travis couldn¡¯t help but cring ette¡¯s gaze, recalling the years when Yvette had dominated him. It was miserable.


    With a sycophantic smile, Travis said, ¡°No, no¡­ Tm not idle at all. T¨CThe phone signal isn¡¯t¡­ great.¡± Travis finished speaking and ended the call.


    Travis, who was on the beach of the west coast of the Mysonna, let out a sly grin. He thought it was a smart move to end the call that way.


    In the garden, the silence was suffocating


    Suddenly, someone spoke up. ¡°If Travis says Yvette is Cyanbird, doesn¡¯t that mean that Winona¡¯s painting is fake?


    What could she possibly want? Why would she lie about that? It¡¯s just too embarrassing¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? This painting earned her a chance to be Richard¡¯sst student.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve all been fooled by Winona. Turns out Yvette is the genius painter Gyanbird.¡±


    ¡°But the apprenticeship ceremony is over, and the engagement has been announced. I think now¡­..


    Winona kept her head down, her hands clenching so tightly. Winona was at a loss for words. Another thing that drove Yvette into a chasm was Travis¡¯s affirmation that she was Cyanbird. She dared not look up, dared not see the strange looks from the people around her, and she couldn¡¯t believe that the one she had always admired and wanted to be turned out to be Yvette. If Yvette had revealed her identity from the start, none of this would have happened. Winona thought, ¡®It was all Yvette¡¯s fault. She was deliberately trying to make a fool of me; Iwant her to pay


    Winona was obsessed. ¡°My mom promised to deal with Yvette. But why hasn¡¯t she taken any action yet? What on earth is she doing?


    Winona had no idea that Yvette¡¯s words had terrified Nellie. Since Yvette had said as much, Winona wondered if she had found anything.


    Robert, who had just announced the engagement of Victor and Winona, was deeply regretful. Now everything waspletely ruined. The Carter family became aughing stock today because of Winona, and her telling lies would be a stain on her for life. What could be more ironic than that a person who told outrageous lies would marry into the Carter family?


    Yulia just stared nkly at Yvette, who reminded Lilian of the excellent and outstanding woman more than twenty years ago. Yvette was more outstanding than her mother. Yulia wondered whether everything would have turned out differently if she hadn¡¯t listened to Robert and broken off the engagement and if she hadn¡¯t humiliated Yvette with a check. But there was no way going back. Only now did she realize why Yvette was so disdainful when the Carter family offered Yvette that check As Cyanbird, Yvette didn¡¯t care about this amount of money since she could sell a painting for over 30 million dors. Thinking about it now, Yulia mocked herself. But there was nothing she could do now.


    Richard stood next to Winona, and his expression wavered a few times. The whole apprenticeship ceremony was messed up.


    He originally hoped that the painting in Winona¡¯s hand could help him quell some of the opposition in the Art Association, but now it not only failed but also backfired. If he had known the Yvette was Cyanbird, he would definitely not have treated her in that manner. In this situation, he could only abandon Winona to save himself.


    Richard nced sideways at Winona, a glint of calction shing through his murky eyes. No matter how much Winona had won his favor, she was nothingpared to his reputation Specifically, her reputation in the domestic art industry would bepletely destroyed if today¡¯s events became widespread. It was no longer worth his time and effort to teach someone like that


    With a sigh, Richard looked down at the silent Winona and said, ¡°Winona, you¡¯ve really let me down my trust by spreading such a huge lie. Although I¡¯ve epted you as my student, you haven¡¯t officially jadned the Art Association. With so many people present today as witnesses, I dere the apprenticeship ceremony is nullified. From now on, I cut all ties with Winona Chambers, and we are no longer rted.¡±


    Winona staggered, her eyes tillThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    he hesitated and stepped asidi


    bloodshot and a touch of ferocity. Victor wanted to lend her a hand, but in the end.


    After speaking. Richard left with his cane, not even ncing at Winona. He walked extremely fast and disappeared in no


    Everyone was taken aback by Richard¡¯s sudden move, all of them stunned. He just decided that his previous words didn¡¯t


    Count


    Nellie finally came to her senses. She never expected that the director of the Art Association would be so ungrateful and go back on his word unscrupulously ditching Winona even after the apprenticeship ceremony had been held. Nellie red resentfully at Yvette, who was casually chatting with others with an indifferent air. Nellie thought. It¡¯s all this wretched woman¡¯s fault. How could she be Cyanbird? But Nellie knew she couldn¡¯t deny it because that was the cruelest truth for her. Winona, and a few others. Nellie was somewhat relieved that she had agreed to announce the marriage between Victor and Winona at the apprenticeship ceremony today. Since she couldn¡¯t go on with her painting career, but with the marriage to the Carter family, Winona could still pave the way for Zeke¡¯s future_


    Robert gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t ept this marriage either, Robert thought that ude would kill him if ude knew what had happened to him today and that he had personally chosen Winona to engage with Victor, Robert couldn¡¯t care much about his reputation now. ¡°Mr. Chambers and Mrs. Chambers, thank you for entertaining us today. We will take our leave now. Our housekeeper called to say that my father hase and is waiting for us at home. We will visit you another day when we have the chance.¡±


    Nellie¡¯s eyes widened, and she was instantly furious, thinking. What does Robert mean by that?¡¯


    The people in attendance now understood what Robert was saying when they heard it, having heard Richard¡¯s words. Everyone in the upper ss was no fool. It was obvious that the Carter family was distancing themselves from the Chambers family and calling off the marriage.


    Nellie anxiously tugged at Zachary¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Honey, say something! The Carter family clearly wants to cancel¡­¡±


    Zachary raised his head, nced at the anxious and furious Nellie with cold eyes, then at the people below, and finally at Robert His voice was cold when he said, ¡°Oh, the engagement between Victor and Winona was decided by you and Nellie. Whether it counts or not is up to you, I don¡¯t care.


    Zachary¡¯s words left Nellie stunned and at a loss, her face pale.


    Zachary¡¯s words finally made Winona copse. Winona was shivering all over, biting her teeth hard, even her eyes cold, thinking. Why does my father treat me this way? Why doesn¡¯t he care for me at all? I¡¯m his daughter. Why is he so ruthless to


    mel

 Chapter 141

    Robert took Yulia off the stage without even a pause as they passed by Winona as if she were a stranger. Victor was a little reluctant to follow Robert when he saw Winona in tears, but he had no choice but to do so given the situation.


    After they left, the venue fell silent, with no one daring to speak


    At that moment, Zachary in a dark suit walked to the center of the round stage and picked up the microphone. He pursed his lips, his face somewhat stern, but his eyes held a trace of relief that others couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, 1 have another announcement to make. I have decided to give my daughter Yvette all of my shares in Chambers Group in addition to my money, stocks, real estate, and antique collections. I have executed the necessary documents. From today on, Yvette is the sole heir to my assets.¡±


    Everyone was shocked to hear this statement and immediately thought, ¡®Does Zachary mean to leave all his assets to Yvette? How is it possible for this to happen? There has never been anything like this. No matter how much the daughter is loved, it is assumed in the world of the we that the property must be left to the son. Nobody would allow the daughter to take over thepany. Is Zachary cras addition, he has a son. How could he make such a ridiculous decision?¡±


    Only Yvette, sittingzily in her seat, showed no surprise at all. Her eyes were deep and bright, sparkling with interest.


    With one leg crossed over the other, her slender fingertips lightly tapped the rim of her cup, wondering if her lousy father had found out something.


    The Chambers family¡¯s petty cash was of little concern to Jeremiah. He was the owner of numerous powerfulpanies, all of which were greater than Chambers Group; Yvette could have any of them if she so desired,


    No matter what was happening on stage, in the corner of the garden, Yvette and Jeremiah were as carefree as if they were in a paradise, enjoying themselves.


    Simon and Wyatt had seen a lot of ups and downs in life, so they were just slightly surprised before they let it go.


    Nellie looked at Zachary in disbelief and paused in ce.


    Zeke appeared from somewhere and rushed onto the stage, shouting at Zachary without any regard, Dad, have you lost your mind? Did someone threaten you or something? Are you suffering from dementia? How could you make such a decision! I¡¯m your son, the legitimate heir of the Chambers family. How could you leave all the shares of the Chambers family to Yvette just because she¡¯s Cyanbird?¡±


    Zachary narrowed his eyes with an evident cold look inside when he nced at Zeke, who was questioning him. ¡°You have no business criticizing my choices, and I don¡¯t need your input. Leave the stage now.


    Zeke stood his ground, not understanding how things could have gone so awry in just a few hours. Yvette had suddenly be someone who was out of their reach, and what he couldn¡¯t ept even more was Zachary¡¯s decision to leave all his assets to Yvette. Zeke looked at Zachary fiercely as if he were his enemy.


    Everyone else didn¡¯t dare to gossip much, they could only quietly watch from the audience, asionally whispering to each other.


    Zeke thought about when he couldn¡¯t stop it, but Nellie could. ording to thew, Nellie had the right to inherit half of Zachary¡¯s estate.


    Zeke pulled the pale¨Cfaced Nellie to Zachary. ¡°Mom, Dad has lost his mind; you have to say something. Hurry up. You also own half of this family¡¯s property. Do you want to give it to Yvette too? What about Winona and me? We get nothing¡±


    Nellie moved her lips but couldn¡¯t speak, looking at Zachary with deep affection.


    Zeke watched as Nellie stared at Zachary without saying a word, and he was filled with anxiety. He couldn¡¯t understand why she acted this way at that critical moment. Zeke wanted to get Winona to support him, but seeing her dazed expression, he knew she wouldn¡¯t be of any help.


    As he was about to say something more. Zachary picked up the microphone again and said to everyone, ¡°Not only that, but today I also want to ask you all to bear witness. I have decided to end my marriage with Nellie. From now on, we¡¯ll go our separate ways and never see each other again.¡±


    After saying this, he turned to Nellie, his face incredibly calm. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared the divorce agreement. It will be delivered to the Smith familyter.¡±


    Looking at Zeke, Zachary felt disgusted just by ncing at him, and his voice was even colder as he said, ¡°Regarding the property dispute, your mother personally signed a waiver of her im to any marital property when she married into my family to demonstrate her sincerity to my father. So Nellie has no connection to the Chambers family¡¯s wealth. I can give it to whoever I want¡±


    Zeke couldn¡¯t believe his mother would sign such an unfair agreement. With these words, he lost hisst bit of leverage. But seeing Yvette effortlessly gain control of the Chambers fahily¡¯s assets so easily, he was unwilling


    Zachary¡¯s words made him sound! announcing the divorce in front of i do.


    artless scoundrel, leaving all the property to his ex¨Cwife¡¯s daughter and


    without giving Nellie any respect. This was the kind of thing only a jerk could


    Among the audience, Winona sneered inwardly, Dad must have found out my mother¡¯s infidelity. This affects me and Zeke too, leaving us with nothing


    Nellie was trembling as she pointed at Zachary, ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve been married to you for twenty years. Even if I haven¡¯t been a great help. I¡¯ve certainly endured a lot. How can you treat me this way? If you want to leave the property to Yvette, then doContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    I won¡¯t argue with it. Please don¡¯t abandon me. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Nellie¡¯s words were as humble as they could be, but Zachary¡¯s face showed no sign of being moved. If he hadn¡¯t known about the vicious things Nellie had done, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have chosen such a decisive way to end their rtionship. He had also thought about parting on good terms. But


    he felt like he could kill Nellie, so he wouldn¡¯t soften his heart because of these few words.


    Zachary walked over to Nellie, and under her pleading and hopeful gaze, he slowly lowered his head and let out a softugh. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, ¡°Zeke and Winona, they¡¯re not my children, are they? You drugged me back then. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t have any suspicions after all these years about why I¡¯d wake up in bed with you for no reason? Let me guess, whose kids are they? Some guy named ke? Or maybe your college professor? Oh, it can¡¯t be the male model you¡¯ve supported for the past six months, right? And you probably don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve never really touched you all these years. Every time, it was just you dreaming in bed. Does it sound familiar? That¡¯s right, you used that hallucinogen on me back then, didn¡¯t you? You shouldn¡¯t be so surprised, should you? Or are you still wondering where the guys sent by ke to sneak in and kidnap Yvette have gone? They¡¯re already at the police station, and so is your ke, by the way.¡±

 Chapter 142

    Zachary¡¯s words caused Nellie¡¯s face to go pale, every word hurt She thought. It turns out he¡¯s been ying along with me all these years, knowing about it all along. How foolish I have been!


    Nellie finally copsed and slumped onto the stage, gazing up at Zachary with hate and insanity in her eyes rather than love.


    The crowd didn¡¯t hear what Zachary said, only witnessing Nellie take a step back with each of his words until she had nowhere left to retreat and fell onto the stage.


    At that moment, the Smith family¡¯s butler Jason entered with a few bodyguards.


    At the sight of Jason. Zeke felt like he calm him. Jason walked onto the sta


    and a savior. When he was about toin to him. Jason gave him a look to ped Nelhe up, and instructed bodyguards to take Nellie, Zeke, and Winona away first. Nellie reluctantly cast onest nce at Zachary before leaving with the bodyguards. Jason stood on the stage facing Zachary, his voice omingas while he said. ¡°Mr. Chambers, Mr. Smith has received the divorce agreement, along with other documents. The agreement will be signed and delivered to the Chambers family tomorrow. It will end the rtionship between the Smith and Chambers families. Mr. Smith asked me to pass on a word: Life is unpredictable. You should be careful when going out in the future. I hope you stay healthy and watch how the Chambers family declines under your leadership. With that, he left without regard for the curious nces of the crowd.


    This party finally came to an end. Attendees today experienced twists and turns as well as ups and downs. Winona told a big lie. The newly found eldest daughter of the family turned out to be the mysterious painter Cyanbird. After Zachary left all his assets to his daughter, he announced the divorce with Nellie The Chambers and Smith families broke apalt. These events would undoubtedly make headlines of Seacrity tomorrow.


    Everyone was aware that turmoil was going to descend upon Seacrity¡¯s business world after tonight. The disagreement between the Smith and Chambers families was a big deal.


    Lucas returned to the living room after seeing off thest batch of guests and saw Zachary, who was sitting on the sofa and. looking very tired. Lucas couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by today¡¯s events. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zachary had been quietly scheming for so many years and keeping it from him too. He had been working for Zachary for years, and he waspletely unaware of these matters. Zachary had spent over twenty years making such a big n. But starting tomorrow, the Chambers family would likely face the Smith family¡¯s furious retaliation. Dennis was not someone to be trifled with, and Zachary¡¯s actions today were clearly a deration of a break with the Smith family. If it were before, Lucas wouldn¡¯t have worried so much. But now, the Chambers family was no longer as strong as before; if the Smith family¡­The future looked bleak.


    Lucas walked to Zachary, bowed respectfully, and said with his head down, ¡°Mr. Chambers, all the guests have left, and so have Ms. Chambers and her friends.¡±


    Zachary rubbed his temples, his expression solemn, and said in a low voice, ¡°OK. Bring the documents on the table to Yvette¡¯s school tomorrow. I¡¯vepleted all the procedures at thew firm; after today. Yvette owns Chambers Group.¡±


    Lucas heart skipped a beat. He thought, ¡°Something is off. Why does Mr. Chambers sound like he¡¯s saying thest words?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask if I even want Chambers Group?¡± a rebellious and arrogant voice sounded.


    Zachary looked toward the door with surprised joy.


    Lucas, recognizing the voice, was also extremely astonished. He had just seen Yvette leave, but now she was back.


    Yvette leaned against the door with one leg slightly bent with a cold look, her eyebrows raised. She was back in her usual sportswear outfit and those familiar canvas shoes. She walked in unhurriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t want Chambers Group¡±


    Zachary let out a soft sigh, looking at Yvette with a veryplicated gaze. When he found out she casually took out 100 million dors to gamble with Ethan at Sky Nimbus, he knew that Yvette, his daughter with Lilian, was no ordinary person Then, Bryan made an appearance at the Argrol University Art Festival. Today at the banquet, she was disclosed to be the famous painter Cyanbird. Yvette already had everything, and now he finally understood why she reconnected with the


    Chambers family. He knew for sure she wasn¡¯t for the Chambers family¡¯s money, and it was probably not a coincidence that she was found. His daughter had be such an excellent and powerful person without his knowledge.


    Zachary tilted his head and told Lucas to leave; the spacious living room of the vi was left with only Zachary and Yvette nowText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Yvette was sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other holding the coffee that Zachary had just brewed, looking quite at ease.


    Zachary¡¯s mouth twitched. Although Yvette looked like Lilian, she had apletely different personality. But that was fine, as it meant Yvette wouldn¡¯t be bullied in the future.


    After a while. Zachary spoke earnestly. ¡°Yvette, I know you don¡¯t want Chambers Group. You haven¡¯t even considered it, right?¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips with a mischievous yet cold look. She nodded slightly and bluntly said in an indifferent tone, ¡°No.¡±


    Zachary picked up his coffee cup to take a sip, but the coffee felt more bitter after he heard her answer. He had worked hard for the business for half of his life, and his daughter didn¡¯t even want it. He felt so ufortable. Zachary looked at Yvette and let out a faint sigh, his eyes filled with slightly mncholy. ¡°Did you deliberately let me find you? Reuniting with the Chambers family was also part of your n, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yvette yed with the empty coffee cup in her hand, not denying it.


    Zachary was not surprised; it was just to confirm what he had guessed. His expression became more serious as he continued, ¡°Yveste, I chose to announce my divorce from Nellie in front of all the celebrities in Seacrity tonight, which means that the Chambers and Smith families will bepletely severed from now on Dennis is spoiling Nellie, so I know he won¡¯t let it go easily. He¡¯ll likely decide to fight alongside our family until the end. Our family has changed over time. We are probably going to seed in the business world if the Smith family targets us. Therefore, I beg you to take over the family assets and do with them as you please. I won¡¯t object.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yvette remained expressionless, only ncing up at him with her clear eyes and a smug, mischievous look. ¡°Chambers Group won¡¯t go bankrupt; you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Zachary pondered. It won¡¯t go bankrupt? What does she mean? The business battlefield is also fierce; although Yvette is Cyanbird, it¡¯s not easy to run apany worth over 3 billion dors due to itsplicated internal affairs. It is a fight to the end once the Chambers and Smiths begin business wars. Bankruptcy is inevitable given the Chambers family¡¯s current strength


    Seeing Zachary¡¯s obviously skeptical look, Yvette didn¡¯t say much lowering her eyes. She pondered, ¡°Business war? It¡¯s quite interesting


    Zachary didn¡¯t say anything to discourage Yvette. In his view, there was no need to involve Yvette in this matter. Even if he lost and the Chambers family fell in the future, what he left for vette would be enough for her to live a worry-free life for the rest of her life.

 Chapter 143

    Yvette put down the coffee cup, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly; her fingers were long and well-defined. Her voice was low and deep, exceptionally pleasing to the ear as she said, ¡°What did you find out? Was my mother¡¯s disappearance rted. to Nellie? Or was it rted to the Smith family?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zachary didn¡¯t speak, as if he had fallen into memories, his eyes filled with extreme regret and pain. After a long while, he scoffed himself and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re right; the past wasplicated. When I met your mother, she appeared in Seacrity out of nowhere, without parents or rtives. Our love was crazy and passionate, but it was also met with huge obstacles. Your grandfather absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow someone like your mother with an unknown past to marry into the Chambers family. So, back then. I was ready to give up the Chambers family to be with Lilian, nning to take her away and settle down in another city. But the day before we were about to leave, Lilian told me she was pregnant. I thought that with you on the way. your grandfather would finally agr Our marriage, but he still didn¡¯t. In the end, he tricked me back home and locked me up for half a month. Lilian and Iv of contact. Later, I don¡¯t know what happened, but your grandfather let me out and agreed to our marriage, saying we could be together once the child was born. I was overjoyed, and I failed to notice something was off with Lilian.¡±


    Zachary held his head in his hands, his eyes red, the veins on his temples bulging, getting more and more agitated as he spoke. If he hadn¡¯t been so naive back then or trusted his father, Lilian wouldn¡¯t have disappeared so mysteriously and ended up dead in a foreignnd.


    Zachary looked up at Yvette, who was expressionless, and suddenly calmed down. He gave a wry smile and continued, ¡°I was too ecstatic back then. I didn¡¯t notice the unease and determination in Lilian¡¯s eyes. Your grandfather only asked that I be a member of Chambers Group for us to be together. After I joined, I worked day and night and I began to see her less often. Her belly slowly swelled up. Now that I think about it, your grandfather probably did it on purpose, intending to tie me down with work. In the fifth month of her pregnancy, one day she suddenly vanished without a trace, not even leaving a note to me. I went crazy looking for her, but it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. I searched for half a year and didn¡¯t find a single clue. I started to drown my sorrows in alcohol every night. You probably know what happened next. Nellie used drugs to get into my bed and tricked your grandfather into marrying her into the Chambers family with someone else¡¯s child. Your grandfather was wise all his life but made a mistake that one time. I knew long ago that Zeke and Winona weren¡¯t my children. I decided I wouldn¡¯t have any more children after Lilian was pregnant with you, so I secretly got a vasectomy without telling anyone, not even Lilian knew about it. I originally suspected that your grandpa had sent Lilian away.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression altered. He looked at Zachary, pursed his lips and his eyes darkened, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    Zachary shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your grandfather. After Nellie married into the Chambers family, I found a piece of paper with a special mark while tidying up your mother¡¯s belongings. I took me a long time to find out where this mark came


    from.¡±


    Yvette raised his eyes, his dark gaze cold, ¡°Where?¡±


    Zachary was feeling a bit conflicted. He didn¡¯t want Yvette to get involved in this mess, but he was certain she¡¯d dig into it no matter what he said. After much internal struggle, Zachary finally revealed what he¡¯d been investigating for years.


    He said, ¡°Yvette, are you aware of the country¡¯s three majorbs? The physics and physicsbs are the most enigmatic, always under the highest level of national protection, holding the nation¡¯s top secrets. This symbol here is from the physicsb. Back in the day, they had a branch in Seacrity. I suspect that Lilian¡¯s sudden disappearance might have something to do with thisb. Your mother was always a bit of an enigma, always seeming to carry a heavy burden of secrets. At that time, Nellie used a child as leverage to try to marry into the Chambers family. I was against it at first, but then one day, by chance, I overheard her making a call to a stranger, mentioning Lilian¡¯s name. I only caught a few words, but I¡¯m sure Nellie was Involved in your mother¡¯s disappearance. Not many people know that the head of the physicsb, Rashad Pord, used to berades-in-arms with Nellie¡¯s father Dennis. They were very close. The Smith family even invested in a project at the physicsb, but it was never made public. I couldn¡¯t find any information on it; it must be top secret. That¡¯s why I eventually agreed to marry Nellie, hoping to find some clues on her. But unfortunately, I¡¯vee up empty-handed all these years.


    Zachary¡¯s face was grim. State-ownedbs were off-limits to merchants like them, so even if Lilian¡¯s disappearance had something to do with a physicsb, he was powerless to do anything about it. ¡°I-If someone could get into one of the three majorbs, maybe there¡¯s a chance to uncover the truth of what happened back then; why would Lilian leave Seacrity when.


    she was five months pregnant?


    Yvette lowered her eyes, deep in thought, an intimidating aura surrounding her. Her delicate features were filled with coldness. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this. With that, she stood up and left.


    Zachary stared at her retreating figure, motionless for a long while.


    After returning to her dorm, Yvette went to the balcony and pulled out her phone, dialing a number casually.


    As soon as the call connected, Yvette spoke bluntly, ¡°Move thepany to Betrico in the second half of the year. Without waiting for a response, she hung up.


    Yvette looked out the window at the busy traffic, her eyes wild and rebellious, menacing and daring. She thought, ¡®It is bing more and more interesting sn¡¯t it? A physicsb?¡±


    The next day, all the newspapers


    cws sites were filled with headlines about what had happened at the Chambers residence the night before, Eye-catching titles were everywhere. But now everyone in Seacrity knew about Winona¡¯s scandal. Yvette¡¯s identity as Cyanbird, and the news of Zachary¡¯s divorce from Nellie.


    At school people cast her furtive nces and whispered about her whenever Yvette showed up


    The news that Yvette was Cyanbird was just too shocking. Even if some people originally didn¡¯t know who Cyanbird was, they quickly learned about her influence and position in the art world. That a big shot was enrolled at Argrol University, eating in the cafeteria, and taking part in school events just like them seemed like something out of a fairy tale Someone with her kind of talent ought to be dining at a five-star establishment, wearing an evening gown, sipping wine, and attending upscale gs rather than leading such a banal college life as they do. It was just unbelievable.


    Since morning, the Argrol University forum had be a flurry of activity, with threads about Yvette receiving an increasing amount of input and the discussions below devolving into nothing butpliments.


    Yer Yvette remained calm as usual. She went to the cafeteria as always, bought bread and orange juice, and then went to ss. What Yvette didn¡¯t know was that after she left, the kind of sandwich and orange juice she bought were sold out in an instant, and those who got them were thrilled. They called it ¡°the same food as the big shot¡¯s.

 Chapter 144

    At the Smith residence, ever since Nellie and her two kids returnedst night, Nellie had locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone. Even the maids who brought her meals were sent away with harsh words.


    Zeke and Winona also realized that they had nothing left but the Smith family, so they had no right to act out. They stayed in their rooms until Jason called for them toe down, saying that Dennis had returned and wanted to see them.


    Jason stood at Nellie¡¯s door, staring at it, lost in thought, his eyes filled withplexity. After a while, he raised his hand to knock but Nellie yelled at him from inside, ¡°Get lost, all of you!


    Jason sighed softly, his voice gentle while he said, ¡°Ms. Smith,e out now. Mr. Smith is back. If you don¡¯te out, he¡¯lle up himself


    At the mention of Dennis, Ne


    y stopped cursing and opened the door. Nellie disdainfully looked at the man who had been infatuated with her for years, thinking to herself that he was just apdog. After all these years, he still looked at her with such affectionate eyes. It was disgusting.


    Jason noticed Nellie¡¯s undisguised disgust. He suppressed the sourness; he had been used to it by now. Nellie was from wealthy family, while he was just the son of a driver. If it weren¡¯t for his striving to improve his social status, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to speak to Nellie today.


    Jason bowed respectfully, very humble. ¡°Ms. Smith, Mr. Smith is downstairs. He wants to meet you, Mr. Chambers, and Ms. Chambers downstairs.¡±


    Nellie snorted coldly; she was domineering and haughty whenever she was back with the Smith family. Over the years, she only pretended to be nice and considerate in front of Zachary. In front of Jason, she didn¡¯t bother to act. Nellie waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll tidy up and be right down.¡±


    Nellie was still a bit afraid of her father, so she softened her tone toward Jason since her father still trusted him after all these years. Jason, if my dad¡­¡±


    Before Nellie could finish her sentence, Jason knew what she meant and quickly assured her, ¡°I understand, Ms. Smith. Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡±


    Nellie nodded with satisfaction, and for a rare moment, she smiled at Jason, who was captivated by her smile. Although Nellie¡¯s beauty had faded, Jason still remembered how pretty she had been when she was younger,


    Seeing him stunned, Nellie felt disdain. She could make Jason do anything with just a smile, and he would do it without hesitation. A man without ambition was only fit to carry her shoes.


    In the living room, Dennis, in his seventies, sat on the sofa with a cane. His face was adorned with a short, stiff mustache; his cloudy eyes were sunken deep in their sockets, and his meticulously groomed gray hair showed that he had little flesh left on his body.


    Nellie led Zeke and Winona downstairs and saw Dennis sitting and drinking coffee, with Jason standing by his side. Nellie noticed that Dennis¡¯s face was very calm, without a hint of anger But she knew this was how her father looked when he was furious, or rather, he was very angry right now.


    Zeke and Winona held their breaths in fear.


    Nellie approached Dennis cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, ¡°Dad.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Zeke and Winona quickly greeted him, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Dennis nced at the three of them, lowered his gaze, and continued sipping his coffee without a word.


    After a while, the three became increasingly panicked. Eventually, Nellie couldn¡¯t help but look to Jason for help.


    Jason knew that Dennis was deliberately ignoring them. Judging by Dennis¡¯s expression, it seemed about time to intervene, so Jason spoke up, ¡°Mr. Smith, Ms. Smith hasn¡¯t eaten since she came backst night. Perhaps you could let her sit down and talk


    Dennis looked at Jason, put down his coffee cup, stared at Nellie, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Do you realize the foolish thing you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Nellie, of course, understood what her father meant. She had been foolish indeed, deceived by Zachary for so many years, thinking he somehow loved her, only to find out it was all a scam


    With her head down, Nellie¡¯s eyes turned red at the thought, and her voice sent a chill down one¡¯s spine as she muttered.¡±1 was wrong. Dad. I didn¡¯t expect Zachary to put on an act in front of me for all these years. He knew long ago that Zeke and Winona weren¡¯t his children. You said he wasn¡¯t simple when I married him, and you were right, Dad. He¡¯s really not that simple.


    Hearing this. Zeke and Winona up at Nellie in disbelief, thinking. ¡®We aren¡¯t Zachary¡¯s children? No way! Then whose children are we? No wonder Zachary hasn¡¯t left us any of his property; it turns out we are not blood-rted to the Chambers family.¡±


    Zeke clenched his fists, questioning Nellie, ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? If we¡¯re not Dad¡¯s children, who is our father? Didn¡¯t you marry into the Chambers family because you were pregnant with me and Winona!¡±


    Nellie¡¯s face turned cold, and her voiceced with impatience as she responded, ¡°You and Winona are just an oue of a one-night stand I had at a bar. I don¡¯t even know who your father was. I was drunk. You don¡¯t need to me me. Without my lies back then, do you think you could have enjoyed such a luxurious life for so many years? If it weren¡¯t for marrying into the Chambers family, I would have gotten rid of you both.¡±


    Zeke waspletely taken aback by the realization. Nellie had always been affectionate toward him, and this was the first time she had spoken to him in such a manner. Zeke couldn¡¯t ept that he turned out to be a bastard. In a frenzy, Zeke ran


    DUL.


    In the living room, no one moved


    Winona epted the fact that she wasn¡¯t Zachary¡¯s biological daughter quite quickly. With no support from the Chambers family anymore, if the Smith family didn¡¯t help her, her future would be even more uncertain. Thus, she wouldn¡¯t act as recklessly as Zeke, unable to see the situation clearly.


    Dennis snorted coldly, looking at Zeke¡¯s frantic departure with utter disappointment. A bastard is indeed good-for-nothing He goes crazy like this over such a trivial matter. He¡¯s not destined for greatness.¡±


    After speaking, with a hint of satisfaction, Dennis turned to look at Winona, who was standing obediently by his side. He already knew about yesterday¡¯s events. Winona had ambition, albeitcking in finesse, but she was pragmatic. Perhaps she could still be of use. Dennis¡¯s tone softened significantly when he spoke to Winona, ¡°Winona, I¡¯ll help you marry into the Carter family. But you must also understand that the Smith family is now your support. After I help you marry into the Carter family, you should know what to do, right? The Smith family¡¯s well-being is yours as well. I don¡¯t need to remind you of this. You¡¯ve always been more sensible and obedient than Zeke since you were young. I¡¯m prepared to swallow my pride to support you, but I¡¯m hoping you won¡¯t let me down again. If not, the Smith family won¡¯t keep someone useless.


    Winona nodded meekly, restraining her emotions, and responded to Dennis with restraint, understand, Grandpa. Rest assured, as long as you can help me marry into the Carter family, I will definitely listen to you from now on


    Dennis didn¡¯t care much for her determination. ¡°Go now. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to visit the Carter family to discuss the marriage. Get yourself together. If you still look dejected, no one will have an appetite, understand?¡±


    Winona¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Yes. Grandpa, I understand.¡±


    After that, Winona went upstairs, and Jason was also dismissed by Dennis.

 Chapter 145

    Dennis gazed at his favorite daughter, filled with disappointment. She had been so desperate to marry Zachary, but what she got in return was nothing but heartbreak and loss. She was manipted and brought shame to the Smith family. Staring at Nellie with cold eyes, he asked. ¡°Has Zachary discovered what happened to Lilian back then?¡±


    Achill raced up Nellie¡¯s spine, her body rigid. The memories of what she had witnessed years ago surged into her mind, and she felt a lump in her throat. It took her a moment to regain herposure. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad, Zachary isn¡¯t aware that you sent Lilian to that individual for experiments. I swear.¡±


    Only after hearing Nellie¡¯s confident assurance did Dennis withdraw his cold gaze.


    Nellie dared not think about the past. She changed the subject, her voice trembling as she asked, ¡°Dad, Robert publicly called off the engagementst night. I¡¯m afraid the Carter family won¡¯t easily agree to allow Winona to marry into theirContent provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    family


    Dennis let out a coldugh, his exssion inscrutable. ¡°The Carter family isn¡¯t in a position to let a good-for-nothing like Robert make decisions. ude is still alive and kicking. Trust me, Winona will be a Carter.¡±


    Dennis¡¯ words finally made Nellie feel relieved. If her dad said Winona could marry into the Carter family, he must have. some leverage, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t make such a bold im. ¡°Dad, Zachary has deceived me for so many years. I can¡¯t swallow this insult.¡±


    Dennis¡¯s eyes turned vicious. The divorce agreement Zachary had sent yesterday, along with proof of the deeds Nellie had done, was a tant provocation. Now that the two families were no longer rted, he was eager to see how the Chambers family would resist him. Dennisforted Nellie, ¡°Starting tomorrow, the Smith family willunch a full-scale attack on the Chambers family. Does Zachary think his family of today is as powerful as before? Overconfident. Within a month. I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s left with nothing.¡±


    Nellie still had some concerns about Yvette. Cyanbird was no ordinary painter. She said, ¡°Dad, Yvette is Cyanbird? You¡­¡±


    Dennis didn¡¯t take Yvette seriously. That she was a genius painter known internationally didn¡¯t pose a threat to him because the business world wasplicated. He didn¡¯t think a painter could possibly have to go against the Smith family. It was simr to attempting to engage inbat with an obvious result. ¡°What can a brat stir up? What does a painter know about business? There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You haven¡¯t grown a bit since you married Zachary


    Nellie awkwardly fell silent, not daring to speak further.


    In the dormitory of Argrol University, Yvette had just finished a call with Eagle King when she received a text message from Jeremiah, asking if she wanted to have dinner together. Yvette pursed her lips, her extremely beautiful face showing a faint expression, and her upturned eyebrows revealed her pretty good mood at the moment.


    Her slender, fair fingers quickly typed ¡°Sure¡± and sent it.


    Jeremiah replied instantly: [Ill wait for you.]


    Yvette chuckled softly, gently stroking her phone with her fingertips. She had never liked to dawdle, and it was better to clear up some things sooner rather thanter.


    When Yvette arrived, Jeremiah was standing at the entrance of the steakhouse, dressed in light casual wear, one hand in his pockets with his head down, holding two cups of milkshake in his right hand. In front of him stood a girl with a flushed face. talking animatedly. As Yvette approached, she caught Jeremiah¡¯s indifferent voice saying, ¡°I have a girlfriend¡±


    Yvette briefly paused before she walked to Jeremiah,zily saying, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Jeremiah looked up and saw Yvette, his lips curled into a smile, and his usually aloof eyes filled with warmth, captivating.


    The girl, upon seeing Yvette, blushed even more and ran


    away.


    68


    Jeremiah turned his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yvette nodded. The two of them entered the steakhouse together, heading to the familiar private room; only this time it was just the two of them.


    Once inside, Yvette grabbed Jeremiah, pinning him against the wall. Two buttons on Jeremiah¡¯s white shirt came undone, revealing the clear outline of his corbone. With a graceful demeanor, Jeremiah slightly lowered his head as Yvette raised hers, her eyes shimmering with a strange glow. Her beautiful, slender fingers gently caressed Jeremiah¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple. Jeremiah¡¯s body tensed instantly, and he swallowed involuntarily, thinking to himself where she had learned such a move. It was incredibly alluring, Jeremiah¡¯s voice was tinged with a slight intoxication when he asked. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t respond but stared at him, motionless. After a while, Yvette withdrew her hand, turned around, and sat on the chair, feeling her pulse. She wasn¡¯t ill.


    Jeremiah was puzzled, not knowing what she was up to. A novel joy welled up inside him. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Yvette leanedzily against the thing, and now I¡¯m sure.¡±


    and nced up with an arrogant look, her eyes bright and cold. ¡°Just to confirm one


    Jeremiah swallowed hard. ¡°Sure of¡­ what?¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrows, casually picked up a slice of meat, dropped it into the pot, and said indifferently. ¡°Do you want us to be together?¡±


    For a brief moment, Jeremiah fixed his intense gaze on Yvette, narrowing his eyes just a little bit as a glint shed through his deep eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and then added, ¡°Forever.¡±


    Yvette turned his face away. ¡°Let¡¯s have some food.¡±


    After driving Yvette to the dormitory building, Jeremiah drove back to his newly bought mansion.


    Andrew was ying a video game while seated in the living room. He had been losing this awful game level after level, and his patience was wearing thin. He couldn¡¯t figure out why that sadistic gamepany, FastPulse Technologies, had to release some sort of beta version first. The game was too hard for regr people. After two days of ying, he¡¯d only managed to pass three levels; it made him feel ultimately humiliated. His title as the king of games was on the line. Andrew heard the roar of a sports car outside and thought, ¡®Oh,e on¡­ Jeremiah and Yvette had dinner this evening. How did he get back


    so soon?


    Was a


    Andrew quickly got up from the floor and frantically started cleaning up the snacks scattered around. Jeremiah, who wa cleanliness freak, couldn¡¯t stand people eating snacks on the floor. If he was caught, Andrew believed Jeremiah would kill him. As the sound of footsteps grew closer, Andrew¡¯s cleaning just made the ce messier, and eventually, he just gave up. He thought, ¡®Screw it! Just let him beat me to death. I¡¯m ready for it.


    Jeremiah walked in and went straight upstairs without even ncing at Andrew, leaving Andrew in shock and wondering, ¡®What¡¯s going on? Did Jeremiah not see me? I¡¯m standing right here. Even if he didn¡¯t see me, couldn¡¯t he see the mess on the floor?¡± Jeremiah,¡± he muttered.


    Jeremiah turned around, and his usually stern eyes were filled with amusement¡­ It was a dark and windy night, and Andrew felt a chill.


    Jeremiah asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Andrew shook his head. ¡°Jeremiah, I made a mess on the carpet He figured it was better to confess and hope for leniency rather than resist and face the consequences.


    Jeremiah smiled and nodded at Andrew nonchntly. ¡°Oh, just ask Emmett to have someonee over to clean it up tomorrow. It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡±


    The caring tone was like a breath of fresh air, and Andrew stood there, stunned. 1. I¡¯m going to sleep right now,¡± he

 Chapter 146

    In the following days, the Smith familyunched a full¨Cscale business assault on the Chambers family.


    Dennis went to great lengths to destroy every project the Chambers were part of even at the expense of hefty penalty fees, causing nearly all the Chambers family¡¯s projects to be at a standstill in just two weeks.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Moreover, Dennis made a public statement to everyone in Seacrity, swearing that the Smiths would be enemies with the Chambers forever and only one of the two would survive.


    Half a monthter, the Carter family got involved in it to help the Smiths against the Chambers.¡±


    The Chamber family¡¯s hotel chain was severely damaged.


    With the involvement of the Carter family, everyone knew the end of this battle was almost certain. The Chambers family would be finished.


    The Chambers family was under a


    from all sides. All the employees felt uneasy, seeking their own way out. If this war


    didn¡¯t stop, the Chambers family would be bankrupt in less than ten days.


    People in the business world were experts at adapting to the situation.


    Seeing that the Chambers family was about to copse, everyone began pleasing the Smith family and distancing themselves from the Chambers.


    Only a fewpanies that were on good terms with the Chambers Group didn¡¯t take advantage of the situation. But it made no difference and couldn¡¯t help to change the crisis that the Chambers Group faced.


    The games of these super¨Cpowerful families weren¡¯t way beyond them.


    They might be targeted and even wiped out if they weren¡¯t careful enough. So, all the small and medium¨Csizedpanies in Seacrity chose to avoid this conflict between the Smith family and the Chambers family.


    The Lewis family was the only one of the four major families that stayed out of it.


    The Smith family, the Carter family, and the Chambers family were fighting bercely.


    The business world in Seacrity changed dramatically every day. Everyone felt nervous and uneasy.


    The day after the party, Dennis went to the Carter residence with Nellie and Winona,


    Dennis and ude had a private conversation in the study on the second floor for three hours.


    When they walked downstairs, ude agreed to let Winona marry into the Carter family. The wedding would take ce six monthster.


    Winona made every effort to make herself look pitiful and even Blept with Victor.


    After sleeping with her, Victor forgave her for lying and promised to marry her.


    After the party, everyone in Seacrity¡¯s upper ss knew Winona pulled off a huge lie. She imed that the painting she bought on Mysonna¡¯s ck market was a real Cyanbird piece. Her reputation was already ruined.


    Besides, clearly, Robert didn¡¯t approve of Winona. So when the Carter family announced Victor and Winona¡¯s engagement, those who knew the truth were shocked


    They thought ude was out of his mind and couldn¡¯t understand why he allowed someone with such a bad reputation to marry into the Carter family.


    After Zeke stormed off the other day, he first went to a bar to gr very drunk and then caused a hel of things there by smashing a bunch


    When he tried to take out his bank card to pay for the damages that he had caused, he was told that all his cards were suspended.


    Zeke couldn¡¯t believe how quickly Zachary acted and he lost his temper again.


    In the end, with no other options, Zeke had to ask another rich guy who he usually looked down on for help. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have left the bar.


    He was nning to throw a tantrum like how he usually did and wait for Nellie to beg for his forgiveness,


    But after a week, the Smith family, including Nellie, seemed to havepletely forgotten everything about him. They didn¡¯t even call him.


    Everyone already knew about the Chambers family¡¯s situation so no one answered a call from Zeke.


    In the end, when Zeke was apologize to Dennis, and promi


    y broke, he had no choice but to swallow his pride, return to the Smith residence, lowtever Dennis said.


    Dennis beat Zeke up, which was like a family rule, and made him bedridden for three days.


    During this time, Nellie didn¡¯t even visit him once.


    After what happened in the past few days, Zeke finally figured everything out. Without Zachary, Nellie¡¯s care and affection. for him didn¡¯t exist. He was just a bastard of this family


    Now, he could only cling to the Smith family¡¯s support to keep his extravagant lifestyle.


    No matter what was going on outside the campus of Argrol University, Yvette and Bonnie¡¯s daily routine remained the same which was basically going to the sses and then doing the endless homework left by Tobias.


    At the same time, the man who asionally showed up to remind everyone of his existence since he dated Yvette kept doing the same thing.


    Andrew and Bonnie had been going through a tough time over the past half¨Cmonth. Now, they were sitting across from each other in the cafeteria. They exchanged a nce, thinking, ¡°Well, he¡¯s here again.


    Yvette satzily and casually on the chair.


    Her face was shining under the sunlight. She had her beautiful curlyshes and big bright eyes


    She was eating leisurely. Though the food was in, Yvette¡¯s way of eating it made people think it was exceptionally tasty.


    Even Andrew, who wasn¡¯t particrly hungry, and Bonnie, who had enterogastritis, suddenly felt hungry.


    They ended up eating half a bowl more than they usually did.


    Bonnie rubbed her belly and nced at Andrew, who had also eaten a lot of the food. She sighed. Now they were really like a perfect group of four, no, three meal partners.


    After they sat down, Jeremiah only took a few bites. He spent the rest of the time peeling shrimp for Yve and refreshing her ss. He was a perfect boyfriend.


    Bonnie sighed and thought, ¡®Being single these days is really miserable. These two lovebirds surely don¡¯t mind public disys of affection at all!


    Bonnie and Andrew had gotten used to things like this.


    In the past two weeks, they had seen things like this dozens of times.


    Top Dog was happily serving Yve while Yve was happily enjoying it.


    Bonnie really wanted toin about these two big shots. She wondered why they didn¡¯t do anything other than eat together when they wanted to have a date.


    Jeremiah was sitting next to Yvette, calmly peeling shrimp with the hand that he usually used to use a gun.


    He did it slowly and carefully and his fingers were slim and beautiful.


    Jeremiah made everything easy on the eyes to watch even when he was peeling shrimp.


    Jeremiah put the peeled shrimp on Yvette¡¯s te.


    Yvette took a nce at it. She picked it up to throw it into fier mouth and found it delicious.


    Bonnie decided to talk with th


    food.


    of them today. There were countless activities to do on a date. It shouldn¡¯t just be about


    No other couple would go on dates like this for two weeks doing nothing except for going to the cafeteria.


    Bonnie thought, ¡®Big shots are indeed different. Even their method of choosing a ce for a date is unique. Cafeteria. And Cafeteria. And cafeteria again.


    Bonnie cleared her throat.


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand, which was peeling shrimp paused. Yvette looked up. Andrew tilted his head to the side slightly.


    The three were all staring at Bonnie. Bonnie scratched her head.


    She said, ¡°Ye, Mr. Chavez, are you aware that there are lots of ces for couples? There are some really interesting things to do. How about you go somewhere else next time? How about a movie theater, an amusement park, a park, or a mall? By the way, don¡¯t you think you make Andrew and 1 feel a little bit, you know¡­¡°


    Andrew raised both of his hands in agreement and nodded enthusiastically.


    Andrew thought no one would go on a date with someone else present, except for Jeremiah and Yvette.


    He thought these two weirdos indeed thought differently from ordinary people.


    Andrew suspected that Jeremiah had no idea what to do on a date with a girl. It was more challenging for him than a


    mission.


    Jeremiah hesitated for a while. His eyes were deep and captivating. He mped his lips like he was pondering over Bonnie¡¯s words seriously. He tilted his head to the side slightly, his voice irresistibly charming as he said, ¡°Do you want to go to ces,


    like the movie theaters?¡±


    Yvette bent her long legs. Her bright and clear eyes were glittering. Her skin was glowing few strands of hair hung over her brow, making her look a little bit mysterious


    She tilted her head to the side slightly and said slowly, ¡°Not interested¡±


    Jeremiah smiled mildly as he nodded. He said, ¡°What time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow? I booked a table at a restaurant. I heard the food there is pretty good. Let¡¯s try it together?


    Yvette¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She said, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Yvette took another nce at Andrew and Bonnie, who both looked helpless.


    She asked, ¡°Want to join us?¡°,


    Andrew and Bonnie said in unison, ¡°No way. Alsolutely not. Were to buy


    Yvette didn¡¯t say anything and continued to cat the shrimp.


    Jeremiah continued to peel the shrimp.


    Bonnie and Andrew exchanged a nce. They thought, ¡®We finally get rid of them. I will never eat with them again!

 Chapter 147

    Night fell as thick clouds drifted in the dark sky. The stars and moon gradually disappeared. It waspletely dark.


    Inside the Chambers family¡¯s vi, Zachary was standing motionlessly by the window. His dark eyes were focused on something in the distance.


    His face was slightly pale. Somehow, he looked lonely.


    Lucas, the butler, entered the room carrying a tray full of food. He felt sad when he saw Zachary¡¯s back.


    Matthew only slept three to four hours every day in the past two weeks.


    It seemed that ude and Dennis were determined to destroy the Chambers family this time.


    Now, the Chambers family¡¯s bank ount could only sustain them for three more days. After that, they would basically have nothing.


    Three generations¡¯ hard-earned fortune was about to be gone. How could Matthew not be heartbroken?


    But now, the Chambers family was at the end of its rope with no chance of turning the tide.


    Unless a miracle happened!


    Lucas walked in and put the food on the table.


    He sounded very worried.


    Lucas said, ¡°Sir, here¡¯s some food that the servants just made. It¡¯s all your favorites. Please have some. You have barely been eatingtely. You can¡¯t go on like this anymore. You will be ill.¡±


    Zachary looked away. He turned around and sighed.


    He picked up the cigar on the table but soon noticed that Lucas was worried. He reconsidered it and then put the cigar back down


    Zachary said, ¡°I know. Leave it there. You should go to sleep now You¡¯ve been running around with metely. I know you must be tired.¡±


    Lucas was touched. His eyes became a bit misty.


    He said, ¡°Sir. I¡¯m strong and I¡¯m used to it. Don¡¯t worry about me I know you won¡¯t even touch the food if I leave now. You will just sit there and let the food get cold. Please, at least have a few bites of it.¡±


    Zachary stared at Lucas, saying with a serious face, ¡°Have a seat. I gue butler now. Let¡¯s just talk like friends.¡±


    ver saw you sitting, not even once.


    You¡¯re not r


    Emy


    Lucas still behaved respectfully. He said hesitantly, ¡°Sir¡­ this¡­¡±


    ¡°Have a seat.¡± Zachary said, ¡°You¡¯ve been working for me for over thirty years since I was very young. We¡¯re both getting old, aren¡¯t we? Through all those ups and downs in the past years, you never left me. I¡¯ll never forget that. After Lilian left, you¡¯re the only one I can talk to. You know the Chambers family¡¯s current situation. In about three days, I¡¯ll have to dere the family¡¯s bankruptcy


    Zachary said as he took out a bank card from the second drawer on the left. Then he pushed it to Lucas.


    He exined, ¡°There are 1.5 million dors debited in this card. It¡¯s for you. Consider it as a gift to show my gratitude to you. Please take it. Once the Chambers family goes bankrupt, find a ce to enjoy your retirement. There¡¯s an apartment on


    Wes Rad for you. I¡¯s already under your name Its small but should be perfectfor retirement


    Lucas looked up at Zachary in shock. He said, tearful. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve saved enough money over the years. This is too much. I can¡¯t


    rake it I can¡¯t.¡±


    Zachary waved his hand. He said, ¡°Take it. You¡¯ve been working for me for so long


    Lucas wiped away the tears off his face and cautiously said. ¡°Sir, the youngdy is Cyanbird. She might be acquainted with many gurus in the business world. If


    Lucas noticed that Zachary looked quite displeased. But he plucked up the courage to say, ¡°If she can lend us a hand, maybe the Chambers family will have a chance¡­ sir¡­


    Zachary suddenly looked cold and a little bit angry.


    He interrupted Lucas coldly and terrifyingly seriously, ¡°Stop. Even if the Chambers family goes bankrupt tomorrow, I will not ask for her help. Don¡¯t ever me


    At the door of the study on the second floor, Yvette had been standing there in a ck outfit for ten minutes.


    After entering the house, Yvette didn¡¯t see a single servant.


    Compared to the once lively vi, it now looked even deserted.


    Half of the security guards at the entrance were gone. Only a few men were ying cards and chatting at the entrance.


    There wasn¡¯t even a trace of its former glory


    There was only amp on in the second-floor study in thisrge mansion, making it stand out.


    The Chambers family was clearly in decline.


    Yvette suddenly said. ¡°Excuse me, are you free? Can I talk to you!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s voice startled the two people talking in the study.


    Zachary looked up and saw Yvette, who was standing at the door. He opened his mouth wide in shock.


    However, Lucas was overjoyed. He somehow always deeply believed in Yvette. He thought it seemed that she could solve any problem easily.


    Zachary stood up and walked to her.


    Yvette walked unhurriedly to the sofa and sat down.


    Lucas was smart. He closed the door for them and stood somewhere not very far away from them. He was ensuring no one eavesdropped their conversation.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Just a few days ago, he caught several servants secretly sending messages to Nellie.


    In a fit of rage, Matthew fired them. But Lucas was afraid that there might still be some of Nellie¡¯s moles among the staff so he stayed.


    He knew Yvette must have returned here for something important. He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to interrupt them.


    Yvette lounged on the couch, half-closing her eyes, with the corners of her eyes slightly raised. Her eyes were dark and bright. She looked arrogant, defiant, and wild,


    Zachary felt a bit uneasy being stared at by her. He cleared his throat and then said, ¡°Why did you suddenlye back


    G


    Yvette! What happened


    Yvette leaned back and casually picked up a document on the table.


    Zachary didn¡¯t mind it at all. There was nothing that he wanted to keep from Yvette anymore. He had already left everything to her. Besides, it was just a document about the renovation of themercial area.


    Yvette flipped through it nonchntly. She flipped the pages at the same speed asst time.


    In less than 10 minutes, she finished reading the thick stack of paper.


    Zachary had already gotten used to it. Yvette was Cyanbird, a world-renowned artist. Nothing else about her was supposed to be surprising anyway.


    Yvette tossed the document onto the table. Resting her chin on her hand, she rolled her eyes around with a hint of coldness in her eyes.


    She tapped on a few pages with hot glowing fingers. She said, ¡°Here, and here, these numbers aren¡¯t correct. The third line on the first page, it should be thirty percent. On the fourth page, the costs are two percent higher.¡±


    Zachary picked up the document and carefully checked the numbers that Yvette had just pointed out.


    Sure enough, he found she was right. With a cold look, he realized there was a mole inside the Chambers Group.


    What surprised him even more was that Yvette found these two errors so quickly.


    Even a financial expert would probably need much more time to double-check it.


    He wondered how high Yvette¡¯s IQ was. He didn¡¯t even dare to take a guess.


    Yvette looked indifferent. She gently tapped her fingers on the edge of the table..


    She said in a soft and low voice, ¡°Tomorrow, someone wille to find you at the office of the Chambers Group. He¡¯s nning to invest in thepany. As for the amount, you will decide it on your own.¡±


    After that, Yvette turned around and left, not giving Zachary a chance to speak.


    Zachary forced a smile. He didn¡¯t take Yvette words seriously. Even billions of dors could not solve the Chambers Group¡¯s crisis.


    But Zachary still asked Lucas, who was outside the door, to receive the guest that Yvette just mentioned tomorrow,


    After all, the guest was Yvette¡¯s friend. He wouldn¡¯t embarrass her friend.

 Chapter 148

    The next day, a sleek ck luxury car with a Betrico license te was parked at the entrance of the office of the Chambers Group, attracting the attention of all the passersby,


    Some knowledgeable folks immediately recognized that this car was the newly released limited edition by a famous foreign brand.


    There were only five of them in the world. Only two of them were imported into this country.


    Everyone was suspicious when they noticed that this kind of car suddenly stopped in front of the Chambers Group¡¯s office building.


    The Chambers Group used to be bustling with people but now, there was hardly anyone.


    Those sent from variouspanies to lurk around the Chambers Group¡¯s office all hurried back to report their discoveries to their bosses.


    The door of the car was opened.st, a man with gold-rimmed sses stepped out of the passenger seat and quickly walked to the back door. He opened the door respectfully.


    Then a middle-aged man walked out. He was dressed in a white suit with perfectly coiffed hair. He looked gentle and


    refined.


    He was Howard Yates, the general manager of the Sunrise Group The man with a pair of gold-rimmed sses was his secretary, Liam Davidson.


    Liam slightly bowed to Howard, saying, ¡°Boss, this is the office building of the Chambers Group¡±


    Howard nodded slightly, looking nkly at the Chambers Group¡¯s sign


    His eyes were half-closed and deepContent provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He stepped inside. Liam immediately followed behind him.


    He didn¡¯t understand why his boss suddenly asked him to book the earliest flight to Seacrityst night. After a quick breakfast, he rushed here.


    He had investigated the Chambers Group. He found out that although it was an establishedpany in Seacrity, it recently had been in a lot of trouble and might go bankrupt soon. He didn¡¯t understand why his boss suddenly came here personally.


    He wondered if it was about an acquisition. If so, it was supposed to be handled by the specialists.


    As far as he knew, they didn¡¯t have this kind of n in the near finture


    Besides, even if they needed an acquisition, no one would consider apany that was about to go bankrupt.


    From every perspective, there was nothing to gain. It could even cause some serious trouble.


    Liam thought there was something strange about this whole thing. He waspletely clueless. But he had to follow Howard inside.


    He thought the answer was here in the Chambers Group.


    The receptionist was a pretty girl named Julia Watts,


    Back when Chambers Group was thriving, she ignored a lot of potential suitors.


    Who would have thought that in just half a month, the Chambers Group p was about to go bankrupt? Even her market value


    to the matchmaker was affected.


    Julia was sitting still at the reception desk, looking downcast and worried. She was listless.


    When Howard walked in with Liam, Julia was browsing a dating website, looking for guys


    No one hade to this cetely so Julia had been cking off at work for several days. She didn¡¯t even notice it when Howard and Liam were right in front of her.


    Liam nced at theputer screen. He frowned.


    He thought, How did someone like her get this job? No wonder the Chambers Group is in deep trouble. Even the


    receptionist is cking off. Thispany is hopeless!


    Liam said, ¡°Hello! We have an appointment at ten o¡¯clock foday with the chairman, Mr. Zachary Chambers¡±


    Julia was startled. She quickly closed the page feeling guilty, and nervously looked up at the two men in front of her. She was momentarily stunned.


    Years of experience working at the front desk had taught her to tell the rich from the poor instantly.


    She noticed that the antique watch that the older man was wearing


    aring was probably worth at least a few million dors.


    Julia put on her sweetest smile. She said, ¡°Sir, a moment please. ll contact the secretary¡¯s office right away.¡±


    Ham nodded in a professional manner. He replied, ¡°Thank you


    On the 27th floor, the elevator doors opened. Lucas stepped out first, followed by Howard and Liam.


    Lucas was still in shock. He went downstairs to receive his boss¡¯s guest. When he saw Howard, he was taken aback.


    Who would have thought that the person Yvette mentioned was Howard, the general manager of the Sunrise Group, thergest investmentpany in this country?


    He thought, ¡®Howard? Ten years ago, he suddenly showed up out of nowhere. He invested in a small domesticpany that was about to go bankrupt. He had unique strategic foresight. Under his leadership, the smallpany gradually became stronger andrger. Just when everyone thought he would hold onto thispany, he suddenly sold all his shares at a very high price and began his career as an investor


    Over the past decade, Howard had invested in almost every industry: IT, textiles, manufacturing, real estate, hotel chains,


    etc..


    Every project that Howard invested in never lost money. They were all very profitable.


    However, in recent years, he had invested less and less frequently.


    But even if he did nothing, the profits from hispanies were enough for him to live extravagantly for ten lifetimes.


    In the business world, he was known as ¡°Ghost Hand¡±.


    Lucas had heard endless stories about Howard. His story was a legend within the industry.


    Coming from humble beginnings and building everything on his own, Howard¡¯s rise to the top was the greatest business. miracle in this country.


    While others were being tricked by the capital market, Howard was the one skillfully steering it.


    Lucas panicked, thinking. Who exactly is Yvette, and how she managed to make Howard stoop toing to this ce? She must be really influential and close to Howard.¡±


    Zachary was taken aback the moment he saw Howard.


    Zachary didn¡¯te to his senses until Howard greeted him.


    Even while sitting on the sofa drinking coffee, Zachary felt dizzy


    Howard casually looked Zachary up and down, thinking, ¡®So, he is the boss¡¯s father. He actually looks not bad¡±


    Howard¡¯s smile was warm and his voice was gentle,pletely different from what the rumors said. Howard said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Chambers. I¡¯m Howard Yates¡±


    Liam, standing beside Howard, was stunned.


    If he hadn¡¯t worked for Howard for a long time, he would never believe the person in front of him was really Howard.


    Zachary quickly put down his coffee


    reached out to shake hands with Howard, Zachary said, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zachary from the Chambers Group¡­¡± He stoppo abruptly.


    His smile became bitter. He thought. After tomorrow, there will be no Chamber Group


    Howard narrowed his eyes. He squinted slightly and raised his eyebrow


    Beforeing here, Howard had investigated the current situation of the Chambers family


    Now, looking at the worried man in front of him, he didn¡¯t quite understand it.


    He thought, ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? If money can solve it, it¡¯s not a real problem. Whether the Chambers Group) thrives or falls depends on the boss. As for the Smith family and the Canter family, they would be finished. How dare they attack the boss¡¯s dad¡¯spany?¡±


    He thought the boss must have been cking off again recently toozy to take action. This is the only possibility, he thought


    Howard put down the coffee cup. He said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I¡¯m sure Ms. Chambers has already told you the purpose of my visit today, right? After all, she is thoughtful¡±


    Zachary nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes. Yvette mentioned that you wanted to invest in the Chambers Group. But to be honest with you, the debt is much more than a few hundred million dors. Besides, even if you have enough money to save the Chambers Group, there will be no promising projects to do in the future. You¡¯re Yvette¡¯s friend so I won¡¯t lie to you. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll talk to Yvette and make sure you won¡¯t be in a dilemma.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Zachary sounded earnest..


    Howard looked surprised for a brief moment. He respected Zachary


    Zachary¡¯s words surprised him a lot.


    In such a dire situation, Zachary didn¡¯t see him as a lifesaver. Instead, he told Howard everything. That was out of Howard¡¯s expectation.


    Howard gave a mild smile, his eyes sparkling with something mysterious.


    He thought. The boss is never in need of money and good projects!


    Howard lowered his voice. ¡°Mr. Chambers, I¡¯ve figured out that to save the Chambers Group, you¡¯d need about 5 billion dors. It¡¯s not a big number for me oney will be in your bank ount by tomorrow. As for the promising projects


    that you mentioned, if you¡¯re interest, incre¡¯s a department in mypany that focuses solely on developing games. We¡¯re nning to coborate with FastPulse Technologies in Mysonna. I can transfer the entire department to the Chambers Group. They¡¯ll be your team. With them, the Chambers Group can start all over again. If you want, everything will be ready by 8 PM tomorrow. What do you think about it?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s hand twitched and then his coffee cup slipped from his grasp, falling onto the expensive carpet. He looked bewildered.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Lucas thought, ¡®Has this whole world gone mad?


    Liam thought, ¡°Yes, the world has already gone crazy


    Howard was expressionless. He didn¡¯t care about the consequences of his words at all.


    Zachary nervously said, ¡°Mr. Yates, surely, you¡¯re not joking, right?


    Howard gave Zachary a mild smile. He sounded casual just now. It seemed like things like this were as casual as eating or drinking to him.


    Zachary couldn¡¯t keep calm anymore. He thought, ¡®He decided to invest 5 billion dors just like that? He decided to give me his core team just like that? Why is this once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime kind of thing happening to me?


    After calming himself down, Zachary thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. Yates, are you nning to acquire the Chambers Group? If that¡¯s your n¡±


    Why would I acquire yourpany? I am not like the Smith family or the Carter family. They¡¯re crazy, Howard thought, interrupting Zachary


    Howard said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, perhaps I didn¡¯t it exin very clearly just now. I¡¯m not interested in the Chambers Group and I don¡¯t want to acquire it. The money is a no¨Cinterest loan for the sake of Ms. Chambers. It has no conditions attached and no deadline. The team and technology are free. You don¡¯t need to feel pressured. Just agree with it and I¡¯ll tell my team to start preparing everything immediately. It¡¯s that simple. Don¡¯t overthink.¡±


    Zachary nodded stiffly. He was not a fool. If he refused this kind of gift from heaven, he would be an idiot


    Seeing that Zachary was nodding, Howard felt relieved.


    He finallypleted the task that his boss gave him.


    If Zachary were as careless about money as his boss, he would have been very anxious.


    In the next two hours, Howard and Zachary worked out the details of the coboration. They would sign the contract tomorrow, resolving the Chambers Group¡¯s crisis.


    After their discussion, Zachary insisted on treating Howard to a meal, Uncharacteristically. Howard didn¡¯t refuse him.


    On the way to the restaurant, Zachary¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Zachary answered it and heard a familiar voice.


    Nellie angrily threatened Zachary not to leave her or she would destroy the Chambers family.


    Hearing this. Zachary immediately hung up the phone.


    Zachary thought. This crazy woman has been harassing metely by calling through various numbers.


    He felt like he was dealing with someone with schizophrenia. She was sometimes soft and sometimes irritable. She sometimes threatened him and sometimes cried her eyes out, begging him.


    Zachary gave Howard an¨Capologetic smile.


    Nellie¡¯s voice was so loud. It was har


    Howard looked serious


    ilove it.


    He guessed that the person who called Zachary just now was his audacious ex¨Cwife.


    If his boss hadn¡¯t wanted to handle them herself, he would¡¯ve punished those bad guys.


    Howard asked, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I wonder if Ms. Chambers is free to join uster.¡±


    Zachary thought about it for a while..


    He thought Howard¡¯s request wasn¡¯t unreasonable. After all, Howard had been a great help to his family and he did it for Yvette. They were clearly on good terms. So, asking Yvette to eat with him was not too much.


    Yvette was drying her hair when Zachary called her. Looking at his name on the screen, she paused for a moment and ther lowered her eyes.


    Her corbone was elegantly beautiful Half of her arm was revealed. Her skin was tender and glowing.


    She tapped on her phone with her clean fingers, saying. ¡°Hello¡± She sounded aloof andzy,


    Zachary briefly exined that he was having a meal with Howard and then asked Yvette if she wanted to join them.


    Yvette raised her eyebrow and narrowed her dark and glittering eyes slightly. She said, ¡°Sure, send me the address,¡±


    After she hung up the phone, she picked up a T¨Cshirt hanging on the wall, found a pair of cks, rolled up the hems of the cks, and then put on the pair of white canvas shoes that she usually wore.


    She picked up her phone and headed straight to the restaurant.


    Jeremiah called Yvette and told her the address when she was halfway there.


    Inside the restaurant, Howard had been extremely excited, ever since he learned that Yvette wasing here.


    Not only Zachary but also Lucas and Liam sensed it the moment they sat down.


    In the next twenty minutes, Howard nced at the entrance more than ten times.


    While ordering the food, Zachary politely asked Howard what he liked


    Howard said he didn¡¯t care about it as long as the food was not very spicy and had notro.


    Zachary assumed that Howard just didn¡¯t like spicy food andtro.


    Whe all the dishes were served, Zachary thought that they could start to cat while waiting for Yvette. But Howard insisted that he should not touch his forks until she arrived.


    Seeing that Howard was determined to wait for Yvette, Zachary didn¡¯t try to convince him anymore.


    The door was opened once again. This time, the person who walked in was the one Howard was eager to see.


    As soon as Howard saw Yvette, his eyes lit up with joy and surprise. He immediately stood up and strode to her.


    Yvette walked unhurriedly. She scanned the room and smiled gently. Her bright eyes were full of mischief.


    Howard, brimming with excitement, walked to Yvette. ¡°Yvette, long time no see.¡±


    Yvette nodded. Her beautiful and


    is looked cold. Shezily said, ¡°Five years.¡±


    Howard nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been five years. So fast. I¡¯m not young anymore.¡±


    Yvette nped her lips slightly. Her eyes were dark and bright Yvette said, ¡°You are.¡±


    The atmosphere between the two was exceptionally harmonious Zachary even felt a bit jealous.


    Yvette had never treated him this way. He thought he was not a good father.


    Yvente exchanged pleasantries with Howard. He wanted her to sit beside him but she refused him and sat next to Zachary


    She leaned back casually in the chair and then tilted her head to the side a little bit, asking. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep wellst night?¡±


    Zachary was so surprised and touched that he didn¡¯t know what to do. He replied, ¡°I am fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.


    Yvette took out a vani toffee out of her pocket and put it in front of Zachary, She nced at him and said nothing.

 Chapter 150

    At the dining table, Zachary and Howard chatted with each other happily.


    Lucas and Liam were present. They also chatted with Yvette and Howard from time to time.


    Yvette was nestlingfortably in her chair with her legs crossed. Her attractive eyes were half-closed.


    Staying out of their conversation, she focused entirely on eating.


    Liam stole a nce at Yvette a few times, trying to make it look casual.


    He just couldn¡¯t understand how a girl like her managed to make his boss lend the Chambers family 5 billion dors and give his core team to them..


    The development department was about to coborate with FastPulse Technologies this year. So, Liam thought his boss was giving a project that would surely h able to someone else,


    He thought it didn¡¯t make sense.


    Not only did Liam think it didn¡¯t make sense, but Zachary also couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Zachary was confused


    After hesitating for a while, Zachary decided to ask about it.


    He said. ¡°Mr. Yates, does the chairman of yourpany know about this? If he does, won¡¯t it be hard for you to exin everything?¡±


    Howard put his fork and knife down. He shot a nce at Yvette, who was sitting across the table.


    Somehow, he chuckled, looking like there was something mysterious.


    He said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Mr. Chambers. The chairman is fully aware of it and supports my decision. Rx and wait to sign the contract tomorrow.¡±


    Zachary gave an unconvincing smile. He finally understood what a super-wealthy might look like.


    Zachary turned to Yvette and then at Howard, who was sitting across from Yvette. He asked, ¡°Yvette, how did you know Mr. Yates?¡±


    Yvette mped her lips together slightly and raised her eyes with no expression. She lookedzy and indifferent and her voice was slow and low, saying, ¡°We met by chance.¡±


    Zachary knew Yvette seemed unwilling to talk about it so he didn¡¯t ask more questions.


    While eating. Zachary saw Yvette staring at the fish on her te. It seemed that she was hesitating to eat it.


    When Zachary was about to tell her that the fish was good, Howard stopped him. He said, ¡°Hang on.¡±


    Lucas and Liam turned to him, confused.


    Howard naturally forked up a piece of the fish, carefully removed all the bones, and put it in Yvette¡¯s te again.


    It once again shocked the other three people.


    Liam pinched his leg, thinking, ¡°Yes, it hurt. It¡¯s real


    It was unbelievable.


    Zachary¡¯s eyes darkened. It seemed that he wanted to say something. But in the end, he said nothing.


    After finishing the meal, they left the restaurant.


    Jeremiah was standing not far away, wearing a ck shirt with the top two buttons undone and sleeves rolled halfway up, revealing his wrists. His long fingers were a little bit pale.


    The streetlight shed a soft glow on the ground.


    Jeremiah stood there casually. He put one of his hands in his pocket.


    As soon as Yvette and the others walked out, Jeremiah noticed it. He strode over to them


    Yvette also noticed jeremiah. She immediately stopped.


    Her eyes were clear and bright with a touch of wildness. She smiled and turned to Howard and the others. She said, ¡°See you¡± Then she leisurely walked toward Jeremiah.


    Once she reached him, Jeremiah Yvette¡¯s hand. Yvette was slightly surprised but said nothing.


    The two of them walked away together. Even their backs looked like a perfect match.


    The other four were left staring at each other. Of course, Zachary and Lucas knew who Jeremiah was.


    Back then, his Major General badge scared everyone.


    Howard did not know that his boss was attracted to another man.


    He looked solemn and thought Jeremiah was not just a random guy.


    Inside the car, Jeremiah tilted his head to look at Yvette.


    Yvette was looking down, resting one hand casually on the sill of the window, while fiddling with her phone with the other hand. Her corbones seemed to be shining.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze was so intense that it was hard for Yvette to ignore it


    She raised her head a little and mped her lips together momentarily. She said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Jeremiah said in azy and deep voice. ¡°Because you¡¯re beautiful


    Yvette¡¯s left hand, which was holding the phone paused. She looked up slightly and raised her eyebrows calmly. She said, ¡°I know.¡±


    Jeremiah was amused. ¡°Do you need any help with the Chambers family¡¯s crisis?¡±


    Yvette put her phone away, propped her chin with one hand, and snuggledfortably in the seat.


    She said carelessly, ¡°No need. It¡¯s almost over.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, lost in thought. Somehow, he suddenly looked a bit sullen.


    He said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Mysonna for a mission tomorrow. It¡¯ll probably take about two weeks.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrow. Her dark and shiny eyes made her look a bit cold and proud.


    She nced at Jeremiah. ¡°Oh, got it.¡±


    Downstairs at the girl¡¯ dormitory, watching Yvette turn away and leave without hesitation, Jeremiah felt very sad.


    With a stern face, he pulled her back into his arms, pressing his chin against the top of her head. He gritted his teeth, saying. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡±


    Yvette shook her head coldly, with her eyes shimmering with light. She


    simply said, ¡°Safe travels.


    Jeremiah gave her a helpless smile. He knew Yvette was always different. He said, ¡°Alright, go back now.¡±


    Jeremiah reluctantly let go of Yvette, looking at her back until she entered the building. Then he left.


    The next day, Zachary and Howard had theirwyers draft a contract overnight. By around 10:30 in the morning, the contract was signed.


    Zachary looked at the contract in his hand in a daze.


    Lucas didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. So he was constantly on edge


    He was worried that Howard might change his mind after a night¡¯s sleep. Now that the contract was signed and the money was transferred to Zachary. He tinund


    influential as


    He said. ¡°Mr. Chambers, thepany will be saved. Ms. Chambers is amazing. She even knows someone Howard and she persuaded him to invest so much money in thepany! I¡¯ve prepared the office that you asked for yesterday. We¡¯ll be waiting for the core tech team of the InnoCrest Technologies.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s face softened a little.


    With InnoCrest Technologies¡¯s support, the Smith family and the Carter family would have to consider it before they attacked the Chambers family again.


    Zachary said. ¡°Inform all the reporters in Seacrity that the Chambers Group will hold a press conference this afternoon. Keep it a secret for now. Don¡¯t let anyone else know about this. 1 want to catch the Smith familypletely off guard, especially Dennis. He will probably think we¡¯re going to announce thepany¡¯s bankruptcy.¡±


    Lucas thought the same. In the past two weeks, the Chambers Group had suffered enough insults and humiliation. It was time for them to fight back.


    Lucas said, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll notify all the media of the press conference at three this afternoon.¡±


    Inside a hotel, Howard was sitting on the sofa. He checked the time every now and then as he paced back and forth.


    Howard sat on the sofa, checking the time every now and then as he paced back and forth.


    Finally, when it was a few minutes past twelve, the doorbell rang Howard quickly stood up to open the door.


    Yvette was standing outside the door.


    Wearing a ck baseball cap, a ck tracksuit, and a mask, she was wrapped up in clothes. People could only see her deep and cold eyes.


    The door opened. Yvette walked in unhurriedly. She went directly to the couch, sat down, and took off her hat and mask. Her stunningly beautiful face was revealed.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Howard bowed to Yvette and said respectfully, ¡°Boss.¡±

 Chapter 151

    Yvette nodded. She was sitting casually on the sofa. Her long and straight legs were slightly bent.


    She rested her chin on her palm and said lightly. ¡°Have a seat, Howard. How do you feel now?¡±


    Howard had been struggling with serious heart disease for over twenty years. He had been hospitalized more than a dozen times.


    He had almost lost all hope. Later, surprisingly, after taking a few boxes of medicine that Yvette gave him, he gradually felt better.


    A few days ago, a doctor told him that his heart disease was cured. Now, he just needed to be careful with his health.


    Even the doctors said his recovery was like a miracle.


    The one who treated him as a renowned expert, Yosef Kenton, who had subtly asked Howard several times whether someone had been secretly treating his decease.


    Talking about his illness, Howard but emotional. Who wouldn¡¯t want to live a few more years?


    He said gratefully, ¡°Boss, my disease is almost cured. I¡¯ve been taking the medicine that you gave me regrly. It¡¯s amazing¡±


    Yvette nodded nonchntly and saidzily. The biob, one of the top threebs in Betricg, needs investment for a project,


    right


    Howard was puzzled. He wondered how his boss knew about this


    The biob was indeed looking for investors to coborate on a new project. This idea was brought up after a funding shortfall. But it hadn¡¯t been made public yet.


    Only the powerful people in Betrico knew about this. It was still highly confidential.


    Howard said, ¡°Yes, boss, the biob is a key nationalb and was supposed to have sufficient funding. However, due to some unexpected reasons, the costs exceeded considerably and the government doesn¡¯t want to invest more money in it. The director, Rashad, is now looking for other investors to resolve his urgent financial crisis.¡±


    Yvette grinned, looking wild, untamed, and strikingly beautiful. She said lightly. ¡°Invest in this project. Tell him there¡¯s only one condition: I want someone to study in hisb.¡±


    Howard was briefly taken aback and reflexively blurted out, ¡°Who?¡±


    Yvette slightly raised her head and then said, ¡°Me.¡±


    In just a few hours, the news that the Chambers Group was going to hold a conference was spreading rapidly.


    Everyone was anticipating the announcement from the Chambers Group regarding its bankruptey and withdrawal from. Seacrity¡¯s market.


    As one of the four major families declined, numerous others were eager to fill the void.


    At the Smith residence, Dennis was sitting on the sofa with Nellie by his side and Zeke and Winona sat on either side, looking jittery. Neither of them was speaking.


    Nellie¡¯s face looked healthily rosy and was glowing. Lately, she had been enjoying her life immensely. She changed her partners daily: all kinds of young and handsome boys.


    She finally realized that she hadn¡¯t gained anything from all these years with Zachary


    Although she was unwilling to ept it, there was nothing she could do about it.


    If Zachary went bankrupt, she could do whatever she wanted.


    Nellie was thrilled, thinking that Zachary would soon announce his bankruptcy and would have nothing left. She asked, ¡°Dad, is the Chambers family really going to anounce their bankruptcy?¡±


    Dennis¡¯s eyes looked fierce and menacing. His smile was cold and evil.


    He said, ¡°Yeah, even if the Chambers family tries its best, they won¡¯t survive a long time. He¡¯s left everything to Yvette. Although we¡¯ve been pushing him hard, he hasn¡¯t used that inoney yet. He¡¯s made up his mind. It is a wise choice to announce their bankruptcy now. At least, he won¡¯t lose everything.


    Nellie was so furious that she gritted her teeth when Dennis mentioned that Zachary was still protecting Yvette.


    Zeke and Winona exchanged a nce. They had no say at this moment.


    Recently, every time Wines went to a party with Victor, she felt that people despised her.


    If she hadn¡¯t been going to marry into the Carter family, those people would probably humiliate her.


    Although Victor had forgiven her,


    sometimes cold toward her.


    no longer as nice and soft to her as before. He was sometimes gentle and


    When he was in a good mood, he treated her better. When irritated, he would look cold.


    He showed no respect for her at all in front of everyone.


    Winona didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She had to swallow her pride. She looked visibly worn out.


    Zeke was now relying on the Smith family¡¯s money. He couldn¡¯t spend extravagantly anymore. Some people who once catered to him backed off when they noticed his decline.


    Zeke¡¯s life was miserable too.


    Dennis scanned Winona with a serious and cold look. He asked, ¡°Winona, how have things beentely with Victor?¡±


    Winona¡¯s fingers suddenly tensed. There was an awkward silence in the living room. She said, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m doing well with Victor. Don¡¯t worry. Yesterday, I had dinner with Mrs. Carter


    Of course, Winona wasn¡¯t going to let Dennis know that she had a meal with Yulia yesterday. But Yulia keptughing and sneering at her.


    Dennis nodded in satisfaction at Winona¡¯s words.


    He said, ¡°Good job. Just focus on keeping Victor¡¯s heart but don¡¯t forget about yourself like your mother did. She had been tricked for years without realizing it


    Hearing her name, Nellie¡¯s cheeks turned pink. She lowered her head.


    Zeke looked at them with a cold face. A hatred was growing within him.


    If his mom hadn¡¯t done something so disgraceful, he wouldn¡¯t be theughingstock of Seacrity.


    He would never shake off thebel of a ¡°bastard.¡± And the saddest part was that he didn¡¯t even know who his father was.


    Three¨Clifteen on the nose, Zachary, dressed in a ck suit, showed up at the conference in time.


    He was entirely different from before. It was brimming with energy. She even jumped up and down while walking


    The reporters below were puzzled. They thought it wasn¡¯t at all what they had expected.


    Zachary didn¡¯t look like someone about to dere bankruptcy atall. He looked so happy.


    Beforeing here, these twenty¨Csomething news outlets had already decided on today¡¯s headline.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The title would be: [The Chambers Family Is Going to Bankrupt What¡¯s Next for Them?]


    Zachary calmly walked to his seat and sat down. Lucas followed behind him carrying a ck briefcase.


    Numerous cameras shed on Zachary¡¯s face instantly.


    Before Zachary could say anything, the reporters shot him with a lot of questions.


    ¡°Are you going to announce the Chambers Group¡¯s bankruptcy?¡±


    ¡°Did the Chambers family encounter a series of setbacks from the Smith family and the Carter family because of your divorce from Nellie


    ¡°Rumor has it that Zeke and Winona, whom Nellie, the third child of the Smiths, gave birth to, aren¡¯t yours? So you¡¯ve left all your money to your eldest daught hom you reunited with not long ago. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Did you alone bring the Chambers family to the bankruptcy?¡±


    ¡°Please, head of the Chambers family, could you please exin everything to us?¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you intend to announce at today¡¯s press conference, Mr. Chambers?¡±


    Faced with the reporters tough questions, Zachary calmly waved his hand, signaling them to quiet down. His dark eyes glittered.


    He said, ¡°The Chambers Group is holding this press conference to address what happened in the past two weeks, preventing people with evil intentions from twisting the story any further. Iwill exin everything to you.¡±

 Chapter 152

    As soon as Zachary began to speak, the room quieted down.


    With a serious look on his face, Zachary nodded in approval as he observed the scene.


    Ladies and gentlemen. First, regarding the rumors about Zeke and Winona. With the support of a report from a reputable institution, I can confirm that yes, they are not my biological children. As for whose children they really are? You¡¯d have to ask Nellie herself. Furthermore, there have also been mumerous rumors iming that I have abandoned my wife and children irresponsibly. But what you don¡¯t know is that not only aren¡¯t the two children mine, but Nellie had also been repetitively cheating on me over the years. I have photos and detailed records as proof for everything I¡¯ve said. If anyone¡¯s interested. I¡¯ll have all of this emailed to you shortly.¡±


    Zachary dropped this scoop as soon as he started, getting the reporters all excited.


    This head of the Chambers family was really ruthless. He had all the evidence ready,


    Once this hits the news tomorrow, note Mellie but also the Smith family would have their reputation forever tarnished.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Not only did she cheat on Zachary, but she also made him raise her lovers¡¯ children.


    With Zachary confirming the rumor in person, tomorrow¡¯s papers are sure to sell out.


    The public nowadays adores scandalous stories about wealthy families.


    Zachary swept his eyes over the excited reporters and gave a slight nod, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here knows how the Chambers Group has suffered a severe blow from the Smith and Carter families in the past few weeks. My former father-inw, Dennis, bribed our suppliers and lured away all our partners by offering three times the market price, leaving the Chambers family in despair.¡±


    Speaking of which, Zachary sighed deeply.


    The reporters below were certainly aware of the chaos the business world in Seacrity had been in for the past two weeks. The real culprits were the Smith family, who teamed up with the Carters to target the Chambers family. The Chambers Group was simply trying to defend itself.


    Some reporters had already begun to feel sorry for Zachary


    In twenty years of marriage, he had been cheated on countless times, and even raised his wife¡¯s lovers¡¯ child. Who could tolerate such a thing? If it were them, they would¡¯ve throttled Nellie on the spot.


    Zachary¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp gleam shing through them. He wasn¡¯t here to seek pity.


    ¡°But as the saying goes, where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. The Chambers Group has been diligent for so many years that even fate couldn¡¯t ignore it any longer. Just yesterday, Mr. Yates, the General Manager of the country¡¯srgest investment group, Sunrise Group, reached out to me. He¡¯s willing to lend a helping hand during this critical time to save the Chambers Group. Moments ago, we finalized a partnership where Sunrise Group agreed to invest $5 billion in the Chambers Group, Through the Sunrise Group, we will jointly develop a new immersive online game with FastPulse Technologies, the world¡¯s biggest gamingpany. We aspire to contribute to the domestic gaming industry?


    The entire room of reporters was stunned. Is the Sunrise Group really going to invest in the Chambers Group? And they¡¯re actually developing immersive online games together with FastPulse? Unbelievable!


    Has Sunrise gone crazy? With their power and status, why would they even want to partner with the Chambers Group?¡±


    And remember, FastPulse Technologies is the world¡¯srgest gamingpany headquartered in Mysonna. They have never worked with otherpanies before, dedicated to keeping the identities of their key tech experts secret.


    Why in the world would FastPulse coborate with apany on the brink of bankruptcy?


    They thought that there was a high possibility that Zachary had gone mad.


    A young reporter was the first to speak.


    ¡°Mr. Chambers, are you sure you have not misspoken? Do you have a contract? Any other proof?


    Zachary gave a small smile. He didn¡¯t show a hint of irritation at the blunt question. Hisposed demeanor earned him another wave of admiration.


    ¡°I assume that was what everyone was thinking. I assure you that I am not o


    out of my


    mind. I¡¯ve already signed a contract with Howard Yates, the General Manager of Sunrise Group Having said that, Zachary nced at Lucas. Lucas immediately walked up with a ck briefcase in hand.


    People wondered what was in the briefcase. They all guessed it might be the contract.


    Lucas handed the briefcase to Zachary, then quietly stood aside.


    Facing the cameras, Zachary opened the briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of documents.


    The camer zoomed in, therge wo ONTRACTing into view.


    Of course, the details couldn¡¯t be shown to the public, so Zachary turned to thest page. Howard¡¯s signature along with the Sunrise Group¡¯s stamp were crystal clear.


    The reporters couldn¡¯t doubt it.


    It seems that the Chambers Group was incredibly lucky. With the Sunrise Group hacking them, they can finally get through this crisis.


    Not only that, but the future of the Chambers Group looks promising. The Smith family and the Carter family may sound important in Seacrity, but they¡¯re nothingpared to a big conglomerate like Sunrise Group.


    The Smith and Carter families would have to think again before messing with the Chambers family again.


    Zachary faced the camera, his warm smile disappearing without a trace, reced by a gaze as sharp as an eagle¡¯s.


    His voice was strong and confident. ¡°To conclude this press conference, I¡¯d like to warn someone not to ruin the healthypetition of the market out of personal greed. We, the Chambers family, do not want to start trouble, but we¡¯re not afraid of it. If anyone dares to challenge us again, bring it on. I¡¯ll be right here waiting for you sewer rats,¡±


    Everyone present knew exactly who Zachary was referring to when he said ¡°rats.¡±


    After this press conference, the Chambers and the Smiths hadpletely fallen out. But now, with the support of the Sunrise Group, the Chambers had no reason to be afraid of the Smiths.


    Everyone had a strong sense of foreboding that the dynamics of the four major families in Seacrity were about to change. Everything was uncertain.


    At the same moment, Dennis sat on the sofa, gripping his cane with a strength like no other. His face was frighteningly stormy.


    Nellie and the others hardly dared to breathe. They never expected Zachary to be so ruthless as to expose their dirty secret right in front of the press.


    Dennis had never imagined that the Sunrise Group would step in to rescue the Chambers Group


    After a while, Dennis finally spoke up, his voice as rough as sandpaper, ¡°How did Zachary connect with the Sunrise Group?¡±


    Winona and Zeke trembled with fear. Dennis looked frightening, like a demon emerging from hell.


    Even Nellie shuddered, her voice trembling as she spoke, ¡°Dennis, I really don¡¯t know how Zachary knew Howard Yates. He had never mentioned Howard before¡±


    Dennis swept all the coffee cups off the table in a fit of rage.


    He red viciously at the three of them, shouting, ¡°You don¡¯t know? Then what even do you know? Howard is at the top of the business world pyramid. One word from him can make entirepanies disappear! By helping the Chambers Group, he¡¯s telling everyone that they¡¯re under his protection. To go against Chambers, you¡¯ll have to get Howard to back off first. Do you really think that Howard would hand over his most important game development project to Chambers Group if he was going to back out? Are you really that clueless after being around Zachary for so long? How can you not know that they¡¯re connected? If I had known that, I wouldn¡¯t have stepped in. Useless¡­ absolutely useless¡­¡±

 Chapter 153

    Nellie didn¡¯t dare to respond to Dennis at all.


    She felt wronged because Zachary never talked about his private matters with her. How was she supposed to know Zachary knew Howard?


    Winona, seated on the couch, nced up at the furious Dennis and showed a look of shrewdness.


    Winona mustered her courage and spoke timidly, ¡°Grandpa, I believe the situation isn¡¯t as dire as it seems. A prominent figure like Howard wouldn¡¯t act without apelling reason. Dod. Well, Zachary must have presented him with an enticing offer, which is why Howard is assisting him. I suspect that the Chambers Group might have promised Howard a substantial. share of their equity. If we can propose an even more attractive scentive, there might still be a chance for us to change the oue.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Dennis turned to look at Winona, who was visibly trembling. His expression was stern, but it had softenedpared to before.


    He thought Winona¡¯s words made sense. Someone like Howard wouldn¡¯t help the Chambers Group for nothing. Perhaps, Winona said, Zachary had hit a dead end and turned to Howard


    Zachary must have promised Howard enough benefits so that he would help the Chambers Group. Whatever the Chambers Group could offer, the Smith family could do the same.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Dennis gave Winona an approving nod and said, ¡°Your words are sensible, Winona. Here¡¯s what we could do: Tomorrow, I¡¯ll pay Howard a visit, and you can apany me. Look your best. I¡¯ve heard that Howard has a son. If you manage to catch his eye, even if marriage isn¡¯t in the cards, your current standing could still allow you to be his mistress, which would be quite fortunate¡±


    Winona¡¯s expression changed slightly when she heard this.


    Zeke stood by with his head lowered, lost in thought. He wonders. Does Grandpa see both of us as so worthless?¡±


    Zeke nced at Winona Except whenpared to Yvette, Winona was indeed good-looking.


    Zeke thought, If what Grandpa said turned out to be true and Winona really got connected with the Yates family, could it change my fate too?¡±


    When he thought about this, Zeke¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at Winona like a wolf eyeing its prey.


    Dennis ignored what Winona thought and waved his hand dismissively.


    Nellie told Winona and Zeke to leave first.


    After they left, only Nellie and Dennis were in the living room.


    Nellie stood up and helped Dennis sit down.


    After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke, ¡°Dad, if you let Winona do this and the Carters find out, her engagement could be jeopardized. Winona is my daughter; she cannot be reduced to a mistress


    Seeing Dennis¡¯ fierce gaze, Nellie swallowed her words, not daring to continue.


    Dennis sneered, ¡°Do you still consider Winona to be part of the esteemed Chambers family? After today, everyone will know she¡¯s an illegitimate child, born from your affair with someone else. What respectable family would want such a daughter- inw? Before, we could keep it a secret without Zachary exposing it, but now the DNA test results are public. Do you think the Carter family would still want Winona? Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for the significant leverage I have over ude, do you really believe he¡¯d allow Victor to marry Winona? Let me be frank: the only value Winona has left is her beauty; otherwise, no one would even consider her as a mistress. Nellie, while Windina is young and has some worth, we must use her to benefit the Smith family. The Smith family doesn¡¯t support freeloaders


    After Nellie listened to these words, she gritted her teeth and thought, ¡®Compared to wealth and prosperity, Winona really isn¡¯t that important. After all these years of raising her, it¡¯s time for her to pay me back


    Nellie said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll listen to you. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll make sure Winona looks really beautiful¡±


    Hearing this, Dennis nodded with satisfaction.


    He said. ¡°Well, about Hayden Johnson, I¡¯ve handled him for you. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll take all the me.¡±


    Dennis paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s impressive how you¡¯ve earned Hayden¡¯s loyalty. I had someone suggest to him that he should keep you out of it, and he agreed to take full responsibility himself.¡±


    Nellie looked proud.


    If Dennis hadn¡¯t mentioned Hyden, Nellie would have long forgotten about Hayden.


    He was just a man who had been fooled by her for over a decade. She believed it would be his honor if he could finally do something useful for her.


    Dennis noticed Nellie¡¯s proud expression and offered her a cautionary note, ¡°Be cautious these days. Zachary has substantial evidence about your affairs. I¡¯ll instruct the Smith Group¡¯s public rtions team to manage the situation. Bide your time until the controversy subsides. You¡¯re not as young as you once were, so act ordingly, do you understand?¡±


    Nellie nodded.


    She had been worn out recently, so it might be a good chance to take a break,


    It was regrettable to stop seeing the recently hired male escort, as he truly excelled at ensuring her enjoyment.


    Meanwhile, in the prison, Hayden, who Dennis and Nellie mentioned, was staring nkly at the TV screen.


    He wondered, Has Nellie deceived me? All these years, Nellie has always imed I was her only one. So, who are all those men in the photos?¡±


    Hayden¡¯s eyes turned red with anger.


    He lowered his head and vowed to punish Nellie after he was released.


    The following day. Dennis dispatched someone to ascertain the hotel where Howard was residing. Subsequently, he escorted Winona to that hotel, ensuring she was elegantly auired


    When Dennis and Winona got to the hotel, Howard was having breakfast with Yvette.


    Just then, Liam knocked on the door and came in, noticing Howard pouring juice for Yvette.


    Once again, Liam realized how important Yvette was to Howard.


    In the past few days, Liam had be ustomed to scenes like this.


    Having witnessed simr scenarios countless times, he was unsurprised by what he saw.


    As a capable assistant, Liam knew what he should look at and what he shouldn¡¯t.


    Liam walked directly to Howard, sneaking a nce at Yvette, who was eating.


    Liam bowed respectfully and announced, ¡°Mr. Yates, Dennis Smith and his granddaughter are in the lobby and wish to see


    you¡±


    Without saying anything, Howard turned to Yvette for her opinion


    He asked, ¡°Should I meet them?¡±


    Yvette looked down, her bright eyes thoughtful as she slightly tiled her head.


    She pursed her lips and said in a casual tone, ¡°No.¡±


    Liam was taken aback, thinking Yvette was quite bold to refuse like that.


    However, Liam would be even more stunned by Howard¡¯s reaction in the next second.


    Howard noticed Liam staring motionlessly at Yvette and frowned.


    He asked. ¡°What are you still doing here? Didn¡¯t you hear Yvette pay no?


    Liam nodded nkly and said ¡°Yes, Mr. Yates, I¡¯ll show them our Then he turned to leave.


    After Liam departed, Howard presen ete with a pork rib.


    He asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller,


    r, what do you n to do about the Smith family¡¯s situation! Do you have any ns?¡±


    Yvette looked up and wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin.


    Then she leanedzily against the couch, and her fingers were lightly tapping on the table.


    With a mischievous smile, she said calmly, ¡°In three days, there won¡¯t be a Smith family left in Seacrity¡±

 Chapter 154

    In the hotel lobby, Dennis sat on the couch, with Winona dutifully by his side.


    They watched as Liam stepped out of the elevator, but neither of them moved..


    Dennis held his head high with an arrogant look, clearly not taking Liam seriously.


    After working with Howard for many years, Liam had encountered all sorts of people. He observed that Dennis had not even given him a proper nce earlier.


    Liam just sneered in his heart.


    Slowing his steps. Liam approached Dennis and Winona and finally stopped in front of them.


    Only then did Dennis lift his head slightly, just ncing at Liam without any intention to converse.


    In Dennis¡¯ view, he didn¡¯t deem a mere secretary worthy enough to warrant him initiating the conversation.


    Winona stood up and spoke softly, ¡°Mr. Davidson, Grandpa and are prepared. May we proceed to meet Mr. Yates now?¡±


    Liam smiled politely at Dennis and Winona and said, ¡°I apologize, but Mr. Yates is currently not avable. It seems unlikely that you¡¯ll be able to meet with him today.¡±


    Winona was taken aback, herplexion turning slightly pale, and she appeared somewhat disoriented


    She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she looked towards Dennis, who was seated on the couch.


    Even Dennis was momentarily shocked by Liam¡¯s words, and his expression was full of disbelief.


    Dennis¡¯ hand that was gripping the staff trembled with anger.


    He had thought that with the Smith family¡¯s status in Seacrity, Howard would definitely meet him.


    Since Howard refused to meet Dennis, Howard decided to support the Chambers family.


    Dennis¡¯ expression became serious, and his aged eyes shone with a menacing gleam as he fixed his gaze on Liam.


    Liam maintained his polite smile as if he hadn¡¯t noticed Dennis nasty expression at all.


    Liam¡¯s insides churned with disdain as he thought, ¡®Intimidating me? You should think twice about who I¡¯ve been working for and who I¡¯ve crossed paths with. Over the years, working alongside Mr. Yates in the business world, I¡¯ve faced people far more ruthless and menacing than Dennis. Why would I be intimidated by him? The truly terrifying ones are like Ms. Zeller -those who can exert pressure and instill fear with just a stern look, wielding authority without the need for anger.


    Given the


    specte flow of p


    Dennis¡¯s identity.


    in and out of the hotel, it wasn¡¯t surprising that a few had recognized Witiona and begun to


    Some were pointing and whispering about Dennis and Winona.


    Winona could clearly hear some of the words, yet she didn¡¯t dare refute them.


    She could only lower her head, tightly clenching her hands.


    Dennis nced at Winona, feeling very annoyed, and war on his cane as he walked out


    Winona followed behind Dennis timidly, not daring to say a worl


    t


    After they left, Liani dropped his fake smile and walked away.


    The news that the Smith family allegedly evaded taxes quickly spread across all major websites overnight.


    In Seacrity, whenever people checked their phones, they could see news about the Smith family.


    The Smith family had avoided paying over 3 billion dors in takes


    The decades-long bribery scheme involving the Smith family and officials in Seacrity had been exposed. Daniel, who was recently implicated in a scandal, was among those who epted bribes.


    The Smith family paid Daniel 160 million dors for a piece ofnd in Seacrity two years ago,


    Furthermore, it was discovered that the Smith family had used substandard materials, resulting in elevated formaldehyde levels that caused leukemia in children from more than ten families.


    The Smith family went to extreme lengths to conceal their actions, resorting to violence to intimidate the parents of sick children. This left the parents¡¯ints unresolved and tragically led to the suicides of two parents, who chose to end their lives by jumping from buildings.


    The revtions had transformed the Smith family¡¯s deeds from mere economic issue into a criminal matter. If these allegations were substantiated, the Smith family might be subjected to severe legal consequences.


    The Smith family¡¯s scandal caused a massive uproar. Wyatt was woken up by a phone call from his secretary in the middle of the night.


    As soon as Wyatt checked his phone, he was instantly wide awake


    Upon reviewing the second list that exposed more government officials bribed by the Smith family, Wyatt was left in shock, With the possibility of being transferred back to Betrico this year, he realized that if this issue wasn¡¯t managed with utmost care, it could spell the end of his career.


    Wyatt quickly held ate-night meeting with the officials who weren¡¯t implicated in the list.


    He immediately detained all the officials involved in the list and cut off theirmunication with the outside world.


    In the middle of the night, Wyatt held four consecutive meetings.


    The situation could spiral out of control at daybreak. If Wyatt didn¡¯t swiftly provide a satisfactory resolution to the public, it might be difficult to soothe the popce¡¯s rage.


    As anticipated, Seacrity¡¯s official Twitter ount was inundated withments early in the morning. Within just ten minutes, hundreds of thousands of retweets andments were made, with the figures continuing to rise rapidly.


    Theizensmented: [Is this urate? The Smith family is truly evil. It¡¯s shocking enough that they allegedly evaded


    but there are also ims that they were in cahoots with criminal elements!


    taxes,


    [The Smith family can go to hell. Despite amassing substantial profits, they continued to use substandard materials in their products. The plight of those families who have been adversely affected is heart-wrenching. The images of their suffering serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of such actions]


    [Those were just children! So innocent and little! Their parents evenfnitted suicide. What the Smith family did is outrageous! They must be punished severely. I suggest the Smith family pay with their lives.]


    [I agree with thement above. Such sc***ms deserve to die a thousand, even a million times over.]


    [Agreed too. I wish we could see the Smith family torn toeds to make things right.]


    I¡¯ve always believed there are no good people in the Smith family and they¡¯re all rotten to the core. Remember the press


    08:32 Mon,This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    conference yesterday? The head of the Chambers family revealed that Nellie¡¯s two children are not his biological offspring.


    I¡¯ve heard some gossip that this Winona is aplete liar. She used fake works to deceive people. The Smith family is so awful!]


    [The authority should intervene and conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.]


    Public outrage erupted online. In response, newspapers swiftly revised their content overnight, recing the original articles with urgent reports on the Smith family¡¯s tax evasion, bribery of officials, and connections to criminal elements.


    Nellie had a great night¡¯s sleep. The next morning, she got up and went downstairs.


    Seeing that the living room was empty, she felt a bit confused.


    Usually, the servants would have breakfast ready by now. Nellie wondered, ¡°Where did everyone go?


    Nellie thought the servants were all cking off and stormed around looking for them, finally spotting them in the garden behind the vi.


    Nellie saw the servants holding their phones, talking about something.


    She stormed over, her anger palpable, and scolded the servants with a raised voice, ¡°What exactly are you doing? Are you being paid by the Smith family to loiter and gossip? This is utterly disrespectful! Do you believe I¡¯m incapable of dismissing all of you? Now, get to work and prepare my breakfast immediately¡±


    The servants looked at one another and finally couldn¡¯t hold back their anger anymore. They were fed up with the Smith family too.


    Therefore, the servants dropped their brooms and eximed, ¡°Mrs. Chambers, there¡¯s no need to fire us. In fact, we no longer wish to work for the Smiths. Instead of having breakfast, I rmend you check your phone!¡±


    The other servants loudly agreed


    They were just ordinary folks, and after knowing what the Smith family had done, they were all furious and didn¡¯t want to work for such people anymore.


    One of the servants cursed, ¡°Nellie, the Smith family is truly ruthless! Sooner orter, the Smiths are going to hell!¡±


    Someone echoed, ¡°Yes, God is watching over you, and He will not abandon you!¡±


    Nellie stared at the servants in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe they dared to speak to her so rudely.


    She hadn¡¯t figured out what the servants were talking about.


    Nellie was just about to curse the servants when they all turned their backs and left the Smith residence.resolutely.


    Seeing how determined the servants were and recalling what they mentioned, Nellie began to worry.


    A bad feeling washed over her.


    Nellie quickly ran into the vi to grab her phone and see what had happened.


    As Nellie reached the door, she encountered Zeke, who seemed flustered, like he had just rushed back in.


    Zeke eximed, ¡°Mom, terrible news

 Chapter 155

    Nellie asked. ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t make such a fuss or you¡¯ll wake your grandpa and get yourself into trouble.¡±


    Zeke, seeing Nellie¡¯s response, realized she still didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    He


    anxiously pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to Nellie.


    His voice was filled with despair when he said, ¡°Mom, check the news online now. It¡¯s everywhere. The Smith family is finished this time.¡±


    Nellie


    pushed down the anxiety in her heart, unlocked Zeke¡¯s plone, and read the content.


    Just seeing the headline, Nellie understood why Zeke had said those words.


    She was aware of some of the news being reported.


    She wondered, Dad has hidden those documents so well all these years! How did they get exposed at such a crucial time?


    Just then. Dennis wobbled down the stairs, using his cane for support.


    He noticed Nellie¡¯s pale face and Zeke¡¯s worried look and frowned. What¡¯s happening? Why are you two just standing there?¡± asked Dennis.


    Nellie was shaking all over, raising her head stiffly, trembling


    She muttered, ¡°Dad, we¡¯re doomed.¡±


    Dennis¡¯ expression turned gloomy instantly,


    He scolded, ¡°What are you talking about? Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Zeke couldn¡¯t stay calm any longer and grabbed the phone from Nellie.


    He cautiously said, ¡°Grandpa,st night at midnight, someone revealed that the Smith family has been involved in tax evasion, selling substandard products, and bribing officials. All the documents and photos are now avable online, and people are expressing their anger towards us on the inte¡±


    Dennis¡¯ eyes widened when he heard this, and he suddenly felt fint


    Dennis was acutely conscious of his past actions. Unable to support himself any longer, he lost his bnce and, in the next instant, tumbled from the second story.


    Nellie and Zeke were frozen in shock, but neither of them immediately rushed to help Dennis.


    Nellie was jolted back to reality when bright red blood began to flow from Dennis¡¯ head. She fumbled for her phone to dial 911, but before she could make the call, Zeke intervened..


    Nellie stared in a daze at Zeke.


    Zeke held back his excitement.


    When Dennis was lying there, Zeke didn¡¯t feel worried at all. Instead, he felt a bit thrilled.


    The Smith family was ruined. With Dennis losing his power, Zeke saw an opportunity to seize the family¡¯s wealth and make


    his escape


    Nellie asked, ¡°Zeke, what are you doing? Give me the phone. Your grandpa is bleeding! We¡¯ll be toote if we don¡¯t hurry to


    call an ambnce


    However, Zeke smirked wickedly.


    Nellie felt a chill run down her spine at the thought of something, and she suddenly looked up.


    She muttered. ¡°You¡­ Zeke. You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Zeke nodded without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Zeke red fiercely at Dennis, who was lying on the ground. Turning to Nellie, he said, ¡°Morn, consider this. The Smith family has been mired in numerous scandals, and our reputation is beyond repair. Grandpa should take responsibility for his actions. We should quickly gather any valuables we have at home and leave the country. Money can give us a fresh start anywhere. You know thebination to Grandpa¡¯s safe, don¡¯t you? Now is not the time for secrecy. Let¡¯s take everything and leave. Once we¡¯re abroad, you can continue living as you wish. There¡¯s nothing left for us in Seacrity. If you can¡¯t see that. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t save you either.¡±


    Nellie was torn between conflicting thoughts.


    She felt Zeke was right, but meanwhile, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Dennis.


    Zeke noticed Nellie¡¯s hesitation, sneered, and added, ¡°Mom, do you really want to live a life with absolutely nothing?¡±


    Nellie, having made up her mind, shouted, ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to live like that. Zeke, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s pack up and leave now. I know the code, and we¡¯ll leave your grandpa to his fate.¡±


    Nellie and Zeke began packing their stuff, not sparing a nce at Dennis, who was passed out on the floor.


    Just as Nellie and Zeke were about to get into the car, Nellie suddenly remembered Winona.


    She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Zeke, what about Winona? Should we just leave her behind?¡±


    Zeke was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Mom, since she¡¯s engaged to Victor, she¡¯s part of the Carter family now, so you don¡¯t need to worry about her.¡±


    Nellie thought Zeke¡¯s words made sense, so they both left with determination.


    In the physics ssroom at Apex Urban University, Bonnie inquired, ¡°Yve, I noticed yourputer was on all night. Did you stay up the entire time? Would you like to go back to the dorm and get some rest?¡±


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand and gently twirled the pen. She looked down and said with a smile, ¡°Nah. Have to visit someone tonight.¡±


    Bonnie asked, ¡°Yve, did you hear what the Smith family had done? It¡¯s outrageous! They¡¯re absolutely inhuman.¡±


    Yvette remained expressionless.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She raised her bright eyes slightly and, with a nonchnt expression, spoke in a low voice, ¡°Yeah


    Yvette looked up at the sky, which was a brilliant blue dotted with soft white clouds, and the sunlight was pouring down-it was a perfect day.


    If the heavens refused to ept the devils, she would take them in


    When Dennis woke up, he found himself in a ward, guarded by two police officers.


    Earlier, when the police arrived with evidence, they found tennis unconscious on the floor and brought him to the hospital


    It took Dennis a while to recall what happened, his eyes filled with a venomous look


    He never anticipated that his beloved daughter and Zeke would abandon him to face the challenges alone. Just before Dennis lost consciousness, he distinctly heard Zeke¡¯s words with his own cars


    Despite being astute throughout his life, Dennis failed to realize that he had raised ungrateful children.


    When the two police officers saw that Dennis was awake, they showed him the arrest warrant.


    ¡°Mr. Smith,¡± one of the officers announced, ¡°you are under arrest as per thew. Considering your health condition and after consulting with your doctor, we have determined that you will be fit for questioning in two days. Until then, you are under constant surveince. Please remain in this ward. Any attempt to leave the room will result in consequences you will have to


    face.


    Dennis¡¯ expression was sullen, and he remained silent.


    Without wasting time speaking to Dennis, the officers departed.


    After the police departed, Dennis copsed, looking at least a decade older. He was acutely aware that the Smith family¡¯s fate was sealed.


    Dennis had been a dominant force in the business world throughout his entire career. He never anticipated that everything could vanish overnight, rendering all his hard work futile.


    If Dennis ever found out who leaked the information, he wouldn¡¯t let them go.


    He wondered who the mastermind was and suddenly thought of the Chambers family, but deep down, he felt it was unlikely.


    Dennis pondered, Zachary definitely couldn¡¯t have uncovered these secrets. Besides, if it were him, it would havee our long ago.


    Dennis racked his brain but couldn¡¯t figure out who had destroyed the Smith family.


    At exactly 11:00 p.m., a figure swiftly entered Dennis¡¯s ward, causing the surveince cameras on that floor of the hospital to suddenly go nk.


    In the darkness, a pair of slender and tender hands gently lifted Dennis from the bed. At that moment, Dennis was so deeply unconscious that he didn¡¯t feel anything

 Chapter 156

    The night sky was dotted with stars, and the air was cool. Neon lights flickered, and the scent of medicine hung heavily in the air.


    Up on the hospital rooftop. Dennis slowly opened his eyes.


    In a daze, he saw a tall and slim figure standing ahead, cloaked in darkness.


    Dennis thought he was dreaming, but a cool breeze blew by, waking him up immediately


    His eyes widened in shock.


    He wondered. ¡®Should I be in the ward? Where is this ce? This shouldn¡¯t be a dream


    Dennis asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Who Who are you? Why did you bring me here? Where are the police? Where are the officers who were watching over me?¡±


    As the person turned around. Dennis couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    He asked. ¡°You Are you Yvette?¡±


    This was the first time Dennis had seen Yvette in person. Before he had only seen her in pictures


    Dennis was utterly shocked.


    Yvette stood there in all ck, expressionless, like a merciless killer.


    Her deep-set eyes were devoid of emotion, tinged with a hint of redness.


    The upward tilt of her eyes conveyed a sense of defiance and a hint of wildness.


    With a faint smirk, Yvette walked unhurriedly towards Dennis, hands in her pockets.


    Her pressure made Dennis instinctively fearful, causing him to step back.


    The face in front of him was exactly the same as Lilian¡¯s. He had once sent Lilian to theb personally.


    Dennis pondered, ¡®No¡­ They¡¯re not the same. Lilian would never have eyes like those of a beastContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Dennis, who was quite old now, for the first time felt an unexinable fear facing someone


    Dennis asked, ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯te any closer! What sneaky trick did you use to bring me here? Did you bribe the police? This is illegal! You know it, right?¡±


    Hearing these words, Yvette paused, ncing at Dennis, who was lying on the ground.


    Dennis thought Yvette was scared and gained a bit of his courage back.


    He said angrily. ¡°If you send me back now, I can pretend none of this ever happened.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyes slightly.


    Her face remained expressionless


    She pursed her lips and smirked. Then, in the silent dark of the night, she sneered, the sound oddly out of ce.


    Yvette walked up to Dennis, looking down at him as hey on the ground weakly.


    Her gaze was calm, and her delicate features hinted at mischief, while an oppressive pressure filled the air.


    In the next moment, Yvette effortlessly lified half of Dennis¡¯s body off the ground with one hand.


    Without a word, she leisurely dragged Dennis towards the rooftop railing


    Every step Yvette took was intense torture for Dennis.


    His legs scraped against the ground, and his thin hospital gown couldn¡¯t possibly protect him from the floor¡¯s rough surface.


    After just a few steps, blood was already seeping through his knees.


    Dennis let out a piercing scream of despair, and his agonizing cries echoed across the entire rooftop.


    At first, Dennis cursed at Yvette with foul words, but getting no response from her, he started ying the victim and begging


    for mercy.


    Yvette¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile.


    By the time they reached the edge of the rooftop, the hospital gown Dennis wore had been in tatters.


    He was drenched in blood, panting heavily from the pain, his voice raspy from the screams he had let out earlier. Now, he was too weak to utter a sound.


    If anyone else saw Dennis now, they wouldn¡¯t think that this was the head of the Smith family, who once ruled Seacrity¡¯s business world for decades.


    Dennis¡¯s body trembled uncontrobly as he faced Yvette. He was truly scared of this youngdy in her twenties.


    Dennis pointed a finger at Yvette, his eyes filled with fear.


    He screamed wildly as if he had been frightened, lookingpletely crazy.


    Dennis whispered, ¡°You, You¡¯re a devil. A devil¡­ Please, I¡¯m begging you, let me go. There¡¯s no way out for me. Please spare my life, will you?¡±


    Yvette looked down and gave Dennis a cold, mocking look.


    Her voice was as cold as ice as she said. ¡°Dennis, stop pretending. If someone really lost their mind, their eyes wouldn¡¯t be filled with as much intense hatred as yours are right now.¡±


    Dennis¡¯s face turned from purple to red, then from red to pale.


    Exposed by Yvette, he stopped pretending to be insane.


    The resentment was evident on his face.


    Dennis had thought he could fool Yvette. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to see through his trick so easily.


    Dennis asked, ¡°What exactly do you want? Are you trying to avenge the Chambers family? Look at me now. I¡¯m already miserable enough. Haven¡¯t you vented your anger yet?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression was still cold and detached.


    She smiled with mockery, the malevolence in her eyes obvious


    She crouched down in front of Dennis and spoke in a sterice, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re miserable? Have you forgotten the time twenty years ago when you burned down a family¡¯s home because they wouldn¡¯t relocate for a demolition project, resulting in the loss of eight lives? And what about the Smith Group using substandard materials with high formaldehyde


    8.68%%a


    levels to build children¡¯s rooms, leading to dozens of children developing leukemia? Don¡¯t you remember the two families. who, after seeking justice in vain, took their own lives by jumping off a building together? Do you really consider yourself a victim? That¡¯s absurd!¡±


    Dennis froze.


    When Yvette finished speaking, he felt a chilling sensation, as if the faces of all the people he had once driven to death shed before his eyes.


    Dennis felt he was not in the wrong. To him, those insignificant people deserved it for being in his way.


    Dennis red at Yvette, his teeth clenched and neck taut, as a wicked smile spread across his face.


    With an unpleasant voice, he stated, ¡°They were ungrateful. People like them were inferior. I was born to be superior. They were the obstacle to my sess, so they deserved death¡±


    Yvette seized Dennis by the neck and dragged him to the edge of the rooftop,


    One more step and Dennis would plunge from the 30th floor.


    Yvette¡¯s stern gaze was tinged with a terrifying resolve.


    With hatred, she said in a light tone, ¡°Do you know the difference between humans and animals? Only those with a conscience deserve to be called human. But you? You¡¯re worse than an animal.¡±


    Dennis¡¯s face flushed a deep red, half out of fear and half out of anger.


    Being part of the Smith family, Dennis always felt superior, believing he was born above others. Yet, Yvette dared to call him worse than an animal, even though just yesterday he was the esteemed head of the Smith family.


    Dennis suddenly recalled what Yvette had said earlier and turned pale, using all his strength to re at her.


    His eyes were filled with shock and terror.


    Dennis asked, ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? You leaked the Smith family¡¯s secrets. The news about me killing that family of eight never got out. How¡­ How did you know?¡±


    Dennis wanted Yvette to confess but also wished she wouldn¡¯t, because if it was true, it would be more unbearable for him than death


    Facing Dennis¡¯s desperate gaze, Yvette stood up, her eyes cold and determined, as she took a tissue to wipe away the blood that had gotten on her hand earlier. She said indifferently. It was me.¡±


    Dennis froze, his mind nk.


    At this moment, Yvette¡¯s words echoed in his ears like a siren¡¯s call.


    Dennis mumbled to himself, ¡°Impossible! How old are you? I engaged the top hacker team from the Mysonna International Hacker Group to construct a firewall. It¡¯s encrypted with multipleyers of security. They assured me that fewer than three people globally could break it. How do you possess this information? Are you deceiving me? Yes¡­ You must be lying.¡±


    However, Yvette heard every word loud and clear.


    She squinted slightly, raised an eyebrow, and showed a wicked smile.


    She said. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t Kim Lawson from Group


    One telly? I programmed the defense wall just for fun in my spare time.¡±

 Chapter 157

    Yvette¡¯s words destroyed Dennis¡¯sst hope, and hepletely copsed.


    His eyes widened with anger and despair as he spat out the blood he had been suppressing, and it sttered across the ground


    Under the moonlight, the scene looked creepy and eerie


    It was only at this point that Dennis truly felt fearful and regretful.


    Before Yvette returned to the Chambers family, Dennis had looked into her background, which looked in and normal.


    Dennis never really took Yvette seriously.


    He assumed she was merely a rural girl, undeserving of his notice. At that time, he mused, ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen if Yvette discovers I was the one who hurt Lilian? Handling her would be a breeze for me!


    Thinking about it now, Dennis realized everything made sense.


    It was simple for a top hacker, who was invincible against any member of the International Cybersecurity Conference, to erase her own past.


    Dennis, who was clever all his life, was caught off guard and didn¡¯t expect to be outsmarted by Yvette.


    The Smith family was ruined overnight by Yvette¡¯s actions, and she had tortured Dennis cruelly.


    Dennis said recklessly, ¡°ver thought you¡¯d be a hacker. I¡¯ve lost fair and square, but we¡¯re in the hospital, and I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d kill me here. As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll definitely sue you for intent to harm. Just wait and see


    Yvette shoved her hands into her pockets.


    Her eyes were half-closed, her posture rxed and carefree.


    She said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but you won¡¯t have the chance to say anything?¡±


    Effortlessly, Yvette lifted the scrawny Dennis from the ground.


    She mmed his head onto the floor, leaving his lower body hanging in the air.


    Dennis was so terrified that he didn¡¯t dare to move, not even struggle.


    If Yvette let go, Dennis would fall from the rooftop and be smashed to pieces.


    Suddenly, Dennis realized that Yvette really intended to kill him and begged with tears, Tm begging you! I was really wrong Yvette. Please spare me. Oh, right¡­ Don¡¯t you want to know what actually happened with your mother back then? If you spare me, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Don¡¯t you want revenge? I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    Dennis had exhausted all his options. If he had any other tricks up his sleeve, he wouldn¡¯t have resorted to his final move.


    Yvette stared at Dennis¡¯s terrified face, speaking slowly and gently, yet it only made Dennis more afraid, ¡°Say it.¡±


    Dennis remained silent.


    He understood that speaking now was not an option. Revealing everything to Yvette would significantly reduce his chances of survival, as he was certain she would not hesitate to fints him off.


    Yvette sneered, her eyes unfathomable as her slender fingers slowly increased their pressure. With a fierce re, she silently


    08:33 Mon,


    warned Dennis, One Two-,


    Dennis¡¯s face tumed pale with fright


    Breathing became more and more difficult for him, and he realized what Yvette meant, as when she counted to three, she would let go.


    Dennis managed to squeeze out a few words, ¡°Till say it! I¡¯ll spill everything I know, alright?¡±


    When Yvette heard his words, she dragged Dennis up and threw him to the ground with a loud crack, which led to his painful scream


    Dennis gasped for air, quickly confessing everything from the past, ¡°At that time, the biob in Betrico required funding for a project. The director, who was also an old friend of mine, Rashad Pord, reached out to me. He mentioned that if the project was sessful, we could make a fortune, but we needed a ndestine test subject. Around that time, Nellie was eager to marry Zachary and was insistent that I find a way to eliminate Lilian. So, I arranged for someone to incapacitate Lilian and deliver her to Rashad As for what happened afterward, I genuinely have no knowledge. Please, have mercy on me, I¡¯m pleading for my life¡±


    When Dennis saw that Yvette remained expressionless after hearing his story, he started to panic inside.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly. Her eyes shone with a bright and cruel gleam.


    She took a small ck pill from her pocket and urately tossed it into Dennis¡¯s mouth while it was open.


    By the time Dennis realized it, he¡¯d already swallowed it, and desperately wing at his throat was pointless


    He asked, ¡°What did you give me?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s voice dripped with scorn, cool and detached. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± she said. ¡°Starting now, every time you drift off to sleep, the most painful memories you¡¯d rather forget will haunt you. You¡¯ll be forced to see faces you wish to avoid and to experience your deepest fears again and again, until the day you draw yourst breath¡±


    After Yvette finished speaking, she put her hands in her pockets and walked away without looking


    Dennis couldn¡¯t believe what she said, thinking, ¡®How could such a drug exist in this world?


    back.


    Dennis couldn¡¯t move at all now, so he shouted desperately for help, hoping someone woulde to rescue him.


    The next morning, Dennis was discovered having spent the entire night on the cold rooftop.


    Hey there, his mouth twisted and his eyes drooping. The doctors diagnosed him with a stroke.


    Dennis was paralyzed, unable to even speak clearly.


    The police had no idea how he got onto the rooftop. They wanted to check the surveince footage, but all the videos from that time were missing, so they had no choice but to give up.


    During the days Dennis was paralyzed, he was tortured physically and mentally.


    Yvette really hadn¡¯t lied to him.


    Now, whenever Dennis closed his eyes, he was haunted by the faces of everyone he had harmed.


    In three days, the Smith family¡¯s stocks hit rock bottom, and the Smith Group was seized by the court. In Seacrity, the Smith family was no more, leaving only three of the four major families.


    Wyatt thoroughly investigated everything and cleared the names of those victims, giving them justice.


    The children suffering from Jeukemia received proper care, and the corrupt officials were promptly punished byw, which ultimately alleviated the public¡¯s outrage.


    The Smith family¡¯s ordeal hade to an end. The court had revised Dennis¡¯s sentence to life imprisonment in light of his medical condition. Once his health stabilized, he would be transferred from the hospital directly to the prison facility.


    Ten dayster, Fresh out of the shower, Yvette received a call from the Eagle King, calling all the way from Mysonna


    Sued


    He reported. ¡°Boss, you were absolutely right. Zeke and Nellie had escaped to Mysonna. But not even a weekter, Zeke got his leg broken. That fool thought Mysonma was just like back home and ended up getting involved with the mistress of a local leader. To save himself, Zeke even offered his mother to that gang leader, and she agreed, apparently quite dly. Later, Zeke and Nellie tried to run away with some stolen money but were caught. They broke his leg and left him on the street. Now, Zeke is begging to survive, and his mother isn¡¯t much better off. That gang leader has some strange habits, and it¡¯s said she¡¯s suffering a lot.¡±


    Heating this, Yvette was stunned slightly, holding the towel.


    With an expressionless face and a low and hoarse voice, she said. ¡°Okay, I got it. Bye¡±


    Dennis was lying on the bed, drool all over his face.


    His already thin body had wasted awaypletely over the past ten days, giving off an unpleasant


    He looked like a skeleton, only his moving eyes showed he was still alive.


    Winona entered, dressed in high-end designer clothing and white t shoes.


    When she saw Dennis lying on the bed, her expression was distant and disgusted.


    She raised her hand to cover her nose and said in her usual gentle voice, ¡°Grandpa, how are you?¡±


    smell.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Dennis wanted to reach out and grab Winona but couldn¡¯t move at all, only managing to make helpless sounds.


    Winona sat in a chair, staring at Dennis, with her chin held high.


    She showed a sinister smile and said, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m pregnant. Can you guess who the father is?¡±


    Dennis was still conscious. When he heard her words, his eyes lit up. Winona just ignored his reaction.


    She looked at him intently, speaking slowly and carefully, ¡°Oh, you definitely won¡¯t guess it. You think it¡¯s Victor, don¡¯t you? Nope, it¡¯s Robert. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 158

    Dennis¡¯ eyes grew wide, drool dripping uncontrobly.


    He was so excited and kept babbling continuously.


    Winona grabbed the towel from the bedside, pressing it firmly against Dennis¡¯ mouth and nose.


    Her eyes were filled with madness while pressing down on him. Then she leaned close to Dennis¡¯ car and spoke in her usual tender voice, ¡°Grandpa, why are you so worked up? Isn¡¯t this what you always wanted? You thought that sending me to be at mistress would benefit the Smith family, right? Everyone says you¡¯ve always been kind to me, but only I know your love and care are fake. All fake! You just wanted to use me to get more benefits. You should be proud of me now! I¡¯m already pregnant with Robert¡¯s child, and he¡¯s so obsessed with me that he can¡¯t leave me for a second. Victor is also under my control. Yulia thinks I¡¯m carrying her grandkid, and she¡¯d do anything to please me. Once I give birth to this baby, he¡¯ll be the Carter family¡¯s darling, the only heir.


    At this point, Winona released the towel.


    Dennisy on the bed, barely conscious, clutching the sheets tightly and ring at Winona


    Winona took two steps back, grabbed apact from her handbag, and sat on the sofa to touch up her makeup.


    She was still smiling.


    In the ward, only the sound of Dennis¡¯s breathing could be heard.


    After Winona finished her touch-up, she looked charming again.


    Lying there, Dennis didn¡¯t have the strength to even move a finger, and his breathing was nearly inaudible.


    Winona nced at her watch, and the timing was just perfect.


    She pinched her arm hard. Her eyes immediately reddened, and tears welled up.


    Winona approached the bed with a feigned look of vulnerability and sadness, tenderly taking Dennis¡¯ hand. In the softest of tones, she delivered her words, each oneced with malice, ¡°Grandpa, I am the one in the Smith family who resembles you, the most. My heart is as icy as yours. Rest easy, knowing that your departure will bring me true joy. Don¡¯t worry about anything. I vow to seize control of the Carter family. Oh. I almost forgot to mention-my memory has been slippingtely -but my mom and brother have absconded with all the Smith family¡¯s wealth and fled overseas. But rest assured, I will track them down and exact vengeance in your name. They will not know peace¡±


    With all his remaining strength, Dennis fiercely swung his arm and pushed Winona to the ground.


    Just then, Robert and Victor walked in and saw Winona lying on the floor,


    Both of them rushed over, panicked, to help Winona up


    Winona lowered her eyes, looking as if she were in great pain.


    Winona nced at Robert, who was a step behind Victor, giving him a reassuring yet slightly flirtatious look


    That Took made Robert¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Robert knew what Winona meant.


    His rtionship with Winona was undoubtedly scandalous it were to be public, it would be disastrous. The revtion of a father being involved with his son¡¯s wife would ran Robert¡¯s reputation.


    Winona was carrying Robert¡¯s child. Since Winona wanted to keep it a secret, Robert just followed her wish.


    The new excitement Winona brought into Robert¡¯s life was something he¡¯d never felt before.


    Recently, Robert was enjoying life to the fullest.


    Having an affair with his son¡¯s wife was especially thrilling.


    Meanwhile, Victor was worried about the baby Winona was carrying, not Winona herself.


    With Winona¡¯s baby, Victor assumed his grandpa might rethink the inheritance distribution.


    The baby Winona was carrying was Victor¡¯s bargaining chip, so it must be safe and sound.


    Victor looked anxiously at Winona and asked, ¡®Are you okay? Do you want to go see a doctor?¡±


    Winona¡¯s eyes were red, full of tears, which made her look so pitiful


    She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened with Grandpa. He suddenly went mad, hitting me, pinching me, and then pushing me to the floor. I just wanted to tell him he¡¯s going to be a great-grandfather. Why would he do this to me, Victor? Did I do anything wrong?¡±


    Winona spoke while she cried.


    She looked at Victor pleadingly, like he was her whole world, which satisfied Victor¡¯s need to feel in charge.


    Victor red at Dennis, who was lying there, ignoring Winona, and spat at him, cursing.


    Winona stood silently on the side, her head lowered, but a creepy smile was on her lips.


    Robert definitely didn¡¯t like seeing Victor and Winona so close, keeping his distance with a stern expression.


    He said to Victor. ¡°That¡¯s enough. He¡¯s Winona¡¯s grandfather anyway. Watch your mouth.¡±


    Robert gazed at Winona, who had her head down, and his demeanor softened considerably. Even his voice took on a gentler tone as he spoke, ¡°Winona, if you¡¯re not feeling well, just schedule an appointment with a doctor. Alternatively, have our personal physiciane to see you. Your health is of utmost importance.¡±


    To prevent Victor from getting suspicious, Robert added, ¡°You¡¯re carrying the Carter family¡¯s heir, so you must be cautious


    Winona nodded obediently, her voice sweet, gazing softly at Robert, ¡°No thanks, Daddy. I¡¯m really fine.¡±


    Robert and Winona exchanged a knowing look and smiled.


    Only they understood the meaning behind the


    e words.


    Shyly, Winona lowered her head and leaned slightly forward, giving a clear view of her ample cleavage Seeing her shy demeanor, Robert couldn¡¯t help but feel a strong desire to be with her at that moment.


    Victor was cursing Dennis, failing to notice Winona and Robert exchanging flirtatious nces.


    Robert¡¯s gaze towards Winona was so intimate.


    Then Robert nced at his watch,


    The visiting hours were two hours.


    He realized the time was nearly up and didn¡¯t want to stay an extra minute,


    Winona looked at Demis sadly before leaving the hospital with Robert and Victor.


    K 68%


    In the Apex Urban University cafeteria, Bonnie, after waiting in line with anticipation, forked up a rib. She nced around. hesitated for a moment, and then carefully returned the rib to her tray.


    The rib was picked up again in less than three seconds, moving back and forth as it was repeatedly lifted and ced down.


    Yvette, sitting across from Bonnie, nced up, her chin slightly raised.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    With a raised brow, she asked, ¡°Did this rib annoy you?*


    Bonnie paused for a moment. Then she nodded seriously, with little enthusiasm..


    She said, ¡°It annoyed me, Yve. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too perfect! Look at its round, plump shape and smell its natural aroma. With this tender, juicy, and vorful rib, honestly, who wouldn¡¯t be enchanted?¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips.


    With her long legs bent, Yvette casually tilted her head and leaned back a bit.


    She said, ¡°Oh, then just eat it.¡±


    Bonnie nced at the rib with a pained expression and let out a wail.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t do it, cried Bonnie.


    Yvette smiled helplessly and rubbed her temples.


    Bonnie had recently been obsessed with losing weight.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were half-closed.


    She asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Bonnie gulped, knowing Yvette was about to switch to her cold mode, so she thought it best toe clean quickly. Bonnie exined, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened recently, but I¡¯ve suddenly gained over six pounds. So, I¡¯m thinking of going on a diet. Starting today, unless I lose ten pounds, I absolutely can¡¯t eat my favorite ribs.¡±


    Yvette forked up some ribs and put them right into Bonnie¡¯s mouth, stopping her from saying anything else.


    Yvette said, ¡°Please eat. I¡¯ll provide you with a prescriptionter. Maintain your regr diet, and you¡¯ll likely lose weight within less than a month without needing to diet.¡±


    When Bonnie heard Yvette¡¯s words, she bit into the ribs without hesitation, as if she was afraid the ribs would fly away. Bonnie said, ¡°Yve, you should¡¯ve told me earlier! Wait for me, and I¡¯m going to get more ribs! I wonder if there are any left!¡±


    She had barely finished speaking when she quickly went to the food area.


    Yvette smiled gently.


    Seeing her smile, everyone around was stunned by her gorgeous face

 Chapter 159

    After they finished meals, Yvette and Bonnie went to the new milkshake shop off-campus to get a banana milkshake.


    Once back in the dorm, Bonnie was so exhausted that she copsed onto the bed and refused to move.


    Yvette got her phone and walked over to the balcony.


    Over the past two weeks, Jeremiah sent Yvette only three text messages, each concise and containing just a few words: [I¡¯m good. Don¡¯t worry. Miss you.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette¡¯s pretty fingers fiddled with her phone.


    Her gaze was calm as she dialed Jeremiah¡¯s number.


    After three rings, a stranger¡¯s voice came through on the other end, saying, ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller, this is Emmett.¡±


    Yvette stood by the window, her eyes cast downward, softly blinking,


    With a slow pace and low voice, Yvette got straight to the point, ¡°Tell me everything the location, the time, and the whole


    story


    Emmett remained silent for seconds.


    Feeling a bit at a loss, the speech he had prepared just silently went down the drain.


    Emmett wondered, ¡®Did Yvette guess that something happened to Mr. Chavez?¡±


    Emmett didn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    A trace of irritation creased Yvette¡¯s brow.


    Her gaze intensified, bing as cold as ice, with her eyes growing darker and taking on a fierce edge.


    ¡°Speak up, I don¡¯t appreciate listening to nonsense, Yvette interjected abruptly.


    Emmett was jolted back to reality. He wasn¡¯t unwilling to share everything with her, it was simply that Jeremiah had explicitly instructed him not to disclose anything to Yvette prior to his departure.


    Emmett thought, Forget it. I can¡¯t keep this under wraps forever. Since Mr. Chavez chose Yvette as his partner, she needs to take her responsibility, doesn¡¯t she?


    Emmett skipped the small talk and began detailing everything that had happened over the past two weeks.


    He dered, ¡°Our mission to Mysonna is a confidential state operation focused on probing a local criminal group-known as the Tiger Head. This gang has been providing narcotics to smaller gangs in Clusia. Lately, a novel drug has surfaced in several small towns. A single dose of this substance delivers intense euphoria but has also led to fatalities. Its effects are particrly damaging, with a notable risk of addiction among teenagers. If we fail to uncover the individuals responsible for the production and distribution of this substance, it could rapidly proliferate throughout the nation, leading to grave repercussions.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes turned cold, and she frowned tightly at those words


    She asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the underground scene in Mysonna controlled by the Goodman family? Could they be involved?¡±


    Emmett was surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect Yvette to know about the Goodman family, the leading crime syndicate in Mysopna.


    However, he knew this wasn¡¯t the time to dig deeper.


    Emmett responded, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we have actually discovered some clues. Our current investigation indicates that the gang involved in the drug shipments to Clusia is operating under themand of the Goodman family¡¯s seventy-second force, known as ze Hall.¡±


    Yvette let out a sneer. Deep in her eyes, there was a hint of malice. With an icy voice, Yvette said, ¡°Go on¡±


    Hearing her voice, Emmett couldn¡¯t help but shiver, feeling terrified.


    He went on, ¡°Five days ago, we obtained information from an informant suggesting that the Tiger Head gang leader frequently takes his crew to a remote rainforest for several days. Upon their return, they¡¯re seen carrying numerousrge ck boxes, which raises suspicion. Mr. Chavez led a team of ten skilled soldiers into the rainforest for further investigation, while I remained behind to provide support. Since then, it¡¯s been five days with no updates from Mr. Chavez. It¡¯s as if they¡¯vepletely disappeared. The rainforest is particrly unsettling because it¡¯s known to interfere with all forms ofmunication and GPS signals¡±


    Yvette slightly narrowed her eyes.


    She nced at the clock on the wall.


    Then she said calmly, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll reach Mysonna by seven this evening¡±


    Emmett checked his watch and calcted the time difference. He realized there were only five hours left until seven. If Yvette were to take a flight, she wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive on time.


    Emmett asked with respect, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you sure you can make it by seven? The earliest flight now won¡¯t take off for another three hours, so there¡¯s just not enough time. Do you need me to arrange a private jet for you? Mr. Chavez¡¯s private jet is ready to be dispatched anytime.¡±


    Emmett didn¡¯t really think Yvette¡¯s presence would make much of a difference, but having one more person could mean more support.


    Emmett was well aware that Yvette held a very special ce in Jeremiah¡¯s heart.


    If Yvette decided to go to Mysonna, no one could stop her. Besides, if she found out Jeremiah was missing and did nothing about it, she would be really disappointed


    Yvette turned down Emmett.


    She said, ¡°No, thanks, I have a private jet, and I should be able to make it.¡±


    With that, Yvette hung up, changed into an exercise outfit, grabbed her ck backpack, and left.


    Before leaving Apex Urban University. Yvette left a note for Bonnie: [Taking time off. Don¡¯t worry.]


    On her way to the airport, Yvette called Howard and mentioned she needed a private jet.


    Without a second thought. Howard lent his personal jet to Yvette.


    When Yvette got to the airport, everything had been arranged by the waiting staff. The whole process took less than half an hour, and Yvette boarded Howard¡¯s private jet heading for Mysonna


    Simon received a text from Yvette during his meeting, which was as concise and direct as usual: [Taking indefinite leave.


    Simon smiled helplessly, wondering, ¡°Where is she going this time? I hope she doesn¡¯t get hurt.


    It was exactly 6:30 p.m. in Mysonna when Yvette¡¯s private jetnded.


    As soon as she got off the ne, she received the hotel address from Emmett. Then she called a taxi to go straight there.


    Inside the taxi. Yvette gazed out the window at the familiar buildings passing by. Expressionlessly, Yvette closed her eyes


    The male driver, captivated by Yvette¡¯s beauty, harbored ill intentions. He contemted taking a detour upon realizing that she hailed from Clusia.


    He secretly nced at Yvette, who was rxing with her eyes closed. A smug look spread across his face.


    He thought. Tm so lucky today, I might as well overcharge her just as the driver was about to take a detour, a voice from the back seat said, ¡°nning to take a detour?¡± Yvette spoke perfect Uprian.


    The driver panicked, nearly losing control of the steering wheel. He was operating a licensed taxi, and receiving aint could result in a fine.


    The driver couldn¡¯t admit it and kept denying at repeatedly, his speech heavy with an ent.


    Yvette didn¡¯t waste her time with him, and her eyes remained closed.


    Realizing that Yvette had seen through his n, the driver followed the navigation and drove carefully for the rest of the trip.


    Emmett was staying at the Regal Hotel, thergest and most expensive in Mysonna, with an average nightly rate of 30 thousand dors.


    Every corner of the hotel was luxurious.


    The world¡¯s most expensive dishes and the oldest vintage wines were easily avable, as long as one could afford them.


    So, as a customer of the Regal Hotel, one could enjoy top-notch service.


    Yvette got out of the taxi with her ck backpack, stunning everyone around her.


    It wasn¡¯t just because of Yvette¡¯s unique beauty and her aloof and noble demeanor.


    The main point was that she got out of a taxi.


    Generally, the people who stayed in the Regal Hotel were wealthy and powerful.


    Every customer wore brand-name designer clothes, had immacte makeup, and drove luxury cars.


    There had never been anyone like Yvette, dressed in a no-name tracksuit and canvas shoes


    A woman whispered, ¡°Oh my god, am I seeing this right? This woman is dressed like this! Is she staying here?¡±


    The gentleman next to the woman squinted at Yvette, outwardly agreeing with her disdain while secretly watching Yvette.


    He remarked, ¡°Oh, darling, you¡¯re correct. Look, she¡¯s heading towards the hotel entrance. That¡¯s ridiculous. How could someone so ordinary be entering Regal Tower?¡±


    The woman said, ¡°I want to file aint. I can¡¯t ept this.¡±


    Meanwhile, the security guards at Regal Tower red at Yvette as he walked up to her angrily.

 Chapter 160

    One of the tall security guards approached Yvette and asked quite rudely, ¡°Hello, miss. This is Regal Tower, and the Regal Hotel is not just any hotel. Are you lost or did you take a wrong turn?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression was nd. She raised an eyebrow arrogantly and looked irritated.


    The guard said, ¡°Miss, you¡­¡± However, he suddenly stopped talking, and he stood shocked, as if someone had gripped his throat. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen. It was shocking.


    The guard instantly recognized the card in Yvette¡¯s hand as the ck card issued exclusively to VIPs by Regal Tower. Globally, fewer than ten people held this card.


    The guard¡¯s attitude immediately changed. He bowed deeply to Yvette and said tteringly, ¡°All right, miss. Please follow me. We¡¯ll get a presidential suite ready for you right away¡±


    Yvette nced up at the guards, giving them an impassive look. She didn¡¯t even bother to say a word. Then she just walked right into the hotel.


    The two guards exchanged a nce and felt panicked.


    If a guest of this caliber lodged aint, it would be the end for them. Who would have guessed that a woman in simple sportswear stepping out of a cab would possess a ck card from the Regal Hotel?


    The man and woman who had earlier felt humiliated and wanted to confront the hotel were dumbfounded when they the ck card Yvette was holding, something they dreamed of having.


    In Room 203, Emmett was exhausted and pacing back and forth He asionally nced at the clock on the wall and wondered, Yvette said that her private jet would arrive at Mysonma at seven. How could I believe her? How could a college student have a private jet?


    In the room with Emmett were three men in camouge uniforms.


    They were Frankie Ellison, Chris Wilcox, and Bruce Mosley.


    They had been working with Jeremiah for over a decade, handling all sorts of things around the world, and very few people knew their true identities.


    Frankie, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly stood up and asked, ¡°So, are we just going to sit here and wait for Yvette? Even if she¡¯s Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend, she¡¯s just a college girl. What can she do?¡±


    Next to him, Chris frowned, his expression serious. He remained silent and looked at Emmett, clearly in agreement Frankie¡¯s words.


    Bruce,


    with


    andnding on the balcony, put out his cigarette, turned around, and without a word, picked up the jacket from the sofa


    to head out.


    Emmett noticed the uneasy expressions of the three and looked anxious.


    He could understand why the guys were so worried. It had been five whole days without any news from Jeremiah. That rainforest in Mysonna was notorious for its danger. Every year, countless adventurers lost their lives there.


    ¡°Bruce!¡± Emmett stopped Bruce.


    Bruce stopped and stared at Emmett with a meaningful look.


    He asked Emmett, ¡°Are you really nning to wait for Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend to decide on everything? Have you lost your mind, Emmen? With each passing moment, Mr. Chavez is in more danger. If you want to wait for her, fine, but do it by


    08:33 Mon,


    yourself.


    Frankie nodded firmly, and even Chris, who was usually the most obedient to Emmett, opposed Emmett for the first time and said, ¡°Emmett, we really can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±


    Emmett was quiet for a few seconds. Then he looked down at his watch and said, ¡°There¡¯s still five minutes. If Yvette isn¡¯t here by exactly seven, we¡¯re heading to the rainforest¡±


    Frankie scoffed.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why Emmett insisted on waiting for Yvelle. Frankie just didn¡¯t believe Yvette would be punctual enough to reach the hotel on time.


    The room was silent.


    The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.


    Just one


    e more minute left.


    Emmett sighed in disappointment, realizing he had put too much trust in Yvette.


    Bruce had a mocking smile on his lips, thinking. You can¡¯t believe a woman.


    Emmett couldn¡¯t bear to wait any longer and rose to his feet. As he reached for the gun on the table, the doorbell chimed


    Emmett¡¯s heart was filled with joy.


    Ignoring the others¡® reactions, Emmett walked briskly to the door.


    The other three exchanged nces and wondered, ¡®Is she really here?¡±


    When Emmett opened the door, he saw Yvette.


    She stood at the door, d in a ck tracksuit, a cap, and carrying a ck backpack.


    Half of her face was illuminated by the corridor lights of the hotel.


    Yvette looked up to meet Emmett¡¯s gaze.


    Her eyes were serious, exuding a distinct coolness, and she held an old¨Cfashioned telephone in her graceful hand.


    Emmett stepped aside and said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Zeller, pleasee in.¡±


    Yvette walked in expressionlessly, noticing the three unfamiliar men in the room. Her gaze remained calm.


    Yvette put down her backpack, sat on the sofa, took off her cap, and crossed her legs as if she were at home.


    The three men across from her were surprised by her arrogant demeanor and doubted if she didn¡¯t see them at all.


    Yvette nced at the men and then at Emmett who followed her in.


    Her eyes, cold and icy, held a glint that was chilling. The delicate curve of her eyebrows imparted an unparalleled charm to her visage.


    She nodded slightly and said to the men, ¡°Please take a seat.¡±


    Frankie didn¡¯t realize when he suddenly sat downL


    Upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words, he dutifully took a seat on the couch immediately. It was only once he was seated that he


    questioned why he was heeding the instructions of a woman he had just met.


    Bruce showed a mix of emotions


    He looked at Yvette¡¯s stunning face with pursed lips.


    Bruce had guessed that Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend must be outstanding, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so extraordinarily beautiful.


    Bruce pondered. The more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she might be.


    He felt a bit worried for Jeremiah, hoping he wouldn¡¯t end up like him, deceived and hurt.


    Chris remainedposed.


    Once all three were seated, Emmett walked up, pouring Yvette a ss of water before sitting beside Chris.


    Yvette¡¯s confident demeanor was evident in her posture.


    She faced the gazes around her with her usual calmness.


    Then she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket andid it on the table.


    Frankie, most curious about what was written on the paper, immediately picked up the paper


    Bruce and Chris nced at the paper, too.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Frankie read, ¡°Compasses, serum, lighters, raincoats, and ready¨Cto¨Ceat steak¡­¡±


    Clearly, these were items prepared for entering the rainforest.


    While the guys understood the need forpasses and other tools, why should they bring ready¨Cto¨Ceat steak?


    They were on a rescue mission, not a camping trip, so they thought Yvette was just a pampered youngdy.


    Yvette nced coldly at the three men, prompting Emmett to quickly introduce their names to her.


    He said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, to my left is Frankie Ellison, next to him is Chris Wilcox, and then Bruce Mosley. They¡¯ve all been working with Mr. Chavez for over ten years and came right away when they heard about the incident.¡±


    Yvette said lightly and briefly, ¡°Yvette Zeller.¡±


    Bruce nodded and greeted Yvette, followed by Chris and Frankie.


    After the introduction, they didn¡¯t waste time on small talk.


    Bruce took the lead and spoke directly to Yvette, saying, ¡°Mr. Chavez has been missing for five days, along with some others, We¡¯ve decided to go to the jungle tonight.¡±

 Chapter 161

    Yvette lifted her chin slightly, showing aid-back expression on her refined face. Her eyes looked like a clear and chillke, which was full of calm, showing no emotion. She didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all.


    Seeing that, everyone there felt a little uneasy. They thought. Mr. Chavez¡¯s fate is uncertain in the jungle, and how can she bepletely unworried?


    Bruce and the others couldn¡¯t understand what on earth did Yvette think. They thought, If Yvette wasn¡¯t in a hurry, she would not fly from home to Mysonna in less than five hours, even not wasting a minute. However, now her attitude seems like she doesn¡¯t care about Mr. Chavez¡¯s life at all.¡¯¡±


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly, giving them a long and serious look, and said to everyone in there in a calm voice, ¡°Get these things ready, and we leave early tomorrow morning.¡±


    Bruce shook his head and rejected her idea, whose attitude was somewhat firm. He imed, ¡°No way, we can¡¯t afford any more dy. Ms. Zeller, We know you¡¯re concerned about Mr. Chavez, but it¡¯s too dangerous for a woman toe with us to the rainforest. If something happens, we may not be able to protect you. If anything happens to you, the three of us cannot exin it to Mr. Chavez. So Mr. Chavez, please stay at the hotel. We¡¯ll set off once we are ready.¡± Hearing that, Frankie and Chris nodded, while Emmett sat quietly on the side, not saying a word. However, Yvette showed no expression on her face and didn¡¯t respond to Bruce¡¯s words,


    Bruce thought she agreed with what he said, so he got up to leave without giving it much thought.


    Yvette curled her legs up and rhythmically tapped the armrest of the sofa with one hand. Suddenly, a cold glint appeared in her eyes. Her brown and shiny eyes were unfathomable. Anyone who knew Yvette could tell she was in a mood right now. She said suddenly, ¡°Let¡¯s have a fight. If I win, the three of you listen to me. If I lose, I¡¯ll listen to you and stay in the hotel.¡±


    Frankie let out augh and looked at Yvette with a cheeky grin, and he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, do you really know what the guys standing in front of you do? Let me introduce you. Bruce is a three-time free sparring champion of Mysonna. Chris is a master of ancientbat artist, having trained with Mr. Chavez in the military for five or six years. As for me, even though I¡¯m a newbie here, I¡¯ve been learning taekwondo with my master since I was a kid. If we get into a fight and you, with those small arms and legs, end up getting hurt, Mr. Chavez will have to kill us when he finds out. So, Let¡¯s just forget about it


    Bruce also nodded carnestly.


    Although Frankie usually had aid-back attitude, he was spot on with that. The three of them knew that Yvette was the first woman Mr. Chavez had shown interest in for thest thirty years. From what they understood, Yvette might even be the future matriarch of the Chavez family. Regardless of her status or any reason, none of them couldy a finger on Yvette. Besides, they all agreed that it was very inappropriate for three grown men to fight a woman. If the news got out, they¡¯d be aughingstock.


    However, just as the three were about to refuse, a blurred figure shed by. They found that Yvette was already standing in front of them. Being an ancientbat artist, Chris instinctively stepped back two paces, and then Bruce and Frankie quickly followed by moving back a few steps. Yvette didn¡¯t give them any extra time. She moved forward swiftly, swinging her one leg out in a fierce sweep, cutting through the air. The three of them were forced to step back a few more steps.


    Yvette¡¯s skillful move made the three of them take it seriously. Bruce looked surprised. Frankie was eager to jump in and spar with Yvette, rubbing his hands in excitement. However, as soon as he took a step forward, Chris pulled him back. Frankie scratched his head, feeling confused.


    He asked, ¡°Chris, why are you stopping me? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I won¡¯t harm Ms. Zeller.¡±


    You cant Me Zeller, just stay put


    Chris gave him a sideways nce and replied, be


    ring this, Frankie was stunned, because he knew that Chris never joked around.


    Chris stared at Yvette. His expression grew more serious than before, furrowing his brows


    ¡°Are you an ancientbat artist?¡± Chris asked Yvette.


    68


    Hearing those words, Frankie turned to look at Yvette in disbelief. He thought, An ancientbat artist? How could that be?


    Even Bruce, who had been always calm andposed, became shocked. He thought, ¡°The term ¡°ancientbat artist¡± isn¡¯t used lightly. Since Chris said she was, it must be true¡±


    Yvette¡¯s pretty eyes were half-closed, with a chill gaze. She hummed with her thin lips slightly parting, ¡°Yes¡±


    Chris turned around and asked Bruce and Frankie to step aside. People all knew that the ancientbat artists were no longer people like them who could go up against. They didn¡¯t know what level Yvette had reached. However, judging by the skill she had just shown, they thought she must have considerable skill.


    Following Chris¡¯s instruction, Bruce and Frankie readily moved aside. They were well aware of the power of an ancientbat artist¡¯s battle, so they clearly knew that now was not the time to be reckless.


    Chris performed a traditional fist-salute and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, please, and then his eyes instantly burned with a strong determination. Yvette didn¡¯t waste any words and made the first move, and Chris didn¡¯t dare to be careless and used his best skills to counter. The two of them went back and forth vigorously


    Bruce and Frankie were dazzled by the fast movements and could not see them clearly.


    Five minutester, they heard a cracking sound suddenly and saw Chris being kicked to the ground by Yvette, gasping for breath. Instead, Yvette stood where she had been, which was exactly the same as the one she just stood in, and there was even no a single wrinkle in her clothes.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    An eerie silence fell over the scene. Frankie rubbed his eyes and couldn¡¯t believe that Chris was defeated just like that. He asked himself in mind, ¡®Chris has been my idol for many years, and how could he lose so easily? However, no matter how much Frankie didn¡¯t want to ept it, the truth unfolded right before his eyes.


    Frankie looked at Yvette with shining eyes. He silently announced to himself that from today on, he had a new idol Chris, lying on the ground, didn¡¯t even realize that his fan had dismissed him so quickly. Bruce stared at Yvette, deep in thought His earlier concerns seemed to fade with the disy of her skills.


    Emmett was the only person who showed no surprise throughout the entire process, because from the moment Yvette made her first move, Emmett recognized her as an ancientbat artist with advanced skills. However, he was also surprised by her hidden depth.


    Chris jumped up from the ground, looking at Yvette with admiration in his eyes. ¡°I admit defeat, Ms. Zeller, cumpletely and utterly,¡± he said. He thought, ¡®Mr. Chavez really knows how to spot talent. How can someone in her twenties have such deep power


    in ancient martial arts? Where did Mr. Chavez find this treasure? I¡¯m thoroughly impressed.


    Yvette raised her delicate eyebrows and asked calmly, ¡®Any objections? If not, go prepare the gear. We¡¯ll leave at six tomorrow morning¡±


    The three of them nodded at once, with apletely different attitude from before, and replied, ¡°No objections.¡± Emmett nodded in agreement and said to Yvette, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll prepare everything on the list as soon as possible. There will be no problem setting off early tomorrow morning.¡± Hearing that, Yvette nodded slightly, and then she casually picked up the backpack from the couch, walked past them, and headed for the door.


    Once noticing she was leaving, Emmett quickly spoke up, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you should take this suite. We¡¯ll go out and find another hotel nearby.¡± Emmett suggested this because he knew the rooms in the Regal Tower had already been all booked at this hour, leaving no choice but for Yvette to stay while they looked elsewhere. The other three people also thought the same way, but they didn¡¯t speak up because they weren¡¯t so familiar with Yvette yet.


    Yvette paused in her steps and responded, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already reserved a room at 520. I¡¯ll meet you all downstairs in the morning.¡±


    After the door clicked shut, Emmett started to think about roort something was ofl.


    He turned around and asked the other three, with a stiff voice,¡± 520 is the top presidential suite.¡±

 Chapter 162

    The rainforest was located at the eastern edge of Mysonna. It was the secondrgest tropical rainforest in the world, which was also known as the ¡°Death Rainforest. There were continuous undtions in the area, spanning thousands of miles. The area was rarely visited by people and stayed dark and mysterio all year long.


    To this day, the government of Mysonna hadn¡¯t developed this resource¨Crich rainforest because it was too dangerous. In the early years, the Mysonna government frequently attempted to send people in to explore, but they never returned. Eventually, they had to abandon attempts to explore the rainforest


    Yvette, Emmett, Chris, Bruce, and Frankie set out from Regal Tower, and it took them a full seven hours to reach the rainforest¡¯s entrance. The entrance of the rainforest looked like the fierce jaws of a beast, which was eerie and frightening


    They checked their gear to make sure everything was fine. They felt a brief difort upon seeing the two conspicuous boxes of self¨Cheating steak in Frankie¡¯s backpack but chose to stay silent.


    Strength was always the best way to silence doubts.


    Yvette was dressed in waterproof and scratch¨Cresistant gear specially prepared by Emmett. She stared at the distant rainforest entrance. There was filled with a chill in her eyes. This was a ce she knew well. Now, she came back again. She thought, Seven years have passed. Are the great beasts of this rainforest still alive? Probably, they haven¡¯t died.


    The other four were also wearing clothes made of the same material as Yvette¡¯s. The rainforest was full of dangers, so they were fully prepared. Among them, expect for Frankie, who didn¡¯t have much experience with such adventures, Emmett, Chris, and Bruce, though had never directly entered a rainforest had encountered plenty of dangerous situations. They all knew how risky this operation was, and it was possible they might not return.


    Emmett walked over to Yvette¡¯s side and sighed. He still hesitated about whether it was really the right decision to have Yvette go in with them. After all, the rainforest was definitely not a joke, even though Yvette was an ancientbat artist.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Emmett said to her, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we¡¯ve checked all the equipment. We¡¯re bringing thetest weapons with great firepower. and all the medications have been verified. We¡¯re ready to go.¡±


    As they were talking, Chris and the other two approached them


    Yvette slightly tilted her head and raised an eyebrow with a nk look. She nced at the group with her brown eyes filling with chilling and said coldly. ¡°Before entering the rainforest, there¡¯s something I need to make clear. Listen carefully. From the moment we enter the rainforest, you must follow orders without question. If you can¡¯t do it, we¡¯ll part ways here. You find your people, I¡¯ll find mine, and we won¡¯t interfere with each other. Think it over now. Yvette knew the dangers of this rainforest better than anyone else, which was why she needed absolutepliance.


    The first one to speak was Frankie. He was aware of his own abilitiespared to others. Besides, given Yvette¡¯s greatbat skills, he thought it made perfect sense for the strongest person to be in charge. Therefore, he responded, ¡°No problem. I will follow orders. Whatever you decide is fine with me.¡±


    Bruce pursed his lips, with a serious expression. He stayed quiet. He wondered, ¡®What does absolute obedience mean? It means that once we enter the rainforest, we must follow any decision Yvette makes without question But is she deserving of such trust?¡±


    As for Chris, he epted Yvette as one of their own. Since his own life was saved by Mr. Chavez, he decided that even if Mr. Chavez¡¯s chosen woman made a decision that ended his life, he would ept it withoutint.


    Emmett and Chris both nodded in agreement, leaving only Bruce to join them. They all looked at Bruce, who managed a wry smile. Therefore, he changed his mind. He thought, ¡®There is no point in arguing. I¡¯ll face the challenges with them ogether ¡°No problem. Bruce responded. The group came to an agreement.


    At midday. Yvette led the four of them into the rainforest, and they followed the trail ahead.


    Gradually, the entrance they had used was no longer visible. Everywhere they looked, towering trees rose up high, blocking


    out the sky and sun.


    A chilling aura surrounded the five of them. Although it was midday, there was a creepy atmosphere everywhere. Thendscape was a tangled mess of trees and vines, with unusual ajal colorful flowers lining each side. The ground was Carpeted withyers of leaves that emitted a musty smell A dark aut among them, growing stronger as they


    lingered ventured deeper, which was mingled with the scent of decaying earth


    Yvette walked at the front with a cold expression, and Emmett and the others closely followed her. Before they realized it. the group had been walking for almost two hours. Throughout the entire trek, aside from the unrecognizable nts and trees, they didn¡¯t find any sign of wolves, tigers, or anyrge predators, which made them feel really strange.


    Tall trees and low shrubs were interwoven, creating a dark and dense atmosphere. The ground was bing wetter, and the colors of the bright flowers were growing more vivid.


    Yvette dashed swiftly through the jungle. Emmett and the others couldn¡¯t afford to slow down, because even a smallpse in focus might leave them far behind.


    The cold aura around Yvette grew heavier. ¡®We¡¯re almost there; She thought, ¡°We have to deal with it before night falls, or else it will rule the night when darkness arrives!


    Finally, after two hours of non¨Cstop travel, Yvette suddenly stopped, gesturing for the others to take a break right where they


    were


    They came to a halt in an open area with only a few low bushes standing chaotically around them. Any movement would be noticed by all of them immediately, so they all agreed that it was a perfect ce to rest. The group of five finally had a chance to rest.


    Frankie plopped onto the ground, breathing heavily. It was his first time running for so long. It wasn¡¯t walking but three continuous hours of running.


    Bruce was also exhausted, not bothering to maintain his usual polished demeanor. He pulled out a waterproof mat from his backpack, set it up, and sat down next to Frankie, also breathing heavily. Even Emmett and Chris, as ancientbat artists, were physically at their limits.


    As soon as they got Yvette¡¯s signal, they all sat on the ground. They weren¡¯t as out of breath as the other two but were still breathing irregrly. Their faces became slightly pale.


    Of the five people present, only Yvette remained standing to one side of the clearing. Her eyes were downcast, fulling with cold, and her delicate brows knitted.


    Even in this jungle where everyone else looked disheveled, Yvette was the exception. There wasn¡¯t even a leaf on her. She breathed steadily, with a rosyplexion. She seemed to bepletely unfazed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for an hour. Re¨Cenergize, and we¡¯ll continue in an hour.¡± She ordered.


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris exchanged nces. They noticed that since entering the jungle, Yvette had moved forward without any hesitation, as if she knew the ce like the back of her hand. She hadn¡¯t even used thepass they brought. It had been almost four hours since they came in. They did not encounter any danger. Yvette seemed to know exactly where the danger was and led them to avoid it precisely. This made them doubt whether Yvette had actually been to this ce before. However, they also doubted whether it could be possible.


    Frankie was totally carefree. He took out some energy bars and took a big sip of water. When noticing that everyone else was quiet, just looking at each other, he asked, ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you guys talking? The jungle is already depressing enough. Let¡¯s chat while we have this break.¡±

 Chapter 163

    Emmett and the others remained silent, just watching Yvette


    Bruce raised an eyebrow and asked Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, have you ever been on a rainforest expedition? Why do you seem so familiar with this ce?¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips and looked up expressionlessly. She replied with a low voice, ¡°I saw it in a documentary¡±


    Frankie had just taken a sip of water, which all came spewing out andnded right on Bruce¡¯s face, with two drops trickling down his temple. Bruce wiped the water off his face, looked up, and gave Frankie a gentle smile. However, that smile waspletely terrifying to Frankie, because he knew that even if he escaped this jungle, he might not avoid death. After all, he had provoked a man who was both a clean freak and stingy.


    An hour slipped by without notice. The group set out again, with Yvette leading in front.


    Frankie couldn¡¯t help but wonder what sort of documentary Yvette had watched He thought that he definitely needed to look into it once they were back.


    As they set off again this time, Yvette slowed her pace, unlike the quick pace she had set before.


    As they passed through a patch of flowers, Frankie seemed to be momentarily captivated. His eyes dazed, and then he inexplicably reached out to touch a colorful bloom. Just as he was about to touch it, a silver needle shot from Yvette¡¯s direction, hitting the center of the flower.


    The petals scattered, revealing a small and brightly patterned snake. Its fangs dripped with foul and clear liquids that were clearly poisonous, The snake swiftly lunged at Frankie. Although Chris, Bruce, and Emmett reacted quickly, it was already toote to save Frankie.


    In a sh, Yvette¡¯s second and third silver needles directly hit their mark, striking the snake¡¯s head and its critical spot. The snake¡¯s head and body separated instantly.


    Frankie was so terrified that he fell to the ground. He had been scared of reptiles since he was a child, especially snakes, those cold¨Cblooded creatures. The sight of the snake lunging at him with its mouth wide open had a huge impact on him.


    Frankie ran to the side and vomited several times before he could settle down a bit. After feeling a little better, he scampered- over to Yvette, grinning like a kid. She said to Yvette, ¡°I dere that from today on, you¡¯re my idol. No¡­no, idol is too shallow. Anyway, I¡¯ve decided to call you Ms. Zeller from now on to show my respect.¡±


    Yvette was rarely at a loss for words.


    She gave a slight smirk, with upturned eyes carrying a hint of indifference and a yful and audacious ir. She nced at Chris and the others, who seemed unfazed by it all.


    Bruce and the others knew Frankie¡¯s whimsical nature very well


    Emmett and the others weren¡¯t as carefree as Frankie Just moments ago, Frankie almost became a dead man. If Yvette had been even a momentter, he¡¯d probably be in heaven right now Emmett had seen everything clearly just now. Yvette¡¯s silver needles wereunched all at once, which meant that at that moment, Yvette reacted in an instant. Releasing three needles simultaneously while controlling their timing and order showcased incredible precision. Emmett admitted that it was truly amazing


    Yvette stared at the dead viper on the ground for a while, and then she said, her tone turning serious, ¡°We¡¯re almost there. The rest of them didn¡¯t know what Yvette meant, so they asked, feeling puzzled, ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡± Yvette¡¯s eyes were brown and bright. She looked past them into the distance, with a chilly expression of her delicate face


    She said to them, ¡°In less than half an hour, we should encounter a giant python, the ruler of this rainforest. It¡¯s several tens of feet longer than any python discovered so far and has been residing here for an unknown period. The appearance of these little snakes is a sign we¡¯re close, so from now on, we must remain on high alert. Emmett, take out the prepared sulfur extract and sprinkle it on yourself, which should temporarily keep these small snakes away


    At this point, Yvette reached into her ck backpack and pulled out a small porcin vial, pouring out four small beads resembling candy. She handed them to Emmett, who distributed them among the group.


    There was full of coldness in Yvette¡¯s eyes. She looked ruthless. An air of unapproachability surrounded her.


    She ordered, with an undeniable tone, ¡°Eat it. This will keep you safe from the toxic atmosphere for two hours. Earlier, Frankie was misled by the scent in the air. The medicine is just part of it, but staying strong and focused is crucial to avoid falling into traps.¡±


    The gravity of Yvette¡¯s words made their hearts tighten. They wondered, ¡®How massive is the python she mentioned?


    They had many questions, like how Yvette knew about the massive python, and where she got this kind of poison that they had never heard of or seen on the market.


    Yvette didn¡¯t allow them a moment for questions. After watching them swallow their pills, she turned to lead the way. Seeing this, they held back their questions and closely followed her.


    After walking for another ten or so minutes, Yvette stopped, crouched down, and picked up a handful of dirt, She sifted it gently between her fingers and brought it to her nose to sniff


    Yvette knew that the smell was a mix of decaying animal bodies and blood and they had reached their of the giant snake. Yvette¡¯s eyes sharpened immediately. She stood facing the wind, exuding an aura of deadly intent.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± she said. As soon as Yvette finished speaking, there was the sound of rustling swept through the surrounding bushes. The noise grew from distant to nearby, which sent chills down their spines.


    Emmett, along with Chris, Bruce, and Frankie, immediately pulled out heavy machine guns from their bags.


    Frankie, holding his gun, whistled confidently and said, ¡°Ah, the age of firearms is great. No matter how big the snake is, r definitely blow its head off with one shot. However, the others remained silent. They thought, The firepower of our guns should be enough to kill a snake, although arger one might take a little more effort.


    Yvette stared ahead. Upon hearing Frankie¡¯s words, her expression remained indifferent, and her eyes were still cold.


    Suddenly, Yvette¡¯s demeanor became serious. She said, ¡°Get ready. It¡¯sing. The snake¡¯s venom is extremely toxic, so be sure not to get bitten. Not even the gods could save you if that happens.¡±


    The rustling sound came closer. Finally, a few minutester, they saw the giant snake that Yvette had talked about. At that moment, they all stared nkly at the enormous snake hovering above them. Itsrge mouth was wide open, flickering its forked tongue. Two massive fangs dripped with venom as its keen eyes emitted an eerle green glow. The giant python had jet ck scales embellished with deep crimson patterns. They shimmered in the sunlight, and its massive body coiled into arge circle, seemingly at least a hundred feet long by eye-


    Frankie looked down at the gun in his hand, then at the towering creature before him. He thought in shock, ¡®Could I take back what I just said? Is this really a python? It looks more like a prehistoric creature that hase back to life¡®


    Emmett, Chris, and Bruce were somewhat prepared. However, they were still unexpected after seeing the giant python up closely. They thought surprisingly, ¡®It this the giant python? They realized that if one moved wrongly, they¡¯d be its dinner, which was hardly enough to get stuck between its teeth. The python focused its eyes on the intruders of its territory, or more precisely, on Yvette, who was standing at the front. It might feel a familiar smell,

 Chapter 164

    The python didn¡¯t give them time to think. It lunged at Yvette with its mouth wide open.


    Its enormous body blocked out the sky.


    Yvette sneered, dodged swiftly, and pulled out a dagger from her waist.


    The dagger was sharp


    Seeing Yvette dodge its attack, the python got furious and viciously swung its tail toward Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie who stood at a distance.


    Yvette stopped and ran in the direction the python came from. She disappeared in an instant.


    Not taking any chances, Emmett and the others aimed arthe python¡¯s head, pulled the triggers, and fired a barrage of bullets.


    The huge python, having lived for so many years, had developed some cunning. It wouldn¡¯t stay there and wait for bullets. It swayed its head back and forth to avoid the bullets. Because of itsrge size, a few bullets managed to hit its body. Seeing the python get shot, Chris and the others felt hopeful and thought it was nearly defeated. They didn¡¯t expect that the bullets only left a few small holes, with a bit of blood seeping out, which was negligible for the python.


    The python got hurt and became more agitated. It fixed itsrge eyes on them, flickered its red tongue, andunched another attack.


    They were forced to retreat by the relentless python.


    Frankie identally got struck by the python¡¯s tail and was thrown heavily into the bushes. It knocked him unconscious. Seeing Frankie injured, Emmett gave Chris a signal, which Chris understood immediately.


    Emmett wanted them to work together: One would aim for the python¡¯s head, while the other would target its weak point. The python was so huge. It was hard to find its weak point.


    All they could do was evade the python¡¯s strikes and try to find its weakness for a perfect hit.


    Bruce understood what they meant and knew that his job was to support them.


    Bruce took advantage of every opportunity.


    When the python was distracted, Bruce dealt it some damage to buy more time.


    Gradually, they were exhausted. On the contrary, the python grew increasingly fierce and showed no signs of exhaustion.


    The python sensed that they were reaching their limits. It attacked them by its tail with even greater force.


    Bruce and Chris were seriously injured and copsed on the ground. Only Emmett was left to continue fighting the python. Bruce and Chris on the ground saw Emmett¡¯s injuries and knew he wouldn¡¯t hold out much longer.


    Bruce and Chris exchanged a nce, perfectly in sync, determined to take down the foul python, even if it cost them their


    lives.


    Chris took out the explosives he had saved for ast-ditch effort and prepared for mutual destruction.


    Seeing Emmett being knocked to the ground by the python¡¯s tail, Chris gritted his teeth.


    They didn¡¯t wish to be born on the same day, but they hoped to die together. It would be a meaningful end.


    Chris¡¯s expression was determined.


    Before Chris lit the explosives, they heard a chilling shout from afar.


    Yvette shouted, ¡°Stop¡±


    Chris stopped.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Chris looked at Yvette, who was rushing toward them. It was surprising. They all thought Yvette had left them to fend for herself, but she came back.


    68


    Bruce also saw Yvette returning from afar and felt much relieved. Even if she had run away, he could understand. However, such a person couldn¡¯t be Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend, nor could she be their partner.


    With Yvette¡¯s return, Bruce finally epted her as one of them.


    Yvette nced at them lying on the ground.


    Her gaze became sharp. She leapt at the giant python, jumped mid-air, and found the python¡¯s weak spot that they didn¡¯t find.


    The python was aware of its weakness. It squirmed desperately and tried to shake Yvette off its body.


    Yvette put some strength into her wrist, pulled out the prepared dagger, precisely found the weak spot on the python¡¯s body and stabbed it in with all her might.


    What oner


    was a scale that even bullets couldn¡¯t pierce was punctured by the dagger.


    Yvette fiercely twisted the dagger.


    With its weak spot injured, the python lost most of its strength, struggled, and shook its head wildly,


    Taking the chance, Yvette jumped up, climbed onto the python¡¯s head, pulled out her gun, and aimed at the python¡¯s eyes. Using both hands, she fired bullets into the python¡¯s eyes.


    Taking advantage of its blindness, Yvette pulled out the dagger from her waist and forcefully sliced off the python¡¯s head from the side.


    Frankie woke up and heard a thunderous crash that shook the entire rainforest.


    Frankie crawled out of the underbrush.


    On this very day, Frankie, Bruce, Emmett, and Chris witnessed the most unforgettable scene of their lives.


    rit


    They would remember it until their dying day.


    Yvette dressed in ck, stood atop the giant python¡¯s head and held a bloodstained dagger. Although she was stained with the blood, she looked confident.


    She stood proudly amidst the perilous rainforest like a queen.


    Her face was expressionless. A slight smile shed through her eyes. Her face looked exquisite. She had an aura that she was able to destroy the world.


    The dazzling declining sun gave her a golden glow as if a goddess had descended from the heavens.


    08:34 MC


    a


    Seeing them lost in thought, Yvette frowned, like a stone tossed into a calm sea, creating ripples.


    When they saw her frown, they came to their senses.


    They looked at Yvette with aplicated gaze.


    Yvette jumped down from the python¡¯s head, walked to them, took out four pieces of vani toffee from her pocket, and


    tossed them over.


    Emmett, Chris, and Bruce caught the vani toffee resignedly.


    They were not kids and didn¡¯t enjoy eating candy.


    However, after they witnessed Yvette¡¯s capability, they chose to quietly eat it without saying a word,


    A wise person knew when to give in.


    The way Yvette killed the giant python was a huge shock to them, ying a python was a piece of cake for her. Defeating them would be as easy as swatting a few chickens.


    Chris¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yvette. Now that Frankie respected Yvette so much, it wouldn¡¯t be strange that Chris took her as his mentor. Once they got out of the rainforest, Chris was determined to make it official.


    Yvette was amazing.


    Chris didn¡¯t respect many people. He used to only admire Jeremiah, but now he also respected Yvette.


    Seeing them eat the vani toffee, Yvette assumed they should be all right. She turned towards the giant python.


    Reaching a part of the python¡¯s body, she twisted her dagger, thrust it in, deftly extracted the python¡¯s galldder, ced it into a bag, and tucked it into her backpack.


    Her methods were swift and precise.


    The bloody galldder emitted a strong fishy smell. Chris, who was ustomed to seeing corpses, must admit his admiration. This wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could do.


    Yvette was indeed extraordinary.


    Yvette deserved admiration.


    They widened their eyes in surprise and were too scared to say a word. All they could manage was to call her a ¡°legend¡± Seeing Yvette take out the galldder calmly, they understood what it meant to be ¡°fearless¡±.


    Today¡¯s scene of Yvette killing the python and extracting its galldder surprised them and shattered the stereotype that pretty girls were eye candy.


    In over twenty years, it was the first time they¡¯d met a girl like Yvette. They finally understood why Jeremiah liked her.


    Both were ¡°extraordinary¡± in their way.


    It was getting dark.


    Yvette slung her ck backpack over her shoulder without dy and simply said, ¡°Keep up.¡± Then she headed deeper into


    the rainforest.


    Yvette led Emmen and the others for another hour.


    The sun was setting. The rainforest became more dangerous at


    Yvette found a cave.


    They had no choice but to set up camp here for the night.

 Chapter 165

    Inside the cave, Yvette sat in front of the firewood and skillfully started a fire. The damp and dark cave became warm and inviting


    The other four had various external injuries. They sat to the side and applied medicine.


    Chris took out some anesthetic from his backpack and looked at his shoulder. Then he looked at Yvette, who lowered her head and sat by the fire. He wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Just an hour ago, Chris¡¯s wound was bleeding uncontrobly. After he ate the vani toffee Yvette gave, the wound stopped bleeding within five minutes. That vani toffee was amazing.


    Compared to Chris, Emmett and Bruce weren¡¯t hurt badly. They applied some medicine to each other and leaned against the cave wall to rest.


    After the fierce battle with the giant python and trekking through the rainforest for over an hour, by the end of the day, everyone was so exhausted that they didn¡¯t even want to talk.


    Of the four, Frankie was the least injured.


    Frankie had been knocked out by the python at the very beginning. When he woke up, Yvette had dealt with the giant python.


    The cave was eerily silent.


    The only sound was the crackling of the fire.


    Emmett and Bruce had rested enough. They gathered around the fire and took out their packs ofpressed biscuits to eat.


    Frankie watched Yvette curiously as he ate.


    Frankie had a million questions swirling in his mind but didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Bruce took a bite of his biscuit, stayed quiet for a few seconds, looked up at Yvette, and asked the question everyone had been dying to ask, ¡°Yve, you¡¯ve visited this rainforest before, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bruce¡¯s tone was confident.


    Bruce was certain that Yvette had been here, based on her familiarity with the rainforest and the giant python she mentioned. It couldn¡¯t have been described so urately without seeing it herself.


    Emmett, Chris, and Frankie all turned their attention to Yvette as well.


    They also wanted to know why Yvette was so acquainted with this deadly rainforest.


    They overlooked how Bruce called Yvette. In other words, they had epted her in their hearts. Thus, they wouldn¡¯t call her Ms. Zeller anymore. It sounded alienated.


    Yvette looked up.


    She moved her gaze from the fire to them.


    She narrowed her eyes slowly.


    The outline of her face appeared blurred and mysterious in the flickering firelight.


    Her striking eyes were wild and rebellious. She smiled msevously.


    She said in a fierce voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I came here once ten years ago and found it amusing. I stayed for three months.¡±


    The biscuit in Emmett¡¯s hand dropped to the ground with a snap


    Bruce¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    Chris stared nkly.


    The most unusual was Frankie, who looked at Yvette with excitement.


    Frankie thought, ¡®What is Yve¡¯s background? She said that she came here for fun. It¡¯s mind-blowing


    From now on, if anyone says beautiful women are just eye candy, I won¡¯t agree.


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris thought of one question.


    How old was Yvette ten years aro?


    A teenager stayed in the world¡¯s most dangerous rainforest for three months.


    Was that even possible for a human?


    Chris swallowed and looked at Yvette with admiration.


    Chris said. ¡°Yve, how old were you back then?¡±


    Yvette lifted her chin slightly. Her gaze was deep, cold, and full of mischief.


    She curled her lips.


    She said calmly, ¡°Twelve.¡±


    As soon as she said so, the cave became silent again. They were speechless.


    Who was this incredible person sitting in front of them?


    She could survive alone in this rainforest at twelve years old. Who would believe it?


    This was the world-famous ¡°Rainforest of Death.¡±


    If a hundred people entered and two managed toe back, that was considered fortunate. Countless explorers had met their end here and left no trace. If people heard about it, it would be jaw-dropping,


    Frankie couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and interrupted just as Emmett was about to speak.


    Frankie said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, when you were here, were you super amazing? I bet you were invincible, right? Did you fight the giant python back then?¡±


    Frankie¡¯s imagination was running wild.


    All he could picture was Yvette wielding a dagger and shing beasts.


    Yvette turned her head to nce at the excited Frankie.


    She smirked ostentatiously and evilly


    She picked up a stick with her slender fingers and poked at the fire.


    She said mischievously, ¡°I met it a few times.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t remember how many beasts she had killed in the rainforest.


    08:34 MC


    All she remembered from those three months were piles of beas corpses and the persistent blood stench she could never wash away.


    The endless killing made her excited.


    Yvette said that she met the python a few times.


    Her tone was so casual that they felt like the giant python from the battle was a small python.


    The next day, after a night of rest, everyone was refreshed and set off again. The encounter with the python offered them a deeper understanding of the rainforest¡¯s danger, but it strangely gave them a sense of reassurance.


    After all, they had nothing to fear when they had Yvette with them who ventured into the rainforest alone at twelve and survived for three months.


    Along the way, Emmett and the others came across things they had never seen before, like huge carnivorous nts, swarms of giant hos, masses of flesh-eating ants, and enormous crocodiles lurking in deep pools.


    Whenever they faced non-lethal threats, Yvette offered tactical guidance and helped Emmett and the others hone their skills through practical experience.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Thanks to Yvette¡¯s urate predictions, they managed to get through the challenges. They were a bit battered but unscathed Everyone showed significant improvements in their abilities. Even Frankie, who was the weakest physically, had be noticeably stronger.


    Emmett and Chris, as ancientbat artists, took any opportunity to consult with Yvette without disturbing her rest


    Under Yvette¡¯s guidance, their internal energy grew steadily stronger.


    After spending a few days together, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie were genuinely impressed by Yvette.


    The distance between them had gradually diminished.


    From the initial awkwardness, they had be familiar with each other. Even the aloof Bruce would sometimes joke with


    Yvette.


    They regarded Yvette as their leader.


    If Yvette said to go left, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie wouldn¡¯t consider going right.


    They had spent five days in the deadly rainforest.


    From their initial difort to being adept, everyone evenpeted to fight when they met dangerous beasts, After each encounter, Yvette gave them one or two insightfulments to point out where they fell short. Her feedback was always sharp and concise.


    On the night of the fifth day, inside the cave, Bruce, Chris, Emmett, and Frankie all looked mournfully at thepressed biscuits in their hands while they envied Yvette¡¯s steaming self-heating steak.


    They couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard


    At first, it was okay for them to eatpressed biscuits. However, after five days of biscuits and water, no one could stand it anymore.


    They finally realized why Yvette brought the self-heating steak.


    Too bad they figured it out toote.


    Frankie kept trying to convince himself when he stared at hispressed biscuits. He muttered, ¡°This isn¡¯t apressed biscuit. It¡¯s duck confit, stewed pork, and a big drumstick¡­


    It was hard for Yvette to ignore their pitiful looks. She raised her head.

 Chapter 166

    Yvette asked. ¡°Want some?¡±


    Frankie nodded enthusiastically, and Bruce let out an awkward chuckle..


    Emmett thought. Dignity? What¡¯s that? Not important, as long as I can get some food


    Chris lowered his head and took a bite of thepressed biscuits. 1le thought it tasted good. He¡¯d eaten bugs on military campaigns before;pressed biscuits were good enough. Everso, he kept staring at the steak sandwich Yvette was holding, he involuntarily swallowed.


    Seeing their expressions, Yvette was amused.


    She chuckled, and she gave a mischievous smirk. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, then got up and headed for the cave¡¯s entrance.


    The others, bewildered, wanted to stop her, but by the time Yvette had already vanished into the night.


    They had no clue what Yvette was up to in the dark. Although they were aware of her capabilities, they couldn¡¯t help but


    worry.


    Yvette had told them to wait, so Emmett, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris exchanged uneasy nces, not daring to move.


    In the past few days, whatever Yvette said was like thew to them. They had gotten used to following her instructions, so when she told them to wait, they had no choice but to obey.


    It was a strange turn of events, considering they¡¯d never imagined being led by a woman in her twenties, yet here they were, not only willing but even thinking it was fitting


    About ten minutester, as their anxiety grew, Emmett and the others were fidgeting.


    Frankie stood up, dusting off his clothes, his face etched with concern. ¡°Where did Ms. Zeller run off to? It¡¯s been ten minutes. Let¡¯s go check on her.¡±


    Bruce looked worried too, fearing something might have happened to Yvette.


    He wanted to go out and look for her, but Yvette had told them to wait. If they left and she came back, what would happen then?


    Chris was getting anxious too. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ve waited enough, let¡¯s go find Yvette.¡±


    Emmett¡¯s expression darkened as he took in the restless group, and he said in aforting tone, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Yvette¡¯s reliable. None of us could match her, and don¡¯t forget that she survived alone in the rainforest at the age of twelve for three months. If she told us to wait, then we wait¡±


    Bruce nodded in agreement with Emmett. He concurred that Yvette was definitely not one to act on impulse. But what could she possibly be doing! It was indeed hard to predict.


    As they debated whether to go look for Yvette or not, she was already at the cave¡¯s entrance with a hare in hand


    She could hear the voices of the group inside the cave before she got closer.


    Frankie was just


    about to


    step out when he ran into Yvette with the hare.


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Yvette safe and sound, and seeing the hare in her hand left them momentarily stunned.


    Yvette, carrying the hare, strolled over to the fire and skillfully prepared it with a knife. She then skewered it and ced it


    over the fire


    She nced at the still-dumbfounded group, furrowed her brows slightly, lifted her chin, and said in a cool voice, ¡°How long are you nning to just stand there? Get over here and roast it yourselves.¡±


    Emmett and the others came back to their senses, looking at the hare now being roasted over the fire. For the first time, and indescribable sense of touching welled up in their hearts..


    Without Yvette these past few days, they¡¯d probably be killed by some wild beast by now. Although she rarely took action, she was always there to lend a hand when they were in danger, and to toughen them up when they weren¡¯t.


    Bruce, Chris, and Frankie initially underestimated Yvette, thinking she was just a beautiful woman. They were polite to her only because she was Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend.


    After spending a few days together, they were impressed by Yvette¡¯s abilities. Now, they were in awe of her personality. Bruce, Emmett, Chris, and even the usually joking Frankie were unusually silent for a while, not saying a word.


    In the midst of this touching atmosphere, Frankie suddenly rushed towards Yvette.


    Yvette instinctively stuck a leg out and kicked Frankie into the corner.


    Frankie looked bewildered. He thought, I just want to give her a hug and express my heartfelt gratitude, but why did I end up being kicked so far away?¡±


    Yvette rubbed her temple, looking at the pitiful Frankie in the corner, his face full of grievances. She cleared her throat, her gaze very serious ¡°Next time, don¡¯t approach me suddenly, or you might get kicked to death.¡±


    Frankie felt even more wronged. He thought, ¡®Oh my goodness, there¡¯s a risk of getting kicked to death? I dare not anymore.


    Frankie squatted in the corner, nodding his head with a grievance. Emmett and the others, seeing Frankie¡¯s clowning, felt much better.


    Bruce took the initiative to sit by the bonfire roasting the meat, and as he passed Yvette, he quietly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Emmett looked at Yvette and suddenly had a strange thought.


    At this moment, he finally understood why some people like to be kept. Those people didn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing, and they had money to spend. What was the difference from their current situation?


    If it were before, Emmett would definitely sneer, but now he thought it was wonderful.


    Yvette had no expression, as always indifferent, andzily walked to a ce not far from the bonfire with her hands in her pockets.


    Emmett and Chris also hurried


    over and sat next to Bruce


    roast the meal


    Yvettezily leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes, her expression indifferent.


    Her extremely beautiful face had a fierceness that didn¡¯t belong to her age.


    Her slender, pretty fingers casually rested on her bent knee.


    Chris, seeing her sleeping posture, was slightly stunned. These past few days, Yvette had been sleeping like this.


    She


    e was in an absolute defensive posture, ready to react an counterattack in any unexpected situation.


    Such a posture while sleeping definitely wasn¡¯t formed overnight. Maybe it took five years, ten years, or even longer. Of


    course, a girl who could venture into this rainforest alone at the age of twelve couldn¡¯t be ordinary


    On the 6th day. Yvette led Bruce, Emmett, Chris, and Frankie forward, continuing their journey.


    So far, they hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of JeremiahThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    They all began to doubt whether they were on the right path and had mentioned their concerns once.


    But when Yvette heard their doubts, she just shook her head and calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. I know him well. If I were Id definitely choose this path.¡±


    Bruce and the others were speechless. They followed Yvette behind obediently. They thought, ¡°Why do we ask this question?¡±


    They arrived at a swamp area, and Yvette suddenly stopped in her tracks.


    The other four immediately went on high alert, staring at the swamp with sharp eyes.


    Seeing Yvette like this, they feared some strange creature might suddenly burst out from the swamp.


    Yvette¡¯s gaze went beyond the swamp to the distant woods, her eyes bing a bit more profound, her pure eyes full of spirit


    She slightly lowered her head and smiled.


    The person she was looking for was not far away.


    Yvette turned to Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie, who were all tense, and with a low, hoarse voice that carried a hint of tenderness, she said, ¡°Jeremiah is just ahead.¡±

 Chapter 167

    As soon as Yvette finished speaking, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie didn¡¯t have time to be happy before they heard the sound of gunfire in the distance.


    They wondered, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Combining what Yvette had just said, they thought it must be Jeremiah and his group in the woods ahead.


    Without a second thought, Emmett and the others rushed straight toward the woods.


    On the contrary, Yvette followed leisurely, not seeming to be in a hurry at all.


    In the woods, Jeremiah and the ten elite soldiers he brought were all there, with only minor injuries on them, nothing


    serious


    Jeremiah¡¯s men had originally nned to hunt a wild boar for lunch, but the scout who went ahead was too eager to notice that it wasn¡¯t one wild boar in the cave, but hundreds, thousands of pounds of wild boars. Thus, they had disturbed the boar¡¯s nest and were chased relentlessly by the boars.


    Of the eleven people, everyone except Jeremiah was in a very disheveled state.


    Jeremiah held a heavy machine gun, hit the target every time without a miss, and the wild boars fell one by one, When only a dozen boars were left, the bullets that Jeremiah and his men brought were also used up.


    Their weapons were all in a cave not far away. If they hadn¡¯t misjudged the number of wild boars, they wouldn¡¯t have brought out so few bullets.


    Everyone was bracing themselves for a hand-to-hand fight. Each of them was an elite from the military, and fistfights were just the basics. But these wild boars were notoriously strong; taking down a dozen of these thousand-pound boars wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Jeremiah was in a ck suit and wore a long ck coat, his figure tall and straight, his legs long and slender.


    Showing a fighting spirit, he narrowed his cold eyes with a fierce and determined gaze.


    His murderous aura was palpable as he stared at the boars that had been following them from a distance.


    One of the soldiers nced at the approaching boars and told Jeremiah to go first.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t move, and his intentions were clear.


    The remaining soldiers stopped persuading Jeremiah and got into their fighting stances, ready to face the danger.


    At that moment, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie arrived at the edge of the woods, spotting Jeremiah surrounded by his men and the herd of wild boars closing in.


    Frankie excitedly shouted to Jeremiah, ¡°Mr. Chavez, we¡¯re here!


    Emmett and the others picked up the pace and opened fire on the charging wild boars,


    Before the boars could even get close, Bruce and Chris had already taken them all down.


    Upon hearing the noise, Jeremiah turned around to sew Epimet, Bruce, Frankie, Chris, and the one person he had been thinking about day and night.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a huge surprise shed through his cold eyes.


    The next second, he strode straight towards the direction of Frankie.


    The soldiers around Jeremiah could feel his urgency, not just urgent but also subtly excited.


    The soldiers who hade with Jeremiah didn¡¯t expect anyone else to find them here.


    They knew all too well how dangerous the journey had been, without Jeremiah leading the way, they might have been killed.


    Frankie saw the faint smile on Jeremialy¡¯s face and thought Jeremiah was moved by him, so he quickly picked up his pace, wanting to give Jeremiah a hug


    Frankie thought, ¡°What a beautiful and grand love we have!


    He opened his arms, excited to embrace Jeremiah who was walking towards him.


    The soldiers behind also thought Jeremiah was going to hug Frankie, and they all widened their eyes in surprise.


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Jeremiah just nced at Frankie and walked right past Frankie, reaching out to hug Yvette who was casually following behind Frankie.


    His rough fingertips touched Yvette¡¯s cold skin, bringing a sense of warmth, and both of them felt a tingling sensation. Jeremiah rested his head on Yvette¡¯s shoulder, rubbing it like a kitten purring for affection.


    Yvette¡¯s body was slightly stiff and wondered. When did this man learn this trick?¡±


    With a mischievous smile, Yvette thought, ¡°What should I do?¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    The unique minty scent of Jeremiah directly came into Yvette¡¯s nose, forcefully and domineeringly entering her personal space. Jeremiah¡¯s voice was low, husky, and maic. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    Yvette thought, ¡°This man really is my type


    If Jeremiah had asked her why she came, she probably would have turned around and left.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes and said in a casual tone. ¡°Not tired. I¡¯m used to it¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s heart was burning with warmth; the girl he had his eye on was the one and only in the whole world.


    Jeremiah looked up and helped her tidy her hair. After a pause, he took out a small headrope from his pocket and skillfully coiled up Yvette¡¯s slightly disheveled hair.


    Looking down at Yvette¡¯s deep gaze, he tightened his fingers, and quickly exined, ¡°I learned from a video, it took me half an our to learn. As for the headrope, I saw online that men who have girlfriends should wear it on their hands. They say it¡¯s


    a man should do,¡±


    Jeremiah never knew that learning to tie hair was such a difficult thing; he, a top graduate from Betrico University, was stumped by this task.


    He had practiced several times, and even fearing that he might hurt Yvette in the future when braiding her hair, he disregarded Andrew¡¯s desperate resistance and practiced several times with Andrew¡¯s hair until he could do it decently.


    Jeremiah coughed unnaturally, not daring to look at Yvette.


    Yvette stretched her slender finger and tapped on his chest, causing Jeremiah¡¯s body to tense up.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t just a tap on his chest; it felt like sh


    was touching his heartstrings.


    Frankie, who had been left out, turned to look at the affectionate scene between Jeremiah and Yvette.


    He thought. Where is the friendship that is supposed to be greater than the heavens and the earth! Jeremiah¡¯s preference for a girlfriend over friendship is now confirmed. But thinking it was Yvette, Frankie felt bnced. In his opinion, Yvette was worth it. If it had been any other woman, Frankie would have disagreed, causing a scene and making a fuss until he spoiled


    Those soldiers who stood in front of Frankie were stunned.


    When Yvette first appeared, they all thought a fairy had descended among them. Now, seeing Jeremiah embrace her and braid her hair, they immediately understood. Yvette wasn¡¯t a fairy; she was clearly the future Jeremiah¡¯s wife. No wonder they had never heard of any scandals about Jeremiah all these years.


    In the same troop, those who were the same age as Jeremiah had already married and had children, yet only Jeremiah remained single.


    Now they finally understood and thought, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to keep such a beautiful girlfriend hidden? Emmett, Chris, and Bruce stood at a distance, with Frankie pouting and walking over to join them.


    Chris nced at his watch and asked, ¡°How long have they been lovey-dovey?¡±


    Bruce answered without thinking. Ten minutes.¡±


    Emmett, with a straight face, said, ¡°Should we interrupt them?¡±


    Frankie was speechless.


    Bruce was speechless.


    Chris was speechless.


    They thought, ¡®Emmett really isn¡¯t afraid of death.


    The soldiers who came with Jeremiah also gathered around them.


    Most of them recognized Emmett. As Jeremiah¡¯s assistant, Emmett spent more time in the troop than the average soldier.


    u seem fine.


    uys must have suffered a lot on the way here, but looking at you all now, you One soldier said, ¡°Emmett, you guys Without Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, we might have lost our lives already.¡±


    One of the burly soldiers echoed. ¡°Yeah, you guys are amazing. Not only are you all safe and sound, but you also brought Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s girlfriend over here unharmed. I admire you.¡±


    The other soldiers looked at Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie with admiration.


    Emmett gave a wry smile and exchanged nces with Bruce and the others. They realized they didn¡¯t deserve such praise. ¡°You¡¯re giving us too much credit. We didn¡¯t make it here on our own, just like you, we benefited from having strong support.

 Chapter 168

    The soldiers nced at each other, thinking Emmett was just being humble.


    Emmett saw the looks on their faces and knew they didn¡¯t believe him. He was about to exin further when Jeremiah and Yvette walked over side by side. ¡°Mr. Chavez, they greeted.


    Jeremiah nodded, his usually stern features softening a bit.


    Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie were all trained by him personally, so their presence here was no surprise.


    ¡°Good job. Jeremiah said.


    The three exchanged nces and thought, Jeremiah is indeed a double standard. He treats Yvette differently just now. Where is his caring attitude?¡±


    Frankie put on a pitiful face. ¡°Mr. Chavez, where are we going? Ms. Zeller said she¡¯d hunt hares for us today.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed, and his gaze deepened. He wondered, Why does Frankie suddenly call Yvette Ms. Zeller?


    Jeremiah tilted his head, walking towards the cave entrance while asking Frankie in a low voice, ¡°Who is Ms. Zeller and why?¡±


    Frankie casually blurted out, ¡°Yvette, she is my mentor.¡±


    Jeremiah paused, staring at Frankie, who was animatedly telling the soldiers about their journey. ¡°Very well,¡± Jeremiah said. Emmett and the others behind felt that Jeremiah¡¯s ¡°Very well¡± might not be so good for Frankie.


    Yvette, with one hand in her pocket, strolled leisurely. Seeing Jeremiah¡¯s nce, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s my first time being someone¡¯s mentor. But I ept it.¡±


    Jeremiah chuckled and thought, ¡®She is young but she won their respect.


    Inside the cave, sitting next to the fire, Yvette closed her eyes andzily leaned against the wall.


    Her hand casually rested on her leg, revealing her delicate wrists,


    Jeremiah cut a piece of wild boar meat and handed it to her.


    Yvette raised her chin, with arrogance, the coldness in her eyes dissipating a bit when facing Jeremiah. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat.¡±


    Hearing this, Jeremiah didn¡¯t get angry. He smiled, his voice gent and patient. ¡°Be good girl, eat a little. It¡¯s cold at night, the wild boar meat will keep you warm and has the effect of keeping out the cold.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrows slightly, and she stared at Jeremiah with clear and pure eyes, making him feel his heart skip a


    beat.


    of concealed at all.


    The mischievousness in her eyes was notThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Jeremiah tilted his head, his tone somewhat helpless, but his voice was incredibly gentle. ¡°Really don¡¯t want to eat?¡±


    Yvette shook her head without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t want to eat.¡±


    Emmett, Chris, Bruce, and Frankie led the soldiers to sit the other side of the cave.


    It was just a cave, how far could they really be?


    Every word of their conversation reached the ears of Emmett and the soldiers Jeremiah brought, who were sitting a short distance away, roasting wild boar meat.


    Bruce and Chris were witnessing the interaction between Jeremiah and Yvette for the first time.


    They had been in shock since the beginning.


    Bruce held the wild boar meat in his hand and had no appetite for food.


    Chris took a bite of the wild boar meat. The love was in the air, He thought, The person coaxing Yvette in a soft voice. couldn¡¯t be Jeremiah, definitely not our wise and ruthless Jeremiah.¡¯


    Emmett turned to look at Bruce and Chris, their expressions were the same as his when he first saw Jeremiah fawning over Yvette¡­


    He thought, Fair enough, now I felt bnced.¡±


    The other soldiers, being in a superior-subordinate rtionship with Jeremiah, didn¡¯t dare to say anything, no matter how shocked they were inside.


    It turned out that Jeremiah wasn¡¯t averse to women: he was just averse to women other than Yvette.


    Seeing that Yvette really didn¡¯t want to eat, Jeremiah was about to put down the wild boar meat in his hand.


    However, he nced at Frankie on the opposite side, who was staring at them with a look of disgust. Jeremiah seemed to think of something and crooked his finger at Frankie.


    Frankie was gnawing on the wild boar meat. The disy of affection between Jeremiah and Yvette was too sweet to watch. Frankie saw Jeremiah crooking his finger at him, hesitated for a moment, but walked over obediently, although he didn¡¯t know the reason.


    Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and the others also noticed Jeremiah¡¯s action, looking confused.


    They thought, At this moment, why does Jeremiah call Frankie over?¡±


    Frankie walked up to the two of them and politely said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Chavez.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes deepened inadvertently, his look meaningful. It seemed quite a few interesting things had happened in the days he was away.


    He knew how proud Frankie and the other three men were, each one of them a prominent figure.


    He wondered, ¡®Why are they all so obedient in front of Yvette?


    He had noticed right away that even Bruce, who usually disliked women the most, showed genuine respect for Yvette, and that couldn¡¯t be faked.


    Frankie scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Chavez, how can I help you?¡±


    Yvette sat up a bit straighter, her eyebrows slightly raised, her voice cool and clear. ¡°Not me.¡±


    Frankie then looked at Jeremiah, asking cautiously, ¡°Mr. Chavez, what do you want?¡±


    Jeremiah smiled, a smile and tenderness on his face that Frankie had never seen before. Jeremiah ced the wild boar meat in a lotus leaf and handed it to Frankie.


    Frankie stiffly took the lotus leaf, and looked at the wild boar meat on it, his eyes


    Jy vacant


    After a while, Frankie turned to look at Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and the others, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he let out a loud cry. ¡°Help! Mr. Chavez wants to poison mer


    Frankie¡¯s outburst startled everyone, and they all stopped eating the wild boar meat to look at him.


    Yvette lowered her eyes, slowly reached out, and tugged at Jerentiah, her voice very serious. ¡°I have poison, it won¡¯t hurt too much, do you need it?¡±


    Jeremiah looked down and saw the mischief in her eyes, knowing she was teasing Frankie.


    So he yed along, nodding solemnly with a serious voice. ¡°Yeah, alright.¡±


    Frankie felt a chill down his spine. He thought, ¡°Why are these two discussing poisoning me so openly, is there now?


    Yvette thought, I am thew!¡¯


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris came over, looking at Frankie, and couldn¡¯t help but smile helplessly.


    Bruce sat down next to Jeremiah, knowing that Jeremiah didn¡¯t like people too close, so he automatically kept a distance.


    He wasn¡¯t like Yvette, who had the privilege to get close to Jeremiah. Yvette and Jeremiah were almost clinging together. ¡°Mr.¡±


    two should stop scaring Frankie.¡± Chavez, and Ms. Zeller, you


    Emmett and Chris also sat by the fire, with Frankie following suit


    Frankie looked at Jeremiah, who seemed to be smiling but wasnt, and then at the wild boar theat in his hand. Frankie thought, Jeremiah¡¯s sudden concern scared me. Could it be that Jeremiah, after falling in love, became a real human? He asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, you specifically called me over just to give me wild boar meat?¡±


    Jeremiah nodded lightly as if it was nothing.


    He didn¡¯t even nce at Frankie, who was curious, and Emmett Bruce, and Chris, who were gossiping.


    He only stared at Yvette, his eyes were gentle, and he slowly said in a low voice, ¡°If I want to be your mentor¡¯s husband, 1 have to be nice to you.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s words made Frankie stunned.


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris exchanged nces, and they couldn¡¯t help butugh at Frankie¡¯s dazed expression.


    They thought, Jeremiah was indeed brilliant, killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    Yvette raised her head, her delicate face full of charm, andzily yawned. She was sleepy.

 Chapter 169

    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Yvette. Seeing her yawn, he immediately took off his ck jacket and draped it over her shoulders.


    Seeing the situation, Emmett and the others immediately stood up and moved to the other side.


    Jeremiah shifted his body slightly to block the winding in through the entrance. Afterpleting this series of actions, he lowered his head.


    Yvette lifted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips as her eyes sparkled. She let out a soft chuckle. Tm not that fragile. A little gust won¡¯t hurt me.


    Jeremiah squeezed her slightly cool hand, then tucked both her hands into the pockets of his coat.


    Yvette was mostly enveloped in Jeremiah¡¯s arms. This feeling was unfamiliar to her, but she didn¡¯t resist.


    Yvette¡¯s delicate neck caught his attention, and Jeremiah¡¯s gaze grew more intense. His fingers tightened slightly as he gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his breath warm and close. In a low, soft voice, he said, ¡°Get some rest. You must be exhausted Keeping up with those guys must¡¯ve taken a lot out of you.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s heart stirred slightly. ¡°He seems to know everything. Am I tired? Actually, I have no idea what it really feels like to be tired. Yvette thought, closing her eyes and unconsciously leaning closer into Jeremiah¡¯s embrace.


    As dawn broke, the others were still asleep. Outside the cave, faint footsteps could be heard, so soft they were almost inaudible. Yvette¡¯s eyes snapped open instantly, filled with a fierce, cold re tinged with bloodlust. A deadly aura surrounded her, exuding an intense chill and ruthlessness.


    At the same moment, Jeremiah opened his eyes as well. There was no trace of drowsiness in either of their gazes. They exchanged a quick nce. Someone ising? they wondered In the next second, both stood up and moved towards the cave entrance. Their movement alerted the others in the cave.


    Emmett, Chris, and Bruce also opened their eyes, and the people Jeremiah had brought along began to wake up as well. After all, in an environment like this, no one could truly sleep soundly


    ressions on their faces, they knew something was. Emmett and the others walked over to Jeremiah and Yvette. Seeing the happening outside. Emmett lowered his body slightly and asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Yve, what¡¯s going on outside? The footsteps sound chaotic. Is someoneing?¡±


    In the bushes outside the cave, faint shadows ofrge figures could be seen darting back and forth. Chris, Bruce, and the others behind them immediately pulled out their guns, cocking them in readiness for defense.


    Visitors at this time were definitely not a good sign. Jeremiah frowned and spoke in a low voice to Yvette, ¡°After we entered the rainforest with the Tiger Head members, about a dozen people mysteriously disappeared while passing through a thicket. I suspect someone in the rainforest is aiding them.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were cold and deadly, a chilling aura radiating from her. She tilted her head slightly, her delicate features exuding an air of danger. Narrowing her eyes, her voice was calm yet sharp. ¡°Your suspicions are correct. There¡¯s a primitive tribe living in the rainforest.¡±


    Jeremiah paused for a moment. How does Yvette know about the primitive tribe here?¡® he wondered. ncing at Ernment and the others, he found they didn¡¯t seem surprised at all.


    Frankie shrugged his shoulders and the tension he had been feeling suddenly eased. ¡°A primitive tribe? Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    When Jeremiah¡¯s soldiers heard it was just a primitive tribheir tension eased as well. With guns in hand, they felt no fear of a few primitive people.


    But Emmett had a nagging feeling that it wasn¡¯t that simple. ¡°Why would a primitive tribe help the Tiger Head gang produce drugs? It doesn¡¯t make any sense, he thought.


    Yvette¡¯s face remained expressionless, her eyes half¨Cclosed as she stared at the now¨Crxed group. There was a flicker of bloodlust in her gaze, a mix of righteousness and danger. ¡°I forgot to mention they¡¯re cannibals¡±


    At this point, among the dozen or so people present, only Jereih didn¡¯t visibly react to Yvette¡¯s words. He simply frowned. Cannibals, as the name implies, are a tribe that feeds on living humans. Such tribes were known to be the most savage of all primitive tribes,


    Emmett, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris believed Yvette¡¯s words, but the soldiers Jeremiah brought along weren¡¯t so easily convinced. One of the soldiers named Jacob, raised his doubts, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I apologize, but as a soldier, we can¡¯t blindly believe you. What you¡¯re saying is too far¨Cfetched. Even if there were cannibals, how would they have contacted the Tiger Head gang to assist them in drug production? This sounds like a fantasy.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression darkened, his gaze sharp and cold. He knew Yvette wasn¡¯t someone who would lie or speak without


    reason


    Just as Jeremiah was about to speak. Yvette reached out and tickled his palm. Jeremiah froze, then softly asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Yvette lifted her chin slightly, her exquisitely beautiful face as arrogant as ever. Her eyes were icily cold, and her tone was calm. ¡°Yoursoldiers have every reason to be skeptical. Only fools would believe whatever someone says without question.¡±


    Jeremiah gently turned his hand and grasped Yvette¡¯s in return. Only she can have such a strong mindset,pletely unfazed by the doubts of others, he thought.


    Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie, however, couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Yvette be questioned. Emmett spoke up firmly, ¡°IF Yve says they exist, then they do. Instead of doubting her, why aren¡¯t you focusing on how to deal with the cannibals?¡±


    ¡°I can vouch for that. If it weren¡¯t for Yve, we¡¯d probably be dead somewhere along the way by now,¡± Emmett said, looking at the ten soldiers who still wore stubborn, doubtful expressions. He stepped forward, his voice resolute. ¡°We trust Yve.¡±


    The group tactfully didn¡¯t mention that Yvette had once survived alone in the rainforest for three months at the age of twelve. For one, they didn¡¯t think anyone would believe it, and second, what if someone with bad intentions got wind of it and used it against her? So, for various reasons, they chose to remain silent on the matter.


    Yvette watched the two groups arguing with an indifferent expression, her eyes distant. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t you want to find out whether there are cannibals here or not?¡±


    Jacob, the soldier who had raised doubts, nced at Yvette and then at Jeremiah beside her. His earlier bravado quickly faded. He hadn¡¯t intended to target Yvette, but she wasn¡¯t his major general, so he couldn¡¯t trust her with absolute certainty, Jacob sincerely said to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, if we really do encounter cannibals. I¡¯m at your disposal. You could even skin me alive, and I wouldn¡¯t have a singleint. But if we don¡¯t encounter any, then let¡¯s just pretend none of this ever happened¡±


    Jacob was stubborn, and Emmett couldn¡¯t do anything about it. After all, he was one of the top¨Cranked soldiers in the military, which was why Jeremiah had chosen him for this mission. But his stubbornness and rigid mindset could be infuriating.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette casually slid one hand into her pocket, then smiled slightly as she spoke, her tone light but firm. ¡°No need. Whatever happens to you will happen to me.¡±


    Hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Jacob and the soldiers beside him gained a newfound respect for her. As the future wife of their Major General, her sense of responsibility and leadership mattered more than anything.


    Yvette and Jeremiah walked ahead, asionally exchanging a few words. Therge group followed behind them, unable to hear what the two were saying, but they could tell that the ually stern and serious Jeremiah could barely hide the tenderness in his eyes.


    Jacob hurriedly caught up with Emmett and the others. After he Being a straightforward person who didn¡¯t understand all the ini ¡°Emmett, if we don¡¯t run into the cannibalster and Ms. Zeller

 Chapter 170

    Emmett nced at Jacob, whose expression was conflicted, and sighed expressionlessly. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it


    Jacob nodded sheepishly. ¡°Not too much, right? Forget it, we¡¯ll talk about itter


    Hearing this, Chris approached with an indescribable look on his face and patted Jacob on the shoulder. ¡°Bro, you¡¯re really overthinking this¡±


    Jacob turned his head to look at Bruce, who appeared coll, and Frankie, who appeared casual and carefree. So, what exactly am I overthinking? he wondered.


    Yvette led a dozen people along the footprints and traces left by the figures earlier, walking for about half an hour before arriving at a dense forest Yvette¡¯s gaze was deep and sharp. She turned to the people behind her, her voice cold, low, and deep. ¡°Once we pass through this forest, there will be a river. Beyond that river lies the cannibals territory. In this river, there are at least twenty or thirty giant crocodiles. The only way to cross the river is to kill them all.¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, her eyes indifferent, with a slight raise of her delicate brows. Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯vest seen these little cuties, she thought.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze was deep as he looked at everyone, his voice cold. The aura around him grew even more imposing. ¡°Be prepared, and don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone nodded. Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie all wore serious expressions. They knew well that the giant crocodiles Yvette mentioned likely had simr destructive power to the massive python they encountered on the first day. Otherwise. she wouldn¡¯t have specifically warned them. However, they were no longer the same as they were six days ago. Without a doubt, another b***dy battle awaited them soon.


    Compared to Emmett and the others, Jeremiah¡¯s soldiers, despite having faced the dangers of the rainforest, were still skeptical of Yvette¡¯s ims. How could she know there¡¯s a river without crossing the forest? And how would she know about the giant crocodiles in it? Or that beyond the river lies cannibal territory? It all seemed too far-fetched to believe, they thought


    The soldiers¡¯ duty was to obey orders. So, even though Jacob and the others didn¡¯t believe Yvette, they still dutifully followed Jeremiah¡¯s instructions, preparing for battle and donning their waterproof gear. After making all the necessary preparations, the group continued forward. Sure enough, after passing through the dense forest, they saw the river Yvette had mentioned. The river rushed like a wild stallion, its waters muddy and filled with a nauseating stench.


    Jacob exchanged nces with the soldiers, all of them staring in disbelief at the river ahead. ¡°Jacob, there¡¯s really a river. Ms. Zeller is incredible. She was spot on about everything


    One of the soldiers pointed at the river with a shocked expression. ¡°Look! What¡¯s that?¡±


    Yvette fixed her gaze on the mass of crocodiles swimming toward them from the river. She carrying a hint of danger. ¡°Heree the cuties.¡±


    t on a wicked smile, her voice


    Beside her, Jeremiah squinted slightly, tilting his head as he spoke in a low, raspy voice, ¡°Hmm, quite cute indeed¡±


    Emmett, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris all turned their heads simultaneously, their expressions sour. How could they really find these giant creatures adorable? Mr. Chavez spoils Yve too much, they thought. Looking at the ugly, massive crocodiles with gaping mouths, they couldn¡¯t understand how Yvette could call them cutres.¡±


    Chris cleared his throat and looked respectfully at Yvette, speaking in a deferential tone, ¡°Yve, these crocodiles are known for their tough skin. Bullets are unlikely to prate them. Looks like we¡¯ll have to rely on closebat again this time¡±


    Emmett, Bruce, and Frankie nodded in agreement. They encountered crocodiles before, though not asrge as these, Back then, they had already found out that bullets were fective, and now, with these giant crocodiles before them, it was unlikely the bullets would have much effect either.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes, her expression cold and ruthless. Her voice was soft and slow. ¡°Alright go ahead¡±


    As soon as Yvette gave themand, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie grabbed their daggers from their packs and rushed. toward the crocodiles in the river, like they were clearing out a sale at the mall. Jacob and his men were about to follow when Yvette tilted her head slightly, a knowing smile ying on her lips. Her expression was cold and detached, with a hint of arrogance and defiance in her eyes. She stood tall and proud as rk mass of crocodiles loomed behind her. ¡°We don¡¯t need you¡± she said.


    Jeremiah knew Yvette wouldn¡¯t have said that unless she was confident that they could handle the crocodiles in the water. He always trusted her unconditionally. Pressing his lips, he gave a sinct order to those behind him, ¡°Stand by.¡± Without another word, he looked into the distance where Emmett and the others were about to confront the crocodiles, his gaze deepening


    Seeing that Emmett and the others were about to engage in battle with the crocodiles, Jacob anxiously shouted to Jeremiah, ¡°Major General, there are only four of them, but there are dozens of crocodiles in the river. Let us go down and help them! Every extra person increases our chances of winning.¡±


    The soldiers behind him echoed his plea. ¡°Yes, Mr. Chavez, let us go down. We can¡¯t just stand here and watch Emmett and the others fight for us!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯re soldiers! We can¡¯t sit here and do nothing. Mr. Chavez, another soldier added.


    The noise around her was beginning to get on Yvette¡¯s nerves. She turned to face Jacob and his group, barely lifting her eyelids. There was a dangerous edge in her eyes as she said coldly. ¡°Shut up¡±


    Jacob and his group of ten froze in ce like statues. He couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette¡¯s aura felt even stronger than Jeremiah¡¯s just now. In the next moment, they were dumbstruck as they watched what unfolded before them. Contrary their expectations of a tough battle, Emmett and the others killed the crocodiles with ease-three strikes and the beasts were dead.


    Bruce, Emmett, Frankie, and Chris charged straight at the crocodiles, their daggers expertly targeting the weak points-the eyes, the belly, and the nose. Each strike was lethal. Their precision was not only due to theirbat experience over the past few days but also because Yvette had told them that the crocodiles¡¯ weak points were not only the eyes but also the belly and the nose.


    In less than ten minutes, two-thirds of the dozens of crocodiles had already been killed. Only three to five remained, and it was only a matter of time before they, too, were taken down. Over the past few days of battling together in the rainforest. Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie had developed such a strongbat synergy that a single nce was enough for them to understand each other¡¯s thoughts and intentions during the fight.


    Under the astonished gazes of Jacob and his group, the battle was drawing to a close. Yvette¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she stoodzily by the riverbank, watching as the group finished off thest crocodile and returned, soaked from head to toe. Jeremiah shifted slightly, his cold eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.


    Emmett and Chris¡¯s internal energy from their ancientbat arts had noticeably grown stronger, while Bruce and Frankie had experienced a clear improvement in their physical abilities. This was likely all due to Yvette¡¯s guidance. As Jeremiah and the others came ashore, they approached Yvette. Over the past few days, it had be routine-they wouldn¡¯t feel at ease until Yvette pointed out the weaknesses in theirtest battle.


    Bruce shook off the mud from his body and spoke naturally, ¡°Yve, what do you think? Any areas we need to improve on?¡±


    Jeremiah stood quietly to the side, while everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward the nonchnt Yvette. Her striking beauty against the blood-stained river behind her created a chillingly beautiful scene.


    Yvette nced at them, her voicezy. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Emmett and the others visibly brightened. Yvette¡¯s approvwas all that mattered to them.

 Chapter 171

    Frankic, who was following behind, didn¡¯t know what had happened when they killed the crocodile. He nced at the still- dazed Jacob and his group and asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller, what¡¯s wrong with them? Why are they all standing there like that


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he turned his head and took Yyette¡¯s hand, which was still as cool as before. His eyes flickered slightly, and in a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yvette, asposed and distant as ever, nodded and allowed Jeremiah to hold her hand,pletely ignoring Frankie and the others.


    At that moment. Jacob and the rest finally snapped out of their daze. They wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t find the words. They could only exchange nces, their eyes wide with realization. ¡®Maybe Yvette is right, this rainforest might indeed hold the legendary cannibals, they thought.


    With the crocodiles dead, the only way to cross the river was to dive through it. Emmett, Bruce, Chris, Frankie, and the ten soldiers under Jeremiah all looked at Yvette. Even the men felt disgusted by the filthy river, so they expected Yvette wouldn¡¯t dive in.


    Seeing them hesitate at the riverbank, Yvette furrowed her brows slightly, her gaze calih, and her tone remarkablyposed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you jumping in? What are you waiting for?*


    Jeremiah squeezed her delicate fingers, staring directly at her profile. Rubbing his temples with a hint of helplessness, he chuckled softly. ¡°They¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll find this river water disgusting.¡±


    Hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words, Yvette paused for a moment. When she looked up again, her gaze was icy, and she smiled with a hint of challenge. ¡°Want to race to see who gets to the other side first?¡± The wild energy in her seemed ready to explode. radiating arrogance and defiance. Without waiting for a response, Yvette released Jeremiah¡¯s hand, and leaped into the river without hesitation. Her bold move left the men standing by the riverpletely stunned and thoroughly impressed.


    Jeremiah nced down at his now empty palm, squinting his eyes slightly. Well, he might as well follow her lead. Without hesitation, he leaped into the river after her.


    Emmett and the others didn¡¯t waste any time either. With both of the bosses already in the water, what were they still hesitating for? They followed suit and jumped in One after another, the ten men Jeremiah brought along also dove in.


    Yvette swam ahead for a while, but suddenly, the water beside her began to churn violently, forming a swirling vortex. From it emerged something dark and massive. With a quick nce, Yvette realized there was still another crocodile-this one twice asrge as the ones they had faced earlier. As the crocodile¡¯s head surfaced, the first thing it spotted was Yvette.


    Behind her, Jeremiah saw the crocodile heading straight for Yvette. His eyes narrowed, and a surge of killing intent radiated


    from him.


    The men behind him, including Jacob and the others, also witnessed the scene. Their hearts leaped to their throats, unable to bear watching any further, Given the distance between Yvette, Jeremiah, and themselves, unless they could somehow teleport instantly to Yvette¡¯s side, there was little chance of saving her. No one wanted to see such a tragedy unfold, but it seemed Yvette might lose her life here this time.


    Emmett and the others, who were swimming in the middle, were unfazed. They were momentarily surprised by the appearance of the crocodile, but once they saw it heading for Yvette, they had no further reaction. Just another foolish beast. Apparently, it has chosen the wrong target, they thought.


    With a loud ¡°boom,¡± the crocodile twisted its massive head, opening its gaping maw, revealing rows of sharp, white teeth. It lunged fiercely toward Yvette, exuding an aura of sheer brutality. Its ck armored skin, reflecting the rippling water, appeared particrly sinister, while its iron-ck form sued forward with a destructive force, as if ready to obliterate everything in its path.


    Yvette moved swiftly, effortlessly dodging the attack. A cold smile curled on her lips, her eyes gleaming with a deadly red


    glow, Cruelty flickered across her face. What should I do with this disobedient little cutie the mused.


    With a swift motion, Yvette dove under the crocodile. She drove her dagger hard into its lower neck. With a twist of her wrist, blood gushed out instantly. The crocodile, now in agonizing pain, went into a frenzy, attempting a desperate struggle before its impending death.


    The crocodile¡¯s tail swept toward Yvette, but she agilely spun out of the way. With a resounding bang, she delivered a powerful kick to the crocodile¡¯s belly, sending it tumbling into the muddy riverbed, half-dead. Yvette gave it no chance to recover. She swiftly swam downstream toward the crocodile, her dagger slicing through the water like lightning. In an instant, the crocodile¡¯s lower jaw waspletely severed, and blood quickly spread through the water around her. Using the lifeless crocodile¡¯s back as leverage, Yvette propelled herself out of the water and onto the riverbank


    After Yvette reached the shore. Jeremiah surfaced from the water as well. His body was drenched, and his chiseled eight- pack abs were faintly visible through his soaked ck shirt.


    Jeremiah¡¯s face was cold, his eyes dark. He strode toward Yvette, carefully inspecting her from head to toe. Once he was sure she wasn¡¯t hurt, his tense


    Pression rxed. He began wiping her hair dry with one hand while saying, ¡°Next time you encounter a situation like this, dodge it. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of having me around?¡±


    Seeing the concern in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, Yvette reached out and teasingly hooked her arm around his waist, causing him to shiver involuntarily, his body trembling under her touch. His gaze instantly deepened as he lowered his head and said in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t try to brush this off. Promise me.¡±


    Yvette raised her head slightly, her deep eyes gleaming with a piercing intensity. She smiled and spoke slowly, probably not going to happen. I¡¯ll never entrust my life to anyone else.¡±


    That¡¯s


    Jeremiah felt a pang in his chest. As he stared at Yvette¡¯s nonchnt expression, a deep sense of heartache surged within him. His first thought wasn¡¯t disappointment in her refusal to trust him, but rather how much hardship Yvette must have endured to develop such formidable skills and a mindset so different from others.


    Jeremiah gently tied Yvette¡¯s hair into a neat bun. His voice was low and soothing, almost as if he were speaking to a child. ¡°Alright, just once, could you give me a chance to show off a little? Let me be impressive in front of my girlfriend.¡±


    Yvette lifted her head, leaning forward slightly, her voicezy. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you show off next time. But killing crocodiles isn¡¯t that impressive. Maybe you can show off tonight.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark eyes deepened at her words. ¡®What does she mean by ¡®tonight? he wondered, then replied, ¡°You¡¯re still young. Some things can wait until after you graduate.¡±


    Yvette shot him a nce, pausing for a moment. I only want him to cook dinner tonight. Do I have to wait until after I graduate?¡¯ she thought


    Emmett, Chris, Frankie, Bruce, and the ten soldiers Jeremiah had brought along all emerged from the water one after another. The moment they surfaced, they saw the two standing by the riverbank, locked in a gaze.


    Emmett and Bruce exchanged a nce. ¡®Why does Mr. Chavez¡¯s expression look so¡­ strange? Is he hungry? they wondered.


    As Jacob led his group ashore, they all turned to look at Yvette in unison. The sight of her taking down the crocodile had left even these battle-hardened soldiers shaken. Was she really killing a crocodile? How had she made it look as easy as killing a chicken? Every move had been quick, lethal, and precise, each strikending perfectly. This wasn¡¯t something an ordinary girl could pull off As Yvette stepped on the crocodile¡¯s body and climbed up the riverbank, the air around her seemed heavy with a suffocating killing intent. Where did Mr. Chavez find this goddess of death as a girlfriend? they wondered.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Emmett walked up to Jacob and noticed the group still staring at Yvette, clearly stunned by what they had just witnessed. With a slight tilt of his head, he patted Jacob on the shoulder and said, ¡°Trust me, bro, you¡¯ll get used to it¡±


    Jacob stiffly turned his head to look at Emmell, swallowingard Suddenly, he recalled the words ¡°an easy win¡± Emmett had mentioned when they first met. Now he finally understood what it meant.

 Chapter 172

    The group got ready and set off once again to search for the cannibal tribe. This time, aside from Yvette and Jeremiah, everyone else changed intobat camouge.


    Yvette walked leisurely ahead with one hand in her pocket, strolling casually, while Jeremiah followed beside her. The two of them seemed as if they were on a rxing vacation.


    The group walked for another half hour or so when Yvette suddenly stopped in her tracks. The aura around her turned cold, and she gazed intently at arge clearing behind the bushes ahead. Her eyes were bloodshot.


    Everyone followed Yvette¡¯s gaze and saw houses made of banana leaves about 200 meters ahead, along with a few towering that also had houses built on them. Each house was adorned with several strings of human skulls. In the clearing, there was a pile of unlit firewood, with arge frame propped up in the middle. S**ed all around were skeletal remains. The wind carried a strong, thick scent of blood, but the ce was eerily deserted, with no one in sight.


    Yvette swiftly darted into the bushes, and the others followed, finding nearby hiding spots and crouching around her. ¡°The cannibals are just ahead¡± she whispered. ¡°At this time, they¡¯re likely preparing their food. They¡¯ll be back in no more than ten minutes¡±


    Jeremiah turned his head slightly, his pupils narrowing. How could she know the daily routine of the canibal tribe so well? he wondered.


    Emmett and the people behind him looked visibly more serious, while anger filled Frankie¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Ms. Zeller, when you say ¡®food, do you mean¡­ humans?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression remained cold as she lifted her eyelids slightly, raising an eyebrow. She turned to nce at Frankie, her eyes half-closed, and her voice chilling. ¡°Yes, and even children. They survive by consuming children.


    As soon as Yvette finished speaking, the sound of gasps came from behind her. Even Jeremiah¡¯s expression shifted slightly. Yvette lowered her head, recalling how, back in the day, she had almost be a meal for this cannibal tribe herself.


    §áwere


    Jacob pounded the ground hard, his entire body shaking with rage. Everyone else felt the same. In Clusia, children protected as the nation¡¯s future and hope. But here, they became prey for others. It was truly terrifying.


    Bruce¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he realized something. The cannibals liked to eat children, but where would they find so many? Unless¡­ Bruce looked at Yvette in disbelief and asked***ly, ¡°Yve, the children they eat are.


    Bruce didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he was implying. A shared realization dawned on them, and their faces turned pale in unison.


    Yvette nodded calmly, her eyes dark and deep. Her voice was slightly h***se as she said, ¡°They are all their own children. They only eat girls, believing that girls are born unlucky. If a girl is born with any deformities, the cannibals will not hesitate to turn her into food. The cannibal tribe is a filthy, chaotic, and extremely bloodthirsty group.¡±


    Everyone gasped in shock. In Clusia, there was a saying that even a tiger wouldn¡¯t harm its own cubs, but here in the rainforest, there was a tribe that ate its own children.


    Jeremiah frowned deeply upon hearing this, his gaze turning fierce. Whether or not this cannibal tribe was connected to the Tiger Head gang no longer mattered. Such a group had no reason to exist any longer.


    As the group seethed with anger, distant footsteps and voices suddenly reached their cars. Among the chatter, they could make out some broken Uprian.


    In the bushes. Jeremiah and Yvette exchanged a quick nce, while the others behind them kept a close watch on the distant figures. Cannibals didn¡¯t speak Uprian, so if someone was making it, it could only mean that Tiger Head was indeed connected to the cannibal tribe. But why? How could Tiger Head gang use the cannibals to produce drugs? The truth would only be revealed once they captured someone from the Tiger Head gang


    In the distance, a grouprof-thirty to forty cannibals approached. There were young and old, men and women, and even a few young boys among them. They were all dressed uniformly in clothes made from banana leaves, holding crude spears fashioned from thick tree branches. The stronger, younger male cannibals carried a makeshift stretcher, and on ity their ¡°prepared food-two adult men who appeared to be already dead.


    Behind the group of cannibals followed five or six men dressed in modern clothing. Leading them was a man in his forties, with sharp, hawk-like eyes and a long beard. His face radiated an air of insidiousness, and he wore a sinister smile as he nced at the ck box being carried behind him.


    Emmett, who had personally investigated the Tiger Head gang, immediately recognized the man as Eban Latouche, the gang¡¯s second-ininand. ¡°Mr. Chavez, it¡¯s Eban,¡± he whispered. ¡°It seems your guess was right. The Tiger Head gang is indeed using the cannibals in this remote jungle to produce drugs. That ck box likely contains the new type of meth that¡¯s been flowing into Clusia.¡±


    Jeremiah stared coldly at Eban, who wore a smug grin. A cold gleam shed in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, and his voice turned icy. ¡°Kill them all.¡±


    Yvette nced sideways, her expression unreadable.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Eban watched with excitement as the bodies were about to be ced on the roasting rack. The first time he tasted ¡°human meat¡± was by chance, but he quickly discovered its unparalleled vor and became addicted. Over the past year, they had been regrly delivering people to the cannibals, and over time, Eban himself developed a twisted love for the act of eating humans.


    Just as Eban was about to speak, a bullet wh***ed through the air, striking him squarely in the lower body with deadly precision. The s*p cr*ack echoed in his mind as the horrifying realization hit-his manhood was gone. Eban let out a scream, clutching his groin as he crumpled to the ground, blood pouring uncontrobly.


    The men who came with Eban hurriedly reached for their guns upon seeing him fall. But before they could even load their weapons, they copsed to the ground, lifeless, with a single red dot between their brows. In the blink of an eye, only Eban and the stunned cannibals remained. The cannibals, not knowing what a gun was, saw people dropping one by one and assumed some wild beast was responsible. They grabbed their spears, surrounding Eban in a protective circle, letting out guttural roars.


    Yvette slowly stepped out of the bushes, one hand casually tucked into her pocket, exuding an air of calm confidence. Her expression was as cold and cool as ever. Jeremiah stood up leisurely as well..


    Emmett, Bruce, Chris, Frankie, and Jacob followed behind them, emerging from the bushes.


    Emmett and the others nced at Eban, whoy on the ground, clutching his lower body and staring at them. Then at Yvette¡¯s expressionless face. A chill ran down their spines. Yve is so ruthless. Hitting a target from a hundred paces away is impressive enough, but how could she shoot Eban¡¯s c**h? Eban probably never imagined that before dying, he¡¯d suffer like this, they thought.


    At the back of the group, Jacob turned to the other soldiers with a determined expression. ¡°When we get out of this jungle, if Mc Zeller decides to kill me, I¡¯m counting on you guys to step in and hold her back. If that doesn¡¯t work, at least beg her to give me a quick death and leave my body intact. Guys, remember, I want to be buried whole, not missing any parts.¡±


    The others looked at Jacob with sympathy. After witnessing Yvette¡¯s shot just now, they felt his request would be hard to meet


    Yvette stepped into the clearing, her eyes scanning the fallen Eban and the cannibals surrounding him. Her gaze finally settled on an elderly man among them, and she narrowed her eyes. ¡°He looks familiar,¡¯ she thought.


    The old cannibal also spotted Yvette, staring at her with his cloudy eyes for a long moment before suddenly bing agitated. He started shouting incoherently at the cannibals around him, though no one could understand what he was saying.


    Eban, ignoring his pain, questioned Yvette and her group, ¡°Who are you? How did you make it here? It¡¯s impossible to reach this ce without a guide from the cannibals!¡±


    Eban knew well how dangerous the jungle was. Without the cannibals leading the way, they would have died long ago,


    Yvette¡¯s delicate eyebrows slightly raised, her eyes cold and her face expressionless. ¡°You talk too much.¡±

 Chapter 173

    Eban¡¯s men had all been shot, leaving him like a toothless tiger. han knew very well that with just a few dozen Cannibals, there was no way he could fight against the people in front of him. Enduring the pain in his lower body, he said. ¡°You must be explorers who stumbled here by ident. If you let me go now, I¡¯ll have the Cannibals escort you out of the rainforest. How does that sound¡± Eban had nothing to rely on except to use the Cannibals as leverage.


    Emmett and the others snorted coldly. ¡®Eban is still dreaming that he can get away with it, they thought. Just then, the elderly cannibal who had seemed agitated to see Yvette carlier grabbed a spear and rushed at her without saying a word. But before he could get close, a gunshot rang out, and the bullet shattered his leg, sending him crashing to the ground. Seeing this, the other cannibals grabbed their weapons and rushed forward as well.


    Jeremiah¡¯s face grew colder. He gestured to Emmett and the others, who, without hesitation, pulled out their guns and shot the charging cannibals. Within minutes, all the adult cannibalsy dead on the ground, leaving only a few women and children huddling off to the side.


    Eban trembled with fear as he looked at the bodies of the cannibals around him.


    Under Eban¡¯s terrified gaze, Yvette walked over slowly, Standing in front of him, she looked down at him with a slight, mischievous smirk. Her cold eyes nced at Eban with a hint of disdain.


    Jeremiah walked up to Yvette¡¯s side, his eyes icy and intimidating. ¡°So, how did you get the cannibals to produce drugs for you?¡±


    Eban¡¯sst shred of hope vanishedpletely. As expected, this group hade specifically for him. Realizing there was no way he¡¯d escape today, he decided to take the secret to his grave Eban stiffened his neck, suddenly showing a hint of defiance. ¡°You think I¡¯ll tell you anything? You won¡¯t get a word from me!¡±


    Jeremiah gave him such an intense look that it sent chills down his spine. The man is terrifying!¡¯ Eban thought.


    Jeremiah slowly pulled a handgun from his coat, taking his time as he leisurely loaded the weapon. Something that would normally take less than thirty seconds took him a full five minutes. During those five minutes, Eban¡¯s mind was tormented. Though he had imed not to fear death, in his heart, he was terrified. Every deliberate movement Jeremiah made was pure agony for him.


    Jeremiah pressed the gun against Eban¡¯s forehead, a faint smile ying on his lips, but his eyes were ominous.


    Emmett, Bruce, Frankie, Chris, and Jacob had finished clearing the battlefield and walked over. Frankie felt disgusted at the thought that Eban had eaten ¡°human flesh¡± just like the cannibals. This monster, who not only trafficked drugs but also indulged in cannibalism, deserved a fate worse than death. ¡°Mr. Chavez, are we just going to kill him like this? That¡¯s way too easy on him. I think we should tear him apart and throw him into the rainforest to feed the wild beasts¡±


    Jeremiah lowered his gaze, deep in thought, as if seriously considering Frankie¡¯s suggestion.


    Yvette walked up, crouching in front of Eban. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she smirked. In a soft voice, she asked, ¡°Are you really not going to talk?¡±


    Eban¡¯s face froze, and a terrifying feeling crept over him-this girl might be even more ruthless than the men. Despite his growing fear, he tried to maintain hisposure, though his voice trembled. ¡°I won¡¯t talk! You¡¯d better just kill me quickly.¡±


    Yvette responded with an indifferent ¡°Alright,¡± before casually pulling a dagger from her boot. Without even looking, she thrust it backward straight into Eban¡¯s thigh artery. In the next second, blood gushed from Eban¡¯s leg in a stream.


    Before Eban could even scream in pain, Yvette twisted the dagger, plunging it into his kneecap. The sound of bones cracking echoed in the air as his knee shattered. Eban stared at Yvette, his face drained of color. ¡®Demon¡­ she¡¯s an absolute demont he thought.


    Yvette slowly pulled the dagger out, her eyes lowered, exuding a dark, suffocating aura. She pressed her lips together, her voice light and emotionless. ¡°Well, still don¡¯t want to talk?¡±


    Unable to bear the paltrany longer, Eban frantically nodded. Terrified of another cut from Yvette, he quickly spilled everything about how they had used the cannibals to produce drugs.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Our gang came here looking for raw materials for new drugs. The jungle was too dangerous, and we lost several groups of men. Thest group, by sheer luck, encountered the cannibals. They were about to be eaten, but the shlights they carried were seen by the cannibals as some kind of divine sign, and they were spared. The cannibals even helped them out of the jungle. My brother and I realized the opportunity, and we used modern tricks to stage more ¡®miracles for the cannibals They believed everything. In return, we provided them with human sacrifices and taught them how to produce drugs for us. It¡¯s been over a year, and we¡¯ve hidden it well¡­ until now, Eban said.


    Emmelt chuckled bitterly, gritting his teeth. They had spent a week searching without finding any clues, never imagining that Tiger Head would use the cannibals to produce drugs. If Jeremiah hadn¡¯t noticed something was off, they¡¯d still be focusing all their efforts on Mysonna


    After Eban finished speaking, afraid that Yvette wouldn¡¯t believe him, he repeated, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you, that¡¯s the whole truth. The drugb is on a clearing not far from here. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go check it out. Eban was truly terrified at this point, confessing everything without any further resistance. He knew he was doomed, and his only wish was to suffer less.


    Yvette stood up and turned her head, asking, ¡°Do you have anything else to ask?¡±


    The ten men that Jeremiah had brought with him had been left speechless by Yvette¡¯s actions. When they heard her question, they all shook their heads in perfect unison.


    Jeremiah stepped forward and gently took Yvette¡¯s cold hand, wiping off the blood with a rough piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. ¡°Emmett can take care of the rest.¡±


    Yvette nodded obediently, her eyes downcast.


    Jeremiah turned and gave Emmett a silent signal before leading Yvette to a secluded corner. His gaze was focused, serious, and tinged with a hint of tenderness as he carefully and gently wiped the blood from her hands.


    Emmett stepped forward and swiftly ended Eban¡¯s life with a single gunshot. Then, he and Bruce found the drugb Eban had mentioned and burned it to the ground.


    After Jacob and the others cleaned up the bodies, they found themselves at a loss when faced with the remaining cannibal women and children. As they hesitated, Yvette approached, her voice calm and indifferent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± she said. ¡°In this rainforest, their survival skills are better than yours.


    Jacob nodded respectfully, then, full of admiration, bowed deeply to Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you are right. There are really cannibals. Now, you can beat me and scold me. It¡¯s all up to you!

 Chapter 174

    Yvette gave a casual nce at Jacobs, whose body was stiff. She pursed her lips and smiled, Just make sure to protect my man from now on.¡¯


    Jacob nodded awkwardly and looked at Yvette¡¯s man, who was grinning smugly.


    Jacob thought. Does Jeremiah even need protection? Ms. Zeller frally thinks a lot of me!


    In the bustling airport, Jeremiah wore a white shirt and ck dress pants, showing a bit of his corbone, giving off a restrained charm. He also looked intimidating and others kept their distance from him.


    He gently squeezed Wette¡¯s hand. In his dark eyes, only her reflection was visible. Lowering his voice, he asked. ¡°You won¡¯te home with me?¡±


    Casually lifting her head and tilting it slightly, Yvette looked at jeremiah seriously.


    They stood very close and could feel each other¡¯s breath, looking intimate. ¡°Yeah, I still have things to deal with here,¡± Yvette said


    At this moment. Jeremiah looked a bit pitiful.


    Yvette broke into a smile, ¡°Stop acting. You are not a good actor.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t know what to say, then gave a helpless smile. ying the pitiful card wasn¡¯t going to work for Yvette. Im not pretending. I am sad. Do you know how hard it is to get a girlfriend for the first time at thirty?¡±


    At that moment, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie pretended not to hear that. They thought, ¡®Mr. Chavez is so cunning that he even learns to act in front of Yvette. Why does it feel a bit weird?¡±


    Yvette squeezed Jeremiah¡¯s wrist, a yful look in her eyes. ¡°Take care. Goodbye.¡±


    The four of them behind almost started pping their hands. They thought, It doesn¡¯t work on Yve.¡±


    After Jeremiah left, Emmett drove the car. Yvette sat in the front seat, and Frankie along with others was in the back.


    Yvette curled up on the seat, her hat covering most of her face, leaving only her chin visible. She was ying a game on her phone, and soon the sound of winning yed.


    Frankie nced over but couldn¡¯t see what game Yvette was ying; all he could see was the words ¡°FastPulse Technologies¡±


    on the screen.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, what game are you ying? I¡¯ve never seen it before. Is it something new from FastPulse Technologies?¡± Frankie asked


    Yvette turned off her phone and put it back in her pocket, resting her hand on the car window. She replied, ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s not avable yet. It¡¯ll be releasedter this year.¡±


    Frankie scratched his head. ¡°FastPulse Technologies is releasing a new online gameter this year? Howe I didn¡¯t know about this? I¡¯m a gamer and haven¡¯t seen any announcement from them. Maybe I¡¯ve been too busy to notice. But Ms. Zeller, how did you get ess to the beta test? Usually, FastPulse does internal testing and doesn¡¯t let outsiders participate.¡±


    Chris, who usually spent most of his time training, didn¡¯t pay much attention to games. Hearing what Frankie said, he chimed in. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Maybe Yve is just really good at games, so FastPulse Technologies thought she was a good fit for the beta test and sent it to her.¡±


    Frankie couldn¡¯t think of a better exnation. He figured Chris was right; otherwise, he really couldn¡¯t understand why the world¡¯s biggest gamepany would be connected with Ms. Zeller.


    While driving, Emmett-looked serious as if he had something his mind.


    Bruce immediately noticed that Emmett seemed in a bad mood so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Ever since we left the airport, you¡¯ve seemed preupied


    Emmett thought for a moment and then shared his worries. Tafraid it won¡¯t he long before we have a confrontation with the Goodman family¡±


    Everyone in the car knew exactly who Emmett was talking about¨Cthe Goodman family, who had controlled Mysonna¡¯s underground mafia group for nearly two decades. They were unileniably the top mafia family.


    Bruce fell into silence.


    Frankie blurted out. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? If Mr. Chavez uses his people, how will the Goodman family deal with them? It¡¯s not certain who would win.¡±


    The car fell into silence after Frankie just finished speaking.


    Bruce, Chris, and Emmett all stared at him with disapproving looks. They thought, This fool. Mr. Chavez clearly isn¡¯t ready to reveal his hidden power to Yve, and now it is being blurted our so openly!


    Yvette rested her wrist on the car window, casually tapping her fingers. She closed her eyes as if she didn¡¯t hear Frankie¡¯s words.


    Everyone else kept silent and thought, ¡®Some things are better left for Mr. Chavez to discuss with Yve himself!


    The atmosphere in the car became increasingly awkward. Frankie realized he had said something inappropriate and tried to lighten the mood. ¡°Why are you staying in Mysonna, Ms. Zeller?¡±


    Yvette opened her eyes. Her expression changed as she took out a piece of vani toffee, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. Her face looked both captivating and rebellious. ¡°To kill someone,¡± she said.


    Frankie dramatically eximed, ¡°Come on, Ms. Zeller. Stop joking. Do you really have any enemies here¡±


    Bruce and Chris also looked at Yvette ahead.


    After spending these days in the rain forest, they hade to see Yvette as one of their own. Her enemies were theirs too, and if she ever had any, they¡¯d help without hesitationThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Yvette stared out the car window with a nk expression. She moved her fingers slightly. ¡°No enemies, she replied. After saying that, she closed her eyes, clearly not wanting to say more. The others took the hint and stayed quiet.


    They really don¡¯t need to worry much. Yve¡¯s way of dealing with Eban proved her ability and cruelty


    There was a ce in the eastern of Mysonna that everyone knew to avoid at all costs¨Cthe Goodman family¡¯s private estate. This ce was home to the Goodman family, the leading underground mafia family in Mysonna, and was known by many as a death trap.


    Rumor had it that countless bodies were carried out of here every day. Many bodies werepletely unrecognizable and had missing limbs. Their deaths were extremely brutal. But it was also a ce that many people in the underworld dream of reaching-


    Anyone who got involved with the Goodman family was set for a life of privilege and luxury. The lure of fame, status, and power was so strong that many rushed in, only to find themselves in ruin.


    In recent years, the underground operations of the Goodman family had been led by Braydon, the second son of the Goodman family, Braydon was a man feared by all in Mysonna¡¯s criminal world.


    Five years ago, when Braydon took over the Goodman family, the first thing he did was lead his crew to eliminate all the old officers his father left behind in one night; most of them opposed his rise, and some even attempted to assassinate him, but none seeded


    Braydon, with swift and decisive action, executed all his opponents and spent the next six months consolidating all of the Goodman family¡¯s underground power under his control.


    Rumors said Braydon was a ruthless killer. Braydon¡¯s ruthless methods made him famous across Mysonna, and he was also well-known for hisck of interest in women.


    Even before Braydon took over the Goodman family, people constantly sent women his way. The fate of those who brought women to him, and the women themselves, was often tragic. Alter Braydon took charge of the Goodman family, some people still foolishly tried to offer him women. However, by the next day, the person vanished in Mysonna, leaving no trace behind, not even his body.


    Over time, no one in Mysonna¡¯s underworld dared to do it again because nobody wanted to mysteriously disappear.


    Rumors once circted from the servants at the Goodman family vi. Braydon often stared at an empty photo framete at night, as though lost in thought. The whole thing was incredibly bizarre. But in thest two years, no one dared to send women to Braydon anymore; some even spected that he might prefer men.

 Chapter 175

    In the private estate of the Goodman family, a middle-aged man stood trembling in front of the desk, not daring to lift his head as cold sweat ran down his temples.


    ¡°Mr. Goodman, we¡¯ve checked. The person you¡¯ve been searching for appeared at the airport with some men. One of them seems to be quite close to her,¡± the man said,


    As he reached this point, the middle-aged man¡¯s voice stopped uddenly. ¡°The man sitting in the chair behind the desk slowly turned around to face the middle-aged man. With a cigarete between his slender fingers, his stunning face was captivating even through the light smoke.


    His expression was indifferent, his eyes carrying a sense of danger as he stared at the middle-aged man speaking. He looked intimidating and smiled, ¡°Oh? How close are they? Go on.¡±


    The middle-aged man was so frightened that he fell to his knees wiping sweat off his hands, but couldn¡¯t get them dry. ¡°Mr. Goodman, they are not close. I didn¡¯t see it clearly. I didn¡¯t see it clearly, he stammered


    Braydon pushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray with force, his eyes squinting. After a moment, with a faint smile, his fingers gently brushed theer of the photo, which showed Yette and Jeremiah at the airport today. They are not close?¡± he asked.


    The middle-aged man quickly chimed in obsequiously. ¡°Mr. Goodman, they are not close. There¡¯s definitely nothing between them. It seemed he was afraid Braydon wouldn¡¯t believe him, so he repeated it twice more.


    After he finished speaking, Braydon¡¯s expression softened a bit. But just as the man was about to breathe a sigh of relief. Braydon looked up and nced at him. His red eyes were filled with menace.


    For a moment, the middle-aged man felt like he was being stared down by a beast. He stood rigid, his head bowed, not daring to breathe loudly,


    ¡°Lying without a blink? Who taught you that?¡± After saying this, Braydon turned back to the window and lit another cigar ¡°Kill him,¡± he ordered.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man tried to bolt, but it was toote, in the darkness, a gun was already aimed at his heart. All that was heard was a loud bang


    Clutching his heart in disbelief, the middle-aged man turned to look at a spot in the room. For so long, he hadn¡¯t even realized there was another person in the study.


    Less than five seconds after the gunshot, the door opened and two men in ck came in quickly to carry the middle-aged man¡¯s body away.


    The entire process took less than a minute, as if nothing had happened.


    Braydon stared at the photo in his hand. His eyes carried a dangerous intensity, yet deep inside themy a profound longing. He thought, What a dazzling smile.


    Braydon extended his slender fingers, pressing a half-burned cigar against the man¡¯s face in the photo. Seeing the man¡¯s face in the photo waspletely disfigured by the burn, he smiled with satisfaction. His voice was hoarse. ¡°Jess, why do you think Yvette never smiles at me?¡±


    In the darkness, a woman¡¯s voice emerged, chillingly cold and slightly hoarse. ¡°Mr. Goodman, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Braydon¡¯s eyes were red. His eyes were like a deep ocean, impossible to fathom. His expression grew colder, terrifyingly so. ¡°Yeah, I understand. If I don¡¯t know, how could you?¡±


    Braydon touched the spot between his eyebrows, where a small scar ran across his brow. The scar didn¡¯t take away from


    Braydon¡¯s handsome look; instead, it gave his face a mysterious feeling. He had a smile on his face, intimidating and crazy,


    He thought. Yvette must have liked me; otherwise, why did she leave me with a scar like this? It¡¯s clear proof. But now she¡¯s been captivated by another mm. That¡¯s alright. Once that man is dead, Yvette will surelye back to me!


    Braydon gazed at the woman in the darkness. His voice was calm. ¡°Jess, I¡¯m upset. What do you think I should do?¡±


    The woman in the darkness dropped to her knees without hesitation, which caused a loud noise. ¡°Mr. Goodman, tell me what can I do for you.¡±


    Braydon looked down, her eyes growing redder. His eyshes duttered slightly, hiding the madness in his eyes.


    ¡°Go kill that man. Break every bone in his body, and it¡¯d be best if you could peel off his meat piece by piece. Take a picture for me: I want to enjoy it with Yvette. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it, don¡¯t you think? Braydon said.


    In the darkness, the woman came out. She was dressed in a ck leather jacket and pants, wearing a mask that only revealed a pair of cold, gleaming eyes, like those of a beast. ¡°Yes, Mr. Goodman, Jess will follow yourmand.¡±


    After she had left, Braydon sat in the chair and pulled a small box from the drawer to his left. Inside the box was a small silver knife with the word ¡°Yvette¡± engraved on its handle.


    Braydon gently caressed the handle, then held it in his hand, whispering something. The next moment, he shed his arm with the knife.


    Blood slowly oozed out, but Braydon seemed oblivious to the pain, stared where the blood seeped and smiled contentedly. He thought, It feels great. The feeling of Yvette¡¯s dagger slicing into my skin reminds me I am alive.¡±


    The next day, the group had been staying at Jeremiah¡¯s private vi ever since they returned from Mysonna


    Yvette was having breakfast with Emmett, Chris, Frankie, and Bruce. Sienna sent her a text message. [Mr. Zeller, help me.] Yvette paused, then went upstairs to her room to make a call. The phone rang twice and Sienna picked up on the other end, Sienna¡¯s voice came through the phone, loud and clear, with a hint of urgency and anger.


    ¡°Mr. Zeller, help me! That jerk Nathan wants to lock me up just because I want to break up with him. He crazily says if we die, we¡¯ll die together. And his brother, Braydon, is even more insane. He called Nathan and said if I don¡¯t listen, he should chop off my hands and feet and keep me like a pet. The whole Goodman family is crazy! I¡¯m not weak either. I gave Nathan some sleeping pills and escaped. Now he¡¯s got me trapped with nowhere to go, Sienna said.


    Sienna paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Ms. Zeller, is there a way to get me out of Mysonna for a while? I could hide out for three to five years. Once Nathan has found another woman, he probably won¡¯t bother me anymore.¡±


    Sienna had run out of options and couldn¡¯t find anyone to help ber, so she thought about asking Yvette for help. There was always something mysterious about Yvette and Sienna believed that she could make things happen.


    Yvette loungedzily on the couch, her cold eyes narrowing slightly. After hearing Sienna¡¯s words, she looked calm and her tone was indifferent and slow. ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±


    Sienna was stunned on the other end of the line, taking a while to understand what Yvette meant. She let out a surprised shout. Seeing others staring at her, she quickly lowered her voice.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re in Mysonna? Wow, you¡¯re truly a lifesaver, like an angel! I must have done something really good in my past life to meet such an amazing boss like you!¡± Sienna said.


    Yvette rubbed her temples and asked, ¡°Address?¡± Yvette thought, Sienna¡¯s attempts at ttery have backfired more than once.


    Sienna didn¡¯t dare say anything else. She quickly gave the address to Yvette and then waited at a nearby pizza ce for someone to pick her up.


    Sienna reached into her pocket and there was empty, She had rished out so fast without bringing a single penny. Starving all day, she could only stare longingly at the pizza.


    In the distance, someone in a ck SUV was staring at her.

 Chapter 176

    Half an hourter, a heavy motorcycle stopped at the curb.


    Yvette swung her long legs off the motorcycle and removed her helmet.


    The onlookers around her gasped in awe.


    Yvette stood casually on the sidewalk, her elegant features carrying a hint of coldness.


    She took a piece of vani toffee from her pocket, unwrapped it slowly, and popped it into her mouth.


    Sienna immediately spotted Yvette in the crowd, and dashed over, reaching out to hug her.


    Just as she was about to reach Yvette, Yvette slowly extended a finger and tapped Sienna¡¯s forehead. Her expression was indifferent. She slightly narrowed her eyes with a yful smile.


    Sienna took two steps back and said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s so challenging to take advantage of you¡±


    Yvette turned around and tossed the helmet from the motorcycle to Sienna, her voice cold and indifferent. ¡°Put it on.¡±


    Sienna obediently took the helmet, put it on, and got on the motorcycle.


    Two stunning women on a heavy motorcycle. It was as cool as it could be.


    People on the street couldn¡¯t help but throw furtive nces at them


    Even as Yvette drove off with Sienna, some people regretted not stepping forward to ask for their contacts.


    Yvette sped the motorcycle to over a hundred miles per hour, maintaining that speed all the way.


    Under the helmet, Yvette nced at the rearview mirror, her eyes deepening slightly. A mischievous smile yed on her lips.


    Someone was following them.


    The next moment, as they reached a crossroads, Yvette suddenly elerated, leaving the ck sedan behind,


    The ck sedan was already at its top speed, but it was still left for behind in just a traffic light¡¯s time, not even able to catch a glimpse of the motorcycle¡¯s tailpipe.


    Inside the sedan, the man¡¯s face changed as he watched the motorcycle disappear. His eyes were dark and inscrutable. Nathan thought, ¡®She actually knows Sienna. Her presence means that even if I find Sienna today, if Sienna doesn¡¯t give in, there is no way I can bring her back.¡±


    Nathan felt really troubled. He never expected that Sienna would have such strong support.


    In the vi, Bruce was in his study, eyes glued to theputer, not budging, with thetest Mysonna stock market updates shing on the screen.


    Bruce frowned.


    Lately, the Mysonna stock market had been very vtile. Several stocks with potential that Bruce was optimistic about have continuously hit their price limits for several days. He sensed something unusual.


    Hopefully, he was just overthinking.


    Emmett and Chris went out to handle some tasks.


    In the vi, besides Bruce, who was upstairs checking stocks, to their was only Frankie withd


    Frankie had been sitting on the sofa ying games all morning, to engrossed that he even skipped lunch.


    Just as Yvette was leading Sienna inside, Frankie had just finished a game level.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Yvette and Sienna stood at the doorway, watching Frankie, who was so thrilled that he was waving his arms around. Neither of them moved.


    Sienna tugged on Yvette¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Boss, is your friend a shaman or is there something off with his mind? He seems pretty out of it.¡±


    Yvette nced sideways at Sienna.


    She didn¡¯t bother to lower her voice. ¡°He¡¯s quite normal.¡±


    Frankie was startled by Yvette¡¯s voice and blurted out reflexively, ¡°Who? Who¡¯s not normal?¡±


    Sienna looked at Frankie, who was quiet now.


    No matter how she looked, he seemed just like an immature teenager.


    Yvette walked straight to the sofa, sat down, and crossed her legs casually, propping her arm on the armrest


    Frankie quickly went to the bar to pour Yvette a ss of warm water, handing it over with both hands.


    The whole process was smooth.


    Sienna was left speechless by what she saw.


    She thought, ¡°Could it be that Yvette likes this kind of vibe? A powerful woman and her loyal young boyfriend?¡±


    The scene was so embarrassing that Sienna couldn¡¯t bring herself to think about it anymore


    She still thought that the man she saw at the banquet in Seacrity was more suitable for Yvette.


    The person in front of her obviously didn¡¯t seem very smart.


    Afterpleting this series of actions, Frankie looked at Sienna and curiously asked, ¡°Yve, is this your friend?¡±


    Yvette took a sip of warm water, and her brows rxed a bit, making her eyes look less cold.


    Her voice remained as calm and gentle as ever. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll be staying here for a while, and I¡¯ll take care of everything for


    her.¡±


    Frankie was surprised, thinking. ¡°This person really holds a special ce in Yvette¡¯s heart.


    Sienna thought that making a good impression at their first meeting was crucial, especially since she would be staying here for a while. So, she shed her signature sweet smile at Frankie. Hello, I¡¯m Sienna


    Frankie dropped his casual demeanor and formally introduced himself to Sienna. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Frankie. Yvette has already told me, so feel at home here. Besides Yvette, it¡¯s all men here. Two are away on business, and another is always upstairs busy with stock trading. You¡¯ll meet everyone at dinner. Sienna, if you need anything, just let me know and I¡¯ll have it arranged for you. Don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    Since returning from the rainforest, all of them agreed on a consistent way to address Yvette


    Under Jeremiah¡¯s gentle suggestion, now all four of them called Yvette by her name. Jeremiah said this felt more friendly


    Sienna gave a shy smile.


    Frankie stared at her bright smile, momentarily stunned. He thought, ¡®Howe Yvette¡¯s friend is also so attractive? y stunned. He thought, Howe Yverie¡¯s friend is also so attractive?


    Frankie chatted with the two for a while.


    Most of the talking was between Sienna and Frankie, while Yvette silently listened with her eyes downcast


    After chatting for a bit, the two hit it off, and they were joking about bing best friends forever.


    Yvette nced up at the two carefree people and rested her chin on her hand.


    She let out a soft chuckle and casually said, ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±


    Without a second thought, Sienna and Frankie answered in unison, eager to respond quickly, ¡°No way!¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, wondering, ¡®Why am I being rejected like this? This feels a bit pathetic


    Frankie and Sienna enthusiastically chatted away.


    During the conversation, Frankie learned that Sienna wanted to break up with her boyfriend, who disagreed and even considered confining her. This annoyed Frankie so much that he cursed the guy for being a jerk.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t know that Sienna¡¯s boyfriend was Nathan, the heir to the foremost mafia family, the Goodman family.


    Later, Frankie found it out.


    He thought if he had known earlier that Sienna¡¯s boyfriend was Nathan, he would have cursed even more intensely. Three years ago, Nathan had set him up and he lost billions. It was something he would remember forever.


    Frankie said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Sienna. Don¡¯t go soft on him. Your boyfriend is such a jerk for trying to lock you up. You did, the right thing by drugging him. If I were you, I¡¯d poison him and let him die. You¡¯re too soft¨Chearted. A woman can¡¯t stand strong without a tough heart, you know? This is something you¡¯ve got to learn, and there¡¯s a lot to it, so you¡¯re just getting started.


    Sienna¡¯s eyes brightened when she heard Frankie¡¯s words.


    She nodded vigorously,pletely agreeing with everything he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I really want to poison that jerk too, but his brother is nuts. If I get caught, it¡¯s game over for me,¡± said Sienna


    Sienna remembered something Nathan had told her.


    The 108 methods his brother supposedly had for punishing people might be real. Just hearing about them kept her up days.


    Frankie was about to say something else when Yvette¡¯s phone suddenly rang

 Chapter 177

    Yvette lightly touched her phone to answer the call.


    The voice on the other end was concise and direct.


    ¡°This is Nathan. I¡¯m outside the vi. Can you let me in to see her? There¡¯s a misunderstanding with Sienna, and I want to rify things face-to-face,¡± said Nathan.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk, partially lowered her gaze, and nced at her watch. She said dowly, ¡°I don¡¯t have time.


    Outside the vi, Nathan¡¯s face fell as he stared at the distant vi with a conflicted expression.


    The owner of this vi was someone the Goodman family couldn¡¯t track down.


    Even in Mysonna, the Goodman family couldn¡¯t find information on someone.


    It meant that the power and background of this person was truly intimidating.


    Nathan paused for a moment. Just as he was about to say another word, Yvette ended the call.


    Nathan was taken aback.


    Yvette was always as wild as ever and never knew how to hold back.


    In the vi, Yvette sat slouched on the couch, crossing her legs while casually swinging her phone.


    Shezily nced at Sienna. ¡°Nathan called. He¡¯s outside and wants to see you.


    Sienna hesitated for a moment.


    Her face was conflicted. She realized avoiding him wasn¡¯t a solution. It was better to talk it out face to face.


    Sienna looked at Yvette with determination. ¡°Yve, sooner orter I have to face Nathan. It¡¯s perfect that he¡¯s here now. Tll clear things up with him. I can¡¯t keep hiding under your wings forever. Let him in.¡±


    Yvette shifted into a morefortable position, her gaze calm as she looked up at Sienna.


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± she asked.


    Sienna nodded seriously once again. I¡¯m sure about this, Yve. Let hime in.¡±


    Yvette casually agreed, ¡°Okay,¡± Then she dialed Nathan¡¯s number


    Nathan was standing outside the vi.


    He thought, ¡®Barging in? I won¡¯t dare. With Yvette¡¯s personality, I will be lucky to make it out alive. But to just leave like that? I am worried Sienna may be hidden by Yvette. What if Yvette really hides Sienna? Then I may never find her.


    As Nathan got into his car and thought about it, his phone began to ring Nathan looked at the phone screen. He was overjoyed.


    He quickly answered, ¡°Hello, L¡­ But before he could say another word, Yvette cut him off. ¡°Come in.¡± And with that, she ended the call.


    Inside the vi, Frankie turned his head stiffly to look at Yvette and Sienna, his face full of disbelief.


    ¡°Nathan? That name sounds familiar. Could it be the Nathan from the Goodman family?¡± asked Frankie.


    Sienna tilted her head, not sensing anything off about Frankie¡¯s reaction, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s him. Why? Do you know him?¡±


    Frankie gritted his teeth, trying to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.


    He gritted his teeth. I don¡¯t know him. How could I possibly know a man who¡¯s so selfish, insidious, and adept in scheming and trickery?¡±


    Sienna adjusted her clothes a bit tighter around herself. She felt a chill down her spine.


    Frankie imed not to know Nathan, but judging by his expression, he probably wished more than anything for Nathan to disappear.


    Yvette nced over at Frankie, who had a look of hatred on his face.


    Her refined eyebrows hinted at aid-back, carefree attitude.


    As soon as Nathan walked in, he saw Yvettezily sprawled on the couch, with Sienna sitting next to her.


    There was so a trendy man who eyed him suspiciously.


    Nathan frowned, wondering, ¡®Have I offended this guy before? I can¡¯t quite remember Sienna didn¡¯t even look at him. She was entirely focused on Yvette, attentively peeling an apple for Yvette.


    Nathan felt a pang of envy.


    He had been with Sienna for so long, and she never peeled an apple for him.


    Nathan imagined countless scenarios but never expected his rival in love to be Yvette..


    Nathan walked into the living room and sat down without a word


    Clearing his throat, he gazed at Sienna, as if he had a thousand things to say, but he turned to greet Yvette first.


    ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s been a while, he smiled.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette nced up from her game with a brief look. Her expression was cold and distant.


    Her deep eyes were bright. She remained silent and she lowered her head back to her game.


    Nathan waspletely ignored.


    Frankie, sitting at the side, almost pped in delight. He thought. Yvette is really amazing. Who cares about the Goodman family? They mean nothing at all¡¯


    Sienna nervously pressed her lips together.


    Nobody understood Nathan¡¯s bad temper better than Sienna. Worried Yvette¡¯s attitude might anger Nathan, Sienna quickly sat beside Yvette, blocking Nathan¡¯s view.


    She had a guarded expression. It was as if Nathan were an enemy.


    Seeing Sienna so wary of him, Nathan gave a bitter smile.


    Sienna was overthinking. Even the head of the Goodman family wouldn¡¯t dare put on airs in front of Yvette, let alone Nathan.


    ¡°Sienna, it¡¯s not what it seems. My fianc¨¦e was chosen by my grandpa, and I¡¯m not in agreement. I¡¯ll find a way to break off the engagement and marry you instead. I understand your concerns, and I promise I won¡¯t get involved in the Goodmant family¡¯s secret dealings. My grandpa already divided the duties Between Braydon and me five years ago. I¡¯m responsible for the legitimate business, and Braydon handles the covert operations. What you sawst time was an ident, and it truly won¡¯t happen again. I swear. Even if you don¡¯t think of me, shouldn¡¯t you think of the baby in your belly? Do you want him to be born without a father?¡± Nathan pleaded sincerely, hope filling his eyes.


    Hearing Nathan suddenly bring up her pregnancy, Sienna momentarily froze.


    She nced secretly at Yvette, who was engrossed in a mobile game, her head bent in focus. She felt a little guilty.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers hesitated slightly, her eyes lowered, but she continued ying as if nothing had happened.


    When he heard this, Frankie silently cursed Nathan for being shameless, using the baby to keep a woman by his side. That was so despicable.


    Nathan¡¯s ability to brainwash was truly impressive. Sienna¡¯s expression wavered slightly before she nced up at Nathan after a moment of doubt.


    ¡°Nathan, the reason I asked you in is to make things clear. I am serious about breaking up with you and hope we can part on good terms. As for the baby, I¡¯ll have it. After all, your genes are decent. Don¡¯t worry. The child and I won¡¯t appear in your life, and whoever you want to marry is none of my business. Likewise, I hope you don¡¯t appear in front of me and the child. Let¡¯s go our separate ways and live well, okay? And if you don¡¯t mind, I might even send you a wedding invitation when I get married in the future,¡± said Sienna.


    At this point, Sienna¡¯s voice became much softer as she realized she had inadvertently revealed her true feelings,


    Nathan¡¯s face fell. His eyes were touched with a hint of anger. He was furious enough to want to kill someone.


    He thought, ¡®What kind of nonsense is this woman talking about? She ns to marry someone else? Find another father for my child? I wonder who in Mysonna will dare to marry my woman and the mother of my child!


    Frankie, sitting on the side, wanted to p and cheer for Sienna. She really deserved the title of his loyal friend. It was best that Sienna could drive Nathan crazy.


    Even Nathan could sense the mischievous satisfactioning from Frankie.


    Nathan¡¯s anger was getting stronger, but he managed to hold it back.


    After a while, Nathan finally calmed down and said to Sienna, ¡°Sienna, stop being so stubborn. What you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t make any sense. In Mysonna, who would dare to take my woman


    As he said this, Nathan nced at Yvette, who was busy with her phone. He was really worried she might undermine him. Sienna just shook her head. She had already made up her mind and was determined not to turn back.


    ¡°If you insist on doing this, I can just stay single and not get married. It¡¯s no big deal. You know Vibe has a third of its shares under my name. I¡¯m rich and good-looking, Raising a kid on my own is no problem. In fact, if I wanted to marry someone willing to live with me, I¡¯d have a line stretching from Mysonna to Clusia. So you can¡¯t stop me,¡± said Sienna.


    Frankie jumped up from the couch.

 Chapter 178

    Frankie approached Nathan in three quick steps, sizing him up with disdain¡­


    He coldly grunted, ¡°Listen, Nathan, Sienna said she wants to break up, and that¡¯s final. You threatening her with a child is pathetic. It¡¯s embarrassing for a man. As for the child in Sienna¡¯s belly. I¡¯ll take responsibility for that, so don¡¯t worry. What era do you live in? You think you¡¯re some domineering CEO, alle to control a woman just because she¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    Sitting on the sofa, Nathan¡¯s expression darkened with each word from Frankie.


    Yvette nced up from her phone, noting Nathan¡¯s barely contained rage.


    Her cold demeanor and the gentle tapping of her slender fingers on the armrest made Nathan feel like a deted balloon. He didn¡¯t dare move and just clenched his fists tightly.


    Right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill Frankle standing before him.


    But with Yvette present, he didn¡¯t dare to do anything. Otherwise, he might end up being carried out today.


    He didn¡¯t doubt it for a second.


    After all, he had seen someone carried out right in front of him before, and Yvette¡¯s craziness was still fresh in his memory


    It testified to her ruthless nature.


    She fiercely protected her own, and her stance made it clear that Nathan was an insignificant outsider.


    Frankie was pleased to see Nathan, who was furious enough to explode but didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    He saw the devious Nathan was too intimidated to act after Yvette¡¯s warning nce.


    With her by his side, he felt empowered to bully Nathan,


    He was thrilled at the thought of leveraging Yvette¡¯s strength against the viin.


    Nathan, however, ignored Frankie¡¯s taunts and focused on Sienna, suppressing his anger as he pleaded, ¡°Sienna, pleasee home with me. We need to talk.¡±


    This was the first time Sienna had seen Nathan like this, so different from the paranoid and gloomy figure he had been the day before.


    But it was toote. The past was the past.


    She didn¡¯t want to return to the past.


    Sienna shook her head, her expression showing immovable, and Nathan¡¯s patience finally wore thin.


    He revealed his true colors, ignoring Yvette, who remained seated on the sofa, and reached for Sienna¡¯s hand.


    But before he could touch her, a bullet struck his wrist.


    Nathan gritted his teeth against the pain, his eyes wide as he turned to Yvette.


    He realized this warning shot was her way of saying that further rash actions would have serious consequences.


    Sienna gasped, spotting the elegant silver pistol in Yvette¡¯s hand and the wound on Nathan¡¯s wrist, leaving her speechless.


    Next to her, Frankie was taken aback as well.


    He thought, ¡°Wow, Yverte is quthless. Nathan is the heir of the Goodman family, and she shoots him like that. She¡¯s really something. I have to admit that was a damn impressive shot.


    Nathan clutched his wound, blood seeping onto the expensive carpet, staining it.


    Nathan pursed his lips, his face pale, looking pitiful.


    Despite his pale face, the other three chose to ignore him.


    Nathan never imagined that even Sienna would be so ruthless andpletely uncaring about him.


    At that moment, he finally got anxious.


    He had hoped that by humbling himself, Sienna would surely soften and return to him. But now, her behavior made it clear their rtionship was truly over.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Understanding he wouldn¡¯t achieve anything by staying, he took a step back.


    He said, ¡°Sienna, I hope you¡¯ll think about what I¡¯ve said. I won¡¯t give up on you¡±


    With that, he turned to leave.


    As he passed Yvette, he leaned slightly toward her, whispering. After all these years, you¡¯re still so ruthless. Braydon knows about your return to Mysonna


    Yvette understood his intentions and looked at him dismissively her usual lethargy reced by cold disdain.


    Feeling the weight of her gaze, Nathan¡¯s wrist hurt even more from anger.


    He thought, ¡®Damn it! Nobody else in the world could be as arrogant and brash as Yvette.


    Yvette smiled at Nathan, her expression sending a shiver down bas spine as if he felt Death¡¯s scythe poised above him.


    She stared at his pale face, her eyes dark and still.


    In a low, hoarse voice, she threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t want anyone to inherit the Goodman family¡¯s secret business, I won¡¯t mind personally helping your family deal with Braydon.¡±


    That was a very harsh thing to say.


    Nathan¡¯s face was tense, his anger boiling beneath the surface, and his eyes were red.


    Determined not to show weakness, he gritted his teeth and confronted Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re so ruthless Braydon still has the scar on his face.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he forced a sarcastic smile, adding, ¡°You managed to kill Braydon five years ago. Surely you can now. But he¡¯s different now. He controls the entire Goodman family¡¯s underworld, so I expect he¡¯ll be here soon.


    After saying that, he turned to observe Yvette¡¯s reaction, but she remained indifferent, which only intensified his frustration.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to dy.


    With Yvette¡¯s marksmanship, he feared he might lose his arm if he lingered too long,


    After speaking, Nathan stormed out, but just before he reached the door, he heard Frankie¡¯s voice behind him. ¡°Hey, this carpet I got from the auction is worth at least I million dors. Pay up. As the Goodman family¡¯s elder son, you won¡¯t deny it, will you?¡±


    The sarcasm stung.


    Nathan paused, hisce darkening as his wrist throbbed painfully.


    Yvette¡¯s shot seemed to have hit the bone.


    He pulled out a check, gritting his teeth against the pain, and wrote 1.5 million dors on it.


    With a cold grunt, he tossed the check on the ground and left without looking back.


    The three remaining in the room watched him go in silence.


    Yvette was expressionless. Sienna felt a sense of relief, and Frankie was in high spirits.


    Once outside, Nathan jumped into his car and instructed the driver to rush him to the Goodman family hospital. Seeing Nathan injured, the driver knew something must have happened and sped toward the hospital.


    He thought. Who darey a hand on Mr. Goodman? Since when did Mysonna have such a powerful person?


    As Nathan¡¯s car sped down the mountain, Emmett and Chris were returning to the vi after finishing their errands.


    Their cars passed by each other.


    Spotting the speeding car with a Goodman family license te. Emmett frowned.


    He thought. ¡°The Goodman family¡¯s car went down the direction where Mr. Chavez bought that piece ofnd. Now, they only have a vi, have the Goodman family members gone to the vi?¡±


    Thinking about this, Emmett briefly shared his suspicions with Chris.


    rmed, Chris urged the car to speed up, eager to get back.

 Chapter 179

    Inside the vi, Sienna looked at Yvette, guilt etched on her face as she instinctively shrank back, ¡°Yve, I didn¡¯t mean to hide my pregnancy. Nathan tampered with the condoms, she stammered.


    Yvette sniffed and raised an eyebrow, her expressionpletely unreadable, causing Sienna to lower her gaze. She muttered softly, ¡°me me for coveting appearance a little absolutely not much, and he has no more.¡±


    Frankie discreetly grabbed a cup of water, distancing himself from the two women.


    His experience told him to stay out of women¡¯s disputes to avoid the fallout.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow with a striking jawline, her voice calm and measured. ¡°It¡¯s your choice whether to keep the child. No one can take responsibility for your life.


    Sienna felt a pang of sadness at these words. She thought, Does Ms. Zeller me me?¡±


    Yvette crossed her legs, frowning and not knowing why Sienna was feeling down.


    She added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the child. It should be easy to raise him. I raised myself just fine.¡±


    Frankie spat out his water in surprise and gave Yvette a thumbs-up, eximing exaggeratedly, ¡°Yvette, you raised yourself? What do you mean?¡±


    Yvette shot Frankie a look, her eyes clearly saying, ¡°Are you an idiot?¡±


    After a brief silence, she continued, her dark gaze lingering. ¡°I cook for myself, dress myself, study, and earn a living. Does that confuse you?¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t say that since she was a child, anything that interested her was basically self-taught, and she had never understood what it was like to struggle in others¡¯ eyes.


    Frankie stared at her, pondering the unfairness of life.


    He thought, ¡°What did God deny Yvette? Beauty? No, she was stunning. Talent? Clearly not. She was Cyanbird, an international artist whose painting once fetched 160 million dors at auction.


    Frankie stared at her for a long time, and finally, he had to concede that life was unjust and Yvette was wless.


    Sienna looked at Yvette sheepishly. ¡°Yve, you¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡±


    Yvette replied with a simple ¡°Hmm.


    Sienna¡¯s relief was palpable.


    *****


    Meanwhile, Emmett and Chris managed to make it back to the vi in just ten minutes.


    Yvette, Frankie, are you two okay?¡± they called as they approached.


    Frankie, Sienna, and Yvette turned to the door, where Emmett and Chris entered at a brisk pace.


    Emmett noticed a strange woman in the living room and frowned, assuming she was another of Frankie¡¯s girlfriends and was about to reprimand him.


    Frankie noticed Emmett¡¯s look at the door and immediately realized he had the wrong idea. He exin. ¡°This is Sienna, a good friend of Yvette. She¡¯ll be staying here for a while.


    After hearing this, Emmett¡¯s demeanor rxed significantly.


    Emmett and Chris both became much more courteous,


    Emmett greeted, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Emmett, Yvette¡¯s friend is also our hend, so feel at home here¡±


    Chris, less experienced with women, simply nodded and added, I¡¯m Chris.¡±


    Vickly jumped in to Sienna nodded politely. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sienna. I apologize for the trouble. I¡¯ll move out as soon as things are settled.¡±


    After Emmett and Chris greeted her, they anxiously turned to Yvette and Frankie, asking worriedly, ¡°Yvette, Frankie, was there a man here just now? Did you see him?¡±


    Emmett didn¡¯t mention Nathan¡¯s name directly.


    Frankie first nodded, then shook his head, leaving Emmett and Chris confused.


    Emmett nced at Yvette, sitting on the sofa, absorbed in her phone.


    ¡°Yvette, did a man with shy lookse by just now?¡± he asked carefully.


    Yvette nced down at a text message that had just arrived on her phone. The message re judge position for you for this year¡¯s International Piano Competition.]


    [Hey Dulcem, we¡¯ve reserved a


    This was the third year in a row that the International Piano Competition had invited Yvette to be a judge.


    Yvette replied tly: [No need.]


    After sending the message, she looked at the others and said. ¡°Yes, he came and just left.¡±


    Sienna quietly asked, ¡°Was that man with a shy look Nathan?¡±


    Emmett and Chris stared at her, surprised she knew about Nathan.


    Nervously, Sienna stepped back toward Yvette, feeling safer near her.


    She thought, ¡°How many enemies had my ex-boyfriend made?¡±


    Frankie quickly exined, ¡°No, don¡¯t scare her. That scumbag is why Sienna is hiding here. To put it simply, he¡¯s her ex- boyfriend. Sienna wanted to break up, but Nathan refused and chased after her. Yvette brought her here out of fear he would hurt her.


    Everyone knew that Frankie had suffered over a billion dors because of Nathan three years ago.


    Later, the Goodman family faced consequences too. Jeremiah led a group to intercept arms from them, costing them billions and leaving Nathan empty-handed.


    Emmett and Chris heard Frankie¡¯s exnation but weren¡¯t interested in Sienna and Nathan¡¯s issues.


    But they were concerned that since Sienna was staying here, Nathan¡¯s knowledge of her whereaboutsplicated things. Emmett asked, ¡°Ms. Sterling, are you sure you want to break up with Nathan?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s expression was resolute. ¡°Yes, I truly want to break up, but I don¡¯t want to involve anyone else. If this is inconvenient for you¡­


    Emmett cut her off.


    The Goodman family might rule Mysonna, but they were just kings of this territory.


    There were others out there.


    They were not afraid of the Goodman family.


    He said. ¡°Ms. Sterling, you¡¯re overthinking it. You¡¯re good friends with Yvette, so you¡¯re ours too. Nathan is vindictive and has a notorious reputation. Leaving him was the right choice. Just feel free to stay here.¡±


    Emmett uncontrobly made a jab at Nathan again


    Yvette stood up, holding his phone, a nasal tone in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s just Nathan. There¡¯s no need to be nervous. If he bes a hassle, just kill him.¡±


    Emmett thought Yvette was ruthless, as did Chris.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Frankie observed their expressions and wanted to tell them to calm down.


    After all, Yvette had already shot Nathan decisively, and he had fled in humiliation.


    Emmett feltpelled to remind Yvette that dealing with Nathan differed from handling a python. The Goodman family was not to be trifled with.


    Chris hesitated before saying. ¡°Yvette, the Goodman family has significant power. They¡¯re not easy to confront


    Yvette smirked. ¡°Neither am 1.¡±

 Chapter 180

    During dinner, Bruce knew Sienna and, upon learning about her connection to Nathan, merely nodded coldly without speaking


    No matter how strong the Goodman family was, they weren¡¯t afraid either, and the person Yvette wanted to protect would be safeguarded


    At the Goodman family¡¯s hospital, Nathan¡¯s exclusive doctor carefully bandaged his wounds, taking an hour toplete a task that should have taken 20 minutes, fearful of causing further harm to him.


    Nathan¡¯s expression darkened as he reflected on the day¡¯s events


    The doctor, sensing the oppressive aura surrounding Nathan, struggled to maintain steady hands.


    After the bandaging, Nathan returned to the Goodman residence.


    Exiting the car, he spotted Braydon on thewn, ying with Odin.


    It was ironic that his brother treated the dog better than he did.


    ift from Yvette.


    Odin was a casual gift


    Over the years, Braydon spent his free time ying with Odin, besides dealing with gang matters.


    How ironic!


    Nathan stepped over.


    Tyson, next to Braydon, kept a stern look as he watched Nathan walking from afar, shocked to see the white bandage wrapped around his wrist.


    He thought, ¡°Who dared to hurt him?


    With a deep bow, Tyson said, ¡°Mr. Braydon Goodman, Mr. Nathan Goodman has arrived.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Braydon didn¡¯t even look up, continuing to entertain Odin with a toy in his hand.


    Nathan approached, and Odin barked at him, ready to attack if not restrained by Braydon.


    Nathan shot a disgusted look at the grinning Odin, just like its owner, not likable at all.


    Nathan exposed the bandages on his wrist,


    Braydon¡¯s gaze shifted from Odin to Nathan¡¯s injury, and he paused before asking coldly. ¡°Who hurt you?¡±


    Feeling a flicker of concern from Braydon, Nathan¡¯s heart softened, but he hesitated.


    He contemted whether to inform Braydon about Yvette¡¯s return to Mysonna


    He initially didn¡¯t want to let Yvette get off easy, but now he was hesitant and worried about revealing her whereabouts.


    Given Braydon¡¯s obsession with Yvette, if he found out her location, he¡¯d probably rush there immediately.


    But he worried about Braydon¡¯s safety if he went to see Yvette, who had shown no mercy in the past.


    Ultimately, Nathan decided to keep this information hidden.


    If that dangerous woim truly intended to harm Braydon, no me could stop her.


    Forcing a smile to deflect Braydon¡¯s scrutiny. Nathan replied, ¡°It nothing. I just hurt myself identally.¡±


    Braydon stared at Nathan¡¯s hand with an unclear expression.


    Nathan¡¯s body stiffened for a moment until Braydon finally looked away and he rxed.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite careless. Did that woman hurt you? Why keep something that disobeys?¡± Braydon remarked.


    The mention of Sienna made Nathan¡¯s fingers tighten in anger. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯ll do anything for Sienna? Aren¡¯t you also obsessed with Yvette?¡±


    Realizing his mistake as he saw Braydon¡¯s expression shift, Nathan regretted his words.


    The atmosphere on thewn turned icy.


    Tyson internally scolded Nathan for hisck of judgment.


    Mentioning Yvette was taboo for Braydon, and few dared to speak her name, knowing the danger it posed.


    Braydon¡¯s demonic eyes glowed like a ck wolf in the night. His cold gaze was harp enough to prate Nathan¡¯s bones, instilling fear in those around him.


    His voice was chilling. ¡°What is Sienna? How can shepare to Yvette? If I hear such words again, I¡¯ll make Sienna disappear for good.¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Nathan¡¯s expression darkened. Braydon was a lunatic, saying and doing whatever he wanted.


    Knowing Braydon¡¯s temperament, he knew he couldn¡¯t oppose him and had to soften his attitude.


    With a slight tremor in his icy voice, he said, ¡°Braydon, I¡¯m sorry for my words. You can¡¯t touch Sienna. She¡¯s pregnant with my child. If anything happens to her, it¡¯s two lives lost. I¡¯ll handle my affairs. You don¡¯t need to worry. Just visit Grandpa when you can.¡±


    Braydon nced at him sideways, his tone dripping with disdain. ¡°Ill see him when he dies.


    Nathan was taken aback.


    He thought, ¡°Damian had drugged Braydon to make him miss Yvette¡¯s whereabouts for two months. Is it what he harbored such hatred for so long?


    Yvette is a threat that needs to be eliminated. Otherwise, she could destroy the Goodman family at any moment.


    Later that night, after everyone had settled in, Yvette donned a ck sweatshirt, tied her hair back, and wore a cap that concealed her face, revealing only her chin.


    She left the vi and headed to a bar called ¡°Raindrop in the western district of Mysonna


    The bar was lively, filled with men and women dancing as the DJ pumped up the atmosphere.


    Yvette casually found herself a seat in a corner booth.


    Since her cap kept her face hidden, no one seemed to notice her


    Only a couple of patrons caught a glimpse of her profile and spected that she must be beautiful.


    Raindrop Bar was known for its attractive clientele, so they quickly looked away.


    Yvette sat in the booth with her legs crossed.


    Her eyes were half-closed, and her delicate brows arched, exuding a rebellious arrogance.


    She ordered a cup of hot milk, a cozy choice that felt out of ce in the noisy bar, drawing puzzled looks from those nearby.


    They thought, Drinking milk in a bar? Is she crazy?


    Then Yvette removed her cap, stunning everyone with her beauty.


    Ignoring the stares. Yvette continued sipping her milk, appearingpletely innocent


    Half an hourter, two men with bleached hair exchanged nces and eyed Yvette in the booth with malicious intentions.


    They specialized in finding ¡°clients¡± in the Raindrop Bar.


    They were low-level members of the Tiger Head Gang, scouting for vulnerable girls to lure into drug use.


    If the girls couldn¡¯t pay, they would eventually use the addiction to control those who got hooked and force them into prostitution to make money.


    They had been doing this for over a year now. Initially, they were afraid of being caught by their superiors.


    The ze Hall had prohibited drug manufacturing and sales, so they always operated in secret.


    -The Tiger Head Gang used to be a minor faction under the ze Hall, just scraping by in the underworld without much attention from the higher-ups.


    About a year ago, their boss somehow got hold of a new type of drug and made a fortune from it. They even started selling it overseas, especially making big money in Clusia, which allowed the gang to expand and grow into thergest faction under ze Hall.


    Now, the ze Hall turned a blind eye to their drug trafficking, sometimes even facilitating their operations, particrly af Raindrop Bar, where they recruited new members.

 Chapter 181

    Sandor and Dee approached with milk in hand. It was their first time trying to strike up a conversation while holding milk.


    They noticed the mocking looks of bystanders and felt embarraged.


    They thought, ¡®Why would a beautiful womane to a bar and order milk?


    Some bar acquaintances recognized Sandor and Dee and understood their intentions but were too intimidated by the Tiger Head Gang to say anything.


    Watching Yvette, they felt pity for her to be potentially ruined by men.


    Dee spoke up first, ¡°Pretty girl, are you alone? Mind if we join you?


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, ncing at them before raising her gaze.


    The men felt uneasy under her intense gaze.


    Then Yvette smiled, stunning them both.


    Her beauty was captivating, and her smile seemed to eclipse the world.


    Dee¡¯s eyes lit up, and he whispered something to Sandor, who looked at Yvette with eager eyes,


    Yvette caught every word the two whispered, though they seemed unaware that their lips had given them away.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers lightly tapped the milk cup she held, a faint, knowing smile appearing on her lips.


    She thought. ¡®Did these two want to hand me over to Burley?


    Interesting. They¡¯re the first to try to sell me out.¡±


    After their muttered conversation, the two men reappeared at Vette¡¯s booth


    Dee attempted to sit closer, but Yvette¡¯s indifferent gaze stopped him. ¡°Get lost,¡± she said coldly.


    Embarrassed by Yvette¡¯s dismissive remark, Dee wanted to break a ss to scare her.


    Although thinking Yvette was unappreciative, Sandor quickly gave Dee a way out, smoothing things over to prevent any esction and losing their opportunity to please their boss.


    ¡°Dee, how can you be rude to such a beautiful woman? I apologize on his behalf,¡± he said, giving Dee a pointed look. Reluctantly, Dee apologized to Yvette. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I got carried away. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Throughout their whole drama, Yvette barely looked up, not saying a word.


    The atmosphere grew tense.


    Onlookers were nervous about her attitude toward the two men, backed by the powerful Tiger Head Gang, affiliated with the infamous ze Hall, one of the 72 halls under the Goodman family.


    Yvette rested her wrist on the table expressionlessly, ncing at the tiger insignia emzoned on the cuffs of their shirts.


    She took a sip of her milk, her emotions hidden beneath her calm exterior.


    ¡°Are you guys from the Tiger Head Gang?¡± she asked.


    Sandor and Dee were taken aback. They didn¡¯t expect her to know about the Tiger Head Gang and wondered if she might be someone not to be messed with.


    Sandor¡¯s demeanor shifted, curiosity piqued. ¡°Do you know our ang?


    Yvette turned slightly, her voice low. I¡¯ve heard of it


    They assumed she meant she recognized their reputation and felt a sense of pride swell within them.


    These days, wherever the Tiger Head Gang members went, theymanded respect from everyone.


    Dee was practically on cloud nine.


    He plopped down in a chair but kept his distance, making sure not to bother Yvette.


    Brimming with confidence, Dee said, ¡°Beauty, you¡¯ve heard of the Tiger Head Gang? We¡¯re the top gang under the ze Hall. Our Boss is highly regarded, and we are his trusted aides. Let¡¯s be friends. If you¡¯re ever in trouble, we¡¯ll always have your back.¡±


    Sandor sat on the sofa and nodded in agreement with Dee.


    Seeing Yvette remain silent, Dee quickly pulled a transparent bag from his pocket.


    The white powder looked especially tempting under the bar¡¯s dim lights.


    They took it tantly, visibility reflecting the area¡¯swlessness.


    The people around weren¡¯t surprised at all.


    This was in Mysonna, a chaotic politicalndscape where businessmen could be presidents, and money and power ruled the capitalist environment.


    The people under the Goodman family¡¯s ze Hall were dealing drugs, but no one dared to speak up.


    Dee waved a small bag of white powder in front of Yvette, pride evident in his tone. ¡°Beauty, want to try this? It¡¯s new, and promise you¡¯ll crave more afterward. The first time¡¯s on me. What do you say?¡±


    Sandor chimed in, ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t be so cold! Let¡¯s be friends. If you¡¯re unsatisfied, we¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    Normally, when they talked like that, girls would let their guard down and try it. It was their usual trick, always sessful, especially with those naive girls new to the bar scene.


    Over the past year, they had scammed countless victims, and even those who resisted eventually sumbed.


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s looks and figure, the two guys felt a surge of excitement.


    Yvette, however, remained expressionless, her eyes sharp as her fingers tapped the armrest.


    ¡°Does ze Hall know you¡¯re dealing drugs?¡± she asked, feigning innocence.


    The two men were stunned. They hadn¡¯t expected her to mention drugs directly, but they didn¡¯t think much of it afterward.


    They thought, ¡®Had they misjudged her? Could this girl be a party-goer too?¡±


    Dee quickly tried to defend himself. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not a drug, just something to make you feel good, not highly addictive. You can take it or leave it. Don¡¯t worry, we promise. Plus, it¡¯s not expensive. Don¡¯t you want to give it a try?¡±


    These two were excellent liars. If it were an ordinary girl, she might have been tempted.


    Meanwhile, some bystanders, still holding onto their morals, shook their heads at Yvette, silently urging her not to believe them.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Yvette stared at the bag for a moment before looking away.


    A smirk formed on her lips as she pressed her cool fingers against the brim of her cap-


    The soft glow illuminated her delicate features.


    She fixed her gaze on the two men and coldly asked, ¡°Do you know how Eban died?¡±

 Chapter 182

    Dee was shocked, staring at Yvette in disbelief, his eyes filled with fear.


    He thought, ¡®How does she know about Eban¡¯s death?


    Only insiders of the Tiger Head Gang are aware of it. Burley had been furious since Eban¡¯s demise, and we nned to send this woman to him to lift his spirits.


    He asked, ¡°How do you know about Ehan¡¯s death?¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t care to lower her voice.


    The crowds gasped at her words, thinking she was spouting nonsense, but Dee quickly confirmed it.


    Whispers spread among the onlookers.


    One said, ¡°Did you hear? The Tiger Head Gang¡¯s Eban is dead. This could spell the end for the gang!¡±


    Some, unaware of the situation, dismissed it, ¡°Is it really that bad? The Tiger Head Gang is run by Burley, Eban¡¯s death shouldn¡¯t nfatter much.¡±


    Another man shook his head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. The Tiger Head Gang has always been led by Eban. His ruthlessness is what made it sessful..


    Anew bartender muttered, ¡°But the real question is, how does this girl know about Eban¡¯s death? Even the people in the underworld didn¡¯t know.¡±


    At this, the crowd fell silent.


    They thought, ¡®Yeah, the bartender¡¯s right. How did this pretty girl know?¡¯


    Doubt filled everyone¡¯s minds.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes, a slight smile forming on her lips as she calmly replied, ¡°Because I killed him.¡±


    The moment she spoke, everyone around was dumbfounded. They thought, ¡®Is this girl crazy? How dare she im she killed Eban? That¡¯s ridiculous.


    Whispers spread through the bar, and even the DJ stopped.


    The once lively atmosphere fell silent, with the sound of a pin dropping audible.


    A bald man with business ties to Eban stared at Yvette¡¯s pretty face andughed mockingly. ¡°You really like to brag, don¡¯t you? Sure, you¡¯re pretty, but is something off in your head? iming you killed Eban? Why not just say you know the President of Mysonna?¡±


    Yvette nced at him, expressionless, and replied casually. ¡°I do know him.¡±


    This statement solidified the crowd¡¯s belief that she was mentally unstable.


    Sandor and Deeughed, and their earlier panic vanished.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They thought, ¡®She¡¯s crazy. They were overthinking it. She probably just heard some gossip and came here to brag


    The crowd began to taunt her again.


    ¡°Pretty girl, if you¡¯re mentally ill, go home for treatment. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself here.¡±


    Tue, Oct


    ¡°Yeah, you say you know the President of Mysonna, and I im he¡¯s my dad too!¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, he¡¯s also my father!¡±


    A few sympathetic onlookers warned Yvette. ¡°Beauty, leave now. If the Tiger Head Gang shows up, you won¡¯t be able to


    escape.


    Throughout it all, Yvette only stared at her old ck cell phone until it rang.


    After answering, she heard the Eagle King say, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve found out that Charles, the leader of ze Hall, is locked up by Braydon. We still need time to confirm the location.


    Yvette hung up, her expression unreadable but exuding an aura that warned others to stay away.


    Suddenly, she smirked devilishly.


    Sandor and Dee couldn¡¯t wait any longer. They moved forward to grab Yvette, nning to take her away by force.


    Dee reached for her, his eyes glinting with malicious intent.


    In an instant. Yvette kicked him in the chest, the sound of breaking bones echoing through the bar.


    Sandor¡¯s expression shifted as he pulled out a knife, lunging at her with deadly intent.


    Yvette smiled a devilish grin that sent chills down his spine.


    As he attacked, she sidestepped, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it, the sound of snapping bones following. A swift kick sen him crashing several meters away.


    The onlookers watched in awe as the fallen man groaned in pain, relieved they had dodged his fate.


    Dee attempted a sneak attack from behind, swinging a stick at Yvette.


    Yvette turned, her eyes filled with menace, and without looking, snatched the stick from his hand.


    Dee stumbled backward, terrified, begging for mercy, hoping Yvette would go easy on himn.


    Yvette lowered her eyes and asked slowly, ¡°Want me to let you go?¡±


    Sandor knelt, repeatedly bowing and crying. ¡°Please, spare us.¡±


    The crowd wondered if she might show mercy. After all, she was a girl and might have a soft spot.


    However, Sandor plotted to call his gang for backup.


    Yvette nced at him, who was barely conscious.


    Her voice was low and filled with intensity.


    ¡°If you want to be spared, call your boss toe and save you,¡± she said.


    Sandor froze, staring at her in disbelief.


    He thought. Is she insane? Does she truly give him a chance to call the boss over? Does she think she can escape once my boss arrives?¡±


    The onlookers were collectively stunned.


    They thought. Is this girl truly insane, or does she want to die, giving him a chance to call for backup?


    D


    Even if she can defeat these two, what about the thousands in the Tiger Head Gang? And the Goodman family backing them? It won¡¯t be easy for anyone to challenge them in Mysonna


    Fearing that Yvette was deceiving him, Sandor boldly asked again, ¡°Are you sure you want me to call our boss?¡±


    Yvette let out a light,zyugh. ¡°Go ahead. Do you need me to find you a phone?¡±


    She spoke as if it wasn¡¯t her who nearly beat the two of them to death moments ago.


    Her friendliness was unnerving.


    Sandor quickly shook his head, worried that Yvette might change her mind. He fumbled for his phone to make the call.


    ¡°Hold on a second, Yvette interrupted.


    He realized she was ying with him.


    Though he wanted to be angry, after seeing Yvette¡¯s look, he held back.


    He knew anger would only hasten his demise.


    Everyone thought Yvette hade to her senses and wanted to back out, which was understandable.


    Sandor hesitated and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to back out, do you?


    Yvette, hands in her pockets and a slight smile on her lips, replied coldly. ¡°Go get me that chair over there.¡±


    The crowd watched in silence.


    Sandor dared not protest. He dragged the body Yvette had kicked, wincing in pain, and retrieved a chair for her.


    With each step, agony coursed through him.


    Onlookers suddenly understood it was how she punished him.


    Even Sandor thought the same, harboring resentment toward Yvette.


    If Eagle King were present, he would have told them, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. She¡¯s justzy.¡±

 Chapter 183

    After moving the chairs, Sandor, looking uneasy, asked, ¡°Can I make a phone call?


    Yvette sat calmly in her chair, sipping warm milk with her elegant lingers. She looked at Sandor with a challenging gaze, as if to say. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you called yet?¡±


    Frustrated, Sandor clenched his teeth and quickly dialed the number.


    Once the call connected, Sandor felt a boost of confidence and raised his voice, saying, ¡°Dorion, Dee and I are at Raindrop Bar. A woman has boldly imed she killed Eban and wants Burley toe here.¡±


    Experienced in these situations, Sandor cleverly left out his own role in provoking Yvette, making it seem like Yvette was the one challenging Tiger Head Sandor knew that if it was just a fight between them, Burley probably wouldn¡¯te. But by framing it as an attack on Tiger Head, with Yvette¡¯s admission of guilt in the murder of Eban, Burley would feel he had to respond.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The people watching looked at Sandor¡¯s exaggerated ims with disdain, knowing he had started the trouble. However, no one spoke up. The arrival of Tiger Head could lead to serious trouble. The thought of a beautiful woman facing violence made the crowd uneasy.


    When Dorion heard about a woman challenging Tiger Head and iming to have killed Eban, he quickly told Sandor to keep her under control, promising that he and Burley would be there soon.


    After hanging up, Sandor acted tough, taunting Yvette as if he hadn¡¯t just been begging for help. ¡°You¡¯re in trouble. Our boss ising, and you¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    Yvette, still rxed in her chair, set down her milk cup and smiled yfully. ¡°You¡¯re still not beaten enough, are you


    Then, she picked up the stick Sandor had tried to use against her and threw it at his head. The loud crack echoed as the crowd watched Sandor¡¯s bloodied face in shock.


    Realizing he was hurt, Sandor insively touched his head, feeling the blood. He opened his mouth to curse, but not


    came out.


    Yvette, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand, looked at him with indifference.


    Sandor, feeling defeated, had to swallow his anger. He knew he couldn¡¯t confront her. He could only endure.


    Half an hourter, Burley, the strong leader of Tiger Head, along with his strategist Dorion and a group of followers, entered the bar. They saw the striking woman at the center, focused on her phone while surrounded by excited spectators.


    Burley and Dorion were shocked to see that the person who had provoked Tiger Head was such a beautiful woman, especially since she had injured two of their members.


    As they got closer, they overheard bits of conversation. ¡°Fall back!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t going well!¡± ¡°Watch your positioning. The enemy could strike!¡± ¡°Incredible! You win? This is a ten-game winning streak!¡±


    Sandor stood to the side, his face bloodied and furious, ring at the unfazed Yvette, who continued to y her game and rack victories, captivating the crowd. The scene was as lively as if an event were taking ce.


    up


    Yvette consistently managed to escape from dire situations, demonstrating remarkable skill. Her techniques surpassed even, those of professional esports yers. Some wondered if Yvette was a professional yer.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Who killed Eban?¡± Dorion asked, his face darkening as he looked at the rxed Yvette.


    Burley, equally surprised, stared at Yvette with a mix of shock and anger. ¡°Are you the one who imed to have killed my brother?¡±


    For years, Eban had worked hard, with Dorion by his side, while Burley just held the title of learer. After Eban¡¯s death, Dorion took charge, but out of respect for the past, he remained loyal to Burley and Sandor.


    The crowd quickly made way for Burley, Dorion, and their group, falling silent as they waited to see what would happen next-perhaps the violent scene they all feared. No one understood why this woman dared to provoke Tiger Head or how she nned to escape the chaos


    Seeing his backup had arrived, Sandor rushed forward, clinging to Dorion¡¯s leg. Dorion instinctively kicked at him, surprised by the sudden movement. Sandor stumbled back, feeling only mild pain.


    Regaining his bnce, Sandor stammered. ¡°Dorion, it¡¯s me. Wh-Why did you kick me?¡±


    Feeling insulted, Sandor, with his battered face, looked both sad and angry. The crowd was a mix of amused and disgusted. Dorion realized he shouldn¡¯t have kicked Sandor like that. He cleared his throat awkwardly and adopted a serious expression as he inquired, ¡°How did you end up like this?¡±


    Looking hurt, Sandor pointed at Yvette with a venomous tone. She did this! Dee has already been knocked out. You have to avenge us, Dorion!TM


    Yvette lowered her phone and raised an eyebrow, amused, clearly thinking she had shown Sandor too much mercy.


    When Sandor caught her gaze, he stiffened and quickly hid behind Dorion. Sandor was thoroughly intimidated, convinced that Yvette was no ordinary adversary.


    Burley stepped forward, full of bravado as he red at Yvette. ¡°You dare to hurt our member? It seems you¡¯re asking for


    trouble. Burley instructed hispanions to bring Yvette to him, asserting that he would deal with her himself.

 Chapter 184

    Yvette stood up calmly, her face showing no fear, as people neatly moved their chairs away. The room emptied out, leaving only two groups facing off: Yvette alone on one side, and a crowd of Tiger Head¡¯s thugs, led by Burley and Dorion, on the other.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow slightly, hinting at mischief. She put on a ck cap from the table, smirking as she casually tucked her hands into her pockets.


    Those watching all thought the same thing. This woman is incredibly bold! The elite of Tiger Head stand before her, yet she seems to think nothing of them¡¯


    One of Burley¡¯s men lunged at Yvette, trying to grab her. But before he could touch her, he was thrown back by her inner energy, copsing and coughing up blood.


    This shocked many onlookers. Even before a fight had started, there was already blood.


    Dorion¡¯s expression darkened at the sight. He looked closely at Yvette, sensing the powerful energy she radiated. Dorion realized she was strong; even if he gave it his all, winning was uncertain. What he didn¡¯t know was that Yvette had only used twenty percent of her power.


    With her hands still in her pockets, Yvette rxed, retracting the energy she had unleashed. She half-closed her eyes,zily looking over the group, considering how exciting a fight could be


    Leves turned to


    Burley, seeing his man injured, grew more furious. He shouted for them to attack, but nobody moved. All eyes Dorion, waiting for his orders.


    Burley¡¯s face darkened. He had long been unhappy with Dorion, but the loyalty of Tiger Head¡¯s members kept him from openly challenging Dorion


    Dorion stepped forward, staring at Yvette with a menacing look. May I ask which group you belong to, miss? Has Tiger Head done you wrong! You im to have killed Eban. If that¡¯s true, we won¡¯t rest until this is settled.


    Trying to regain his pride, Burley echoed the question, ¡°How did you kill my brother? If you say you did, what proof do you have?¡±


    The crowd turned their attention from the injured man on the ground back to Yvette. They felt Burley was right; if she really had killed Eban, she should provide some proof, or else her ims seemed like lies.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette tilted her head and squinted slightly. The idea of needing proof annoyed her. It was the first time anyone had asked her for proof after she had killed someone. She thought if she had known, she might have carved some words into Eban¡¯s body


    To the onlookers, her silence seemed to confirm they were right-that she couldn¡¯t provide any evidence and was just boasting.


    After a moment, Yvette looked up, her eyes sparkling with amusement, and softlyughed. ¡°You want proof? Eban lost his penis.¡±


    The crowd went silent for a moment, stunned. Someone finally hughed, and it quickly spread among them.


    Burley¡¯s face turned red, still shocked, because Yvette¡¯s words were chillingly true. By the time Eban¡¯s body was found, it had been mostly destroyed, especially with his manhood shot off. Burley wondered if Yvette had really killed Eban and if she knew the secrets of the drugb.


    In a panic, Burley urged Dorion, ¡°Hurry, kill her! She must be the one who killed Eban, and if she reveals the drugb¡¯s secrets, we¡¯ll lose our ie.¡±


    Dorion¡¯s eyes shone with a deadly look as he focused on Yvette, bis expression fierce. The moment she mentioned Ebans cause of death, he decided he needed to eliminate her. Her earlier show of strength made him cautious. He nned to defeat her using sheer numbers. Though it might ruin their repitation, it was better than losing.


    Pretending to be calm, Dorion spoke to Yvette, but his words were more for the crowd, worried about Tiger Head¡¯s image. ¡°So it¡¯s true you killed Eban. In that case, don¡¯t me us foring at you with so many. Everyone here is Eban¡¯srade, ready to take revenge, so¡­..


    Yvette cut him off, her eyes cold and impatient. Leaning back casually, she dismissed him, ¡°If you want to fight, let¡¯s do it now. Stop wasting time ande at me together.


    The spectators were once again speechless, wondering if Yvette had gone mad. They had never seen anyone ask for a beating. Dorion, unable to keep up his act after Yvette¡¯s challenge, turned cold, his lips pressed into a thin line. He sneered and signaled his men to surround Yvette. Armed with knives, clubs, and makeshift weapons, they charged at her.


    Yvette smirked at the approaching group, pulled out a ck strap from her pocket to wrap her hand, and prepared for a ¡°ughter¡±.


    Half an hourter, Yvette stood in the center, surrounded by a pile of men, some stacked in grotesque heaps. The blood on her ck athletic clothes had darkened, soaking into the fabric. The smell of blood filled the bar.


    Yvette stood there, a barely noticeable smile on her face, wicked and charming. A few drops of blood marked her checks beneath her longshes, enhancing her allure and making her look even more mysterious.


    The faces of those around her changed over the half hour from shock to terror, then to sheer fear, ultimately settling into a state of disbelief, leaving them speechless. For thirty minutes, they watched man after man fall before Yvette¡¯s skill. Some were knocked down with a single punch and never got up; others who tried sneak attacks had their arms broken, while those who dared to brawl had their jaws dislocated. Throughout it all, Yvette had not moved from her spot. She remained the center as Tiger Head¡¯s men fell around her. No lives were lost, but everyone was left battered and unrecognizable, unable to stand. Those who had mocked Yvette earlier now wished they could hide away like turtles, trying to avoid being the next one on the ground.


    Yvette slowly unwound the blood-soaked ck bandage from her hand, throwing it aside. She took out a wet wipe from her pocket, carefully cleaning her hands before looking up at Dorion, whose face was grim, and Burley, who was frozen in shock. She yawned slowly, speaking in a rxed tone. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn. With so many people ahead of you, if you don¡¯t act soon, you¡¯ll lose your chance.¡±


    Dorion¡¯s expression was unreadable. He hadn¡¯t expected that a group of men wouldn¡¯t be able to leave a scratch on the woman before him. She was like a killing machine.

 Chapter 185

    Dorion, cautious but ready, decided to attack first. Yvette, with a light frown, looked at him with a sharp and cold stare. As Dorion rushed at her, shezily nced his way and said, ¡°Fool¡±


    Dorion was surprised by her words and hesitated. At that moment, Yvette pulled out a shiny silver gun from her clothing. smiling yfully. While Dorion was confused, she pulled the trigger, and a buller hit his left leg. He fell down, his face turning red,pletely unprepared for such an unexpected move. Dorion thought, This is a serious breach of fighting rules!¡¯


    Dragging his hurt leg. Dorion red at Yvette, anger showing on his face, ¡°You¡­ you have no honor. How could you u gun?¡±


    Yvetteughed softly, a teasing smile on her lips. ¡°Oh? Did I say I wouldn¡¯t use a gun? Why work hard when you can solve things easily?¡±


    Dorion was furious, holding his chest as he shook with rage. Just moments ago, she had faced many enemies without a weapon, yet now he was shot down by her. Dorion thought, ¡°How shameful


    The onlookers were speechless.


    After Dorion fell, Burley thought about escaping. Yvette nced at Burley, making him shrink back in fear.


    The crowd was stunned, trying to figure out how to exin the day they saw a beautiful woman take on the powerful Tiger Head and leave them half-dead, or how they saw Dorion fall with just one shot from her. If they hadn¡¯t seen it themselves, they would have thought it was a made-up story.


    Sandor, trying to sneak away, suddenly felt the room go quiet. He turned to see Yvette looking at him with a smirk. Terrified, he dropped to his knees, bowing his head. ¡°Beautifuldy, I was wrong. Please spare me. I won¡¯t do it again. I will never do anything bad again. If I do, may my whole family suffer.¡±


    Yvette pointed her silver gun at his head, making Sandor wet himself in fear. The crowd recoiled in disgust, covering their noses. Yvette casually put her gun away while Sandor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. She then gestured to a chairProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    that had far away. Sandor hurried to get it, cleaning it with his sleeve and bowing deeply. ¡°Lady, please sit. I¡¯ve made it clean for you.¡± The onlookers could hardly watch this disy of ttery. They were seeing the fall of Tiger Head, a powerful gang ruled for years, now brought low by an unknown woman


    Yvette sat in the chair, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand, looking rxed. ¡°Go get your leader. The Tiger Head should share both good and bad times. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Sandor trembled as he looked back at Burley, who was cowering in a corner, then turned to Yvelle. ¡°Can L?


    Yvette¡¯s pale fingers yed with her gun, her voice low and teasing, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    With a bold decision, Sandor chose to betray Burley. Sandor approached Burley, tying him up with rope while apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, boss! I had no choice. That woman is dangerous. Please forgive me this once.¡±


    Burley struggled but was too weak. Sandor worked hard to tie him up, even stuffing a cloth in his mouth to keep him quiet. When Sandor returned to Yvette, he nervously asked, ¡°Lady, do you have any more-orders?¡±


    Yvette looked at Sandor, raising an eyebrow, still yful. ¡°You did well. Keep it up next time.¡±


    Sandor¡¯s heart sank at her words, realizing he had sealed his fate He didn¡¯t dare look back at Burley or Dorion, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace as he backed away, the thought of escape now a distant dream.


    Yvette lounged in her chair, her pale face showing a hint of coldness. She tilted her head towards the fallen Dorion andughed lightly. ¡°Has your help not arrived yet?¡±


    b


    Dorion gasped, his body tenge, momentarily forgetting his injury ¡°How did you know I called for help? Why didn¡¯t you stop


    Just moments ago, while Sandor got the chair. Dorion hail cretly sent a text for help, thinking he was being sneaky But Yvette had seen through his n and let him call for help. Dorion wondered, ¡°Why? Does she really fear nothing from Seventy-Two Chambers or the Goodman family? Doubts began to creep into Dorion¡¯s mind about whether he had angered- someone truly untouchable.


    Yvette looked at Dorion with an unreadable expression, her eyes lear but slightly misty. Leaning back in her chair, she said, ¡°ed to get rid of the roots.¡±


    Donon¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Yvette, his pain momentarily forgotten in confusion. Dorion thought. ¡°This is her n? Can she really take down us?


    filled


    Yvette ignored Dorion¡¯s reaction, took out her phone, and started tapping the screen. The familiar sounds of a game the air again. The crowd was speechless, exchanging confused looks. The scene was strange: Burley tied up in a corner, Dorion bleeding on the floor, Sandor too scared to look up, and group of beaten men lying around, while the beautiful woman sat calmly ying a game.


    After fifteen minutes, the bar¡¯s door opened again, revealing a group of armed men in ck, clearly experienced fighters. They lined up, each looking intimidating. As they moved aside, a tall man in a trench coat stepped into the light.


    Burley, closest to the entrance, was shocked to see the man approaching. Burley trembled, his face pale, He could hardly believe that-Dorion¡¯s backup would be this person. After years in the chamber, Burley had only seen Charles a few times at big meetings. As for Braydon, Burley had only caught a glimpse of Braydon from far away once, too scared to even look up. the memory clear in his mind.

 Chapter 186

    Braydon walked through the crowd with a strong presence, but ujjost people there did know him.


    On the ground, Dorion, like Burley, was shocked. Dorion had never expected Braydon to show up in person. When Braydon looked at him, Dorion felt a chill and tensed up, knowing he wasn¡¯t important enough for Braydon to help him.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The room was silent, and everyone watched Braydon nervously, wondering who he was.


    Braydon walked over to Yvette, his eyes looking down at the men on the ground with disgust, thinking they her time.


    y were not worth


    Dorion, dragging his hurt leg, tried to crawl toward Braydon. ¡°Mr. Goodman, I¡¯m Dorion from Tiger Head. This woman has hurt our people. Please do something!¡±


    Burley couldn¡¯t speak and could only make mu***ed sounds.


    The crowd quickly realized that the man in front of them was Braydon Goodman, the most powerful crime family in Mysonna. They were shocked that Braydon hade to help a small gang like Tiger Head. They thought, ¡®Braydon is known for being ruthless, and even the president of Mysonna is afraid of him. Why would he care about such a small issue? It doesn¡¯t make sense. But with Dorion calling him Mr. Goodman, it¡¯s clear that he is Braydon, especially with the group of trained assassins around him, rumored to be Braydon¡¯s elite team.


    Sandor, seeing such a strong ally, rushed forward excitedly but was shot in the shoulder by one of Braydon¡¯s men before he could reach Braydon. As he fell, scared of getting shot again, he quickly said, ¡°Mr. Goodman, I¡¯m from Tiger Head. This evil woman has gone crazy and provoked us. Eban was killed by her. We must get revenge! Look at the men here. They are al from Tiger Head!¡±


    Braydon signaled to one of the nearby assassins, who stepped forward and handed over his weapon before stepping back. Braydon smiled, but it was a mocking smile. The crowd felt a chill for Yvette, who was still sitting and focused on her phone, They thought Braydon was getting ready for a massacre, and Yvette wouldn¡¯t escape. The assassins with Braydon were not like the weak group from Tiger Head; they were elite killers. The crowd thought, Even if Yvette can defeat one, she faces over sixty men in ck. How can she win? Yet, she seems calm, ying a game at such a dangerous moment. Does she care more about the game than her life?¡±


    Braydon spun a sleek ck gun in his hand, aiming it at Sandor while the crowd watched in fear. Then, a gunshot rang out, and Sandor fell, a red mark appearing on his forehead. The crowd gasped in shock. No one expected Braydon to shoot Sandor instead of Yvette. Everyone was silent. Dorion¡¯s face tightened. He didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Braydon quietly said, ¡°What makes you call her evil? Few heard him. Braydon looked at Yvette, who was still focused on her game, her face calm and cold. When she finally looked up, Braydon¡¯s coldness faded, and he smiled weakly, his eyes fixed on her with a strange intensity. He said, ¡°Long time no see, while unspoken words lingered in his mind: ¡°my dear Ms. Zeller


    Yvette hesitated for a moment, hershes casting shadows over her eyes as she nced up at Braydon. His expression was indifferent, and his cold gaze betrayed no emotion.


    However, when Braydon noticed her looking, the chill in his demeanor evaporated in an instant. He bit his lip, his face pale and pitiful, his deep-set eyes fixed on her with a weak, harmless vulnerability, as if he were no longer the same person who had exuded such gloom just moments before. The coldness in Yvette¡¯s eyes pierced his heart. It was just like years ago. She had never looked at him the way he had hoped.


    Burley and Dorion felt their hearts drop when they heard Braydon¡¯s words. Darion¡¯s face went pale, and he lowered his head, realizing that Braydon not only knew this woman but seeined very familiar with her. Dorion thought, ¡®We are in big trouble. I can almost see my own ending. Is she Mr. Goodman¡¯s woman? But something about Mr. Goodman¡¯s behavior feels strange


    The crowd finally understood why Yvette had acted so boldly. They thought, With Braydon backing her, she can walk confidently through Mysonna. But if she knows Braydon, why provoke Tiger Head?¡¯


    Yvette nced at Braydon before going back to her game. Braydon¡¯s gaze stayed on her, filled with a longing that seemed Endless Hundreds of people held their breath, waiting for Yvette to finish her game while Sandory dead on the ground, a gruesome sight. The scene was terrifying.


    After what felt like forever, Yvette finished her game, sent a text to someone far away in Betrico, and slowly put her phone away.


    and slightly red, staring at Braydon with a smile that felt cold. Her voice, icy and She looked up, her eyes ! sharp, asked. ¡°Braydon, what is the first rule of the Seventy-Two Chambers?¡±


    Braydon¡¯s expression stiffened, his fingers clenching at his sides he had let Tiger Head deal in drugs to draw Yvette out. He had searched for her for too long, but she had covered her tracks well. Braydon knew she must have top hackers helping her He had even asked the best hacker groups in the world for help, but they had failed to find her in five years. Eventually, he


    with this n. Braydon thought. If the first rule of Yvete¡¯s Seventy-Two Chambers is broken, she may show herself. After waiting a whole year, his patience paid off. Yvetted finally appeared.


    came up


    Eban and Dorion could never have guessed that the new drug form they thought they found was just a trap set by Braydon. Everything he did was to make Yvette ¡°administer justice. He didn¡¯t care about the lives that this drug might take. He only knew that his n had worked-Yvette had appeared.


    Braydon stayed quiet, gripping his weapon tightly, looking at Yvette with pleading eyes. T.. I didn¡¯t know about the drug trafficking. It was my mistake. I will get rid of everyone from Tiger Head right away. Please, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    The crowd lowered their heads together, shocked by Braydon¡¯s tone and how he acted towards Yvette, who seemed almost submissive. People had long said Braydon didn¡¯t care about women and was unpredictable. If the crowd hadn¡¯t seen this scene with their own eyes, they would never have believed it. Remembering Braydon¡¯s ruthless reputation, fear gripped them. They began to doubt whether they would leave Raindrop Bar alive.

 Chapter 187

    Yvette looked at Braydon with a cold stare, her lips curling into a slight smile that showed she didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Do you think I should kill you?¡± she asked. Braydon¡¯s eyes darkened for moment, filled with emotion, then returned to normal. He whispered. ¡°You promised my grandfather you wouldn¡¯t kill me


    Yvette stood up from her chair, put her hands in her pockets, and walked towards Braydon. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. captivated by her delicate features. As she walked by, she looked straight ahead, her expression unreadable. She briefly met his gaze and said in a low voice, ¡°This is thest time. Be smart.


    Braydon clenched his fists as he watched Yvette walk toward the bar¡¯s exit. Ignoring the crowd around them, he called out, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where Charles is? If he were here, would he let his gang deal drugs so openly?¡± As he spoke, he felt a wave of sadness. He was only using Charles to keep Yvette from leaving.


    Yvette turned back, her face partially hidden by her cap, her eyes deep with meaning. She nced at Braydon for a moment before confidently pushing the door open and leaving. Braydon felt confused and thought, ¡®Doesn¡¯t she care about Charles? He quickly grabbed his phone and called a private number.


    When the call connected, a young man answered. ¡°Master.¡±


    Without wasting time, Braydon said, ¡°Check the secret chamber and see if Charles is silll there.¡±


    The young man wasn¡¯t impressed. He knew that the Goodman family¡¯s secret chamber had top-notch security. If anyone tried to enter, an rm would sound. But out of fear of Braydon¡¯s anger, he rushed to the chamber. When he reached the door he was about to unlock it when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and a prick in his neck. He lost consciousness, his vision fading. As he fell unconscious, he saw someone in servant clothes enter the chamber. Unable to, move or speak, he watched helplessly as Charles was taken. Just before he cked out, one thought overwhelmed him, ¡®It¡¯s over. Losing Charles means my life is in danger.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Braydon, still on the phone, looked grim, shadows in his eyes. Yvette had been gone for a while, and the crowd around him was silent, afraid to anger him. Everyone could see Braydon was in a bad mood. They waited quietly, realizing that the woman earlier wasn¡¯t Braydon¡¯s girlfriend; it seemed Braydon was chasing after her, begging her to stay, but she just walked, away. More concerning was that they had heard her question about killing Braydon. They had thought Braydon was there to protect her, but it was clear that wasn¡¯t true. They felt like they had witnessed something unusual today: a woman standing up to the Tiger Head and the mysterious malia king Braydon. They even uncovered Braydon¡¯s secret. His disinterest in women was likely due to this woman.


    When the call ended, Braydon smashed his customized phone on the ground, breaking the expensive device. He red at the broken phone, his eyes icy and filled with madness, which frightened those around him. He thought, ¡®Yvette set everything up to send someone to the Goodman family to rescue Charles, knowing I woulde as soon as she did. Capturing Charles is just a way to negotiate with Yvette, hoping she woulde back and help train the Seventy-Two Chambers. Now that Charles is saved, all my ns are pointless


    After a moment, as the tension in the room grew, Braydon smiled at the shattered phone, a strange grin on his face. He thought, ¡®Does Yvette really think this will slow me down? He looked away and walked towards the exit, followed by his. group of men dressed in ck.


    Just when everyone thought they had escaped trouble, Braydon stopped at the door and whispered something to his men before leaving with a serious look.


    The man who had just delivered Braydon¡¯s weapon turned to look at the frightened patrons in the bar, focusing on Dorion and Burley with a cruel smile. ¡°Gentlemen, Mr. Goodman asks that today¡¯s events remain a secret. However, he is notpletely at ease, fearing some of you might talk. For now, everyone should stay still. Anyone who moves will face serious consequences. He directed this warning at the crowd.


    After giving this warning, he exchanged nces with hisrades, who pulled out their weapons, aiming them at the Tiger Head members, including the injured Dorion and the tied-up Barley. With a wave of his hand, gunfire erupted. The Tiger Head members didn¡¯t stand a chance. Some were shot while still unconscious and would never wake up again.


    In seconds, many lives were lost, and blood began to pool on the bar floor, creeping toward the feet of onlookers. Some tried to escape but froze under the cold, unforgiving stares of the men in ck. They remembered the earlier warning: anyone who dared to move would be killed.


    Once the ck-d men made sure all the Tiger Head members were dead, they ignored the terrified crowd and left the bar. After they were gone, the remaining patrons stared at the growing pile of bodies, some unable to hold back their nausea. A scream broke the silence, and chaos erupted as people rushed for the exit, turning the bar into a scene of panic, everyone pushing and shoving to escape the horror.


    The next morning, at breakfast, Yvette satfortably with her legs crossed, yawningzily, clearly tired. She held a ss of water just as Frankie¡¯s voice came from the doorway, ¡°No way, are you serious?¡± Everyone turned to look at Frankie, while Yvette leisurely sipped her water and continued enjoying her pierogies, which Jeremiah had made inrge quantities before he left.


    Frankie entered the vi, shocked, and conspiratorially asked the group at the table, ¡°Can you guess what news I just heard?¡±


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris showed no interest. They had been tricked by Frankie before when he told them a story about a low-level celebrity scandal that cost them a million dors. This time, no one was willing to fall for his tricks.

 Chapter 188

    Frankie noticed that people were ignoring him, so he raised his hands to show he meant no harm. Come on, it was just a small amount of money I tricked you three out ofst time. Believe me this timel


    Emmett chewed on his sandwich, Bruce drank his ck coffee, and Chris read the newspaper without paying attention to him


    Frankie turned to Yvette, who was busy on her phone. He said in a friendly tone, ¡°Yve, aren¡¯t you a bit curious? I¡¯ve heard an exciting secret you would love.


    Yvette put her phone down, rested her chin on her hand, and slowly sipped her drink. She looked up at him with clear eyes and said coolly, ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Frankie didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Yve, 660 thousand dors won¡¯t buy you any tricks.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrows, put her cup down, nced at the others who were still ignoring Frankie, and then looked back at Frankie with a hint of amusement in her eyes. ¡°ount¡±


    Frankie was surprised that Yvette really wanted to send him money


    Bruce set down his coffee and warned Yvette, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Frankie¡¯s nonsense.¡± Emmett and Chris nodded, knowing that Frankie¡¯s ¡°secrets¡± were usually about celebrities.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ignoring their doubts, Frankie quickly sent his ount details to Yvette¡¯s phone. A momentter, Yvette got a notification, and Frankie¡¯s phone buzzed with a text from the bank. He felt thrilled, thinking how lucky he was. Unlike the three frugal guys, Yve was easy to persuade.


    Seeing Frankie so happy. Yvette smiled to herself, wondering if making money was really this easy.


    Frankie straightened up and addressed them with a serious look. ¡°I have some real news. Last night, a woman fought against over a hundred men at the Raindrop Bar. Can you guess what happened?¡±


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris exchanged surprised looks. The oue was obvious.


    Emmett frowned, looking at Frankie. ¡°This is serious. What happened? Tell us!¡±


    Realizing he shouldn¡¯t joke around, Frankie said. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it-the woman won. She defeated all of Tiger Head¡¯s men!¡±


    Now, Emt, Bruce, and Chris couldn¡¯t stay calm. They thought. A woman beating an entire gang¡±


    Bruce frowned and asked, ¡°When did Mysonna get such a strong fighter?¡±


    Chris shook his head, ¡°The shocking part is that she¡¯s a woman. That¡¯s hard to believe. Even in a long fight, she must have amazing stamina.¡±


    Frankie suddenly looked at Yvette and thought, ¡®A woman like Yve? If they ever faced each other, who would win? What is going on this year? Are women really that strong? It¡¯s a bit upsetting for us men. He asked Yvette, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about a woman who fights like you?¡±


    Yvette crossed her legs and calmly shook her head, continuing to y with her phone as she said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing interesting about having the same fighting skills.¡±


    Frankie scratched his head, confused. The same fighting skills?¡± Before he could think more, Sienna came down from upstairs. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± She greeted Yvette, ¡°Yve, good morning.¡±


    The four nodded at Sienna, and Frankie eagerly pulled out a chair for her. ¡°Sit down, bro.¡±


    U


    Sienna casually sat down and startled Emmett, Bruce, and Chris as she said, ¡°Thanks, bro.¡±


    Bruce shook a bit as he found their yful banter surprising.


    After chatting with Sienna, Frankie remembered he hadn¡¯t finished his carlier story. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing that will probably shock you even more.¡±


    The three turned to Frankie with icy expressions. Sensing their intensity, Frankie quickly continued, ¡®Apparently, that woman knows Braydon. After she left, Braydon ordered the execution of all Tiger Head members, andter that night, the Raindrop Bar caught fire. It seems Braydon wanted to destroy all evidence. Those bodies are likely just ashes now.¡±


    Bruce. Emmett, and Chris recalled the rumors about Braydon not liking women, wondering if it was because of this woman.


    Bruce thought for a moment and said, ¡°If Frankie¡¯s right, did Braydon kill over a hundred men for her? Their rtionship must beplicated.¡±


    Chris agreed, ¡°They probably have a romantic connection.¡±


    Emmett frowned and shared his thoughts, ¡°I doubt it¡¯s romantic. If they were really together, why would she cause trouble with Tiger Head? It doesn¡¯t make sense. This year, Tiger Head has made a lot of money selling new drugs for the Goodman family. Why would she sabotage her boyfriend¡¯s business?¡±


    Sienna, quietly sipping her milk, hesitated before speaking. ¡°I think Emmett is right. I heard Nathan say Braydon doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend. He loves a woman he¡¯s never been able to win over. He cares for her a lot. Even the dog she rescued lives better than most people in the Goodman family


    based The four looked at Sienna, momentarily forgetting she had dated Nathan. Their understanding of Braydon was rumors, but Nathan¡¯s words held weight. They felt certain this woman was the one Braydon had always wanted but couldn¡¯t have.


    Frankie smirked, his attitude a bit cheeky. ¡°Honestly, if we go against the Goodman family, we should find this woman and use her to mess with Braydon. I can even use my charms to seduce her. She may like me! That would definitely make Braydon angry.¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, tracing the rim of her cup, tilting her head slightly as she raised an eyebrow at Frankie, seemingly uninterested. Bruce, Emmett, and Chris exchanged amused smiles at Frankie¡¯s boldness. Encouraged, Frankie felt a rare sense of approval from his fellows.

 Chapter 189

    Chris waved at Frankie, who hurried over. In a moment, Chris picked him up and took him to a corner of the living room Frankie, struggling, looked at Yvette and Sienna, pleading for help. ¡°Yve, Sienna, help! He¡¯s torturing mel¡±


    Chris blocked the others¡¯ view, and it was unclear why Frankie suddenly burst intoughter and tears. Sienna leaned in and whispered to Yvette, ¡°What kind of torture is Frankie going through?¡±


    Emmett calmly exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Chris just found hisughter spot.¡±


    Ten minutester, Chris set Frankie down, and they returned to their seats. Frankie, stillughing, shot a re at the group. ¡°You¡¯re all just jealous of my looks.¡±


    Just then, Yvette¡¯s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and slowly answered, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Jeremiah had just returned home after a day of military meetings and hadn¡¯t even had time to take off his military uniform before making the call. It was midnight in Clusia and morning in Mysonna, so he thought it was a good time to call. He stood on the balcony in his military uniform, a cigarette in his hand, though he hadn¡¯t smoked in a while because Yvette disliked the smell. His voice was deep and warm as he listened to Yvette. ¡°Have you eaten breakfast?¡±


    Yvette, sounding rxed, replied, ¡°Mm, the pierogies are great.¡±


    Jeremiah paused, a smile spreading across his face. ¡°Great? I¡¯ll make some for you when I¡¯m back.¡±


    Yveu¨¦ raised an eyebrow, thinking. Does he really think he can win me over with pierogies? ¡°Alright,¡± she said.


    Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie fell silent, realizing Yvette was on the phone with Jeremiah. They chatted casually, with Jeremiah doing most of the talking. Emmett noted it was the most talkative he had ever felt Jeremiah, wondering where he found all these words.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Five minutester, Yvette nced at Frankie, who was quietly talking with Sienna. She poked her water cup and said slowly! Jeremiah, someone tricked me out of 660 thousand dors. It hurts.¡±


    Frankie looked up in shock, thinking she was intentional to mention him. But he didn¡¯t dare say anything. Frankie knew that confronting either Jeremiah or Yvette would not end well Emmett and Bruce exchanged sympathetic looks with Frankie. Chris, close by, patted Frankie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Hang in there. They were puzzled about how Yvette¡¯s money was so easy to deceive. It turned out she was waiting for this. Sienna looked confused, unaware of who was on the other end of the call


    Ten minutester, Jeremiah paused, asking Yvette to put the call on speaker.


    She did as told, cing the phone on the table, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Jeremiah¡¯s voice came through coldly. ¡°Frankie, you have a lot of nerve.¡± Yvette didn¡¯t say who had tricked her, but Jeremiah knew it had to be Frankie.


    With a sad look, Frankie begged Jeremiah, ¡°I was wrong! I shouldn¡¯t have tricked Yvette! I confess!¡±


    Jeremiah lowered his voice, ¡°I see you¡¯re sincere. Yvette is quite poor, and I remember you own a nice vi


    Frankie forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. ¡°That vi belongs to Yve.¡± He felt hopeless. After taking 660 thousand from Yvette, he now lost a 300 million-dor vi. Frankie regretted it. He thought, Jeremiah and Yvette are indeed a perfect match. They are both masters of deception Frankie vowed never to trick Yvette again.


    Yvette was surprised by Jeremiah¡¯s evilness but found it appealing


    Frankie poked at the ugly fried egg on his te while Emmett, Bruce, and Chris chuckled at Jeremiah¡¯s clever idea. They thought, ¡®How can Yvette be considered poor when she is an internationally renowned artist whose paintings sell for hundreds of millions? An amount like 660 thousand would not cause her any distress. This couple is not to be trifled with Crossing thein could lead to disaster.


    Yvette turned off the speakerphone, returning the phone to her ear while Jeremiah listened to her soft breaths. I miss you.¡± he said.


    Yvette responded with a slight smile, ¡°Keep missing. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    At the Chavez family estate, Jeremiah chuckled softly after the call. A knock sounded at the door, and a servant said, ¡°Young Master, the oldmander wants to see you.¡± Jeremiah put out his cigarette and opened the door.


    Seeing Jeremiah, the servant said respectfully, ¡°Young Master, your grandpa is waiting for you.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded and went up to the third-floor study. Inside, Jase, the head of the Chavez family and one of Clusia¡¯s early leaders, was almost eighty years old. He looked at his favorite grandson with a mix of annoyance and affection. From a young age, Jase had seen Jeremiah as the best of their generation Jeremiah had lived up to his expectations, joining the military and earning respect, bing Clusia¡¯s youngest major general. The president had high hopes for Jeremiah, and Jeremiah might even be Clusia¡¯s youngest lieutenant general next year.


    Jase sat upright on the sofa, still strong despite his age. ¡°You¡¯re thirty now. When are you going to get a wife? I¡¯ll be retiring soon. You need to give me a great-grandson, or life will be dull.


    Jeremiah looked up, sipping his coffee before replying, ¡°You want kids?¡±


    Jase pretended to be angry. ¡°Of course! Look at the neighbor¡¯s grandson-he has three already! Can¡¯t you try to give me one, even if no girl seems to like you?¡± Jase was just teasing Jeremiah. He knew how popr his grandson was. Even in kindergarten, girls fought to sit next to Jeremiah.

 Chapter 190

    Jeremiah calmly took a sip of his coffee, the same dark roast his grandpa loved. He¡¯d be got tired of it. drinking it all his life and never


    His long fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the couch. With half-closed eyes, he nced at Jase, his expression indifferent. ¡°If you like kids so much, maybe you should just go have one yourself. Grandma won¡¯t me you for it.¡±


    Jase almost spilled his coffee, thinking. This kid would be the death of me. ¡°Quit dodging the question! I think that girl Samantha from the Mitchell family is a good match-good character, mild-tempered. You should marry her. Not like anyone else wants you. If you don¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll swallow my pride and propose for you.¡±


    Recently, when Jase visited the military, he had exchanged a few words with Tim Mitchell. They quickly agreed on a marriage between Jeremiah and Samantha, Both single, raised together-seemed perfect.


    Jeremiah set down his coffee cup, showing no expression, and cut Jase off, ¡°You already have a granddaughter-inw. Stop ying matchmaker, or she¡¯ll be mad.¡±


    Jase was taken aback by Jeremiah¡¯s words, but soon a smile crept onto his face, barely hiding his delight.


    His eyes lit up, and even his mustache trembled excitedly. ¡°When did you start dating? Who is she? From Betrico? Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? You don¡¯t have to date forever, you know. Your grandmother and I only met twice and look at us, a lifetime together¡±


    Jase was blown away by the unexpected news. He always thought his aloof and distant grandson, Jeremiah, would end up forever alone. But now Jeremiah had a girlfriend and Jase was really curious about the girl.


    Jase often worried about Jeremiah¡¯s


    preferences might lean differentlyse friendship with Andrew from the Mitchell family, wondering if his grandson¡¯s


    preferences might lean differently. Now, without any fanfare, there was a girlfriend.


    Jeremiah, looking unfazed at his grandfather¡¯s mutterings, met his curious and eager gaze, then calmly remarked, ¡°She¡¯s not from Betrico. She¡¯s from Seacrity. Not some high-society heiress, just a really nice girl who¡¯s pretty much amazing in every way.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°She¡¯s at Simon¡¯s university


    Jase was stunned, thinking he misheard. He wondered, ¡®He is dating a college student?¡¯


    Jase scrutinized Jeremiah as if seeing him for the first time, and after a beat, regained hisposure. He responded with a casual air, Jeremiah, who knew you had it in you to be such a charmer?¡±


    Jeremiah blinked, then quickly shot back, ¡°Runs in the family.¡±


    Jase twitched his lips, deciding to let it go this time out of respect for the new granddaughter-inw. Calming himself, he asked Jeremiah, ¡°Does she know who you really are?¡±


    Jeremiah tilted his head. ¡°She does.¡±


    Jase nodded. He trusted that Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t settle for just anyone, and he wasn¡¯t about to be an old stick-in-the-mud either. The Chavez family didn¡¯t need marriages for alliances. They had all the power and money they could want.


    His only worry was Jeremiah ending up alone. Life was long, and Jase was getting old. He wished to see Jeremiah find someone to share his life with while he was still around to witness it. But Jeremiah took until thirty to find a partner, not realizing Jase¡¯s well-meaning hopes.


    Jase nced at the string on Jeremiah¡¯s wrist, puzzled. ¡°When did you start wearing those?¡±


    Jeremiah lifted his wrist, fingering the string with a small grin. ¡°When you¡¯re taken, you gotta show it off. It¡¯s the trend now, Grandpa. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Jase snorted softly, thinking. So he finds a girlfriend, big deal. He is strutting like a peacock. ¡°Alright, back to business. Your trip to Mysonna went well. The big boss is pleased.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s smile faded to his usual calm demeanor. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Jase pointed to a file on the table. Jeremiah nced through it, then tossed it back with a cold expression, scoffing. ¡°Ybau thinks they¡¯re still in the old days? How dare they propose such terms? They¡¯re dreaming¡±


    Jase¡¯s face turned stern, exuding a natural authority. ¡°Exactly what the boss said. We can¡¯t agree to this. The Ybau folks are persistent, though. Their prime minister¡¯s visiting Clusia soon, likely stirring up more trouble. You¡¯re in charge of security during his visit.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, thinking it was just another job. If they¡¯re not behaving, deal with it directly.


    Jase still felt uneasy. Ybau¡¯s intentions were clearly hostile. While he trusted Jeremiah, he worried about underhanded tactics. But his grandson wasn¡¯t one to fall easily.


    They continued discussing affairste into the night. By the time they finished, it was already early morning. Jase, in his eighties, seemed exhausted.


    He had a team managing his routine, rarely staying up thiste anymore. Jeremiah helped him to bed and tucked him in, just about to leave.


    Jase said, ¡°Kid, since the girl¡¯s epted you, treat her right. Bring her over sometime. I¡¯ve been holding onto a wee gift for years.¡± Jase, in his eighties, felt a bit disappointed. He had been preparing for ten years, and now he finally had the chance to give it away. Just thinking about it made him a little heartbroken.


    Jeremiah paused, raising an eyebrow, finally giving Jase a line that made him happy. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you can give it this year Hearing Jeremiah¡¯s promise, Jase was pleased but kept a stern face. ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re bothering me. Get out of here.¡±


    Jeremiah saw through his act but said nothing. As he reached the door, Jase called out again.


    Jeremiah turned back..


    Jase hesitated, then spoke. ¡°No rush on the great-grandkids. The girl¡¯s young, take it slow,¡±


    Jase¡¯s face reddened slightly, worried about scaring the girl away. He didn¡¯t want to miss out on great-grandchildren.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah gave him a knowing look. ¡°She¡¯s an adult. With that, he left the room.


    Jase was left stunned. He wondered, ¡®An adult? Can I be holding a great-grandchild next year? Excitedly, he shouted after Jeremiah, ¡°Go for it, kid!¡±

 Chapter 191

    In Mysorna, Yvette finished her pierogies just as her phone buzzed with a message. [Boss, the person we rescued isn¡¯t doing well. Hurry over.] It¡¯s from Flying Fish.


    Yvette pocketed her phone and stood up.


    Around the table, Emmett asked, ¡°Yve, heading out? Need a lift?¡±


    Yvette casually slipped her phone back into her pocket, grabbed the sports jacket draped over the chair, and replied coolly to Emmett, ¡°No need. I¡¯m going myself. Hand me the car keys.¡±


    Frankie quickly handed over Yvette the keys from his pocket.


    Before leaving. Yvette told Sienna, There¡¯s some stuff you need in my room. Go grab it.¡±


    Sienna was stunned. ¡°Yve, how did you finish an entire collection of thirty designs so fast?¡±


    With a hand in her pocket, Yvette nodded offhandedly, ¡°Yeah.¡± She walked out, leaving Sienna in shock


    After Yvette left, Sienna rushed upstairs, eager to see the long-awaited designs Yvette had created.


    Frankie grabbed Sienna¡¯s arm, while the others nced curiously. They¡¯d caught the word designs. ¡°Sienna, what¡¯s up with the designs? What were you and Yve talking about?¡±


    Sienna sat back down, meeting their curious gazes, bracing herself. ¡°Oh, I guess ver mentioned my job, huh?¡±


    Frankie waved it off. ¡°Sienna, now I¡¯m curious. What do you do?


    Sienna shrugged. I¡¯m a fashion designer. I run a small clothingpany, you know, just to get by.¡±


    Sienna being a fashion designer was a surprise to them all.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Bruce paused, suspecting Sienna¡¯s ¡°small¡± fashionpany wasn¡¯t that small. He politely asked, ¡°Ms. Sterling, what¡¯s yourpany called? If you don¡¯t mind sharing?¡±


    Sienna nodded quickly. She was a bit intimidated by Bruce, as he seemed the most serious of the group, and not easy to approach. ¡°No problem, it¡¯s based in Mysonna, called ¡®Vibe.¡±


    Frankie chimed in, ¡°Nice name! Sienna, maybe you can design a few outfits for me?¡±


    Sienna agreed, ¡°No problem, Frankie. I¡¯ll design something in the next few days. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    Emmett, who had been looking down at his phone, finally nced up. He said to Frankie, who was joking around with Sienna, ¡°If you want custom-designed clothes, you¡¯d better have that 7 million ready first.¡±


    Frankie looked confused. He asked Emmett, ¡°What do you mean? Bruce and Chris also turned to him, curious.


    Emmett ced his phone on the round table and spun it around Just moments ago, when he heard Sienna mention ¡°Vibe,¡± it sounded so familiar. A quick online search brought it all back to him.


    clicked for him when he recalled hearing about it from Jeremiah¡¯s mother, who had gone through many channels to buy a Haute Couture piece ¡°Vibe¡± had an unusual rule of selling only one piece per person in their Haute Couture line.


    Emmett was surprised to discover that Sienna was the designer and partner of the brand that so many elite women desperately chased.


    Bruce took Emmett¡¯s phone, nced quickly, and then looked a Sienna in silence, cing the phone back down.


    Chris had seen the screen top, noting the long list of achievements and thepany profile from the search.


    Frankie eagerly checked his phone, then eximed, ¡°Wow!¡± He looked at Sienna in awe. ¡°Sienna, your profile is impressive! If Vibe is small, I wonder what counts as a bigpany.


    Sienna scratched her head sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, just lucky.¡±


    She wanted to mention that the globally renowned Vibe spring-summer haute couture series wasn¡¯t her work but Yvette¡¯s. She had just been fortunate enough to be part of it.


    Bruce tapped his fingers on the table, observing Sienna. ¡°Is Yvede also a designer for Vibe?


    Hearing Yvette¡¯s name. Chris looked up, and Emmett seemed curious too.


    Sienna fidgeted nervously. She thought, ¡°No way Yve wants her identity revealed!


    Suddenly, inspiration struck-Sienna clutched her stomach. ¡°Oh no, stomachache, time of the month! Gotta go upstairs. Enjoy your meal!¡±


    She dashed upstairs in a sh, leaving Frankie and Bruce puzzled.


    Chris turned to the others. Time? What time?¡±


    Emmett paused, looking bemused. Bruce just kept reading his newspaper.


    Frankie chuckled, nudging Chris. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re destined for a lonely bachelorhood.¡±


    Chris was baffled, he had just been curious, after all.


    Seeing his confusion, Frankie typed a few words on his phone and shoved it in Chris¡¯s face. As Chris read the exnation. for ¡°time of the month,¡± he wanted to disappear.


    In Yvette¡¯s room, Sienna spotted some sketches scattered on the table. To an untrained eye, they might look like scrap paper.


    As she picked them up, Sienna was immediately captivated. The designs were stunning, with bold yet tasteful colors, entirely unlike Yvette¡¯s usual style.


    Sienna could already imagine the buzz these garments would create once made. They would turn anyone wearing them into a fairy-like figure.


    Sienna carefully organized the sketches, cing them into a folder and taking them to her own room.


    Deciding to make a call, she dialed a familiar number. A warm, motherly voice answered, ¡°Hello, darling Sienna. It¡¯s been so long, is everything alright?¡±


    The woman on the other end knew Sienna well; she never called without a reason.


    Sienna was the second person she knew with an extraordinary gift for fashion design. The first was quite the character, always disappearing after passing Vibe to Sienna.


    With a sweet tone, Sienna replied, ¡°Professor, I just wanted to ask if the submission deadline for the international fashionpetitionter this year has passed?¡±


    Sienna was speaking to Hazel, the head of the top design school in Mysonna and her mentor.

 Chapter 192

    On the phone, Hazel paused before saying, ¡°Sienna, is everything okay? Did Vibe get a new designer who wants topete? Unfortunately, submissions are closed, and unless there¡¯s an exception, we can¡¯t add more. The first round of judging has already started


    Sienna knew the chances were slim. She whispered; looking at the designs in her hand, ¡°Such a pity for Yve¡¯s new designs¡±


    Hearing ¡°Yve,¡± Hazel¡¯s mind raced. She hadn¡¯t heard those words from Sienna in years. She wondered, ¡®Does shee back with new designs?¡±


    Trying to remain calm, Hazel said, ¡°Is she making aeback? Although the first round has started, I have a special privilege ticket that can send a designer¡¯s work straight to the finals. Mail the designs to the Designers¡¯ Association, and I¡¯ll handle it. By the way, does this collection have a name?¡±


    Sienna listened as Hazel spoke quickly, amused at her teacher¡¯s sudden shift in tone at the mention of Yvette¡¯s work.


    Flipping through the designs, Sienna knew Yvette would likely scribble the name in an inconspicuous corner..


    On the eleventh sheet, she found a small word, suppressing augh. She thought, Is this really the name?


    Hazel remained patient on the other end, eager to see the designs. ¡°Blossom¡± had shot Vibe to fame five years ago, and she wondered what surprise awaited this time.


    Hazel noticed the sound of flipping pages had stopped for a while. She finally asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you find the name?¡±


    Sienna hesitated before replying, ¡°Found it. But the name is¡­ well, it¡¯s just ¡®Nameless.¡±


    Hazel wasn¡¯t surprised; Yvette was always rather casual. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some hidden meaning?¡±


    Sienna sighed, ¡°She¡¯s probably just beingzy about naming it.¡±


    Hazel was left speechless.


    In front of an apartment in Mysonna


    Yvette arrived at the door, which opened remotely. The apartment looked ordinary from the outside, but inside it was all about luxury and high-tech.


    The seemingly simple ss was actually thetest international bulletproof material. The ss alone could buy a vi. Every little item inside was an auction rarity or a royal treasure, unseen in the market.


    Yvette stepped in, took off her cap, hung her coat by the entrance, and poured herself a ss of water at the bar. With a calm expression, she said, ¡°Come out.¡±


    Flying Fish emerged from a ¡°wall¡± in the apartment, wearing a Tshirt, shorts, and blue slippers.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Behind the wall was a secret room specially designed by the trio, as the Eagle King would put it, ¡°Every assassin needs a safe space. In reality, it was a ce for them to y cards, havete-night snacks, and y video games in Mysonna


    Flying Fish blew a kiss to Yvette, who was sitting at the bar, then dramatically flopped onto the couch. ¡°Boss,e here.¡±


    Yvette rested her lovely chin on her hand, gently swaying the ss in her hand. Her eyes lowered slowly, settling on Flying Fish¡¯s deliberately exposed thigh. She curled her lips into a slight smile, her voice soft and husky. ¡°Tm afraid you won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    Flying Fish froze, thinking, ¡®Is she flirting? Oh my gosh!¡±


    Yvettezily shifted her gaze to the innermost room, her eyes glinting subtly. Is he dead?¡±


    Flying Fish adjusted her position, crossing her legs and casually lighting a cigarette. ¡°Not dead, but barely alive. When I took him from the Goodman family, he looked fine, just unconscious, I got Landon to check him fully, and guess what, boss?¡±


    Yvette looked down, fingers gently tracing the rim of her ss, eyes deep and unreadable.


    Flying Fish clicked her tongue. She had to admit that Braydon¡¯s reputation for being ruthless was spot on. Everyone in the business knows Charles was the leader of ze Hall and Braydon¡¯s trusted ally. Yet Braydon didn¡¯t hesitate to go hard on someone who¡¯s been fighting by his side for years.


    Flying Fish wasn¡¯t sure why Yvette wanted to save Charles, but there must be a reason. ¡°Charles was injected with thetest No.7 Toxin by Braydon, and his body is breaking down fast. He doesn¡¯t have much time left. Even if there¡¯s a cure, he might never really recover. But there¡¯s a shred of hope. Landon said if we find the elusive Miracle Doctor, we might save him. The problem is that thest sighting was during the outbreak in Afriwo years ago. No news since then. And no one knows if Miracle Doctor is a man or a woman, young or old. Where do we even start looking


    Yvette remained expressionless, silently watching Flying Fish smoke. She put down her ss, raised an eyebrow, and sent a text. [Someone from theb leaked the No.7 toxin. Deliver an antidote to this address tomorrow.]


    She got a reply in less than a minute. [Sorry, Ms. Zeller. I¡¯ll handle it right away.]


    Yvette pocketed her phone and headed into the room, with Flying Fish putting out her cigarette and following.


    Inside, Charles was already awake. He had vaguely heard voices outside, but the apartment¡¯s soundproofing kept him from making out the words. He wanted to get up and see what was happening but couldn¡¯t move, so hey there waiting.


    He was very excited, but the nerve toxin had already paralyzed his limbs. He could barely move his fingers and could only talk normally.


    He almost called out to his mentor but swallowed the word when he saw Flying Fish behind her. ¡°Yve.¡±


    Yvette settled on the sofa, leaning back, eyes cold and deep, showing no particr emotion toward Charles.


    Flying Fish couldn¡¯t read the situation and silently stood beside Yvette. The room was thick with an atmosphere of unspoken tension.


    Charles looked down, feeling defeated. He was sure Yvette regretted teaching him, and now he was neither alive nor dead. His existence felt like a disgrace.


    A harsh resolve filled Charles¡¯s gaze. Death seemed like his only option. ¡°Yve, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yvette looked up, her lips pressed together. Her eyes were dark and deep, exuding a cold intensity. With a calm and icy voice, she said, ¡®Got a death wish?¡±


    Charles shook his head. He thought that Dying in front of Yvette would only taint her eyes.

 Chapter 193

    Yvette stared at Charles for a few seconds, then let out a coldugh


    Charles clenched his fingers tightly, unable to lift his head. He knew he¡¯d been injected with No.7 Toxin


    Even if they found Miracle Doctor, he¡¯d never be back to his peak. He¡¯d end up a total wreck. As the head of ze Hall, he¡¯d made countless enemies. If they found him like this, the line to take his life would be endless. He thought that it was better to end it himself than be humiliated by others.


    Charles struggled to speak. Yve, even if I make it, I¡¯ll be useless. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression turned colder, irritation and fierceness in her brows. ¡°Better to live struggling than to die. If your hands don¡¯t work, use your feet. If your feet fail, use your head. If the body¡¯s done, use your brains to get by. Stop whining like a kid. If I¡¯d known I¡¯d teach you to be like this, I¡¯d have put a bullet in you back then.¡±


    Flying Fish nodded in agreement. In their world, just like Charles¡¯s, dignity meant little. Survival was everything.


    Upon hearing this, Charles was utterly stunned, unable to respond.


    He¡¯d always seen Yvette as a ruthless force in training. He thought she valued dignity above all. No one had ever told him that living, even just surviving, mattered more. The Goodman family had ingrained in him that falling into enemy hands meant suicide was the only option to retain dignity.


    Yvette didn¡¯t like owing favors. She knew Charles wouldn¡¯t be in this mess with Braydon if it weren¡¯t for her. Years ago, she¡¯d promised Damian to take on an apprentice and chose Charles from seventy-two candidates.


    She wasn¡¯t one for sympathy; obedient ones got help, others didn¡¯t.


    After a while, Charles looked up, eyes bloodshot, and said, ¡°Yve, I want to live. Even if my body¡¯s wrecked, I believe I can climb back to the top on my own.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s gaze softened, her long fingers tapping the armrest, a hint of a smile. ¡°Your body won¡¯t be wrecked. Tomorrow someone will bring the antidote.¡±


    Charles was stunned, and even Flying Fish was taken aback. They both knew Yvette wouldn¡¯t speak lightly or without reason,


    Seeing the mood lighten, Flying Fish plopped down on the sofa. She stayed on her feet earlier in case she needed a quick escape if Yvette got mad. As for where Yvette got the antidote, neither of them asked.


    Flying Fish said, ¡°Hey, Charles! You heard the boss-there¡¯ll be an antidote tomorrow. Pull yourself together, man! I¡¯m starting to wonder if I rescued the wrong guy. The ze Hall leader everyone¡¯s talking about sure isn¡¯t acting like this!¡±


    Since his rescue, Charles had been unemotional until Yvette arrived.


    He managed a smile, and Flying Fish gawked like she¡¯d seen a miracle.


    Charles chuckled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m no longer the ze Hall leader. I¡¯m just Charles now.¡±


    Flying Fish shrugged and hurt Charles again. ¡°True enough, Braydon¡¯s pretty ruthless. You¡¯ve been with him for years, and instead of talking things out, he hits you with the No.7 Toxin. It¡¯s clear he¡¯s out to torment, not kill. No wonder he¡¯s got Everyone in Mysonna under his thumb.¡±


    Then she threw in some ttery, gazing at Yvette with admiration. ¡°Lucky for you, our boss is all-powerful and even got the antidote for the No.7 Toxin. Otherwise, you¡¯d be toast.¡±


    Yvette fiddled with her phone, having just received a new message. [Ms. Zeller, we found the traitor. It is Fiona, a Level 2 Pharmacist. She took 15 million dors from Braydon and has been expelled from theb.]


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were downeast longshes casting shadows, her gaze clear and cold.


    Charles paused at Flying Fish¡¯s words. He thought, Is her boss the same as my mentor? This girl, Flying Fish, has managed to infiltrate the Goodman family, extract me, and hide me without raising any rms. It is no small feat.


    I know all too well how tight the Goodman family¡¯s security is. Getting out alone is hard enough, let alone with me in tow Clearly, she isn¡¯t just anyone.


    The No.7 Toxin, from Mysonna¡¯s top medicalbs, was something even Braydon could only acquire through shady means. Yet, Yvette had the antidote effortlessly.


    Braydon always tried various strategies to keep Yvette around. Charles used to worry about her, but now he saw it was probably his anxiety that was misced.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    At the Goodman residence, Braydon listened to Fiona¡¯s sobbing over the phone, his expression growing more menacing. His carefully nted operative in theb was now expelled. He wondered, ¡°How did this happen?


    Fiona hadn¡¯t noticed Braydon¡¯s change in demeanor and continued her ramble. Having been thrown out of theb, she now clung to Braydon for support.


    Braydon said, ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ll set you up at the Goodman family¡¯s pharmaceuticalpany. If you don¡¯t win an award at next year¡¯s international medicalpetition, you¡¯re done for.¡±


    Terrified by Braydon¡¯s words, Fiona promised repeatedly to secure high rankings.


    Braydon hung up the phone, his face twisted with a terrifying ferocity, his sharp features clouded with menace.


    A knock sounded at the door.


    Braydon said, ¡°Come in¡±


    Carson, the head of the Punishment Hall and Braydon¡¯s most trusted subordinate, entered. His schrly face seemed at odds with his cold demeanor.


    With a respectful bow, Carson spoke without a hint of warmth. Boss, the Tiger Head issue has been dealt with. Burley¡¯s family had a car ident this morning-no survivors. His mistress took the money, and the three-month-old in her belly is gone.


    Braydon nodded in satisfaction, lighting a cigar as he stared at Carson. ¡°Charles was rescued yesterday by someone Yvette sent.


    Carson was already aware. He thought, ¡®Charles, stubbornly clinging to his rules, is oblivious. Years ago, only Charles and I remained in the final test of the seventy-two candidates. I am superior in every aspect, yet she chose Charles as her disciple.


    ¡®But what does it matter now if Charles is rescued? The No.7 Toxin Braydon injected into him is from Mysonna¡¯s topbs- no one, not even the Goodman family¡¯s own pharmaceutical group, can do anything about it. Charles is doomed.¡±


    The thought of Charles dying thrilled Carson. Nothing made him happier. He thought, ¡°I was the best, and Yvette had been blind to pick someone as ipetent as Charles Carson concealed his cold smile.

 Chapter 194

    Carson respectfully bent his back a little lower.


    ¡°Chief Braydon, even if Charles is rescued, Ms. Zeller can¡¯t save him. The No.7 Toxin in his body is thetest research from the Medical Lab. Fiona has mentioned that only Ss has the antidote, and Ms. Zeller can¡¯t get it. Everyone in Mysonna knows how entric Ss is. Why would he hand over the antidote to save Charles You don¡¯t need to worry about such an insignificant person like Charles anymore. Don¡¯t you think that his death in front of Ms. Zeller would only make Ms. Zeller realize even more that she can¡¯t escape from you?¡± Carson said.


    Braydon lit a cigar and looked directly at Carson, a sh of coldness in his eyes. Then he said in a sinister voice, asking. ¡°Back then, Yvette chose Charles over you. Do you still resent her for that?¡±


    Carson¡¯s pupils shrank. His face showed fear. As soon as he heard those words, he dropped to his knees. His knees mmed onto the floor with a painful thud, the sound itself enough to imagine the force behind it.


    ¡°Chief Braydon, I would never dare harbor any discontent against Ms. Zeller. May lightning strike me if I do. Carson swore. His head hung low, feeling the weight of Braydon¡¯s gaze lingering on him.


    After a moment of tense silence, Braydon finally withdrew his gaze, his dark eyes looking extremely menacing.


    ¡°Get up.¡± Braydonmanded


    Carson carefully stood up, a thinyer of cold sweat forming on his back.


    If Carson had shown the slightest dissatisfaction with Yvette just now, he would probably be lying here as a corpse now.


    Back in the day, just because a servant at the training camp spoke ill of Yvette behind her back, Braydon had the servant strung up on a tree and covered in scents that wild animals love,


    In an instant, the beasts swarmed the servant, leaving nothing but bones behind.


    Carson had witnessed the entire gruesome scene and couldn¡¯t erase the memory of Braydon¡¯s smiling face at that time,


    Even now, despite torturing many while in charge of the punishment hall of the Goodman family, Carson couldn¡¯t forget that moment.


    Braydon¡¯s obsession and fanaticism towards Yvette were deeply ingrained.


    Having spent so much time by Braydon¡¯s side, Carson knew there was one line that absolutely couldn¡¯t be crossed: Yvette. Cross it, and one was as good as dead


    Braydon took a puff from his cigar. His expression darkened, whatever thought urred to him brought a sinister smile to his lips.


    ¡°Fiona was found out and kicked out of theb, Braydon said.


    Carson was taken aback for a moment.


    Fiona is personally rmended to Chief Braydon by me. She¡¯s now in the position of a Level 2 Pharmacist, so how could she be kicked out of theb?


    Being kicked out of theb at this critical moment means only one thing. Her giving the No. 7 Toxin to Chief Braydon has been discovered, Carson thought.


    Carson thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Chief Braydon, does this have something to do with the No. 7 Toxin injected into Charles?


    Braydon crushed out his cigarette. He let out a cold chuckle.


    ¡°She¡¯s useless. It¡¯s just a No. 7 Toxin. After being in theb for so long, she¡¯s still not qualified to handle the core projects there. Keeping her around is pointless. Tomorrow, arrange for her to join the pharmaceuticalpany to improve herself. She e still has potential for next year¡¯s International Medical Experiment Competition. If she can secure a top-three spot, she¡¯ll have the chance to be the legendary Miracle Doctor apprentice, Braydon said.


    Then he paused, leaving some words unsaid that Carson wasn¡¯t entitled to know. Braydon¡¯s ultimate goal was to win over Miracle Doctor.


    Fiona was rmended to the Braydon by Carson. He felt somewhat embarrassed now, but he was relieved that Braydon hadn¡¯t given up on Fiona


    If Fiona could secure a ce in next year¡¯s International Medical Experiment Competition and gain Miracle Doctor¡¯s favor the medicalb would seem insignificant.


    ¡°I understand, Chief Braydon. I¡¯ll send Fiona to the pharmaceuticalpany tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, Fiona is capable and won¡¯t let you down in next year¡¯spetition, Carson said.


    Braydon listened, his expression unchanged, though his brows rxed slightly.


    Carson had been around Braydon long enough to notice the subtle changes in Braydon¡¯s mood and realized his spirits had lifted a bit.


    Braydon was silent for a few moments. His eyes looked slightly vacant. His voice became quieter.


    Carson, why do you think Yvette is so defiant? Can¡¯t she stay by my side quietly?¡± Braydon asked.


    Even though Braydon seemed harmless now, Carson knew him far too well to let his guard down and became even more respectful.


    ¡°Chief Braydon, Ms. Zeller isn¡¯t the kind of woman who just stays home. She¡¯s too strong for that. If you want to keep her by your side, you¡¯d have to clip her wings and crush her spirit to make her stay, otherwise¡­¡± Carson stopped before finishing his sentence.


    Braydon lost himself in his thoughts.


    Seeing this, Carson quietly slipped out. His ability to read the situation was the reason he hadsted so long by Braydon¡¯s side.


    I am not like Charles, who is stubborn and inflexible, still preventing Chief Braydon even though he knows about Chief Braydon¡¯s feelings for Ms. Zeller That is just looking for trouble, Carson thought.


    Yvette walked into Jeremiah¡¯s vi.


    Four people were ying cards in the living room. Among them, Frankic looked excited. Bruce was expressionless, Chris seemed a bit unsure about his cards. And Sienna sat cross-legged on the couch with a sly smile. Such a group was oddly harmonious.


    They were so focused on their game that they hadn¡¯t noticed anyone had entered, Sienna nced at the pair of deuces in her hand, while Frankie gave her a wink from across the table. Sienna tossed out the pair of deuces and chuckled, waving the cards in her hand.


    ¡°Hey guys, sorry about this, but I¡¯ve got a pair of deuces here. Let¡¯s see if you can top this. I¡¯m down to myst card, so if no one else is ying, I¡¯m about toy it down, Sienna said.


    Chris quietly put down the cards in his hand.


    It seemed like he lost. He didn¡¯t know how to y cards and was called in by Frankie to make up the numbers. He had already lost 150 thousand dors..


    Bruce lifted his eyes to nce at Frankie and Sienna, who were both celebrating. In the next moment, he drew two cards from his hand and gently ced them on the table.


    ¡°Sorry guys, I¡¯ve got a royal flush,¡± Bruce said.


    Sienna froze, staring in disbelief at the royal flush on the table, while Frankie exchanged a wide-eyed look with her.


    In unison, Frankie and Sienna shouted to each other, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a wild card?¡± Only then did they realize their mistake. They thought each had one wild card.


    Frankie and Sienna slumped their shoulders, feeling dejected. They watched as Bruce swept all the chips in front of them.


    Frankie and Sienna nced again at the tall stack in front of Bruce, both thinking. ¡®One wrong move and it¡¯s game over.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette took off her coat and walked in.


    Seeing Yvette return, Frankie quickly gathered up the cards. He looked as guilty as a kid caught ying games instead of doing homework.


    Yvette didn¡¯t say anything and walked straight to the couch, and sit down, with no expression on her face. Her eyes showed indifference.


    Yveure tilted her face slightly and was just about to pour herself ss of water. Frankie, who was as quick as a wink, stepped in and filled the ss for Yvette. With a bit of a brown-noser move, Frankie presented it to Yvette with both hands Frankie¡¯s actions were incredibly smooth and natural.


    Watching the whole process left Sienna thinking, ¡®Why haven¡¯t I figured out how to tter Ms. Zeller like this? Check out how Frankie is handling this.


    ¡®I am still too young. I have a lot to learn about ttering Ms. Zeller

 Chapter 195

    Yvette sat on the couch, resting her hands to one side, and crossed her legs. She took the cup from Frankie, smirked a little, and leaned back a bit. She tapped the scattered cards on the couch with her cool fingers.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, stayed silent for a few seconds, then asked inly. How much are you betting?¡±


    Startled, Frankie looked up, feeling a bit confused.


    Sienna quickly replied, ¡°Yve, it is Frankie who sets up the game. The cap is 150 thousand dors¡±


    Yvette nced at the chips in front of them.


    Chris had just a few chips. Sienna and Bruce had about a dozen each. Frankie had a towering stack, almost overflowing. It was clear to tell who won and who lost at a single nce.


    Suddenly, Frankie¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking, I can¡¯t take back the courtyard house Mr. Chavez tricked me out of. But I could win a little money from Yvette: So Frankie sincerely extended an invitation.


    ¡°Yve, do you y? Want to join us?¡± Frankie asked


    Yvette nodded and promptly joined them at the poker table. They sat around, with Frankie bringing snacks, juice, and sweets from the fridge.


    In the first ten rounds, Frankie won eight times. By then, he was thrilled.


    ¡°Yve, it seems you¡¯re not good at ying cards. If we¡¯d known, we wouldn¡¯t have yed for 150 thousand dors,¡± Frankie said.


    Bruce dropped a deuce on the table without any change in expression. Then he nced at Frankie, who was already floating. on cloud nine.


    Yvette propped her cheek with her hand. She was toozy to move. After taking a slow sip of her juice, she looked up at Frankie, a sly grin on her lips.


    Her gaze shifted slightly. She waspletely rxed and carefree, asking Frankie, ¡°How much do you want to y for?¡± Frankie thought seriously for a moment, then amidst everyone¡¯s gaze, held up three fingers.


    Yvette casually toyed with the poker cards between her pale fingers, lounging entirely on the couch.


    ¡°3 million dors? Okay,¡± Yvette said.


    Hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Chris paused for a moment, then quietly took out his phone to transfer 3 million dors from his bank ount.


    ¡®I might not know how to y, but I sure know how to lose,¡¯ Chris thought.


    T


    Bruce and Sienna didn¡¯t car


    This amount of money was trivial to them.


    Frankie had originally meant to say 300 thousand dors. He felt awkward winning too much from his friends. ¡°Y¡¯ve hadn¡¯t won a single round out of ten, probably because she isn¡¯t familiar with the game, Frankie thought.


    But he didn¡¯t expect Yvette to start with a 3 million dor bet. ¡®Well, then I can¡¯t be med for what¡¯s gonna happen, Frankie thought


    Sienna shuffled the cards again. The game changed to justparing card values. Everyone¡¯s stakes turned to 3 million dors


    In thest round, Frankie won 500 thousand dors. Bruce won 100 thousand dors. Yvette lost all 150 thousand dors.


    Emmett also came down from upstairs. Serving as the dealer, after dealing five cards to everyone, he said, ¡°ce your bets¡± He looked like a real dealer.


    Chris, Bruce, and Sienna each nced at their cards and then tossed in a few chips.


    Yvette didn¡¯t look at her cards. Her eyes were half-closed. Her slender, fair fingers tapped lightly on the cards now and then.


    Frankie nced at his cards and then looked up. He was full of confidence.


    Yvette held her juice, took a sip, and spoke up unhurriedly. ¡°Single round to decide the winner?¡±


    Frankie had already looked at his cards. His hole cards were a straight flush up to the King. Unless Yvette had a straight flush up to the Ace, he was bound to win.


    The other three folded their hands, flipping their cards face up one by one. None of them had much to brag about. The best anyone had was Bruce¡¯s pair. Now only Yvette and Frankie¡¯s cards were still hidden.


    Frankie frowned. He didn¡¯t reply to Yvette.


    If I go all-in, there wouldn¡¯t be a chance for aeback. I am a bit insecure. Yve might have a trick up her sleeve. But how could she be so confident if she hadn¡¯t even looked at her cards Frankie thought.


    Yvette wasn¡¯t in a hurry either. She leisurely drank her juice, taking a moment to nce at her phone without pressuring Frankie.


    Frankie hesitated for a bit. He was confident in his gambling skills and he believed that even if Yvette was a genius, she could not also have extraordinary talent in gambling.


    ¡°I¡¯m all in. Yve, Frankie said.


    Yvette¡¯s face was serene, with her delicate eyebrows slightly arched as she lightly touched the rim of her cup with her fingers


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yvette responded


    Noticing that both of them agreed to go all in, Emmett cleared his throat, saying, ¡°Since both Yve and Frankie agreed, let¡¯s decide this in one round. Who¡¯s going to show the cards first?¡±


    Frankie wore a confident smile as he eagerly revealed his cards. It was a straight flush to the King. That was already a very strong hand


    ¡°Yve, a straight flush. Unless you have an Ace, your 3 million dors will be gone in less than a minute. Thank you, Yve, and thanks everyone for watching,¡± Frankie said with a smile.


    Emmett, Bruce, and Chris weren¡¯t too surprised.


    Frankie¡¯s gambling skills were learned from the master gambler at a casino in Mysonna. He picked up about thirty percent of the skill. Winning was no surprise.


    Yvette raised her eyebrows. She set down her juice. Then she slightly turned her head, speaking with a calm and steady voice, ¡°Thank you for the 3 million dors. Sorry for your expenses today.¡±


    Emmett was taken aback. Bruce sighed and thought, I lost another 3 million dors.


    Sienna eagerly reached out and turned over Yvette¡¯s cards one by one. It was another straight flush, clear as day. It perfectly topped Frankie¡¯s hand. Yvette wonpletely.


    Frankie was greatly frustrated. ¡°Where¡¯s the so-called heir to the master gambler¡¯s legacy? Where¡¯s the next big shot in the casino scene? Do I just lose like that? Frankie thought.


    Frankie finally realized that Yvette was just ying dumb to outsmart her opponents.


    Yvette shifted her posture and stood up gracefully. Her voice was cool and indifferent, saying, Tm going upstairs, you guys take your time ying.¡±


    After speaking, she nced at Frankie, who looked thoroughly defeated and downcast, and offered him some words offort by saying, ¡°You did pretty well.¡±


    Frankie didn¡¯t know how to react. Thank you. But why do I feel nofort at all?¡¯ he thought.


    The rest of the people were speechless, thinking, Yve is both casual and precise with her teasing¡±


    The next day, in the apartment, Flying Fish was still groggy in bed when she was abruptly awakened.


    The doorbell rang outside.


    Flying Fish, with her face bare and hair all messy from just waking up, stomped to the door to see who dared to interrupt her beauty sleep at this time.


    The door opened. Flying Fish was about to start yelling when she saw an elderly man standing there, perfectly groomed and wearing a suit.


    Her eyes widened with surprise. In an instant, she quickly shut the door from inside. She knew this old man. It was Ss Walson, the dean of the medicalb in Mysonna


    Why is this important figure personally visiting my apartment? Flying Fish wondered.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She had previously gone undercover as a maid in Ss¡¯s house for a week and had stolen an antique vase.


    ¡°This is a case of enemies meeting unexpectedly. If he recognizes me, given all the random poisons he has developed, I might end up dead just like Charles, Flying Fish thought.


    Flying Fish suddenly paused.


    ¡°Ss Walson, Charles? Right, Boss has mentioned someone would bring the antidote today. Could that someone be Ss? Oh my God! It is Ss, the head of the top medicalb in Mysonna. He¡¯s like a national treasure, always under Mysonna¡¯s government protection, rarely seen by anyone.


    Who exactly is Boss? How can she get Ss to personally deliver the antidote? Flying Fish thought.


    She just had to ept it. To be safe, Flying Fish decided to make a call to double-check.


    Flying Fish dialed Yvette¡¯s number and cautiously asked, ¡°Boss, do you know who¡¯s bringing the antidote for Charles!¡±


    Yvette had just gotten up and picked out a random white tracksuit from her closet. Holding her phone, her voice was cool and clear, asking back, ¡°Is it Ss?¡±

 Chapter 196

    After Flying Fish got a direct confirmation from Yvette, she was stunned.


    She took a deep breath before speaking, ¡°Boss, Ss is the director of the top medicalb in Mysonna. How did you manage to have him lower his status ande to my apartment to deliver the antidote to Charles? My gosh, it¡¯s unbelievable!¡±


    While they were talking. Yvette had already changed her clothes into a simple tracksuit, familiar canvas shoes, and a ck baseball cap. Her androgynous style was incredibly cool.


    She noticed the small hair tie on the table, paused slightly, then picked it up and casually tied her hair. Her voice was indifferent, saying, ¡°I¡¯m heading over now,¡±


    Ss was sixty this year, but he was so well-preserved he looked no different from a man in his forties. His hair was perfectlybed and his eyes were bright and full of energy.


    He nced down at the vintage watch on his wrist. It had been ten minutes since the door had closed. He didn¡¯t show a trace of impatience on his face.


    The door opened again. Ss remained as gentlemanly andposed as ever.


    ¡°Hello, miss, sorry to bother you. I¡¯m here to deliver the antidote of No.7 Toxin for Mr. Jameson, Ss said.


    Flying Fish had already changed into everyday clothes, and she was taken aback by Ss¡¯s polite words.


    She had seen Ss¡¯s temper firsthand when she was undercover as a maid in Ss¡¯s house back in the day. Ss was the type of person


    who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to scold his son.


    I have kept him waiting for almost ten minutes. His pleasant demeanor nearly makes me want to swear. It is terrifying Flying Fish thought.


    Flying Fish quicklyposed herself, shifted sideways, and politely extended her hand.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Walson. Pleasee in, Flying Fish said.


    Ss gave a slight smile as he walked into the apartment. A seemingly unremarkable trinket in the entryway caught his eye,


    It was the first one-of-a-kind item auctioned atst year¡¯s West Auction House. It was eventually sold for 3.3 million dors.


    ¡°What an impressive gesture! How could someone just casually ce it right at the entrance? Ss thought.


    With his impable manners, Ss kept his eyes forward as he proceeded to the couch and took a seat.


    Trailing behind, Flying Fish noticed Ss¡¯s gaze pause on a spot in the entryway. Though it was just a few seconds, observation was key for Flying Fish as an assassin. So she didn¡¯t miss a beat with what Ss was up to.


    There isn¡¯t much in the entryway, just a few knick-knacks I have collected. What could have caught his attention? Flying Fish wondered.


    The atmosphere in the living room was filled with an awkwardness that was hard to describe.


    Ss sat upright on the couch, with a ss of water that Flying Fish had just poured sitting in front of him.


    Flying Fish sat across from Ss, trying her best not maid to make eye contact, afraid Ss might recognize her past as a little


    Ss spoke in a neutral tone, ¡°Ms. Fish, can you tell me where the patient is now? I can give him the antidote right away.¡±


    Flying Fish¡¯s eye twitched slightly, thinking, ¡°Seriously? Ms. Fish


    She nced at the ck suitcase by Ss¡¯s left foot, guessing it probably held the antidote for No.7 Toxin.


    ¡°Well, Charles is in the next room. Let me take you to him.¡± Flying Fish replied.


    Ss nodded. He felt a bit disappointed. He hade in person to meet Yvette, but since Yvette wasn¡¯t there, he felt deted. and just wanted to finish the task and leave.


    Flying Fish¡¯s thoughts matched Ss¡¯s. She also didn¡¯t want to spend more time with Ss.


    Charles, lying in bed in the room, had been excited all night. Hearing the faint sounds from outside, he wished he could go to the living room to wee them


    ¡®Could I really get my life back! Every moment before the door was knocked on, Charles was consumed by this question.


    ¡°Come in, Charles lowered his voice, struggling to utter those two words. After one night, he could only open his mouth. Hel couldn¡¯t move a finger.


    When Charles finally saw who entered through the door, his reaction was even more intense than Flying Fish¡¯s. Even though his body stayed still, his wide eyes and facial expression revealed how surprised he was,


    It is Ss Walson, Charles thought.


    Charles knew Ss, who led the medicalb that Braydon had been desperately trying to win over. Despite offering a fortune, Ss never even epted an invitation for dinner.


    For an ordinary person, the Goodman family could ensure one would disappear without a trace.


    But Ss wasn¡¯t just anyone. With the support of Mysonna¡¯s president and a background in a distinguished family, it wasn¡¯t easy for the Goodman family to make a move against Ss.


    Braydon tried every conceivable method but eventually had to give up since Sis couldn¡¯t be persuaded.


    Seeing Charles also looking shocked made Flying Fish feel a bit more bnced. Sure enough, anyone would feel bewildered seeing someone like Ss, Flying Fish thought.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Walson, Charlesposed himself and greeted. Just saying those words took quite a bit of effort.


    Ss was also aware of Charles¡¯s identity. He might not be involved with the underworld, but he had heard some rumors about Charles¡¯s reputation.


    Ss was well aware of how powerful No.7 Toxin was. Enduring it for this long was trulymendable


    Ss had consistently refused the Goodman family¡¯s attempts to win him over. But unexpectedly, he let his guard down, and members sent by the Goodman family managed to infiltrate.


    Ss had high hopes for Fiona. She was young and talented. Although she couldn¡¯tpare with Wette, with proper training. Fiona had potential. However, she unexpectedly turned out to be associated with Braydon


    Ss smiled gently, thinking, ¡°Ultimately, I bear some responsibility for this. No.7 Toxin has originated from my medicalb. Charles is Yvette¡¯s friend. It is only right to save him.¡¯


    Ss¡¯s tone held a hint of admiration, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Jameson. You¡¯re incredibly strong. Making it this far is nothing short of a miracle.


    Charles¡¯s stiff tongue managed to utter two words, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Without dy, Ss grabbed the ck case and walked to the bedside. He opened the case and took out a syringe filled with light blue liquid.


    Ss squinted. Pressing down on Charles¡¯s numb left arm, he injected the liquid.


    As the light blue medication in the syringe diminished, Charles gaze gradually became clearer. His fingers could move slightly.


    indProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ss the syringe back into the ck case. The syringe needed to be taken back for special handling. Besides being the antidote for No.7 Toxin, it would be poisonous to anyone who wasn¡¯t infected.


    Seeing Charles trying hard to move his fingers, Ss reassured him, saying, ¡°Mr. Jameson, there¡¯s no need to rush. In about an hour, your bodily functions will gradually recover. With your physical condition, you should be back to normal in two


    hours¡±


    Charles calmed his excitement.


    He thought he was doomed, but he didn¡¯t expect Yvette to know Ss and save his life.


    I no longer owe the Goodman family. From now on, my life belongs to Ms. Zeller, Charles thought.


    Ss picked up the ck case and left the room. Flying Fish noticed and followed.


    Ss reached the door and was about to leave but paused and turned back. He stared at Flying Fish, who followed behind.


    His gaze subtly carried a hint of inquiry. His expression was stern. Yet his whole demeanor exuded a gentle and schrly quality.


    Flying Fish felt a chill run down her spine as Ss¡¯s gaze seemed to pierce through her. But she quicklyposed herself and smiled casually.


    Her alluring demeanor instantly shifted to that of a cute young girl in a second.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr. Walson? Is there something on my face?¡± Flying Fish asked.


    Just as Ss was about to speak, Flying Fish didn¡¯t give him the chance and continued talking, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it, my face has something called beauty. Lots of people have mentioned it.¡±


    Even someone as experienced as Ss was momentarily struck speechless by Flying Fish¡¯s audacious confidence.

 Chapter 197

    Ss turned around and pushed the door open.


    ¡°Ms. Fish, at my age, making a living isn¡¯t easy. It¡¯s been difficult earning money, working day and night in the medicalb, and only now could I afford an antique 1 like. Please, when you have the time, I¡¯ll send someone to take it back. I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you to keep it safe,¡± Ss said. After this, he left.


    Flying Fish¡¯s smile froze on her face.


    Ss, that old fox, has recognized me from the start. It¡¯s true what people say, experience does make the difference. He is waiting for me the whole time.


    How could a dean of a top medicalb like him have the nerve to y the victim? Flying Fish thought.


    Flying Fish was worried. ¡°How am I supposed to get back that antique when I have already given it to my employer?


    If it weren¡¯t for Boss knowing Ss, I would¡¯ve made a run for it. Now that my hideout is exposed, what¡¯s the point of running! Flying Fish thought.


    Ss reached the ground floor.


    The driver stood respectfully to the side, holding the car door open. Just as Ss was about to step inside, he noticed someone approaching from afar.


    H


    Ss handed the ck suitcase to the driver, then strode toward the distant figure.


    He walked with amanding presence. His face had a healthy rosy glow. There was not a single trace of an old man about him at sixty.


    ¡°I finally got to see you! I thought I was going to make this trip for nothing again today,¡± Ss said with relief.


    Yvette paused, lifted her eyelids slightly, and gave a nonchnt nod in response to Ss¡¯s words.


    The two of them formed a stark contrast. One was very enthusiastic, and the other showed almost no expression.


    The driver watched the scene from a distance, shocked.


    ¡®Is this still the usually serious Mr. Walson? How could he be so attentive to a pretty girl when she seemed barely interested? The driver wondered and was beginning to question everything.


    ¡®Even if the top officials from Mysonnae, they would treat Mr. Walson with respect, What is happening now? Who is this extraordinary girl? the driver thought.


    Ss, now used to it, looked at Yvette with hopeful eyes and asked, ¡°Do you have some time to sit down somewhere


    Yvette, with one hand in her pocket and an intimidating aura, lowered her gaze.


    The side of her face under the baseball cap was glowing white in the sunlight, and her slightly raised eyebrows looked


    delicate.


    She was concise and direct, replying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ss could barely contain his happiness. Finding Yvette even once was not easy. It had been years since thest time, and he could hardly remember.


    The two of thein casually chose a dessert shop.


    Ss, at his age, usually had a personal pastry chef at home to satisfy his sweet tooth. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be found in a ce like this.


    Yvette ordered a milkshake that cost just a few dors, while Ss went for a coffee that cost hundreds,


    Yvette was sipping her milkshake with enjoyment, legs crossed, looking quite indifferent. She nced at Ss casually.


    Ss took a sip of the coffee, found it unbearably cheap-tasting, and set it down.


    After a minute of thought, Ss spoke up, ¡°You should sign up for the first-level test of this year¡¯s Mysonna Medical Competition.¡±


    Yvette leaned back. She positioned herself in the mostfortable spot and pursed her lips, her expression was nd. Her slender white fingers tugged at the straw.


    ¡°Not signing up, Yvette said.


    Ss spoke with heartfelt sincerity, ¡°Come on, kiddo, just sign up. Another certificate won¡¯t hurt. You have no idea how many times the President has urged me, saying not to waste your talent. Once you pass the first-level test, theb can be handed over to you. I¡¯m sixty, I should be retiring and enjoying my golden years, right?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were half-closed as she gazed at Ss, her brow furrowed slightly,Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not signing up. You¡¯re good for another 20 years, Yvette replied.


    Ss felt like he had a lump in his throat.


    Is it my fault for looking young? In twenty years, I would be eighty. She is a wicked capitalist, shamelessly exploiting me without a second thought, Ss thought.


    Ss wore a gloomy expression, saying, ¡°Come on, sweetheart, look at me. In twenty years, I¡¯ll be eighty. How could you bear to keep me cooped up in theb every day?¡±


    Yvette propped her face on her hand, giving azy smile. She took a sip of her milkshake without saying anything


    Ss leaned in closer, pouting, looking upset and helpless, like a sixty-year-old child.


    People around them started giving them curious looks, whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Look at those two. They must be father and daughter. How did the girl get so pretty and manage to upset her dad so much?¡± someone said.


    ¡°I bet she¡¯s not looking after her parents properly and said something rude again. Her dad looks so sad and pitiful. I can¡¯t even watch, another person said.


    ¡°Every family has its struggles, and we don¡¯t know their situation Let¡¯s not gossip and just move on,¡± one person said.


    These whispers reached Yvette and Ss¡¯s ears, making Ss feel quite guilty.


    ¡°This shows that gossiping is in people¡¯s nature. These people must have wild imaginations. I don¡¯t have the qualifications to be Yvette¡¯s dad, Ss thought.


    Yvette swung her leg, looking at Ss across the table with a yful smile. Her lips curved into a mischievous arch.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Yvette teasingly said..


    Ss¡¯s hands shook, spilling half the coffee he had pretended to sip, and reacted with lightning speed.


    ¡°You¡¯re my dad,¡± Ss said.


    Ss blushed, realizing how embarrassing that sounded. But he valued his life more than his pride.


    Yvette gently tapped her finger against the edge of the table. She rested her chin on her hand. Her voice carried a hint of coldness, asking. ¡°Did you manage to extract the unstable substance from No.7 Toxin?¡±


    Hearing this, Ss immediately straightened his posture.


    The toxin that Fiona stole, known as No.7 Toxin, was wed. It wasn¡¯t the real one. So Ss had the antidote.


    It was all just rumors out there about the antidote. If it was the real No.7 Toxin, even the greatest of immortals couldn¡¯t save one.


    ¡°We have undergone thousands of tests. The unstable elements have now been narrowed down to a range. Unless something unexpected happens, it will take another six months topare the reactions of these elements and draw a conclusion,¡± Ss said.


    Hearing this, Yvette raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly. Then she focused on sipping her milkshake.


    Ss suddenly thought of Flying Fish and asked, ¡°By the way, today at the apartment you asked me to visit, I ran into a girl who used to be undercover and stole a relic from my house. Are you friends with her?¡±


    Yvette hesitated for a moment. She looked away from her milkshake, pursed her lips, saying softly, ¡°How much is the relic worth? I¡¯ll write you a checkter.¡±


    Ss was speechless. He pretended to think for a moment, his eyes sparkling with cleverness, then waved his hand, generously.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal! For a friend like yours, not just one relic, I could give away a few if you ask. But maybe you don¡¯t know, the one she took was my favorite blue and white porcin te. I used to sleep with it by my side, couldn¡¯t sleep well without it. Ever since it was stolen, my insomnia hasn¡¯t improved,¡± Ss said.


    Yvette looked up, her cold eyes flickering slightly, thinking, ¡°Who are you trying to fool, old trickster? Do you sleep with it¡¯ Won¡¯t it poke you?¡±


    Yvette was silent for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°Just tell me what you want.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ss¡¯s face lit up with a wide grin, his old face blooming like a flower,


    He didn¡¯t hold back and stated his demands since opportunities like this don¡¯te often. It would be silly of him to let this chance slip away once he finally had it.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. We¡¯ve got some new interns in theb, and I¡¯m honestly overwhelmed. They¡¯re all geniuses who don¡¯t respect each other, turning theb into a chaotic mess. I¡¯m so busy every day. I don¡¯t have the time to handle them. So, please help me train them for a week, and if you agree, we¡¯ll let bygones be bygon¨¨s, Ss said.


    Yvette nced at Ss, thinking, ¡°He¡¯s good at taking advantage of situations without holding back.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Yvette agreed.

 Chapter 198

    Ss and Yvette agreed that Yvette woulde to Mysonna in three months to help supervise the interns for a week.


    Ss was satisfied. They chatted casually for a bit more before going their separate ways.


    As soon as Yvette entered the apartment, she saw Flying Fish sitting on the couch, looking troubled.


    To run or not to run, that is the question. Flying Fish thought,


    Flying Fish looked at Yvette as Yvette walked in. Flying Fish said firedly, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    Yvette nodded. She figured out why Flying Fish had that expression.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    The antique thing?¡± Yvette asked.


    Flying Fish felt nervous. She thought, ¡°Who could have guessed Boss knows Ss? If Lhad known, I would never have taken the job.


    Yvette¡¯s delicate eyebrows raised slightly, her expression indifferent, with a subtle smile on her lips. Her voice was deep, saying, ¡°It¡¯s sorted out. Ss won¡¯t pursue it anymore.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Flying Fish leaped up from the sofa and rushed in front of Yvette quickly. Then, under Yvette¡¯s cool gaze, she came to a sudden stop.


    ¡°Boss, is it sorted out? That old guy isn¡¯t going to follow up? I can finally rx. He¡¯s got all those toxins, what if he yed a trick on me? I¡¯m really scared, Flying Fish said.


    Yvette took off her canvas shoes, put on her slippers, and hand in her pocket. She walked unhurriedly towards Charles¡¯s room. She gave a slight nod in response to Flying Fish¡¯s words.


    Seeing Yvette head towards Charles, Flying Fish decided not to follow. Instead, she flopped back onto the couch and made a call to the Eagle King.


    Eagle King said he took a job and had been gone for three days without a word.


    After Ss left, Charlesy on the bed, feeling strength slowly returning to his body. First, his facial features, then his hands and feet, and now he could move his whole body.


    As Charles tried to get up, Yvette pushed the door open and came in, raising an eyebrow at his movement.


    Charles looked up and then struggled to prop


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re here,¡± Charles greeted.


    himself up and sit


    Yvette, with one leg bent, loungedzily in a bean bag chair, exuding a very rxed vibe. Charles sat awkwardly to the side.


    Aside from these past couple of days, Charles¡¯s impression of Yvette was still stuck on that six-month hell training from years ago. They had barely kept in touch since.


    Yvette took out her ck phone, lowered her gaze, and logged into a game. Charles stood quietly on the side, not daring to -interrupt


    Yvette didn¡¯t look up. She continued ying her game, speaking in a detached and cool voice, ¡°What are your ns now! Charles was silent for a moment, then he looked at Yvette and shared his thoughts.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, my life was saved by Damian, Now that Braydon has acted against me, I feel I¡¯ve repaid that debt. I don¡¯t owe the


    Goodman family anymore. Can I¡­ Charles hesitated as he got to this point, feeling embarrassed to continue.


    Yvette turned off the game, nced up at Charles¡¯s slightly flushed face, and pressed her lips together,


    ¡°Spit it out, Yvette said.


    Charles shifted ufortably, struggling to find the right words. He said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I want to follow you.¡±


    There was a pause.


    Receiving no immediate reply, a wave of sadness came over Charles, as he guessed what Yvette meant.


    ¡®Her silence seems like a silent refusal, Charles thought. Just as Charles was about to say something else, Yvette spoke up.. ¡°Okay.¡± Yvette replied.


    Charles couldn¡¯t believe it, his face lit up with joy. ¡®Does Ms. Zeller agree? Really? Charles thought with surprise.


    The enormous surprise almost left Charles stunned. It took him a moment to get back to normal, and he seemed more energetic than before.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zeller, Charles said.


    Yvette paused and looked at the ecstatic Charles, feeling it was still necessary to remind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m attending college in Seacrity at Clusia. Prepare yourself. We leave the day after tomorrow, Yvette said.


    The joy on Charles¡¯s face instantly turned into horror. Is Ms. Zeller going to college? What a joke!¡¯ he thought.


    Charles asked cautiously, ¡°Ms. Zeller, does Professor Fry know you¡¯re going to college?¡±


    Yvette shrugged indifferently, saying, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, and there¡¯s no need for him to.¡±


    Charles didn¡¯t know what to say. Probably only Yvette dared to be so blunt with Professor Fry, the principal of the top university.


    Professor Fry¡¯s students were more than qualified to be professors at the top university. Yet Yvette went to a small city in Clusia to go back to college. ¡°Who can even understand this decision?¡¯ Charles thought.


    Back then, Yvette graduated as the top student in the finance department at the top university. But now she was going back to Clusia to study again. Just thinking about it was pretty exciting.


    Yvette stood up, getting ready to leave.


    Seeing Yvette was about to leave, Charles quickly said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you should remind Mr. Walson to watch out for Braydon. He might be nning something soon.¡±


    Yvette nodded. She pushed the door open and left.


    When Yvette returned to the living room, Flying Fish was video chatting with Eagle King They were in a lively argument, going back and forth.


    Seeing Yvettee out, Flying Fish instantly turned the camera towards her. A face of extraordinary beauty showed up on


    the screen.


    Eagle King was taken aback by Yvette¡¯s face for a second. Then he shouted, ¡°Boss, boss, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s delicate expression softened. She tilted her head slightly and nced at Eagle King on the video.


    It looks like he has pretty good food there to get him rounder, Yvette thought.


    Yvette responded with a simple ¡°Hmm.¡± She remembered she had to meet someer, so she didn¡¯t stay long and lett after saying a few words.


    West Isle was where Damian, the former patriarch of the Goodman family, now resided.


    A few years ago, Braydon drove Damian out of the center of power in the Goodman family, banishing him to this ce.


    Damian had ruled the Mysonna underworld for detades had long since retired to a tranquil life, free from worldly concerns


    Who was Damian?


    About forty years ago, when the Mysonna underground was in chaos, he started from nothing, using his sharp insight and ruthless methods. In just a few years, he formed the Goodman n and spent the next ten years conquering and unifying the Mysonna underworld gangs.


    It wasn¡¯t until a few years ago when Braydon came to power that Damian¡¯s influence began to wane, ultimately resulting in his exile to the remote West Isle..


    Inside a magnificent vi on West Isle, Damian with graying hair, leaning on a cane, stood by the fish tank wearing dark, traditional Clusian attire.


    He held fish food in his hand, watching a variety of exotic fish scramble for it.


    A deep smile slowly appeared on his wrinkled face as he tossed all the fish food in. Then he turned and walked over to the couch..


    He rubbed the dragon head of the cane with his hands. He narrowed his eyes, seeming lost in thought.


    Soon, another elderly, in-looking man with a slightly fierce appearance entered from outside.


    This old man was Tyson Stonewall. He was the infamous ancient martial arts expert of the Mysonna underground. He was also Damian¡¯s inseparable butler, who had been through thick and thin with Damian for decades.


    Damian looked up, a chilling re appearing in his cloudy eyes


    ¡°Have you confirmed it? Is she back?¡± Damian asked.


    Tyson¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he nodded, showing respect towards Damian


    ¡°Mr. Goodman, she¡¯s back. Mr. Braydon Goodman has already met with her, but it didn¡¯t go well. They parted on bad terms. Reports from the Goodman family insiders say that Mr. Braydon Goodman got so angry because of her that he wiped out over a hundred members of the Tiger Head, Tyson said.


    Damian let out a coldugh, his drooping eyelids casting a shadow over his face.


    ¡®Braydon is still so ipetent. Over the years, I have given him many opportunities to practice. Yet he loses hisposure as soon as he sees her. He¡¯s utterly unreliable, Damian thought.


    ¡°Make arrangements. I need to return to Mysonna. Since she¡¯s back, we should at least meet, Damian said.


    Tyson nodded.

 Chapter 199

    Tyson asked. ¡°Mr. Damian Goodman, how should we proceed this time? Are we still keeping it from Mr. Braydon Goodman? His men are still outside West Isle


    Goodman maintained a neutral expression. His wrinkled face broke into a cold smile.


    ¡®Does Braydon think those worthless individuals can keep me trapped? That¡¯sughable,¡¯ Damian thought.


    ¡°This time. I¡¯ll leave openly. My grandson needs to know who¡¯s really in charge of the Goodman family,¡± Damian said.


    The news of Damian leaving West Isle to return to the head of the Goodman family quickly spread throughout the underworld of Mysonna


    By the time Braydon received the news, the people he had sent to guard Damian had already been wiped out. His eyes showed no surprise, only an endless chill, with hints of blood in their depths.


    Carson stood by the side, trembling with fear.


    He was a staunch supporter of Braydon. He hadn¡¯t expected Damian to have someone able to ovee Braydon¡¯s obstacles and return to Mysonna. Damian¡¯s power and ruthlessness were truly rming


    Years ago. Braydon asked Carson to send Damian to West Isle. Now that Damian was back, it was like Carson¡¯s life was hanging by a thread.


    Braydon yed with the lighter in his hands. In the flickering firelight, his face shifted between light and shadow, and that small scar added an eerie touch.


    After a long pause, Braydon chuckled lightly, then burst intoughter, his voice sharp and piercing.


    Carson didn¡¯t dare lift his head. He tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, but with only two people in the room, he had nowhere to hide.


    Braydon¡¯s gaze fixed on Carson, cold and mocking


    His voice was smooth and shadowy, saying, ¡°Damian is something. All these years, he stayed on West Isle just to mislead me 1 naively thought he had no followers left, and no chance to rise again. Today, he¡¯s truly pped me in the face.¡±


    Carson bowed his head even lower, feeling even more frightened by Braydon¡¯s words.


    ¡°Chief Braydon, since Chief Damian left West Isle this time, he didn¡¯t leave anyone behind. It means he¡¯s dering war on you. It won¡¯t be easy to send him back this time,¡± Carson said.


    Braydon pursed his lips, his dark eyes cold and deep, with a hint of madness.


    ¡°What if he¡¯s dering war? He¡¯s not the underground king he used to be. And I¡¯m not the Braydon who could be easily pushed around anymore, Braydon said.


    Hearing this, Carson¡¯s fear grew stronger,


    He knew a little about Braydon¡¯s past. It was a taboo in the Goodman family that no one dared to mention. Before leading the family, Braydon was not like he is now.


    Braydon looked up, ncing coldly at Carson, asking, ¡°How are things on Yvette¡¯s side? Any news?¡±


    Carson outlined thetest intelligence he had gathered, reporting, ¡°Chief Braydon, we¡¯ve discovered where Ms. Zeller is staying. The ce was purchased by a man. We¡¯ve been investigating for a long time and even used government connections, but we still can¡¯t identify him. The officials we¡¯ve bribed in the Mysonna government say the vi owner¡¯s identity is ssified as top-secret, and they don¡¯t have the authority to ess it. As for Ms. Zeller, her counter-surveince skills are too powerful. Our operatives lost her after just a few minutes, leaving us unable to track her movements But.


    Carson paused, uncertain whether he should continue, worried that Braydon¡¯s reaction might be intense.


    Braydon curled his lips into a cold smile, his voice stern, asking, Continue. But what?¡±


    A cold sweat dripped down Carson¡¯s face. Not daring to linger, he quickly continued, ¡°There¡¯s not just M. Zeller living in the vi. There are also four men and one woman. We¡¯ve identified the woman as Mr. Nathan Goodman¡¯s girlfriend. Sienna. But we haven¡¯t been able to find any useful information about the other four men since they haven¡¯t shown up.¡±


    Braydon tossed the lighter in his hand. It hit Carson¡¯s head directly, causing blood to gush out instantly.


    Carson didn¡¯t dare to move at all, letting the blood flow down. It kept flowing more and more until his whole face was covered, looking extremely frighteningN?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Useless, all of you are useless! Yvette is in Mysonna, and I still don¡¯t know anything about her. What exactly is the punishment hall under you doing? I¡¯ll give you three more days. If you can¡¯t find out those people¡¯s information by then. you can forget about being the head of the punishment hall. Get out!¡± Braydon shouted.


    With a bloodied face, Carson bowed ny degrees, turned around, and walked out. As he reached the door, he heard Braydon say. ¡°No wonder Yvette chose Charles instead of you back then.¡±


    Carson clenched his fists tightly for a moment, then he casually pushed the door open and left.


    What¡¯s the point of being great? Charles is just a dead person. The real power lies in who lives longer, Carson thought


    Royal Phoenix was thergest private club in Mysonna. Itbines leisure and entertainment with high privacy, making it the favorite spot for Mysonna¡¯s wealthy.


    Usually, it was bustling with people, but today it was eerily quiet, with only the club staff on high alert and no outsiders to be


    SPEIL


    There was only one reason. Damian was here.


    Some people who wanted to enter and have fun were stopped by the staff and were ready to get angry. After hearing Damian¡¯s name, they didn¡¯t dare make a fuss and left dejectedly


    There were also some curious onlookers watching from afar, not leaving. The staff mentioned Damian was hosting an important guest here.


    ¡°Who could it be? What significant guest would warrant a personal invitation from Damian? How impressive must the man be?¡¯ those curious onlookers wondered,


    That was Damian, after all. When he unified Mysonna¡¯s underworld, some of them weren¡¯t even born yet. Damian was a legendary figure. Anyone wanted a chance to see him.


    Tyson stood at the door in a ck suit, back as straight as a rod, his face cold and expressionless,


    Some onlookers from high society recognized Tyson and quickly filled in those around them on who Tyson was. The way people looked at Tyson changed immediately.


    ording to an informed source, Tyson was the legendary tough guy working for Damian. He had once single-handedly wiped out an enemy gang overnight


    Everyone automatically gave Tyson a wide berth, Yet now, people were even more intrigued by this distinguished guest. Tyson personally came to wee the guest. That said it was all about the guest¡¯s status.


    Word was that Damiair hadnt even returned to the Goodman family house or seen his grandsons beforeing straight here..


    Who could this person be? Everyone wondered. Their curiosity was piqued. The crowd waited eagerly.


    All sorts of people walked past the entrance of Royal Phoenix, yet Tyson didn¡¯t budge, maintaining a robotic demeanor.


    Just as the crowd was growing impatient, finally, Tyson moved. Tyson¡¯s eyes flickered as he looked at the person who got off the bus across the street.


    She is always so unpredictable. Tyson thought.


    Yvette nced at the thick crowd around, adjusted her baseball cap to reveal just a bit of her chin, and walked slowly toward Royal Phoenix with her hands in her pockets.


    The crowd¡¯s attention was all on Tyson, naturally missing the person getting off the bus. They would never have guessed the person Damian invited woulde by bus.


    Tyson approached Yvette and bowed. He greeted Yvette in a cautious and respectful voice, ¡°Ms. Zeller, please, Mr. Goodman is waiting for you in the gun room¡±


    Onlookers nced at each other, with some just realizing that Yvette had just gotten off the bus. It was unbelievable for them. Suddenly, it was like a bomb had exploded


    They didn¡¯t hear what Tyson said. From Tyson¡¯s actions and expressions, it was clear how respectful Yvette was.


    A girl who just got off the bus?¡¯ everyone wondered.

 Chapter 200

    After Yvette and Tyson went inside, the onlookers finally dared to speak up.


    A girl in fancy clothes, who had also been turned away from the Royal Phoenix, covered her mouth in shock.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, did you see that? The important guest invited by Damian was actually a girl who got off the bus?¡± the girl said.


    Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressionsplicated. A well-dressed man added. ¡°The news about the Goodman family has spread all over Mysonna. I heard Damian is back to take over the family again.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that too, but it¡¯s not going to be that easy. Damian has been away from Mysonna for so long, and now Braydon is in charge. Regaining power won¡¯t be simple, a middle-aged man said.


    ¡°The affairs of the Goodman family are way beyond our reach. We better leave before trouble finds us,¡± someone suggested.


    e still


    As the crowd heard this, they remembered the ruthless ways of the Goodman family and quickly dispersed. Some were still jittery, thinking they must have been out of their minds to gossip about the Goodman family.


    Tyson walked ahead, his expression icy, signaling people to keep their distance.


    Yvette strolled behind with her hands in her pockets as if she were in her backyard,pletely carefree.


    Tyson waspletely unfazed.


    Actually, expecting Yvette to wear a formal suit to this meeting would be the odd thing to do, Tyson thought.


    Royal Phoenix¡¯s gun room was crafted with the most advanced technology, costing over 30 million dors. Naturally, the service prices were also high. The guns here were thetest ones avable on the market.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There were even some guns here that one wouldn¡¯t find elsewhere, and not just one or two.


    Someone said that whoever¡¯s behind Royal Phoenix must be an arms dealer. Otherwise, how could they have all the newest guns so quickly?


    At the entrance of the gun room, Tyson knocked softly on the door.


    Inside, Damian was meticulously polishing a gun that gleamed with a dark shine.


    His eyes were shadowy, and his murky gaze held a sharp glint, while his hands, dry and wrinkled like old twi


    gun.


    Hearing the knock, Damian looked away from the gun and said two words, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Tyson stepped aside, opened the door, bent down slightly, and gestured respectfully.


    ¡°Please, Ms. Zeller, Tyson said.


    Yvette nodded slightly at Tyson, her hands still in her pockets, and walked in with a casual air.


    touched the


    As soon as Yvette entered the room, she pulled out a chair and sat down without any hesitation. She crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hand


    With a nk expression and a rxed, rebellious demeanor, Yvette took off her baseball cap and nced up at Damian with a crooked grin. Her mischievous energy was evident as she calmly poured herself a ss of water and drank.


    Damian eyes grew colder as he watched Yvette from across the ble


    ¡°She is still so rebellious If back then she had agreed to be with Braydon, she would now be the mistress of the Goodman family. Why does she vanish for years and show up now? Damian thought.


    In the end, it was Damian who couldn¡¯t hold back and spoke first ¡°Long time no see, Yvette.¡±


    Yvette set down her cup, rxed yet with an indifferent expression, a mix of coolness and mischief. Her voice was monotone, replying. I didn¡¯t expect to see you again. It is pure coincidence this time¡±


    Damian was taken aback by these words, his expression darkened, clearly provoked.


    Her words are as sharp as ever: Damian thought.


    Tyson was expressionless, his eyes wandered between Damian and Yvette before he looked down.


    In Mysonna, only she would dare to speak to Mr. Goodman like that, Tyson thought.


    Damian ced a ck gun on the table, the dark barrel pointed directly at Yvette.


    Yvette continued to rock her crossed legs, her pale face seemned radiant. Her eyes were as cold as ever, she flexed her wrist and her gaze was quite arrogant.


    Seeing Yvette like this, Damian discreetly turned the gun in a different direction.


    ¡°What did youe back for this time? Have you met Braydon yet?¡± Damian asked.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were cold as she looked at Damian. She lifted her eyelids slightly. Her voice waspletely devoid of warmth, saying. ¡°Whether I met him or not, don¡¯t you already know? You¡¯ve been ying this old cat role for years, aren¡¯t you tired of it?


    Damian¡¯s coffee caught in his throat, and his face flushed red with anger.


    Tyson¡¯s expression also shifted.


    Damian swallowed the coffee, but now this expensive brew tasted dull and unimpressive.


    you not considering my grandson?¡± Damian cautiously asked. He was worried that Yvette might regret it, though deep


    he knew it was unlikely.


    Yvette toyed with her coffee cup, her slender fingers tapping lightly on the table. Her lips curled up, giving a half-smile.


    ¡°Keep him in check. Thest time was the final straw. If it happens again, you¡¯ll be dealing with the consequences yourself,¡± Yvette said.


    Damian¡¯s face slightly shifted, growing tense. Yvette was someone who followed through on her words. Her gratitude for Damian saving her life had finally run out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep him in check, but I hope you stop showing up in front of him. You know how unstable Braydon¡¯s personality is


    weak Can¡¯t you be a bit more forgiving? You¡¯re aware of how rough his childhood was, Damian said. He was trying to appear


    in front of Yvette.


    His words clearly implied that even if Braydon did something wrong, he hoped Yvette wouldn¡¯t be too harsh.


    Yvette nced at Damian and leaned back in her chair with a cold look in her eyes. Her voice was low and raspy, asking. ¡°Ang I his dad or his mom?¡±


    Damian¡¯s face turned pale, his eyes fierce with malice. What could I say after a remark like that?¡¯ Damian thought.


    Damian took a sip of his coffee to cool down his anger, then reped coldly, ¡°Fine, I get what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    9.72%


    Unbothered by Damian¡¯s furious state, Yvette took out a piece of vani toffee from her pocket and put it in her mouth.


    Her ck phone buzzed, catching her attention. It was a call from Jeremiah. The coldness faded a bit from her expression as she answered in front of Damian and Tyson.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Yvette greeted. At this time of day, Jeremiah would usually call or text me.


    Jeremiah asked, ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    Yvette nced down, saying. I have.¡±


    Jeremiah added, ¡°The weather¡¯s been changing in Mysonnately. Remember to wear an extra coat when you go out. Avoid cold drinks. Stay warm, and don¡¯t open the windows at night. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡±


    The soldiers around Jeremiah stoodpletely still, afraid to make a move.


    Listening to Jeremiah¡¯s words, the soldier wondered if Jeremiah was still The Living Reaper feared throughout the rank.


    Isn¡¯t he acting just like a fretful mom? the soldier thought.


    Jeremiah and Yvette exchanged a few words before Jeremiah hung up. Even amid a military meeting. Jeremiah had found a moment to call Yvette.


    After ending the call, Damian fixed his gaze on Yvette, his eyes mysterious and sharp, full of suspicion.


    ¡°Got yourself a boyfriend?¡± Damian asked. He didn¡¯t seem convinced, wondering who would date someone as fierce as Wette.


    Yvette put her phone away, crossed her legs, tilted her head, and gave Damian a nonchnt look.


    ¡°None of your damn business,¡± Yvette snapped.


    Tyson couldn¡¯t stay silent any longer. With a stern face, he sharply reprimanded Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, regardless of your feelings, remember to respect your elders when you speak.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t turn her head or even nce at Tyson, fiddling with the cup in her hands.


    She retorted, ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve been too polite, making everyone think they can act like they¡¯re my elders.¡± Her words were outrageously arrogant.


    Such words would sound jarring if they were from anyone else. When Yvette said them, Tyson was momentarily speechless.


    Yvette wasn¡¯t wrong. From start to finish, her rtionship with Damian was purely about mutual benefits. Yvette had already repaid the life-saving debtpletely.

 Chapter 201

    Damian¡¯s chest heaved and his breathing was bing uneasy. He mmed the cup down hard on the table, venting his frustration.


    Yvette pressed her lips together. She red at Damian, her eyes shed with a murderous intent, a dark fury swirling in her gaze


    Tyson immediately hurried to Damian¡¯s side. He watched Yvette with caution. His heart beat with anxiety.


    Even as a teenager, Yvette could easily overpower me, let alone now. If she loses it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her, Tyson thought


    Damian and Yvette locked eyes.


    Under Yvette¡¯s cold stare, Damian finally gave in. He signaled Tyson to step aside, and Tyson reluctantlyplied.


    I invited you here to catch up, not to create tension,¡± Damian said.


    Yvette chuckled softly and turned her gaze away, a faint smile curling on her lips.


    ¡°Get to the point. If I stay here any longer, I¡¯m afraid someone won¡¯t be leaving alive today,¡± Yvette said.


    Tyson¡¯s back tensed


    Damian realized Yvette¡¯s patience was nearly exhausted, so he got straight to the point.


    ¡°Nathan¡¯s girlfriend, who¡¯s just one month pregnant, is probably with you, right?¡± Damian asked.


    Damian nced at Yvette¡¯s expression before continuing, ¡°After all, the child in her belly is of the Goodman family. It¡¯s not right to let her drift around aimlessly. You shouldn¡¯t get involved in this matter. The Goodman family will treat her well. I¡¯ve already looked into her background. She is one of the founders and the brand designer of Vibe. Those two titles aren¡¯t particrly high, but they¡¯re good enough for an inw of the Goodman family. Don¡¯t worry, since she¡¯s your friend. I¡¯ll have Nathan find a good day to marry her.¡±


    Yvette tilted her head a little, her fingers rhythmically running over the ss. Her elegant eyebrows chilled into a shiver.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? The Goodman family wants to marry Sienna off without asking if she wants to?¡± Yvette said.


    Damian¡¯s face darkened. He couldn¡¯t believe there would be a woman who wouldn¡¯t want to marry into the Goodman family. Unless she was out of her mind.


    Confidently, Darian said to Yvette, ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. Why don¡¯t you call that Sienna? I¡¯ve already asked Nathan to be here. Let them meet and sort things out themselves. We¡¯re not directly involved, so it¡¯s better if they make their own decisions. How does that sound to you?¡±


    Damian, understanding Yvette¡¯s personality, knew that being forceful wouldn¡¯t work. Discussing things calmly was the way to go.


    Yvette paused when she heard this. Seeing Damian with his confident, self-assured look, Yvette said slowly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then she took out her phone and quickly texted Sienna, getting a reply in less than a minute.


    Sienna replied, ¡°Got it, Yve. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Damian settled back into his seat, noticing his coffee had cooled. He quickly got up to pour himself a fresh cup.


    Yvette sat down, pulled out her phone, and started ying a game. This time, she was diving into Super Mario.


    As Tyson passed by Yvette, he couldn¡¯t help but nce over. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.


    Is this game worth spending time on? Tyson thought.


    Nathan was in a meeting when he received a call from Tyson.


    Seeing the calling in, he quickly signaled for the meeting to pause and for everyone to step out before answering.


    He cleared his throat, saying, ¡°Hi Tyson, how¡¯s it going? What brings you to call me today? Is there something Grandpa needs?¡±


    Tyson replied, ¡°No, Mr. Damian Goodman is at Royal Phoenix and wants to see you.¡±


    Tyson paused briefly and went on, ¡°Yvette is here too. Mr. Damian Goodman wants to address things personally between you and Ms. Sterling. It would be great if you coulde over, Mr. Nathan Goodman.


    Nathan¡¯s grip tightened on the phone, his expression changing multiple times. He hadn¡¯t anticipated Damian would learn about Sienna so quickly.


    Braydon is right. Grandpa never sincerely ns to pass on the control to us, Nathan thought.


    ¡°Okay, Tyson. I¡¯m heading over right now,¡± Nathan said.


    After hanging up, Nathan tidied himself up, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness at the anticipation of seeing Sienna/soon. He was truly in love with her.


    Before leaving, Nathan sent a quick text to Braydon to update him on the situation.


    Outside Royal Phoenix¡¯s entrance, Sienna saw Nathan getting out of the car and felt like letting loose with some choice. words.


    Is fate ying tricks on me? How could it be such a coincidence to run into him here? Sienna thought.


    Originally, Frankie was supposed to drop Sienna off today. But something came upst minute, and Frankie couldn¡¯t make


    With only Bruce at home, there was no other option but to have Bruce drive Sienna over from the remote vi.


    Bruce was about to turn around and leave after seeing Sienna go inside, but then he unexpectedly saw Nathan


    Seeing Sienna looking a bit scared and unsure of what to do, Bruce paused slightly on the steering wheel, then pulled out the car key and walked over with his long strides.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll walk you in myself,¡± Bruce said.


    Sienna was stunned to see Bruce return, feeling a bit bewildered, but she nodded. She naturally followed behind Bruce. Seeing Sienna with another man, Nathan¡¯s anger red up. He jogged over and reached out to grab Sienna. Bruce noticed Nathan¡¯s action and turned to block Nathan¡¯s reaching hand. Bruce had a calm and icy expression


    ¡°Mr. Goodman, watch your hand, Bruce warned.


    Nathan realized he had missed grabbing Sienna, so he pulled his hand back. He red at Bruce unfriendly.


    Tin trying to hold my girlfriend What¡¯s it to you? Who are you anyway? I suggest you don¡¯t interfere.¡± Nathan said.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After that, he turned to Sienna and said, ¡°Sienna, has the baby been fussy these days? Has he been good?¡±


    Without holding back, Sienna retorted, ¡°Nathan, stop pretending, okay? How could a one-month-old baby be upsetting Stoping up with nonsense! What kind of devoted boyfriend role are you ying now? How¡¯s that secretary of yours,


    Linda?¡±


    Originally, Sienna didn¡¯t want to fight with Nathan, but since he was being so nasty to her, Sienna decided not to hold back.


    Nathan noticed the disdain in Sienna¡¯s eyes, his heart skipped a beat, especially when she mentioned Linda.


    Linda was just a casual pastime for him, but Nathan didn¡¯t expect Sienna to find out. Nathan was about to exin more when Tyson came down from the third floor, interrupting him.


    ¡°Mr. Nathan Goodman, Mr. Damian Goodman is waiting inside for you Ms. Sterling. Yvette is also in there. Please, follow me¡±


    After speaking. Tyson nced at Bruce. His voice was cold, saying, ¡°Unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside. I apologize, sir.¡±


    Sienna nervously nced at Bruce. It was clear that her meeting with Nathan here was no coincidence.


    Yve definitely wouldn¡¯t take advantage of me. She is probably to resolve the issue between me and Nathan, Sienna thought.


    Bruce looked at Tyson, sensing a strong martial arts aura. ¡®He is an expert, Bruce thought.


    Upon hearing Tyson¡¯s words, he thought, ¡°Who else could Mr. Damian Goodman be but Nathan¡¯s grandfather, once the king of the underground world in Mysonna?


    The rumors are true. He is back. But why is Yvette with Damian?


    Bruce was filled with countless doubts and decided to wait for them toe out.


    Bruce ignored Tyson and looked down at the slightly nervous Sienna, his tone softening, saying, ¡°No need to worry, I¡¯ll be right outside. Just call me if you need anything With Yvette here, you can rx. I¡¯ll wait for all of you to go home together.¡±


    Nathan¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he began to doubt the rtionship between Sienna and Bruce. His hands clenched tightly into fists. He wished he could kill Bruce right now.


    Tyson nced nonchntly at the three of them.

 Chapter 202

    Tyson led Sienna and Nathan into a private room. The atmosphere inside the room was extremely eerie.


    Yvette rested her legs on the table and leanedzily on the chair eyes downcast as she yed Super Mario. Her pair of old canvas shoes sharply contrasted with the expensive mahogany table. She had the boss¡¯s sitting posture.


    Across from Yvette, Damian sipped his coffee. He yed with the ck gun in his hand, asionally ncing at Yvette, seemingly lost in thought.


    No matter how one looked at it, this scene seemned strange.


    As soon as Sienna entered the room, she immediately ran over to Yvette, feeling that being near Yvette was the safest.


    ¡°Yve. I¡¯m here., Sienna said.


    Yvette put away her phone, maintaining her posture, her hand lightly resting on the armrest as she signaled to Sienna.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Yvette said.


    Sienna obediently sat down. She nced at Damian across from her. She already guessed he was the grandfather Nathan had mentioned, as the two had simr facial features


    Nathan noticed Yvette¡¯s posture and frowned, thinking. Only she would dare be so bold in front of grandfather. Anyone else would probably have been dragged away and torn to pieces by now!


    Nathan walked up to Damian, bowed his head, and respectfully said, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Damian lifted his eyelids to nce at Nathan, his gaze was intimidating.


    Mediocrity was Nathan¡¯s defining trait. That was the reason why Damian would give the Goodman family¡¯s public businesses to Nathan and the hidden power to Braydon.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Damian said.


    Nathan nodded and sat down next to Damian, directly facing Sienna, gazing lovingly at her.


    The way Nathan looked at her made Sienna¡¯s skin crawl, regretting ever getting involved with him.


    Damian looked at Sienna, trying to overpower her with his presence, amon tactic in negotiations.


    As expected, Sienna flinched under Damian¡¯s dark gaze and moved closer to Yvette. How could a young girl like Sienna. stand up to a former underworld king?


    Yvette lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze sharp and icy. Her voice was low and cold, saying, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re searing? Just get to the point.¡±


    Nathan¡¯s face turned pale as if he¡¯d eaten dirt. He wanted to say something but remembered Yvette¡¯sst gunshot and quickly shut his mouth.


    Nathan was sure if he upset Yvette, Yvette wouldn¡¯t hold back, even in front of Damian, Nathan hesitated, his expression not getting any better, as he quietly withdrew his presence.


    Damian smiled warmly as he stared at Sienna¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Hello, you must be Sienna. I¡¯m Damian Goodman, Nathan¡¯s grandfather. I¡¯ve heard you and Nathan are in a rtionship. and you¡¯re expecting a child from our family. Here¡¯s the deal. I¡¯ll personally cancel Nathan¡¯s previous engagement. You two can choose a good day to get married. Rest assured, all the formalities will be in ce. The dowry will be 300 million dors, and you can pick ten properties from our worldwide real estate portfolio. I know you¡¯re a fashion designer at Vibe, and thepany is doing well. But as your pregnancy progresses, it will be hard to keep working. After the baby is born, you¡¯re free to decide about work. The Goodman family won¡¯t interfere,¡± Damian said to Sienna.


    Every offer Damian made would be enough to win over any woman. He was confident that no woman would turn down these terms.


    Damian confidently looked at Sienna while also keeping an eye on Yvette¡¯s expression. Some of these conditions were added on Yvette¡¯s behalf. Otherwise, Sienna alone wouldn¡¯t be worth such concessions.


    Nathan seized the opportunity. Seeing Damian¡¯s look, he quickly spoke up. ¡°Sienna, what grandpa said is exactly what I want to say to you. Trust me, if you agree to marry me. I promise I¡¯ll treat you well. As for those people you mentioned, I¡¯ll sever all ties with them. Do you truly want your child to be born without a father? Can you bear for the child to beughed at by other kids, unable to hold their head high


    Nathan and Damian were perfectly in sync, exchanging a confident nce after speaking.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were half-closed, her beautiful face icy yet full of rebellious spirit. She casually nced at the two triumphant men, tilted her head slightly, and spoke in a husky voice.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Yvette asked Sienna


    Sienna nervously fidgeted with her fingers, then lifted her head with a determined look.


    of the


    ¡°No, I refuse. I won¡¯t be with Nathan. Can¡¯t we just date normally and break up peacefully? Plus, when we were together, you slept with your secretary Linda more than once, didn¡¯t you? Thinking about it now makes me sick. You y the part devoted lover while you can¡¯t control yourself. Do you find this amusing?¡± Sienna said.


    After finishing with Nathan, Sienna politely responded to Damian.


    ¡°As for the money and property you mentioned, I don¡¯tck any of them. I can achieve everything through my efforts. Why should I rely on your charity? It¡¯s unnecessary. You should save those for Nathan¡¯s future wife. Whoever she may be, but it definitely won¡¯t be me. Sienna said.


    Darmian¡¯s face turned even more sullen. He hadn¡¯t expected Sienna to be so indifferent to these offers, bluntly rejecting the conditions he had proposed.


    Nathan also didn¡¯t expect that even after Damian had conceded so much, Sienna remained unmoved, making it hard for Nathan to ept


    Nathan panicked and tried to exin, ¡°Sienna, with Linda, honestly, it was only a few times. She was the one who came to me. I swear it won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯ll fire her as soon as I get back.¡±


    Damian was ustomed to being c****y and ruthless. The reason he was being so patient with Sienna right now was entirely because Yvette was here.


    Otherwise, even if a woman was expecting a child from the Goodman family, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be worth Damian¡¯s time to waste here.


    Damian, still considering Yvette, kindly said, ¡°Ms. Sterling, men having flings is normal. As long as hees home and cares for you,


    that¡¯s enough. No man loves only one woman for his entire life. I advise you not to be too naive about this. Every wealthy family is like this to some extent. It¡¯s better not to fuss over every little thing, or else, who knows if you¡¯ll ever get marned.¡±


    Sienna was enraged by Damian¡¯s shamelessments.


    No wonder Damian and Nathan were families, they both had extremely thick skin. Since Damian showed no respect even at his age, Sienna decided to not be polite to him either.


    Suddenly, Sienna wasn¡¯t scared anymore. Her bright smile left Damian and Nathan across from herpletely puzzled.


    Seeing this, Yvette smirked slightly, thinking. If the tiger doesn¡¯t show its strength, they think Sienna is like Hello Kitty.


    Sienna retorted against both of them.


    I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t need you to worry about whether or not I can get married. Rest assured, I, Sienna, am making myself clear here. Even if I end up marrying a pig or a dog in the future, I will never marry Nathan from your Goodman family. As for this child, 1 originally wanted to keep it, thinking of it as a little life, but now I see there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll get rid of it tomorrow, so I have nothing to do with your family anymore. I¡¯m breaking up with Nathan, and if you keep pestering me, even though your family has influence all over Mysonna, I¡¯m not afraid. In the worst-case scenario, we both lose everything. Nobody¡¯s going to have a happy ending. Sienna said.


    Damian thought Sienna was apliant girl who was easy to control, but he never expected her to say such shocking things.

 Chapter 203

    Nathan was also stunned. It felt like he was meeting Sienna for the first time. Sienna had always been well-behaved in front of Nathan, which made him confident he could handle her.


    The way Sienna was now was something Nathan had never experienced before.


    After Sienna finished speaking, she felt much more at ease. She quickly turned her head to look at Yvette.


    ¡°Yve, I¡¯ve finished talking. Can we leave now?¡± Sienna asked.


    Yvette uncrossed her legs and pursed her lips, her dark, cool eyes and refined features maintaining a calm presence. She slightly raised her chin.


    ncing at the barely-holding-it-together Sienna, Yvette nodded, stood up, and nced at Nathan and Damian from the Goodman family.


    Her voice was calm. yet had amanding authority that couldn¡¯t be argued with. ¡°Listen carefully, from now on, you have nothing to do with Sienna, got it?¡± Yvette said to Nathan.


    Nathan, unwilling to give up, stood up in excitement, about to say he didn¡¯t agree.


    But before he could speak, Damian cut in, ring at Sienna. His voice was as venomous as poison.


    ¡°Since Ms. Sterling has made her choice, the men in the Goodman family certainly have no shortage of women. I expect you to terminate the pregnancy by tomorrow. The Goodman bloodline must not end up elsewhere,¡± Damian said.


    After saying this, Damian looked over at Yvette, who stood yfully with her hands in her pockets, exuding a nonchnt attitude.


    Damian¡¯s tone became a bit softer, saying. ¡°Nathan and Sienna have broken up. Rest assured, Nathan will not be bothering Sienna anymore. This issue is settled.¡±


    Yvette led Sienna away without turning back.


    Left in the room were Damian, Nathan, and Tyson, who had silently observed the whole encounter,


    Nathan¡¯s face stayed cold. After a few seconds of silence, he still wanted to rush out. Just as he was about to move, knowing his intent, Damian pped him hard.


    With a loud noise, the p was powerful.


    Nathan¡¯s head was knocked to the side, his cheek swelling and reddening immediately.


    as if


    Caught off guard by the p, Nathan looked up angrily. But when his eyes met Damian¡¯s cold gaze, he stopped abruptly.


    Nathan quickly concealed his anger, his whole demeanor growing weaker, and he spoke with deep reluctance in his voice, ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to let go. I love Sienna.¡±


    Damian¡¯s face was cold and indifferent as he scolded Nathan, ¡°She¡¯s just a woman. There are plenty of others. Can¡¯t you see the situation? Yvette is losing patience, and if you keep this up, you won¡¯t live to see tomorrow. I¡¯m telling you, if you keep bothering Sienna, the Goodman family doesn¡¯t need someone so emotional. Someone else can take over the family business. There are still a few of your dad¡¯s other kids waiting in line.¡±


    Nathan shivered at Damian¡¯s chilling threat.


    In my grandfather¡¯s eyes, I am just a receable grandson. Only Braydon is truly important to him, Nathan thought.


    Nathan endured the pain. Compared to the Goodman family business he belonged to, Nathan realized he had to sacrifice love. He had to let Sienna go.


    Nathan respectfully bowed his head. He humbly said to Damian, I understand, Grandpa. I won¡¯t look for Sienna again.¡±


    Nathan despised Yvette. Without her, Sienna wouldn¡¯t have dared to treat me this way, Nathan thought.


    With a quick change in thought, Nathan continued: ¡°Grandpa, since Yvette¡¯s here, why not just finish it once and for all by¡­¡±


    Nathan made a slicing motion across his neck.


    Damian remained silent, looking at Nathan, whose face was full of hatred and ambition. He turned and asked Tyson, who had been standing unobtrusively to the side,


    ¡°How advanced is her martial arts training now?¡± Damian asked.


    Tyson lifted his head, his face serious.


    In a soft voice, Tyson said, ¡°She could defeat me in ten moves, handles a thousand with ease, and ten thousand wouldn¡¯t be at challenge.


    Nathan turned white as a sheet. ¡®Is that even a person anymore? he thought..


    He remembered Yvette¡¯s bold escape through a crowd of thousands as a teenager, sending shivers down his spine.


    Darian wasn¡¯t surprised and gave a cold look at Nathan¡¯s pale face. His voice waspletely devoid of warmth, saying. ¡°You¡¯re being absurd. If you know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t provoke Yvette more, or no one can protect you.¡±


    Nathan struggled for a bit before giving in and lowered his head with resignation.


    ¡°I understand, Grandpa Sienna and I are done,¡± Nathan said.


    Meanwhile, when Yvette and Sienna left Royal Phoenix, a stylish woman in a manager¡¯s suit hurried to catch up with them. Without saying anything, she bowed deeply to Yvette and handed over a ck card with both hands.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is a gift from our club¡¯s general manager, the sole card in all of Mysonna. Whenever you visit the club, everything is on the house, the manager said.


    Yvette nodded expressionlessly. She nced at the ck card in the manager¡¯s hand, then casually took it and put it into her pocket.


    This nonchnt action made the manager¡¯s lips twitch involuntarily.


    Who is this woman? Everyone from Mysonna¡¯s executives to celebrities wants this card, and she just casually throws it in her pocket like it¡¯s nothing the manager thought.


    The manager¡¯s worldview and limits were shattered twice today


    First, when she saw Yvette getting off a bus to attend the Goodman family¡¯s banquet. Then just now, when she was asked to deliver this ck card from the general managerProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This world haspletely gone bonkers, the manager thought


    The female manager, with a respectful smile, escorted Sienna and Yvette out of Royal Phoenix


    Sienna was also totally confused. When she saw that ck card, he was left speechless.


    Bruce had been sitting in the car the whole time. When he saw Yvette and Siennaing out the door, he promptly opened the car door and greeted them.


    ¡°Yve,¡± Bruce called out.


    Then he turned slightly to nce at Sienna. Seeing Sienna was okay, he didn¡¯t say much. With Yve around, he knew hist worries were unnecessary.


    Yvette nodded at Bruce. The three of them got into the car together.


    Yvette settledfortably in the back seat, adjusting her ck baseball cap and half-closing her eyes. She picked up her phone and resumed ying her Super Mario game.


    Bruce, who was driving, paused slightly at the sound of that familiar childhood game.


    Sienna had gotten used to it. After all, Yvette did the same thing in front of Nathan and Damian of the Goodman family.


    ¡®She¡¯s acting crazier than now: Sienna thought.


    Bruce hesitated for a moment. He didn¡¯t know what had happened at Royal Phoenix. He wondered whether were things resolved.


    He ncedat Sienna¡¯s profile and asked, ¡°Is everything sorted out?¡±


    Sienna happily replied. ¡°Yve pulled through for us. She¡¯s as good as two people. No, make that eight. Everything seems sorted, Nathan¡¯s grandpa promised Nathan wouldn¡¯t bother me again, but.¡±


    Bruce adjusted his sses.


    ¡°Nathan¡¯s grandpa made a promise? So Damian personally promised Sienna that Nathan wouldn¡¯t bother Sienna anymore. It sounds way too good to be true, Bruce thought.


    Of course, Bruce wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that Sienna alone could make Damian back down.


    That leaves only one possibility. The person Damian relents to is someone else. And who is this person? The answer is pretty obvious.


    ¡°What other identity does Yvette have that we don¡¯t know about? How many people in Mysonna could make Damian give in like this! Bruce thought.


    Bruce set aside his thoughts and continued, ¡°But what?¡±


    Sienna felt a bit down, her voice was noticeably softer, and she looked somewhat deted.


    ¡°But the Goodman family told me to terminate this pregnancy and I agreed. This child was brought about through maniption, so maybe it really shouldn¡¯t be born. I was probably thinking too simply before. A child isn¡¯t just a one-person affair. If the child is born, I might never be able to detach myself from Nathan for the rest of my life, Sienna said.


    At this moment, Yvette¡¯s phone started to ring.

 Chapter 204

    Yvette nced at the name on the screen, tapped to answer, and heard the familiar voice of a girl.


    ¡°Yve, Bonnie called. Her clear voice rang in Yvette¡¯s car.


    Yvette replied with a simple ¡°Hmm.¡± She lifted her eyelids and pursed her lips. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call from Bonnie.


    Holding the phone. Yvette adjusted her cap and softly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Bonnie took a deep breath before speaking, ¡°Yve, you need toe back quickly. Mr. Chambers is in trouble and he¡¯s in the ICU at Seacrity Hospital.¡±


    Suddenly, Yvette¡¯s face showed intense anger, her dark eyes were unreadable, radiating an overwhelming chill


    Bruce and Sienna, in the car, couldn¡¯t help but shiver a little.


    Yvette¡¯s voice was calm yet cold, saying, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After Yvette hung up the phone, she clenched it with no expression on her face. She lifted her head, the corners of her eyes shimmering, a hint of red tinting the depths of her gaze.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her voice was faint, saying, ¡°Stop the car?


    Bruce¡¯s hands moved quicker than his mind. He quickly hit the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road.


    Sienna nervously asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Yve?


    Yvette¡¯s dark eyes were as deep as a cold pool. She spoke while swiftly getting out of the car and opening the driver¡¯s side door. ¡°We¡¯re heading back. You two get off, I¡¯m going to the airport.¡±


    Sienna heard this and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, rushing out of the car, sensing something major was happening


    Bruce looked at Yvette, who seemed eerily calm.


    ¡°Yve, Mr. Chavez has a private jet at Mysonna Airport. I¡¯ll go with you to the airport and we can fly back immediately,¡± Bruce said.


    Yvette nodded, saying, ¡°Okay¡±


    Yvette got into the driver¡¯s seat, her eyes narrowed slightly, raising her eyebrow, and holding the steering wheel with one hand


    She looked at Bruce, saying. ¡°Sit tight.¡±


    Bruce sat in the passenger seat, tightened his seatbelt, and wondered just how fast a girl could drive


    Yvette skillfully shifted gears. The car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaving only a trail of car exhaust behind.


    Half an hourter, a shy Maserati rolled up at the airport


    Yvette was the first to step out of the car. Her long legs moved confidently, her face expressionless as she nced at the passenger seat.


    The passenger door opened, and Bruce stepped out, his legs somewhat shaky.


    Yvette had chosen the shortest yet most dangerous route to the airport. Bruce had gripped the safety handle inside the car the whole way.


    Bruce watched as Yvette navigated numerous turns, each time almost brushing against the cliff¡¯s edge, where a single mistake could be catastrophic.


    Bruce nced at Yvette, whose expression hadn¡¯t changed from start to finish. He was impressed.


    Some people are just beyond ordinary. She¡¯s incredibly unbeatable,¡¯ Bruce thought.


    Bruce hurried to handle all the formalities and details before seeing Yvette onto the ne. He watched the private jet take off, and after thinking it over, he decided to call Jeremiah.


    The call was quickly answered.


    Bruce respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, right after taking a call, Yvette decided to head back to the country. She¡¯s already on your private jet and just took off. Looks like something big is happening.¡±


    Jeremiah stood on the tform of the training grounds, ncing at the freshly recruited soldiers below,


    His gaze was intense. His voice was cold, saying. ¡°I understand¡±


    Bruce continued, ¡°Mr. Chavez, it seems like Yvette knows someone from the Goodman family. Do you want to involve the intel team?¡±


    Jeremiah slipped one hand into his pocket, his eyes dark and his expression remained unchanged as he frowned slightly.


    No need, Jeremiah said.


    Bruce paused slightly and said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s trust in Yvette was beyond needing these assurances.


    Jeremiah hung up the phone, picked up the megaphone from the desk, and called out to the soldiers on the training field. ¡°Second person in the third row, carry an extra load for twenty kilometers.¡±


    The soldier who was called out broke into a cold sweat under the zing summer sun. He thought he could ck off while Jeremiah was on the phone, not realizing that every move of his was being watched by Jeremiah.


    Andrew, now in Seacrity, had be obsessed with his job as a librarian. This was technically his first real job, and the feeling when he received his first paycheck was absolutely amazing.


    Andrew was sorting through the newly arrived essay collections when his phone rang. Luckily, it was lunchtime and the library was nearly empty, so he quickly took out his phone.


    He nced at the caller ID on the screen and was stunned into stiliness. It was the first time Jeremiah had ever called him.


    ¡°Wrong number?¡¯ Andrew wondered


    Andrew didn¡¯t dare to hesitate and quickly answered the phone, thinking there was a 995-chance it was an idental call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Chavez, did you dial the wrong number? This is Andrew, not Yvette, Andrew said. He felt a pang of bitterness. After knowing Mr. Chavez for so many years, who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d be so different now? My position has plummeted, though it wasn¡¯t particrly high, to begin with, now it is even lower, Andrew thought.


    Jeremiah squinted and spoke slowly, ¡°No mistake, I was looking for you.¡±


    Andrew was overjoyed. He thought, ¡®Oh my! Has Mr. Chavez finally rediscovered his humanity?¡±


    Andrew quickly said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, you finally remembered me I¡¯ve been stuck in Seacrity for so long, I¡¯m growing mons here!


    Jeremiah paused for a moment.


    Did something happen to the Chambers family?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    Andrew froze. Lately, he had been spending all his time at the library. Bonnie had her midtermsing up, so they haven¡¯t seen much of each other. Ever since Yvette left, he hadn¡¯t been involved in the Chambers family matters.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, I¡¯m not sure. Give me a bit of time, and I¡¯ll check it out right away,¡± Andrew said.


    Andrew hung up and immediately contacted someone he knew in Seacrity,


    In less than five minutes, he received the news that Zachary had a car ident this morning and was taken to Seacrity Hospital


    Andrew couldn¡¯t believe that something like this happened in just a few hours. Realizing the seriousness of the situation quickly called Jeremiah back.


    Andrew¡¯s tone was serious, saying ¡°Mr. Chavez, there¡¯s trouble with the Chambers family. Yve¡¯s dad was in a car ident this morning and is now at Seacrity Hospital. I¡¯ve heard his injuries are serious. This hospital can¡¯t perform the required surgery They¡¯ve only done the basic emergency procedures, and now Zachary is in the ICU. However, this case isn¡¯t straightforward There are signs of sabotage. The brakes went out of control, and the car suddenly crashed into arge truck. If the driver hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and turned the wheel in time. Zachary might not have even made it to the hospital¡±


    Jeremiah tightened his grip on the phone, his dark eyes filled with a brewing storm.


    His voice was icy, sending a shiver down one¡¯s spine, asking, ¡°Where is the driver of the truck?¡±


    Andrew answered cautiously, but to keep him there for He¡¯s been held at the police station, and with Zachary¡¯s life still uncertain, they have no choice


    Jeremiah said. ¡°Go to the police station. Don¡¯t let anyone get near him.¡±


    for Wratt to be


    Andrew ended the call and immediately called Wyatt. ¡®It¡¯d be better for Wyatt to be involved in handling this situation. Andrew thought.


    Jeremiah put away the phone, his eyes downcast as the air around him turned chilly.


    Who else would dare make a move against Zachary? Jeremiah thought.


    At Seacrity Hospital, Lucas paced anxiously up and down the hallway. His face was filled with worry.


    It was only because of ast-minute issue that Lucas hadn¡¯t joined Zachary today, narrowly escaping the disaster. If Lucas had known this would happen, he would rather be the one lying in that bed.


    The light in the operating room went off. Lucas hurried over, asking, ¡°Dr. Anderson, how is Mr. Chambers?¡±


    The lead surgeon for Zachary¡¯s operation was Harold Anderson, the vice president of Seacrity Hospital.


    Dragging his tired body, Harold removed his mask. He had been operating on Zachary for a full five hours.


    He managed to stabilize Zachary¡¯s vital signs, but just barely. In reality, Zachary was still on the brink of death. This was the limit of Harold¡¯s abilities.

 Chapter 205

    Harold looked seriously at Lucas and paused. His voice was hoarse, saying, ¡°Lucas, Mr. Chambers is in grave danger. I¡¯ve performed the initial surgery on him, and he will soon be ready for transfer to the ICU. However, the blood clot in his brain is in a critical spot, and with my skills, I can¡¯t operate on it. Within the next twenty-four hours, you need to find a leading neurologist to perform the surgery on Mr. Chambers, or else¡­


    The rest of the message went unsaid, but Lucas understood what Harold meant.


    Lucas was in a state of panic. He anxiously asked, ¡°Dr. Anderson everyone in Seacrity knows you¡¯re our top neurologist. If even you can¡¯t do this surgery, who else can I find at this time?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harold sighed. He said, ¡°I have no other options. The only way is to quickly contact top neurologists from both home and abroad, and have them fly to Seacrity immediately to operate on Mr. Chambers.¡±


    Lucas waspletely at a loss at that moment. Dr. Anderson is asking me to contact a top neurologist now. Where am I supposed to find one at this hour? Isn¡¯t this just making me watch as Mr. Chambers is on the brink?¡¯ Lucas thought.


    Just as Lucas was extremely worried and drenched in sweat, hurried footsteps echoed through the hospital corridor.


    Lucas turned around. Harold also looked toward the far end of the corridor.


    A group of doctors in white coats and a few nurses were approaching.


    The leader wore ck clothes, like a king of the night. His stance was tall andposed, exuding an icy and intimidating aura that warned others to stay away.


    Harold was startled. He quickly recognized the man slightly behind the leader, none other than their old dean, Tristant


    Sloan.


    ¡°Tristan has gone to Betrico for a meeting, why is he back at the hospital now? Harold wondered.


    Lucas was stunned for a few seconds, then became overjoyed. The image of Jeremiah at the police station was deeply imprinted in his mind.


    Harold hurried towards Tristan, while Lucas eagerly rushed toward the man in the center,


    Harold spoke first, asking. ¡°Mr. Sloan, why are you back? Is the medical conference over?¡±


    Tristan nced at Jeremiah next to him, his expression wasplicated and hard to describe.


    Jeremiah, without saying a word, had pulled Tristan out of the medical conference and rushed back to the hospital just for on the way Zachary Jeremiah had briefly exined the situation


    Lucas didn¡¯t care anymore and bent over like catching a lifeline in front of Jeremiah. His eyes were filled with hope-He was nearly babbling.


    ¡°Hello, hello. I am the Chambers family¡¯s butler. Are you here for Mr. Chambers? What about Ms. Chambers? Has shee back, too?¡± Lucas asked.


    Jeremiah nodded slightly. His eyes radiated a coldness.


    Facing the anxious. Lucas, Jeremiah said, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s on her way back. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Lucas felt a bit disappointed to hear that Yvette hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but seeing Jeremiah lead a team of doctors gave Lucas some confidence.


    Tristan then asked Harold, ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Chambers doing now?¡±Hearing Lucas talk with Jeremiah and noticing Tristan¡¯s respectful attitude, Harold realized they knew each other and that Jeremiah¡¯s identity was surely remarkable.


    Harold paused slightly before saying. ¡°Mr. Sloan, the situation is pretty serious. When Zachary was brought in, his heart and lung functions were critically damaged. There¡¯s a blood clot in a very bad spot in his brain. I just performed surgery, but it only temporarily saved his life. He¡¯ll be brought out soon, and the ICU is ready to take him in.¡±


    Harold looked at everyone¡¯s expressions and continued, ¡°We must find a top-level brain surgeon within 24 hours to perform brain surgery on him, otherwise, his life is in danger. There¡¯s only one such expert avable right now, Quentin Xander, the head of neurosurgery at Betrico Medical University. But he¡¯s currently abroad at a conference and can¡¯te back in time.


    Tristan thought, ¡°How is this considered having a chance at survival?


    ¡°Quentin is attending an international medical conference that happens every three years. When hees back, he¡¯s likely to be promoted to vice president, which is a significant boost for his career. Why would he rush to Seacrity for someone he¡¯s not connected with? Even thinking with one¡¯s toes, it¡¯s unlikely


    Tristan thought for a moment and then spoke to Jeremiah, ¡°Mr. Chavez, this might be difficult. The meeting is very important for Quentin¡¯s career, and Mr. Chambers¡­ Tristan didn¡¯t continue.


    Lucas copsed to the floor in the hallway, his face going pale upon hearing this.


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark eyes remained emotionless as he took his phone out of his pocket. He found Quentin¡¯s name in his WhatsApp and made a video call. The call was picked up instantly.


    Quentin was resting, and the ringtone woke him up. He was about to get angry until he saw the familiar name. His hands shook with surprise. He quickly pulled himself together and answered the video call


    An image of a refined middle-aged man with a friendly, warm smile showed up in the video call on Jeremiah¡¯s phone.


    Quentin¡¯s voice was just as warm and soothing, greeting, ¡°Hello, Mr. Chavez.¡±


    Jeremiah gave Quentin a brief look


    ¡°Put on your clothes now. Someone will pick you up in half an hour. Come back to Seacrity for the surgery. There¡¯s a patient who needs your special skills,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Quentin was taken aback for a moment but quickly nodded.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll pack my bags right away. What¡¯s the patient¡¯s condition? Is there a lead doctor? Let me talk to him. I need to understand the situation ande up with a surgical n as soon as possible,¡± Quentin said.


    There was no need for Jeremiah to say much. Quentin already knew this case was urgent. Receiving a personal call from Jeremiah indicated the patient was already teetering on the edge between life and death.


    Harold¡¯s expression was nk as he stiffly took the phone from Jeremiah. Seeing the familiar face in the video, he couldn¡¯ begin to describe his current emotions.


    A top brain surgery expert, admired by all neurosurgeons, is about to talk to me? To discuss a patient¡¯s condition?¡± Harold thought


    He looked at Jeremiah in shock.


    Who, exactly, is this man? Quentin shows respect to this man. Quentin even agrees without a second thought to leave the medical seminar and return home for surgery, Harold thought.


    Quentin nced at Harold¡¯s face appeared suddenly and politely said hello. He inquired about the patient¡¯s condition sinctly and directly.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Quentin. What¡¯s the current situation with the patient? Is the blood loss significant? Where exactly is the injury on the brain?¡± Quentin asked


    Harold immediately snapped out of his wandering thoughts. After all, he was a doctor with a strong sense of ethics.


    Harold walked to a corner with his phone, providing a clear and professional update on Zachary¡¯s condition, using mostly medical terms.


    Three minutester. Harold returned to Jeremiah¡¯s side, his attitude much more respectful than earlier.


    ¡°Hello, here¡¯s your phone, please keep it safe. Dr. Xander has something to discuss with you,¡± Harold said. As he spoke, he returned the phone, which Jeremiah took.


    In the video, Quentin¡¯s expression looked more serious than before.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, I have a basic understanding of the patient¡¯s condition. It¡¯s very serious, and the next 24 hours are critical. Even if we perform the surgery in time, traveling from here to Seacrity on your private jet takes five hours. During that time, variousplications could arise. If I operated directly in Seacrity now, it might be fine, but five hourster, even if I perform the surgery myself, there¡¯s only a 60% chance of sess. You need to inform the patient¡¯s family about this,¡±


    Quentin exined.

 Chapter 206

    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was a bit low as he said, ¡°Sixty percent?¡±


    Quentin tightened his grip on the phone, easily picturing what Jeremiah¡¯s expression must be right now.


    But sixty percent was his limit. Even if it were a matter of life and death, he couldn¡¯t in good conscience im a higher sess rate.


    Quentin confirmed, ¡°Mr. Chavez, if it were me, it¡¯s only sixty percent.¡±


    A hint of irritation furrowed Jeremiah¡¯s brow, and his demeanor became even colder.


    ¡®Quentin is only sixty percent confident. If something happens to Zachary, how would I exin it to Yvette?¡¯ Jeremiah thought.


    Tristan and his men instinctively shuffled a bit further away from Jeremiah. In the middle of summer, Jeremiah¡¯s chilling presence was like that of a refrigerator.


    Everyone around could hear what Quentin said..


    Harold couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Quentin, ¡°Sixty percent isn¡¯t low. Dr. Xander is snatching people from the jaws of death. Nobody in the country could perform this surgery more sessfully than him.¡±


    Tristan nced at Jeremiah, who had an icy expression, and carefully said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, both Dr. Xander and Harold are top neurosurgeons here. A sixty percent chance is already hard to achieve.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze fell on the group. He then spoke into the phone, ¡°Who else can perform this surgery with a higher sess rate than you?¡±


    If anyone else had said this, Quentin would have already burst out in anger. But since it was Jeremiah asking, Quentin merely paused.


    Then he continued speaking, ¡°Yes, Mr. Chavez, there¡¯s one person. He¡¯s the top brain specialist in the world and my idol, Ss Walson. Even though he¡¯s already sixty, he¡¯s still in great physical and mental shape. If he performs the patient¡¯s surgery, the sess rate could reach eighty to ny percent. However, he¡¯s very difficult to get. Right now, he¡¯s the director of Mysonna Medical Lab, and it¡¯s almost impossible to see him in public. Plus, he¡¯s under top-level government protection in Mysonna, so unless he volunteers, there¡¯s no way.¡±


    Quentin was well aware of Jeremiah¡¯s ruthless methods. He was really afraid that Jeremiah would just go crazy and kidnap Ss, given he had done that kind of thing before.


    But Mysonna wasn¡¯t Clusia, and Jeremiah was a major general in Clusia. If he did that, it could easily lead to a conflict between the two countries.


    Harold adjusted his sses.


    Ss was a world-ss brain specialist, more like a maestro. He was someone one would read about in medical textbooks.


    ¡®In recent years, Ss only treats presidents and prime ministers. Why would he humble himself toe to Seacrity for Zachary¡¯s surgery?¡¯ Harold thought.


    It was an unthinkable thing to even suggest, so Harold didn¡¯t see the need to mention it.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes shed slightly, with a deep gaze fixed on the operating room ahead.


    He hung up the video call. With his distinctive fingers, he tapped the contact list, ready to dial another number.


    But before he could press call, a familiar voice came from behind.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary,¡± the voice said.


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers paused on the phone as he turned around, his eyes softening. The cold aura surrounding him had mostly faded away.


    The others heard the sound too, turning with Jeremiah to look towards the staircase.


    Lucas, who had been sitting dazed on the ground, jumped up immediately at the sound.


    Yvette was wearing simple sports clothes with worn-out canvas shoes and a ck backpack as she walked over from a distance. Her stunning face made a few of the healthcare staff gasp in awe.


    Lucas hurried up, scrambling and crawling as he went.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, you¡¯ve finallye back! Mr. Chambers, he, he¡­ Lucas cried.


    Yvette looked at Lucas, who was both excited and sorrowful, nodding slightly. Her tone was as indifferent as ever, saying, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Then she turned her gaze to Jeremiah standing behind Lucas.


    Tristan and Harold, along with some medical staff, heard Lucas call Yvette Ms. Chambers.


    Tristan and Harold also knew about the Chambers family¡¯s affairs. It had caused quite a stir in the city some time ago, and they had vaguely heard some stories about Yvette.


    But seeing Yvette so calm, as if she wasn¡¯t worried at all, made Tristan and Harold feel uneasy. ¡®Her father is lying on a hospital bed, with only a sixty percent chance of sess for his surgery. How could she stay soposed? Isn¡¯t that too unfilial?¡¯ Tristan and Harold shared the same thought.


    Jeremiah reached out and naturally took Yvette¡¯s ck backpack. He smoothly held her slender white hand. In a low voice, he said, ¡°Pretty fast.¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, tilted her head slightly, and said with a t voice, ¡°Not bad.¡± If she hadn¡¯t dawdled with that pilot, she would have been even faster.


    Jeremiah nced at his watch. Yvette was almost an hour ahead of normal, which was practically impossible.


    Tristan was stunned, noticing Jeremiah¡¯s gentle demeanor and attitude towards Yvette. Jeremiah couldn¡¯t hide the tenderness in his eyes. It dawned on Tristan.


    ¡®This girl would undoubtedly hold a prestigious position in the future. Zachary has nurtured an impressive daughter, even after finding herter. She¡¯s climbed the socialdder by associating with this notable figure, Tristan thought.


    Tristan would never have imagined that one yearter, he would get this embarrassed. Who was pulling whom up? At that point, he couldn¡¯t even tell anymore.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harold fumed as he watched Jeremiah and Yvette chatting without any concern for the patient. He frowned at Yvette with obvious dissatisfaction, and his tone was openly rude.


    ¡°Hello, your father is still in surgery, and his condition is critical, Harold said.


    Tristan was surprised that in the short time he spaced out, Harold had stirred up such a mess.


    Tristan quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, ¡°Hello, Ms. Chambers, our deputy director acted impulsively. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I¡¯m here to apologize on his behalf.¡±


    0¡¢., 79%_


    Harold¡¯s face turned sour. He couldn¡¯t understand why Tristan was apologizing. A girl who didn¡¯t care about her father and was more interested in her love life was simply too much.


    Yvette let Jeremiah lead her by the hand.


    Lucas followed beside them. Now that Yvette was back, she had the final say.


    Yvette walked up to Harold¡¯s group, her gaze unhurried, with a cool demeanor in her eyes. Her tone was calm yet polite, asking. ¡°May I ask who has the medical records?¡±


    As soon as Harold lifted his head, he caught sight of a gaze from Jeremiah and felt his body tense slightly.


    Worried that Harold might say something unpleasant, Tristan answered first, ¡°Ms. Chambers, this is Dr. Anderson, our hospital¡¯s vice president and your father¡¯s lead surgeon. He has spent five hours operating on Mr. Chambers and has temporarily saved his life. Right now, Dr. Anderson is the one who understands your father¡¯s condition the best.¡±


    When Tristan mentioned Zachary¡¯s condition, Harold was concerned.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, your boyfriend has already found a top brain surgeon, Dr. Xander from the finest neurology department. He¡¯s flying back here to Seacrity as we speak and should arrive in about five hours. With him leading the surgery, there is a 60% chance of sess,¡± Harold said.


    Yvette slightly lowered her eyes, nced at Jeremiah, and then looked back at Harold. Yvette said concisely, ¡°Medical record.¡±


    Harold couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette was so determined to look at the medical records. The medical records were filled with specialized medical jargon and symbols that an average person couldn¡¯t understand.


    People online jokingly said that everything written by doctors looked like hieroglyphics. Because of theplex terminology, there were specific abbreviations understood only by those in the medical field.


    Just as Harold was about to refuse, Tristan took his hand and pressed it firmly.


    Tristan felt like his head was spinning, thinking, ¡®How could someone who usually seems so sensible act foolishly at a time like this? Couldn¡¯t he see that the person next to him is already impatient?¡¯


    Tristan took the medical records from the nurse behind Harold and handed them to Yvette.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, here are your father¡¯s medical records. Take your time, look through them carefully,¡± Tristan said.


    Tristan didn¡¯t believe Yvette could understand. It was merely out of respect for Jeremiah to hand out the records.

 Chapter 207

    Yvette¡¯s slender, pale fingers held the medical records. Since Zachary was just brought in this morning, there were only a few pages in the records.


    She skimmed through the lines quickly and finished reading in just two minutes.


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s actions, Harold thought she surely didn¡¯t understand. He thought Yvette was just trying to act confidently.


    Harold wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way. Tristan and the surrounding doctors and nurses felt the same.


    Even though Lucas was anxious, he believed Yvette had her reasons for spending time reading the records, not without purpose.


    Jeremiah waspletely focused on Yvette, seeing everyone else as a mere background.


    After finishing the records, Yvette slightly turned, a hint of coldness on her brow. She looked up and said, ¡°Set up the operating room for me. I will do the surgery myself.¡±


    As soon as she said those words, everyone looked at Yvette in disbelief, who remained calm andposed.


    ¡®Do we hear it wrong? Is she going to perform surgery on her father herself?¡¯ everyone thought.


    Even Lucas was somewhat taken aback. Although he trusted Yvette, this sounded too unbelievable.


    Jeremiah paused for a moment and calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the sess rate? Do we need to wait for Quentin to assist you?¡±


    In the hallway, Tristan, Harold, and about a dozen doctors and nurses were leftpletely speechless again. Their expressions were indescribable.


    ¡®It¡¯s one thing to have one crazy person. But now there¡¯s an even crazier person. And they are talking about Quentin¡¯s assistance? How can they say such things without feeling guilty?¡¯ everyone thought.


    Yvette shook her head sincerely.


    ¡°No need for surgery, just acupuncture will do. The blood clot in his brain is not that big of a deal,¡± Yvette said.


    Their conversation kept surprising the people around them repeatedly.


    Even Tristan found it hard to keep listening. It was concerned about a patient¡¯s life, Tristan would have to step in, even if it meant offending Jeremiah.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, and Ms. Chambers, you mentioned acupuncture? Using traditional medicine? That sounds unlikely. I think we should wait for Quentin to return. I¡¯ll ensure all the doctors in the hospital work together to try their best to save Mr. Chambers,¡± Tristan said.


    Tristan felt he was being as polite as possible. He couldn¡¯t trust a word Yvette was saying. Traditional medicine, while profound, had certainly declined significantly.


    ¡®Getting rid of a blood clot without surgery? That¡¯s absurd! Who could believe that? Tristan thought.


    Harold couldn¡¯t help but speak up, his face stern, ¡°Ms. Chambers, stop joking around. Acupuncture? Did you even look at what the medical report says? Do you know where the clot is located? Even with surgery, it¡¯s not guaranteed. And you¡¯re saying acupunctur¨¦ is enough? I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing, it¡¯s just too ridiculous! Stop causing a scene, just wait for Dr. Xander to return, and sign the form when he does.¡±


    The other doctors and nurses present were brought by Jeremiah from Betrico. Aware of Jeremiah¡¯s status, they only dared to silentlyin in their hearts.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze turned a bit chilly as he looked at Tristan, his tone leaving no room for argument, saying, ¡°Go, prepare the operating room.¡±


    Tristan had no way to stop Jeremiah. It seemed impossible, but he still had toy out the harsh facts beforehand.


    He spoke to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Chambers, if you insist on personally treating your father, then please sign the consent form before entering the operating room. If anything happens to Mr. Chambers, Seacrity Hospital will not be held responsible.¡±


    Tristan still wanted to try to stop them again. After all, it was a human life at stake. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch someone vanish right before his eyes.


    Yvette¡¯s brows and eyes lowered, showing a hint of impatience and irritation.


    She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, get ready. If anything goes wrong, you won¡¯t have to take any responsibility.¡±


    Lucas looked at Yvette, wanting to say something but held back. In the end, he let out a deep sigh.


    Harold kept a calm face and said nothing.


    Yvette was the only legitimate heir to Zachary. At this moment, only her decision had legal weight. Since she was determined to do things her way, no one could stop her.


    After painstakingly saving someone for five hours, only to lose him again. How could Harold not be angry?


    Yvette had her eyes loweredzily, arms crossed as she leaned against a chair in the corridor. Turning to Jeremiah, who was sitting next to her, she asked calmly, ¡°What about the culprit?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette intently. He lowered his voice and reached out to tuck a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve sent Andrew over. No one can escape now,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Yvette looked up and gave Jeremiah a deep nce, her lips pressed tightly, her delicate features showing an icy coldness.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Yvette said.


    The staff at Seacrity Hospital were incredibly efficient. Ten minutester, everything was already prepared.


    Tristan, Harold, Lucas, and the doctors and nurses Jeremiah had brought from Betrico were all waiting outside the operating room.


    Everyone directed their gaze towards Yvette and Jeremiah, who were sitting. Mainly at Yvette, an arrogant person who bragged that she could disperse bruises with only acupuncture.


    Tristan had already fulfilled his duties. He held a liability waiver signed by Yvette that absolved the hospital of any responsibility.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, the operating room is ready, and Mr. Chambers is inside. You can go in personally now,¡± Tristan said.


    He paused for a moment here, his expression still somewhat uneasy.


    Then he continued, ¡°You can go in and personally perform acupuncture on your father now.¡±


    Harold leaned against the white wall. His face was stern and cold Earlier, Tristan had already informed him of Jeremiah¡¯s identity.


    Harold hadn¡¯t expected that Jeremiah was indeed someone with significant connections and great influence.


    It was not true to say Harold wasn¡¯t afraid, but he honestly couldn¡¯t ept how Yvette disregarded her own father¡¯s life.


    Yvette stood up and walked towards the operating room, her face showing no expression.


    Jeremiah shifted slightly, holding her hand, his thumb gently warming her cold skin.


    He spoke softly, ¡°With me here, there¡¯s no need to feel stressed.¡±


    ??, 79%¡ã


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and suddenly smiled. The confidence in her dark eyes left Jeremiah momentarily stunned, and then he also smiled gently.


    Yvette paused as she passed by Lucas.


    Her voice was calm and cool, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a minor surgery. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡±


    Lucas wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and nodded firmly to Yvette.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, you must save the master,¡± Lucas pleaded.


    The people present werepletely speechless, thinking, ¡®Seriously? Who would call this a minor surgery?N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡®Even Quentin, the top brain surgeon, would only say that he¡¯s sixty percent confident. Yet she is so sure acupuncture would work without even needing surgery.


    ¡®How are we medical professionals supposed to handle this?¡¯


    A mix of emotions clouded the group¡¯s faces as they watched Yvette¡¯s frail figure. She would probably return to announce Zachary¡¯s death.


    By then, Zachary wouldn¡¯t rest in peace, dying at his own daughter¡¯s hands.


    The door to the operating room closed. Everyonepletely lost sight of Yvette.


    Harold, for some reason, stayed seated, staring unblinkingly at the operating room door.


    Tristan approached Jeremiah carefully and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, if Ms. Zeller¡¯s acupuncture doesn¡¯t work and Quentin can¡¯t get back in time,¡±


    Jeremiah stood with his hands in his pockets. A chill enveloped him. His voice became deeper, strikingly different from his earlier tone with Yvette.


    Jeremiah stated with a cold and determined voice, ¡°It won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Tristan was momentarily stunned before he understood what Jeremiah was implying.


    ¡®Gosh! Where on earth does he get that kind of confidence?¡¯ Tristan thought.


    Tristan wanted to go up and shake Jeremiah to wake him up.


    ¡®Wake up, wake up, traditional medicine is vast and profound. How could a girl like Yvette possibly understand it all?


    ¡®Blood cirction? Isn¡¯t that just aplete joke?¡¯ Tristan shouted in his heart.

 Chapter 208

    In therge operating room, Zacharyy on the hospital bed, face pale, breathing faint, with marks of treatment on his arms and chest.


    Yvette calmly withdrew her gaze. Her eyes were calm and clear.


    She extended her delicate hand to take a small packet from her ck backpack, spreading it out on the table. Under the bright lights, rows of slender silver needles of different sizes glinted coldly.


    Yvette squinted slightly. Her gaze was sharp and cold. Then she carried out a disinfection procedure before acting.


    Twenty-four needles were inserted simultaneously. Theynded precisely on Zachary¡¯s various acupuncture points.


    Yvette continued the process for over ten minutes, then changed the needles, increasing the pressure by thirty percent.


    Yvette¡¯s cold eyes shifted slightly. The second needling sessionsted a full half-hour. Yvette¡¯s hand was steady as a rock, without a hint of a tremor.


    Two hourster, Yvette, with an expressionless face, put away the silver needles and ced them back in the pouch.


    She slightly tilted her gaze. Then she took out a vial of reagent from her backpack.


    It was a potion for repairing bodily functions that she had developed with Ss three years ago and it remained a secret to this day.


    The potion the Mysonna President had always wanted but never got was now poured entirely into Zachary¡¯s mouth by Yvette.


    Zachary, after drinking the potion,y on the bed, looking nkly the same as before without any change.


    Outside the operating room, Lucas paced back and forth, muttering nonstop, ¡°I hope the heavens protect Mr. Chambers. He must be fine. I beg the heavens.¡±


    Lucas repeatedly and tirelessly prayed over and over again.


    Harold saw the sincere concern of Lucas while Yvette ignored her own father¡¯s life, which made him even angrier.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jeremiah stood by the window. His calm and deep eyes gazed at the distant horizon before ncing down at his watch.


    An hour and a half had passed. The other staff members found chairs and sat down.


    A very in-looking female doctor with ck-framed sses had Cardiology & Neurology written on the left side of her white coat.


    The doctors and nurses that Jeremiah brought were all temporarily called in from various hospitals in Betrico. Some of them knew Tristan from regr medical seminars.


    Jeremiah received a phone call. When he saw the caller¡¯s name, he walked further away to answer the phone. His eyes were cold. He had a piercing look.


    When the others saw Jeremiah walk away, they all breathed a deep sigh of relief. Their backs were covered in cold sweat. Jeremiah¡¯s presence was so strong that they felt like they were suffocating with him around.


    After Jeremiah left, a male neurologist, who worked in Betrico Hospital wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had


    been called in on short notice.


    ¡°Do you think Ms. Chambers can cure her father with acupuncture?¡± the male neurologist asked. His tonecked belief, and everyone present detected the doubt.


    A male doctor from the same hospital, with whom he had a good rtionship, paused to think seriously for a few seconds.


    ¡°No way, if it wasn¡¯t for her connection to the patient, I¡¯d suspect this was murder,¡± the doctor said.


    The female doctor sitting next to him shook her head.


    Her tone was contemptuous, saying, ¡°Acupuncture to dissolve clotted blood? Sure, traditional medicine has done it, but only ancient medical masters could pull it off. Do you think a girl in her twenties has that kind of skill? I bet there¡¯s little hope left for the patient now.¡±


    Another middle-aged female doctor, who was already annoyed by being sent here at thest minute, looked rather harsh.


    Seeing someone bring up the topic, she quickly took the opportunity to express her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°I think this young girl just wants to impress Jeremiah by risking her dad¡¯s life. Young people today are so different from our time, so bold,¡± the female doctor said.


    She was implying that Yvette was recklessly trying to save people and used Yvette of being vain and wanting attention.


    The others nodded in agreement.


    Without Jeremiah around, they all started gossiping negatively about Yvette.


    Seeing theirments getting more and more outrageous, Tristan frowned and coughed. There was an aura of authority on his aging face.


    ¡°Enough. Stop gossiping about others. Have you forgotten your manners?¡± Tristan shouted.


    His words were blunt without the slightest hint of courtesy. The group fell silent, shifting awkwardly, not daring to speak further.


    Though Tristan was just a director at a hospital in Seacrity, his achievements were significant. He chose to be in Seacrity by his own decision. Otherwise, he could have chosen any hospital he wanted in Betrico.


    Why did he leave a perfectly good major hospital in Betrico for somece like Seacrity?


    Rumors said Tristan was here to fulfill a promise to his first love, but no one knew if it was true or not.


    Harold didn¡¯t join their conversation. Instead, he kept his eyes on the operating room, looking very worried. He was eager to rush inside.


    ¡®If things get really bad, I will perform the surgery myself. Even if the chances of sess are low, it would be better than Yvette¡¯s acupuncture,¡¯ Harold thought.


    While Harold was torn and undecided, the door to the operating room opened. Yvette was standing behind the door, dressed head to toe in ck.


    With one hand in her pocket, Yvette looked casually defiant, her eyes showing a hint of rebellious yfulness.


    Her deep voice sounded, saying, ¡°Could someone move him to a regr room, please?¡±


    Everyone was collectively taken aback.


    After a moment, Harold looked at Yvette with aplex expression, mixed with doubt and fear.


    His voice was rough, asking, ¡°You mean the blood clot in Mr. Chambers¡¯s brain is gone now?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Yvette, her face showing no emotion as they waited for her answer.


    Lucas asked excitedly, ¡°Ms. Chambers, is it true that Mr. Chambers is healed now? Is it?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes held a cool sharpness as she pressed her lips together. Her bright, dark gaze briefly swept over everyone.


    Then she said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Harold froze for a moment, then rushed into the operating room like a whirlwind.


    Tristan snapped back to his senses.


    The doctors and nurses nearby knew Harold must go in to verify if the patient was truly cured or if the girl was just making things up.


    Yvette strolled over to the chair, leaned back casually, crossed her legs, and sent a text to Jeremiah.


    Yvette: [Where are you?]


    Jeremiah: [Getting a milkshake.]


    Yvette¡¯s eyes slightly tilted up at the corners as a small smile appeared on her lips, her gaze half-hidden.


    She replied: [Make it two.]


    Jeremiah said: [Okay.]


    Five minutester, Harold walked out of the operating room lookingpletely lost. He bypassed everyone and headed straight for Yvette, calming his excitement.


    Harold had just personally checked Zachary and confirmed the blood clot was truly gone.


    The blood clot was nowhere to be seen. What did this mean? It meant the patient was cured through acupuncture alone, without any surgery.


    A girl in her twenties, if he hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand, Harold wouldn¡¯t have believed it at all. This could be considered a miracle in medical history.


    Harold, his face flushed with excitement and his voice shaking, announced to everyone, ¡°It¡¯s true, the patient is cured. The blood clot in the brain haspletely dissolved.¡±


    A wave of gasps swept through the air. Everyone waspletely dumbfounded. Especially those who were just badmouthing Yvette lowered their heads in shame.


    It was the first time in his long life that Tristan had seen someone use acupuncture to dissolve a blood clot, just like those martial arts stories.


    Even he couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore, his expressionpletely out of control.


    ¡®So, the crazy ones aren¡¯t Ms. Chambers and Jeremiah, but the rest of us?¡¯ Tristan thought.

 Chapter 209

    Everyone was so shocked, they were frozen in ce.


    Jeremiah returned with two freshly made hot milkshakes. He nced around at everyone¡¯s expressions, understood immediately, and strolled over to Yvette.


    He spoke slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, the culprit is at the police station. Andrew is still there.¡±


    Yvette lifted her eyes. She stood up from her seat. Her cool face was both fierce and alluring.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yvette said.


    Ignoring the crowd, Yvette and Jeremiah joined hands and walked out.


    Harold quickly shouted at Yvette¡¯s back, ¡°Did you use acupuncture to treat people?¡±


    Yvette paused but didn¡¯t look back, her voice in, saying, ¡°Acupuncture can work wonderfully. 170 copper figures are with countless apertures. It¡¯s not that traditional medicine is inferior to Western medicine. It¡¯s just a different approach. You may not understand the wisdom of our ancestors, but don¡¯t belittle it.¡±


    With those words, Yvette left without looking back, her lean silhouette exuding confidence and independence.


    Harold was baffled by Yvette¡¯s lines and could only look towards Tristan for help.


    Seeing Harold¡¯s urgency, Tristan sighed and interpreted the meaning of the sentence, ¡°The acupuncture master¡¯s skills were legendary; with just a few precise needle cements, they could bring sonfeone back from the brink of death. The 170 bronze statues, each with their intricate points, were a testament to theplexity of traditional treatment.¡±


    Then, Tristan nced at the nurses and doctors with their heads lowered, feeling a wave of emotion.


    ¡®More and more kids know only that Western medicine can treat diseases, having long forgotten that traditional medicine is the true treasure of our civilization, the wisdom passed down by our ancestors.


    ¡®Nowadays, fewer people are studying traditional medicine. In thest decade or so, even in the hospitals I oversee, the traditional medicine departments haven¡¯t been a priority,¡¯ Tristan thought.


    Tristan secretly resolved to prioritize and thoroughly reform the hospital¡¯s traditional medicine department, strongly supporting its development.


    Upon hearing the exnation, Harold was silent for a moment.


    Having learned Western medicine for a long time, Harold was truly amazed by his first encounter with the charm of traditional medicine.


    In less than an hour, Yvette¡¯s acupuncture rescue had quickly spread throughout Seacrity Hospital.


    Inside the ck Jeep, Jeremiah drove while Yvette was curled up in the passenger seat, drinking her warm milkshake. With her sleeves half-rolled up, revealing her pale arm, she tilted her head slightly and said calmly, ¡°No n?¡± -Jeremiah drove with one hand and paused momentarily, his voice clear and crisp.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like someone gave him enough benefits. No matter how the police ask, he keeps saying it was an ident, not


    purpose. The surveince footage only shows that after Mr. Chambers¡¯s car lost control, arge truck suddenly came out from the opposite direction, causing the crash,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Yvette took a sip of her milkshake, her eyeszily lowered, and her deep ck gaze was chillingly cold. She slowly curled her lips. A smile spread. It was wicked as heck.


    Jeremiah¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thinking, ¡®Yvette is dangerous and alluring


    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. Thinking about the call from Mysonna earlier, his voice was full of charisma, saying, ¡°You know traditional medicine? And you can fly a ne too?¡±


    Yvette paused for a moment with the milkshake in her hand, crossed her legs, and her dark eyes were half-closed, looking rxed.


    ¡°I know a bit of everything,¡± Yvette said.


    Jeremiah gently pinched her fingers, with a slight smile on his lips, looking at her, almost amused. If the pilot hadn¡¯t said anything, he might have believed it.


    Yvette scared the pilot out of his wits. After boarding the ne, she went straight to the cockpit and insisted on flying back to Seacrity herself.


    The captain disagreed, so she just knocked him out, and by the time he woke up, they were already in Seacrity. Now the captain was stillining to Bruce about Yvette.


    As for knowing a bit about traditional medicine? Yvette¡¯s idea of a bit might be quite different from othersProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Quentin had just boarded his private jet and was about to take off when Jeremiah informed him he didn¡¯t need toe back.


    He was confused as he pulled his suitcase off the ne and went back to the hotel.


    ¡®From what Mr. Chavez mentioned on the phone, have they already found a doctor to treat the patient? Is there in the country with a higher sess rate than my surgeries?¡¯ Quentin wondered.


    any doctor


    After going back and forth on it, Quentin finally decided to call Jeremiah. It would be a real pity not to get to know such a talented person.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez,¡± Quentin called.


    Just as Jeremiah parked his car, Quentin¡¯s call came through. While answering, he naturally helped Yvette unbuckle her seatbelt.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Jeremiah simply replied.


    Quentin didn¡¯t dare waste time with small talk and got straight to the point.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, if it¡¯s okay, could I ask who you got to perform the surgery? It¡¯s not over yet, is it?¡± Quentin asked.


    Jeremiah nced at Yvette, who was sitting back with her legs crossed, enjoying her milkshake. His eyes subtly flickered.


    In a deep voice, he said, ¡°The surgery is done, and the patient is fine. As for who did it? Let me ask her first, then I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Quentin took a deep breath.


    The surgery is already done? Only three hours have passed since I got the call, and now it¡¯s finished? Even more unbelievable is that the patient is saved,¡¯ Quentin thought.


    After hanging up, Quentin sat in a daze in his chair.


    ¡®Since when does such an experienced doctor appear in Clusia, and how am I unaware of it?¡¯ Quentin wondered.


    At the entrance of the police station, Andrew stood to one side smoking, while Wyatt next to him had a serious look. The director of the police station, Zane Chappell, stood behind them


    Seeing the familiar license te from afar, Andrew quickly put out his cigarette and walked over inrge steps.


    Seeing Andrew¡¯s reaction, Wyatt knew that Jeremiah had arrived and followed.


    Zane had a morning that was both busy and stressful at the police station.


    Wyatt personally went to the police station, bringing Andrew who looked tough to handle, just to personally interrogate the culprit responsible for a car ident.


    Yet, that culprit acted as if he couldn¡¯t care less, unfazed like a dead pig in boiling water. No matter how they questioned, the culprit insisted it was just an ident. But Wyatt and Andrew disagreed.


    They could only keep interrogating repeatedly. If this isn¡¯t handled properly, it could impact one¡¯s career.


    Jeremiah got out of the car first, walked over to the passenger side, and opened the door, where a pair of long, straight legs came into view.


    Wyatt¡¯s eye twitched. Besides Yvette, no one else could make Jeremiah from the Chavez family open the door himself.


    Ever since Wyatt learned that Yvette was Cyanbird, he had a different view of her.


    An internationally renowned and promising artist was far more valuable than a wealthydy from Seacrity. That kind of international influence was no joke.


    Andrew felt a bit embarrassed facing Yvette, as he wasn¡¯t able to get the news and inform her first while in Seacrity.


    ¡°Ms. Chavez,¡± Andrew greeted.


    Yvette nodded slightly, squinting as she nced at Jeremiah. She thought, ¡®This guy has made the title stick to me.¡¯ Jeremiah innocently raised an eyebrow, looking as if he knew nothing. He had quite a roguish vibe.


    Wyatt froze for a few seconds when he heard those two words, a sharp glint crossing his eyes.


    He knew clearly that even if Andrew and Jeremiah were very close, without Jeremiah¡¯s consent, Andrew wouldn¡¯t dare to call Yvette that.


    Wyatt looked at Yvette with added caution and respect. As the future matriarch of the Chavez family, he could not afford to underestimate Yvette.


    Wyatt smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s face was calm and indifferent, responding only with an unspoken ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Yvette gave a polite nod in recognition, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Langford.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s smile became a bit more sincere when he realized that although Yvette appeared aloof and proud, as long as one didn¡¯t provoke her, she was quite courteous.


    She is a good child,¡¯ Wyatt thought.

 Chapter 210

    Zane was directly promoted by Wyatt.


    Since Daniel¡¯s downfall, Jonathan, who had been conspiring with Daniel, was also found guilty of various corruption and bribery charges, resulting in his removal.


    Zane wisely stayed silent behind Wyatt, not wanting to disturb them.


    He didn¡¯t know the man and woman in front, but seeing Wyatt¡¯s respectful attitude, he was more than surprised and realized that these three individuals were influential,


    Wyatt turned his head and nced at Zane, prompting him to move a little closer.


    Wyatt took the initiative to introduce Zane to Jeremiah, partly due to his motives.


    Zane was one of Wyatt¡¯s faction members, and Wyatt had high hopes for Zane, even considering taking Zane to Betrico in the future. Introducing Zane to Jeremiah and leaving a good impression was a rare opportunity not everyone had.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, this is Zane Chappell, the chief of the Seacrity Police Department. He¡¯s leading the investigation into Mr. Chambers¡¯s car ident,¡± Wyatt said.


    Zane quickly chimed in, ¡°Mr. Chavez, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Zane Chappell.¡±


    Even Andrew could notice Wyatt¡¯s little schemes, let alone Jeremiah and Yvette.


    Jeremiah nodded slightly, his face expressionless. He simply replied, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Zane was already quite satisfied. Even Wyatt only got a one-word reply from Jeremiah. Zane felt satisfied to receive the same reply.


    Jeremiah turned slightly towards Yvette, lowering his voice in a deeply maic way.


    ¡°Did we leave the milkshake in the car?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were downcast. Upon hearing this, she lifted her head a bit, her profile breathtakingly beautiful.


    She raised an eyebrow. In the sweltering heat, her voice was calm enough to soothe a restless heart.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yvette said.


    As soon as Andrew heard this, he offered to go back to the car to get it for Yvette.


    Jeremiah nced at Andrew. With a calm tone, Jeremiah said, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go myself,¡± then he added to Yvette, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Yvette slipped one hand into her pocket and stood there casually andzily, nodding at his words.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yvette said.


    Andrew stood next to them, thinking, ¡®I feel a sourness that could¡¯ve made my teeth fall out. I could say that it is indeed Mr. Chavez, who¡¯d ditch friends for a romantic interest without a second thought.¡¯


    Even though Wyati had already seen Jeremiah¡¯s behavior towards Yvette a few times, he couldn¡¯t help but think that even the toughest man couldn¡¯t escape love.


    Jeremiah quickly returned with a milkshake.


    They entered the police station one after the other.


    Zane, at the back, felt he needed to ask about the identities of the three, especially Jeremiah. So he quickened his step to catch up with Wyatt.


    He asked in a low voice, afraid that someone might overhear, ¡°Wyatt, is Mr. Chavez from Betrico?¡±


    Wyatt turned his head, his face serious, and nodded slightly.


    After the uproar caused by Danielst time, most people at the police station already knew about Jeremiah¡¯s identity, so there was no point hiding it anymore.


    Wyatt nced at the three people in front: handsome men and beautiful women, all with incredibly high status. They had. money, power, and status. They were all people at the top of the pyramid.


    ¡°Jeremiah, the leading figure of the Chavez family for three generations, the grandson whom Mr. Jase Chavez values most highly. He¡¯s also the youngest general in Clusia. You must have noticed the girl with Mr. Chavez, but she has another identity. Have you heard of Cyanbird?¡± Wyatt said.


    Zane took a deep breath to calm himself, though his voice was still slightly unsettled. He never imagined meeting someone as significant as Jeremiah in his lifetime.


    ¡®How could someone like me, a small-time police station chief, have any connection with such an important figure?¡¯ Zane thought.


    ¡°Cyanbird? Are you talking about that mysterious painter who¡¯s been the most high-profile internationally in recent years? I¡¯ve heard of her. My brother-inw is into art and admires her. He constantly mentions her name to us. Why did you suddenly bring her up?¡± Zane asked.


    Wyatt stared at Zane, with a look that inly said, ¡°How can you be so clueless?¡±


    In the next moment, Zane stiffly raised his head, his voice trembling a little as he stammered out a few words, ¡°Are you saying that the daughter the Chambers family found is the world-famous Cyanbird?¡±


    Wyatt nodded, his expression serious.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend, who the Chambers family had lost for over twenty years, is the girl who just stood in front of you-Cyanbird herself,¡± Wyatt said.


    At this moment, Zane didn¡¯t know how to describe his emotions,


    ¡°These two big shots are truly something else. Their identities are astonishingly intimidating,¡¯ Zane thought.


    He felt cold sweat breaking out all over him despite the hot summer day.


    Having reached this point in his questioning, Zane pointed to Andrew, who had been talking non-stop beside them.


    ¡°Wyatt, who is this?¡± Zane asked.


    Wyatt nced at Andrew ahead, his tone softening a bit.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s Andrew, the most beloved grandson of Betrico¡¯s Arnold family head, and the son of Tim Arnold,¡± Wyatt said.


    Zane wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking, ¡®What a relief! At least this identity isn¡¯t so frightening anymore!


    After wiping once more, he finally realized. Who was Tim Arnold?


    Zane swallowed hard, looking at Wyatt, asking, ¡°The Tim Arnold you are talking about, is he the Commander of the Betrico Military District?¡±


    Wyatt nodded.


    Zane finally inderstood why Wyatt hade in person to interrogate a truck driver.


    Even for a police station chief like Zane, this ident case was beyond his jurisdiction. Why had Wyatt set aside his political responsibilities to manage it personally?


    The victim, Zachary, was expected to be the inw of the future senior leader.


    ¡®How could I justify myself if we don¡¯t get any answers from this interrogation?¡¯ Zane thought.


    Originally, Zane was about to suggest to Wyatt to head back, and he would send someone to do a routine questioning and call it a day.


    Fortunately, Zane kept his mouth shut. It was like saving his own life.


    As Jeremiah, Yvette, and Andrew walked into the room, the entire office suddenly fell silent.


    Bystanders were amazed by the trio¡¯s stunning looks. Meanwhile, the police officers were allpletely stunned.


    They couldn¡¯t forget these three, especially Jeremiah. Back then, Jeremiah¡¯s military uniform with a Major General insignia was unforgettable.


    Just one dayter, Daniel and Jonathan were both arrested. Everyone knew it was because of the girl standing in front of them.


    Andrew wasn¡¯t unfamiliar either. He was the one who dragged Daniel¡¯s reputation through the mud.


    The police officers were surprised to see Wyatt in the morning. Now, seeing Jeremiah, Yvette, and Andrew appear together really scared them.


    Suddenly, a man stepped out from the side. It was L, the experienced cop who had questioned Yvettest time.


    After Yvette gave L a prescription, and he took it as directed, his health improved remarkably. Even the rheumatism he had since his younger days got better. His back no longer ached, and his legs didn¡¯t hurt anymore.


    L never got the chance to thank Yvette, and he didn¡¯t expect her to be back at the police station.


    L was out on duty, unaware of Zachary¡¯s car ident.


    Seeing Yvette, L was clearly excited and eagerly spoke to her, ¡°Ms. Zeller, what brings you here? Is there something you need? I have to tell you, the medicine you gave mest time worked wonders. I¡¯m feeling fantastic!¡±


    L was truly thrilled, his eyes fixed only on Yvette,pletely ignoring Jeremiah and Andrew who were right there.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After finishing his sentence, L finally saw Jeremiah standing to the side, making his heart skip a beat. He quickly bowed his head and said, ¡°General.¡±


    The mention of the General left the bystanders and some of the detainees in shock.


    It was umon to see someone of such rank outside of a TV screen, now standing right before them. Who wouldn¡¯t be confused?


    A few petty thieves, feeling guilty, dropped their tough act and kept silent.


    Yvette nced calmly at L and spoke in a leisurely manner. ¡°Just handling some business. You¡¯re in good shape now, so you can stop taking the medicine.¡±


    L was beaming with joy.


    Even though the medicine-worked, it was traditional medicine and it was bitter. When Yvette said he could stop taking it, he was overjoyed and nodded eagerly, excited to finally quit. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop as soon as I get home, Ms. Zeller,¡± L said.

 Chapter 211

    As Wyatt and Zane pushed open the door, they instantly understood the situation upon seeing the quiet office hall, where even breathing seemed amplified. Wherever those three stood, the air felt heavy with their presence.


    Now that they were in the police station, Zane quickly took charge, politely inviting them into his office and instructing his subordinates to bring the truck driver to the interrogation room


    Zane was respectful but didn¡¯t fawn over Jeremiah and the others. After getting them some water, he sat down on the couch with a gesture that made Wyatt even more pleased with him.


    Wyatt thought, ¡°This guy knows his boundaries. If he had started sucking up to Jeremiah just because of his status, he would never make it far in the political world. Knowing when to push and hold back is a real lesson in life and leadership.


    Andrew sprawled on the couch with one leg crossed over the other and took a sip of his water. He turned to Yvette and said, ¡°That truck driver is quite tough. We¡¯ve questioned him at least ten times this morning, and all he keeps saying is that it was an ident, iming he was just exhausted from overworking. It¡¯s obvious someone coached him. He knows how to dodge the serious charges. By the way, who the hell did Mr. Chambers cross? This wasn¡¯t just brake failure; they used a huge truck to try to kill him. It¡¯s clear someone wanted him dead.¡±


    Yvette frowned with sharpness in her gaze. Her fingers lightly tapped on the armrest and her features were stunningly elegant while her half-closed eyes held a flicker of mischief. She said slowly, ¡°Overworking?¡±


    Wyatt nodded with a serious look. He had been part of the entire interrogation. ¡°The driver is clever, way too sharp for someone of his supposed background. Throughout our questioning, he didn¡¯t even flinch. He even asked for awyer, like he had prepared for this, confident he wouldn¡¯t face heavy charges.¡±


    Zane remained silent. He had worked his way up from the bottom, struggling for years before Wyatt noticed him and brought him into this position. He also thought that the truck driver was definitely not an average guy.


    Jeremiah casually inserted the straw into Yvette¡¯s drink and handed it to her. She took a sip and, just as naturally, ced it back in Jeremiah¡¯s hand.


    The three men across from them felt speechless, thinking, ¡®Really? Is showing off like that necessary?¡¯


    A chill shed through Jeremiah¡¯s eyes. In the midday sunlight, his handsome, calm profile seemed to glow with a golden hue. He said in a cold and sharp voice, ¡°Have you checked his background?¡±


    Zane knew it was his turn to speak, so he respectfully said, ¡°We have. His name is Eric Wilson, just a regr guy and nothing special. He¡¯s from a small town. We contacted the local police station where he was born and found that his parents passed away a few years ago. He has an older brother who left for work over twenty years ago and hasn¡¯t returned since. Eric has been driving trucks ever since and keeps to himself with no wife and no kids. That¡¯s all we could find.¡±


    Andrew let out a mockingugh. ¡°He does look like that.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained indifferent. ¡°Where¡¯s his brother? What does he do?¡±


    Zane froze for a moment. They had focused solely on Eric¡¯s background and hadn¡¯t checked his brother. His brother hadn¡¯t shown up in over twenty years. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t have anything to do with Zachary¡¯s ident.


    Zane shook his head. ¡°We haven¡¯t looked into that yet. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to dig into it right away.¡±


    Yvette propped her elbow on the table, having a mischievous smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Let him tell us himself.¡±


    Wyatt and Zane exchanged nces, unsure of what she meant. Based on the previous interrogation, getting Eric to talk was very difficult, let alone having him spill everything about his brother.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Andrew felt curious and leaned in. ¡°Do you know how to make Eric talk, Yvette?¡±


    Yvette nodded seriously, her gazezy but with a hint of something fierce, full of rebellious energy, and an almost yful indifference. She said, ¡°Getting him to talk is easy. Just beat him tip until he speaks.¡±


    Andrew nodded in agreement, thinking. What¡¯s the big deal about roughing Eric up a bit? After what he did, trying to take someone¡¯s life, a few punches aren¡¯t going to hurt him!


    Jeremiah gently squeezed her wrist, saying in a soft voice, ¡°Do you really want to do that?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head and stared at him, her eyes sparkling like stars.


    Wyatt pressed a hand to his chest, feeling speechless. He thought, Are these three discussing this right here? If this keeps up, my heart¡¯s going to explode! Besides, how can Jeremiah ignore thew? In ancient times, that would make him a tyrant.¡¯


    Zane was stunned for a moment, forcing himself to look at Yvette cautiously. ¡°Ms. Zeller, this¡­ It might not be the best idea. How about we try something else?¡±


    Wyatt also looked at Yvette, trying to look sincere. ¡°Yeah, Zane is right. Let¡¯s go with another n, Ms. Zeller. Beating someone up at the police station is not appropriate.¡±


    Yvette withdrew her gaze, turning her head to see both of them looking nervous. She half-closed her eyes with a yful smile, tapping the armrest with her pale, delicate hands. Raising an eyebrow, she saidzily, ¡°Just kidding. Peace matters here. We shouldn¡¯t fight violence with violence.¡±


    Wyatt and Zane were both speechless, doubting her words.


    Andrew slumped back on the couch, clearly disappointed. He thought, ¡®It looks like we¡¯re not going to rough him up, right?¡¯


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. L, who had already figured out the situation, brought Eric to the interrogation room.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Zane said.


    L entered with his head slightly lowered. ¡°Eric has been brought to the interrogation room, Mr. Chappell. We can start whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Zane nced at Jeremiah and Yvette, asking for their opinion. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller, shall we head over together?¡± Inside the interrogation room, Eric sat with a defiant look on his face, like he didn¡¯t care what was going to happen to him. Across from him were the two officers who had been questioning him since morning.


    He let out a derisive snort, thinking, ¡°They¡¯re nothing but a bunch of useless cops. What new tricks could they possibly have up their sleeves? As long as I stuck to my brother¡¯s story and insisted it was just overworking, who could hold me guilty?¡±


    His brother was right; thew had its loopholes. As long as he could exploit that, he could evade serious consequences even if he killed someone. In the worst-case scenario, he would get a few years in prison. After that, he would still be free as a bird. The door to the interrogation room swung open, and Eric squinted against the sudden light. Once he saw who had entered, a look of intense surprise shed in his eyes as he leered at the girl.


    L scolded Eric sharply, ¡°Behave yourself.¡± Then he motioned for the other two officers to follow him out, leaving Eric alone with Yvette.


    With one hand casually tucked in her pocket, Yvette strolled to a chair and sat down leisurely. She squinted, resting her legs on the table, exuding a rebellious, confident aura. She didn¡¯t say a word.


    Eric¡¯s gaze was fixed on her, waiting for her to speak. However, half an hour passed, and aside from a few nces in his direction, Yvette remained silent.


    Eric¡¯s frustration grew, not knowing what she was doing.


    On the other side of the interrogation room, Jeremiah, Andrew, Wyatt, Zane, and the two younger officers, along with L, were all watching the proceedings unfold on the screen

 Chapter 212

    Eric grew increasingly frustrated. He red at Yvette and asked Who the hell are you? You¡¯re not even wearing a uniform. You¡¯re not a cop, are you?¡±


    Yvette, with her legs casually draped over the table, opened her eyes. There was no warmth in them, just a cold, sinister glint in the corners. She said slowly, ¡°Didn¡¯t the person who hired you to kill tell you that Zachary has another daughter?¡±


    Without thinking, Eric blurted out, ¡°No.¡±


    Seeing this, Andrew pped his hands and cheered. He had been there throughout the morning¡¯s interrogation, but Eric had been stubborn and refused to admit anything. Finally, it seemed that he couldn¡¯t hold any longer. ¡°Yvette is incredible.. How did she only spend half an hour getting Eric to talk?¡±


    Standing beside him, Zane studied the monitor intently, saying, ¡°It¡¯s psychological tactics. We were too focused on getting answers. We interrogated him over and over again, but we didn¡¯t realize that we were the ones in the weaker position. From the moment Ms. Zeller walked into the room, she made Eric aware she was different. She didn¡¯t waste a single minute. By spending half an hour just observing him, she slowly chipped away at his psychological defenses. Therefore, when she spoke to him for the first time, his mind was already in a very fragile state.¡±


    Jeremiah raised his head, casually ncing at Zane. ¡°Have you done any research on such tactics?¡±


    Zane was overjoyed when he heard Jeremiah¡¯s words, and Wyatt also showed some excitement. It seemed that Jeremiah was impressed by Zane.


    Zane respectfully responded, ¡°I haven¡¯t studied it, but a few years ago, I worked on a case with a psychological consultant hired by the police station. I just know a little about it.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, not saying more, his gaze focused on Yvette in the surveince.


    Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Yvette¡¯s smile deepened, and her eyes grew darker. Her serious look and powerful aura forced Eric to shrink back in his seat.


    Under Yvette¡¯s gaze, Eric panicked as he realized that he had let something slip. Flushed with shame and anger, he mmed his hand down on the table, raising his voice. ¡°Stop trying to fool me. No one hired me. I¡¯ve said a hundred times that I was just tired from overworking. What are you? You¡¯re not even a cop. Why are you here interrogating me? Is this even legal? I want awyer, and before that, I have the right to remain silent. I won¡¯t say another word from now on.¡±


    If it had been anyone else, he might have been helpless when he heard Eric¡¯s words. However, Yvette was different. She slowly stood from her chair and put her hands in her pockets. Then she movedzily as she walked over to Eric, stopping just across the table from him.


    Yvette tapped on the table with her fingers, her smile wicked. Eric didn¡¯t know why, but an intense sense of unease overwhelmed him.


    Sure enough, the next second, without a word, Yvette yanked him up from the chair. She effortlessly lifted him off the ground with one hand. Eric was stunned, and then he felt a choking sensation.


    Yvette tightened her grip on him slowly. Eric struggled desperately, his face turning purple. As he fought, he caught a glimpse of her eyes, feeling bloodthirsty energy rushed toward him. She looked like a demon from hell, her gaze cold, deep, and merciless. For a moment, Eric felt like nothing more than an ant in front of her.


    Eric had been so bold because he knew they were in the police station and no one would dare toy a hand on him. There was no evidence that he caused the ident on purpose.


    However, the situation now was far beyond what he expected. He felt that he couldn¡¯t breathe, and his consciousness was fading. He just couldn¡¯t escape the grip tightening around his neck.


    Eric didn¡¯t even have the strength to beg for mercy. He was truly terrified when he realized that Yvette really wanted him dead.


    The scene in the interrogation room was visible to everyone in the other room, and their expressions varied.


    Andrew wore an excited and admiring expression. ¡°As expected, Yvette is quite tough.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s heart raced, feeling a little unwell at the sight, but when he nced at Jeremiah, who was sitting calmly on the chair, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    Shocked by what Yvette did, Zane didn¡¯t know what to say. He thought, ¡®Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be an artist? How did this matter turn into this? Eric was a grown man weighing 170 pounds, and yet she was lifting him like a chick.


    Zane was afraid that Yvette might go too far, so he braced himself to say to Jeremiah, ¡°What do you think, Mr. Chavez? Should we go in?¡±


    Jeremiah raised his head, his eyes cold and deep like a frozenke, his expression intense andmanding. He said indifferently, exuding an aloof aura, ¡°She knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±


    Zane didn¡¯t dare to argue further after hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words. As he watched Eric¡¯s face turn pale on the monitor, he quietly looked away, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.


    Zane could only silently pray that Yvette truly knew what she was doing and stopped while she still could.


    Andrey tutted and made a mocking noise. Seeing Zane¡¯s concerned expression, he smirked and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yvette is just scaring him. She won¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Zane forced a bitter smile, his eyes still fixed on the monitor. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they should do if she killed him.


    Just when Eric was on the brink of passing out, Yvette finally let go of him.


    Eric copsed to the floor, gasping for air. Once he regained his strength, he scrambled to the corner, staring with terror at Yvette.


    His only thought now was to get as far away from her as possible.


    He was truly terrified. Just moments ago, he had thought he was going to die.


    Yvette sat back in her chair, shifting into a more rxed position. Resting her chin on her hand, she crossed her long legs and unwrapped candy, eating it calmly while watching Eric, who was still gasping for air in the corner with fear. ¡°Who sent you?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Eric froze. He trembled as he raised his head. He wanted to keep silent, but after recalling what he had gone through just moments ago, he didn¡¯t dare to. He figured that being in prison was still better than falling into Yvette¡¯s hands.


    However, when he thought of the person who hired him, he was torn with inner conflict. He wasn¡¯t going any further, but he didn¡¯t want the Wilson family to be done.


    A few minutester, Eric raised his head, a resolute expression on his face. His voice weakened once more as he looked at Yvette. ¡°No one hired me. I did it because hate rich people. I can¡¯t stand seeing someone like Zachary living a good life. Why do they get to have money and power while I¡¯m struggling for survival? I could only eat instant noodles every day. No woman wanted to be with me. As soon as they heard about my situation, they ran away. Why is my life so miserable? I crashed the car that Zachary was in on purpose. Do whatever you want with me and I¡¯ll take the punishment. I¡¯m telling you again, no one hired me. I did it on my own.¡±

 Chapter 213

    Eric trembled, trying to slip through with a mix of truth and lies He lowered his head in guilt, not daring to look at Yvette.


    Yvette smiled faintly and said in a soft voice, ¡°Sit back down.¡±


    Eric froze, thinking he had misheard her. He hesitated and asked uncertainly, ¡°W-What did you say?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s brow twitched in slight impatience. Seeing her gesture, Eric instinctively recoiled against the wall.


    He knew he hadn¡¯t misheard her. Crawling back onto the chair in the interrogation room, he sat still, not daring to move.


    Yvette took an old-fashioned pocket watch out of her pocket, its cracked surface making it look worn with age.


    Eric saw the pocket watch and felt puzzled, wondering what she was nning to do.


    Yvette stared at Eric, and her delicate hand gently swung the old pocket watch. As Eric stared at the watch, his eyes began to lose focus, and everything around him seemed to blur, including Yvette¡¯s exquisite face.


    The watch swung faster and faster until Ericpletely lost consciousness. His eyes went vacant, losing all sense of sanity. Yvette pursed her lips, put the watch away, and softly asked, ¡°Who told you to crash into Zachary¡¯s car?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes were nk and his voice was dull. ¡°It was my brother, Jason Wilson. He told me that Zachary¡¯s brakes had failed. All I had to do was wait at Marine Road¡¯s middle section, wait for his car toe out, then crash into it. Afterward, I just had to pretend it was a case of overworking at the police station. He promised that he would get me the bestwyer to defend me and even offered me 1.5 million dors to buy a house and marry a wife back home.¡±


    Yvette, with her pale hand resting on her face, casually leaned back, nonchntly asking, ¡°Does Jason have a grudge against Zachary?¡±


    Eric¡¯s face turned pale as he shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s because of the Smith family. Jason is the Smith family¡¯s butler, Jason Davis. No one knows that his real name is Jason Wilson. He¡¯s been working for Dennis for years. He knows that the Smith family went bankrupt because of the Chambers family, so he¡¯s been trying to find ways to get revenge on them. The brake failure was also his doing.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were indifferent. Slowly, she snapped her fingers.


    Eric suddenly snapped back to reality, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything from earlier. He just felt like his mind had been nk for a few minutes. He looked up at Yvette, still unaware of everything he had just confessed. He stubbornly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to investigate further. I did it on purpose. No one hired me.¡±


    Yvette sneered, crossing her legs and raising an eyebrow. ¡°Is your brother Jason Davis or Jason Wilson?¡±


    Eric stared at Yvette, shocked. His face drained of color and he struggled to deny it. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Yvette had already obtained the information she wanted, so she lost interest in continuing the interrogation. She stood up and walked toward the door. Then she paused for a moment, her voiceced with coldness. ¡°You know that your brother is just using you. If he really cared about you, you wouldn¡¯t be in the situation you¡¯re in now, not even able to marry a wife. Do you know how much the gardener at the Smith family makes a month?¡±


    After that, Yvette pushed the door open and left. Behind her, Eric¡¯s cries echoed as if hisst hope had been taken away. He; copsed onto the table, crying uncontrobly.


    He had known all along that since childhood, Jason had been looking down on him. When he failed the exams, Jason went to university and left their hometown, not returning for twenty years. When he finally dide back, he asked him to harm others. Eric had desperately clung to that fragile sense of familial bond, but now, he regretted it. The very family affection he longed for had ruined his life.


    In the room next door, they had witnessed the whole process. Seeing Eric hunched over the table, crying his heart out, Wyau sighed. He felt that Eric was indeed a pitiable man, used by his brother, still trying to protect him. He didn¡¯t expect the Smith family¡¯s involvement in this case either.


    Not long ago, the Smith family¡¯s bankruptcy had caused a negative impact on Seacrity¡¯s economy. Zane didn¡¯t know the history between the Smith and Chambers families, but he thought the family grudges here were truly terrible. He didn¡¯t expect that a butler would end up harming others for his employer who had already died. What surprised him even more was that Yvette knew hypnotism.


    A few years ago, he had discussed hypnotism with a psychologist he had worked with on cases. He knew that timing, environment, and the hypnotist were all important. The human mind was the mostplex thing, and hypnotism wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed. Looking at Yvette, he thought, ¡®Sure enough, Jeremiah¡¯s woman can¡¯t be an ordinary one!¡¯


    Andrew pinched his chin, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He turned to Jeremiah, saying with a ttering smile, ¡°Yvette is so impressive. I always thought that hypnotism was something you only saw on TV. I didn¡¯t expect that she could do it. How did she hypnotize him? Was it just with a pocket watch? I¡¯ve got to ask her where she bought it. I might get one for myself.¡±


    Andrew¡¯s words made Jeremiah smile with pleasure.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After Yvette left the room, Jeremiah turned his gaze away and tilted his head. Shadows flickered across his face as he spoke. ¡°From the moment she entered the interrogation room, she was alreadyying out everything step by step. She guided Eric¡¯s emotional changes all along. In the end, when Eric¡¯s mental defenses copsed, she seized the perfect opportunity to hypnotize him.¡±


    As Jeremiah spoke, he chuckled softly, wondering just how many surprises Yvette still had in store.


    Zane looked at Andrew and added, ¡°Hypnotism is a technique that uses psychological suggestions tomunicate. It bypasses the conscious mind and enters the subconscious, where verbal or non-verbal cues are used to influence the individual. It¡¯s a form of psychological suggestion. The practitioner usesnguage, voice, gestures, and eye contact to nt these suggestions into the subject¡¯s subconscious, ultimately changing their thought patterns and behaviors. The depth of hypnosis varies depending on the individual¡¯s sensitivity to hypnosis, as well as the practitioner¡¯s authority and skill.¡±


    Zane paused for a moment, his face full of admiration as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this a few times during investigations, but those psychologists usually need a lot of tools and time to get a suspect into a deep state. The speed at which Ms. Zeller hypnotized Eric with just an old pocket watch impressed me.¡±


    Zane¡¯s words were full of genuine praise. He thought that if Yvette were willing to help the police with such a skill, surely there wouldn¡¯t be any case they couldn¡¯t crack. However, he knew that would be impossible. He dared not even mention it.


    Zane¡¯s exnation was quite professional, showing that he had some research and understanding of hypnotism. Andrew understood it after listening to it. Right now, he only knew that Yvette was incredible, and everything else didn¡¯t matter. As Yvette stepped out of the interrogation room and was about to knock on Jeremiah¡¯s door, she saw it open. Jeremiah stood in the doorway, taking her hand and rubbing it gently. He said in an intoxicating voice, ¡°Hypnotism, huh?¡± Yvette paused for a moment, letting Jeremiah hold her hand. ¡°I just know a little bit,¡± she said.


    The other three got it. She was just being modest.

 Chapter 214

    Andrew took a step forward. ¡°Should we go after that guy? Wait, what¡¯s his name again? Jason Wilson? No, Jason Davis.¡±


    Zane immediately added, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller, I¡¯ll send people to look into Jason right now. If he¡¯s still in Seacrity, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to find him. Once we locate him, we¡¯ll make sure to capture him immediately.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, lowering his head and casting a side nce at Yvette, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Yvette said with a faint smile on her face, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have steak.


    Seeing her expression, Jeremiah smiled and immediately agreed, ¡°Sure. Should we go to the ce near the school again? I¡¯ll also order some milkshakes. Would you like extra sugar and cream?¡±


    Andrew¡¯s mouth twitched, his tone dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sorry for us, Jeremiah?¡±


    Wyatt and Zane, knowing their ce, didn¡¯t dare to make fun of Jeremiah. They silently stayed to the side, not saying a word.


    Jeremiah shot a nce at Andrew, his expression indifferent as he held Yvette¡¯s hand, walking toward the door. ¡°Not really.¡±


    Andrew choked back his words, thinking, ¡®Fine. I knew Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t feel sorry for us.¡¯


    Yvette paused, turned around, and looked at the three behind her with raising eyebrows. ¡°Do you want toe with us?¡±


    Zane and Wyatt answered in perfect unison, ¡°No need.¡±. Having Jeremiah around, they didn¡¯t think they would be at ease when they ate.


    Jeremiah was speechless.


    Andrew jogged up, dramatically pointing at Jeremiah. ¡°I know you¡¯re the best, Yvette. Look at Jeremiah, he doesn¡¯t even want to bring me along for steak. Anyway, I won¡¯t have more than you can afford.¡±


    Yvette nced at Andrew and said in a casual tone, ¡°I was asking them, not you.¡±


    Andrew felt extremely upset when he heard that.


    Zane walked over and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Chavez just thinks you¡¯re disturbing them, Andrew.¡±


    As soon as Yvette, Jeremiah, and Andrew entered the steakhouse, they caused quite a stir. Most of the eyes in the room immediately turned toward Yvette.


    The ce was mostly filled with Argrol University students, and almost every one of them knew Yvette.


    In just a month since she transferred to Argrol University, she had been involved in a lot of crazy incidents for even the most unaware people to recognize her. After she took a leave from school about two weeks ago, there were already people on the forum counting the days until she came back. And there were tons ofments below the post.


    Now, seeing her suddenly show up in the steakhouse, some people seized the opportunity to snap a few photos of her and quickly posted them on the forum, where they were immediately pinned to the top.


    The students snapping photos of Yvette had no idea how much buzz she would create. Just ten minutes after posting, there were already hundreds ofments piling up, with fans of her beauty and career equally enthusiastic.


    [Is my goddess back? Finally! I miss her so much!]


    [She still has that stunning beauty! I love that indifferent look! But seriously, those sneaky shots are terrible.]


    [Hey, the shots are still pretty good!]


    [Let¡¯s be clear, this isn¡¯t just good; she¡¯s absolutely attractive!]


    [You¡¯re quite good at ttering.]


    [This legendary is finally back! Do you guys think she was off at some international art exhibit or something? She¡¯s been gone so long. She must have something amazing to show us!]


    [Now you¡¯ve got everyone excited!]


    Bonnie had just stepped out of the library, feeling pretty down. Her schrship had been unexpectedly canceled by Patrick and given to another male student in the physics department. It didn¡¯t make sense to her because her grades were better.


    When she confronted Patrick, all he said was it was a prehensive evaluation¡± and told her not to make a fuss.


    Today, while apanying some students to Seacrity Hospital, Bonnie spotted Zachary being carried off an ambnce. She quickly called Yvette to let her know the news.


    Bonnie thought for a moment before pulling out her phone to check in on Yvette. Just as she did, she received a message from her. [I¡¯m at the steakhouse near the school.]


    Bonnie cheered up. Grabbing the book she had borrowed from the library, she headed straight to the steakhouse.


    In the private room, Jeremiah had ordered his usual dish while Yvette had three different vors of milkshake in front of her. There were strawberries, cantaloupe, and mango.


    Andrew felt a little nauseous just looking at it.


    Yvette lounged in her chair, sipping the cantaloupe milkshake while ying with her phone, waiting for the food to arrive. There was a yful defiance in her delicate features as she said, ¡°Bonnie will be joining us.¡±


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t say anything, but Andrew clearly became excited.


    Jeremiah nced at Andrew and joked, ¡°You seem very happy.¡±


    Andrew and joked, ¡°You seem ve


    Andrew blinked, nodding vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m bored here, okay? Having her will make me feel much better.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah paused, then with a nk face, cut the steak for Yvette. Just as Yvette was about to put her phone away, she received a message from Simon. [Someone posted photos of you being at the steakhouse on the forum. When are youing back to ss?]


    She stared at the screen for a few seconds before replying, [The day after tomorrow.]


    Simon responded immediately, [Okay,e to the office when you¡¯re back.]


    Yvette texted, [Okay.]


    In the principal¡¯s office, Simon logged out of Argrol University¡¯s forum before sending a text back to someone in Betrico.


    During the past half month that Yvette was away, James had been sending him messages almost every day, checking on Yvette¡¯s whereabouts. Now that she was back, he could finally reassure him.


    As soon as Bonnie pushed the door open and spotted Yvette sitting in the steakhouse, she rushed past Andrew without a word. ¡°You¡¯re back, Yvette! I missed you so much!¡±


    Jeremiah casually nced at Bonnie who was tugging at Yvette¡¯s shirt, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Yvette rubbed Bonnie¡¯s head, squinted with a smile, and said slowly, ¡°Take a seat. I ordered your favorite dish.¡±


    Bonnie happily sat next to Yyette, pulling her chair a bit closer to her. Then she turned to Jeremiah,pletely carefree. ¡°Hi, Jeremiah.¡±


    Andrew, feeling a bit left out as Bonnie ignored him and focused only on Yvette, cleared his throat to grab her attention. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see such a charming guy like me here, Bonnie?¡±


    Only then did Bonnie turn her head, giving him a quick look of disdain. ¡°I see you, but I don¡¯t think you are as charming as you said.¡±


    Their banter instantly fell into a familia

 Chapter 215

    After finishing their steak, Yvette and Jeremiah left, and Andrew walked Bonnie back to school. The two of them bickered and teased each other all the way.


    Maple Vis was the closest neighborhood to Argrol University, where most people couldn¡¯t afford the luxury houses. As Jeremiah¡¯s Jeep approached the gate, the security guard recognized it and opened the gate without checking who they were.


    He had only seen Jeremiah once before, but he remembered that he was tall and handsome. Most unforgettable, though, was how he bought five vis in one go without hesitation.


    There were plenty of handsome guys and rich ones in the world, but men with both two traits were rare. That was why the. security guard recognized him.


    Yvette waszily curled up in the passenger seat, her pale resting on her delicate hand. Jeremiah had taken off his jacket, and his corbone and Adam¡¯s apple gave him an irresistibly s****y vibe. With one hand on the steering wheel, he radiated a certain air of elegance in the dim light.


    Yvette nced at his lips, having a weird feeling as she quickly looked away, feeling a bit awkward. She thought, ¡®Seriously, how could a guy look so tempting?¡¯


    Jeremiah noticed her shyness and smirked.


    They entered the viplex and finally stopped in front of one of the vis. Yvette didn¡¯t rush to get out. Instead, she casually rested her arm on the door while tilting her head slightly to look at Jeremiah. ¡°When did you buy those houses?¡±


    Jeremiah parked the car, turned off the engine and replied in a deep voice, ¡°Right after I got back from Mysonna.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s sharp eyes fixed on him, a slight smirk forming at the corner of her lips. After a pause, she asked, ¡°Are you thinking about living with me?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers tightened on the steering wheel, a faint blush creeping up his face. She always had a way of catching him off guard. He forced himself to act nonchnt as he answered, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡±


    Yvette gentlyid her fingers on Jeremiah¡¯s chest, and through his shirt, she could feel how fast his heart was beating.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Jeremiah¡¯s body tensed for a second. He thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t she know she can¡¯t just touch a guy¡¯s body like that? It would turn me on.¡¯ He mentally chastised himself for being so helpless in front of her.


    Yvette pulled her hand back, her expression indifferent. After a few seconds, shezily sank back into her seat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the car.¡± Then, without waiting for a response, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.


    Jeremiah sat in the driver¡¯s seat, confused. He thought, ¡®Was that a yes or a no?¡¯


    Seeing her out of the car, Jeremiah quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and followed her.


    The vi had a modern-industrial design. It looked simple and clean. The entrance was equipped with facial recognition, and the entire house featured thetest smart home system customized from Mysonna


    As soon as Yvette approached the front door, it opened automatically.


    Yvette stood at the door, one hand casually in her pocket, not in a rush to go in. Jeremiah quickly caught up. From inside the house, a robotic voice suddenly chimed, ¡°Wee home, my dear master. I¡¯m your favorite assistant, Jerry! What would you like me to do for you?¡±


    A faint smirk appeared on Yvette¡¯s face. She tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows, sayingzily, ¡°That¡¯s crazy, Jeremiah.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s mouth twitched. He knew Andrew wasn¡¯t reliable, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so ridiculous. ¡°I feel the need to exin. Andrew designed this robot. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Yvette nced up indifferently. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She turned and walked inside, leaving him standing at the door.


    Jeremiah rubbed his thumb, staring at her back while thinking about a hundred ways to get back at Andrew.


    Jeremiah stood outside for about two minutes before finally going in. By the time he walked in, Yvette was already sitting on the couch, sipping a ss of juice. As soon as he sat down, that familiar robotic voice rang out again.


    ¡°Hello! What would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Cleaning mode on. Jerry is at your service.¡±


    ¡°Lighting mode on. Jerry will adjust the lights for you.¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, a faint smile ying on her lips.


    Jeremiah, with a stern face, pulled out his phone and quickly found the app to shut off the system. Finally, the vi fell silent.


    Trying to shake off his awkwardness, Jeremiah said, ¡°Do you want to check out upstairs?¡±


    Yvette nodded, and the two of them headed up to the second floor together.


    The second floor had the master bedroom in the center, nked by a custom art studio on one side and a fully soundproofed music room on the other. In the middle of the music room sat a sleek ck grand piano, which Jeremiah had specially imported from the West Auction House. It was one of a kind in the world.


    After showing Yvette around, they returned to the couch in the living room.


    Jeremiah went to the fridge and brought out some desserts he had prepared, cing them on the table. ¡°Are you staying over tonight?¡± he asked casually.


    Yvette, who curled up on the couch, barely looked up from her mobile game as she responded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched her fingers move across the screen and her slender waist. Desire simmered in his gaze.


    He almost said the next line-¡°My room is just next door. Call if you need anything.¡±


    Fortunately, he held back. For once, he was d that he wasn¡¯t the type to act on impulse.


    After Yvette finished her dessert, they headed up to the second floor. At the door to the master bedroom, Yvette turned, her chin slightly raised and lips curving into a yful smile. She said in a low voice, ¡°Goodnight.¡± Then she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.


    Once again, Jeremiah found himself left at the doorway. He lowered his head with a faint smile. He stood there for a moment before heading back to his own bedroom next door. He knew Yvette wouldn¡¯t let him into her room that easily.


    What she didn¡¯t know, though, was that the two bedrooms were secretly connected by a hidden door. However, without her permission, he wouldn¡¯t open it.


    At the Carter residence, Winona abruptly opened her eyes in the middle of the night. She nced sideways at Victor, who was fast asleep beside her, and carefully lifted the nket, sliding her feet into slippers before quietly opening the door.


    As soon as Winona left the room, Victor¡¯s eyes snapped open. He squinted his eyes with fierceness, feeling angry. A few minutester, he closed his eyes again, though his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that the veins bulged.


    Winona made her way to the corner of the second floor, where someone suddenly pulled her into a dark corner. She showed no surprise or fear because she knew it was Robert.


    They had been meeting each other like this for a long time. Recently, however, her pregnancy symptoms had started to show, so they hadn¡¯t been able to indulge as freely in their secret meetings.


    Robert found himself deeply in love with Winona, to the point where he considered making their rtionship public. He didn¡¯t care if people would scorn them. Anyway, Winona had been pregnant with his child and they had confirmed it was a boy. Moreover, Victor was not favored by ude, so if he could have another son, he would be valued more by ude.


    Robert held Winona close, gently stroking her belly with a voice dripping with sweetness. ¡°Has the baby been troubling you?¡±


    Winona, preupied with her thoughts and eager to make a phone call, brushed him off with a casual response. ¡°No, he¡¯s been good. Why aren¡¯t you with Yulia? Didn¡¯t shee back today?¡±


    Yulia had recently been staying at her mother¡¯s house, helping her brother prepare for his wedding, which had given Robert and Winona more opportunities to meet in secret while Victor was constantly away.


    Robert snorted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention her. She makes me sick. Come here, babe. I want to kiss you.¡±


    Winona suppressed her disgust, though her face remained as radiant as ever, her voice soft and delicate as always. ¡°Stop it, Victor isn¡¯t fully asleep yet. What if he finds out?¡±

 Chapter 216

    Robert hesitated when he heard Winona¡¯s words. He reluctantly withdrew his hand, muttering, ¡°So what if he finds out? Im his father. What¡¯s he gonna do about it?¡±


    Winona, while internally dismissive of him, gazed at Robert with an adoring expression. ¡°I know you¡¯re not afraid, but you still have to think about me and the baby, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Robert was easily swayed by Winona¡¯s gentle demeanor, and he slid his hands under her clothes again. The two of them kissed in the corner for a while longer until Winona finally told him to leave.


    The moment Robert was out of sight, Winona¡¯s expression darkened. The Carter family was herst chance, and being Robert¡¯s mistress was her only option now. Everyone had forced her down this path. However, in her mind, it wasn¡¯t her fault; it was all Yvette¡¯s fault. If Yvette hadn¡¯t shown up, none of this would have happened.


    Zachary must be dead by now, right? The thought brought a wicked smile to Winona¡¯s face.


    If Zachary was gone, Yvette would lose her strongest support. Then, Winona could use the Carter family¡¯s help to crush her and make her life a living hell.


    With her hands on her belly, Winona slipped into an empty room. After carefully checking her surroundings to ensure no one was watching, she swiftly shut the door and pulled out a hidden phone, calling someone.


    As soon as it went through, a gruff voice came through.


    Winona went straight to the point. ¡°How did it go, Mr. Wilson? Is Zachary dead?¡±


    Victor had been with her all day, so she had no idea what had happened outside. However, she knew Jason¡¯s n very well. In fact, without her urging, Jason would never havee up with such a thorough n.


    As long as everything went smoothly, Zachary, the man she had called ¡°father¡± for over two decades, would be done.


    Winona didn¡¯t feel sorry at all. She hated Zachary because he destroyed her dreams and stripped away her status and wealth, leaving her with nothing.


    After a few seconds of silence, Jason said in a hoarse yet angry tone, ¡°Eric has been arrested and he ratted me out. The police have already put out a warrant for me this afternoon. I¡¯m hiding in an apartment building, scared toe out. Can you get me some cash and give me your mother¡¯s address, Ms. Chambers? I n to smuggle myself into Mysonna to find her. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t drag you into this.¡±


    Winona gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. She hadn¡¯t expected Jason to be exposed so quickly.


    Winona was furious as she shouted, ¡°How did this happen, Mr. Wilson? Didn¡¯t you say that Eric was reliable and that he would never sell you out? And now, just a few hourster, the police are already looking for you! Did you tell Eric that I was involved in this too?¡±


    Jason quickly reassured her, ¡°No, Ms. Chambers, I didn¡¯t tell him anything about you. I just said it was all for the Smith family¡¯s revenge. He knows nothing else. Don¡¯t worry. I just need some money to get out of Clusia and go find your mother.¡±


    Hearing that Jason hadn¡¯t exposed her, Winona¡¯s attitude softened immediately. Her voice became gentle again. ¡°Mr. Wilson, I¡¯m sorry, I was too agitated. You know, with the baby, I¡¯ve be very emotional. You know that my mother fled to Mysonna because Zachary and Yvette destroyed the Smith family. They¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve been causing trouble. What¡¯s the situation with Zachary now? Is there any chance he can be saved!¡±


    When the car ident happened, Jason had been watching from not far away. Given the circumstances, the chances of Zachary surviving were slim. Therefore, with conviction in his voice, he reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Chambers. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s alive, I saw Eric¡¯s truck smash Zachary¡¯s car. With the impact, there¡¯s no chance the person inside survived. You¡¯ll probably hear about his death tomorrow.¡±


    A gleam of joy shed across Winona¡¯s face, though she quickly suppressed it. Now her primary concern was to calm Jason down. As for his request for money to find her mother, she didn¡¯t intend to say yes. ¡°Where are you now, Mr. Wilson? Send me your location and I¡¯ll personally bring you the money tomorrow. 3.3 million dors should be enough to get you to Mysonna. Once you find my mother, the two of you can live together in peace. No one will bother you again,¡± Winona coaxed softly.


    The words Winona spoke filled Jason with an overwhelming sense of joy. He thought, ¡°Is my long-held wish finallying True? I will soon be able to live forever with Nellic.


    Jason thanked Winona repeatedly, told her the address, and made sure she would meet him at the promised time before hanging up the phone.


    Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Winona stared at the disconnected call with a sneer on her face. She thought, Jason was such a fool. He really thought my mother had been forced into fleeing to Mysonna and that it was all in the name of revenge. Everything had been fine until his bumpkin brother confessed. I told him what to say but still, he got exposed. Now Jason is still hoping to get 3.3 million dors from me, huh? That¡¯s not gonna happen!¡±


    Winona had already noted down the location where Jason was hiding. She thought that people like him, who had outlived their usefulness, should just be discarded like trash.


    Winona¡¯s pregnancy had been roughtely, and her legs were starting to swell, so she couldn¡¯t stand for too long. She was also worried that Victor might wake up and find her gone from the bedroom, so she grabbed her phone and carefully returned to the bedroom. Gently, she lifted the nket andy back down.


    The doctor had advised her not to lie t while pregnant, as it could cause the baby tock oxygen, so she and Victor always slept back to back. That was also why she didn¡¯t see the hateful look in Victor¡¯s eyes.


    Winona hadn¡¯t slept well because she had been preupied with how to deal with Jason. As a result, her face looked a bit haggard the next morning.


    At breakfast, it was only Winona and Yulia in the dining room because Victor and Robert usually wouldn¡¯t wake up this early, Yulia couldn¡¯t help but frown when she saw Winona¡¯s pale face. She never cared for Winona, but she didn¡¯t want to see any idents happen to the uing baby.


    Although Yulia didn¡¯t like Winona, she had no choice but to ept it. And since Winona became pregnant, Yulia had endured a lot, but she kept her frustrations to herself. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to like her. With a grim expression, she said, unhappy, ¡°What did you do yesterday, Winona? You look so exhausted. I¡¯ll have the family doctore over to check on you.¡±


    Winona rested a hand on her belly, pausing for a moment. For the first time, she excuse. She responded a bit nervously, The baby was restlessst night, so I didn¡¯t argue back with her pregnancy as an get much sleep. It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t need


    to call the doctor. By the way, I¡¯ve been a bit irritabletely and I might¡¯ve upset you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yulia looked at Winona with suspicion, finding it hard to believe what she said. After all, Winona had caused her so much trouble since the pregnancy, and even her husband often scolded her for not being attentive enough toward her.


    Winona¡¯s face was earnest, and Yulia decided to believe her, attributing her ill behavior to the unstable emotions that came with pregnancy. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t lose your temper at innocent people next time.¡±


    Winona nodded repeatedly, still stroking her belly.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 217

    In disguise, Winona made her way cautiously to a small restaurant near the address Jason had given her yesterday. She covered her nose when she noticed the poor hygiene of the ce, but she quickly ordered a few dishes, making sure not to draw any suspicion.


    The owner of the restaurant, noticing that Winona was dressed unusually for the hot weather, felt curious, but she didn¡¯t ask any questions. It was clear from Winona¡¯s clothes that she was someone of wealth, so the owner didn¡¯t care to probe further.


    Before heading to the restaurant, Winona had already called the police from a payphone, telling them about Jason¡¯s hideout. If the timing was right, the police would be there to arrest him in twenty minutes.


    Winona didn¡¯t want any potential danger to stand in the way of her future. She had to eliminate Jason even though he believed her unconditionally


    Ten minutester, the sound of sirens cut through the air as three police cars sped by.


    Winona didn¡¯t expect the police to respond so quickly. She thought, ¡®How did they get here so quickly? Little did she know as soon as her report had reached the police station, they immediately passed the intel directly to Zane, who rushed out of the police station with a group of officers, ensuring they acted fast before Jason could slip away.


    Winona watched from her table by the window as the police cars rushed past She quickly paid her bill, left the restaurant, and ducked into a nearby alley. Once she got there, she took out her phone and called Jason.


    To avoid leaving any trace, she used an illegitimate card she had bought from overseas.


    Jason hid in an unfinished building with all his attention on the phone, trembling with fear all night. Finally, his phone rang He grabbed it immediately, his hands shaking with excitement when he heard Winona¡¯s voice. He was d that she didn¡¯t lie to him or give up on him. ¡°Hello, Ms. Chambers? Where are you? I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Winona felt a wave of disgust wash over her the moment she heard Jason¡¯s voice. She replied sweetly, T¡¯m sorry, Mr. Wilson. I may bete. The baby kept troubling me and my mother-inw insisted on bringing a family doctor over. It has taken more time than I expected. I¡¯m already out of the house, but I need about an hour to get there.¡±


    Jason¡¯s heart sank, but he understood the difficulties Winona must be going through with the pregnancy. Therefore, he tried tofort her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ms. Chambers, no rush. I¡¯ll wait for you. An hour is nothing¡±


    However, as soon as Jason finished speaking, he heard the sirensing from outside the unfinished building. Panic hit him like a wave, his face draining of color. His hand, still holding the phone, began to tremble uncontrobly.


    He thought in despair, ¡®Are the police here? Am I done?¡¯ He knew exactly what wasing.


    Winona, hearing the sirens ring on the phone, couldn¡¯t help but smirk. She feigned innocence and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Wilson? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. You just make sure to hide well, okay?¡±


    Jason was trembling. After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh of resignation. ¡°You don¡¯t need toe, Ms. Chambers. The police are already here. There¡¯s no chance for me anymore. Please don¡¯te. I swear I won¡¯t drag you into this. If you get to see your mother one day, please tell her that she¡¯s the only one I love. Ms. Chambers, I¡¯ll protect you and take the me.


    Winona was a bit taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect Jason to be so loyal to her mother, but now that it hade to this, she had no choice but to sacrifice him.


    Winona feigned surprise and let out a dramatic scream, pretending to choke back tears. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If only I hade sooner, you wouldn¡¯t have been caught, Mr. Wilson, I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m gonna turn myself in.¡±


    Jason was deeply moved by her words. He quickly responded, ¡°None of this is your fault, Ms. Chambers. It¡¯s all on me. I have to hang up now and destroy the phone. No one will ever know about our conversation.¡±


    Winona had been waiting for Jason to say this. She would never leave any traces behind.


    Jason immediately hung up the phone, gritting his teeth as he smashed the phone into pieces. He then pulled out the SIM card and tossed it into a stinking puddle where no one would notice.


    After doing this, he copsed onto the concrete floor of the unfinished building, waiting for the police to arrive.


    Winona put away her phone and walked out of the alley, feeling weight lift off her shoulders. She said those words just to get Jason to willingly take the me for her. Only if he was determined to protect her would he be able to withstand the pressure from the police and shoulder all the me.


    At Jeremiah¡¯s vi, Yvette had just finished showering. She walked into the walk-in closet, opening the door to find an entire collection of ck-and-white casual outfits, all simple and neat, without any logos. They were all custom-made, exactly her style.


    A hint of a smile appeared on her face. She didn¡¯t expect Jeremiah to be so thoughtful.


    Jeremiah knocked on the door and said in a husky tone that was still slightly groggy from just waking up, ¡°Are you up? Breakfast¡¯s ready


    Yvette dressed quickly in a ck sports outfit, her expression sharp and cool. I¡¯m ready. She opened the door.


    Jeremiah nced at her, taking her hand and leading her downstairs.


    On the dining table downstairs were some sandwiches Jeremiah made. Yvette¡¯s sandwich had an extra egg on it, and there was a cup of milk to go with it. Jeremiah had the same, but instead of milk, he had ck coffee.


    Yvette sat down, took a sip of milk, and a little bit of milk smeared on the corner of her mouth. Jeremiah¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched her, but he quickly looked away, pretending not to notice.


    Yvette nced at the ck coffee in his hand and protested, ¡°I want that too.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jeremiah paused for a moment and smiled gently, saying, ¡°Maybe next time. Have the milk this time.¡±


    Just then, Andrew pushed open the door and walked in. He regretteding so quickly. After all, he didn¡¯t want to see them act so intimately.


    Bonnie, who had been standing behind Andrew, pushed him aside, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving? You¡¯re blocking the way.¡±


    Both Jeremiah and Yvette looked up at the door. When they were eating steak yesterday, Yvette had promised to go shopping with Bonnie today. Every time Bonnie was around Yvette, her attention waspletely fixed on her: ¡°I missed you so much, Yve.¡±


    Jeremiah took a sip of his ck coffee with a nk face. He didn¡¯t like it when everyone around Yvette ttered her.


    Andrew stood with his hands in his pockets, casually leaning against the doorframe. His hair was styled in a deliberately rebellious way, exuding a bit of the tough-guy vibe. ¡°You¡¯re being a little too much, Bonnie. We were eating steak togetherst night, and now you¡¯re acting like you haven¡¯t seen Yvette for a long time. Come on, are you daring or what?¡±


    Jeremiah, who had been sipping his coffee with his head lowered, found himself surprisingly agreeing with Andrew¡¯s words. Bonnie, sitting next to Yvette, made a face at Andrew, sticking out her tongue in defiance. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± Andrew smirked, pointing at Jeremiah. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Jeremiah if he minds it?¡±


    Bonnie nced at Jeremiah, who was coolly sipping his coffee, and suddenly felt timid. She quickly shrank back and felt a chill run down her spine, thinking. Just wait, Andrew


    Jeremiah nced at Bonnie with a nk face. Feeling somehow frightened, Bonnie shuffled her chair a little away from


    Yvette. She knew that he wasn¡¯t happy about her being so close to his woman.

 Chapter 218

    After breakfast, Yvette decides to go shopping with Bonnie.


    Just as they¡¯re about to leave, Jeremiah¡¯s phone rings.


    He answers it and gives Yvette a ¡°wait a sec¡± look. It¡¯s Zane. A brief conversationter, Jeremiah hangs up and turns to Yvette. ¡°Zane called. Jason¡¯s been caught. He asked if you want to head over and see for yourself?¡±


    Yvette, dressed head-to-toe in ck with a baseball cap pulled low, casually raises her eyebrows and lifts her head slightly. ¡°No, handle it as it will.¡±


    Jeremiah nods. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drop you both at the mall. I¡¯ve got some things to take care of anyway.¡± He turns to Bonnie. ¡°Which mall are we hitting?¡± Bonnie shrugs, ¡°No specificone in mind, just want to wander around. Andrew, seeing everyone about to leave, quickly shouts, ¡°Wait up!¡± and tags along.


    They head to Skyline za, thergest shopping mall in downtown Seacrity. The ce is loaded with high-end cosmetics, clothes, and luxury items. Everything here screams rich and exclusive. Even the fruit is flown in from abroad, with crazy price tags that once made the news Have you ever seen a $100 apple? Or a bunch of grapes going for thousands? That is just normal at Skyline za. Jeremiah parks at the entrance, and a valet rushes up to greet them. He is a bit taken aback by the group- the men are dashing, and the women stunning. You don¡¯t see abo like that every day,


    The valet bows slightly, waiting by the car.


    Inside the car, Bonnie gently tugs on Yvette¡¯s sleeve.


    As soon as she got in the car, Yvette found the mostfortable position and sealed into the seat. She wasn¡¯t asleep; she just closed her eyes to rest, using the nket that Jeremiah had specially prepared for her.


    Yvette, we¡¯re here.¡± Bonnie stares at the massive 3D billboard outside Skyline za, speechless.


    This is definitely the kind of ce where a big shot sshes cash. I bet I am just going to end up buying two overpriced apples, Bonnie thought.


    Yvette stretches, ncing out the window. Her bright eyes, hidden under longshes, don¡¯t look the least bit tired. She asked, ¡°Already?¡±


    Jeremiah kills the engine, hands Yvette the nket he had prepared, and then pulls out a sleek ck card. ¡°We¡¯re here. Go enjoy yourselves. Use the card- there¡¯s no limit. I¡¯ll pick you and Andrew up for dinnerter. How about some barbecue?¡±


    Yvette raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows slightly. ¡°Okay, got i


    She slipped Jeremiah¡¯s ck card into her pocket, though spending wasn¡¯t exactly on her mind.


    Jeremiah had long gotten used to her personality. When ites to food, there is no arguing with her- once she mentions it, there¡¯s no stopping her.


    Bonnie, meanwhile, stared wide-eyed at the ck card in Yvette¡¯s hand. Growing up in the hood, she had never seen one up close. ¡®So that¡¯s what a ck card looks like? she thought, blinking in disbelief. Dopan¡¯t even look that different from my $20 debit card?¡¯


    ?


    She swallowed hard and then asked, half-jokingly, ¡°Wait a minute¡­ is there really no limit on this card? Like, for real? This is the kind of thing those rich, over-the-top CEOS in romance novels give their girlfriends to swipe endlessly, right? Damn, never thought I¡¯d see one in real life!¡±


    Andrew couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Bonnie¡¯s amazement. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± he thought. Even if Jeremiah did absolutely nothing for the rest of his life, he¡¯d still be set. That ck card? It was no big deal.


    @K 69%


    ?


    He pulled out his own ck card and waved it in front of her. ¡°Look at you, all excited. Here, take mine. Swipe it wherever you want no limit. Bonnie blinked at Andrew and then at the card in her hand.


    The ck card isn¡¯t just for billionaire CEOs; even this guy has one.


    But the thought of holding it made her nervous. She quickly shoved it back into Andrew¡¯s hands. ¡°No, no, no! I am just here to browse. I don¡¯t want to buy anything. Please take it back if lose this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to pay it off even if I sold myself!¡±


    Andrew chuckled. This girl just doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her, he offered it to her, and she still rejected it.


    He¡¯d given out add-on cards to plenty of girlfriends in the past, and they were all over the moon. But Bonnie? She rejected it like it was nothing. What a foolN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Yvette adjusted her cap and stepped out of the car with Bonnie. The greeters at the mall entrance bowed respectfully as they led the two inside.


    Bonnie leaned in and whispered, ¡°Yvette, this ce is fancy! Even the greeters are so polite.¡±


    Yvette slipped her hands into her pockets, her expression rxed and aloof, her voice cold and calm. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Looking around at all the designerbels some Bonnie recognized, some she didn¡¯t she figured they were all crazy expensive.


    Determined to stick to window shopping, she decided it would not hurt to just look. I want to check out the women¡¯s clothing section,¡± she said. Yvette¡¯s face stayed indifferent. It didn¡¯t really matter to her where they went. She nodded slightly and said. ¡°Alright, second floor.¡±


    Bonnie obediently followed Yvette up the elevator to the women¡¯s department on the second floor. Just then, Yvette received a text from ¨¤ contact named Flying Fish. She asked Bonnie to go ahead while she quickly headed to the restroom.


    Bonnie wandered off and browsed for a bit. But every time she found something she liked; she didn¡¯t even bother trying it on once she saw the price tag.


    ¡°If I worked from the Tudor Dynasty until now, maybe I could afford this,¡± she thought with a sigh.


    Noticing Yvette still hadn¡¯t returned, Bonnie continued to casually stroll around. Eventually, she came across a gorgeous princess-style tutu dress in the window of a women¡¯s clothing store. She was so taken by it, that she couldn¡¯t resist going inside.


    Meanwhile, on the same floor, Winona and Yulia entered the very same store, just a few steps behind Bonnie.


    Winona had just wrapped up some business, watching as the matter with Jason was resolved and he was taken away by the police. With that weight off her shoulders, she decided to treat herself to a shopping trip and dragged along the tired and overworked Yulia. Winona hoped it might improve their rtionship, since Yulia was, after all, her mother-inw keeping things too tense wasn¡¯t ideal.


    Besides, with someone else footing the bill, she wasn¡¯t worried about spending.


    Yulia, though, wasn¡¯t thrilled. Herplexion was pale, and she was clearly unhappy about shopping right now. Yulia had been overwhelmed with wedding preparations at her family¡¯s house and was exhausted. But seeing Winona¡¯s belly softened. her frustration. This was her grandchild, after all. Yulia decided she¡¯d bite her tongue and save any confrontation until after the baby was born.


    Winona, in high spirits, didn¡¯t notice Yulia¡¯s displeasure. She¡¯d already hit up several stores and liked the vibe of this one.


    Back in the store, Bonnie had picked out the tutu dress and carefully went to the fitting room to try it on, making sure not to smudge or dirty it in any way. She stepped out, admiring herself in the mirror, and that¡¯s when she locked eyes with Winona.


    Winona was apanied by three salespeople, each loaded down with clothes she had picked out. Bonnie, stunned, recognized her immediately.


    Bonnic hadn¡¯t heard all the gossip about Winona since Winona left school about Winona being pregnant and marrying Victor. From the looks of it, the rumors were true.


    Yulia, rxing on the VIP sofa with a cup of ck tea, nced up and noticed Bonnie as well. She vaguely remembered her from a past meeting with Yvette. Bonnie seemed like a sweet girl, and Yulia had always liked her. Winona, however, gave Bonnie a cold look, eyeing her in the princess dress with mild disdain.

 Chapter 219

    Bonnie knew all too well how Winona style and wanted to avoid any confrontation. She turned around, nning to change. back into her clothes and quietly leave.


    But Winona, almost as if she could read Bonnie¡¯s mind, smirks. Though her belly isn¡¯t showing much yet, she still stands there, holding her waist like she¡¯s proud of something. Just as Bonnie is about to walk away, Winona calls out in a haughty voice. ¡°Well, well, it isn¡¯t Bonnie! What a coincidence. I did not expect to see you here. That dress looks great on you, but honestly, this store¡¯s prices are a bit out of reach for poor students like you, don¡¯t you think? Did you even ask about the price before trying it on?¡±


    Winona let out a fakeugh, covering her mouth with her hand. Or are you one of those people who just try things on without any intention of buying?¡± Winona¡¯s eyes gleamed with mockery, ring at Bonnie. In her mind, Bonnie and Yvette were cut from the same cloth and since she hadn¡¯t had the chance to deal with Bonnie since leaving school, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to humiliate her and settle some old scores.


    Ever since the library incident, Bonnie had been a thorn in her side because Bonnie had seen Winona¡¯s embarrassed looks in the library.


    Bonnie¡¯s hands trembled, her chest heaving. She hadn¡¯t expected Winona to be so harsh.


    Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and said firmly, ¡°Winona, whether I try on clothes or buy them is my business. What does that have to do with you?¡±


    Winona wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. She deliberately stroked her barely¨Cthere baby bump and gave Bonnie a condescending smile. ¡°Oh Bonnie, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it Look how upset you¡¯re getting! I just wasn¡¯t clear enough. If you can¡¯t afford it, I can buy it for you. It¡¯s really no trouble for me ¨C just a small gesture. You don¡¯t need to struggle over it I¡¯m being kind, but you¡¯ve misunderstood me.¡±


    By now, the esteemed guests in the store had started to notice the situation. Some of them recognized Yulia and Winona and were quietly whispering among themselves.


    Yulia stood up and grabbed Winona¡¯s hand, trying to keep things from escting. After all, they were in public, and it was important to maintain appearances. Yulia had a good idea of why Winona was picking on Bonnie- and it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out. What else could it be but petty jealousy?¡± Winona, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just trying on clothes: it¡¯s not a big deal. Let it go.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, turning to Bonnie, Yulia added gently, ¡°Miss, how about this: I¡¯ll buy the dress for you as a gift.


    Winona sneered, clearly unimpressed. What was Yulia trying to do, pretending to be the good guy? But really, how different was she from Winona? Both of them loved using money to belittle others, especially Bonnie. Winona smirked, rubbing her belly as she joined in with Yulia, ¡°That¡¯s right, Bonnie. Yulia¡¯s right. We¡¯ll buy this dress for you. Consider it a gift from the Carter family.¡±


    Bonnie instantly recognized Yulia. No wonder they were family. They truly were cut from the same cloth¨Chumiliating people with their money seemed to be a family trait.


    Clenching her fists, Bonnie stood tall, her voice steady. ¡°No thanks. I can buy what I like on my own. Just because I can¡¯t afford it right now doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be able to in the future. You can keep your condescending pity. Winona¡¯s smile grew wider, enjoying Bonnie¡¯s frustration.


    She turned to the salesgirl, her voice dripping with superiority. ¡°Did you hear that? This girl can¡¯t afford the dress. Hurry up and make her take it off before she dirties it. How will other customers wear it after that? What kind of riff¨Craff do let


    you into your store, anyway? Next time, be more careful. Some girls have no penny in their pockets. Letting people like that in ¡®will ruin your store¡¯s reputation. If I see this again, I won¡¯t being back.¡±


    One of the salesgirls, the one with the pointed face, immediately jumped in, eager to please. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, we¡¯ll tighten up our management. We won¡¯t let people like that again. Rest assured, Mrs. Carter.


    Winona nodded in satisfaction as the salesgirl ttered her. The girl¡¯s eagerness to please only made Winona feel more powerful.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take everything I¡¯ve picked out, Winona said condescendingly, and you can add it to your performance for today.¡±


    The pointy¨Cfaced salesgirl never expected that a few ttering words would earn her such a bigmission. Richdies and madams were easy to fool, always craving sweet talk and adoration. Now convinced she hadtched onto the right people, the salesgirl redoubled her efforts, throwingpliments around like they cost nothing. She nced at Bonnie as if she were staring at an enemy.


    Winona, seeing Bonnie¡¯s eyes redden with anger, felt even more smug.


    Yulia, standing to the side, stayed quiet. In her mind, she had already given Bonnie a way out, but Bonnie had refused it. To her, Winona was right¨Cpeople like them were born privileged, already ahead of everyone else.


    Fuming. Bonnie turned on her heel, ignoring Winona¡¯s snide remarks and the salesgirls¡® condescending res. She returned to the fitting room, carefully took off the dress, and hung it back up. Bonnie handed it to a shorter salesgirl, who still treated her with some respect, and said politely, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The salesgirl had been quite pleasant when she was serving Bonnie just a moment ago.


    Bonnie walked out of the fitting room head held high, chest out, determined not to let them see her falter, As she passed Winona, she stopped for a moment, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. I rely on myself. What I can or can¡¯t buy is my own business. Don¡¯t be so shameless and act like you have the right to judge me. You¡¯re just using the Carter family¡¯s name to throw your weight around. Without them, you¡¯d be nothing but a sad little nobody.¡±


    Winona was momentarily stunned, her face registering anger. She had always thought Bonnie was just a pushover, easy so trample on. Who would have thought she¡¯d talk back like this? Where did this sudden couragee from? Seething. Winona reached out and yanked Bonnie by the arm. Under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze, she raised her hand and pped. Bonnie hard across the face,


    Bonnie didn¡¯t even have time to react. She never imagined that Winona would p her, especially in public.


    Bonnie¡¯s cheek burned as it turned red and swollen almost instantly. Bonnie lifted her head, trembling. She clenched her fists but didn¡¯t strike back. Winona was pregnant. If she retaliated, the baby might get hurt, and no matter what, the child was innocent.


    Even Yulia was taken aback. She quickly stepped between them, shielding Winona¡¯s belly with her body, eyes fixed warily on Bonnie.


    But Winona wasn¡¯t done. Seeing Yulia¡¯s concern only made her bolder. She red at Bonnie, shaking out her stinging hand. ¡°Wow, your skin is really thick. My hand hurts from pping you.¡± Yulia turned and hissed at her, ¡°Winona, shut up!¡± But Winona didn¡¯t care. The days when Yulia could boss her around were long gone. Robert wasn¡¯t as devoted to her as before, and Winona felt no need to obey.


    She knew Yulia¡¯s Achilles¡® heel was the baby she was carrying, so the suddenly clutched her belly and pretended to be in- pain. ¡°Mom¡­ Mom, my stomach hurts,¡± she groaned, feigning difort.


    Yulia¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Did you overdo it just now and hurt the baby? Hurry, let¡¯s get you to the hospital! If anything happens to my precious grandson, I won¡¯t let you off. ¡°Winona shot a triumphant look at Bonnie as if saying. See what happens when you mess with me?


    The onlookers exchanged nces, their expressions full of pity for Bonnie. This was the cruel reality of society¨Cthe strong prey on the weak, And what could a girl like Bonnie, without money or power, do when faced with such bullying? Nothing but endure.

 Chapter 220

    Bonnie¡¯s eyes were red and teary, and she looked as deted as a wilted eggnt.


    Yvette was busy returning a call from Flying Fish while washing his hands in the bathroom. Two heavily made-up women walked in from outside.


    They caught sight of Yvette, who was wearing a duck-billed hat, and didn¡¯t bother to hide their disdain as they started chatting about what they had just witnessed. ¡°Do you think that girl would ever light back if she got hit? Winona really knows how to throw her weight around. Without the Chambers family and the Smith family backing her, she¡¯s now clinging to the Carter family. I heard she¡¯s pregnant with Victor¡¯s kid. After she gives birth, she¡¯ll be sitting pretty as thedy of the Carter family. I really envy her,¡± one of them said.


    The shorter girl pulled out a red lipstick and nodded in agreement. ¡°That girl looks like she has no connections at all. I took a closer look, and all her clothes were cheap, Winona is just picking on an easy target, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s only bold because she¡¯s got her family to back her up. Victor is notorious for his yboy ways. My little sister was just at each other¡¯s throats with him a while back.¡±


    ¡°True, your girl seems to have some skills. I can introduce you two if you want,¡± the woman said, putting her lipstick away and eyeing Yvette, who was focused on washing her hands. Yvene¡¯s presence was hard to ignore; her aura was just too strong. even if the women couldn¡¯t see her face.


    One of them nodded generously and replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll introduce you when I get the chance. But we should harry; Mr. Lester is still waiting for us, and we don¡¯t want to keep him waiting too long


    After they left, Yvette¡¯s expression turned colder, She lowered her head and dried her hands.


    In the women¡¯s clothing store, Winona sat on the sofa, rubbing her stomach nervously, while Yulia asked her if she was feeling okay. A pointy-faced salesgirl hovered nearby, offering tea and water.


    Meanwhile, Bonnie stood alone in the distance, stubbornly wiping away her tears. She told herself she had to be stronger and never let anyone insult her like this again. Just as Bonnie decided to leave, Winona wasn¡¯t about to let her get away that easily.


    She called out, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t let Bonnie walk out like this! If anything happens to my baby, I¡¯ll make her pay!¡± Even Yulia thought Winona was going too far. She tensed up but tried to be diplomatic. ¡°Winona, let¡¯s cool it for a second.¡±


    The pointy-faced salesgirl, eager to please, jumped in. ¡°Mrs. Carter is right! If anything happens to your baby, she¡¯ll be responsible. The baby in Mrs. Carter¡¯s belly can¡¯t be at risk!¡±


    Winona nodded in satisfaction, while the other two saleswomen exchanged nces, signaling the pointy-faced girl to stay out of it. But she didn¡¯t care; she thought she had found a way to secure her own future by sticking with Winona


    People around were whispering and pointing fingers. Some thought Winona was just being a bully, while others felt Bonnie had no right to try on clothes without money and deserved what she Bonnie watched Winona¡¯s hands shake. How could she be so shameless, twisting the truth like this?


    The pointy-faced salesgirl approached Bonnie with an arrogant attitude. ¡°Miss, look at the clothes you tried on. They¡¯re dirty. You need to pay for them, or else this won¡¯t end well. Or you can just kneel and apologize to Mrs. Carter, and you won¡¯t have to pay for the dress.¡±


    Winona sat on the sofa, eagerly waiting for the show to unfold. The pointy-faced salesgirl was clearly following her lead.


    Bonnie looked up, ready to argue ¡°I was careful with your clothes from start to finish! They didn¡¯t get dirty because of me!¡±


    Bonnie still underestimated how malicious people could be. The pointy-faced salesgirl sn***d the dress from another salesgirl¡¯s hand and brushed her own light-colored nail polish against it. The color was so faint you wouldn¡¯t notice unless you looked closely. ¡°See Who else could have dirtied it if not you? Don¡¯t think just because it¡¯s light we can¡¯t see it,¡± she sneered.


    Winona stroked her stomach, clearly enjoying the drama. ¡°Oh, look at you. Bonnie. Still in denial. I offered to buy you that dress, but now you¡¯ll have to pay for it yourself. How much does it cost anyway?¡± The pointy-faced salesgirl smiled and replied. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive for Mrs. Carter-only 150 thousand dors. But for you? It might be a stretch.¡±


    Winona pretended to be kind. ¡°Listen, Bonnie, I¡¯m not trying to be a viin here. If you kneel down and apologize, saying what you said was cheap, I¡¯ll cover the cost of the dress for you. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a bit of trouble over this.


    Bonnie¡¯s face turned red. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension. ¡°Who do you want to kneel to?¡± Winona, caught off guard, responded without thinking. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Bonnie.¡±


    Then she realized who had spoken and turned stillly to the door Yulia recognized the voice too, and they both looked toward the entrance.


    The lively crowd in the shop turned to see what was happening is Yvette, dressed in ck pants and a duck-billed cap, stepped inside.


    As she lifted the cap, her face was revealed, drawing gasps from the onlookers.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette casually strolled in, hands in her pockets, exuding confidence.


    Bonnie stood frozen, her eyes wide with excitement as she took in Yvette¡¯s presence, feeling a sense of security washed over _her.


    Yvette walked right up to Bonnie, and the crowd held its breath, curious and amazed by what would happen next. ¡°Alright, dry those tears. Have I ever taught you to back down? People respect you when you stand your ground, and if they cross you. you don¡¯t just let it slide,¡± Yvette said firmly.


    Bonnie wiped her tears with her sleeve and looked up, like a child who had been wronged but finally found support. ¡°Winona¡¯s pregnant; otherwise, I¡¯d definitely go over and scratch her face.¡±


    Yvette noticed the palm print on Bonnie¡¯s cheek, and her expression turned serious.


    She turned around, casually sitting back on the sofa with her legs crossed. She nced at Winona, who looked nervous, Yulia, whose expression was a mix of emotions, and the pointy-faced salesgirl standing next to Winona.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were like a cold pond, making Winona and the others stiffen up in fear. With a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth, she asked in a voice that sent chills down their spines, ¡°Who gave you the nerve toy a hand on me?¡± Winona¡¯s heart raced as she recalled Yvette¡¯s past actions. She remembered when Yvette first joined the Chambers family and had the guts to stab her mother. That moment was etched in her mind, a reminder of her deepest fears. Yvette was a force to be reckoned with, and that banquet had be a nightmare for Winona, one that made her lose everything. She felt empowered to bully Bonnie only because she thought Yvette wasn¡¯t around. Little did she know that Yvette would show-up to shop with her.


    Yulia opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. This was Winona¡¯s mess to deal with, and she couldn¡¯t just pretend it wasn¡¯t happening with so many eyes on them. The pointy-faced salesgirl, noticing the tense silence between Winona and Yulia, realized Yvette was not someone to mess with. She felt even smaller inparison and didn¡¯t dare to be c*** as before.

 Chapter 221

    Yvette was now the esteemed eldest daughter of the Chambers family, the one everyone wanted to be around. Winona was just leaning on the Carter family¡¯s support, but that didn¡¯t mean she felt any sense of security. Winona wasn¡¯t foolish either: she knew this was not the time to pick a fight with Yvette.


    After a brief pause, she shifted her tone, trying to sound friendly again. What could she possibly say to Yvette? All she could do was swallow her pride and turn to Yulia, saying, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Yulia was just as eager to leave and quickly agreed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    They wanted to downy the situation and escape the clothing store without Yvette noticing. Their attempt to leave in such a hurry left everyone watching feelingpletely embarrassed. Who could have imagined that Winona, who just moments ago was demanding others kneel to apologize, would now be boling for the door? Talk about a dramatic turnaround!


    The onlookers quickly realized that the beautiful girls who had just walked in were no ordinary folks.


    Yulia and Winona exchanged nces, wordlessly agreeing to leave together.


    Winona, who had just imed her stomach hurt, was now sprinting for the exit. Yulia struggled to keep up with her.


    Just as they were about to push the door open, a soft but unsettlingugh echoed behind them. It sent chills down their spines, and they instinctively pushed the door harder. Suddenly-bang! A bullet whizzed past Winona¡¯s ear and lodged itself in the wall, grazing a strand of her hair.


    Winona stood frozen, horrified, and unable to move. Her face turned pale, her fingers clenched tightly, and her body trembled uncontrobly.


    Yulia was just as shocked. She turned around in disbelief, staring at Yvette, who was casually holding a sleek ck pistol


    Why on earth does Yvette have a gun? Who is she, really?


    In the next instant, the entire clothing store erupted into screams, but no one dared to move.


    These were all wealthydies-none of them had ever witnessed something like this before


    The pointy-faced salesgirl, standing closest to Yvette, watched in shock as Yvette pulled the gun from her pocket and fired it without hesitation.


    Witnessing the whole thing, the salesgirl copsed to the ground, feeling utterly breathless.


    If she had known that the girl trying on clothes just moments ago had such powerful backing, she would never have helped Winona humiliate her.


    ¡°Just shut the hell up,¡± Yvette said, her voice calm but carrying a weight that silenced the chaos around her. The stare fell eerily quiet, and everyone held their breath in fear. Bonnie, however, was unfazed by it all. She stared wide-eyed, enveloped


    her? in Yvette¡¯s cool, confident aura. She thought, ¡®Oh my God, Yvette looks so bada***! What do I need to do to marry


    Yvette lounged back, propping her chin on her hand, her cold white fingers idly spinning the pistol. ¡°Everyone else, get out,¡± she ordered.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The shoppers froze for a moment, processing hermand before scrambling to flee the store. The pointy-faced salesgirl braced herself, wanting to slip away. But when Yvette shot her an indifferent nce, her heart sank. There was no warmth in Yvette¡¯s eyes, making the salesgirl freeze and slump back down, too scared to move.


    Three minutester, the clothing store was cleared out. Besides Winona and Yulia, who stood at the door watching everyone else flee, the only other person left was the pointy-faced salesgirl, who was now sitting on the ground, fooking defeated. Bonnie stood tall, while Yvette lounged casually on the sofa, gun still in hand.


    Winona¡¯s heart raced as she stared at the weapon. Yvette actually had a gun? Winona couldn¡¯t believe it-she never thought Yvette would be bold enough to pull one out in public. Was she crazy? Yvette began to y with the gun, her dark eyebrows slightly furrowing as an air of lension filled the room. Her deep, intense gaze sent waves of panic through everyone present. ¡°Who called for this?¡± she asked, her voice low, Bonnie hesitated for a moment, then pointed at Winona, who was clutching her stomach. ¡°Yvette, she did it,¡± she said, ncing over at the pointy-faced girl, who lookedpletely out of it.


    ¡°And her too. She said 1 stained the clothes in their store, but I was super careful when I tried them on. The pointy-faced girl, finally snapping back to reality, started to panic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! It was all Winona¡¯s idea. She made me set you up! Please don¡¯t me me! Just let me go!¡± Crying and pleading, she seemed desperate to escape the situation.


    Winona, however, shot her a cold look and snapped. ¡°You¡¯re the one who tried to impress me. Don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you!¡± It was like watching a dog fightplete chaos.


    Yvette slowly turned her head, a small smirk ying at her lips as her voice turned soft but heavy. ¡°So, Winona hit you. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    hie lowered her head and asked earnestly, ¡°If I call her back, will it hurt her baby?¡± Yvette paused for a couple of seconds, a faint smile crossing her delicate features. ¡°No, it won¡¯t change anything


    Hearing that eased Bonnie¡¯s mind. Bonnie was innocent; she couldn¡¯t let anything happen to it. Bonnie cracked her knuckles as she walked toward Winona. Under Winona¡¯s furious gaze, she raised her right hand and pped her hard, saying, ¡°This p is for you. Winona¡¯s face instantly turned red, with five clear handprints visible.


    Covering her face. Winona shot Bonnie a nasty look, cursing herunder her breath. This was Bonnie¡¯s first time pping someone, and she could feel her heart racing. As Winona opened her mouth to respond, Bonniended a second p, quick and fierce. ¡°Winona, remember this: No one is born better than anyone else. We can¡¯t choose where wee from, but that doesn¡¯t mean you rich folks can just abuse and trample over ordinary people like us. We all breathe the same air; who¡¯s really better than who?¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s actions surprised everyone in the room, including Yvette, who raised her eyebrows in mild shock before a satisfied smirk crept onto her face. Bonnie turned to Yvette and grinned. Hitting people is definitely an art form. My hand hurts like hell, though!¡±

 Chapter 222

    Bonnie¡¯s two ps instantly left Winona¡¯s face red and swollen. Bonnie knew just how much strength she had put into them -if Winona¡¯s face had not swelled up, it wouldn¡¯t have been fair. Everyone says you should repay kindness with kindness and be generous, but Bonnie believed that unless you¡¯ve gone through someone else¡¯s struggles, you shouldn¡¯t preach to them about being good. Not many people know the rest of that saying: ¡°If you endure my suffering, you might not have my kindness.¡±


    The hatred in Winona¡¯s eyes intensified as she touched her swollen face. In a fit of rage, she screamed, ¡°Bonnie, you b***h! Why are you hitting me? What? Yvette, if you¡¯ve got the guts, kill me! Go on, take me out with you!¡± Winona didn¡¯t dare approach. All she could do was stare at Yvette, who was lounging on the sofa while shouting at Bonnie, who had just stepped back


    Yulia was taken aback by Winona¡¯s wild behavior and stumbled back a couple of steps. Where was the elegant and gentle Winona she knew? This was clearly a woman losing her mind. She feared Yvette might actually retaliate, so she quickly pulled at Qi Nan¡¯s arm. Winona was already spiraling into madness, and Bonnie¡¯s two ps had pushed her over the edge. Yulia managed to grab Winona¡¯s wrist, but Winona shook her of


    Yulia, in her high-heeled shoes, lost her bnce thanks to Winona¡¯s shove and fell hard to the ground.


    The pointy-faced salesgirl, seeing this unfold, crawled away, regretting her earlier decisions.


    Winona looked at Yulia with disdain. What a useless person-if Yulia had been morepetent, she wouldn¡¯t have had to take those two ps..


    Ignoring Yulia, Winona held her stomach, trying to regain a bit ofposure. She bit her lip and clenched her sleeves. ¡°Yvette, even if you¡¯re leaning on someone powerful, so many people in that big crowd saw you pull a gun. Just wait until the police show up. You¡¯re done for


    Yvette lounged back with her legs crossed, twirling the sleek ck gun in her hand. Raising an eyebrow, she rested her chin on her hand, her eyes dark and deep as she regarded Winona with a mix of disdain and amusement. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡°


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s fearless demeanor, Winona gritted her teeth in frustration.


    What was she even counting on! Did she really think Zachary could save her from this mess? For all she knew, he might already be dead, Did Yvette have any idea? How could she be so sure? What Winona found most unsettling was Yvette¡¯s calmness, like a mountain that wouldn¡¯t budge no matter what came crashing down.


    Bonnie felt a bit worried after hearing Winona¡¯s outburst. This wasn¡¯t a small issue, but she also didn¡¯t believe Yvette would pull the trigger without reason.


    Meanwhile, Yulia, still on the ground and wincing from her ankle, watched as Winona continued to provoke Yvette. Despite the pain, she managed to stand up. ¡°Winona, just shut up! Do you really want Yvette to get angry ande after you? Do you even care about your kid or not?¡±


    Winona shot her a cold nce, clearly not pleased with Yulia either. She had a sharp, sarcastic tone. ¡°Mom, Yvette pulled the gun first! Even if the baby gets hurt, it¡¯s on you for not protecting me!¡±


    Yulia choked out, her face turning red and her hands shaking.


    Winona couldn¡¯t believe how shameless her daughter was. She struggled to find something to say in response.


    Seeing Yu¡¯s expression gave Winona a little boost of confidence. She straightened up and pretended to cradle her stomach, a wicked thought popping into her head. What if this kid could actually save her? Going to jail wouldn¡¯t be so bad if she could get out of this mess.


    After all, she could always have more kids. Robert had turned his back on her, and even if he couldn¡¯t help, there would always be another chance. But getting one over on Yvette? That was a rare opportunity.


    Bonnie noticed Winona¡¯s sudden excitement and leaned in closer to Yvette. ¡°Yvette, is it just me, or is Winona acting a little crazy?¡±


    Yvette half-closed her eyes, looking up with a glint in them, a small smile tugging at her lips. She didn¡¯t respond, though.


    Winona clenched her fists as if she had made up her mind.


    She nced at Yvette, ready to hurl some insults to provoke her. But Yvette seemed to anticipate her move; she turned the gun in her hand and pointed it straight at Winona. Bang! The bidlet zipped past Winona¡¯s left cheek and hit the wall, just Two centimeters away.


    Winona struggled to keep her cool, her body trembling uncontrobly. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, another bullet fired from the gun. This time, it grazed past Qin Nan¡¯s left foot, again missing by just a couple of centimeters.


    Winona tried to steady herself. If Yvette shot again, she¡¯d just pretend to fall. She was sure that if she yed her cards right, she could convince everyone that she couldn¡¯t keep the baby. Robert and Victor wouldn¡¯t let Zhou off easy.


    Winona sat there, heart racing, quietly waiting for the next shot. Yulia, who had initially tried to protect Winona, was now curled up on the ground, holding her head, too scared to look up. The three pointy-faced girls were so (rightened they looked like they might lose control.


    Yvette¡¯s expression remained as cold and emotionless as ever. ¡°So, you¡¯re willing to use your kid as leverage?¡± Hearing this, Winona shook her head immediately, desperate to deny it. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t nder me. You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    Wette slowly smiled, her voice soft and steady. ¡°Not important)


    ¡°What do you mean? Winona thought for a moment before realizing what was about to happen. Yvette¡¯s pistol was now aimed straight at her heart. Winona froze, cold sweat starting to trickle down her back. She had intended to provoke Yvette into a corner with the child angle, but she didn¡¯t expect to find herself in this position.


    Winona, trying to save face, piped up. ¡°You don¡¯t dare! This is the Seacrity! If you kill me, you¡¯re finished. You wouldn¡¯t dare! Don¡¯t scare me anymore!¡±


    Even as she spoke, Winona felt her courage fading. She was shaking. If she pretended to fall now, while Yvette might not be directly responsible, she would still be indirectly to me..


    At the end of the day, Winona was just scared of dying and feared that Yvette might actually want her dead.


    Just as Winona was about to make her move, loud footsteps echoed from the distance,ing from the clothing store. Suddenly, about thirty people in SWAT uniforms rushed through the door.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    The female pointy-faced salesgirl spotted the rescue team and crawled toward them, shouting, ¡°Police! The police are here! Help! Someone has a gun! She¡¯s shooting!¡± Her words were a jumbled mess.


    Yulia, who was closest to the door, was shocked. With all her might, she pushed the door open and bolted outside.


    But Winona didn¡¯t seem in a hurry to leave. She red at Yvette, her expression venomous as she cradled her stomach. ¡°Yvette, let¡¯s see how you get out of this one. You can¡¯t escape this time. I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    Bonnie was terrified by the sudden arrival of the SWAT team but did her best to stay calm. She turned to Yvette and said. ¡°Yvette, this all started because of me. I¡¯ll take responsibility for Yvette, barely paying attention, yawnedzily and rubbed her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a little thing; I don¡¯t need you to step in.¡±

 Chapter 223

    Yvette walked out with one hand in her pocket, leading Bonnie at a leisurely pace. Behind them, Winona¡¯s venomous gaze followed closely. I didn¡¯t expect to run into someone I know right after stepping out, Yvette thought.


    The police had just received a report of a shooting in Skyline za. As soon as Zane heard about it, he couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡®Who would be bold enough to wave a gun around in broad daylight in Skyline za I need to see who this fearless fool is, Zane thought.


    Yvette stepped out, and Zane was surprised to see her. I didn¡¯t expect her to be here, but then again, she might have just been shopping and got caught up in this mess, Zane thought.


    Zane quickly unholstered his gun and approached Yvette, not hiding his actions from the onlookers. His attitude was nothing but courteous. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re here too. Did the criminal hurt you? Do you need to go to the hospital for a check- up?¡±


    Zane¡¯s overly solicitous manner made the sharp-faced saleswoman who had just run out even more hesitant to speak, trembling with fear,


    Yulia¡¯s expression was a mix of emotions, hard to put into words. So that¡¯s why Yvette dared to act this way-she has the backing of the Chief of Seacrity Police Department, Yulia thought.


    Bonnie¡¯s lips twitched as she debated whether to tell Zane that the ¡®criminal¡± was right in front of him.


    Zane, seeing that Yvette wasn¡¯t speaking, assumed she was scared. He didn¡¯t press further and instead bellowed with authority, ¡°Where is the criminal? Surrender immediately and drop your weapon!¡±


    Yvette half-lowered her eyes, then lifted her head. She remained silent for a couple of seconds, her blue eyes expressionless, and her voice devoid of emotion. Tm here.¡±


    Zane said, ¡°I know, Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re here. What does this have to do with you? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to catch this criminal and bring them to justice.¡±


    Yvette rubbed her temples. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the ¡®criminal¡¯ you¡¯re looking for is me. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zane turned around in disbelief. His face changed several times in a few seconds, looking almostical. He cleared his throat and gave Yvette a look that said, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. I¡¯m not falling for this.¡±


    Yvette flexed her wrist and nced at Zane. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to arrest me? Let¡¯s not waste any more time.


    Zane¡¯s face turned pale. He looked at the sharp-faced saleswoman who had just run out and asked, ¡°Did Ms. Zeller really fire the gun?¡± The saleswoman shook her head frantically, muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Then Zane turned to Yulia for confirmation, ¡°What about you?¡± Yulia cautiously nced at Yvette. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should speak up. The scene of Yvette holding a gun still had her shaken, and she was a bit intimidated by Yvette,


    Neither of them could provide any useful information, and Zane felt his headache intensifying ¡®Ms. Zeller wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this, would she? So, should I arrest her or not? This is such a tricky situation Zane thought.


    Just then, Winona hung up her phone and walked out. Seeing the police, she clutched her head and made a decision. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t frame Yvette with the child, I can¡¯t let her off so easily, Winona thought. She was already pale from the shock and fainted dramatically, making sure to fall in a way that wouldn¡¯t harm her stomach. Before fainting, she put on a show of being terrified of Yvette, pointing at her and pleading, ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt my baby. Please, officer, she has a gun. Arrest her, quickly!


    Winona copsed to the ground, unconscious. This time, Yulia didn¡¯t step forward; instead, she lowered her head, deep in thought. This must be another one of Winona¡¯s acts, Yulia thought


    Yulia now had an inexplicable fear of Winona. She suspected that what Yvette had said earlier might be true. ¡®If Winona really nned to use her unborn child to frame Yvette, that¡¯s just too terrifying. A person who can use their own child as a pawn? I can¡¯t even imagine it. Yulia thought, shivering at the idea.


    Now, Zane was the one feeling the pressure. He had originally intended to catch the criminal to enhance his record, but now he found himself in a difficult position. Tm really stuck between rock and a hard ce, Zane thought.


    Zane sighed as he looked at Yvette, who stood there with one hand in her pocket, lookingpletely nonchnt. ¡®She really doesn¡¯t fear anything with Mr. Chavez backing her, does she? But it¡¯s broad daylight, and we can¡¯t just let this slide without giving the public an exnation. Fortunately, he had already evacuated the area, which turned out to be a good move. However, Yvette had presented him with a major dilemma. The thirty SWAT officers were also standing there, looking confused. Where are the terrorists? Just one woman? This is ridiculous, they thought. The situation became increasingly awkward, to the point where even Winona, who was lying on the ground pretending to be unconscious, was being ignored.


    Winona had no idea what was going on. ¡®Why haven¡¯t they arrested Yvette yet? What are these police waiting for?¡± She couldn¡¯t just wake up now; that would look too fake. So, shey there, shivering and motionless, silently cursing Yvette and the ipetent police. One of the SWAT officers, seeing Winona on the ground, quickly dialed 911 and then approached Zane, saluting. ¡°Mr. Chappell, should we arrest this ¡®criminal¡¯ immediately?¡±


    The other SWAT officers collectively twitched their eyes. Young and fearless, huh? Can¡¯t you see Mr. Chappell clearly doesn¡¯t want to arrest this ¡®criminal?¡¯


    Zane smiled at the young SWAT officer, gritted his teeth, and then turned to Yvette, asked in a polite tone, ¡°Ms. Zeller, could youe with us? Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t wrong a good person. We¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t suffer any injustice


    Lying on the ground, Winona¡¯s fingers tightened into a fist.


    Yvette nodded, her words brief and to the point. She turned to Bonnie and said, ¡°You should go back first.¡± Bonnie shook her head firmly. Even though she didn¡¯t know how Yvette would get out of this, she couldn¡¯t leave her alone at a time like this. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m not going. Let me stay with you. This whole thing started because of me, so I should go to the police station and exin everything myself.¡±


    Yvette thought, this girl is really stubborn, but it¡¯s better to have her by my side. At least I won¡¯t be alone. Yvette raised an elegant eyebrow, her gaze fixed on Bonnie for a few seconds. ¡°Fine.¡± She then turned back to Zane and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zane nodded repeatedly, relieved that Yvette was cooperating. They could sort things out once they got to the station. The young SWAT officer asked, as per protocol, ¡°Mr. Chappell, should we handcuff the suspect?¡±


    Yvette paused, giving the two of them a half-smirk. Zane really wanted to kick this young SWAT officer, ¡®Who the heck brought this moron to the station? It must be one of my political rivals trying to ruin my career, he thought.


    Zane couldn¡¯t lose his temper, so he kept a straight face and said with forced patience, ¡°No, we don¡¯t need that. The situation isn¡¯t clear yet. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. As police officers, we can¡¯t just believe one side of the story, got it?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette left, escorted by Zane. But it was more like she was politely asked to leave. In the mall, only Yulia and the woman with the sharp features remained, along with Winona lying on the ground. Soon, the ambnce arrived, Winona continued to y possum, partly to further enrage Robert and Victor, hoping they would stand up for her. Just a moment ago, while Yvette was out, I called Robert and Victor, she thought. They should be arriving any minute now.¡±


    At the Seacrity Hospital, the old butler, Lucas, was carrying a tray of nutritious food, preparing to head up to the fifth floor. Zachary had just woken up and needed to regain his strength. As he reached the hospital entrance, he saw a stretcher being unloaded from an ambnce. He took a closer look, and to his surprise, he recognized the person on the stretcher. It was Winona, the fake Ms. Chambers he had served for over twenty years.

 Chapter 224

    Lucas walked past with a poker face, but his mind was racing. ¡®Everyone in Seacrity¡¯s high society knows about Winona¡¯s pregnancy. I wonder if something went wrong, he thought.


    Yulia, who had followed the ambnce, also spotted Lucas. She felt a bit awkward, thinking about Winona¡¯s current status. ¡°After all, Winona is the result of Nellie¡¯s affair. She¡¯s just a bastard child. I don¡¯t know what kind of karma our Carter family has to end up with her, she thought.


    In the VIP ward, a group of doctors were conducting a more detailed examination at Zachary¡¯s bedside.


    As the attending physician, Harold was, of course, present. After a thorough examination, the doctors exchanged nces. Harold, looking at the still-weak Zachary with multiple external injuries, said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, the blood clot in your brain has dissipated. Apart from the external injuries, there are no major issues. With some rest and regr medication changes, you should be able to leave the hospital in about a week.¡±


    Zachary was weak but his mind was clear. He vividly remembered the incident. The car he was in had experienced brake failure mid-journey. The driver had already found a safe spot to aim for, and even if they crashed, it wouldn¡¯t have been too serious. But suddenly, arge truck came barreling towards them like a madman, and then everything went ck.


    ¡®As an experienced driver, I know I shouldn¡¯t have such minor injuries. This doesn¡¯t add up. Could it be that fate itself saved me?¡¯ Zachary thought.


    He touched the bandage on his head and looked up at Harold, speaking sincerely. ¡°Dr. Anderson, Seacrity Hospital truly lives up to its reputation as the best hospital in the city. You are an outstanding doctor. Thank you so much for pulling me back from the brink of death¡±


    Harold and the other doctors behind himn suddenly had odd expressions on their faces. Harold¡¯s face turned a bit red, as he was the one who had been put in an awkward position. Zachary noticed their silence and wondered if he had said something wrong. After a moment, one of the doctors, a man in his early thirties, spoke up, ¡°Mr. Chambers, are you aware that your surgery wasn¡¯t performed by Dr. Anderson?¡±


    Zachary was taken aback and shook his head. T¡¯m sorry, I just woke up. I¡¯m not quite sure what happened.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harold put away his stethoscope and carefully exined, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I didn¡¯t perform your surgery. After examining you, I didn¡¯t feel confident enough to handle it. The sess rate was too low, so¡­¡±


    Zachary, still puzzled, thought, ¡®What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just a different doctor. But who could have done it if even Harold couldn¡¯t?¡¯ He looked at the other doctors, who all seemed quite young. ¡°If not Dr. Anderson, then who did it? I need to know. I want to thank the person who saved my life.¡±


    Harold paused for a moment, looking at Zachary with some confusion. Seeing that Zachary genuinely seemed unaware, he said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, your life was saved by your daughter, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Zachary waspletely bewildered. He thought he must have misheard. In disbelief, he asked again. ¡°What did you say? You mean Yvette performed the surgery and saved me?¡±


    Harold nodded seriously. It sounded like a fairy tale, but he had witnessed it himself. ¡°And Ms. Zeller didn¡¯t use a scalpel; she used traditional medicine.¡±


    Zachary lowered his head for a moment, then raised it with a proud smile, his entire demeanor brightening ¡°Wow, I had no idea Yvette knew traditional medicine. She never mentioned it. But you might not know, she¡¯s like that-she knows a lot of things but never talks about them. She¡¯s always so humble. I should have a talk with her, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s words made the doctors want to punch him. He was the epitome of top-tier humblebragging. Did he even realize how annoying he sounded?


    Harold¡¯s mouth twitched, and he instructed Zachary to rest before leaving. He was afraid he might actually hit Zachary if he stayed any longer. Zachary would be in the hospital for a while, and he could always find an opportunity to speak with Yvetteter.


    As Harold and the other doctors reached the door, they ran into the old butler, Lucas, who was carrying a tray of food. They exchanged greetings, and Lucas entered the room. Seeing Zachary sitting on the bed with a silly grin, he wondered, ¡®Is Mr. Chambers¡¯ brain really back to normal?¡¯


    Lucas respectfully set down the food and handed Zachary a pair of chopsticks. ¡°Mr. Chambers, I just saw Winona being brought in on a stretcher at the hospital entrance.¡±


    Zachary paused, holding the chopsticks. He took a sip of chicken soup, his expression darkening, a stark contrast to his earlier happiness. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said coldly.


    Lucas, sensing the mood, didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Zachary put down his bowl and stared at Lucas. ¡°Harold said Yvette saved me? Tell me exactly what happened.¡±


    On the third floor of the hospital, in room 305, Yulia was sitting on the sofa while Winonay on the bed, still pretending to be unconscious. Both were waiting for Robert and Victor to arrive. After another ten minutes, the door to the room finally opened. Winona¡¯s heart leapt with joy, but she continued to feign unconsciousness, waiting for the right moment.


    Robert and Victor hade straight from thepany. Victor, for some reason, had recently insisted on interning at thepany, which Robert was more than happy to allow. This gave him ample time to be alone with Winona.


    When they received Winona¡¯s call, they were in a meeting. They immediately rushed to the hospital. It was clear to anyone that Robert was more anxious than Victor, his anger and worry barely concealed


    At the door, Victor saw his father¡¯s eagerness and couldn¡¯t help but smirk, his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°Dad is really in a hurry, he thought. He thenposed himself and followed Robert into the room.


    Yulia stood up as soon as she saw them. ¡°Mr. Carter, Victor, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Robert didn¡¯t even nce at her, he went straight to the bedside, looked at the pale-faced Winona, and anxiously asked Yulia, ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t you guys just shopping? How did someone end up with a gun? ¡°Winona couldn¡¯t make it clear on the phone. What does this have to do with Yvette? Tell the exactly what happened!¡±


    Yulia was taken aback by Robert¡¯s questioning. She noticed that ever since Winona¡¯s pregnancy, Robert had been acting very differently, showing an unusual amount of concern for her. ¡®He never seemed this interested in kids before, she thought.


    Victor didn¡¯t move forward; he stood next to Yulia; his eyes fixed on Robert with a hint of hostility. After Robert¡¯s anxious questioning, he noticed the looks on their faces and quickly exined, ¡°Is the baby in Winona¡¯s womb, okay? This is our Carter family¡¯s precious grandchild.¡±


    Yulia then put away her suspicious look. She figured Robert must be so worried about Winona¡¯s pregnancy that he was acting out of character. Yulia suspected that Winona was faking unconsciousness, but she didn¡¯t want to say it outright. Instead, she ryed what the doctor had just said, ¡°The baby is fine. They¡¯ve checked, and the baby is okay Winona should be waking up soon


    Robert was now the one who looked a bit stunned. He knew how much Yulia cared about the baby; her indifferent tone was unexpected. She shouldn¡¯t be this calm, he thought.

 Chapter 225

    Victor nced at Winona lying on the bed, showing no intention of moving closer. He turned to Yulia and asked, ¡°Mom


    what exactly happened? Winona said you ran into Yvette? And that Yvette had a gun and almost hurt her?¡±


    Yulia¡¯s face fell, and she remained silent for a moment before lething out a cold hum. She was about to exin when Winona slowly opened her eyes, timing it perfectly. ¡°Ah Help met Don¡¯t kill me, please! I have a baby in my womb!¡±


    Yulia¡¯s words were cut off. Robert, seeing that Winona was awake, reached out to embrace her. Winona reacted quickly, pulling back and giving Robert a look. Robert¡¯s expression froze, and be awkwardly retracted his hand, stepping back to avoid suspicion. He then turned to Victor and said, ¡°Come here, check on your wife. What are you waiting for? Winona is so scared; don¡¯t you want tofort her?¡±


    Victor¡¯s fingers tightened, and after a few seconds, he stepped forward, addressing Winona with a lukewarm tone, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Winona felt wronged. How could Victor treat her like this? Even Robert and Yulia noticed his coldness. Winona couldn¡¯t get angry, so she spoke softly. ¡°Victor, I¡¯m so scared,¡± and then started to cry, tears streaming down her face.


    Victor¡¯s gaze was icy, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his expression was cold. He stared at the crying Winona and said, ¡°Stop crying. What exactly happened?¡±


    Winona¡¯s face stiffened, and her hands under the nket clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. ¡°Dad, Victor, Mom and I were shopping at Skyline za today when we ran into Yvette and Bonnie. After a few heated words, Yvette pulled out a gun and almost killed me and the baby. You have to help me!¡± She continued to sob, secretly watching their reactions. As expected, Robert and Victor¡¯s faces darkened instantly.


    Robert kicked the stool by his feet and shouted, ¡°What kind of person is Yvette? How did she get a gun? How could she be so cruel, especially when you¡¯re pregnant? Does she think no one can stop her? Where is she now? Didn¡¯t you say you called the police?¡±


    Winona wiped her tears and answered, ¡°Yes, the police came and took her away. But it seems Yvette knows the officer who and check. arrested her, and they seem to be on good terms. I¡¯m afraid he might protect her. Dad, you and Victor should go okay? We need to make sure Yvette is punished.¡±


    Thest sentence was said with particr emphasis, her teeth gritted and her expression vicious, but it onlysted a moment. Only Yulia, who had been watching her, noticed the fleeting look. Robert and Victor didn¡¯t see it.


    Victor remained silent; his eyes filled with sarcasm as he looked at Winona. ¡°From what I know, Yvette is bold, but she doesn¡¯t meddle in things that don¡¯t concern her. She wouldn¡¯t just pull a gun on you for no reason. What exactly did you do?


    Winona looked up in disbelief, her red, tearful eyes full of usation, as if she had been deeply wounded. ¡°How can you speak up for Yvette? Are you saying I was the one causing trouble? Victor, how could you say such a thing? I¡¯m carrying your child, and you¡¯re taking the side of an outsider over me?¡± She said, looking as if she might faint again.


    Robert, seeing this, quickly stepped forward and pushed Victor aside, scolding him, ¡°What are you doing? Even if Winona was in the wrong. Yvette shouldn¡¯t have pulled a gun! Come with me to the police station. Iwant to see which officer is on good terms with her and dares to protect her. This is outrageous Who does that officer think he is, trying to run things in Seacrity?¡±


    He carefully helped Winona back into bed and then started to leave the room. Victor gritted his teeth and followed, though reluctantly. Yulia, who hadn¡¯t had a chance to speak, tried to stop them. Before she could take two steps, Winona called out to her, her expression dark. ¡°Mom, where are you going?¡±


    Yulia turned to look at her. ¡°Winona, why don¡¯t you tell the truth? You were the one who started the trouble and pped that girl. That¡¯s why Yvette pulled a gun.¡±


    Winona let out a mockingugh and smoothed her disheveled hair. ¡°Mom, I advise you not to meddle. The fact is that Yvette pulled a gun on me that¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    Yulia didn¡¯t want to listen to Winona¡¯s twisted arguments and was about to follow Robert and Victor to exin the truth. Winona, however, had no intention of letting Yulia ruin her ns. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry. Could you please go home and make me some Rib Soup?¡± As she spoke, she picked up a fruit knife and made a few threatening gestures towards her belly. Yulia immediately understood the threat. ¡°You¡¯re a madwoman, Winona. You¡¯repletely insane.¡±


    Feeling that she might lose her mind if she stayed any longer, Yulia quickly left the room. Behind her, Winona¡¯s eerieughter echoed. Yulia couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Robert and Victor the truth; she was afraid Winona would actually harm the baby. Reluctantly, she headed home to make the soup.


    At the police station, Zane brought Yvette back. He nced at the cute, round-faced girl following Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, what should we do with this youngdy? Should she wait in the lobby or in my office?¡±


    Bonnie, seeing the familiar lobby and hearing Zane¡¯s words, realized that Yvette was probably here for another visit, just likest time.


    On the way. Bonnie had learned that Zane was the Chief of the Police Station. However, she was already used to seeing important figures around Yvette. She stepped forward, her demeanor sweet and polite, and said to Zane, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I can wait in the lobby. I¡¯m pretty familiar with this ce.


    Zane smiled and nodded, then nced at Yvette, who had apletely nk expressi¨®n. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, could you go to the restroom and give Mr. Chavez a call? Asked him toe over. Otherwise, this situation will be really hard to handle. If Mr. Chavez is here, we¡¯ll have a reason to let them go, right?¡±


    Yvet¨¦ raised her eyes and looked at Zane, giving him a deep, indifferent nce. Her voice was low and casual. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s just go to the interrogation room.¡±


    Zane paused, then quickly replied, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you must be joking. What interrogation room? Just go to my office and wait for Mr. Chavez. You probably haven¡¯t had lunch yet, right? There¡¯s a great ce nearby. I can have someone bring it back. How can you exin things clearly on an empty stomach?¡±


    Bonnie thought, Wow, the service at the police station is top-notch. They even offer food. So considerate!¡¯ She patted her small belly and spoke up timidly. ¡°Um, Sir, could you get me a meal too? Anything will do, just a simple box lunch.


    Zane was taken aback. ¡®Is this girl for real?¡¯Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette tilted her head and asked in a fond tone, ¡°Hungry?¡± Bonnie nodded vigorously. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡± Yvette turned back to Zane and said politely, ¡°Could you please order some takeout for my friend? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    Zane was surprised by how kind Yvette was to this girl. Their friendship is so strong, even 1, a rough man, am envious!

 Chapter 226

    Zane nodded and then called over a young officer, instructing him to go out and buy some food. He thoughtfully asked if there were any dietary restrictions.


    In the interrogation room. Zane and two seasoned officers sat on one side of the table, while Yvette sat across from them. The surveince camera was already on. Zane gave the two officers a look, and they understood. They had seen how Zane had treated her, and it was clear that this girl was no ordinary person. The incident at Skyline za, where she allegedly brandished a gun in public and even fired it, trying to kill a pregnant woman who was now in the hospital, was a serious matter. Even with connections, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to handle.


    The square-faced officer, Norbert, around thirty years old, was more polite than usual. He didn¡¯t use his typical approach for suspects and asked. ¡°Please tell us the truth. Did you openly carry and fire a gun at Skyline za? You tried to murder a pregnant woman, and she¡¯s now in the hospital. Her family is on their way


    Zane awkwardly made a fist and put it to his mouth, pretending to cough. The square-faced officer flinched, his face tensing up. ¡°What did I say wrong? This could affect my career?


    Yvette satzily in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly on the table as if she wasn¡¯t the one being interrogated. Her exquisite features, even under the dim lights of the interrogation room, exuded an undeniable beauty. Her eyes were cold and half- lidded. ¡°Yes I fired the gun,¡± she said nonchntly.


    Zane was in a blind spot of the surveince, and he anxiously nced at his watch. Why hasn¡¯t Mr. Chavez arrived yet? How can Yvette just admit to it? If she denies it, maybe we can find a way out.


    Zane said, ¡°Yvette, do you understand how serious it is to openly carry and fire a gun in public? Think carefully before you speak. Is there something else going on here? You need to tell us the truth, okay?¡± He kept giving Yvette signals with his eyes. almost twitching with urgency.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes darkened, and she looked up. ¡°Carrying a gun? Breaking thew?¡±


    Zane nodded dumbly, ¡°Yes, Yvette. If you admit to carrying a gun and shooting someone, it¡¯s a very serious matter.¡±


    A faint, almost mocking smile yed on Yvette¡¯s lips. Her expression was indifferent, and her beautiful features were set in a thin, cold smile. It¡¯s not illegal. I have a legal permit for my gun. Even if I shot Winona today, it would be legal¡±


    The two officers looked at Yvette¡¯s audacious demeanor and then at Zane, wiping the sweat from their foreheads. No wonder Mr. Chappell is protecting her. She¡¯s saying such outrageous things! Carrying a gun isn¡¯t illegal? Killing isn¡¯t illegal? Where did thiswless daredevile from?¡¯ Norbert felt he couldn¡¯t continue the interrogation. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to Yvette¡¯s statements, and the room fell silent again.


    After a moment, the older officer, who looked to be in histe thirties, considered his words carefully and then asked, staring at Yvette, ¡°You¡¯re saying that carrying a gun isn¡¯t illegal? That¡¯s impossible in Clusia. Gun possession is strictly prohibited. You must know that, right? Please exin the entire situation from the beginning.¡±


    Zane quickly added, ¡°You also have the right to remain silent until yourwyer arrives. Do you understand?


    Yvette looked at Zane, who was sitting next to the table, and gave a slight nod. Without further dy, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a ck ID booklet, cing it on the table. The three officers were puzzled.


    Norbert, being the closest to the ID, picked it up. As he read the words on it, his face froze, and he turned to look at Zane with a mix of shock and disbelief. The other officer, seeing his colleague¡¯s reaction, quickly grabbed the ID to take a look The next second, both officers had identical expressions of shock, and they both turned to Zane. Zane couldn¡¯t sit still; what. kind of ID could make two seasoned officers react like this?


    When Zane finally got his hands on the ID and took a look, he too froze in ce. Then, all three of them turned their gazes. to Yvette, who was sitting calmly in her chair. Their eyes were filled with disbelief, and the scene looked almostical.


    Yvette remainedposed, her hands resting naturally, showing no emotion. She had no idea how much of an impact her ID had on the three men.


    It took Zane a good while to get his words out. After a few minutes, he finally stammered, ¡°Ms. Zeller, is this a real ID? Did you¡­.?¡± I can¡¯t bring myself to say the rest. I¡¯d rather believe it¡¯s fake than real. This world is getting too crazy! Zane thought


    Yvette¡¯s left hand, which had been tapping lightly on the table, paused. She lifted her gaze, her voice low and cool, with a hint of natural nonchnce, as if she didn¡¯t care much about anything. It has a serial number,¡± she said sinctly.


    Zane looked down and saw the long string of numbers Yvette was referring to. He knew these were unique and couldn¡¯t be faked.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Is she really letting me verify it? Even if I find it hard to believe, I have to admit it seems real. Zane thought. His hand trembled slightly as he held the ID. He knew how significant this document was. ¡®If it was genuine, not only could Yvette fire a gun in public, but she could even kill someone and im it was legal. It was like having an ancient imperial sword and a get-out-of-jail-free cardbined. Zane thought


    The other two officers were still in shock. Zane knew he couldn¡¯t waste any time. For both practical and ethical reasons, he had to verify the authenticity of the ID. If it was real, today¡¯s incident would be nothing more than a trivial matter. No one would need toe and rescue her; he would have to respectfully escort her out. And as for the public, who would dare question the actions of that organization?


    In the speeding ck Jeep, Jeremiah¡¯s lips were pressed into a cold, indifferent line. His face was filled with anger, and the icy aura emanating from him made the temperature in the car drop. The Jeep was already going over 150 miles per hour. Andrew, in the passenger seat, clutched the seatbelt tightly and spoke cautiously, ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette will be fine. Zane knows her identity; he¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    Driving the car, Jeremiah¡¯s expression grew even colder. His face was stern. ¡®Why would Yvette be so angry that she would shoot? That¡¯s the real question, not whether Zane would make things difficult for her: Jeremiah thought.


    Andrew shrank back in his seat. This is definitely a case of Jeremiah flying into a rage for a woman.¡± Zane said Yvette fired a gun and scared a pregnant woman into fainting. The whole thing sounded a bit far-fetched. If Zane hadn¡¯t mentioned the name of the pregnant woman, Andrew would have thought he was making it up.


    If it was Winona, then it makes sense. That little schemer must have done something to make Yvette so angry that she had to shoot. ¡®Andrew thought. ¡®It would be strange if Jeremiah¡¯s woman didn¡¯t have one. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Yvette had a gun


    At the entrance of the police station, Robert and Victor stormed in, both dressed in formal suits. Some of the officers recognized Robert; he used to be a frequent visitor when Jonathan was the Chief, and they were very close.

 Chapter 227

    A in¨Clooking police officer approached Robert and asked, ¡°Hello, how can I assist you?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Robert, still seething with anger, didn¡¯t bother to read the situation. He was about tosh out, but Victor, who had learned to be more tactful, stepped in before him. ¡°Hello, we are the family of the pregnant woman involved in today¡¯s shooting at Skyline za. We¡¯re here to handle this matter.¡±


    Robert huffed, maintaining his haughty demeanor, andunched into a tirade directed at the young officer. ¡°We are the family of Winona, the pregnant woman. She is still in the hospital. Have you arrested that criminal, Yvette? This kind of evil person must be severely punished. She should never be allowed to harm society again. Ourwyers are on their way, and we will see this through to the end. She needs to rot in jail, or our Carter family will have been in Seacrity for nothing all these years.¡±


    The in¨Clooking officer, seeing Robert¡¯s rudeness, lost his patience. He was there to serve the people, but he wasn¡¯t about to cater to someone who came in acting so high and mighty, thinking they could insult others just because they had a bit of money. He adopted a strictly professional tone. ¡°The suspect you mentioned is currently in the interrogation room. There are seats over there, please wait there and do not disturb others. Thank you for your cooperation. With that, he turned and returned to his desk, continuing to sort through case files.


    Robert¡¯s face fell when the in¨Clooking officer dismissed him. He was not used to being treated with such cold indifference. He was about to step forward and argue, but Victor quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Leaning in, Victor¡¯s eyes shed with a deep¨Cseated resentment. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t cause a scene. This is a police station. The Carter family isn¡¯t powerful enough to control everything here. If Grandpa finds out, do you really want to face the family¡¯s punishment again?¡±


    Robert, despite his tough exterior, immediately backed down. He knew all too well how harsh his father could be. In his younger days, a few mistakes had earned him beatings that left him bruised and bleeding. The memory of those painful experiences still haunted him.


    Seeing that Robert had calmed down, Victor gave him a cold look ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dad. We¡¯ll sit over there for a while. Yvette hasmitted a serious offense; it won¡¯t be resolved quickly. Didn¡¯t you call thewyer? Let¡¯s wait for him.¡±


    Robert, somewhat surprised by Victor¡¯s unusual behavior, didn¡¯t have time to think further as Victor led him to the waiting arca.


    Bonnie had just finished her box of takeout and was about to get up when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up and saw Victor approaching. Her expression turned cold. Victor, who is as bad as Winona, is here for one reason to cause trouble for Yvette on Winona¡¯s behalf¡® She thought, her eyes narrowing as she watched him approach.


    Victor walked up to Bonnie and asked in an interrogative tone, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Bonnie forcefully threw the lunch box into the trash can and sat back down. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Victor was taken aback, surprisingly not losing his temper. Robert, who had been following behind, stepped forward and took a look at Bonnie. His eyes lit up, and he leered at her. ¡®She wasn¡¯t stunningly beautiful, but her cute appearance was particrly appealing. Robert thought. ¡°Are you here for Yvette? Do you know about her pulling a gun on Winona Victor asked.


    Bonnie red at Victor, exuding a formidable presence. She spoke each word with deliberate rity. ¡°It¡¯s all Winona¡¯s fault. It has nothing to do with Yve. If Winona hadn¡¯t started trouble and pped me, Yve wouldn¡¯t have gotten angry. You haven¡¯t even figured out what happened, and you¡¯re already trying to defend your fianc¨¦e. You two are a perfect match, like snakes and rats.


    no


    ¡®Since I¡¯ve been hanging out with Yve, my ability to stand up for myself has really improved. I can¡¯t back down now, I can¡¯t Net Yve down. Bonnie thought, silently cheering herself on


    Victor¡¯s face turned a shade of green, but he didn¡¯t retort. Robert, however, couldn¡¯t sit still. Winona was his precious now, and he couldn¡¯t let anyone talk about her like that. ¡°How can you be so disrespectful? Winona is pregnant, and it¡¯s normal for her to have mood swings. She just pped you; how much could it hurt? Can¡¯t you just take it? Haven¡¯t you heard the saying.


    ¡®take a step back and the world opens up? You¡¯re a student at Argol University. What are you even arguing with a pregnant woman for?¡±


    Bonnie was stunned by Robert¡¯s shameless remarks. Victor also shifted ufortably, feeling a bit speechless for the first time. ¡®Dad really did go to great lengths to protect Winona. Victor thought.


    Bonnie¡¯s face flushed with anger as she looked at the smug Roben. She took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s not you who beat me; it¡¯s your shamelessness.¡±


    Robert, hearing this, opened his mouth to reprimand Bonnie, using his status to his advantage. But then a familiar voice came from a distance. ¡°Bonnie?¡±


    Jeremiah and Andrew had just entered through the police station door. The voice was Andrew¡¯s, Bonnie looked at Andrew, suddenly feeling a bit lost.


    Victor and Robert both turned around and saw Jeremiah. A chin down their spines. This was the man even Wyatt addressed as ¡°Mr. Chavez. How could they forget that he was Yvette¡¯s biggest supporter?


    Andrew approached, and when he saw the clear handprint on Bonnie¡¯s face, he stopped abruptly. Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued walking. As he passed by Victor and Robert, his gaze was as sharp as knives, cutting through them.


    Stopping in front of Bonnie, Andrew fixed his eyes on the handprint, his tone a mix of frustration and tenderness. ¡°Who did this?


    Bonnie¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She bit her lip, unable to speak, as the tears fell. Andrew, at a loss, used his


    big sleeve to wipe away her tears, his voice softening. Tm just asking, you know. If you don¡¯t want to say, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not a deal, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Bonnie hupped through her sobs, looking up at Andrew with teary eyes. A strange, tingling sensation rose in Andrew, making him look away awkwardly. Andrew felt an odd, tingling sensation in his chest, causing him to look away awkwardly. Bonnie, while wiping her tears, exined, ¡°It was Winona. Yve and I were shopping, and when Yve went to the restroom, I wandered around a bit. That¡¯s when I ran into Winona. She started the trouble, and I couldn¡¯t avoid it. She hit me.¡±


    Andrew¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened, and the carefree demeanor he usually carried vanished, reced by a deep, cold, and ruthless presence. ¡°Winona? Is she still alive?¡±


    Bonnie shook her head, still in a daze. ¡°No, but then Yve came and told me to hit her back. I pped her twice, and when we left, she fainted. She¡¯s probably in the hospital now,¡±


    Andrew turned to look at Robert and Victor, his eyes shing with a cold light. The aura of menace around him made both men instinctively take a step back, clearly startled. Andrew reached out and gently touched the spot where Bonnie had been hit, his expression filled with tenderness. ¡°How do you want her to pay for this?¡±

 Chapter 228

    Bonnie stared at Andrew, hupping through her sobs. Her face turned red, and Andrew gently flicked her forehead. ¡°Stop crying, or you¡¯ll end up looking like a little kitten with streaks on your face. Bonnie obediently nodded.


    The two of thempletely ignored Robert and Victor, who were standing nearby, Robert, hearing Andrew¡¯s words, was taken aback. He mustered his courage and said to Andrew, ¡°Hey, why are you making such a big deal out of this? It¡¯s just a little argument between girls.


    Andrew turned his head, naturally shielding Bonnie behind him. He looked at Robert with a cold, sharp gaze. ¡°You better tell Winona to stop causing trouble. Otherwise, I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s pregnant or not. I¡¯m not a nice guy, and if anyone messes with my girl, they¡¯ll regret it. Got it?¡±


    Robert, already feeling intimidated by Jeremiah¡¯s presence, was even more scared by Andrew¡¯s words. He edged closer to Victor. Victor watched the scene with a sarcastic look. He knew better than to provoke someone who Wyatt referred to as ¡°Mr. Chavez without fully understanding his background.


    Jeremiah stood in the hall, his face a mask of coldness. His jet-ck, straight hair, sharply angled eyebrows, piercing blue eves, firm lips, and chiseled features made him a striking figure. The police officers present also recognized him. They had seen him before, wearing a formal military uniform, and they knew his ideritity was not something to be casually


    mentioned


    This man had arrived in a proper military uniform, and the police officers on duty that day naturally recognized him. However, they also knew that his identity was not something to be casually revealed.


    The officer who had been talking to Robert hesitated for a moment before approaching again. His attitude hadpletely changed; he bowed slightly, looking at Jeremiah with a mix of respect and admiration. ¡°Good afternoon, sir. Are you here about the gun incident? Mr. Chappell is personally conducting the interrogation. Would you like me to call him out?¡±


    The sudden change in the officer¡¯s demeanor left the other people in the lobby quite surprised. Victor¡¯s face tightened, and just as the words were spoken, the door to the interrogation room opened. Andrew came out, leading Bonnie to Jeremiah¡¯s side. In the distance, Robert and Victor looked visibly ufortable.


    The person who emerged was Zane. Zane was holding some documents and hurriedly left the interrogation room to verify their authenticity. As he stepped out, he saw Jeremiah, Andrew, and Bonnie standing there. He quickly quickened his pace, approaching Jeremiah and bowing slightly, even more respectfully than the officer. ¡°Mr. Chavez


    Jeremiah nced at the documents in Zane¡¯s hand, which were held backward, making the text unreadable. He frowned. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Zane, of course, knew exactly who Jeremiah was asking about. He answered respectfully, ¡°Mr. Chavez, she¡¯s in the interrogation room.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a cold aura emanating from Jeremiah. A chill ran up his spine. Reading people and situations was his forte; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have climbed from a lowly police officer to his current position.


    ¡°Did you say she¡¯s in the interrogation room?¡± Jeremiah asked, his voice cold and sharp.


    Zane quickly exined, fearing that if he didn¡¯t, he might freeze under Jeremiah¡¯s gaze. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. ¡°Mr. Chavez, it was Ms. Zeller who requested to be questioned. She wanted to avoid any trouble for us. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a routine questioning, nothing out of the ordinary


    The icy coldness emanating from Jeremiah dissipated significantly. Zane let out a deep breath, feeling the tension in his mind ease. No wonder he¡¯s the only major general in Clusia who has participated in overseas defense missions. When he gets angry, it¡¯s not something anyone can handle, Zane thought.


    Jeremiah spoke sinctly, ¡°I¡¯m taking the person with me. Someone will handle the follow-up.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Zane gripped the ck document in his hand, hesitating for a few seconds before looking at Jeremiah with aplex Expression. ¡°Mr. Chavez, maybe¡­ maybe this matter doesn¡¯t need your involvement anymore,¡± He then handed the ck document to Jeremiah with both hands.


    Jeremiah took it and, upon seeing the words on the document, his brows furrowed. Even someone as calm as Jeremiah was slightly surprised, though the surprise quickly faded, and he didn¡¯t lose hisposure like Zane and the others. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    he said.


    Zane nodded. ¡®I know that everyone in that organization has a unique code, and Jeremiah must know it too. I remember Wyatt mentioning that the organization once tried to recruit Mr. Chavez, but he refused. It¡¯s quite a coincidence that while Mr. Chavez didn¡¯t join, Yvette is a member, Zane thought.


    Jeremiah closed the document and handed it back to Zane. Zare took the document and walked out. He still needed to contact higher-ups to verify the authenticity of the document.


    Robert saw Zane and quickly moved to intercept him. Ever since Zane had taken office, the Carter family had tried every possible method to win him over. They had offered money and other incentives, but Zane remained impervious. In the end, they had given up on this connection and sought other avenues.


    Robert,cking in social acumen, only thought about getting Zane to take their side for Winona. Victor, however, stayed put. Though he hadn¡¯t heard the exact conversation between Zane and Jeremiah, Zane¡¯s extremely respectful and even humble attitude made it clear that this was not a situation to meddle with. ¡®My dad must have lost his mind to think about stepping in for Winona, Victor thought.


    Robert stered a smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Chappell, I didn¡¯t expect you to be personally handling this gun case.¡±


    Zane stopped in his tracks. Who is so clueless as to stop me when I¡¯m in such a hurry?¡¯ he thought. When he recognized Robert, his expression softened slightly. Although the Carter family¡¯s gifts had been repeatedly rejected, they still held significant influence in Seacrity, and some respect was due.


    Zane maintained a cold and distant tone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Carter.


    Robert nced around, particrly at the group where Jeremiah was standing, with a smug look on his face. Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice his attempt to show off. Jeremiah and the others didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Trying to show off in front of these people is just embarrassing, Zane thought


    Zane noticed Robert staring at Jeremiah¡¯s group, still looking pleased with himself. He found it rather strange. ¡°What is his problem? Why is he staring like that? If he has something to say, why doesn¡¯t he just say it? Does he think I have all day to y along with him? Zane thought.


    Zane¡¯s tone grew serious. ¡°Mr. Carter, do you have something to discuss? If it¡¯s not urgent, pleasee backter.¡±


    Robert, clearly oblivious to Zane¡¯s growing impatience, continued to make small talk. Victor stepped forward, interrupting him. ¡°Mr. Chappell, I¡¯m Victor Carter. The person who fainted during the gun incident today is my fianc¨¦e, Winona. I came to the police station to find out how this matter will be handled.¡±


    Zane didn¡¯t expect this reaction. He paused for a moment, and has expression became less cordial. Why did Yvette shoot Winona specifically? There must be something more to this that I don¡¯t know about.


    Zane¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°Hello, Mr. Carter. This matter is still under investigation. Since you are a family member of the involved party, you can wait here. If there are no further issues, we should have a resolution within an hour or so.¡±

 Chapter 229

    Robert and Victor were taken aback. Since when did the police work so efficiently? In unison, they eximed, ¡°That fast?¡±


    Zane had no desire to continue talking to these two. He could feel a pair of dagger¨Clike eyes boring into his back. If it wasn¡¯t Jeremiah, it had to be Andrew. His guess was spot on. Andrew¡¯s impatient voice rang out, ¡°What are you dawdling for?¡±


    Robert, seeing Andrew¡¯s hostile attitude, saw an opportunity to stir up trouble. Before he could say anything, Zane turned back and replied in a calm, unbothered tone, I¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    Zane then gave Robert a brief, dismissive nce and walked toward the office without another word. The contrast in their attitudes was stark.


    After Zane left, Robert was left standing there alone, feeling utterly humiliated. ¡°This is so embarrassing, he thought, as the subtle, curious nces from the people around him made his face burn. With nowhere to vent his anger, Robert could only curse Zane inwardly, thinking. That ungrateful jerk.


    In the interrogation room, Norbert noticed that the monitor had been turned off. Remembering what his colleague had said, he gritted his teeth and decided to take a chance. If he didn¡¯t ask now, he might never get another opportunity. The forty¨Cyear¨Cold officer next to him understood his predicament and whispered a few encouraging words, giving him a supportive look. Norbert, feeling a bit embarrassed, turned to Yvette, who was sitting there.


    Norbert cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller, I heard you know some traditional medicine. Is that true!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Yvete lifted her half¨Clidded eyes, her cool gaze shining with a hint of light. She sat in a casual, rxed posture, ncing at Norbert with a nonchnt expression. ¡°Yes, I know a little,¡± she replied.


    Norbert was surprised by her friendly response. He hadn¡¯t expected such a high¨Clevel expert to be so approachable. ¡®No wonder she has the skills to be part of that organization, he thought. ¡®She¡¯s different from those who look down on others. Feeling both honored and nervous, he continued politely, ¡°Ms. Zeller, could you please help me? Last time, you helped L, the old police officer, and he¡¯s now as fit as a fiddle. Even the hospital called it a miracle. I have a personal health issue, and I was wondering if you could check my pulse. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Norbert hesitated, unsure if he should continue. This is kind of awkward, he thought. Yvette is so young, and this is a sensitive topic.


    The forty¨Cyear¨Cold officer, sensing Norbert¡¯s hesitation, quickly jumped in. ¡°Ms. Zeller, Norbert has been struggling with infertility for years. He¡¯s seen many doctors but nothing has worked. His wife is even considering divorce because of this. If you know traditional medicine, could you please help him? How much do you charge for a consultation? Norbert will pay whatever you ask.¡±


    Norbert nodded vigorously. ¡°If you can help me, I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means going bankrupt.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s fingers, which had been tapping lightly, paused for a moment. Her consultation fee was far beyond what he could. afford, even if he went bankrupt. She nced at the two anxious men, her gaze cool and detached. After a brief pause, she said in a t tone. ¡°Extend your hand.¡±


    Hearing this, Norbert, who had been on edge, rolled up his sleeve with the fastest speed he had ever managed and extended his hand. The door to the interrogation room opened again. Yvette paused mid¨Csentence, not even lifting her head, and then continued. She already knew who it was from the sound of the footsteps.


    Add thest two herbs, angelica and ginseng, and simmer them over low heat for six hours. Take one dose in the morning and one in the evening. In half a month, you should see the results you want. Yvette said.


    Norbert was almost in tears. After years of seeking medical help and facing repeated failures, he had be disillusioned. But now, someone was telling him that in just half a month, he could get what he had been hoping for. How could he not be moved? Even the older officer, felt happy for him. As soon as the door opened, both officers quickly sat up straight, trying lookposed, as if they hadn¡¯t just been so emotional, to


    Yvette swiveled her chair to face the door, where Jeremiah stood looking at her. Andrew and Bonnie couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡®Does Yvette look like she¡¯s here for an interrogation? they thought. She¡¯s here to spread the knowledge of traditional medicine.


    Both Andrew and Bonnie were reminded of thest time they had walked into a simr scene. Bonnie looked at Yvette with pure admiration, while Andrew let out a small humph. ¡®If Yvette keeps being this cool, who knows how many more teenage girls like Bonnie will fall for her.¡¯ Andrew thought.


    Jeremiah strode in, and the two police officers automatically chose to be blind; they saw nothing. Jeremiah walked up to Yvette, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds, his eyes as dark as ink. ¡°Are you hurt? Does your hand hurt?¡±


    Yvette leaned back, crossing her legs, lookingpletely at ease No, I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    A slight, mischievous smile tugged at the corner of Jeremiah¡¯s lips. ¡°Do you really want to kill Winona? I can do it for you. No need to dirty your hands.¡±


    Andrew coughed, thinking. Is it really appropriate for these two to discuss murder so casually? Shouldn¡¯t they be having this conversation somewhere private? The two police officers both slowed their breathing, exchanging a quick nce. ¡®Did you hear that? I didn¡¯t hear anything. Oh, me neither. They then simultaneously lowered their heads.


    Bonnie, hearing this, showed no reaction. She scratched her head, as if anything happening between Yve and Jeremiah was normal. Even if they one day imed to be aliens, she wouldn¡¯t and it strange.


    Meanwhile Zane had alreadymunicated with his superiors and was now waiting for a call from the organization. In his office, he was fidgeting, his eyes fixed on the phone. He nced at his watch; only ten minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Just as he was about to take a sip of water to calm his nerves, the phone rang.


    He quickly put down the cup and answered, ¡°Hello, this is Zane


    ¡°Hello, this is Jonas Elmore, came the voice on the other end.


    Zane¡¯s hand trembled as he held the phone. He never expected to receive a call directly from Jonas, the deputy chief of the Betrico Police Station Jonas got straight to the point, ¡°Mr. Chappell, we have verified the ID number and copies you sent over with Interpol Headquarters. The ID is genuine. Interpol Headquarters confirmed that the identity of the ID holder is ssified at the highest level and cannot be disclosed. They only told us that we must fully cooperate with this person, no matter what. As for the incident involving the public disy of a firearm, it¡¯s not a significant issue. Were there any casualties?¡±


    Zane took a deep breath, his mind reeling. ¡®Is Yvette really an Interpol officer? What does it mean that her identity is ssified at the highest level? He couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom the implications; this was far beyond his level of authority. ¡°Hello, Mr. Elmore. There were no casualties in this incident. Just one woman who fainted from shock, but nothing serious. I will handle it on my end.¡±


    Jonas asked a few more questions about the incident, and Zane reported everything in detail. As they were about to end the call, Jonas paused for a moment and spoke earnestly, ¡°Zane, do not offend the owner of this ID. A top¨Csecret identity like this suggests she might be more than just an Interpol officer. Our country needs such talent. If possible, we should try to keep her within the country.¡±


    Zane thought of Jeremiah. He really wanted to tell Jonas, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, she is the future family member of Mr. Jase Chavez. Do you think she would leave? But he decided against it. This is not something I should say.¡±

 Chapter 230

    After hanging up the phone, Zane stood silently for a few minutes before finally heading out.


    In the interrogation room, the two police officers gave up.


    Who they were faced were a girl with an Interpol badge and Chisia¡¯s youngest major general. These two big shots could probably turn Seacrity upside down easily.


    Zane pushed open the interrogation room door and walked inside. When he saw the people in the interrogation room, his gaze became more intense.


    Except for the ordinary girl next to Yvette, Jeremiah, Yvette, and Andrew were not simple.


    Zane approached the table and put the ck badge on it with both hands.


    He felt truly conflicted when facing Yvette. A world-renowned mysterious artist suddenly became an Interpol agent? Her identity is top secret, known only to those with the highest clearance. What kind of background does she have?


    Zane carefully considered his words before speaking. ¡°Ms. Zellen we¡¯ve confirmed everything with the authorities. There is no problenrabout your identity. Although your clearance level is so high that Interpol won¡¯t disclose much more, it¡¯s sufficient to verify who you are. We¡¯ll take care of the incident from here. You¡¯re free to leave now,¡±


    Andrew, standing aside, didn¡¯t see the words on the ck badge and thought Jeremiah stepped in to protect Yvette, But ording to Zane¡¯s words, that is not the case at all. Interpol? It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t keep things to himself and directly asked Zane, ¡°Interpol? What¡¯s that got to do with Yvette?¡±


    Zane nced at Jeremiah before answering Andrew, ¡°Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Zeller is a member of Interpol.¡±


    Andrew was taken aback. His mouth dropped open in disbelief. He noticed Yvette¡¯s nk expression, which didn¡¯t look like someone directly involved in the matter. ¡®Yvette works for Interpol? Could anything be more exciting than this? Man,paring yourself to others can really drive you crazy! It¡¯s understandable for a big shot to associate with another big shot.


    Andrew had always heard about Interpol from his dad which was outstanding and mysterious.


    And now, someone from that organization was casually lounging here, chin resting on her hand, lookingpletely. indifferent


    It was truly eye-opening for him.


    Bonnie tugged on Andrew¡¯s sleeve, bringing him back to reality. What¡¯s going on? Interpol? Is that the same Interpol we see on TV?¡± Bonnie¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity and admiration.


    Andrew nodded without exining further.


    In reality, that organization was much more powerful than what was shown on TV. Moreover, Interpol wasn¡¯t just full of excellent officers, as the general public believed.


    In reality, it was a hub for elite talents from around the world. Each member was a prominent figure in their own field, with being a cop actually being the most basic position there.


    Yvette tucked her legs back, showing no reaction to Andrew¡¯s words.


    She tilted her head slightly, her eyes half-closed and her posture rxed. Her delicate features were both captivating and elusive, with her bright eyes staring directly at Jeremiah. Her voice was low and husky. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± she said.


    Jeremiah took her hand and said, ¡°Tve already ordered the barbecue. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly


    Andrew patted Zane on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, buddy, are youing with us?¡±


    Zane shook his head. ¡°No thanks, Mr. Chavez, Mr. Mitchell, enjoy your meal.¡± Then he lowered his head and signed.


    As a struggling worker, he still had to stay at the police station to take care of further tasks. Back at the office, there were the troublesome Carters to deal with.


    Zane remembered Robert¡¯s earlier expression and thought, ¡®It is clear he came with ill intentions, but he is destined to leave empty-handed. With Ms. Zeller¡¯s status, who would dare to act against her? Besides, Ms. Zeller is Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend. Even the Betrico police station asked me to keep her protected. Who do the Carter family think they are?¡±


    In the waiting room of the police station, Robert was getting more and more frustrated, feeling his anger bottled up and could only vent at Victor. ¡°Victor, go find out what¡¯s happening. Why has Zane been in there for so long with no updates?¡±


    Victor sat on the bench, looking up at Robert with intense eyes Dad, aren¡¯t you being a bit too concerned about Winona¡¯s matters?¡±


    Robert felt a sudden jolt in his heart, realizing that he seemed a bit too anxious. He awkwardly avoided making eye contact with Victor, his voicecking confidence as he blurted out, ¡°Aren¡¯t I doing this for you? Winona is carrying your child. What if something goes wrong? Your mom has been wanting a grandchild for so long, and we can¡¯t have any issues with Winona¡¯s baby. I am standing up for both of you, and you¡¯re still criticizing me?¡±


    Victor half-closed his eyes, utterly disappointed. ¡®He always managed to keep his hands clean.¡±


    After a few minutes of silence, Victor finally spoke, but only said four words. ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    Feeling guilty, Roberi kept quiet, not daring to say anything else.


    At that moment, the door to the interrogation room swung open.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Two officers came out first, with big smiles on their faces, followed by Yvette, Jeremiah, Andrew, and Bonnie, with Zane apanying them.


    When Victor saw Yvette and Jeremiah next to her, a wave of deep regret washed over him.


    He had been such a fool before. If he hadn¡¯t called off the engagement, he would still be Yvette¡¯s fianc¨¦. But now, it was all toote.


    Bonnie walked up to Yvette and whispered something to her, pointing towards Robert.


    Yvette gave Robert and Victor a cool nce.


    Her elegant brows slightly arched as she casually slipped one hand into her pocket, showing a rebellious charm. She just ignored them.


    Zane watched as Yvette and the others got into the car and drove away before he turned back towards Robert and Victor.


    After everyone left, Robert¡¯s courage increased.


    He assumed it was Jeremiah¡¯s influence that Yvette could leave after she brandished a gun in public.


    But now Jeremiah was no longer here. Ovee with frustration, Robert immediately stormed over to Zane, using him recklessly, ¡°Mr. Chappell, how could you be so biased? How could Yvette just waltz out of here after waving a gun in public? What exactly is going on with that?¡±


    Victor looked at Robert, who was furious and making a scene, and let out a mockingugh. While Mr. Chavez was present, he didn¡¯t dare utter a word. Now that he¡¯s gone, Robert is taking out his anger? Where did he get the courage?


    Everyone in the police station watched Robert and Victor.


    Victor gave a fake smile. ¡°Mr. Robert, this is the police station. Our investigations are always fair and just. You wanted to know the result of the gun incident? Well, the verdict is out. Yvette has been acquitted and released, and the matter is concluded.¡±


    Robert stared at Victor in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. How could such a serious issue be dismissed so easily? How is that possible? This is outrageous. How influential Jeremiah really is? First Wyatt, and now even Zane, the police station chief, is showing him such respect.


    Even Victor found it a bit unbelievable to easily.


    In the country, if people openly carried a gun, they should be facing years in prison. Cases shouldn¡¯t be closed so


    The father and son fell into a mutual silence, and they both looked shocked.


    Robert, not willing to give up, wanted to use his connections to put pressure on Zane. ¡°Mr. Chappell, the Carter family has connections at the top. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll report you for openly defending Yvette?¡±


    Zane looked at Robert with a mysterious smile, leaving Robert utterly puzzled.

 Chapter 231

    ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re unhappy with the oue, feel free to report it wherever you want. But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. The Carter family didn¡¯t achieve its status easily, so don¡¯t end up shooting yourself in the foot. If something really goes wrong, it¡¯ll be toote for regrets!¡± After speaking, Zane left without looking back. If some people were determined to get themselves into trouble, no one could stop them.


    Robert stood bewildered, watching Zane leave just like that.


    At that moment. Victor¡¯s phone started ringing in his pocket.


    He picked it up immediately, and then he nodded repeatedly, saying ¡°Okay, I got it, Grandpa. Dad and I will head back right


    away.


    Victor hung up and looked at Robert. Grandpa wants us home, and Reba is at the old manor too.¡±


    Robert really didn¡¯t want to go back, and he was thinking about running away.


    Victor instantly understood what Robert meant and added, ¡°Grandpa said we must return, or face the consequences of the family rules.


    Robert was at a loss for words, so he just nodded awkwardly. ¡°Then go back to your grandpa first and tell him about this. Our Carter family was insulted by others. If your grandpa finds out, he won¡¯t let it go so easily.¡±


    Victor kept silent. Dad is truly daydreaming. Doesn¡¯t he know what kind of person Grandpa is? Venal. If Grandpa knew how Wyatt and Zane treated Jeremiah and Yvette¡­ He wouldn¡¯t stand up for Winona!


    Yvette waszily slumped in the car¡¯s passenger seat, her eyes downcast. Her longshes cast shadows on her face, making her look distant and cold. Her long legs couldn¡¯t stretch out fully and had to remain bent. Her fingers lightly tapped on her phone.


    It was a ssic game. A game that even ten-year-olds no longer y, yet Yvette had been really into ittely.


    Andrew watched Yvette y the game with a bemused expression. ¡®Isn¡¯t this game a bit too outdated? Could it be that Yvette is no good at ying games? That would be quite amusing¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Uh, Yvette, isn¡¯t this game a bit¡­old-fashioned?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yvette slowly put her phone away, squinting slightly as she tilted her head. ¡°Any problem?¡±


    Andrew hurriedly waved his hands in denial. ¡°No problem at all, absolutely not! Whatever game you y is perfectly fine.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Yvette, pressing his lips together, his eyes deep. A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face. ¡°You like this game so much?¡±


    Yvette turned slightly and lifted her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, just something to pass the time.¡±


    She left the rest unsaid. In fact, she had alreadypleted all the games she was truly interested in.


    When the four of them got to the restaurant, the waiter led them to their seats, and since the dishes were prepared in advance, the food arrived less than two minutes after they sat down.


    Arge table full of barbecue dishes of all sorts left Bonniepletely amazed. ¡°It¡¯s got everything! Creatures that fly, swim, and run. It¡¯s like a feast fromnd, sea, and airt What I had before wasn¡¯t barbecue, it was like eating.


    Jeremiah sat next to Yvette, dealing with the seafood for her and then cing it on her te


    The te in front of Yvette was full of food, and, in contrast, Jerniah¡¯s te was mostly empty except for a few scattered


    08:13 Sa Oct 19


    shrimp


    ¨C


    Yvette paused for a moment, her deep gaze not revealing much on her gorgeous face. But the upward curve of her eyes. suggested she was in a good mood.


    Casually, she picked an oyster from a te and ced it in front of Jeremiah. Her tone was indifferent. ¡°You should eat, too.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hands paused from shelling a crab.


    Even while Jeremiah was peeling shrimp, his defined slender fingers were a pleasing sight.


    His gaze lingered on the oyster on his te.


    Lifting his chin, his eyes full of amusement, he said in a light, slow voice, ¡°One might not be enough.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyes, a bit puzzled, but didn¡¯t say anything. She picked another one from the te for him. ¡°Two.¡±¡±


    Jeremiah nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Yvette heard this and was a bit puzzled. Why is this guy acting so strange all of a sudden?


    Andrew, watching them from the side, was almost bursting withughter. Isn¡¯t this just a ssic case of a straightforward girl and a reserved guy?¡¯ He tried to hold back hisughter.


    Bonnie shifted slightly. ¡®Has this person suddenly lost it?¡± ¡°Why are youughing¡±


    -Jeremiah and Yvette both looked at Andrew.


    Jeremiah shot him a warning nce, while Yvette just gave him nk look.


    Andrew was going through a rebellious phase. He looked at Yvette with a strange expression, trying hard not tough, and said, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re giving Jeremiah oysters¡­¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t understand what Andrew meant by that. She nodded and nced at Jeremiah sideways. ¡°Can¡¯t you cat oystery?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes slowly darkened as he met her clear, bright eyes. He felt a little restless inside. ¡°I can.¡±


    Hearing he could eat them, Yvette didn¡¯t say anything more and continued eating the lobster meat in her bowl.


    Andrew was struggling to hold it back. If Yvette had asked even one more question, he would have definitely blurted it out.


    Jeremiah shot Andrew another look, and Andrew swallowed his words entirely. ¡®Fine¡­ Just let Jeremiah keep his thoughts to himself¡­


    As soon as Robert and Victor walked into the old manor of the Carter family, an ashtray flew right at them


    Victor, being young and quick, dodged out of the way.


    Robert, being less nimble, got hit squarely by the ashtray. With ashes all over him, Roberttet out a loud shout, ¡°Who? Who dares to throw at me?¡±


    ude sat on the sofa with a cane, next to Reba, who was impably dressed in professional attire.


    Both of them had serious expressions, making people feel nervous,


    Victor was the first to greet them respectfully, ¡°Grandpa, Sis.¡±


    Recently, ude was quite satisfied with Victor.


    Victor had finally settled down and was willing to work at thepany, looking more like an heir, so ude didn¡¯t look down on him like before. His attitude to Victor had be much softer. ¡°Come and sit.¡±


    Victor nodded, walked over, and sat quietly beside ude. He was very well-behaved.


    ude turned and saw Robert looking so pitiful, which made him furious. ¡®What did I do to deserve a child like this, who is only good for squandering the family fortune? ¡°It was me. What? Do you think you can hit me back?¡±


    When Robert heard that voice, childhood nightmares rushed back. He quickly shook his head.


    He lowered his head, not daring to look at ude. ¡°No, Dad, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Why did you hit me for no reason?¡±


    Speaking of which, Robert felt somewhat wronged. I haven¡¯t done anything wrongtely, right? Why did Dad start hitting me? That¡¯s just unreasonable.


    ude gripped the cane tightly. His face worn with age and furrowed with anger. His droopy eyes, shaped like an inverted triangle.


    Just seeing ude sit there without saying a word, Robert trembled in fear, too scared to speak.


    Reba smoothly took a pill out of her pocket and gave it to ude, helping him calm down.


    ¡°Grandpa, please don¡¯t get upset. Let¡¯s talk it over calmly. Getting angry won¡¯t solve anything now. We need to think hard about how to remedy this situation and minimize the losses.¡±


    Robert listened,pletely puzzled and confused.


    He never thought much of his daughter Reba. Even when she pleaded for him, he just thought it was fake sympathy.


    But now, in front of ude, Robert didn¡¯t dare make a sound.


    ude spoke after taking his medicine, ¡°Reba, tell him exactly what happened this afternoon. Let this rebellious jerk


    know what he¡¯s done.¡±

 Chapter 232

    Reba looked at Robert, her teeth clenched in frustration. Robert is more of a hindrance than a help, having damaged thepany just to stand up for a woman like Winona


    She was supposed to be in Betrico today but hurried back on a private jet this afternoon.


    Reba stared at Robert, her eyes dimmed with disappointment ¡°Dad, did you and Victor argue with Yvette!¡±


    Robert was taken aback. ¡®How did Reba find out about this?¡¯ He stood there, bewildered.


    Victor sat on the couch, nced up at Reba, and his fingers twitched slightly.


    ¡°Yes, how did you and Grandpa find out about this? Today, Yvette ran into Winona at Skyline za. They got into an argument over a girl, and Yvette was carrying a gun. Winona ended up in the hospital, but she¡¯s okay now. Dad wanted to stand up for Winona, and we ran into Yvette at the police station, but nothing serious happened.¡±


    Reba paused. I told you all a long time ago not to mess with Yvette. Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡± Thinking about all the hard work going to waste made Reba feel like she could kill someone.


    Victor bowed his head. He had almost forgotten about it until Reba brought it up.


    Back when Yvette first started school and Victor had that sh with John, Reba had warned them to avoid Yvette. But they just ignored it.


    Robert still didn¡¯t understand why Reba and Grandpa were so angry. Yvette? She¡¯s just relying on that so-called Mr. Chavez, What¡¯s there to be afraid of? The Carter family isn¡¯t just nobodies. Is there really anything to be that scared of? ude often mingles with the elites from Betrico. I don¡¯t believe that Jeremiah¡¯s influence could really be so overwhelming


    Robert muttered to Reba, ¡°What¡¯s so scared about Yvette?¡±


    Reba¡¯s expression was cold, with no warmth in her eyes. She finally understood that her dad still didn¡¯t realize how serious the situation was ¡°You all know about my n to expand the Carter family business to Betrico, right? I¡¯ve been preparing for a whole year. As soon as I secure the deal for renewable energy, our family can break into Betrico¡¯s high society and secure a ce.¡±


    Reba paused for a moment. At this point, she could barely control her anger.


    Reba spoke each word clearly, and now anyone could hear the anger and frustration in her voice.


    Thanks to that great daughter-inw, Winona, and also your contribution, our Carter family won¡¯t be able to enter Betrico¡¯s businessmunity in our lifetime.¡±


    Victor¡¯s expression shifted slightly at these words, and Robert was equally shocked.


    The living room waspletely silent.


    Victor looked stern because he knew how serious the situation whs. With his sister¡¯s stubborn personality, if she spoke so definitively, it meant that the Carter family¡¯s path was entirely blocked with no more opportunities. Not only had Reba¡¯s year-long nningpletely copsed, but more importantly the Carter family must have offended someone important. Victor struggled to utter a few words, expressing his own doubts. Is this rted to Yvette?¡±


    Reba furrowed and looked up. Her perfect makeup failed to mask the stubborn look on her face, and beneath it was a hint of exhaustion.


    She gritted her teeth. ¡°Yes, within just four hours, all our projects in Betrico fell apart. Even the most important renewable energy project¡­ I was told just half an hour before the signing that they weren¡¯t going to sign. I¡¯ve already discovered that


    94


    two parties went after the Carter family this afternoon. One is Zachary¡¯s benefactor, Howard Yates. And the other.. ver imagined we¡¯d offend her.¡± Reba¡¯s voice was filled with frustration.


    ¡®Did this person strike against the Carter family? It effectively cut off all our future possibilities in Betrico: Robert swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°Who else is involved?¡±


    Reba sighed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s Samantha, the General Commander¡¯s daughter in the Betrico Military District and a legendary figure in the business world. She joined the business scene at sixteen and has a ruthless approach. Even though she¡¯s only twenty-seven, she holds absolute power in Betrico¡¯s business circle. She shut down all my options at once, forcing me to urgently return to Seacrity.¡±


    Victor expressed his suspicion, ¡°Sis, what kind of connection could Samantha and Yvette have?¡±


    Reba sat on the couch, turned her head, and looked at him. It¡¯s no big deal. It has something to do with the girl who fought Winona. Samantha didn¡¯t even bother to send someone with a message for me. Our Carter family hit her future sister-inw. Samantha will not forget this p, and the Carter family can forget about entering the business world of Betrico again,¡±


    Victor repeatedly denied it, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How could a poor schrship student get involved with someone as important as Samantha? Did the rumors get it wrong?¡±


    Reba let out a bitterugh. She also wished the rumors were wrong, but unfortunately, she heard every word clearly and urately.


    A single p from Winona destroyed all the hopes of the Carter family.


    Robert now realized the seriousness of his mistakes.


    He bowed his head deeply and shrank back.


    ude, looking displeased, mmed his cane hard on the ground, which startled Robert.


    He angrily scolded Robert, who lookedpletely defeated, ¡®Are you out of your mind? I already told Reba to tell you all not to anger Yvette. What foolishness have you done for someone like Winona, an orphan from a broken home? Are you determined to drag the Carter family to ruin? Why don¡¯t you just drop dead? What¡¯s the point of you living


    ude had raised Robert with these kinds of scoldings since he was young. In his eyes, even if he ended up beating Robert to death one day, it would be justified.


    Though Reba was utterly disappointed in her father, Robert, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight pang of pity seeing him


    like this.


    Victor didn¡¯t show any reaction. He suddenly remembered what happened with Johnst time and had been upset with Reba for quite a while because of it


    ¡°Sis, why did you insist I apologizest time? Was it because of Yvette? What exactly happened?¡±


    Reba nced at ude, and only after he nodded in agreement did she begin recounting what had happened back then.


    ¡°Yes, it was also because of Yvette. Yvette apparently knew a top-level hacker who breached ourpany¡¯sputers, causing us to lose 160 million dors. If you hadn¡¯t apologized that day, who knows how far things would¡¯ve gone? We could¡¯ve faced unforeseen losses.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Victor felt a bit guilty upon hearing this. It turned out he had wrongly med his sister. Yet, thinking about Yvette¡¯s scarywork of connections back then sent a chill down his spine. ¡®Could a girl who is always carrying a gun in her pocket just be an ordinary person?¡±


    He said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reba


    Reba nodded, rubbing her temples. Things had reached this point, and there was nothing more she could do. She had tried her best.


    ude¡¯s sinister eyes red at Robert and Victor, who were hanging their heads.


    He warned the two of them, ¡°That Winona is nothing but trouble. Are you sure the child¡¯s even Victor¡¯s? The Carter family


    won¡¯t keep her around, especially since we don¡¯t even know her background. As soon as the baby is born, we need a DNA test. If it¡¯s really ours, I¡¯ll take care of raising it myself. I don¡¯t trust any of you.¡±

 Chapter 233

    Victor stood quietly for a moment. With bloodshot eyes, he looked up at Robert.


    After some inner struggle, he silently swallowed the words he wanted to say.


    Robert felt a chill from a nervous sweat down his back and was stunned.


    It seemed that the truth that Winona¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Victor¡¯s, but his was destined to remain a secret forever.


    Otherwise, with ude¡¯s current dislike for Winona, even he might end up in big trouble.


    Victor said, ¡°Grandpa, once Winona has the baby, I¡¯ll personally see her off. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t marry a woman like her. There¡¯s no way she could be the future hostess of the Carter family


    Robert was so flustered that he couldn¡¯t help but stand up for Winona, Victor, let¡¯s discuss thister. She¡¯s carrying your child, after all. Isn¡¯t it too heartless to be so cold!¡±


    Robert¡¯s words made the three others on the couch turn to look at him.


    Even Reba was a little surprised when her dad became so kind-hearted.


    Victor clenched his fists silently, his face showing a fierce expression.


    ude, in anger, grabbed the coffee mug from the table and threw it right at Robert¡¯s head.


    Robert let out a pained cry,pletely losing his cool.


    He clutched his injured, swollen head. ¡°Dad, did I say anything wrong again? Winona¡¯s baby is definitely the child of the Carter family. She¡¯s usually so nice. And Yvette, she¡¯s no angel either, daring to wield a gun in broad daylight. What¡¯s it got to do with Winona? It¡¯s only natural for a pregnant woman to faint from fright, right?¡±


    Even now, Robert was still adamantly ming Yvette and believed she was at fault.


    The gaze of ude darkened slightly when he heard this.


    A chilling gloom took over the murkiness in his eyes.


    He picked up his cane and struck Robert¡¯s leg fiercely.


    He used a lot of force. Robert was hit so hard that he fell to the ground, grimacing in pain.


    ¡°You useless creature, how did I end up with such a worthless child like you? Once Winona has the baby, she must be sent away. Whether she survives or not has nothing to do with our Carter family. Got it? That girl Yvette is so mysterious that she might have a bigger force supporting her. Look at the Smith family-it¡¯s the perfect example. Do you really think the fading Chambers family alone could make the Smith family go bankrupt in just a few days? You¡¯re way too najve I¡¯m sure that Yvette has gotten behind this along with her boyfriend. I¡¯ve already asked my contacts in Betrico-to Took into it. You guess what? As soon as they hear his name, they don¡¯t even dare to respond and just hang up. What does that tell you? It means this man is someone our Carter family can¡¯t even touch.¡±


    Robert and Victor had no idea this was happening.


    Utterly terrified, Robert didn¡¯t dare to speak again.


    He picked himself up from the floor and settled back on the couch. He was dispirited as his face was swollen and his leg was


    hurt.


    ude took a sip of coffee and calmed his breath, his expression icy. The situation is what it is now, Reba. Withdraw our


    ¦°


    Reba nodded and her tense expression slightly eased.


    She replied respectfully, ¡°Sure, Grandpa, give me a week. I¡¯ll handle everything and even personally visit the Mitchell family to apologize.¡±


    ude looked a lot better now and nodded with satisfaction.


    All the effort he had put into mentoring Reba was finally paying off.


    ude thought, In every way, my granddaughter Reba was top-notch. If it weren¡¯t for the drag of Winona, our Carter family would have been a part of the elite circles of Betrico because of her hard work!


    His tone had softened quite a bit. ¡°You must bring a generous gift and personally deliver it, no matter how the Mitchell family reacts. Got it?¡±


    Victor¡¯s eyes were deep and unreadable. He looked at ude and said, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll personally visit Bonnie tomorrow and apologize to her.¡±


    be humble Learning to be humble ude looked at Victor with affection and thought, ¡®My grandson has finally learned isn¡¯t embarrassing. Getting what you want and achieving your goals is more important than anything else.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯ve finally matured. Don¡¯t be like your father, just taking up space.¡±


    Robert¡¯s face turned red because he was criticized by his dad in front of his kids. His dignity waspletely gone.


    Robert suddenly felt a bit of resentment toward ude.


    Jeremiah was making beef pasta he had recently learned for Yvette in the kitchen in the vi.


    It was his first attempt. Everything was organized and he moved at a rxed pace. His tall and straight silhouette looked particrly captivating under the warm yellow lights.


    Yvette had just finished her shower. Her head was covered with a white towel, her features striking and delicate, the oversized T-shirt making her skin perfect.


    In the glowing cool lights, she walked over to the couch, sank into the big sofa, andzily leaned back.


    Her delicate eyebrows arched slightly as she rested her chin on one hand, feeling quite at ease.


    Jeremiah put the steak into the oven and then turned and went to the living room, handing the freshly made lemonade to


    Yvelle,


    Jeremiah took the towel and gently helped her dry her hair. ¡°Drink soute water. It¡¯s just the right temperature.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers wove through Yvette¡¯s hair, their eyes meeting


    Jeremiah was the first to give in, raising an eyebrow with a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, or I might lose control¡±


    Yvette wiggled her tiny toes, a smile on her lips, amusement twinkling in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled,¡± said Yvettezily


    Jeremiah turned off the hairdryer. His eyes were deep and intriguing and grew deeper, which reflected only her image. ¡°Are you a pro driver? You¡¯re pretty fast,¡± said Jeremiah


    Hearing this, Yvette leaned slightly forward, her blue, bright eyes sparkling. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Jeremiah casually pinched her fingers, his expression unchanged, and spoke calmly. ¡°Interpol?¡±


    Yvette paused, her voicezy as she pressed her lips together, her stunning face appearing even more captivating.


    She hummed softly, ¡°Yeah, just casually get a badge.¡±


    A hint of a smile appeared at theters of Jeremiah¡¯s mouth. Looking at Yvette, he said slowly in a soft and light voice, ¡°Yeah, it is pretty good to just casually get a badge


    She casually managed to get a top-secret Interpol badge.


    They didn¡¯t dwell on the issue any longer; some things just didn¡¯t need to be overanalyzed.


    Yvette leisurely finished her beef pasta and set down her fork.


    Turning her head slightly, she looked at Jeremiah, yawning, with a hint of red at the corners of her eyes.


    She politely extended an invitation. ¡°Want to sleep together?¡±


    Jeremiah paused with his hand holding the steak te, nced up, and chuckled deeply and softly.


    His tone was affectionate and indulgent. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll sleep poorly. Go to bed, and I¡¯ll take you to school tomorrow.¡±


    Yvette stood up, a faint smile ying on her lips as she nced at his hand holding the te, and thought, ¡°Oh¡­ he¡¯s putting on quite the show!


    Jeremiah saw her expression, pulled his hand back from the te, and stared at her intently


    ¡°How about going upstairs and sleeping together.¡± Yvette, with one hand in her pocket, waved, amusement flickering in her blue eyes.


    She walked off without looking back, not even a trace of hesitation.


    Jeremiah was left standing there, watching her walk away, his eyes slightly narrowed.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Jeremiah thought, ¡®It was not ok for her to leave after flirting with me¡¯

 Chapter 234

    Robert, bruised and battered, kept muttering on the way back to the Carter residence.


    Victor didn¡¯t want to hear a word and used an excuse to get out of the car and leave.


    In the end, Robert decided not to go back to the Carter residence either.


    Robert thought, Facing Yulia, the nagging wife, was less appealing than visiting Winona at the hospital.


    In Ward 305, the clock on the wall had already struck twelve, but Winona wasn¡¯t asleep yet.


    She stood by the window in her hospital gown, her body still slim except for a slight bulge in her belly.


    Her face was as pale as a ghost. With wide eyes, she stared at the moon, lost in thought.


    Winona thought, ¡®Did Yvette get caught or not?


    Winona couldn¡¯t sleep unless she knew the result.


    Robert mumbled as he pushed the door open.


    Hearing his voice, Winona eagerly looked towards the door. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she said.


    Robert didn¡¯t notice that Winona was standing at the window and was startled by her sudden voice. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Once he realized it was Winona, Robert patted his chest and said in a tone that was slightly off. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you doing?¡±


    Winona quickly changed her expression to look sweet and innogent. ¡°I¡­ how can you yell at me? I was scared all day. Your phone was off! I couldn¡¯t sleep, worrying something happened to you.


    Robert was deeply moved upon hearing her words.


    After being humiliated by ude, Robert regained his confidence with Winona.


    He quickly went forward to hug Winona, and she leaned into his embrace.


    A sinister smile appeared on Winona¡¯s face in ces out of Robert¡¯s sight.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Winona, I¡¯m sorry. I got scolded by ude, and I took it out on you,¡± he exined.


    Winona¡¯s heart sank when she heard ude had gotten involved


    She cautiously asked as she slipped out of Robert¡¯s arms, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did ude call you back? Was Yvette arrested? Is she still at the police station? How could a girl like her have a gun? That¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    There was a touch of hope and a tremble in Winona¡¯s voice, but Robert didn¡¯t notice it,


    Robert knew Winona would ask about it, was momentarily speechless, and didn¡¯t know how to tell her about today¡¯s events After much thought, he finally spoke.


    ¡°Well, Winona, Yvette has been released. Let¡¯s not pursue today¡¯s incident at the mall. How about this: Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to buy some vis in Mysonna? I¡¯ll buy two for you, all under your name, and let¡¯s just put this behind us. Besides, the baby in your belly is fine.¡±


    Winona instinctively stepped back two steps. Her face was clearly filled with anger. She was trembling with anger, as if deeply wronged, and tears welled up in her eyes but wouldn¡¯t fall. She wanted to say something but chose to remain silent.


    Seeing this broke Robert¡¯s heart, yet he felt helpless.


    Even ude couldn¡¯t do anything about Yvette, let alone him, a person without any real power.


    Besides, the p Winona yed had undone years of hard work of the Carter family.


    If it weren¡¯t for the child in her belly, ude and Reba wouldn¡¯t have let her go.


    ¦°


    ¡°W-what are you saying? How could that be? Yvette pulled a gun in front of everyone and wanted to kill me. How could she just walk away like nothing has happened? Is it because that guy Jeremiah stood up for her and the Carter family just let it


    for me?¡± slide? I¡¯m going to deliver a baby for your family, and you¡¯re not going to do anything? Aren¡¯t you going to stand up demanded Winona.


    Robert exined patiently, ¡°Winona, this is reallyplicated. Yvette is not a straightforward girl. As for Jeremiah, his background is even more mysterious. Let me be honest with you, the Carter family really can¡¯t mess with these two people. Do you even know the background of the girl you hit?¡±


    Winona was taken aback, she looked at Robert, not understanding what he meant. ¡°The girl that I hit is Bonnie; what kind of background could she have? She¡¯s just a poor student.¡±


    Robert gave a bitter smile, looking at Winona, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. ¡°Are you sure that girl, Bonnie, you hit doesn¡¯t have any background? She has a big background and is going to be the future daughter-inw of the Mitchell family in Betrico. Do you know the Mitchell family? They¡¯re the most well-established family in the high society of Betrico, way beyond the Carter family. Plus, let me tell you, the head of the Mitchell family is the deputymander of Betrico military district. You hit their future daughter-inw, and because of that, they¡¯ve ruined ude¡¯s ns to expand into Betrico. If it weren¡¯t for the baby you are carrying. I¡¯m afraid he would have killed you now. I know my father too well, Winona. If you want to deliver this baby, you¡¯d better stay out of trouble.¡±


    Winona was shocked and stood there frozen and stunned.


    Her body couldn¡¯t stop trembling as if her blood had turned cold; her face waspletely drained of color.


    Winona really did not know Bonnie was keeping her true self hidden.


    Winona thought, ¡®How could she who didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend suddenly be the daughter-inw of the Mitchell family in Betrico?


    Robert hadn¡¯t told Winona about ude¡¯s n to get rid of her after she delivered the baby because he intended to keep her secretly hidden by sending her to Mysonna


    Winona took a deep breath and gradually calmed down.


    She knew she had no one to rely on now except for Robert and Victor.


    Winona thought, Lately, Victor had been acting strange. At first, he was thrilled when he found out I was pregnant, but now he was bing more and more impatient with me. So my biggest support was still Robert and I couldn¡¯t afford to lose


    him


    As for Yvette, Winona was really scared of her. Winona thought, If firing a gun in public was brushed off so lightly, what else did Yvette have to fear?


    But Winona wouldn¡¯t give up any opportunity.


    Winona thought, ¡®Every dog has its day. If I¡¯m epted by the Carter family, I will have the leverage to stand up to Yvette! Thinking of this, Winona suddenly felt excited. She nced at Robert and thought, ¡®What if ude, Victor, Reba, and¡­the entire Carter family were wiped out?


    The child in my belly is the only legal heir. After I give birth to this child, Yulia, a loser, has to let ne y around if only she


    loses her husband, her son and, her daughter. Yeah¡­ as long as the Carter family is finished¡­


    This wild idea took root in Winona¡¯s mind and wouldn¡¯t fade.


    She steadied herself and lowered her stance, appearing fragile and gentle.


    ¡°I get it and won¡¯t say anything more. Don¡¯t worry about it. Please plead with ude for me. I¡¯ll give birth to this child to carry on the Carter family name and will stay at home and not go out,¡± said Winona.


    When Robert saw Winona¡¯s ¡°aggrieved¡¯ expression, he quickly spoke to make up for his hasty words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. Winona. I¡¯ll open an ount for you with 15 million dors. Buy whatever you like. I know handbags are your favorite and get them all,¡± said Robert.


    Winona lowered her head, silently crying.


    Hearing this, she gave a small smile that quickly disappeared.


    Winona thought, ¡°Since I couldn¡¯t use this to set up Yvette anymore, I might as well take advantage of the situation to get something out of it.


    Winona was very good at handling a guy like Robert.


    Winona thought, ¡®He would follow my instructions as long as I do a little trickery on my part, right?¡¯


    Winona now had a new n. First, she would take over the Carter family and then go after Yvette.

 Chapter 235

    The next morning, Jeremiah dropped Yvette off at the school entrance and then drove away to the market. Inside the car, Jeremiah picked up the phone.


    The caller was Bruce. Given the jetg between Seacrity and Mysonna, it was night in Mysonna. ¡°Mr. Chavez, greeted Bruce.


    Jeremiah replied in a low voice, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bruce¡¯s voice carried a hint of seriousness. ¡°Mr. Chavez, someone with significant influence was looking into your information a few days ago, even using hackers. However, we intercepted them quickly, and they couldn¡¯t uncover anything important. Our hackers did a counter-investigation and tracked the IP address to the Goodman family residence, where Braydon was currently living. It was likely that Braydon himself is the one investigating you.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze sharpened, and after a few seconds of silence, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± asked Jeremiah.


    Bruce paused for a moment as he wasn¡¯t sure of it either.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, I think it¡¯s because of Yvette. After she left, Frankie told us that Nathan had visited our vi to bother Yvette¡¯s friend Sienna. Then..


    Jeremiah frowned, his expression bing even colder. ¡°Go on he urged


    Bruce continued, ¡°Yvette then shot Nathan. ording to Frankie¡¯s description, though Nathan was furious, he didn¡¯t show any disrespect toward Yvette. His words carried a hint of familiarity and fear. This is suspicious that Nathan, a person with his status, is afraid of Yvette?¡±


    Jeremiah pursed his lips, his voice deep and serious. ¡°Yvette has another identity, an Interpol agent.¡±


    Bruce struggled to hold onto his phone and took a deep breath, trying to sound calmer. ¡°Mr. Chavez, are you saying Yvette is an Interpol agent?¡±


    Jeremiah replied without hesitation, ¡°Yes, something happened yesterday, and she couldn¡¯t keep it hidden anymore; her cover was blown.¡±


    Bruce felt like he¡¯d been shocked too many times because of Yvette and would be scared to death if there were any more such surprises.


    Bruce thought, ¡®How many identities does she have that I don¡¯t know?


    ¡°Now she has been revealed as an Interpol agent. I knew exactly how high the standards were for that organization.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez¡¯s choice of women is definitely not ordinary, and I ampletely convinced.


    ¡°Of course, a big shot¡¯s woman is also a big shot. There is nothing wrong with it.


    Bruce asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, could it be that Yvette had some involvement with the Goodman family during her time at Interpol and Nathan is cautious of her because of that? As for Braydon, we still don¡¯t know-why he¡¯s investigating you.¡±


    Jeremiah frowned, his voice cold, and said, ¡°Get the Goodman family busy with something so they can¡¯t focus on us. I¡¯ll be heading to Mysonna soon.¡±


    Bruce nodded. ¡°Got it. Mr. Chavez. I¡¯ll take care of it. The Goodman family is currently expanding into water transport. I¡¯ll focus on that to keep them distracted for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, reveal a bit of my identity to them. I want to see what the Goodman family ns to do,¡± said Jeremiah.


    Bruce paused for a moment, immediately understanding Mr. Chavez¡¯s intention.


    18


    Bruce thought. It is more interesting to trap someone like catching a turtle in a jar.


    This is Mr. Chavez¡¯s strategy. He would never just stand there waiting passively.


    ¡®Mr. Chavez doesn¡¯t make a move often, but when he does, it is urate, ruthless, and strikes the enemy right in the heart. It has always been like that.


    The Goodman family could have ruled the underground of Mysonna peacefully, yet they chose to provoke Mr. Chavez. If someone is set on a path to their doom, no one can stop them.


    ¡°Alright, got it, Mr. Chavez. I¡¯ll willingly leak some information to the Goodman family,¡± replied Bruce.


    The two were about to hang up, Frankie had just returned from outside and overheard Bruce on the phone with Jeremiah. He insisted on saying a few words


    Bruce handed the phone to him. Frankie paid apliment to Jeremiah and then immediately asked about Yvette.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, how¡¯s Yvette? I feel that life here is dull without her back in Mysonna Sienna¡¯s child is gone now and Sienna is in the hospital. Could you tell Yvette that we¡¯ll head over to Clusia to visit her once Sienna is well? Mwah, mwah!¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand paused on the steering wheel, his blue eyes became even deeper. ¡°Who are you blowing kisses to?¡±


    Frankie immediately denied it, knowing he couldn¡¯t mess with Mr. Chavez, who was notoriously jealous.


    His voice was filled with as much sincerity as he could muster. ¡°Mr. Chavez, I swear, those kisses are just a figure of speech and just an expression!¡±


    Jeremiah smirked. ¡°Okay, give the phone to Bruce.¡±


    Frankie felt a bit uneasy as he reluctantly handed the phone to Bruce.


    Bruce took the phone back and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez. They hung up after Jeremiah said just one thing.


    Curious, Frankie asked, ¡°What did Mr. Chavez say?¡±


    Bruce gave Frankie a sympathetic look.


    Pausing for a moment, Bruce said, ¡°Mr. Chavez said you¡¯re heading to Afria tomorrow and you will be in charge of the new gold mine.¡±


    After saying that, he patted the dumbfounded Frankie on the back, grinning with mischief. I don¡¯t think you dare say ¡®mwah mwah anymore. Now you¡¯re off to Afria to blow kisses with the locals there. It serves you night for running your mouth. I¡¯m booking your flight. Should I arrange a private jet to speed things up for you?¡±


    Frankie had a mournful expression. ¡°Get lost! Is this how you treat a brother? Come on, help me talk to Mr. Chavez. I really don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    Bruce shook his head. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    Frankie sighed, feeling defeated. He knew it was impossible too. Mr. Chavez¡¯s decisions were never reversed.


    After the call ended, Jeremiah drove to the market.


    Jeremiah thought. This morning, Yvette mentioned she wanted to eat fried chicken wings. I should fulfill her wish When Yvette returned to school, rumors had already spread through the grapevine.


    The forums had been especially lively these days. As soon as she entered the school, various candid photos of her were uploaded


    Yvette first reported to Tobias and then headed straight to Simon¡¯s office.


    At the entrance of the Principal¡¯s office, she knocked gently. ¡°Hello, Simon, I¡¯m Yvette.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The door was immediately opened. Simon stood inside with a weing smile.


    He had been waiting in his office since early morning, and theputer screen still showed the page he hadn¡¯t closed yet.


    Apex Urban University forum was disying a student¡¯s candid photo of Yvette entering the school gates, which was zoomed in


    Yvette walked in and nced briefly, her gaze lingering for a few seconds.


    Simon looked visibly ufortable and thought, Tm afraid that she would think me a creep if I don¡¯t make an exnation


    Feeling awkward, he rubbed his nose. ¡°Well, you know, I have applied a new username recently and have been browsing around. I happened to see this. What a coincidence. Heughed.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Simon, your username is pretty trendy,¡± said she in a soft and slow voice.


    Yvette sat down on the couch after she finished speaking, noticing the snacks prepared on the table..


    He had gotten some new kinds and there were also a few bags of well-known spicy snacks.


    Hearing this, Simon¡¯s face flushed when he thought about the username he¡¯d chosen-The Protector of Ms. Zeller.


    This all started because someone on a forum criticized Yvette, and he couldn¡¯t take it and defended her.


    A student asked him if he was a fan and wanted to join the Protector Group.


    He thought it sounded okay and joined, but then he was caught up in it, as joining the group meant changing his username,


    He spent two nights pondering that username and even got a few gray hairs.


    Simon calmly walked over to turn off theputer and then casually sat down across from Yveue.


    This was a ssic case of ¡°If I¡¯m not embarrassed, then others are¡±

 Chapter 236

    Simon pointed to the spicy snacks on the table. ¡°I asked Tobias about these. He said you young folks all love them.¡±


    Yvette turned her face slightly, paused for a few seconds, and then spoke slowly. Tve never tried them before.¡±


    Simon was taken aback, feeling a bit disappointed. It seemed like he had bought the wrong thing as Yvette wasn¡¯t fond of it.


    Yvette gave him a brief nce, her expression as calm and indifferent as always, paused for a few seconds, and said, ¡°I guess 1 might like it.¡±


    Simon¡¯s old face lit up with joy, though he looked a bit awkward


    Yvette lowered her gaze and gently rubbed the rim of the cup with her fingers. She wondered, ¡®Should I not say that?¡±


    Simon had a serious reason for finding Yvette. Recalling the instructions from Betrico, he quickly straightened his posture.


    His tone became more serious and his face turned serious


    Looking at Yvette, he said, ¡°James from the physicsb in Betrico invited you to attend the new energy conference there to witness this important moment personally. After all, without your involvement, this breakthrough wouldn¡¯t have happened so quickly. James sincerely hopes you¡¯ll consider this offer carefully.¡±


    Yvette pressed her lips together and looked up at Simon, her eyes calm. ¡°No,¡± she replied.


    Simon paused slightly and thought, ¡°Is she really turning down such a great opportunity? If it were anyone else, they would probably be ecstatic. This is an once-in-a-lifetime chance!


    But then, thinking about Yvette¡¯s other identity, Cyanbird, he could somewhat understand.


    Simon thought, ¡®If she were the kind to crave attention, just this one identity would have attracted many people to curry favor with her


    He picked up his coffee mug and took a sip. After contemting for a few seconds, he spoke again and his tone was even more earnest than before. ¡°You know James has been working on this new energy project for many years. Your sudden involvement gave him a fresh direction, allowing it to bepleted sessfully in just a few months. You¡¯ve made a major contribution. Are you going to give up this credit?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Yvette tore open a bag of chips without lifting her head, her tone indifferent, showing no concern. ¡°Yeah,¡± she hummed.


    Simon had already figured it out for he knew Yvette¡¯s personality. ¡°Is it troublesome for you?¡±


    Yvette raised her eyes to look at him, as calm as always. ¡°Yes, I think it is troublesome.¡±


    Simon¡¯s hand holding the cup of coffee paused. ¡°I have guessed that is it. That¡¯s why James raised another idea. You can go without showing your face. Your name should be included in the research results and you can use ¡°S¡± as a-code name. Does that work?¡±


    Yvette leaned backzily and asked sofily, ¡°Have you already agreed on this?¡±


    Simon nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes, James suggested this method. He sincerely hopes you will think about this suggestion carefully.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s delicate eyebrows rose slightly, a hint of annoyance on her face.


    Afraid she might get upset, Simon quickly added. ¡°James has no intention of pressuring you. If you don¡¯t want to go to Betrico, then it¡¯s fine and it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    0814 Sat, Oct 19


    Yvette half-closed her eyes, a deep darkness in them, and the tension around her eased a bit. ¡°Time and ce.¡±


    Simon jumped up excitedly to take out the invitation in the drawer and ced it in front of Yvette on her desk.


    994%ˆD


    ¡°This is the invitation for theunch event. The time and ce are included. Do you need someone to meet you when you arrive in Betrico?¡± asked Simon.


    Yvette looked up, turning her head slightly towards Simon, her voice cool. ¡°No, thanks¡±


    Simon nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Simon thought. Yvette was Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend. Once she got to Betrico, Mr. Chavez¡¯s territory, there was no need for me to arrange any pickup service!


    Before leaving, Yvette paused at the doorway and gave Simon a half-smile. Her eyebrows were slightly raised and her voice was soft and slow. ¡°Change the username as it doesn¡¯t sound nice


    Simon was taken aback and his face flushed. Being denied by her was really embarrassing.


    Simon thought, ¡®Change it to what?¡±


    He decided to leave this kind of thing for Tobias to think over. It was too challenging for someone with a science background like him.


    Simon coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and thought, ¡°Passing the buck to Tobias is just right; after all, nephews are meant for things like this, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°That username was Tobias¡¯s idea. I told him long ago not to use it, but he insisted. I¡¯ll make him change it soon. Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Simon.


    Yvette kept a neutral expression, gave a polite nod, and then left the Principal¡¯s office.


    As she was leaving, she happened to run into Patrick, who was there to deliver something to Simon.


    Patrick intended to give Yvette the cold shoulder, trying to act superior, but she walked right past him without even ncing


    up.


    Patrick was so angry that he stomped his feet in frustration. But, he was unable to do anything about it.


    Passing students noticed it, took photos, and uploaded them to the forum, which caused teasing among the Apex Urban University students.


    Everyone was specting that Patrick might be mentally unstable.


    When Patrick saw the forum, he was enraged. He hated Yvette even more but couldn¡¯t find any chance to get back at her, so he just fumed internally.


    In the physics ssroom, Bonnie was discussing a physics problem with John.


    Just then, a ssmate came in and told Bonnie that someone wanted to talk with her


    Not thinking much of it, Bonnie stepped out and saw Victor hanging around the door, looking around. ¡°Here, here,¡± said


    Victor.


    Seeing Victor approach, Bonnie quickly stepped back, staying alert, and put on a guarded expression.


    Bonnie thought. Is Victor the person who wants to talk with me? As a fox saying Happy New Year to a hen, it is up to no good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Were you the one wanting to talk with me?¡± asked Bonnie.


    In the hallway, people were passing by, asionally ncing at them.


    Passers-by thought, ¡®How could they who have nothing inmon be chatting together?


    Victor was a famous figure at the school, so naturally, he attracted quite a bit of attention.


    Victor stared intently at Bonnie for what seemed like ages, making her so uneasy that it sent a chill down her spine.


    After a while, Victor bowed deeply right in front of all the students in the hallway, directing it straight at Bonnie.


    This gesture left everyone stunned, their jaws dropping in shock


    Even Bonnie was so frightened by Victor¡¯s odd behavior that she stepped back twice.


    Victor lifted his head and spoke seriously to Bonnie, Tm sorry. Everything that happened yesterday was Winona¡¯s fault. Please forgive the Carter family. I¡¯ll do anything you order if you could just forgive us


    Bonnie looked at Victor, horrified, and blurted out, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Winona was acting like a lunatic yesterday, causing trouble for me, and now you¡¯re here apologizing to me? What are you two up to?¡±


    Victor¡¯s gaze deepened, his fists clenched tight. He struggled with himself for a long time before he finally said. T¡¯m really sorry, Bonnie. Please forgive the Carter family. Otherwise, should I get on my knees for you?¡±


    Once again, everyone in the hallway waspletely stunned and thought, ¡®Is this the same Victor, the once invincible bully. who ruled the school? Is he really about to kneel to Bonnie? Are we dreaming?¡±


    The people in the hallway nced at each other, sharing the same doubt in their eyes.


    The long corridor was as silent as a grave.


    Victor saw Bonnie standing there without speaking and thought she truly wanted him to go through with it.

 Chapter 237

    Victor clenched his teeth and slowly bent his knees, about to kneel before Bonnie.


    This action snapped Bonnie out of her daze. Bonnie thought, ¡®What is going on?


    She quickly stepped back and thought. If he has to kneel, it shouldn¡¯t be to me, right? I am afraid it might jinx my luck or something!


    ¡°Hey, Victor, what kind of act are you putting on here? Do you really think I¡¯m that naive? Do you think I can¡¯t see that you¡¯re doing this in front of everyone to push me to forgive Winsona? Stop with the moral pressure; I¡¯m not buying it. If you sincerely want to apologize, talk to me in private, but not stage it in public.¡± Bonnie smiled slightly, but her words left Victorpletely embarrassed.


    He thought Bonnie was just a simple-minded girl who would certainly forgive the Carter family if he acted pitiful.


    With so many people watching, he assumed she would back down for her reputation. To his surprise, she spoke openly about what he really thought.


    Victor was half-bent. He had no choice but to stand up again, keeping the act up to the end, only able to grit his teeth and continue speaking.


    ¡°Bonnie, you¡¯ve gotten it all wrong. I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I thought being more formal would make it easier for you to ept. I really don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡±


    Bonnie straightened her back and gave a cold snort.


    She wasn¡¯t the smartest, but that didn¡¯t mean she was dumb.


    Bonnie thought, Victor is clearly trying to guilt me, but no way, In the past, maybe I would¡¯ve given in, but not now.¡±


    Ever since she became friends with Yve, she realized something important: you couldn¡¯t live your life worrying too much about what others thought or you would wear yourself out. So now, Victor¡¯s tricks wouldn¡¯t work on her anymore.


    ¡°Let me tell you something, Victor. I¡¯m someone who clearly knows what¡¯s right and wrong. It was Winona who acted yesterday, and I¡¯ve already pped her twice to settle it. What¡¯s it got to do with your Carter family? It¡¯s ridiculous. If you¡¯re having trouble thinking straight, maybe you should visit a mental clinic,¡¯ said Bonnie, who said thest sentence with the utmost sincerity.


    Bonnie thought, ¡®Hees here like a lunatic, apologizing and asking for my forgiveness None of these makes sense. The only exnation is that Victor must have something wrong with his mind


    Victor was momentarily at a loss for words but also felt much more relieved. He took a nce at Bonnie¡¯s unfriendly expression.


    He really didn¡¯t expect her to be so secretive and had connections with the Mitchell family in Betrico. It was like she had been hiding in in sight all along.


    Victor said, ¡°So, Bonnie, does this mean you¡¯ve forgiven me? If so, please tell your fiance¡¯s sister to back off and stop targeting the Carter family. We have realized that we were wrong


    The crowd went wild upon hearing this; most of them were students from the physics department.


    Some of Bonnie¡¯s friends started shouting out, ¡°Bonnie, you didn¡¯t mention having a fianc¨¦. That¡¯s not cool!*


    ¡°Yeah, Bonnie, who is your fianc¨¦? Does he also attend our school? Do we know him?¡±


    ¡°No way, Bonnie. There are few girls in the physics department. Are you taken too? That¡¯s way too soon!¡±


    ¡°Bonnie, when¡¯s the wedding? You can¡¯t secretly get married without telling us. You have to let us know!¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s face turnedpletely red from embarrassment as everyone teased her.


    Bonnie thought, What a mess! Where does this fianc¨¦e from? Victor must be here just to ruin my reputation¡±


    Bonnie marched up and kicked Victor. ¡°Hey, you jerk! Where does this fianc¨¦e from? Are you out of your mind? If there¡¯s something wrong with you. Go to see a doctor and stop ndering me here!¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s agitated reaction made Victor doubt.


    Victor thought, ¡®It must be true or she would not get so angry. But why did Samantha say that Bonnie is her sister-inw?¡±


    At the same time, Andrew was on the phone with Samantha in the physics ssroom on the same floor.


    ¡°Got it. Samantha. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m serious this time. You know how stubborn Arnold is-if I dare to mess around with Bonnie, he¡¯d kill me.¡±


    Samantha sat in the office flipping through the paperwork that had just been delivered today, listening to Andrew¡¯s earnest


    assurance.


    She paused for a moment and sighed helplessly.


    Samantha thought, ¡°My younger brother Andrew is always so yful. For so many years, he had just been drifting without a thought for his future. He refuses to join the army and it makes Arnold furious every time. If Andrew hadn¡¯t followed Mr. Chavez, my dad would have already gone to Seacrity to bring him back.¡±


    While signing the documents, Samantha said, ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re certain this time. I thought it was something major when you suddenly called me yesterday to take action against the Carter family from Seacrity. Is it settled now? Do you need me to step in again? Remember, I taught you to deal with enemies by removing the problem at its root and showing no mercy. Otherwise, you would never know when they mighte back to bite you. Do you get what I mean?¡±


    Andrew took a moment to clean his ear and thought, ¡°My sister Samantha is well known as the Rose of Betrico. No one dares to mess with us. If one messes with my sister, she would really make things tough for them.


    Andrew thought, The Mitchell family is like this; my sister Samantha is exceptionally rational ever since she was young. Without her unwavering determination, the Mitchell family wouldn¡¯t have be the leadingpany in the industry.¡± ¡°Samantha, don¡¯t worry. The Carter family isn¡¯t worth your attention. They won¡¯t dare to do anything. I have to go now. Talk to youter. Bye, my dear, beautiful, and endlessly charming fairy sister!¡± said Andrew.


    Samantha couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Okay, I bought the horse riding arena in the outskirts of Betrico that you like. We¡¯ll handle the paperwork to transfer it to your name once you¡¯re back¡±


    Andrew felt cheerful after chatting with Samantha for a bit. He decided to find Bonnie to share his good mood.


    Andrew wondered, ¡®Does she like riding horses? That clumsy girl might not be into it, but that¡¯s okay. If she¡¯s interested, I can teach her slowly; I have plenty of time anyway.¡¯


    When Andrew got to the floor of the physics ssroom, he saw arge crowd gathered ahead.


    He didn¡¯t think much of it until he saw Bonnie kick Victor. Their eyes happened to meet when she turned around.


    Bonnie¡¯s face turned red with anger.


    Andrew quickly stepped out of the crowd as he thought she was being bullied.


    08:14 Sat, Oc


    With a chill in his tone, he went up to Bonnie and asked quietly What¡¯s wrong? Did he upset you?¡±


    K894%±¸


    Bonnie was startled as she looked at Andrew for a moment, pointed at Victor, and spoke to Andrew, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This crazy guy insisted I forgive Winona and the Carter family. The most absurd thing is that he says I¡¯ve got a fianc¨¦. Seriously, how could a youngdy like me get a fianc¨¦?¡±


    Everyone who was cheering earlier looked down and remained lent.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew didn¡¯t expect it because of this kind of thing. As he scratched his nose, he realized he was the one who started this


    trouble.


    Andrew gently tugged on Bonnie¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s not a big deal. Having a fianc¨¦ means you¡¯re not single anymore. Isn¡¯t that good?¡±


    Bonnie stared at Andrew. ¡°How would you feel if you suddenly got a fianc¨¦e out of nowhere!¡±


    Andrew muttered, ¡°If it were you, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Sadly, no one but him heard it.

 Chapter 238

    Andrew turned his head to look at Victor standing not far away. His face was cold.


    Andrew thought, ¡®It seems like the Carter family hasn¡¯t learned the lesson yet and you still dare to mess with Bonnie.


    ut, ¡°Is it you?¡±


    Victor was taken aback but quickly realized who Andrew was, Victor blurted out,


    His voice was incredibly strained. ¡°Is Mitchell yourst name? Are you from the Mitchell family of Betrico?¡±


    Andrew lifted his chin defiantly, his words were enough to infuriate anyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. I didn¡¯t know the Carter family would fall apart so easily. I just moved a finger, and you all fled Betrico so pitifully. If


    I had known. I would have been gentler. Did I overestimate the Carter family?¡± said Andrew.


    Victor clenched his hands tighter and tighter when he listened to the harsh words.


    His eyes drooped, and a fierce expression spread across his face. He remained silent for a long time.


    After a while, he lifted his head and put on a polite smile as he faced Andrew, showing no sign of his earlier malice.


    His tone was excessively pleasant, with a touch of ttery. ¡°Hello, Mr. Mitchell. I¡¯m apologizing to Bonnie, and I didn¡¯t mean to bother her. You can ask anyone around. I¡¯m sincerely apologizing to her. I hope she can forgive the Carter family; The incident yesterday was Winona¡¯s fault. If Bonnie is still upset, I can have Winona apologize to her personally,¡± said Victor.


    Andrew looked at Victor and put on a faint smile.


    Andrew thought, ¡°This guy changed his behavior so quickly. Did he experience some shock?¡±


    Andrew tilted his head to ask Bonnie in his soft voice. ¡°Do you need Winona toe over herself?¡±


    Bonnie shook her head quickly like a rattle and hurriedly said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the time to get tangled up with Winona. They can just stay far away from me.¡±


    Andrew couldn¡¯t help butugh. He flicked her forehead and then ruffled Bonnie¡¯s soft hair.


    Andrew thought, ¡®Feels pretty good.¡¯ He whispered softly, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Bonnie stood there stunned, staring at Andrew with a sudden flutter in her heart.


    Bonnie thought, Andrew actually looks quite handsome!


    The next moment, Bonnie thought, ¡®Oh no¡­ It must be my imagination. I must have a fever to think Andrew looks attractive.


    Andrew sneered at Victor. ¡°Did you hear that? Keep your fianc¨¦e away from Bonnie from now on. What happened in Betrico is just a heads up,¡± he warned.


    With that, Andrew pulled Bonnie away, leaving Victor standing by himself.


    The surrounding students were gossiping curiously about Victor


    Victor controlled his anger and walked away.


    After today, probably everyone at Apex Urban University would know about this; his reputation and dignity werepletely ruined.


    In the Carter family, Winona sat on the sofa, sipping the milk prepared by Yulia.


    The only person in the Carter family that she could manipte currently due to the child in her belly was Yulia.


    No matter what she said or wanted. Yulia had to listen and obey


    With Yulia, Winona found her confidence again.


    All the morning Winona directed Yulia to do errands for her and even to bring her water.


    Seeing Yulia¡¯s frustrated but quiet expression, Winona felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.


    This was the life she had always wanted, where she could have the upper hand.


    Victor drove quickly away from the school and sped back to the Carter family.


    He saw Yulia serving coffee to Winona, Furious, he stormed in and without saying a word, pulled Winona off the couch.


    With a look of innocent confusion on Winona¡¯s face, he pped her hard.


    Winona fell onto the carpet, immediately protecting her belly.


    She knew her unborn child was her best chance of survival and nothing could happen


    to it


    Yulia quickly realized what had happened, crouched down, and anxiously checked Winona¡¯s belly. ¡°Is your belly okay? My grandchild! Hurry, get Mark and a doctor over here!¡±


    Winona¡¯s pregnancy was just under three months, and it wasn¡¯t stable yet.


    Yulia feared this fall might end her hopes of having a cherished grandchild.


    Winona felt certain her belly wasn¡¯t seriously hurt. She bit her lip, terror in her eyes, and looked up at Victor, crying pitifully. ¡°Victor, why did you hit me? What did I do wrong? How can you treat me like this when I¡¯m carrying your child?¡± Yulia also scolded Victor. ¡°Victor, what are you doing? Can¡¯t you just talk calmly? Winona is pregnant!¡±


    Victor¡¯s blue eyes were unreadable, with a hint of red at the corners, and his lips curved into a mocking smile..


    His eyes were full of hostility as he looked at Winona, his gaze cold and devoid of any emotion.


    Victor¡¯s demeanor made Winona increasingly uneasy.


    Originally confident, she didn¡¯t know why her confidence began to fade away.


    For a long time, Victor¡¯s gaze was cold as he nced at Winona, who had been supported onto the couch by Yulia.


    He said mercilessly, ¡°Do you not know the mess you caused? You shameless woman. With just one p, you ruined the path my grandfather and sister had carefully nned for years. The Carter family could have reached greater heights, bar because of you, it¡¯s all ruined now.¡±


    Winona knew she had caused this and didn¡¯t dare to argue. She could only look at Victor with pleading eyes.


    With eyes full of deep emotion, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Victor, I know I was wrong. I really didn¡¯t know Bonnie had such strong backing. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have shed with her. Mom was there too; you can ask her about it. I got pped by Bonnie twice as well. Didn¡¯t you see how swollen my face was yesterday?


    Yulia, worried that Victor might hurt the child, could only agree with Winona despite her conscience. ¡°Yes, Victor, that Bonnie hit back too. How did things get so out of control?¡±


    Victor looked at the timid Yulia, wishing to tell her the truth but fearing it might be too much for her health to handle,N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The words he was about to say were swallowed back down forcehilly.


    With eyes like a wolf, he stared at Winona and spoke each word clearly. ¡°Let me tell you, Winona, my mom is the hostess in the Carter family. You¡¯re just carrying a baby. If I ept the child, he¡¯s a Carter. If I don¡¯t ept him, he¡¯s illegitimate. If I see you bossing my mom around again, you¡¯re out of here. Do you really think you¡¯re some kind of heiress? The truth is, you¡¯re just an illegitimate child. Zachary doesn¡¯t acknowledge you, and the Smith family is bankrupt. Right now, you¡¯re just a burden on our family. If you don¡¯t get that, take your kid and leave.¡±


    Winona¡¯s body shook. In disbelief, she looked up at Victor, unable to understand why he would say such ruthless things.


    After speaking. Victor suggested Yulia to go upstairs with him.


    Yulia was worried about Winona¡¯s baby, but she couldn¡¯t go against Victor and followed him upstairs.


    Winona sat on the sofa, her expression slowly bing distorted as she stared at Victor¡¯s room upstairs.


    She silently made a firm resolution, thinking that if Victor was going to be unkind, she wouldn¡¯t be kind either.


    Winona took out her phone and dialed Robert. As soon as the call connected, her voice changed immediately. It was tinged with a slight sob. I¡¯m so scared, Victor wants to kill me. Hurry,e save me.¡±

 Chapter 239

    It was the first day Yvette came back to ss. Right before ss ended, Tobias assigned her a lot of basic homework


    Yvette walked out of the school just when Jeremiah¡¯s ck Jeep had pulled up at the school gate.


    No matter how many people were around, she was always the most eye-catching, impossible to ignore.


    Yvette gave a quick nce of Jeremiah¡¯s car and went straight over to open the door and got in


    Jeremiah leaned over to fasten her seat belt for her.


    His tone was natural. ¡°I got you the wings you wanted and a milkshake from the ce near the gate and some lobster. Is there anything else you want to eat?¡±


    Yvette raised her gaze and a smirk appeared on her lips. Her delicate brows were mischievous and wild, her eyes slightly lifted with a hint of a smile. Casually, she said, ¡°Are you fattening me up?¡±


    Jeremiah looked into her eyes, which were blue and bright, yet particrly clear.


    As always, she maintained a coolposure. Yet it still inexplicably drew him in and he was addicted to it,


    Jeremiah slightly lifted his lips, wearing a subtle smile, his voice carrying a mesmerizing tone. ¡°No, I¡¯m just taking care of my future wife.¡±


    Yvette hesitated for a moment. Her gaze settled on his prominent Adam¡¯s apple, then slowly moved upward before she withdrew her stare.


    She remained quiet. When a man wanted to be charming, no woman stood a chance.


    Jeremiah noticed her silence. He became uncertain and thought, Did I mess up? In Andrew¡¯s collection of pick-up lines, this one is supposed to work like magic


    Usually, when a girl heard this, she would yfully hit her boyfriend¡¯s chest and acted adorably. Why does Yvette not react at all? Andrew ispletely unreliable and the books he rmends don¡¯t work!


    Jeremiah restarted the car without any change in his expression.


    Jeremiah went to the kitchen after he came back to the vi.


    Yvette went upstairs to take a shower. When she came back downstairs, the table was already set with fried chicken wings. lobster, and milkshakes.


    After cooking, Jeremiah changed into casual home clothes, which made him seem less sharp.


    He was standing by the window talking on the phone. His tall and upright silhouette was prominent. Hearing the footsteps. on the stairs, he turned around with a deep gaze. His eyes quietlynded on Yvette.


    Yvette was wearing an oversized white shirt. The shirt hung loosely, paired with baggy shorts, and the sleeves were casually rolled up. It fit her surprisingly well.


    His gaze traveled down to her feet. He noticed she wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes. Jeremiah walked over, grabbed a pair of her slippers from the entrance while still on the phone, and went to Yvette.


    Yvette obediently lifted her foot, Jeremiah put the slippers on her and gently said, ¡°Always wear slippers when youe down. It¡¯s not good for girls to be barefoot; the floor is too cold


    The chattering voice on the phone suddenly stopped, which was followed by a scream.


    The voice was loud enough that even Yvette could hear it.


    •þ


    ¡°Jeremiah, have you and that little girl already moved in together? Oh my gosh! Is this true? I can hardly believe that you live together. My son is really living with Yvette, just like his old mom back in the day. If I hadn¡¯t been so assertive with your dad. he would still be shy. Jeremiah, you¡¯re amazing. Hurry up, when are youing back to Betrico? Bring Yvette home for dinner.¡±


    Jeremiah held the phone away from his ear his mom¡¯s voice was too overwhelming.


    ¡°Mom¡­just as he was about to speak, the voice on the other end of the line interrupted him.


    ¡°Mom? What mom? Listen, son, you need to bring her home sooner rather thanter. I trust my son¡¯s judgment, so once you bring her home, it¡¯s settled. If she stays around too long, she might get fed up with your cold and unexciting personality and leave. To stop that from happening, we¡¯ll use the family angle. Just bring her back, and I¡¯ll treat her so well that she won¡¯t want to leave, Aurora said.


    Jeremiah sighed helplessly, ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you tired of saying so much?¡±


    Aurora answered. ¡°Not at all. By the way, I heard from your grandpa that that girl is quite young. I wonder what she likes. Houses? Cars? Jewelry? Antiques? Designer brands? Forget it, I¡¯ll just prepare everything. My estate in Mysonna, valued at 1 billion dors, can be her wee gift. No, that¡¯s a bit too cheap. Ill add some of my jewelry collection, and then it¡¯s perfect. Alright, that¡¯s settled. And where¡¯s your wedding house going to be? I need to start designing the nursery, right? Thinking about it, I¡¯m quite busy. Does your wife prefer boys or girls? I like girls. I wouldn¡¯t want a moody kid like you, who alwayses with a serious face, no fun.¡±


    Yvette slipped one hand into her pocket, with her gaze steady. She heard everything clearly


    She chuckled sofily and made a gesture to Jeremiah, walked past him, and sat down at the dining table.


    With her leg crossed and chin resting on her hand, she looked directly at Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah looked at her and calmly said into the phone, ¡°Mom, I heard everything you said.¡±


    The breathing on the other end of the phone became heavier, and after a few seconds of silence, the voice turned mechanical. ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unavable. Please try againter.


    Then the call was disconnected. Even Jeremiah didn¡¯t expect his mom to pull such a strange stunt. For a moment, he was stunned.


    Even though Yvette was a bit further away, she heard everything clearly.


    She smirked, flipped her hair, and crossed her legs.


    She took a sip of her banana milkshake. With a faint smile, she said. ¡°Auntie is way more interesting than you.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jeremiah walked over to the table, sat next to Yvette, put on gloves, and started peeling lobsters for her. He did it slowly. Even his fingers, with their distinct joints, looked attractive while peeling these greasy things. In just a few seconds, he¡¯d peeled them and ced them on her te.


    His deep-set eyes were thoughtful, and the sharp lines of his profile were more pronounced.


    ¡°Do you want to meet my family?¡± he asked.


    While munching on shrimp, Yvette was ying with her phone replying to a text from Charles: [Book a flight to Seacrity.] She left in a hurry without notifying Charles, leaving him stranded in Mysonna, who was still hiding from Braydon¡¯s pursuit Hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words, Yvette lifted her gaze and gave him a nonchnt nce.


    She replied casually, ¡°Sure, I have to go to Betrico the day after tomorrow to take care of some things,¡±


    The invitation from James was scheduled for five dayster.


    Yvette nned to meet someone before then, and she had more than enough time to visit the Chavez family.


    After all, interesting people were always worth of taking the time to meet.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t expect her to say yes.


    He was just asking casually, and it didn¡¯t really matter if she didn¡¯t agree. It was just a matter of time, so there was no rush.


    Yvette¡¯s easy agreement took him by surprise.


    Jeremiah¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    He said, ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll set things up and we can head back together. I have my parents and grandpa at home, and there are no swarms of rtives. So rx. It¡¯s just a simple meal.¡±


    Not just anyone could join the Chavez family as rtives.


    Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend didn¡¯t have to deal with those distant rtives at all.


    When Yvette heard that, she looked up, put away her phone, and leaned backzily. ¡°Jeremiah, you¡¯re really growing on me. What am I supposed to do about that?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 240

    I¡¯m Vernon Chavez and my nickname is Vern Chavez. My dad is jeremiah, and my mom is the super cute and pretty Yvette


    I am already a little man who can hold his is own as I am twelve old this year.


    Grandma said that on the day I was born, my mom was wildly racing with a professional driver.


    Mom gave birth to me within half an hour after she reached the hospital.


    The first thing my silly dad said when he saw me was how wrinkly and ugly I looked.


    Humph, my dad was the ugly one.


    I had inherited Mom¡¯s beauty and charm. All the kids in the kindergarten said that I was the most handsome.


    There were always little girls who fought over to sit next to me.


    Grandpa says Dad was like that when he was little too.


    Grandpa was the one who gave me my name.


    Andrew and Bon mentioned that my name almost led to a debate.


    Great grandfather thought a simple name would be better for me and wanted to name me Big Baby,


    Grandpa refused, and Grandma disagreed with the name that Grandpa had chosen for me.


    As for my unreliable dad, he didn¡¯t even get involved in naming me.


    Finally, three days after I was born, the family agreed on one name-Vernon.


    Grandpa picked this name for me.


    When I was three years old, my annoying dad threw me into the army, ignoring the objections of my great grandfather, and my grandparents.


    He said it was to train my physical abilities from a young age and to develop my character.


    In reality, he just wanted to have Mom all to himself, and he thought I didn¡¯t know. I was dissatisfied with him Humph¡­.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I had a little notebook where I jotted down all of Dad¡¯s ¡°misdeeds.


    I had decided that when I grew up, I would send Dad to that little ind in the Pacific that Grandma gave to Mom topletely cut off him from the world.


    When I was four, some bad guys kidnapped me, but I wasn¡¯t scared at all. They pointed a gun at my head.


    I¡¯ve been ying with guns since I was little.


    Eagle King and Flying Fish would send every new weapon on the market to Sknd on time every year.


    The guns they had didn¡¯t even have bullets loaded.


    Were they trying to fool me? It was to look down on me.


    I reminded the few bad guys of it.


    They looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, but clearly, they were the clueless ones.


    Later, Mom and Dad came to rescue me.


    Mom was so cool that she didn¡¯t say a word and just took down those bad guys one by one.


    They cried miserably and begged her for mercy, but she didn¡¯t even nce at them.


    > matter what I said. Of course, Mom didn¡¯t look at me either. I knew Mom was angry and wouldn¡¯t listen to me, no i


    My pesky dad didn¡¯t scold me. He asked me, ¡°Did you think it was fun to leave with the bad guys even though you knew it was dangerous? Did you consider how my great grandfather, grandparents would feel?¡±


    At that time, I naively shook my head as my dad squatted down and picked me up. He looked at me intently. His face was serious.


    He said. ¡°Your mom isn¡¯t upset because you were having fun, but because you made the elders worry about you. Do you know what you should do?¡±


    That day, when I was four, I came home crying and apologized to my great grandfather, and my grandparents who was in Seacrity.


    Later, when I grew up, I realized that the day I was kidnapped, Betrico was in chaos.


    To look for me, my great grandpa almost mobilized Mr. Mitchell¡¯s troops to turn Betrico upside down.


    My grandparents stayed up all night worried, and Grandma had a headache thatsted for half a month.


    Mr. Yates, Andrew, Bonnie, Flying Fish, and Eagle King all rushed back from Mysonna just to find me.


    When I grew up, I asked Mom why she wasn¡¯t worried when everyone else was desperately looking for me, Mom just gave me a calm look


    ¡°If you¡¯re brave enough to go out with someone, then you should be able toe back on your own,¡± she said.

 Chapter 241

    Two big shots were in love. Gifts given at a whim could really irritate someone..


    Emmett recalled yesterday when Aurora asked him what Yvette liked.


    Emmett felt helpless. Aurora was even more extravagant.


    She gave a lot of things, from jewelry topanies under her control and to a rose manor. Unbelievably, she even considered gifting Yvette a private ind in the Pacific.


    And these were just a few small meeting gifts¡¯ in her opinion.


    Sknd has been well prepared ahead of time. Except for some of the traditional Clusian style preserved, every piece of decor was chosen ording to Yvette¡¯s taste.


    Efforts could really be seen in it..


    Yvette¡¯s room featured a minimalist neutral style, mainly in ck, white, and gray.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t spend much time in Betrico during his missions, and his visits were brief, so Aurora decorated Sknd in her favorite traditional Clusian style.


    A while back, Jeremiah had Emmett start the remodeling, so nowy Sknd had been transformed and all products of the vi were high-tech gadgets.


    Yvette wandered around and got a general idea of the vi.


    Jeremiah¡¯s room was still next to hers, as usual.


    The most intriguing part was the sliding door within a door.¡±


    The old manor of the Chavez family was a true militarypound with its own private entrance.


    Jeremiah¡¯s mother, Aurora, was fifty-three this year.


    You could still see traces of her youthful beauty; even now, she looked as young as a girl.


    She had Jeremiah in her twenties, and after she recovered, she took over her family¡¯s business, diving into the business world.


    With the Chavez family¡¯s open-mindedness and Clifford Chavez¡¯s doting love, Aurora lived a fairy-tale life.


    With understanding inws, a loving husband, and a talented son, everyone in Betrico envied Mrs. Chavez¡¯s fortunate life.


    One might wonder how many good deeds she had done in the past to earn such a life.


    It was not untilst year that Aurora gradually retired to focus more on her family.


    She stopped appearing unless it was for something essential at thepany. She didn¡¯t even attend important parties.


    Jeremiah¡¯s father, Clifford, was a director at a department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    He could retire next year.


    Whenever they had a vacation, they would travel the world to enjoy different cuisines.


    Aurora already knew Jeremiah and Yvette¡¯s flight schedule.


    Early in the morning, she was restless, pacing around the living room and constantly ncing at the door.


    Clifford took a sip of orange juice, set down the newspaper, and adjusted his sses.


    He was the image of sophistication. The sharpness he disyed on TV was gone.


    When he looked at his wife, hepletely softened.


    He coughed softly, feeling a bit jealous when Aurora didn¡¯t look at him.


    He thought, I have already lost my status even before my daughter-inw arrived. Even breakfast isn¡¯t my favorite quiche and milk. The table was filled with the favorite foods of Jeremial¡±


    He nced at the very noticeable lobster on the table and thought, ¡°Who even ate that so early in the morning? It is all because Jeremiah mentioned his girlfriend loved lobster. Is it really necessary?


    I am allergic to seafood! People say that once a young guy gets married, he forgets his mother. But, in my wife¡¯s case, it is more like she forgets about me after she gets a daughter-inw. Where could I even voice myints?


    Getting older¡­ losing respect more and more. I was treated like a treasure in my youth and was wooed and coaxed into bed. But once it wasmitted, the responsibility disappeared. If I hadn¡¯t caught her at the airport back then, she might have wandered off with Jeremiah still in her belly


    Clifford coughed heavily a few more times.


    Even the servants nearby could tell Clifford was just seeking attention.


    A few maids exchanged nces, trying their best not tough.


    They were all longtime staff of the Chavez family and were quite used to the way Clifford and Aurora interacted.


    They had been bickering like this consistently for decades.


    Every time, it was Clifford who ended up finding ways to cheer Aurora up.


    Clifford usually ended up sleeping in the study for a few days each month.


    If three days went by and Aurora was still not talking to him, they might see him pitifully knocking on her door at midnight with a nket


    Cara, who had been with Aurora since her childhood, caught Clifford¡¯s pleading nce and sighed.


    At the moment, Aurora was only focused on her future daughter-inw that she hadn¡¯t even met yet. She was not concerned with Clifford.


    But nobody really could me Aurora.


    Jeremiah was already thirty and had spent all those years in the army. Finally, he had found a girlfriend.


    Aurora had almost epted the idea that he would remain a bachelor for life.


    As soon as she heard he had a girlfriend, she flew back from overseas and hadn¡¯t gone anywhere since, eagerly waiting for the girl toe over for a casual meal.


    Cara approached Aurora respectfully and said, ¡°Madam, Mr. Chavez hasn¡¯t eaten much today.¡±


    Aurora turned around, disying a figure that disguised the rounded forms typical of her peers. She stared at Clifford, who was pretending not to care.


    She cleared her throat. Are you going to eat or not? If not, hurry up and go upstairs to change. What if Jeremiah brings his girlfriend over and you look too casual?¡±


    Clifford was left in a difficult spot, unsure if he should continue eating his churro.


    Annoyed, he put the churro down.


    He looked at Aurora, who was dressed very formally in avender dress paired with an emerald ne.


    She looked absolutely exquisite.


    With a frown, he spoke in a serious, slightly jealous tone, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too formal? You¡¯re just meeting Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend, and there is no need to go all out for someone younger.¡±


    Aurora, hearing this, sat on the couch, crossed her arms, and said. ¡°Someone younger? That girl saved your son from a life of loneliness. Without her, your son would be single forever. You know how difficult he is. Do you remember all thosedies in Betrico who tried to impress him a few years back? No one was sessful! So, Clifford, I¡¯m telling you, when your daughter- inwes over for dinner, you¡¯d better not scare her off with that serious face, or you¡¯re not getting back in my bed for the rest of your life, alright?¡±


    Seeing she was genuinely upset, Clifford quickly reassured Aurora, ¡°Honey, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I mean that he probably won¡¯t bring anyone over today, so there¡¯s no need to prepare such a big dinner. I¡¯d be thrilled if he did bring his girlfriend over. I¡¯ll change my clothes, okay? And stop talking like that, would you? We¡¯re not young anymore, and let¡¯s keep it respectable.¡±


    Clifford was frustrated but didn¡¯t dare to show it.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    If he kept talking, it would only backfire on him.


    He¡¯d already been sleeping in the study this month, and his old back couldn¡¯t take much more of it. They weren¡¯t young anymore, yet she still liked to punish him this way.


    She was never getting tired of it.


    Aurora let out a haughty ¡°humph,¡± looking all generous, like she wouldn¡¯t bother arguing with him.


    The servants all twitched their mouths.


    Clifford seemed to have beenpletely wrapped around his wife¡¯s finger his whole life.


    It was not true that there was no love in high society, only interests.


    Clifford and his wife married out of genuine love.


    They¡¯d been in love for so many years. Whenever Clifford wasn¡¯t working, he always came home to be with his wife right away.


    If Aurora asked him to go east, he would never dare West.


    Because Aurora had chronic headaches, he personally studied with a traditional doctor for six whole months, massaging her every day without everining of difficulty.


    That was love.

 Chapter 242

    Jeremiah leaned forward, and his gaze locked onto her eyes, looking into her clear depths.


    His body stiffened slightly. His eyebrows drew together softly.


    His fingers rested on the back of her hand, with his pads gently ribbing her palm.


    His eyes were blue and deep, his jaw clenched tightly, and his throat moved without him realizing


    Suddenly, he felt a bit parched.


    His voice was warm. ¡°Want a bite?¡±


    Yvette paused her hand, looked at his earnest face, and pinched his chin.


    Her delicate corbone was a cool, pale shade, luminous, with an irresistible charm, full of audacity.


    ¡°Want me to take a bite?¡± she asked.


    Jeremiah¡¯s Hips curled into a smile, his blue eyes shining with mischief. The girl always had a knack for surprising him.


    In the next moment, before Yvette could react, Jeremiah stepped forward again, suddenly cupping the back of her head and kissing her, gently biting her lower lip


    Yvette narrowed her eyes a bit, and her brows dropped as she licked her lips, a move that drove Jeremiah crazy.


    Yvette was speechless.


    After a moment, Jeremiah lowered his voice, gently squeezing her waist, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Jeremiah lowered his voice, gently squeezing her waist, his eyes deep and unfathomable.


    Their breaths mingled. ¡°Pretty sweet,¡± she said.


    Yvette lifted her eyes and brushed her lips, her eyshes trembling softly. ¡°Mint-vored,¡± she added.


    Jeremiah let out a chuckle, drawing out his words and nodding slowly as if fully embracing shamelessness.


    ¡°How¡¯s the technique?¡± he asked.


    Yvette pulled her band out of Jeremiah¡¯s grip and tugged him forward as he was about to sit back down.


    She cupped his chin, her palm resting against his chest, and leaned in to kiss him.


    Jeremiah frozepletely, unable to stay calm anymore. He thought, ¡®Is it okay for her to sit there?


    He was speechless.


    A few minutester, Yvette stood up with a nk expression, leaned toward Jeremiah¡¯s car, and spoke in a low voice.


    Her breath gave him a tingling feeling.


    She said, ¡°Jeremiah, don¡¯t act so bold. Your skills aren¡¯t great. You should practice more.¡±


    Jeremiah asked, ¡°Not great?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, looking both alluring and mischievous and let out a soft hum without speaking


    Jeremiah pointed to a spot slight, clusive smile appearing on his lips, Yvette¡¯s gaze imoved down, her expression momentarily uneasy, and there was a deep look in her eyes as she licked the corner of her lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± she said casually.


    Jeremiah wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his embrace and resting his chin on her head.


    His fingers yed with her hair, gently twirling it.


    ¡°Do you like boys or girls?¡± he asked.


    Yvette was silent for a few seconds, and then looked up at Jeremiah, her fair arm resting on his leg. She answered, ¡°Don¡¯t like either.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers paused momentarily. He looked down, and after holding her gaze for a few seconds, he spoke softly, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we don¡¯t have to have any.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s heart fluttered a bit. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and, fixing her gaze on Jeremiah, she said, ¡°No regrets?¡± Jeremiah gently ruffled her hair, and said, ¡°No regrets at all. Whatever you say, we¡¯ll do as you decide.


    Yvette shifted slightly, and her carefree expression disappeared as she spoke lightly and slowly. ¡°Are you going down?


    Jeremiah was speechless.


    The next morning, as usual, Jeremiah prepared breakfast ¨C quiche, orange juice, and bread.


    Every day, he would spoil her with different treats.


    But Jeremiah noticed that no matter how much Yvette ate, she never gained weight, and her waist stayed slim without an ounce of extra flesh. It was quite worrisome.


    In the car, Jeremiah was driving. Yvette was loungingzily in the passenger seat, eyes downcast, fiddling with her phone. She yawned, looking a bit listless, and her indifferent profile showed a hint of casual nonchnce.


    Jeremiah nced sideways and asked in a deep voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t sleep wellst night?¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze, letting it fall on him, and her blue eyes grew deeper.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just asking knowingly?¡± she said.


    Jeremiah coughed awkwardly and asked, ¡°How about some steak


    Yvette clicked her tongue, slowly put away her phone, and smiled.


    She said, ¡°You switch topics pretty fast


    Jeremiah insisted that driving required intense focus, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    11:00 AM on Wednesday. Jeremiah and Yvette¡¯s flightnded in Betrico on time.


    As soon: him.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    they left the airport, they saw Emmett standing at the entrance with a ck, understated business car behind


    Luxury cars weremon in Betrico.


    Most people weren¡¯t surprised, but Emmett¡¯s presence made passersby turn their heads. They paused and watched,


    Because this ordinary-looking ck business car carried a license te recognized by everyone in Betrico.


    The te began with ¡®Betrico¡¯ and had five zeros. It was invaluable.


    It was a definite symbol of prestige and status.


    Emmett stood there, expressionless and upright.


    He stared straight ahead. His expression only changed slightly when he saw two familiar figures.


    He stepped up to meet them, slightly howing, and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, and Yvette.¡±


    Jeremiah was wearing a ck casual outfit, and there wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle on his shirt from top to bottom.


    He gave off an aura that said ¡°stay away, and yet there was something intriguingly restrained about him.


    Yvette dressed in a rxed manner.


    She wore a simple white T-shirt and shorts, with a baseball cap on her head, revealing only half of her face.


    Her long, straight legs were strikingly sun-kissed


    Standing together, they had abined presence like a seven-foot aura. Even with only half her face visible, Yvette¡¯s aura stood out distinctly.


    Yvette nodded too. Jeremiah said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Sknd first.¡±


    Sknd was a vi Jeremiah purchased when he was eighteen, right in the center of the city, where every inch ofnd was invaluable.


    Since Jeremiah acquired the vi, its value had multiplied beyond measure, and now its worth couldn¡¯t be quantified by money.


    After Jeremiah and Yvette got into the car, Emmett sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    He lightly pressed a button, and invisible car covers automatically rose on both sides.


    From the inside, you could see outside, but those outside had no idea about what was happening inside, not even a shadow.


    Emmen nced at the two people in the backseat and found Yvette a bit strange.


    He thought, ¡®Is her lips swollen? They are so red. Does a mosquito bite her?¡±


    Emmett withdrew his gaze and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, the deputymander at the base mentioned there was an urgent matter that you needed to take care of personally. Should I drop Yvette at Sknd if you handle the military affairs first?¡±


    Jeremiah wrapped Yvette, who was on her phone, in his arms, his blue eyes lifting slightly


    ¡®No need, let¡¯s head to Sknd first.¡±


    Emmett¡¯s cheek twitched as he looked at their posture and sighed.


    He finally understood what people meant by the power of love.


    Mr. Chavez, who had been a workaholic for ten years without a single day off, took a month¡¯s leave just to apany Yvette in Seacrity.


    No single person dying in the dating world was without couples being partly to me. If he ever died of jealousy, there was no escaping Mr. Chavez and Yve¡¯s role in it.


    Yvette stood at the entrance of Sknd.


    With slightly closed eyes and a nd expression, she lifted her eyelids, her her gaze calm.


    She nced at the man beside her.


    Quite the brag, huh? It was supposed to be a regr ce for us to stay.


    But this ¡°tiny¡± vi in front of her was anything but small.


    Jeremiah lowered his voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll be staying here for the next few days.¡±


    Yvette nodded, tilting her head slightly as she slowly spoke. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Emmett walked silently behind them. Little did she know, Mr. Chavez had already transferred the ownership of this vi to her name.


    Now she was the true owner of this ce!

 Chapter 243

    In the Chavez family¡¯s old manor, Jase Chavez¡¯s personal guard, Yusef, entered the room.


    He saw the elderly man sitting up straight in his chair, energetic and looking sharp in a suit.


    Adjusting his clothes, he came in and bowed politely before speaking.


    He said, ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s girlfriend just arrived in Betrico. Our staff reported she¡¯s already at Sknd. Jeremiah has returned to the military base because the deputymander has military affairs that require his immediate attention. Emmett went with him, so Ms. Zeller is the only one left at Sknd now.¡±


    Even though Jase was already eighty years old and his hair was turning gray, he remained strong and full of vitality, showing no signs of weakness.


    Jase was one of the few who hade through the war-torn era with substantial military achievernents, and he was among the few elderly from those times still alive.


    His status throughout Clusia was indisputable.


    Therefore, even at this age, those in power still hoped he wouldn¡¯t retire just yet, because with Jase around, stability was assured


    Jase lifted a cup of coffee and took a sip. It was his favorite blend Grandos, ¡°Is there any update on Clifford?¡±


    Yusef nodded and stood respectfully to the side. He said, ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, Mr. Clifford Chavez doesn¡¯t seem affected too much, but Aurora got quite animated. She was up early bustling around. I heard¡­


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should say the rest.


    Jase paused for a moment and lifted his head, his gaze falling on him with a touch of authority in his voice. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    Yusef quickly continued, ¡°Mrs. Chavez prepared a whole table of dishes that Mr. Jeremiah Chavez and his girlfriend like, and Mr. Clifford Chavez got a bit jealous. Aurora gave him a piece of her mind and it seemed she wasn¡¯t satisfied. Now, Clifford is trying to make peace, but he¡¯ll probably be sleeping in the study again tonight.¡±


    Yusef¡¯s father was once Jase¡¯s personal guard, and now Yusef took on the same role.


    He and Clifford grew up together.


    The two had been ymates since childhood.


    He knew all about Clifford and Aurora¡¯s rtionship and understood their dynamics better than anyone.


    Even Jase could hear the gloating and sarcasm in thatstment.


    Jase put down his coffee cup and gave him a nce.


    He said, ¡°Okay, they will probably be like that for a lifetime. Aurora used to worry herself sick over Jeremiah¡¯s marriage, and now that he has suddenly gotten a girlfriend. She¡¯s probably excited. And Clifford, he¡¯s tough on the outside but soft inside. If he doesn¡¯t care, why does he take a day off to stay home with them today? He¡¯s just pretending not to care, so let them do what they want.¡±¡°


    Yusef was genuinely happy for the Chavez family


    He had watched Jeremiah grow up and thought he would never find a girlfriend and settle down. No one would have thought there would be a girl like Yvette who could win him over


    Honestly, he was eager to meet Yvette-such an amazing person.


    ¡°Understood, sir. Should we pull back our people? Sknd¡¯s security in Betrico is top-notch, so remote surveince should he enough.¡±


    Jase lowered his eyes, thinking for a few seconds.


    ¡°No need to pull back. Stick to the n. Get the car ready and prepare that gear for me. I¡¯m going myself. Everything has to look very real. Make sure Tim keeps Jeremial tied up so that brat doesn¡¯te back and mess up my ns.¡±


    Yusef twitched his lips. His expression was indescribable.


    He thought. Mr. Jase Chavez is like a yful kid, going a great length to stage a show to test Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend, despite his


    ¡°And he strives to be authentic. Who would actually dare to hit Mr. Jase Chavez? This was such a headache


    It was hard to find people who were brave enough to y along with Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s act.


    He nearly turned over the Goodman family¡¯s daredevil squad to find a few newbies who reluctantly agreed to y along. with some coaxing and deception


    ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, have you really decided? Are you sure you want to test Ms. Zeller like this?¡± Jusef asked.


    Jase got up from the sofa and waved his hand.


    Go ahead and set it up. We¡¯ll leave in half an hour.¡±


    Yusef had no choice but to nod.


    In the Sknd, Yvette had just changed into the loungewear that Jeremiah had prepared for her when the phone rang.


    She walked over and picked it up.


    the


    ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Chavez¡¯s home? We have a package that needs your signature. Could youe to the gate? Would you like a shuttle to pick you up?¡±


    Yvette paused, raised an eyebrow, and spoke in a t voice. ¡°No need, and I¡¯ll go myself.¡±


    The voice on the other end suddenly became cheerful ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± She hung up the phone. Yusef was wearing a security uniform. He shifted his position slightly.


    He looked at the old man sitting nearby, dressed in tattered clothes, with a face full of dirt and ash. His fingers trembled slightly.


    He asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, she will arrive soon. Everyone around is set up. Are you really going to sit by the roadside now!¡±


    Jase stroked his beard and seriously asked Yusel, ¡°Take a look. Do you see anything wrong with my disguise?*


    Yusef confidently said, ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, you look real enough now. There¡¯s definitely no problem. Ms. Zeller won¡¯t notice anything


    Jase finally rxed, pushed open the security booth door, and walked to the nearby roadside.


    There were already a few baskets of vegetables prepared, along with a couple of ¡°customers.¡±


    Everything was ready.


    They were just waiting for Yvette to arrive.


    10 minutester, Just as Jase and his team started to wonder if she¡¯d show up, Yvette walked over casually from a distance.


    Yusef recognized her immediately from the photo and quickly signaled from afar that she had arrived.


    Mr. Chavez surely had a discerning eye.


    Yvette was stunningly beautiful.


    She was not just typically pretty ¨C she had a unique, cool, and aloof aura.


    Even as she walked over, she exuded such a strong presence,


    He was starting to worry whether Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s n had all been for nothing.


    Upon receiving the signal, Jase plopped down on the ground,pletely disregarding his image.


    Now he looked nothing like a marshal of Clusia.


    He was just like an aging country farmer, as real as they came.


    The dozen or so guards hidden around the grove all turned their heads.


    There was no way the brilliant andmanding Mr. Jase Chavez.


    Yvette had one hand in her pocket.


    She wore a simple white T-shirt and shorts.


    When she reached the security booth, the door opened before she could knock


    She thought, ¡°Yusef, whose face is full of wrinkles because of smiling, looks like a strange uncle!


    Yet he seemed unaware of it himself.


    ¡°Hello, are you Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend? This is his package. Could you sign for it, please?¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. Her face was expressionless, with a hint of coldness between her delicate brows.


    She reached out her slender hand to take the package and was about to leave.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yusef was momentarily stunned. She couldn¡¯t leave yet, as the act wasn¡¯t over.


    Without hesitation, he called out.


    ¡°Oh dear, Ms. Zeller, look over there! It seems like a fight has broken out!¡±


    The sound was deafening.


    Sure enough, as soon as the words were spoken, the outside, which had been quiet, suddenly became noisy.


    Yvette stopped in her tracks and turned around. She cast a yful look at Yusef, her lips curled into a faint smile, and her eyes partially closed


    She looked outside. A roadside vegetable stand in front of an old man waspletely knocked over by a fewrge men.


    The old man also fell to the ground. His face was covered in dust. He stood there at a loss.


    The whole scene made him appear very pitiful.

 Chapter 244

    A fewrge men standing with Jase had their backs to Yvette, toppling over the vegetable stand,


    Their expressions were both fearful and peculiar.


    They muttered. ¡°Is this enough. Mr. Jase Chavez?¡± while looking at the old man¡¯s face on the ground.


    Jase ignored them, sneakily ncing at the security room instead


    He wailed loudly in pain, as if afraid no one would hear.


    Inside the security room, Yvette stood in ce, observing the ¡°scene¡± outside. She was unmoved.


    Her face showed no extra expression.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Yusef was internally conflicted.


    He thought. A girl, when seeing a situation like this, is supposed to be overwhelmed with a sense of justice and rush up to stop it, or she would be scared enough to hide.


    Ms. Zeller just stands here watching, without reacting or showing any expression. What is she thinking?¡±


    Yusef realized this wouldn¡¯t work¡­


    The sun was zing. If Mr. Jase Chavez got heatstroke, it would be serious. He could only pretend to be scared and said cautiously to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, if we let this continue, that old man might really be in danger. Why don¡¯t we go out there and stop it?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head, and her delicate brows showed a rxed, rebellious charm as shezily stared at him for a few seconds.


    Her eyes lowered, the corners of her eyes captivating and beautiful.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller?¡± she said in a cool tone.


    Yusef nodded without hesitation


    His mind waspletely focused on Jase, missing the hidden meaning in Yvette¡¯s words.


    Yvette withdrew her gaze and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With that, she stepped out of the security booth.


    Yusef was still a bit stunned, thinking he¡¯d have to work hard to convince her to go.


    Surprisingly, she agreed easily. Yusef quickly followed her.


    By the side of the road, the three ¡®burly men¡¯ were almost at their limit.


    Their ¡®fierce¡¯ faces were hard to keep up.


    They were giving it-their all for this performance, silently hoping the person their marshal was waiting for would arrive


    Jase, lying on the ground, was almost 80, and under the zing sun, even he was struggling to keep up the act.


    Finally! He saw Yvette walk out of the security room.


    Yusef followed closely behind, giving him a reassuring look as if to say. ¡°Hang in there¡­


    Jase suddenly got into character, showcasing his acting skills. He tilted onto the ground,


    I¡¯m begging you, gentlemen. Please let me, a poor old man, go. I will pay back the money my worthless grandson owes. Just give me some time. Otherwise, even if I sacrifice my life, it¡¯s no use to you, right?¡± he said.


    The three burly men collectively twitched their mouths, and their fierce faces showed a hint of ¡°fear¡± because Mr. Jase Chavez greeted them ¡°gentlemen.


    They thought, In this way, we will lose our lives. Besides, ¡°gentlemen¡± sound strange. For some reason, it felt really familiar, but it was the wrong asion.


    Jase saw people approaching and quickly reminded the three dazed hulks. In a whisper, he said, ¡°Keep acting, and they are almost here. That¡¯s an order. Right now, I¡¯m not Mr. Jase Chavez understand?¡±


    The three burly men exchanged nces and had no choice but to continue their performance with determination¡­.


    One of them, with a square face, pretended to kick Jase.


    From a distance, it seemed like he kicked, but he didn¡¯t actually touch him, using a visual blind spot.


    Jase let out another wail, making the act even more convincing. Even he had to admire his own acting skills.


    Yvette stopped about seven feet away from them, still not saying a word.


    Yusef tried every way to force Yvette to get involved, immediately shouting loudly.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you guys beating up an old man in broad daylight? Don¡¯t you have any decency left?¡±


    Yvette nced at him, and then looked towards the people ahead, especially Jase, who was lying on the ground. Her cool gaze fell on his face.


    Her gaze lingered for a moment. There was a significant resemnce in their brows and eyes.


    She raised her eyelids, and slowly curved her lips, with her hands in her pockets, revealing a hint of amusement in her eyes.


    Her tone was indifferent. ¡°Are you done?¡± she asked.


    The three burly men were baffled. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go ording to their n.


    She was supposed to be heroic. Then they just scared her a bit and the task would be finished.


    The three of them were a bit flustered by Yvette¡¯s unexpected behavior.


    One of the men, who was more muscr and a veteran among the three, finally had some initiative.


    He steadied himself, put on a stern face, and spoke to Yvette, ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s your business to interfere, girl? What happens between us is none of your concern. Do you want to y the hero? If you want to step in, then pay off his good-for- nothing grandson¡¯s debt, 330 thousand dors, and we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    The other two backed him up, and finally, the three of them had a little bit of a ¡°thug¡± vibe.


    Jase, trembling, stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.


    With a dirty face, he wailed to Yveue. ¡°Youngd


    please help me. If they keep beating me, I¡¯ll be done. I¡¯ll be indebted to you for life if you save me. I¡¯m begging you, youngdy,¡± he said.


    Yvette ignored their ¡°dramatic performance.¡±


    She turned to Yusef behind her and said slowly, ¡°Could you get me a chair, please?¡±


    Yusef looked puzzled and asked again. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you said you wanted a chair?¡±


    Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yusef nced at Jase, saw him nod lightly, and then quickly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll grab a chair right away. Just hang on?


    Jase already knew Yvette had some martial arts skills. He guessed she might be nning to swing the chair.


    Exactly! He liked her personality. It was feisty enough.


    Jase was worried the three might identally hurt Yvette, so he quickly gave them a warning look.


    The three immediately got the hint.


    Even if the granddaughter-inw of Mr. Jase Chavez wanted to hit them with a chair or a stick, they wouldn¡¯t dare to fight back.


    She was really the girlfriend of Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, the Living Reaper. They didn¡¯t have the courage to go against her.


    The ce fell silent for a moment.


    Everyone was trying to figure out what the others were thinking


    One minuteter, Yusef hurriedly returned with the chair, handing it to Yvette with an eager smile.


    Yvette put down the chair.


    Just as the three prepared for a beating and Jase was about to disclose his identity, Yvette sat down


    She crossed her legs, rested her chin on her pale hand, and slowly looked up.


    Her eyes were blue and deep


    A faint, subtle smile was on her lips, exuding a mix of mischief and roguishness.


    Her voice was cold and detached. ¡°If you¡¯re not finished with your fighting, just keep at it. Take a break if you get tired, and resume after you¡¯ve rested.¡±


    The three of them looked utterly confused.


    They thought, ¡°What on earth is going on? This isn¡¯t just ying by unconventional rules. It is aplete plot twist! No wonder she had caught the attention of the Living Reaper.


    She opens her mouth and seems ready to take Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s life, and then suggests we rest and fight again. Isn¡¯t she practically telling us to fight Mr. Jase Chavez to the death? What a ruthless person!¡±


    Yusef waspletely stunned and thought, ¡®The girl who loves Jeremiah is not an average person.


    Jase heard her words and gave Yvette aplicated look.


    The pitiful ¡®old farmer¡± act disappeared in an instant.


    His bent back straightened a bit.


    For a moment, an elderly voice, full of authority, echoed. ¡°When did you realize this was all just an act?¡±

 Chapter 245

    Yvette lowered her eyes and then looked up at Jase, who had stopped pretending.


    His eyes were blue and intense.


    She gave a slight smirk, tilted her head, and nced casually at Yusef


    Her voice was gentle and slow. She said, ¡°First of all, how would a simple security guard know myst name is Zeller? How could he call me Ms. Zeller the very first time we met? Is he psychic or can he predict the future? There¡¯s only one


    nation-he already knew who I was. When he saw I was about to leave, he was desperate to involve me in this. Isn¡¯t that suspicious?


    Yusef rubbed his nose.


    It was definitely a rookie mistake. He had been too concerned about Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s safety, which was why he slipped up.


    Jase maintained a stern face, although he couldn¡¯t help the smile that tugged at his lips.


    He continued to ask, ¡°Just based on that? What does his mistake have to do with me, a simple farmer being chased for debts?¡±


    Yvette crossed her legs, leaned back, and showed no fear at all in response to his questioning. She raised her eyebrows. Her boss-like posture left everyone else in the room at a loss for words. That was true audacity.


    She remained so calm under Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s questioning ¨C Yusef had only seen one other person do it before.


    It was Jeremiah, who had never been afraid of Mr. Jase Chavez even as a child, and now, Yvette was the second. A whole. family of rebels.


    Yvette cleared her throat.


    She looked at the three burly men standing there, like kids who had been caught doing something wrong.


    She repliedzily, ¡°Second, that kick just now was pretty fake. Were you trying to use a blind spot? Sorry, but I saw it clearly With the righteous aura those three have, anyone with eyes should notice. Plus, the color on that dragon and tiger tattoo is fading


    The three of them quickly looked at their tattoos and their hands


    Sure enough, the too colors had started to fade, and some of the colors had smudged onto their hands.


    They lowered their heads in embarrassment. They especially got tattoos to make the y look more realistic, with a dragon on the left, and a tiger on the right.


    Jase noticed the tattoos fading colors, with his mustache twitching slightly. His eyes grew intense


    He examined Yvette closely. ¡°Alright, even if what you said is true, what does that have to do with me?¡± he asked.


    Yvette looked at Jase, clicked her tongue, and replied slowly.


    Her voice was calm. She said, ¡°Old man, didn¡¯t you look in the mirror before putting on


    Jase paused. ¡°Look in the mirror?¡±


    He lookedpletely puzzled. What did a mirror have to do with his act?


    this act?¡±


    Yvette chuckled softly, with an indifferent tone, and her blue eyes half-closed.


    She said, ¡°You and Jeremiah have at least a seventy percent simrity in bone structure.¡±


    Jase immediately retorted, ¡°I was way more handsome than that brat Jeremiah when I was young!¡±


    Yvette shot back, ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡±


    The conversation had reached this point.


    Jase finally stopped asking questions. The girl¡¯s eyes were as sharp as a hawk¡¯s


    And her observations were spot on. He said, ¡°Yvette, since you saw through my act from the beginning, why did you just watch me perform instead of helping? It¡¯s not easy for an old man like me, you know. Why didn¡¯t you cooperate with my show in the end? It would have left a good impression if you saved me in this situation and showed your kindness.¡±


    Yvette stood up from the chair, her face showing indifference and her aura cool. Carelessly, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡±


    Jase puffed his mustache in anger and stared wide-eyed.


    Given his high rank, the other three thought he was truly angry and didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly.


    The old man was a veteran of the battlefield. When he got angry, his intimidating aura was something most people couldn¡¯t withstand.


    He said, ¡°Youngdy, you must have guessed who I am by now, right? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll get upset and stop you from marrying into the Chavez family? Force Jeremiah to break up with you and part you two lovebirds?¡±


    Yvette was silent for a few seconds, When she looked up again, her eyes were blue and devoid of any warmth.


    She asked straightforwardly, ¡°Do you want Jeremiah to break up with me?¡±


    Jase was momentarily at a loss for words.


    He was just trying to scare the girl.


    If they broke up, his grandson might never find someone else, just like his father who loved only one person for his entire life.


    The men of the Chavez family were firm about their choice ¨C there was no such thing as breaking up, and only death could separate them.


    In the car, Jeremiab lowered his eyes, and then suddenly opened them, a look of understanding in his deep, cold eyes.


    LThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He spoke to Emmett, who was driving, ¡°Turn the car around now


    Emmett¡¯s hands moved faster than his mind, and he quickly made a U-turn.


    He was puzzled as to why they suddenly turned back and thought. We have just left Sknd. Is Mr. Chavez missing Yvette again?


    Emmett said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, if we turn back now, we might not make it to the military base on time. Should we inform the deputymander in advance?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers drumined on the armrest. Tap, tap, tap.


    Emmett was baffled by the statement. ¡°No need. His task has already failed.¡±


    20 minutester, Jeremiah and Emmett were back in Sknd.


    As soon as they got to the door, they saw three people standing in the yard¡­ What a coincidence.


    They were all familiar faces from the military. The three had been personally mentored by Jeremiah and were exceptional soldiers.


    Emmett vaguely recognized them and was confused why they were there..


    That was indeed a strange situation.


    The three stood straight, eyes fixed ahead. They clearly preferred guard duty over acting.


    As soon as they noticed Jeremiah approaching, they instantly stood even straighter, bodies tense, and their expressions stiffened.


    To these soldiers, Jeremiah was like a hero.


    The three saluted together.


    ¡°Good morning. Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, they greeted in unison.


    Jeremiah had already pieced together most of the situation. He nodded slightly, his face expressionless.


    Emmett asked, ¡°Why are you three here?¡±


    The three quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, Emmett, we came with Mr. Jase Chavez


    Jeremiah remained calm.


    Emmett couldn¡¯t keep his cool. ¡°Came with Mr. Jase Chavez, huh? So, where is he now?¡± he asked.


    The three of them looked into the room. The meaning was clear, Emmett finally understood why Mr. Chavez was in such a rush to get back.


    Mr. Jase Chavez came all the way to Sknd just to see his grandson¡¯s wife.


    Emmett quickly figured it all out, No wonder Mr. Chavez said there was no need to inform the deputymander. It was clear Mr. Jase Chavez and Mitchell were in cahoots to get Mr. Chavez out of the picture.


    Emmett thought. What was going on inside? It is quite possible that trouble will arise considering their personalities. Yvette isn¡¯t afraid of anything, and Mr. Jase Chavez is aged and stubbornly ¨C what if they don¡¯t agree? Are they arguing inside! If they really start fighting, who would Mr. Chavez support? One is the grandpa who has cared for him for years, and the other is the woman he loves deeply


    That was a tough choice.


    While Emmett was lost in thought, Jeremiah was already heading inside, snapping Emmett back to reality. He quickly followed.


    In the living room, Yusef had just stepped out of the coffee room with coffee, running into Jeremiah and Emmett as they wereing in from outside.


    With a broad smile, Yusef greeted Jeremiah, ¡°Jeremiah, you¡¯re back already! Why so soon?¡±


    Jeremiah nodded slightly, ¡°Are they inside?¡±


    Yusef nodded, ¡°Yeah, Mr. Jase Chavez is inside, and Ms. Zeller is with him.¡±


    Emmett chimed in. Tello, Uncle Gunnell.¡±


    Yusef gave Emmett a quick look and said, ¡°You look much stronger with your internal energy than before, kid.


    Being a martial arts expert himself, Yusef immediately noticed the substantial improvement in Emmett¡¯s internal energy.


    Emmett nodded sheepishly and said, ¡°Thanks to Yvette


    At that moment, a deep voice came from inside. ¡°You rascal, back already and still dawdling?

 Chapter 246

    Jeremiah walked into the living room, with Yusef following behind him carrying two cups of coffee.


    In the living room, Yvette and Jase were each sitting on opposite sides of a partially yed chess, Obviously, the two were engaged in a game.


    Jase and Yvette saw Jeremiah and the otherse in but didn¡¯t feel like talking.


    Yusef ced the two cups of coffee beside them and stepped back.


    Emmett looked at the scene before him, unsure what to say.


    Mr. Jase Chavez was in sync with Yvette.


    Jeremiah went over, sat next to Yvette, and stayed quiet.


    Jase gave him a sidelong nce.


    That was typical of someone who forgot his granddad when he had a girlfriend.


    The ck pieces on the chess were already losing.


    Jase stroked his beard, a hint of smugness in his eyes, maintaining hisposure.


    He deliberately said, ¡°Hey, Yvette, look at this board, do we even need to continue?¡±


    Yusef stood by Jase¡¯s side, while Emmett stood by Jeremiah and Yvette.


    Both of them looked at the chessboard.


    Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s white pieces had indeed taken the lead, and the ck pieces couldn¡¯t make aeback anymore.


    It was obvious that Yvette had lost the game and she lost badly.


    Jeremiah speared a piece of sliced apple with his fork and held it up to Yvette to feed her.


    Yvette naturally opened her mouth and ate it.


    Emmett was already ustomed to it. He¡¯d seen this so often that he was numb to it


    But for Jase and Yusef across from them, it was the first time they had seen such a scene.


    It was quite a shock.


    Especially Jase, who felt extremely conflicted.


    He never imagined his grandson could be so considerate when in love.


    He thought, ¡®He feeds her apples? Are they not afraid of the sour


    Jeremiah tilted his head and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.


    His voice was gentle. ¡°Let Grandpa win?¡±


    Yvette slightly tilted her face, with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and her clear eyes focused on him.


    She said. ¡°Nope, just killing Jime out of boredom.¡±


    Jase wasn¡¯t having it, ¡°Yvette, you can¡¯t back out. A bet¡¯s a bett


    Yvette turned her head to Jase, her voice calm. ¡°Continue)


    Jase thought she wouldn¡¯t give up until the very end, but he was sure he¡¯d win anyway, so he didn¡¯t mind waiting a bit longer.


    So, they continued their match.


    Half an hourter, the expressions of everyone, except for Yvette and Jeremiah, were filled with shock.


    That was because they had watched Yvette cleverly turn the tables step by step during the half hour. It was aeback victory against all odds.


    In the end, the oue of the board was clear the ck pieces dominated


    Yvette won. Jase¡¯s eyes twitched.


    He finally realized that Yvette¡¯s boredom had been a ruse to let him win most of the game earlier.


    Jase blushed slightly, coughed awkwardly, and took a sip of coffee.


    He said, ¡°This round is yours, Yvette.¡±


    Yvette twirled the ck chess piece in her fingers, raised her chin, and teased, ¡°Does it count?¡±


    Seeing everyone looking at him, Jase replied with a hint of grievance, ¡°You really don¡¯t give your grandpa any face, do you, girl:¡±


    His tone was slightly pitiful.


    Jeremiah paused for a moment, looking at Jase with an indifferent expression.


    He said, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re overacting.¡±


    Emmett¡­ realized whose side Mr. Chavez would take if Yve and Mr. Jase Chavez had a conflict.


    Jase was momentarily choked up and thought, ¡°What an ungrateful kid! He is always trying to undermine me


    Seeing this. Yusef quickly gave Jase a way out.


    He said, ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, Mr. Clifford Chavez just called. He asked if you¡¯reing back for dinner today.¡±


    L


    Jase nodded in satisfaction, finally feelingforted. At least his son still thought of him.


    He was happy, nced at Jeremiah, and gave a light snort.


    Putting on airs, he said, ¡°Tell Clifford I¡¯m noting back for dinner today. I¡¯ll head to Walter¡¯s ce instead.¡±


    Yusef nodded and immediately called Clifford back¡­


    ¡°Chifford, Mr. Jase Chavez says he¡¯s noting back, so you dont need to go out of your way to prepare anything


    On the other end of the line, Clifford¡¯s voice came through the phone and was heard clearly by Jeremiah, Yvette, and


    Erumelt.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good. It¡¯s Aurora. She let me ask if Dad ising home for dinner. Let¡¯s just have him eat at Uncle Walter¡¯s ce, so Aurora won¡¯t have to work all day. She¡¯s already exhausted. That¡¯s settled. Hanging up.¡±


    Jase¡¯s smug smile froze un his face.


    He took a deep breath and told himself. This is my very child, my child¡­ Forget about my childr


    He felt the urge to go back and strangle that little rascal,


    He was just another one who forgot his dad once he had got a wife.


    The scene was filled with awkward silence.


    Yusef quickly hung up the phone.


    Act


    Yusef thought, ¡°I have nned they would act as firefighters. They are just making things worse.


    Yvette carefully ced her ck chess piece down, looked up at Jeremiah, and said, ¡°Tm hungry. Let¡¯s have some steak.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, stood up, and gently ruffled her hair. It was soft and smooth.


    Tll go and get some materials now, Wait for me,¡± he said.


    Turning to Jase, he said, ¡°Grandpa, want to join us?


    Jase considered pretending to shrug it off, but he was really afraid that his grandson would actually leave him out.


    It would be awkward.


    Yvette gave him a quick nce. A small smile tugged at her lips.


    ¡°The loser has to grant the winner one request. Mine is that you stay and have steak with us.¡±


    Jase was secretly pleased but put on a reluctant front and nodded.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll stay and have a meal with you, youngdy,¡± he said.


    He was a man of high status. Usually, he was too busy to enjoy a simple home-cooked meal, and with Jeremiah¡¯s naturally cold demeanor from a young age, the chances they had dinner together were rare.


    Emmett and Yusef both noticed how happy Jase was.


    The two of them volunteered to take on the task of preparing the materials.


    Once everyone left, only Yvette and Jase were left in the living room.


    Jase looked at Yvette with a kind expression.


    He took a sip of the coffee and spoke in a gentle, lingering tone, International youth painter Cyanbird? Brilliant physicist S who yed a crucial role in developing the new energy project? True behind-the-scenes investor of Sunrise Group? Founder of the brand Vibe? Top-level confidential officer for Interpol?¡±


    Jase¡¯s status meant that Yvette¡¯s identities could never stay hidden.


    Honestly, JaseProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    e was quite surprised when he discovered all these. His grandson certainly had a sharp eye.


    Yvette was only in her early twenties but had all these positions. Any one of them would put her at the top of the pyramid.


    But Yvette was so calm and unperturbed by honor or disgrace. Just that poise alone was enough to qualify her as the future matriarch of the Chavez family


    Yvette didn¡¯t have any reaction to these remarks, and she merely lifted her eyes slightly


    With stunning features her deep, blue eyes had a cold, trembling look. ¡°So what?¡± she asked.


    Jase paused slightly with the coffee cup in his hand, a flicker in his eyes. In a soft voice, he asked, ¡°So which one is the real you?¡±


    Yvette curled her lips, leaned back, and crossed her legs, giving off azy and carefree vibe.


    ¡°Every single one of them is me. There¡¯s no conflict,¡± she answered.


    Jase stared at her. For a long moment, ¡°You¡¯ve passed the test.¡±


    Yvette casually tapped her foot, meeting Jase¡¯s gaze.


    She said. ¡°Actually, from the start, today¡¯s test was a setup. You wanted me to find a w. You were more interested in testing the my skills in observation and how I handled the situation. In other words, if I had arrogantly jumped in to help you, helpless farmer. I bet you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here right now.¡±

 Chapter 247

    Jase¡¯s eyes were sharp as he looked at Yvette, stroking his heard.


    He spoke with a voice that held the cold authority of someone in charge.


    ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re indeed very clever. If you had stepped in to help me just now, I¡¯d have been disappointed. The Chavez family doesn¡¯t need a hostess who¡¯s overly kind and naive, easily trusting others without forming her own opinions. I¡¯m d you¡¯re so calm and rational.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers gently tapped the tabletop in a steady rhythm.


    Her usual cool demeanor s howed in her raised eyebrows and the corners of her eyes.


    She said. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Jase had some understanding of her personality.


    She had a reputation that didn¡¯t quite match her presence, and meeting her, his granddaughter¨Cinw, felt like meeting a thorny rose.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t deny that there was something impressive about her. Only those with real talent could afford a temper


    Someone like her was truly suited to be the hostess of the Chavez family.


    Jase wasn¡¯t upset by her words. Instead, he paused and switched the topic.


    He muttered, Jeremiah really has a great taste, doesn¡¯t he? How did he manage to win you over? My grandson doesn¡¯t have the best personality or charm and isn¡¯t great at¨Cmaking girlsugh. Besides inheriting my handsome looks, how did he catch your eye?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were expressionless. Her usualziness was apparent as her lips curled into a mischievous grin.


    She nced past him. With a light and slow voice, she asked, ¡®Is it strange that I have a crush on him?¡±


    Jase cleared his throat and was about to say something when a familiar, cold voice interrupted. ¡°Grandpa, what is strange?¡±


    Jase¡¯s face froze, and his back straightened, as an icy chill swept over him.


    That was when he realized he had been outsmarted by the girl


    Emmett was with Jeremiah. The grandpa was caught talking badly about his grandson! It was awkward.


    The thing was that neither the grandpa nor the grandson were average people. One was a marshal in Clusia, and the other was a Major General.


    If that wasn¡¯t handled well, it could easily turn a family conflict into a political scandal.


    The girl was really tough. It was totally a situation to avoid!


    Jase turned around and gave Jeremiah a warm, yet nervous, look.


    ¡°Oh hey, grandson, how did you get back so fast?¡± he said.


    Jeremiah narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the smiling old man, and a smirk formed on his lips.


    Jase always found that smile a bit intimidating.


    His grandson¡¯s smile never¨Cgeant anything good


    And right in the next moment, it was just as he predicted.


    ¡°Grandpa, is it true that Grandma said she wasn¡¯t that interested in you and only gave in because you kept bugging her?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    Emmett moved at lightning speed, immediately covering his ears with a sincere look directed at Jase.


    His eyes expressed his loyalty. It meant ¡°Mr. Jase Chavez, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    Jase¡¯s mouth twitched. His anger made his blood pressure soar. The brat just stabbed him right in the heart without a second thought.


    It was his wife who was infatuated with him and pursued him first. But finally he was the clingy one.


    His entire reputation was ruined by this cheeky kid.


    Jase felt like even eating steak wouldn¡¯t prevent indigestion.


    Anyway, he¡¯d already met that girl, and staying any longer might just give him a heart attack.


    He might go and find Walter for a game of chess.


    Jase stood up, his eighty¨Cyear¨Cold body still quite agile.


    He waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ve been busy for a while now. My old bones can¡¯t take it. You guys go ahead, and enjoy your meal without me.¡±


    He then turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Girl, if you have time,e back to the old manor to see this old man. I wasn¡¯t serious during our chess game today. Just wait for next time. I¡¯ll surely bear you. Come by the old manor in a couple of days. My daughter¨Cinw is eager to see you.


    Emmett had been by Jeremiah¡¯s side for so many years.


    Every time they went to see Mr. Jase Chavez was during formal events.


    Mr. Jase Chavez was very serious. Even a slight frown from him would make those below tremble with fear.


    However, the attitude of Mr. Jase Chavez toward Yvette was extremely kind and friendly.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It seemed Mr. Jase Chavez had epted Yvette.


    No wonder she was brave enough to kill a giant python in the rainforest without a blink. She managed to easily handle such a significant figure like the old man in less than half a day.


    It was remarkable. He waspletely convinced.


    Yvette also stood up, calm andposed, and her brows slightly furrowed. ¡°Okay,¡± she said.


    Jase felt that he had lost face today and needed to find a way to regain it.


    So when he reached the entrance of the living room, he paused and nced at Yvette, and then at Jeremiah.


    ¡°I have photos of little Jeremiah dressed as a girl when he was three. Do you want to take a look when you visit?¡± he asked.


    Yvette lifted her eyes. Concise and to the point, she said calmly. Sure, I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    Jeremiah was speechless.


    Emmett thought, This grandparent¨Cgrandchild duo is going all out to mess with each other.


    He really wanted to see Mr. Chavez in women¡¯s clothing too!


    There was no need to guess it was definitely Aurora¡¯s doing. She was famously known for preferring girls over boys,


    People outside didn¡¯t believe she was biased towards girls. In high society, all people would want a son to secure their status.


    But everyone in the Chavez family knew that before Mr. Chavez was born, all she prepared were baby girl items and at princess bedroom.


    When Mr. Chavez was born, she almost fell into depression.


    Her dream of having a sweet, soft little girl turned out to be a boy.


    Aurora was simply obsessed with appearances,


    Mr. Chavez, when he was a child,pletely won back Aurora¡¯s affection with his ¡°looks.¡±


    Jase and Yusef walked to the door.


    Jase¡¯s personal car was ready, with two military vehicles following behind.


    His safety was a national priority, allowing no room for error.


    He required round¨Cthe¨Cclock personal protection.


    It was safe to say that assassination was impossible in Clusia. Even if an assassin shot once, there was no chance for a second shot.


    The three soldiers who were acting earlier had also changed back into their uniforms.


    They lookedpletely different from before. Jeremiah quietly followed behind.


    Seeing this, Yusef knew they wanted to talk and stepped aside.


    He gave them some space, Jase¡¯s expression was stern. He turned around, ring at Jeremiah.


    ¡°Instead of going back to keep Yvettepany, you¡¯re here to see me off. Just say what you want to say.¡±


    Jeremiah stood in the sunlight with his lips pursed, his deep, blue eyes were intense and cold.


    ¡°Grandpa, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Jase heard this twice in an hour and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    They were ying a telepathy game with him. They really were in sync.


    He initially nned to tell his grandson about Yvette¡¯s true identity. Now? No way, he¡¯d let the kid guess for himself.


    If one was going to set up his grandson, he might see it all the way through.


    ¡°Listen, you brat,¡± Jase said, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything about Yvette yet. Look, I¡¯m not that idle. That girl is truly remarkable. Since you acknowledge her worth, treat her well. I¡¯m too old to interfere with your love matters. Anyway, I¡¯m off..¡±


    After Jase and the others left. Jeremiah¡¯s phone rang in his pocket, and he answered it.


    It was an international call from Bruce. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Frankie has already obediently gone to Afria. The gold mine there is expected to bepletely tapped in about a week.¡±


    Jeremiah held the phone; his face expressionless, and respond


    Bruce continued, ¡°Mr. Chavez, I¡¯ve informed Braydon of your dispatched his personal guardsman, a hitman known in the str kill you. Our people are keeping a close eye on The Phantom¡®

 Chapter 248

    Jeremiah was calm andposed. He was silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°he informed Phantom about my whereabouts. in Seacrity. Does he think Clusia is a ce where he cane and go as he wishes? Since he¡¯s here, make sure he stays permanently


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was calm, but Bruce sensed the strong threat in hisst words, and thought, ¡°We finally face off against the Goodman family in the open


    ¡°Understood, Mr. Chavez. I¡¯ll pass the information on to Braydon. As for Phantom, should we keep him on hold for you to handle personally, or take him out on the spot?¡±


    Jeremiah paused for a moment, his gaze cold. He said the most ruthless words in the calmest tone.


    Jeremiah said. ¡°Take his body to the Goodman family¡±


    Bruce showed that he understood.


    The Phantom, who had recently received a task from Braydon while far away in Mysonna, never thought he would be immediately captured uponnding in Seacrity. Before he could even meet Jeremiah in person, he died and his body was sent to Mysonna


    Jeremiah hung up and returned to the living room, where Emmett washed vegetables in the kitchen, and Emmett looked professional.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t like strangersing to his house, so Emmett took care of most of Sknd¡¯s affairs.


    asionally, Aurora would send a servant from the Chavez family to clean, and it¡¯d been for years.


    Yvette was idly ying with her phone, loungingzily on the couch. Just a moment ago, she received a text from an unknown number.


    [Hello Siren, it¡¯s James. Simon mentioned you¡¯ve arrived in Betrico. Are you free to meet up tomorrow?]


    Yvette¡¯s pale fingers tapped lightly on the phone screen, sending a brief message.


    Yvette: [Sure, when and where?]


    In less than half a minute, a response from an unknown number appeared,


    [10:30, at Bamboo Hall Don¡¯t miss it.]


    Yvette heard footsteps approaching, so she tilted her head slightly to casually nce at Jeremiah who had entered. Yvette put her phone away and looked at his deep eyes, She propped up her chin and chuckled softly. ¡°Women¡¯s clothes?


    Jeremiah paused and casually walked over to the couch and sat next to Yvette.


    Jeremiah was a little embarrassed, pulling Yvette into his arms with a raised eyebrow, and said slowly, ¡°Jase was just making up stories.¡±


    Yvette leaned backfortably into Jeremiah¡¯s arms, looking up at him naturally. Her eyes were cold, and she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Jeremiah tidied Yvette¡¯s hair gently and cleared his throat and said, ¡°It was just that once.¡±


    Jeremiah thought, ¡°Why does getting caught in a lie happen so quickly?


    Yvette smiled and said in a soft voice, ¡°I bet it looked pretty good


    Emmett stepped out of the kitchen wearing an apron, having just finished washing the vegetables. He interrupted the intense gaze between Jeremiah and Yvette.


    Emmett said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Yvette, the veggies are-¡±


    Seeing them, Emmett abruptly stopped talking and thought, I need to pretend I see nothing¡±


    The next day, Jeremiah headed to the army base early in the morning to handle some military affairs.


    Yvette casually picked a sleek ck scooter from the parking garage, which was so inconspicuous as it was tucked away


    theer.


    Yvette hopped on, secured her helmet, and headed straight for Bamboo Hall, conveniently close to Sknd


    Inside the security booth, the guard who was swapped out yesterday was back at his post. As he looked up, he saw the beautiful girl Yvette riding a sleek ck scooter out of the gates.


    The guard rubbed his eyes in disbelief. It was the first time he¡¯d seen someone using a scooter at Sknd.


    The residents here were either high-ranking officials or wealthy tycoons, and they traveled in luxury cars. Even the servants drove BMWs for grocery shopping, so seeing a scooter was surprising for the guard.


    Yvette parked her scooter at the entrance of Bamboo Hall. The scooter was surrounded by an assortment of luxury making it stand out quite a bit.


    cars,


    Yvette walked up to the entrance and saw two young women in gowns with their hair elegantly styled who were elegant. The two young women saw Yvette step off her ck scooter, so their attitudes inevitably became dismissive.


    Since all patrons at Bamboo Hall came from the social elite, the servants here were arrogant. The two servants were jealous of Yvette¡¯s beauty and looked even more disdainful at the unknown brand-name clothes Yvette was wearing.


    So the two exchanged a knowing nce and adopted an air of superiority.


    One of the two girls said, ¡°Hello, are you here to dine? Bamboo Hall is a members-only restaurant. We don¡¯t admit walk-ins The minimum for a membership card is 1.5 million dors. If you¡¯re interested, pleasee with me to handle the application


    Yvette¡¯s face showed no emotion, and her cold, beautiful eyebrows were exceptionally striking.


    With one hand in her pocket, Yvette walked up the steps. Her long legs were straight and fair-skinned. Her eyes were cold, with brown pupils that were aloof and indifferent. When she raised her eyes, her gaze was as calm as a deep pool.


    Yvette asked, ¡°1.5 million dors? Is that enough?¡±


    The two servants looked even more disdainful when they heard this.


    The thought, ¡®Is this pretty girl out of her mind to ask if 1.5 million dors is enough? Her pocket is probably empty. 1.5 million dors? She probably can¡¯t even pull out 150 dors. With only a pretty face, what is she trying to do here?¡±


    One of the taller servants grew a bit impatient and mocked Yvette. ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t have 1.5 million dors, stop lingering here. We¡¯re about to host an important guest, Mr. Owens, the director of Betrico¡¯s physicsb. You might be better off trying the diners two blocks away because they¡¯re more suited for ordinary people.¡±


    The other servant, with his newly done nose, added, ¡°Miss, there are plenty of food stalls on the next street. They¡¯ll fill you up


    Just then, a man in a well-tailored suit came out, nced at Yvette, and said rudely. ¡°What are you two doing here? Get that irrelevant person out quickly. Don¡¯t let her dy the important quests we¡¯re expecting¡±


    The two servants gave the man a ttering smile and said, ¡°Okay, Mr. Lake. We¡¯re not sure what¡¯s wrong with this girl. She acts like she doesn¡¯t understand us. She¡¯s trying toe in and spend money without a membership. We kindly exined the store rules to her, but she didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    The underlying message was that Yvette was stubbornly hanging around here and wouldn¡¯t leave.


    Yvette nced at the three of them casually, bent one knee, took out her phone, and called right in front of them. The person on the other end answered quickly.


    Yvette was concise and clear. ¡°Withdraw the investment from Bamboo Hall,¡±


    The person on the other end of the line didn¡¯t hesitate to agree and asked, ¡°What happened? Did someone from Bamboo Hall foolishly offend you? Do you want me to handle it personally?¡±


    Yvette replied, ¡°No need.¡±


    Yvette hung up the phone after speaking.


    In a skyscraper located in the busiest business district, an attractive woman in business attire appeared around twenty-seven years old. Her makeup was wless, and her hair was casually styled.


    The girl looked at the phone that had just been hung up, shook her head in resignation, and thought, ¡°Yvette hasn¡¯t changed


    The girl had just learned three days ago that Yvette would being to Betrico, so she insisted on inviting Yvette for a meal. only to be met with a firm refusal


    There was nothing the girl could do but wait for Yvette toe to Betrico and make an early reservation for the next time.


    But the girl thought Bamboo Hall must have a death wish to dare to offend Yvette, and she immediately called the internal line for her secretary.


    Bamboo Hall had been waiting for the investment from the girl for almost a year. It was supposed to be finalized soon, and, she was d she didn¡¯t go through with the proposal.

 Chapter 249

    Yvette hung up the phone..


    The three people at the door stared at her. The general manager and the young heir of Bamboo Hall was Samuel.


    Samuel just returned from abroad this year to take over Bambog Hall. He was trying to operate Bamboo Hall more internationally, always looking for overseaspanies to coborate with to expand the business


    Samuel gave Yvette a cold look, subtly sizing her up.


    Samuel thought, ¡®Sure, she¡¯s pretty, but stupid. She talks about withdrawing investments. What a joke!


    Samuel said. ¡°Miss, that call you made was so phony. I don¡¯t know where you heard that I was looking for investment and who you called. Have you ever found out what Bamboo Hall is? You think you can just act here?¡±


    The two girls tried hard to impress Samuel, so they were doing their best to make a great impression. A girl said. ¡°Miss, our manager already asked you to leave. Why stick around and humiliate yourself?¡±


    Another tall girl didn¡¯t want to miss out and said, ¡°Miss, are you up to something?¡±


    That thought hadn¡¯t crossed Samuel¡¯s mind, but hearing it from the tall girl made his vanity grow.


    Samuel thought. The girl¡¯s look and charm were indeed great. If she wants to be with me, I will agree.


    With this thought, Samuel¡¯s attitude improved, and he looked at Yvette with an arrogant gaze and said, ¡°Miss, if you want to date me, I will agree, but today isn¡¯t the best time. Mr. Owens ising to dine with an important guest soon. There¡¯s no time for me to date you now. Come back tomorrow, and we can talk then.¡±


    The two servants were furious.


    They thought they had set things up for Yvette on a silver tter because they didn¡¯t expect Samuel to like Yvette.


    They didn¡¯t darein in front of Samuel and could only re at Yvette, seething with anger.


    Yvette stayed silent from start to finish, watching the three of them put on their act.


    Yvette looked up, and her eyes sparkled with coldness, exuding a frightful aura, her gaze as icy as ever


    The two servants instinctively took a step back, scared by Yvette¡¯s gaze.


    At that moment, Samuel¡¯s phone suddenly rang in his pocket, and a sudden nervousness washed over Samuel without reason


    Samuel took out his phone and rxed when he saw his dad¡¯s name. He thought it was probably another call urging him toe home for dinner.


    Samuel didn¡¯t wait for his dad to speak before jumping in, ¡®Dad, I told you that I¡¯m noting home for dinner today. Mr. Owens ising over and I¡¯m busy at Bamboo Hall. Just eat by yourself.


    A loud angry shout came from the other end, and the two servants shivered with fear.


    ¡°What have you been busy with all day? The investment deal fell through, and FastPulse Technologies mentioned that their manager rejected our investment proposal. Over a year of effort has gone to waste. What happened? Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a done deal? Something must have gone wrong. Check it out and see if there¡¯s any chance of saving it.¡±


    Samuel held the phone, shocked, suddenly recalling the call Yvette made earlier.


    Samuel¡¯s jaw was tightly clenched, and he stared at Yvette in disbelief, his face flushed with anger.


    Samuel¡¯s voice trembled, no longer arrogant, as he spoke into the phone, ¡°Dad, I know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    Samuel quickly hung up the phone.


    The two servants heard every word spoken over the phone. Like Samuel, they remembered the scene that had just happened and were frozen. Then they lowered their heads, feeling ashamed, not daring to make a sound,


    The two servants knew they just offended Yvette, an important person.


    The two servants thought, ¡°It¡¯s over. We will be fired.


    Samuel was stunned. He had never run into Yvette during all his time in Betrico, and he was shocked that Yvette could make FastPulse Technologies pull their investment in a short time,


    This was so ridiculous that no one would believe it.


    The general manager of FastPulse Technologies, Lucy Ran, was known as a formidable woman who never followed anyone¡¯s orders.


    Samuel gritted his teeth. Given the situation, he had no choice but to apologize.


    Samuel thought, ¡®She is a girl, and some sweet-talking will workProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Samuel put on a gentlemanly demeanor as if the arrogant and harsh person from earlier wasn¡¯t him.


    Samuel gently exined to Yvette. ¡°Miss, I truly apologize for my rudeness earlier. I was swayed by these two servants¡± words and formed a bias. I¡¯m sincerely sorry and hope you¡¯ll forgive me. Of course, I apologize for my impulsiveness and hope it won¡¯t affect your dining experience¡±


    After saying this to Yvette, Samuel turned and sternly scolded the two servants.


    ¡°You two,e over here and apologize to this youngdy. If she doesn¡¯t forgive you, you can¡¯t work at Bamboo Hall. You might as well pack your things and leave.¡±


    The two servants couldn¡¯t care less about dignity and burst into tears immediately, and they said, ¡°We¡¯re sorry, miss. We shouldn¡¯t have treated you so rudely. Please don¡¯t take it into your heart and forgive us. If we lose our jobs, we¡¯re done for.¡±


    Yvette stood on the steps with her hands in her pockets, looking at them casually, and she slowly curled her lips into a cool smile.


    Yvette thought. They are so ridiculous. Does an apology mean I have to forgive?¡±


    All three thought they had convinced Yvette with their words, thinking she would forgive them, Yvette¡¯s words crushed their hopespletely.


    Yvette said, ¡°Forgive you?¡±


    The three looked at Yvette expectantly, waiting for Yvette to say she wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge.


    The next second, Yvette continued to say, ¡°No way.¡±


    Yvette was so determined.


    The three were instantly stunned


    Samuel was furious, and he couldn¡¯t hide his anger.


    But thinking of FastPulse Technologies investment, Samuel held back his anger and had to me it on the two servants.


    Samuel thought the reason Yvette was upset was because of the two servants, so he was going to fire them.


    Samuel said coldly to the two servants, ¡°Since this youngdy won¡¯t forgive you, don¡¯t me me. Go and process your resignations, and you can¡¯t work at Bamboo Hall anymore.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the two servants finally stopped crying, and they red at Yvette with hatred but didn¡¯t dare say anything, so they had to step aside and wait.


    Samuel ignored them because his priority was to salvage the investment from FastPulse Technologies.


    Samuel wore a big smile and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve resolved the issue and fired them. Could you ask your friend, Ms. Ran, the general manager of FastPulse Technologies to reconsider withdrawing? A partnership between Bamboo Hall and FastPulse Technologies benefits both parties, right? It¡¯s a win-win situation, and it would be a shame to let such a minor issue ruin it.¡± Samuel believed he had clearly exined the pros and cons of the situation, so he thought Yvette would agree.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on her lips, her eyes icy. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Samuel nodded and said, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t know what kind of rtionship you have with Ms. Ran, but in Betrico, the Lake family has some influence and connections. Getting too tense won¡¯t help you.¡±


    Samuel words were full of threats but he showed his respect to Yvette.


    Samuel thought he was ying a clever game.

 Chapter 250

    Upon hearing this, Yvette turned to look at Samuel, his brow rated, exuding defiance.


    Just then, a white car pulled up in front of the Bamboo Hall, with a ck car following behind.


    The car doors opened, and an old man got out of the vehicle whose hair was gray and neatlybed.


    The old man was dressed in a dark patterned suit that was handmade and worth a lot.


    Then, a young boy stepped out. The boy was thin, and he immediately moved closer to the old man as he got out.


    The boy lowered his head, counting on his fingers and muttering words under his breath that no one else could understand.


    A bodyguard from the car behind handed over a cane that had been prepared in advance.


    The old man took the cane and looked at Yvette and Samuel standing on the steps.


    From the old man¡¯s position, only Yvette¡¯s back was visible, but he could see Samuel


    The old man frowned slightly.


    Samuel saw that Yvette was unfazed by his tactics.


    Just as Samuel was about to threaten her, he noticed the old man getting out of the car.


    Samuel quickly adjusted his suit and walked over, speaking with respect and modesty when he reached the old man.


    ¡°Mr. Owens, you¡¯re here. The private room is ready, and I¡¯m waiting for you and your esteemed guests.¡±


    The old man was James, the director of the National Physics Lab in Betrico, one of Clusia¡¯s three most respected elders. James had been a leading figure in Clusia¡¯s physics field, one of the first to study abroad and return to contribute.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    It was fair to say James dedicated his entire youth to Clusia¡¯s physics projects.


    James witnessed firsthand Clusia¡¯s physics achievements reaching their present level and yed an indispensable role. Samuel had only encountered James twice, and this was the second meeting, so they weren¡¯t familiar with each other.


    Even ten families like the Lake family wouldn¡¯t get the attention of the Owens family.


    Samuel deliberately acted very friendly with James to send a message to Yvette, letting her know that Bamboo Hall shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    James observed Samuel¡¯s behavior but didn¡¯t say anything because he didn¡¯t see the point in fussing over the youngster Samuel.


    James tilted his head and smiled kindly, looking at the boy who was mumbling with his head down. James said softly, ¡°Michael, go in with me. Soon, you¡¯ll meet the person you¡¯ve been eager to see.¡± Michael with his head down suddenly looked up, and his delicate face showed. Michael¡¯s eyes were shiny. There wasn¡¯t a trace of evil thought in his gaze, and it was as clear as a baby¡¯s. Michael nodded excitedly, clutching James¡¯s sleeve tightly and urged. ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s hurry. I can¡¯t wait


    Seeing this, Samuel curled his lips with disdain and thought, ¡°The boy named Michael is probably the fool of the Owens family. James is so poor to have such a fate. His son and daughter-inw died young, and his grandson became mentally challenged in that car ident


    Michael immediately sensed the hostility from Samuel and quickly stepped back, looking fearfully at Samuel while shaking his head.


    James didn¡¯t truly understand what Michael meant, so he could only reassure Michael not to be scared


    Samuel seized the chance to chime in. ¡°Mr. Owens, should we go inside first? Has your guest arrived? Do you need me to wait here personally?¡±


    James watched Yvette who was slowly turn around to face him, and a look of excitement washed over his face. James leaned on his cane, moved past Samuel who was waiting for a reply, and headed straight toward Yvette.


    Michael followed closely, not lifting his head, maintaining every step.


    Samuel, bewildered, quickly followed them.


    James, using his cane, walked to the bottom of the steps and stood before Yvette.


    James¡¯ voice quivered slightly. ¡°When do you get here? Why don¡¯t you send me a message? Have you been waiting long? Are you tired? Come inside quickly, and the sun is so strong out here. You¡¯re a fair-skinned girl, so you shouldn¡¯t get tan.¡±


    Samuel¡¯s footsteps came to an abrupt halt not far away, and he looked nkly at the scene ahead, his face turning a shade of gray. A deep sense of despair rose within him.


    If FastPulse Technologies wouldn¡¯t invest in Bamboo Hall, they could seek anotherpany.


    But Yvette being so familiar with James made things serious.


    If James found out about what just happened, judging by James¡¯s attitude towards Yvette, Bamboo Hall would go


    business.


    Many people find it hard even to meet James, let alone have a conversation with him.


    The scene was too overwhelming for Samuel, and he felt he could barely breathe.


    Yvette stayed calm, nodding politely at James. She said calmly. Let¡¯s choose another.¡±


    out of


    James paused for a moment, turned his head, and looked at Samuel who had a look of avoidance and fear. James had already guessed something bad must have happened before he arrived that upset Yvette.


    James suddenly appeared more imposing


    James tapped the floor with his cane, which left Samuel who was farther awaypletely flustered.


    Samuel was extremely panicked.


    Michael stared directly at Yvette, and when Yvette¡¯s gaze swept over, he shyly looked away.


    Michael hid beside James, stealing nces at Yvette, and Michael¡¯s eyes were shining.


    James said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to another ce. We¡¯ve been eating at Bamboo Hall for so many years, and it¡¯s be old news and it¡¯s time to try something new.


    Hearing this, Samuel copsed onto the floor in despair. He knew James was the key figure responsible for Bamboo Hall¡¯s current status and prestige.


    In Betrico¡¯s upper-sseireles, it was due to James¡¯s calligraphy for Bamboo Hall that intellectuals initially supported Bamboo Hall.


    If James¡¯s words today were to spread around, Bamboo Hall would surely lose many of its upscale clients.


    Bamboo Hall wouldn¡¯t have such a bright future. The ordinary person would not spend 1.5 million dors on a membership cand to dine.


    Right now, Samuel felt like he was about to faint.


    Yvette nodded slightly.


    Samuel could only watch helplessly as the three of them left. He shakily took out his phone and called back.


    The call went through.


    Samuel said, ¡°Dad, our Bamboo Hall is over.¡±


    After the three left, James found another restaurant that was especially discreet and also required membership.


    Although the decor wasn¡¯t as nice as Bamboo Hall, the food was even better.


    After sitting down, James told his bodyguards to leave and only Yvette, James, and Michael were in the private room


    James was the first to speak, with a hint of reflection. ¡°Hello, Siren. If I hadn¡¯t seen you for myself today, I would find it hard to believe that you¡¯re Siren.¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips, slightly lowering her gaze, her elegant fingers lightly holding the coffee cup. Yvette spoke gently, ¡°Call me Yvette, and it was just a lucky break.¡±


    James waved his hand and spoke sincerely, ¡°Yvette, the new energy projects have also been researched bybs abroad. If you had given your thesis and experimental data to them, I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve gotten a significant reward. But you didn¡¯t, and you gave it to Simon anonymously in exchange for a spot at Argrol University. That¡¯s an unfair trade. With that data, you could have gotten into Mysonna¡¯s top university, not to mention an unknown one like Argrol University. It shows you love your country.¡±


    Yvette took a sip of water and set the ss down, her eyes flickering momentarily. She said, ¡°No.¡±


    James chuckled, looking at Yvette with a confident expression. ¡°You can¡¯t deny it. Even if you did, I wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    James thought Patriots were always so humble.


    Yvette was speechless.

 Chapter 251

    Yvette figured it was pointless to exin, so she stopped talking and sipping her coffee silently.


    James shifted his gaze and turned to look at Michael who was sneaking nces at Yvette. James¡¯ gaze softened.


    James said. ¡°Michael, this is the person you¡¯ve been wanting to meet, Siren, or Yvette. You can call her Yvette.¡±


    Yvette just lifted her eyes a bit, silently epting the familiarity


    Michael timidly lifted his head to sneak a peek at Yvette, and his eyes were full of joy. Then Michael shyly lowered his head, nervously fidgeting with his hands, hesitatingly managing to sayplete sentence.


    Michael said. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m Michael¡±


    James reassuringly patted Michael on his shoulder and he nced at Yvette, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    James said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Yvette. Michael has a few quirks. He likes your papers and has wanted to meet you. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze and casually nced at Michael, showing no curiosity.


    The calmness in Yvette¡¯s gaze waspletely free of malice, which made James feel a bit moved..


    For years, others had looked at Michael with a hint of malice and disdain. They wouldn¡¯t dare to show it in front of James, but James noticed it


    James sighed. ¡°Michael is¡­¡±


    Yvette put down her cup and calmly said, ¡°Autism.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    James was taken aback for a moment, then nodded at Yvette.


    As James remembered past events, a deep sorrow appeared on his face. He spoke solemnly, ¡°Yes, Michael is an autistic child.¡± Yvette raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes, and her fingers were lightly tapping on the table.


    Yvette said, ¡°Autism, also known as autistic disorder, is a key condition of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Currently, PDD is categorized into five types: autistic disorder, Kett¡¯s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger¡¯s syndrome, and unspecified PDD. Among these, autistic disorder and Asperger¡¯s syndrome are the most


    James was shocked for a few seconds and thought, ¡®Yvette knows such professional terms, so it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s done some


    research.


    James asked, ¡°Yvie, have you also done research in this area?¡±


    Yvette said politely, I¡¯ve read a few books when I was bored, so I wouldn¡¯t call it research


    James made a sound of acknowledgment, feeling a bit disappointed.


    It would be great if Yvette had autism research. Maybe Michael could be helped.


    James didn¡¯t know why but had an inexplicable confidence in Yvette.


    James believed that a genius shone in any area.


    James reminisced with Yvette. ¡°Yvette, Michael¡¯s condition is mainly because of me. Over twenty years ago, I was working on a crucial research project we could develop thut technology, our country would of physics I didn¡¯t go home for three years because I was always in theb. That one the gap with Mysonna in the field


    year, during Christmas. I finally managed to take a day off. My son and daughter-inw were in a car ident as they hurried back to reunite for the celebration. They both died in that crash, leaving Michael as the only survivor. Witnessing the entire ident left a major mark on his heart, and that¡¯s why he is like this now.¡±


    As James spoke, his voice caught with emotion.


    For all these years, James had been tormented by guilt. If it weren¡¯t for him, the ident wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    En out


    James felt responsible for the deaths of his son and daughter-inw, and for causing his only grandson Michael to turn like this.


    Michael looked at James with confusion, watching James crying made Michael feel panic.


    Michael said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Michael awkwardly wiped James¡¯s face with his sleeve.


    James quicklyforted Michael. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not crying


    Seeing that fames wasn¡¯t crying anymore, Michael hesitantly put down his sleeve, and then he lowered his head and started counting his fingers and mumbled words that no one else could understand.


    That was a series of strange numbers.


    Seeing Michael like this, James felt even more heartbroken because Michael still didn¡¯t understand anything


    Yvette watched the scene and listened to Michael¡¯s mumbled words. A hint of understanding shed through her charming eyes:


    Yvette said to James, ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve been consciously guiding Michael¡¯s interests and nurturing his focus, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    James was surprised that Yvette noticed this, and he quickly nodded, and his hand, holding the cane, trembled slightly. James said, ¡°Yes. When Michael was seven, I noticed he had an amazing ability to focus for his age. He seemed to have a natural knack for physics. Once he started on experiments, he ignored everything else. I could only teach him by myself. I¡¯ve grown old and perhaps a bit selfish, so I don¡¯t want him to follow the path I took. I hope he can have a simple and safe life.


    Yvette looked steadily at Michael and said, ¡°Lift your head.¡±


    James gave a wry smile because Michael would never listen to a stranger.


    Just as James was about to say something, he heard Michael say, I¡¯m good, and I lift my head.¡±


    In shock, James turned around stiffly and saw Michael had already raised his head, staring intently at Yvette.


    James could hardly believe what he was seeing.


    After all these years, this was the first time Michael listened to one¡¯s advice.


    Tears streamed down James¡¯s wrinkled face.


    At that moment, James wasn¡¯t the revered elder known to all, just an ordinary grandpa.


    Yvette pressed her lips together, meeting Michael¡¯s gaze. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Michael said. Tm twenty-five years old now?


    Yvette paused and asked. ¡°What did your grandpa do three days ago?


    Without thinking. Michael said, ¡°Grandpa got up in the morning and had some soup¡±


    Yvette patiently listened as Michael exined what James had done over the past three days, and there wasn¡¯t a hint of impatience on her face.


    Michael said, ¡°Grandpa spent half an hour on the phone with Mary, and she said Grandpa was frivolous¡±


    James quickly covered Michael¡¯s mouth, and his face flushed. He hastily said. ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t listen to what Michael is saying. Mary and I have a strong and simple rtionship between colleagues.¡±


    Yvette nodded and smiled, her eyebrows lowered slightly. She slowly said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±


    James felt his cheeks turning crimson with embarrassment, knowing this was a mess he couldn¡¯t easily clean up.


    Yvette turned her gaze back to Michael, her fingers rhythmically drumming on the table.


    Yvette said. ¡°He has talents associated with autism. Some people excel in music, calctions, dates, mechanical memory. and recitation, but his brilliance is in physics. With your guidance over the years, he has developed his ownplete thought system. He¡¯s a genius.


    It was the first time James had heard such a statement.


    Previously, all the doctors had told James how difficult, dull, and manic Michael was. Now Yvette was telling James Michael was a genius.


    Yvette¡¯s words were heartfelt, and he could tell they were genuine


    Suddenly, a long-held burden in James¡¯ heart dissolved.


    James suddenly didn¡¯t feel the need to hold on anymore.


    As long as Michael was doing well, nothing else mattered more.


    And it was all thanks to Yvette.

 Chapter 252

    Jamesposed himself.


    James had somewhat lost hisposure today.


    At his age, James couldn¡¯t stay as calm as Yvetle.


    James said. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m really embarrassed today. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yvente nodded slightly, her expression as cool as ever. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Yvette had a lot of respect for James who devoted his entire life to the country.


    James spent a whole lifetime to his career, which was easy to say, but hard to do.


    mate


    As the food arrived, the three of them ate quietly..


    While eating. James noticed Yvette liked the shrimp, so he even called the waiter to order another te of shrimp.


    As the meal wasing to an end, James brought up the new energyunch again. ¡°Yvette, are you not nning to show up at the new energyunch? The world¡¯s media will be there.¡±


    Yvette took a sip of her juice and said casually, ¡°Nope.¡±


    Wette decisively turned down James¡¯s invite again, and James wasn¡¯t surprised because he thought Yvette was indeed, as Simon said, indifferent to fame and fortune.


    James thought, ¡°Yvette is so young, but I have to admire her cid attitude¡±


    James said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stick to the original n, and you don¡¯t turn down the credit.¡±


    Yvette responded unhurriedly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    During the meal, James was pleasantly surprised to discover that Yvette was like a hidden treasure.


    No matter what James said, Yvette could follow up with sentences that were right on target. Her insights into physics were exceptionally original, which made James feel like he had finally met a kindred spirit, even though it waste in life..


    James said, ¡°Yvette, have you considered joining the physicsb? With your talent and abilities, you¡¯d excel there?


    James essentially gave Yvette a backdoor opportunity.


    Usually, getting into the physicsb required passing a series of rigorous evaluations, and only the cream of the crop made it 11.


    Those who worked in theb couldn¡¯t afford to ck off.


    The physicsb conducts evaluations every quarter, and the lowest performer would be eliminated.


    Over the years, James had never given anyone special treatment, and this was the first time he had extended such an invitation to Yvette, a young woman in her twenties.


    Yvette paused and looked at James who was expectant and nervous, and she said in a cold voice. ¡°Thank you for your invitation, but I already have other ns, so I don¡¯t intend to go to the physicsb.¡±


    James sighed, realizing that since Yvette already declined, so he couldn¡¯t insist.


    Just at this moment, Michael suddenly piped up, ¡°Yvette, let¡¯s eat fish, big fish¡±


    Yvette nodded. ¡°Alright, you eat some too?


    Michael grinned sheepishly, scratching his head.


    Seeing this, a thought sparked in James¡® mind. The physicsb might have been a lost cause, but there was another way that might work out.


    James considered for a moment and then gave Yvette a kind surile, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to bunch up together.


    James asked, ¡°Yvette, what do you think of me?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Michael¡¯s forks dropped onto the table.


    Yvette paused her hand in midair, and her bright eyes were fixed on James.


    Yvette said, ¡°What?¡±


    James suddenly realized that what he¡¯d said didn¡¯te out right, and he quickly tried to exin. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯d like to be your grandpa. If you agree, I¡¯ll host a small gathering with friends and family to celebrate in a few days. What do you think?¡±


    James, afraid that Yvette might turn him down again, quickly eximed, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯ve always wished for a granddaughter


    and years. my wish still hasn¡¯te true. Can you make this dreame true for me? I¡¯m since I was young. It¡¯s been practically one foot in the grave, and this is my only wish.¡±


    With that, James seemed on the verge of breaking into tears.


    The whole scene seemed odd.


    There was a girl with a calm expression and an old man pretending to cry without tears.


    Seeing Yvette not agreeing, James decided to make a bigger effort.


    James didn¡¯t care about losing face and was determined to bring Yvette into the Owens family.


    Yvette calmly sipped some sweet soup, wiped her mouth, and looked at James, who seemed ready to make a bold move.


    Yvette crossed her legs and spoke slowly, ¡°Did you and Mr. Chavez attend the same school?¡±


    James paused for a moment, not immediately understanding. ¡°Are you talking about Jase?¡±


    James was sure that when Yvette mentioned Mr. Chavez, she meant Jase.


    After all, in Betrico, the only Mr. Chavez known was Jase.


    James never expected that Yvette would know Jase.


    James asked, ¡°You know Jase?¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°I met him yesterday, and you two are quite simr.¡±


    James immediately got all worked up.


    For years, neither he nor Jase would back down to the other.


    Though now Jase was an oldmander, Jase and James grew up together as carefree kids. They knew each other well.


    ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t let that old guy, Jase, fool you. Itis acting skills are far behind mine.


    Yvette put down her ss of water and stayed silent.


    Meanwhile, Jase suddenly sneezed during a meeting


    Jase¡¯s security guard immediately rushed over, anxiously asking Jase needed to call his doctor.


    Jase said it wasn¡¯t necessary and thought, ¡®How strange it was to suddenly yawn on such a hot day?¡±


    Inside the private room, James enthusiastically recounted all the embarrassing stories from when he and Jase were kids.


    Mostly, they were about Jase.


    James talked for half an hour before stopping to sip his coffee.


    James¡® throat felt and Yvette listened quietly for the whole half¨Chour


    This was good. Yvette thought maybe she had been following too much gossiptely.


    Yvette nced down at her phone.


    [I¡¯ming to pick you up. What¡¯s the address?]


    Yvette tapped the screen to send the address and then looked up ¡°I agreed.¡±


    James suddenly stopped talking and thought, ¡®Happinesses so suddenly that I¡¯m a bit taken aback.


    James kept saying, ¡®ver thought I¡¯d live to see the day I have a granddaughter.¡±


    After finishing. James looked at Yvette with anticipation and asked, ¡°Dear, could you call me Grandpa just once? It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t


    Yvette stared at James for a few seconds and then said, ¡°Grandpa


    Michael pped and grinned foolishly.


    Hearing Yvette call him Grandpa, James, overwhelmed with excitement, immediately took out a simple box from his pocket, which was the gift he wanted to give Mary.


    Yvette thought, Is it the emerald hairpin that Michael mentioned as belonging to Mary!¡±


    James acquired the emerald hairpin through a friend from an antique auction, and it was valued at thirty million


    James ced the box in Yvette¡¯s hands and said with excitement. ¡°Yvette, keep this gift. I¡¯m not sure if you will like it. If you do, wear it. If you don¡¯t, just set it aside for now, and it¡¯s up to you. I don¡¯t have anything valuable to give you, only this small trinket. Hold onto it, and maybe one day when you visit me, I¡¯ll have my collection to show you. You can choose whatever you like.¡±


    There were a hundred ways James spoiled Yvette, and it was just the beginning.

 Chapter 253

    After the three of them finished eating, James asked Yvette, ¡°Do you need a ride home? Where are you staying now?¡±


    Yvette looked up and politely replied. ¡°No need, Grandpa. Someone ising to pick me up¡±


    Leaning on his cane, James quickly asked, ¡°Your boyfriend?¡±


    Yvene nodded slightly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    James¡® heart ached instantly. He had just be acquainted with Yvette, and she already had a boyfriend. Who could hein to? Today, he wanted to see who was dating Yvette and see if he could drive that guy away. James thought, What¡¯s so great about getting married anyway? It¡¯s not good at all. Constantly revolving around cooking, cleaning, and other chores. Someone as talented as Yvette should be shining in the field of physics. In conclusion, no one is truly worthy of her


    James stood smiling by the roadside, not saying a word about leaving and instead keeping Yvettepany.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her stunning profile looking even more beautiful under the streemp. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go ahead,¡± she said.


    James guessed he wouldn¡¯t sleep well unless he saw Yvette¡¯s boyfriend tonight. He quickly shook his head. Obviously exhausted, with his eyelids drooping, he still kept waiting there. He stubbornly told Yvette, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. But you know, Yvelle, it


    pretty dangerous for a girl like you to be out here alone at night. And your boyfriend seems pretty unreliable, if 1 may say so. He¡¯s already ten minuteste, showing he has no sense of time!¡±


    James hadn¡¯t even seen Yvette¡¯s boyfriend yet, but James began to speak ill of him.


    Right after that, across the street, a ck SUV stopped. The driver side door opened, and Emmett stepped out in a ck suit.


    Emmett was handsome enough to stand out even in a crowd. But people tended to judge byparison. Always being with Jeremiah, no matter how handsome Emmett was, he was just a backdrop.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    But now, he came alone, so he immediately caught the attention of people on the street, especially when they noticed the license te, their gazes turned even more intrigued. They wondered which wealthy family he was from.


    James noticed Emmett too. On closer inspection, Emmett was a familiar face. He was the personal assistant to Jeremiah, well known for being cold and reserved.


    James had met Emmett a few times at some parties, even Jase couldn¡¯t stop praising Emmett.


    Jase had a keen eye for talent, and for him to praise someone so highly meant Emmett was truly outstanding


    James wondered what had brought Emmett here. While James was contemting, Emmett noticed Yvette standing casually by the roadside with one hand in her pocket.


    Emmett¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought, I finally got there, though ten minuteste. Is Yvette upset? Emmett was feeling uneasy, afraid if Yvette got angry, something terrifying would happen.


    Emmett took another look at the person next to Yvette, and when he realized who it was, he was taken aback, thinking, Yvette came to meet James. This is really astonishing. How long has it been since James showed up? Yet he knows Yvette. What other surprises does she have for us? It¡¯s nothing. With Yvette, anything can happen. Maybe I should ask her if she knows i


    the president of Mysonna? If she does know him, that¡¯ll be incredible: Emmett tried hard to stay calm.


    Emmett walked nervously toward Yvette and the others,ining inwardly. ¡®Mr. Chavez went off to save people, leaving me here to take the fall. Is that fair?


    James saw Emmetting over, nced at Yvette, who had a nk expression, and suddenly thought, ¡°Could it be that Emmett is Yvette¡¯s boyfriend? Although he is quite presentable, he seems not good enough for Yvette. What a shame!


    James forgot thepliments he had given Emmett earlier. Now James¡® mind was filled withints.


    Emmett was speechless. He walked over, slightly bowed, and politely greeted James. ¡°Hello, Mr. Owens.¡±


    James nodded. At the moment, he couldn¡¯t put on a friendly face for the man who took Emmett away from him.


    Emmett didn¡¯t even know what he had done wrong. James¡® eyes were full of hostility toward him.


    Emmett awkwardly said to Yvette, ¡®Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡±


    Yvette slightly lowered her brows, one hand in her pocket, her beautiful eyes cold and deep. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Emmett immediately exined. ¡°Mr. Chavez and I encountered a bus ident on our way. The driver had a sudden heart attack, causing the bus to lose control and resulting in a multi¨Ccar collision. Over a hundred people were injured. Mr. Chavez is handling things at the site. He asked me to take you back to Sknd first. He¡¯ll return once everything is taken care of


    When James heard this, he quickly asked, ¡°Is it serious? What about the casualties?¡±


    Emmett replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Owens. It didn¡¯t seem too severe. Mr. Chavez has already called in military doctors, so it should be under control.


    Yvette showed no expression, turning to James and saying, ¡°Grandpa, you can go back first.¡±


    Hearing the word ¡°Grandpa¡°, Emmett was startled, his face nk with shock. He thought, ¡®How did Yvette get a new grandpa in just a few hours? This is a big shot. An old marshal and a national treasure? Thisbination is enough to make anyone feel envious.¡±


    Hearing this, James nodded and said, ¡°Come over when you have time.¡± Then he got in the car with Michael and left.


    Standing where she was, Yvette took out her phone from her pocket and dialed a number, getting straight to the point. ¡°Hello, do you need my help?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s help was something many people could only wish for,


    There was a pause on the other end of the line. ¡°No need. The doctors just arrived. The initial checkup shows no big issues. You and Emmett head back to Sknd. I¡¯ll return once I finish up here.¡±


    Hearing Jeremiah say that, Yvette understood it wasn¡¯t anything serious.


    There was a lot of noise from the other end. Yvette simply said ¡°okay¡± and hung up..


    Emmett, who was standing nearby, twitched his lips. He thought, What an unromantic woman! I thought Yvette called just to show concern far. Mr. Chavez. And all she asked was whether he needed any help. The love life of bigwigs is so unusual.


    James only realized what was happening after getting in the car. He seriously watched Michael counting his fingers. ¡°Michael, did that man just now mention Mr. Chavez?¡±


    Michael stopped counting his fingers, looked at his grandfather in confusion, and then suddenly pped. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Mr. Chavez, Mr. Chavez!¡±


    James took a deep breath. Emmett¡¯s words were perfectly clear to him. James thought, ¡®So it wasn¡¯t Emmett who took Yvette away, but Jeremiah, the notorious demon from the Chavez family. He¡¯s wless


    Even though James was unwilling, he had to admit Jeremiah was truly outstanding. In Betrico, Jeremiah was definitely the leading figure of this generation. Nobody would dare im to be more excellent than him. Back then, he graduated as the top student from Betrico University. Both James¡® physicsb and Rashad¡¯s biochemistryb tried to recruit him. Unfortunately, Jeremiah only ever wanted to join the military and never gave either of them a chance. Because of this, Rashad was furious.


    James thought. That perty, unscrupulous old guy. Humph. Why hasn¡¯t this anger driven him to his grave? Jase is so lucky to have such an exceptional grandson Yvette is really impressive Jeremiah is famously distant when ites to women. All these years in Betrico, there¡¯s never been even romantic gossip about him. But I have some idea about Jase¡¯s ns. It seems that old guy favors Samantha. But if he wants to separate Yvette from Jeremiah. I¡¯ll go all out to make him regret it

 Chapter 254

    James suddenly recalled something Simon had mentioned.


    Yvette¡¯s rtionship with her father didn¡¯t seem very good, and her mother had passed away.


    James thought. In that case, I have to support her. Oh right, saving up for her wedding. When she marries into the Chavez family, I must give her many gifts. All these years of private savings are finallying to use. No one can talk behind


    Yvette¡¯s back.¡±


    Thinking of Jeremiah, James nced at Michael and felt bitterness. It would be so much better if Michael didn¡¯t have autism


    Meanwhile, Emmett was driving while asionally ncing at Yvette through the rearview mirror.


    He wondered, ¡®How did Mr. Owens be Yvette¡¯s grandpa? What¡¯s going on?¡® He was so curious.


    Yvette sat in the back seat with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep.


    When Emmett looked back for the fourth time, Yvette suddenly opened her bloodshot eyes and said in a calm voice, ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, just say it.¡±


    Emmen paused and cautiously asked, ¡°Yvette, how did Mr. Owens be your grandpa?¡±


    Yvette looked at Emmett, squinted her eyes, and showed no expression. Just by chance.¡±


    Emmett figured she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so he didn¡¯t ask further, thinking, ¡°Yvette¡¯s good at joking. Who can be so lucky to have a grandpa like James just by chance? It¡¯s like winning the lottery!¡±


    After dropping Yvette off at Sknd, Emmett left. He still had matters to attend to at the military base.


    At midnight, after her shower, Yvette pushed open the bathroom door and came out wearing a loose shirt. Her long, slender legs were as fair as snow. She slightly curled her lips, her cold eyes softening. With lightning speed, she kicked open the door in the middle of the room. The ¡°hidden door Jeremiah had meticulously constructed was opened just like that.


    A shadow shed out from behind the door. Under the bright lights, Jeremiah, dressed in his military uniform, stepped out His high nose, thin lips, and thick eyebrows were revealed. He had a handsome side profile and a perfect facial outline.


    Yvette fixed her gaze on his eyes and grunted softly, looking casual and cold. In just a few strides, she rushed right towards Jeremiah. Her fist flew straight at Jeremiah ruthlessly in no time.


    Jeremiah easily dodged


    ith a touch of affection in his eyes, though a bit frustrated


    Yvette¡¯s punch definitely held some anger. Jeremiah didn¡¯t know when this door was discovered. He only backed away without fighting back.


    Half an hourter, Jeremiah swept Yvette into his arms, and Yvette seized the chance to pin him to the bed.


    She looked down at him. Her gaze swept over every inch of him like a queen inspecting her territory. As her eyes moved, Jeremiah¡¯s breathing grew heavier.


    Yvette noticed this. Her eyes were deep. Her clothes had been ruled in the fight earlier. A bright light glimmered at her corbones. She was a blend of seductiveness and innocence. She was captivating yetpletely unaware of it..


    Jeremiah was beneath her, staring into her eyes and holding back the desire churning inside him. ¡°You want to be on top?¡±


    Hearing this, Yveue rolled off him, and Jeremiah casually pulled her back onto his chest. In a sh, their positions shifted. They stood face to face.


    Yvette¡¯s legs were wrapped around Jeremiah¡¯s strong waist. They held each other¡¯s gaze intensely, neither willing to give in,


    In the end, it was Jeremiah who conceded, gently pinching her earlobe. Ile grited his teeth slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me anymore, or I might not wait until the wedding


    Yvette raised an eyebrow with a slight, alluring, yet cool smile. She gently pinched his fingers with one hand. ¡°Exin the door to me,¡± she demanded.


    Jeremiah paused, pressed his lips, and said calmly, ¡°I just wanted to be nearer to you.¡±


    After he said this, Yvette was amazed to see that half of Jeremiahs cars had instantly turned red. This was a rather intriguing discovery. She thought, ¡®So this man is actually shy?¡±


    Yvette poked his ear. Jeremiah¡¯s body tensed up. With a slightly dazed look, he quickly released Yvette¡¯s waist. He took two steps back. Yvette couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice was deep, and he seemed a bit unsettled, his chest heaving slightly. ¡°Tll go make you food,¡± he said, his voice slightly shaky.


    He turned, pushed open the door, and left, looking like he was making a hasty exit. A soft snort from Yvette sounded from behind him.


    Jeremiah quickened his pace as he went downstairs. Once he was in the kitchen, he finally calmed down a bit and lowered his head. He sighed, feeling his resistance to Yvette¡¯s charm was weakening


    Half an hourter, Jeremiah prepared some simple beef pasta. The te was filled with beef and just a little bit of pasta. This was authentic beef pasta,pletely different from what was sold at the supermarket.


    Yvette came downstairs. She sat on the custom¨Cmade dining chair that Jeremiah had bought for her. It was big and soft enough. She could snuggle up in it.


    Yvette nced at the big te of beef pasta in front of her. It was an impressively generous portion.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jeremiah changed into his loungewear. Their outfits were almost matching. Anyone could tell they were wearing couple


    outfits.


    Jeremiah casually sat down on the chair next to Yvette. The chair was made of wood, nothing special.


    Jeremiah gently peeled an orange for Yvette and asked quietly, ¡°Did you meet with James today?¡±


    Yvette nodded nonchntly, not trying to hide anything. ¡°Yeah


    Jeremiah handed her the peeled orange and said softly, ¡°Did you get a new grandpa by chance?¡±


    Yvette bit into the orange. It was a little sour, not her favorite taste. Raising her eyebrows, she lookedposed. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s kind of like your grandpa, always putting on an act.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand paused for a moment as he peeled the orange. He turned his head slightly to look at Yvette. ¡°These two old men grew up together, alwayspeting with each other. Even now, they bicker like kids. They worked hard for Clusia when they were young, and now, each time they meet, they start squabbling. Just like two kids.¡±


    Yvette put down her fork, took a sip of water, and crossed her legs. She said with a rxed look, ¡°He¡¯s quite an interesting old man. Do you know Michael?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Michael was a genius when he was young, but then a car ident ruined him. Once at a party. someone pushed him into a river. James banished the person from Betrico. After that, James kept him protected and hardly let him meet anyone.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her eyes drooped. Her voice was soft and slow. There¡¯s a possibility his autism will be treated, but it¡¯s risky. The sess rate is only 60 percent. If it doesn¡¯t work, his autism may be worse?


    Jeremiah¡¯s bright eyes were locked on Yvette for quite a while. He nodded. ¡°Does James know about this?¡±


    Yvette shook her head. ¡°No. 60 percent is too low.¡±


    Jeremiah chuckled softly, thinking, ¡®Come on. 60 percent is too low? We¡¯re they can cure it. Yvette is quite good at showing off, isn¡¯t she?¡®


    in about autism. Very few

 Chapter 255

    The next day, Jeremiah left Sknd early again.


    Every day in Betrico was so jam-packed for him that he wished he could extend the hours. When he wasn¡¯t spending time with Yvette, he was handling various military tasks. In a week, he would be responsible for the security throughout the Yhaun Prime Minister¡¯s visit to the country.


    Even if he didn¡¯t like them, when visiting a great nation, they were still guests. A lot of coordination needed to be prepared properly.


    The First Military District under Jeremiah¡¯smand was ssified as top secret. Even reaching the outskirts required rigorous checks.


    Emmett observed as a few people came into the conference room, his eyes settling on the man in the front row.


    He was a bit surprised, wondering, ¡°Why has Clifforde here personally?¡±


    Emmett approached with respect. ¡°Mr. Clifford Chavez. deputymander Tim.¡±


    Besides the two of them, some officials also came along. Thanks to Clifford¡¯s influence, they got ess to the First Military District. Otherwise, it would have been difficult given their ranks.


    Clifford wore a ck suit that looked quite in.


    But in reality, all his clothes were custom-made by a fashionpany owned by Aurora, impossible to find anywhere else.


    Since his job required him to face international media daily, his attire represented national dignity, so he paid close attention to it.


    Tim was better off in military uniform, though the stars on his shoulders were hard to overlook.


    Clifford gave a slight nod. He sized up Emmett and frowned, ¡°Why do you look so thin? Isn¡¯t Jeremiah feeding you?¡± Tim and a few others behind him twitched their mouths, awkwardly turning their heads. They thought, ¡®Only Clifford dare to say something like that. After all, he¡¯s Jeremiah¡¯s father¡¯


    Emmett exined seriously to Clifford, ¡°No. Mr. Jeremiah Chavez always tells me to eat more. I eat quite a lot.¡±


    Clifford snorted without saying anything Jeremiah¡¯s temper was terrible, yet his subordinates were extremely loyal to him.


    Tim remarked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Jeremiah Chavez? I heard there was an ident at the bridgest night, and he was busy at the scene until dawn.¡±


    The people behind him also chimed in, ¡°Yeah. I also heard about it. Luckily, Jeremiah was in charge, or the loss would¡¯ve been much greater.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez handled the crisis calmly. He¡¯s amazing. Yesterday, he quickly organized medical help from three military districts. His decisiveness is truly impressive.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, if my son were half as outstanding as Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, I¡¯d be thrilled.¡±


    Speaking of the car ident at the bridge yesterday, thanks to Jeremiah being in charge, there were hardly any injuries. This event hit the news early this morning, and Jeremiah was specifically praised by the top officials.


    Many people in Betrico were envious of Clifford for having such a talented son like Jeremiah. Because they found their own sons really hopeless whenpared to Jeremiah


    173


    Clillond heard about the situation early in the morning. He had a small, sinug smile but purpose/ he heard Tim speak. ¡°What¡¯s there tomend? It¡¯s just what he should be doing.¡±


    kept a straight face when


    The group exchanged nces. They all thought Clifford was modest while didn¡¯t understand his dismissive expression


    After Clifford and Tim took their seats, the conference room doors swung open when the clock struck nine.


    Jeremiah walked in, wearing the same military uniform as Tim. Everyone nced around, noticing the significant difference between the two. Even in his uniform, Jeremiah walked with the elegance of a runway model.


    Tim noticed it too and awkwardly cleared his throat. His face fell. He felt unfairly targeted and so wronged. He was quite the looker when he was young, but now in his old age, he was really taking a blow.


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark eyes scanned the room, eventuallynding on Clifford. He paused for a few seconds. Then, he quietly shifted his gaze away.


    He walked in with his military boots, heading straight for the main seat. In the First Military District, only Jeremiah could ever sit in that position


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t show much expression as he calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Everyone present was familiar with Jeremiah¡¯s approach. He never liked wasting words.


    Emmett stood to the side, took out aptop, and added hisments. ¡°Everyone, the focus of today¡¯s meeting is the visit of Ybau¡¯s Prime Minister to Clusia. Reliable sources indicate that Prime Minister Kyle is visiting not just for trade agreements. They¡¯re bringing a few people along, and their intentions might be unfriendly.¡±


    Emmett seemed indifferent. He thought, ¡®It¡¯s not necessary to maintain appearances just to be polite to this group if Mr. Chavez didn¡¯t say so. How dare they bring people to cause trouble! They¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Clifford¡¯s expression turned serious. His voice became colder, matching his disdain. The younger generation might not hold that deep national and personal grudges. But the generation of Clifford had lived through those difficult years. They had battled through blood and tears to secure absolute influence on the global stage today.


    He asked, ¡°Is the information urate? Who is apanying Kyle? A few years ago, they used their visit as an excuse to engage in exchanges with Betrico University. It looks like the same old tricks.¡±


    Tim scoffed loudly with a soldier¡¯s bravado and a booming voice, ¡°Are these guys from Ybau bored or something? Back in the day, we didn¡¯t have this much drama!¡±


    Everyone else was already used to this kind of thing.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Competitions between nations weren¡¯t just about military power. Technology and talent were crucial too.


    One of the moreposed men spoke up. ¡°Sir, it is quite tricky


    The others were frowning too, all aware of how tough this issue was.


    It was an ¡°exchange¡± match they simply couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Under the guise of cultural exchange, if Ybau won, they¡¯d probably brag about it all over the world.


    Ybau came prepared, leaving them to react passively as they went.


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers tapped lightly on the conference table, each joint distinctly outlined. He raised his eyes. A chilling glint was terrifying in his gaze as his features grew colder. ¡°With Kylees Kaiden, who is skilled in kendo, along with the chess expert, Robin.¡±


    The people present were momentarily stunned. They wondered. Did Jeremiah even find this out? If Ybau intended to keep these two men¡¯s information hidden, it should be ssified, not easily uncovered. Unless Jeremiah¡¯s influence was really huge. They knew fereqiah wasn¡¯t one to make things up. If he said it, it must be true.


    The meetingsted for a full hour.


    After the meeting. Tim and the others wisely left on their own, leaving the space for Jeremiah and Clifford Emmett was also there.


    Clifford took a sip of his coffee and looked at Jeremiah. He wondered, ¡®Howe this brat keep getting more handsome? It¡¯s odd.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, dark and deep like a freezing pond, nced at him. Clifford was only serious at work. But for the rest of the time, his thinking was just on a totally different wavelength from everyone else.


    Clifford asked, ¡°When are you going to bring your wife home so I can meet her?¡±


    Jeremiah spoke slowly, ¡°Tonight.¡±


    Clifford was overjoyed inside, thinking. A lovely daughter-inw is much betterpany than this brat. But he kept a stern face and waved his hand like he didn¡¯t care.


    Emmett, standing to the side, thinking, Jeremiah¡¯s acting is nowhere near the Clifford¡¯s level.

 Chapter 256

    Meanwhile, after being bombarded with texts by Lucy, Yvette finally agreed to meet her.


    They arranged to meet at a caf¨¦.


    Lucy arrived first. She knew Yvette¡¯s temper. Every extra minute waiting incant more irritation.


    While agitation might not matter to others, with this person, it was definitely dangerous.


    Yvette wore her usual simple look with a t¨Cshirt, denim shorts, same old canvas shoes, and a ck baseball hat.


    Her hair was tied up, with only a few strands hanging over her brows.


    Lucy kept looking towards the entrance from her booth, and finally spotted Yvette¡¯s silhouette.


    She found Yvette¡¯s outfit was just like five years ago, not a bit different.


    She stood up excitedly, waving.


    Yvette saw Ducy, raised an eyebrow, and walked over.


    After Yvette sat down, Lucy immediately called the server and ordered a cup of coffee.


    Yvette spoke slowly, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll have three cups of milkshake please.¡±


    The waitress froze for a moment and asked again, just to be sure. Three milkshakes, right?¡±


    Yvette nodded. ¡°Yep.¡±


    After the waitress left, Lucy nced at Yvette curiously. ¡°Yvette, since when did you switch to milkshakes?¡±


    Yvette replied casually, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve recently found milkshakes more enjoyable.¡±


    Lucy chuckled. As long as Yvette was happy, nothing else mattered.


    Even after ten years, Yvette was just as quiet. She definitely would say anything if no one spoke to her,


    Back then, Lucy was in a tough spot when she met Yvette.


    Her family was pressuring her to marry a man twenty years older than her


    She ran away from home without a penny, ended up on the streets, and was almost harassed by beggars.


    Fate could be both dramatic and strange.


    At that time, her rescuer wasn¡¯t a prince on a white horse but Yvette, who appeared in blood¨Cstained clothes with a big suitcase full of cash.


    Yvette simply asked her one question before handing over the entire suitcase of money. ¡°Here¡¯s some money. What do you want to do?¡±


    T


    She remembered clearly how she had replied with determination back then, ¡°I want to start a gamepany and make a lot of money. This life, I just want to focus on making money.¡±


    ave her a brief look before tossing the suitcase to her.


    Yvette, who was only twelve at the time, gave


    Lucy had to persistently ask for a way to contact her. Otherwise, she would be able to stay in touch with Yvette.


    Later, she used the money og establish FastPulse Technologies, a gamepany.


    In ten years, she turned it into thergest gamepany in the world.


    On the surface, she was the chairperson. But in reality, 31% of the shares belonged to Yvette.


    Yvette was thergest shareholder of FastPulse Technologies, holding absolute control.


    It was just that Yvette never showed up. Honestly, she probably didn¡¯t even care about these things.


    For years, Lucy worked tirelessly and never got married or had children, because that would only slow down her money- making


    She had proven everyone wrong long ago, and now she had more money than she could count.


    Sotely, she¡¯s been feeling a bit lost.


    Just then, Yvette came to visit Betrico.


    She thought she might get some new insights chatting with Yvette.


    Lucy took a sip of her ck coffee, feeling a bit down. This was a side she never showed to others. ¡°Yvette, what do you people live for?¡±


    think


    Yvette took a sip of her milkshake, her eyes deep as she stayed silent for a few moments. ¡°Are you thinking about dying? Lucy choked on her drink, caught off guard. It was indeed too hard to get Yvette¡¯sfort. Lucy shook her head with a sigh. Yvette, with all this money, why would I think about ending it all? I¡¯m just contemting life.¡±


    Yvette put down her milkshake, her eyes partially closed, lips pressed together, her gaze icy. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you just have to keep living.¡±


    Lucy noticed her serious yet expressionless answer. A slight silence fell between them. She found Yvette had a point. She thought. Why worry so much? If you don¡¯t want to die, you just need to live. Am I being too dramatic? Why do I start thinking about all these unnecessary things now that I have everything? Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been too idletely. That¡¯s no good. I need to find something to do. Maybe I should just buy anotherpany for fun.


    Just then, a group of


    roup of women entered the booth next to theirs.


    Their outfits showed they were clearly affluent housewives, each around fifty years old. Each one carried an LV handbag in her left hand and an Hermes one in her right. They looked absolutely elegant.


    As soon as they walked in, a waiter led them to their reserved seats. Coincidentally, it was right next to Yvette¡¯s table. Both Yvette and Lucy could clearly hear their conversation.


    Suddenly, a sharp woman¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Did you hear that Jeremiah from the Chavez family is dating someone? Is it


    Truc?¡±


    ¡°I heard about it too. My son¡¯s group chat has been buzzing with the news, so it must be true?


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely true. Andrew, who¡¯s been by Jeremiah¡¯s side since they were kids, mentioned it. He wouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°Which young girl managed to snag this prince from the Chavez family?¡±


    ¡°I know a bit about it. She¡¯s not one of our Betrico socialites, but rather, she¡¯s from the small town of Seacrity. I¡¯m not judging, but what¡¯s Jeremiah thinking? Ignoring all the esteemeddies in Betrico for someone from Seacrity? The status of the Chavez family is way beyond reach for a girl like her


    ¡°I bet that girl used some sneaky tricks to get close to Jeremiah. Otherwise, how could she have caught him so quickly?¡±


    Their Were buzzing with heated gossin


    voices spection. Iwas as noisy as the women at a market stall, selling their vegetables.


    Lucy didn¡¯t seem to react to all this chatter. She had already heard about it. After all, the Chavez family¡¯s status was so significant that their every move grabbed the attention of Betrico¡¯s upper ss.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She was worried Yvette might not know about it, so she made sure to exin it to her. ¡°The Jeremiah they¡¯re all talking about is none other than the grandson of our legendary elder, General Jase Chavez. He¡¯s a leading figure among the third generation in Betrico and was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Now, he¡¯s the youngest major general in Clusia. I have some business dealings with his mom, Aurora, but not a lot. I¡¯ve only heard about his legend.¡±


    Lucy more or less understood what they were discussing. They were just jealous. Major General Jeremiah had a girlfriend. They were here, dissatisfied andbative. If Lucy guessed correctly, probably almost all of them had considered marrying their daughters off to Jeremiah


    Lucy sighed once more, ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez is famously known for not being interested in women. There¡¯s not even a the hint of scandal over the years. This girl must really be something to have caught him. I¡¯d like to meet her if I ever get chance.¡±


    Yvette had already finished two milkshakes by the time she heard Lucy¡¯sment, swinging her leg up and down. She lifted her eyes with a chilly gaze, a touch of mischief in her expression. She slightly raised an eyebrow, her look calm andposed. Her tone was calm. ¡°Nothing but two eyes and a nose. Nothing remarkable to look at.


    Lucy assumed Yvette just wasn¡¯t interested and thought no further of it. She thought, ¡®It makes sense. Yvette doesn¡¯t know about love Yvette didn¡¯t say anything.


    If Yvette ever got into a rtionship, it might take forever. Because Lucy firmly believed no man could ever win over Yvette, Just then, a new round of discussion began next booth. ¡°Did you guys invite Aurora over today?¡±

 Chapter 257

    ¡°Gloria you invited Mrs. Chavez, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been quite close to hertely, righton¡¯s voice was irritating-


    Her tone was sarcastic.


    Gloria, who was mentioned, immediately denied it. ¡°Oh,e on. What


    Chavez recently. Her status is way above mine. We¡¯re the same, don¡¯t you saying? I¡¯ve just been a bit closer to Mrs. so that. I¡¯m just passing on a message.¡±


    The woman next to Gloria was named Eleanore. Her husband was a deputy minister at Betrico¡¯s Ministry of Finance.


    She usually couldn¡¯t stand Aurora, who never seemed to age, unlike them even though they were the same age. She once asked if Aurora used any special skincare of makeup while Aurora said it was because of a positive attitude and regr spa visits. She didn¡¯t believe that at all.


    This group went to spas often enough. Yet they didn¡¯t get results like Aurora¡¯s. So she thought Aurora must have a secret recipe she was not sharing and keeping to herself. She thought Aurora was very petty.


    Almost everyone present was a high-society wife from the upper ss of Betrico, but none had a status as prestigious as the Chavez family. Setting aside the achievements of Jase and Clifford, even Jeremiah was far more aplished than their kids. This disparity left these women feeling uneasy. So they often banded together to gossip and say bad things about Aurora. If anyone became too friendly with Aurora, they would deliberately exclude her.


    Eleanore spoke up. ¡°We all know what kind of temper Aurora has, and with Gloria¡¯s personality, there¡¯s no way they could be close. So don¡¯t make baseless assumptions.*


    Afew of the women nodded. Gloria was indeed too shy to be close friends with someone like Aurora. As for why Eleanore defended Gloria, it was because Gloria gave her a limited-edition ne yesterday


    Eleanore continued, ¡°I bet Aurora won¡¯t show up. We¡¯ve invited her ten times, and she¡¯d only show up once. With her status, she probably thinks she¡¯s too good for us.¡±


    As soon as she said that, the women in the booth started chatting noisily.


    Lucy took a sip of her coffee and found it tasted nd. A perfectly nice private cafe was turned upside down by this group of women. They were chattering like crows, making her ears ring.


    She thought, ¡®Howe I picked this ce out of all ces? I finally get the chance to meet with Yvette, the whole atmosphere is ruined. Yvette may not want to see me anymore. It¡¯s such a disappointment, Those louddies could do nothing but gossip behind people¡¯s backs. If Aurora was here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything¡±


    Yvette maintained a neutral expression the whole time. She just focused on sipping her milkshake, quietly listening to the conversation next door. She didn¡¯t stop until she finished her milkshake. A sly smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She seemed to radiate a dangerous aura.


    The women over there were still talking about the Chavez family, and once again the topic shifted to Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriending from a small town. ¡°Do you think Clifford would approve of Mr. Jeremiah Chavez dating a girl with such modest background from Seacrity?¡±


    Two of the women took exaggerated sips of their coffee, speaking in low tones, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Mr. Jeremiah Chavez is probably just ying around, and he¡¯ll break up with her when he¡¯s tired of her


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right. Mr. Jeremiah Chavez doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person for casual affairs. Everyone knows Mr. Clifford Chavez is devoted, and Jeremiah seems the same.¡±


    The other women frowned at the one who spoke, clearly displeased.


    Eleanore sneered sarcastically, ¡°Oh,e on. You can¡¯tpare father and son like that. Times have changed. Nowadays, it¡¯smon for men to have a fewdy friends.


    Their husbands had too many female friends, but they all chose to turn a blind eye. They were used to it


    Anotherdy with her hair in a bun nodded along in agreement Yeah. Do you think everyone is as fortunate as Aurora! Mecting someone like Clifford? I suspect that Mr. Jeremiah Chavez is just attracted by her looks. Give it some time, and the novelty will fade, Honestly, when ites to someone truly suitable for him, it¡¯s definitely Samantha, the heiress of the Mitchell family from Betrico¡±


    One could hear the jealousy in their words.


    As for Samantha, the mention of her name made the group of women fall silent for a moment.


    At the booth, Lucy stirred her coffee, the gossip going in one ear and out the other. She found it quite exciting


    Yvette had already finished her three milkshakes and arranged the empty cups neatly on the table.


    When she heard Samantha¡¯s name from next door, her brow twitched slightly, her pupils dark and deep. Her delicate features maintained their usualposed demeanor. Her hand gave a slight pause on the table, her voice calm. ¡°Samantha?¡± Lucy didn¡¯t expect Yvette to be interested in Samantha and quickly added, ¡°Samantha is quite a formidable woman. She started in the business world at just sixteen, with a strong background. Her dad is the deputymander of the military district in Betrico, and even though her grandpa is retired, his influence is still significant. I¡¯ve dealt with her a few times. She¡¯s challenging to handle, but she¡¯s brilliant. In terms of status, the Mitchell family and the Chavez family are indeed well- matched. Samantha and Jeremiah? It might actually work as a solid political alliance.¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her eyes deep, and said slowly. ¡°Well-matched?¡±


    Lucy nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yeah. They really are a good match.¡±


    Just at that moment, a woman in the next booth said, ¡°Aurora usually acts all high and mighty, but now Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s dating someone from a small town. Isn¡¯t that funny? I bet she¡¯d be really mad


    No sooner had she spoken, there was a loud bang. The entire floor of the caf¨¦ shook.


    Yvette paused for a moment before calmly standing up and heading out.


    Lucy followed her. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was some juicy gossip going around.


    The door of the room next door had been kicked down, lying t on the ground. Clearly, a lot of force had been used.


    Inside, a group of women stood frozen, their mouths open in shock.


    At the door was Aurora, dressed simply in a white shirt and blue jeans, wearing a pair of high heels.


    She¡¯d been standing there for a whole fifteen minutes.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the traffic jam, she might have missed this whole scene.


    Normally, these women fawned over her with fake smiles, making her feel ufortable, and Aurora had no desire to hang out with them.


    Today was purely impulsive. Feeling bored, she thought she¡¯d step out for a bit. If it weren¡¯t for this chance, she wouldn¡¯t have realized just how two-faced these women were.


    Now, these wealthydies were staring at Aurora standing at the doorway, her face as cold as stone. They all fell silent, too scared to make a sound. The few whose families weren¡¯t in high positions didn¡¯t even dare to lift their heads. Talking behind her back was one thing, but they dare not to say anything to her face. They didn¡¯t want to ask for trouble.


    Gloria, who was slightly closer to Aurora, managed to muster a shaky smile and cautiously asked, ¡°When did you get here. Mrs. Chavez? Why didn¡¯t youe in?¡±


    Everyone else perked up their cars.


    If Aurora had just arrived, they might still have some leeway.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Aurora, already tall, looked even more imposing in her two-inch heels. This group of wealthy women of various shapes and sizes seemed like they belonged to another erapared to her


    Aurora casually ced her expensive handbag on the table and took a seat on the chair closest to the door.


    She nced around at the women gathered together, all showing awkward expressions.


    Her eyes were cold and icy. She thought, ¡°Who the hell are you to meddle in my son¡¯s affairs?

 Chapter 258

    There was a slight hint of anger on Aurora¡¯s charming face.


    She let out a coldugh. ¡°If I hadn¡¯te, I wouldn¡¯t have known you all were always badmouthing me behind my back. So, when did this start? Since you im you¡¯re not familiar with met


    Gloria¡¯s face turned rigid. She realized her n to be on good terms with both sides hadpletely copsed. She remained silent awkwardly.


    The other women exchanged nces. They quickly shook their ticals, denying and saying nice things.


    ¡°No, Mrs. Chavez, definitely not. Why would we ever speak badly of you? It¡¯s all a misunderstanding¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really a misunderstanding. We were just chatting casually.


    ¡°Mrs. Chavez, you really misunderstood us. How could we dare talk about the Chavez family¡¯s matters?¡± Everyone hurriedly exined to Aurora.


    Aurora was already intimidating in the business world. And the Chavez family backing her was an even more formidable presence.


    The richdies were now terrified that Aurora would go home and report them, which would escte the matter. Clifford was famous for being insanely obsessed with Aurora, and the person they were gossiping about was none other than Jeremiah, the Living Reaper. He was old Jase¡¯s most cherished grandson, Clusia¡¯s youngest general.


    The richdies were all scared.


    Aurora sat in the chair. She curled her fingers. A few women hurried over.


    Aurora kicked the stool beside her, causing a loud crash.


    Everyone shivered in fright. They had never seen such a scene before. They wondered, ¡®Is this how a high societydy is supposed to act? Aurora¡¯s posture is just like a street thug


    Aurora spoke coldly. ¡°Go on. You were talking so freely when I wasn¡¯t here, weren¡¯t you? And you¡¯re bold enough to talk about my son. Who gave you the courage? My son could be interested in a girl from Seacrity or even from the countryside, and it¡¯s none of your business. If the Chavez family wants it, we¡¯ve got money to spare. I¡¯ve got plenty. I could drown you in it. If my daughter¨Cinw¡¯s broke, I¡¯ll support her. Who are you to gossip like busybodies? Whether she¡¯s a match or not, my son will decide. Who do you think you are?¡±


    This group of high¨Csocietydies had ever been so publicly embarrassed. Their faces turned bright red. They all thought Aurora¡¯s words were too sharp, showing no mercy at all.


    A few wealthydies gathered the courage to argue back, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, we¡¯re speaking the truth. A girl from Seacrity doesn¡¯t match Mr. Jeremiah Chavez at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re just being fair to the Chavez family. Your words are a bit too harsh.¡±


    Aurora casually picked up a coffee cup and threw it across. The expensive coffee cup shattered on the floor.


    Everyone shivered, feeling she was just like a brute. They thought. ¡®She¡¯s so brutal. Howe Clifford falls in love with at tomboy? What a bad taste!


    Aurora rolled up her sleeves and took off her high heels before anyone could react. Like a gust of wind, she lunged forward and grabbed Eleanore¡¯s hair.


    While pulling, she snarled. Do we need your nosy opinions on the Chavez family¡¯s matters? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your intentions. If Jeremiah fancies someone, she¡¯s the best woman in the world! If you keep badmouthing. I¡¯ll tear your mouths. apart.¡±


    The other wealthydies stood there, shocked.


    They watched Aurora pulling Eleanore¡¯s hair, strands falling out Too scared to intervene, they just watched.


    Eleanore screamed like a stuck pig, a chilling sound. Let go of met Aurora, you crazy woman! Let go! My hair! My hair! Help me!¡±


    Yet, nobody dared to move.


    Aurora, taking advantage of her height, pinned Eleanore firmly Weren¡¯t you the one asking about my son earlier? I told you the truth, but you didn¡¯t believe me! What¡¯s wrong with my natural beauty, my happy marriage and my caring husband and dutiful son?¡±


    The room was in an uproar. Nobody noticed Lucy and Yvette standing at the door.


    Yvette leanedzily against the doorframe, hands in her pockets. Her eyes were half¨Cclosed, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She looked at the scene inside the room, a mischievous smile slowly curled at the corner of her mouth, and her delicate brows and eyes looked both enchanting and roguish


    Lucy was leftpletely speechless. The Aurora she had known before always appeared as a sophisticated city woman. She thought. ¡®Is she now unleashing her true nature because of these women? Wow, the greatness of motherly love. Her fighting spirit for her son was incredible! Wait. From the way she talks, its clearly for her daughter¨Cinw. What a good mother¨Cin- Jaw!


    Lucy looked at the woman whose hair was being pulled by Aurora, and her mouth twitched slightly. Turning to Yvette, she said, ¡°Yvette, did you see that? That¡¯s Aurora. Imagine which girl is lucky enough to marry into the Chavez family with such support. She¡¯s not even married yet, and Aurora¡¯s already this protective. If she gets married in, she might as well be queen! I¡¯m so envious.¡±


    Yvette gave a slight nce at Lucy, who wore a look full of envy. Then she turned her head to look at the woman who was trying to sneak out of the room. She lightly tapped on the wall, because the door had already fallen.


    With a slight chuckle, she casually called out to Aurora, who was happily pulling at someone¡¯s hair. ¡°Need any help?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Everyone in the room, including Aurora, paused and looked at the two stunning beauties who had just appeared out of


    nowhere.


    Aurora let go the woman in her left hand, tidied her hair with her right, and gave Yvette a polite smile, her eyes sparkling with admiration. She found Yvette to be the kind of ideal daughter she¡¯d always hoped for.


    If one ignored how Aurora was currently holding down Eleanore, she still looked very graceful For someone who valued looks above all, beauty was the ultimate weapon to win her heart.


    Yvette replied to Aurora with a smile, pointing at the women trying to sneak out. With an innocent expression, she quietly said. ¡°They¡¯re trying to run¡±


    Lucy looked at Yvette in shock, Yvette really knew how to stir things up. Themotion she¡¯d caused made Lucy want to drop to her knees.


    Aurora let out a cold snort. Her cold gaze fell on the women trying to sneak away.


    They were so scared that they stepped back. They quickly expressed their stance, ¡°No. Mrs. Chavez, Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. We weren¡¯t nning to run.¡±


    Aurora looked at the well¨Cbehaved girl standing there. The pretty young girl said if they¡¯re going to run. Even if they hadn¡¯t run yet, they intended to.. to run, then they¡¯re going


    Aurora feared scaring Yvette. She gently nodded. ¡°So, youngdy, keep an eye on them for me. I¡¯ll settle the score with them one by one before they leave.¡±


    Yvette stood straight, slightly bending her knee. Her legs were very long. She nonchntly pulled up a stool and sat at the doorway. Her voice was low and husky. ¡°Okay, Continue. They won¡¯t get away.


    Lucy was speechless. Yvette¡¯s relentless. These women won¡¯t escape this time.


    Aurora smiled with satisfaction. She turned back to continue pulling Eleanore¡¯s hair.


    Five minutester, Aurora¡¯s hand was getting tired. Most of Eleanore¡¯s hair was gone, and she had screamed herself hoarse before fainting. The other women were desperately begging for mercy.


    Aurora singled out some of the women who had spoken earlier and pulled their hair. Those with short hair got a few kicks. Anyone who tried to run was kicked back inside by Yvette.


    Thisrge¨Cscale showdown among the women went on for half an hour. After that, Aurora was utterly exhausted.


    Being fifty years old was definitely not the same as being young Aurora looked around at the crowd of women sprawled on the floor, moaning without any sense of dignity. She was afraid of scaring Yvette, so she quickly straightened her clothes. Lucy was at a loss for words, seeing this action. She was thinking, Isn¡¯t it a bitte to think about saving face after what just happened?¡®

 Chapter 259

    Aurora a walked to the side and slipped back into her high heel. She didn¡¯t even nce at the women writhing in pain on the floor.


    With a captivating air, she walked across the threshold toward Yette. She immediately shed her a charming smile, ¡°Hi there, youngdy. Thanks for helping out. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Yvette pulled back her bent legs, raised an eyebrow, and nodded casually. ¡°Yvette.¡±


    Aurora found Yvette delightful no matter how she looked at her, ¡°Youngdy, let me treat you to some coffee. Not here, though. I know a better ce that you¡¯ll definitely like.¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes a bit. Her demeanor was always cool andposed. When she heard such a clich¨¦d line as if enticing a child, she just nodded calmly. ¡°Alright. When she heard such a clich¨¦d line as if enticing a child, she just nodded calmly.


    Aurora immediately smiled even more cheerfully. She loved girls who were so straightforward Unlike those pretentious and overly cautious elitedies from Betrico who would politely turn down such an offer, which would be so dull. Even if it was the norm, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be on the same wavelength as her.


    ¡°Great. Oh right. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. I¡¯m Aurora. I run apany that does a little bit of everything. After saying this, Aurora tilted her head slightly.


    She looked at Lucy as if she had just noticed her. Suddenly, as if something urred to her, she asked with uncertainty. ¡°Are you Lucy, the CEO of Fast Pulse Technologies?¡±


    Lucy was on the verge of tears. Sure enough, being next to Yvette made her feel invisible. She and Yvette had been standing here for a while, and only now did Aurora notice her.


    She thought, ¡®Oh, what a pity! After all, I¡¯m a stunning girl with smooth skin, long legs, and a gorgeous look. The rumors are true. Aurora is totally obsessed with good looks. Is it just because I¡¯m slightly less beautiful than Yvette that I¡¯m sopletely ignored? It¡¯s so annoying


    But she could totally admire Yvette, yet she absolutely couldn¡¯t ept losing a beauty contest to anyone else.


    Lucy nodded. ¡°Hello, Aurora, I¡¯m Lucy¡±


    After Aurora finished speaking, she might have felt a bit embarrassed too, so she extended an invitation to Lucy. ¡°Would you like to join us?¡±


    Lucy instantly realized how ¡°sincere Aurora¡¯s invitation actually was. She definitely wasn¡¯t going to bother with that. So she politely declined Aurora¡¯s offer.


    Aurora didn¡¯t seem the least bit upset about being rejected. In fact, she seemed even happier.


    Lucy noted that having her heart broken was something she had be used to. Lucy assumed everything had been taken care of, as she clearly understood those women wouldn¡¯t dare mess with Aurora, even if they had the nerve. So, she said goodbye to Yvette first. She¡¯d already knew that Yvette was in Seacrity. If Yvette didn¡¯te to Betrico, she could always go to Seacrity,


    After Lucy left, Aurora was just about to leave with Yvette to grab some coffee when Eleanore, who had fainted earlier, came, to on the ground and saw the two standing in front of her. Remembering what happened before she passed out, she quickly touched her head. But this touch shocked her as she ended up grabbing a handful of her hair, Eleanore screamed wildly, and it sounded utterly miserable. The sound was chilling-


    Yvette and Aurora both looked at her.


    Eleanore seemed shocked, but she still retained a bit of sanity. She dare not to beat Aurora. But she didn¡¯t know Yvette. This meant she was not from the elite in Betrico, so it was no big deal. Since that was the case, she was determined to vent her anger.


    Eleanore stood up with the aid of a few otherdies, not daring to look at Aurora. But they all red ominously at Yvette


    Eleanore spoke, her voice trembling. ¡°You silly girl, this isn¡¯t over yet. We won¡¯t let you get away with it.¡±


    Hearing this, Aurora quickly turned and stood in front of Yvette. Her expression was cold. ¡°Do you have any shame? Trying to bully a little girl without even considering what 1, Aurora, think? If you have the nerve,e at me. What kind of bullies target a little girl¡±


    Eleanore was even more furious seeing how Aurora defended Yene. Today¡¯s humiliation was too much for her to bear. If she couldn¡¯t even deal with an ordinary girl, it would bepletely shameful. She couldn¡¯t believe Aurora would really jeopardize her reputation to protect her no matter what.


    The otherdies with Eleanore weren¡¯t in nearly as bad a situation as she was. So when they heard this, none of them reacted as strongly as Eleanore did. They collectively shrunk back. They genuinely couldn¡¯t afford to provoke that Aurora.


    Eleanore gritted her teeth and said to Aurora, enduring the intense pain in her scalp. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, you¡¯re going too far. You¡¯ve hit us, and we¡¯ve let it slide. But why should we forgive this girl? Step aside. It¡¯s none of your business. The one we want to deal with is her.¡±


    The other wealthydies nodded in agreement. They were all influential figures in Betrico, and if they didn¡¯t find a scapegoat to handle this, they would be able to maintain their reputation.


    Fleanore thought she¡¯dpromised, and Aurora should understand what was appropriate.


    But Aurora just gave them a cold nce. She observed the women who were aggressively confronting Yvette. Her temper red up again. Maybe she hadn¡¯t been forceful enough earlier. That was why these women were still here, chattering away.


    Aurora wondered if she needed to fully embrace violence, subdue them by force. ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand? I¡¯ll tell you again. I¡¯m protecting this person, so bring your issues to me.¡±


    Just as the standoff continued with no one speaking, the sound of police sirens suddenly came from outside the dessert shop..


    Yvette lifted her eyes and nced calmly at the woman across from her. She noticed one of them, a woman in a cheongsamt, smiled slightly when she heard the sirens.


    Though the smile was brief, Yvette saw it very clearly.


    Eleanore was also taken aback. Her expression was somewhatical. She wondered, Who called the police? If this blows up, what good will it do us? Especially with how protective the Chavez family is? s


    Aurora wasn¡¯t worried at all by the sound of police sirens. If she had to make a trip to the police station, she¡¯d just consider it a little excursion.


    She had gone to the police station once when she was younger for bravely hitting a sleazy guy harassing a girl with a brick. She never thought she¡¯d have another chance to experience it.


    Worried that Yvette might be scared, Aurora quickly shifted and reassured her, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t be afraid. I will protect you Let¡¯s just act like we¡¯re having fun at the police station for a while, okay? Give me a moment. I¡¯ll call my husband to get us


    out.


    Yvette looked up. noticing the worry in Aurora¡¯s eyes and hesitated for a moment. She nodded obediently and said, ¡°Okay¡±


    Aurora patted her shoulder, exuding the air of a big sister. She nced at the people in front of her, snorted coldly, and said, ¡°When we get to the police station, let¡¯s talk it out and see why we¡¯re here, okay? Don¡¯t say I bullied you. You better call your husbands over.¡±


    Eleanore and the otherdies heard this and, seeing the look of fear on each other¡¯s faces, were quite scared. If their husbands found out they had offended the Chavez family, they might be in serious trouble.


    Eleanore, enduring the headache, tried to say a couple of good words to Aurora, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, let¡¯s just call it off, okay? We won¡¯t go to the police station. You¡¯ve already let out your anger on us, haven¡¯t you? Let¡¯s just pretend this never happened. alright?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Aurora disliked Eleanore the most for her constant gossiping and criticizing others. She didn¡¯t care about the frightened look on Eleanore¡¯s face across from her. She took out her phone and dialed number one, which was Clifford¡¯s exclusive contact.


    As soon as the call went through, Aurora¡¯s demeanor changed immediately. Her first words left the woman across from herpletely bewildered.


    The fierce tigress turned into a harmless kitten with just one phone call. ¡°Honey, I was bullied. I¡¯m so scared. My hand hurts¡±

 Chapter 260

    At the office. Clifford had just returned from the military base and had only taken a few minutes to rest after a meeting. He hadn¡¯t even settled into his chair yet when he got a call from Aurora. This was unusual since she knew he was busy, and she never called him during work hours.


    After answering the call, the sound of Aurora¡¯s sobbing made Clifford¡¯s face instantly darken.


    Having known Aurora for so many years, Clifford was more aware of her strength than anyone. Aurora had never cried


    before.


    Clifford¡¯s usualposure was nowhere to be found. He asked urgently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±


    Looking around at the trembling women opposite her, Aurora said, ¡°Come to the police station,¡± Then she hung up.


    Clifford quickly got dressed, had a car ready, and rushed to the police station. He was nervous the entire way, growing more anxious with each unsessful call to Aurora.


    At the dessert shop, the deputy chief of the Betrico police station, Darnell, had arrived this time. With an expressionless face, he led over a dozen officers storming into the dessert shop,


    As soon as they entered, they spotted Aurora and Yvetteing out of a private room. Their appearance was striking, to say the least, One was someone he knew very well, and the other amazed him with her beauty. It was hard not to notice these two standing together right away. Then he noticed the group of wealthydies standing together, looking injured


    Darnell immediately put away his serious expression and walked over. He went straight past everyone to stand in front of Aurora. His attitude was pleasant,pletely different from how he looked when he first walked in. ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t this Mrs. Chavez? What brings you here? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Aurora knew Darnell. She didn¡¯t waste words and told him directly. ¡°Oh. Just a group of gossiping women who unfortunately got caught by me. I went too easy on them. And now you see how it is. No one knows who called the police. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Darnell could pretty much guess what happened from that. It must have been that the women across had nothing to do and talked badly about Mrs. Chavez. Aurora must have overheard them and beat them up. Darnell nced at the group of women opposite, and they indeed looked quite beaten up. They either had bald spots, red handprints on their faces, or ripped clothes.


    Aurora¡¯s fighting ability was no joke. She took on ten at once.


    201


    Darnell found that women could indeed be scary. They couldn¡¯t even open a bottle cap normally. Yet, when it came to fighting, they were all like warriors. No wonder the rumor was that Clifford was henpecked. Now he believed it.


    Darnell chuckled. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, I don¡¯t know who was thoughtless enough to call the police over something so minor. How about we handle this privately? After speaking, Darnell nced over at the group of women. His attitude was noticeably less cordialpared to when he spoke to Aurora, looking very businesslike. He cleared his throat. ¡°Ladies, what do you think? Do you want to settle this privately or publicly? If privately, we can discuss it here. If publicly, pleasee with me to the police station and have your family memberse over to follow the procedure.¡±


    Just as Darnell finished speaking, the women across from him quickly started talking over each other, ¡°Privately. Let¡¯s settle here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s settle it privately. It wasn¡¯t a big deal from the start. No idea who called the cops, busybodies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this mess is our fault. We had iting. Mrs. Chavez did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s keep it private. Don¡¯t bring the families into this. My husband¡¯s really busy these days.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Except for Eleanore, who was the most injured and remained silent, everyone agreed to settle it privately. Finally, everyone¡¯s


    Sun, Oct


    gaze fell on her.


    Aurora crossed her arms and said, ¡°Hey, what about you? Do you want to settle it publicly or privately?¡±


    Eleanore bit her lip. She was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Aurora might have given her a concussion, but she didn¡¯t even dare to pursue it.


    Unable to withstand the pressure of everyone¡¯s gaze, Eleanore nodded reluctantly, holding back her resentment. Through gritted teeth, she said, ¡°I agree to settle it privately.¡±


    As expected, everyone was relieved and satisfied.


    Aurora was indifferent.


    Darnell nodded in satisfaction. If they had gone the official route, he would have had to escort Aurora to the police station. Clifford and Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t be okay with this.


    Darnell turned and cautiously asked Aurora again, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, does Mr. Clifford Chavez know about this?¡±


    Aurora gave him a serious look. ¡°Yeah, he knows. He¡¯s probably on his way to the police station by now


    The smile froze on Darnell¡¯s face. He said anxiously, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, since the issue¡¯s already been resolved, there¡¯s no need to trouble Mr. Clifford Chavez about it, right?¡±


    Everyone else listened quietly, not daring to say a word.


    a


    Aurora cheerfully replied, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let him know and tell him to head back.¡±


    Darnell quickly nodded. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, please contact Mr. Clifford Chavez right away.¡±


    Aurora took out her phone and sent a text to Clifford. Seeing this, everyone finally rxed.


    Darnell finally felt at ease and continued speaking, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, since everyone has agreed to settle this privately, do you have any other requests? If not, let¡¯s consider this matter closed.


    The women who had been hit felt indignant. Clearly, they were the ones injured, while Aurora was the one making demands. They were dying of frustration but didn¡¯t dare to speak up.


    Aurora stared calmly at the women who were beaten and said coldly, ¡°Apologize to Yvette.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted to the girl beside Aurora. It was obvious that the girl was Yvette.


    From beginning trend. Yvette stood by Aurora without saying a word, Yet her presence was impossible to ignore. Her cool demeanor and striking appearance were truly umon.


    Some wealthydies were willing to swallow their pride and apologize to Aurora because of the Chavez family and their own status. But they didn¡¯t know Yvette at all, so they weren¡¯t willing to apologize to her.


    They all stayed silent, curious to see what Yvette would say. If Yvette was sensible, she should just act as if nothing had happened and let it go.


    Her eyes were dark and somber, with her brows slightly furrowed, making it hard to discern her emotions.


    She nced over the crowd, noting their varied expressions. She spoke slowly and calmly towards Yvette. ¡°Prettydy, they are ring at me. I¡¯m a little scared because I¡¯m kind of shy.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was momentarily taken aback.


    Seeing Yvette looking so ¡°fragile¡± instantly triggered Aurora¡¯s maternal instincts. The words ¡°prettydy made Aurora overjoyed.


    Aurora immediately swooped Yvette under her protection like a mother hen shielding her chick.


    Yvette lowered her eyes and noticed Aurora¡¯s movements, a faint hint of a smile in her gaze.


    Aurora said, ¡°This won¡¯t end until you apologize. Do what you feel is right.¡±


    The women were still reluctant to back down at this moment. Getting beaten by Aurora wasn¡¯t embarrassing. Apologizing to an unknown girl was truly humiliating.


    Right at that moment, the dessert shop door opened again, and the person who walked in left everyone dumbstruck. Even Darnell¡¯s eyes grew wide with disbelief. He wondered, ¡®Why is he here? Did someone go andin to him?¡± Yvette nced at the door. Her expression was calm and indifferent. She pressed her lips. Her fingers twitched slightly. Aurora paused for a moment, looking a bit confused, then instantly she dashed towards the door like an arrow released from a bow. Even her 2¨Cinch heels couldn¡¯t slow her wind¨Clike speed.


    Amidst everyone¡¯s shocked stares, Aurora stopped in front of the man. She was so excited that she could hardly form words.

 Chapter 261

    Jeremiah appeared at the dessert shop wearing his military uniform. He exuded a chilling and authoritative presence, signaling others to keep their distance.


    Every vehicle in the Sknd fleet was equipped with GPS, including the little ck scooter Yvette had been ridingtely. So as soon as his meeting ended, he came straight here. He was a bit surprised to see Aurora here.


    Jeremiah, towering at six feet seven inches, created a strong sense of pressure over everyone in the room. His dark eyes were deep and mysterious. He nced around the room. His gaze lingered slightly on someone, and a subtle hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. He thought, ¡®Yvette must¡¯ve kept her identity hidden, or else who knows how mom might have reacted?¡¯


    Yvette chose not to mention it, and Jeremiah didn¡¯t expose her secret either. Then he turned his gaze back to Aurora.


    As Jeremiah¡¯s gaze swept over the group of women, including Darnell, their breathing became more controlled. They¡¯d heard that Jeremiah had a reputation where even a frown could mean trouble. Eleanore especially wished she could grow wings and fly away.


    The famous and elusive, youngest iron-willed Jeremiah of Clusia, renowned throughout Betrico, came in person. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their cool.


    Aurora eximed happily to Jeremiah, Jeremiah, why are you here? I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, and you¡¯ve be even more handsome! Truly my boy. You¡¯ve inherited my good looks


    Jeremiah paused slightly. He seemed a bit helpless. He said to Aurora, ¡°Mom, being naturally good-looking doesn¡¯t quite apply to me.¡±


    Aurora looked unfazed. ¡°I know. I just wanted to point out my own beauty. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Jeremiah was speechless.


    Aurora was moved to tears. She was absolutely thrilled that Jeremiah came for her.


    Aurora tiptoed and patted Jeremiah on the shoulder. She had a little smug grin on her face. ¡°Jeremiah, what brings you here? Did your dad send you? He¡¯s always worried too much. Doesn¡¯t he know my fighting spirit? It¡¯s such a hassle for you toe!¡±


    Her words said one thing, but her expression said another. Acting all coy, her eyes had a little spark of arrogance in them. The richdies didn¡¯t dare say a word since Jeremiah came in. They were secretly hoping for ¡°the Living Reaper¡± to leave


    soon.


    Jeremiah looked at the group of scared, hurt women. Calmly, he asked, ¡°Mom, what happened?¡±


    Aurora was surprised. From his words, it seemed Jeremiah had no idea what had happened. She wondered, ¡®So why is he here? Is it a coincidence? Does hee here for coffee and desserts? Wait, he doesn¡¯t like that at all. He must be here with his girlfriend! Aurora¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking she could soon meet her daughter-inw.


    In just a minute, Aurora¡¯s thoughts had drifted far and wide.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Jerenitah saw Aurora lost in thought and knew she was probably daydreaming again. So he looked at Darnell in his uniform and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Darnell gathered his courage and stepped forward. He thought, I really shouldn¡¯t have left home today. It is definitely not the right day. How can I end up dealing with this situation?


    He answered. ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, this is Deputy Chief Darnell from Betrico Police Station. Today, Mrs Chavez came here for coffee and had a run-in with somedies. A small fight broke out.¡±


    Darnell noticed a slight frown on Jeremiah¡¯s face and quickly added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Jeremiah. Mrs. Chavez wasn¡¯t hurt. In fact, she handled thosedies herself. Before you arrived, she agreed to settle things privately with just one extra condition. She wanted thesedies to apologize to this youngdy, and that would be it. However, they were a bit hesitant.¡±


    After saying this, Darnell took a deep breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. What Darnell saw in Jeremiah wasmand without anger? Just standing there, Jeremiah had an undeniably chilling presence.


    Jeremiah nced at Yvette standing there, hands in pockets, gazing down. His tone was calm, like he was just asking normally. ¡°What does it have to do with her?¡±


    At that moment, Aurora realized something. She knew Jeremiah well. She found Jeremiah seemed to be angry. She was confused since she didn¡¯t lost anything. Aurora turned around, walked over to Yvette, took her hand, and went back to Jeremiah.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were half-closed as she looked at the delicate, smooth hand on top of her left hand. It was evident that a lot of care had been taken in maintaining it. The hand felt warm and dry.


    Yvette didn¡¯t react much, just obediently allowed Aurora to hold her hand.


    This action made Jeremiah, who was standing not far away, stop for a moment. He knew very well how cautious Yvette could be. Now, seeing her treat Aurora like this really surprised him.


    But no matter how he looked, there was something strange about Aurora¡¯s hand. He hadn¡¯t even held Yvette¡¯s hand that many times himself, while Aurora took advantage of Yvette.


    Once Aurora reached Jeremiah, she immediately began introducing Yvette. ¡°Jeremiah, this is my new friend Yvette. She just helped me out. It was Yvette who stopped the door from being opened and didn¡¯t let those women escape, saving me a lot of trouble. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to go door to door, which would be exhausting.¡±


    Eleanore and her group were so furious their eyes turned red. ording to Aurora, if anyone ran away today, she¡¯d have to go to their houses to confront them. That was really too much.


    After Aurora finished, without waiting for Jeremiah¡¯s reaction, she turned to Yvette and continued, ¡°Yvette, this is my son. He¡¯s in the military, just making a living. He¡¯s a bit aloof, so don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    Jeremiah looked down. Yvette nced up.


    They exchanged a look, one with a hidden smile, the other without any expression. With a mutual understanding, neither of them said a word.


    Aurora didn¡¯t find anything unusual. Even if he saw a fairy, he¡¯d probably have the same expression. She couldn¡¯t imagine how his girlfriend managed to deal with his personality.


    Jeremiah was sure that with Yvette there, Aurora wouldn¡¯t get hurt. He nced at the woman across from him, then looked again at Darnell. He calmly spoke two words, ¡°The reason.¡±


    Darnell¡¯s heart, which had just rxed, tensed up again. From the way it sounded, he realized that Jeremiah intended to get


    to the bottom of this.


    The women who had been hit all kept their heads down and stayed silent.


    Darnell was absolutely furious. These idle richdies usually gossiped nonstop, while now they dare not to speak up in front of Jeremiah.


    He had no choice but to bite the bullet and respectfully answer again, ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, thesedies said something that reached Mrs. Chavez¡¯s ears, and she gave them an earful. I haven¡¯t had a chance to ask exactly what they said. You¡¯ll have to ask Mrs. Chavez and thesedies directly.¡±


    Jeremiah knew one of the women opposite him, Gloria. He had seen her a few times at the Chavez family¡¯s house.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were ice-cold. He knew Aurora wasn¡¯t someone unreasonable. It must be that they said something that crossed the line, or Aurora wouldn¡¯t have been so harsh.


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark eyesnded on Gloria, and she trembled with fear. Her fingers were almost digging into her palm.


    Jeremiah spoke softly, without a trace of warmth in his voice, ¡°Speak.¡±


    ying dead wasn¡¯t an option for Gloria. She shakily raised her head. She blurted out everything at once, word for word.


    Eleanore red at her with resentment. She thought, ¡®You usually don¡¯t have a working brain, yet you remember everything perfectly now. Idiot!¡¯


    The otherdies wished they could stop Gloria from talking. They were all mad at her.


    Gloria dared not to look at anyone after finished talking. She had acted on impulse, and now she was truly terrified by Jeremiah¡¯s icy stare.


    Even Aurora was a bit surprised. She recalled that Gloria¡¯s mind usually wasn¡¯t this sharp. She thought, ¡®Indeed, people¡¯s potential emerges under pressure.¡¯ She was quite proud of Jeremiah.

 Chapter 262

    Jeremiah listened to Gloria¡¯s words, and lowered his eyes, his voice deep and somber. ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s not deserving of apology or my girlfriend not good enough for me?¡±


    Eleanore and the otherdies shook their heads vigorously in denial. ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, that¡¯s not what we meant. We just think someone as honorable as you should be with a woman like Samantha. We didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez. We were just talking, and Aurora has already reprimanded us.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We won¡¯t say anything more. Please don¡¯t take it out on us. You¡¯re a major, and a small issue like this could spoil your reputation.¡±


    Eleanore bit her lip in frustration. ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, we were just speaking the truth. With your status, how could you possibly match with someone from a modest family in Seacrity? Aurora had already hit us just for saying that. Look at my hair.¡±


    Eleanore was trying to provoke Jeremiah. She thought, ¡®You¡¯re a respected major from Clusia. Can you really hold a grudge just because we made a few remarks about your girlfriend?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, and his deep, dark eyes were icy and intimidating. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.


    Once connected, he slowly began to speak, his words were brief and straight to the point. ¡°Prepare seventy million in cash. This statement left everyone therepletely stunned. They didn¡¯t know why Jeremiah would ask for so much cash.


    Yvette, standing beside Aurora, watched everything with a detached expression.


    After hanging up, Jeremiah moved forward with his long strides, cing himself right in front of Yvette.


    Aurora nced at the space between Jeremiah and Yvette. She thought, ¡®Tsk. Jeremiah must be truly angry now, not noticing how close he stood to Yvette.¡¯


    Aurora thought it was uneptable, thinking Jeremiah should behave himself since he was no longer single anymore. So she pulled on Yvette¡¯s sleeve, gesturing with her eyes for her to step back a bit.


    Yvette looked at her. Obediently, she took two steps back, gradually increasing the distance from Jeremiah. Jeremiah slightly tilted his head. His jaw was set. He thought, ¡®Is my mom trying to steal my girlfriend? And she seed?¡¯


    Jeremiah looked back at the group of women with disapproving looks. His eyebrows were sharply angled, and his eyes were narrow and sharp. His lips were thin and lightly pressed, and his face was vividly defined. He was cold and proud. Even though he stood alone, he exuded such amanding aura, as if he was looking down on the entire world.


    His voice was deep and ice-cold. ¡°Tomorrow, the Chavez family will personally deliver each of you $3.3 million aspensation for the injuries you suffered today.¡±


    Hearing it, Yvette merely raised her head slightly to nce at him, then moved aside, sat on a chair, and started ying with her phone.


    Seeing this, Aurora sat on another chair nearby and nudged Yvette¡¯s arm. With a regretful look, she sighed while watching the group of ecstatic women across from her. She spoke softly, ¡°Oh man, if I had known they were going to be paid 3.3 million dors, I¡¯d have hit them a few more times. Now it feels like I missed out.¡±


    Darnell, who was closest to them, couldn¡¯t help but twitch his eye. He found that Aurora was quite odd. Clifford really had a unique taste. But Jeremiah¡¯s actions really left him totally confused. He found Jeremiah was different form the rumors.


    Aurora really regretted it. If only she knew it was going to cost that much money upfront, she would¡¯ve kicked a few more times. She even wanted to give them a few more kicks. However she never questioned Jeremiah¡¯s motives and decisions. Shepletely trusted him.


    Yvette put down her phone, tilted her head slightly, and smirked with a rxed posture. Her beautiful eyes were icy cold. ¡°They won¡¯t get it.¡±.


    Aurora paused, surprised. Then she shook her head. ¡°My son never breaks his promises. He¡¯ll definitely pay.¡±


    Yvette didn¡¯t argue. She just lowered her head and continued ying with her phone.


    The richdies couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard.


    Gloria was short on cash and was the worst off among them, so she bravely asked, ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, are you really going to pay us each 3.3 million dors?¡±


    Seeing that Jeremiah didn¡¯t deny it. The richdies were all getting a bit excited. They wouldn¡¯t have thought things would take such a twist that Jeremiah not only didn¡¯t me them but even decided topensate them.


    Eleanore and the others were feeling smug again. They assumed Jeremiah was justpromising to protect his reputation.


    Eleanore reached to fix her hair and ended up touching a bald spot. She forgot that her hair was almost pulled out by Aurora. So she awkwardly put her hand down again. She said, ¡°Since Jeremiah is so reasonable, we¡¯ll ept it. We will personally wait for the Chavez family toe to our house tomorrow.¡±


    The others were also delighted to receive the money. They all thought it was quite a good thing.


    Jeremiah looked at their joyful faces. With a faint smile, he casually said, ¡°You¡¯ll wait at home? No need.¡±


    you mean?¡± Eleanore and Gloria were stunned and looked at Jeremiah with confusion. They spoke in rare unison, ¡°What do Jeremiah ignored them and turned to look at Darnell, who was standing nearby. ¡°I want to sue them for ndering a soldier. Darnell was surprised. He quickly caught on to Jeremiah¡¯s n. No wonder Jeremiahpensated each of them with 3.3 million dors first. This was a perfect example of using civility before strength.


    The new Clusiaw this year toughened penalties for ndering soldiers and their families.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Jeremiah wasn¡¯t your typical soldier. If he wanted fully investigation, this could be a serious matter. The women¡¯s casual gossip, if taken seriously, could result in prison time unless Jeremiah decided to let it go.


    Darnell swiftly stepped forward and said, ¡°Understood. Jeremiah, I will arrest them immediately, and we¡¯ll follow up with you on the next steps.¡±


    Aurora, sitting on the bench, turned her head stiffly towards Yvette. ¡°Jeremiah is so handsome.¡±


    Yvette slightly lowered her gaze and raised an eyebrow. She didn¡¯t disagree with Aurora¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s pretty handsome.¡±


    When Yvetteplimented Aurora, she seemed quite proud. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my son! Let me share a little secret if he hadn¡¯t been so cute and handsome when he was little, I would have sent him to kindergarten much sooner. But as he grew up, he went astray and isn¡¯t cute anymore.¡±


    The richdies didn¡¯t know anything about what the crime of defaming a soldier was. Upon hearing that, they immediately panicked. ¡°What do you mean by defaming a soldier? We were just gossiping. Is it really that serious?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us. We¡¯re not ordinary people. We havewyers.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s just a defamation charge. Are you really going to put us in jail for that?¡± Facing Jeremiah, the richdies felt unsure and were just trying to act tough.


    Darnell chuckled coldly. Even with all this, these richdies couldn¡¯t understand the situation. Darnell knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take Jeremiah¡¯s money. He didn¡¯t mind exining it to them, ¡°Ladies, pleasee with me. Thew against defaming soldiers was just passed this year. The maximum penalty is ten years, the minimum is two. You can have yourwyers meet us at the station. They¡¯ll exin how serious this is¡±


    After saying that, Darnell called out. The police outside rushed in. Before the richdies could react, they were all handcuffed.


    Eleanore and her group panickedpletely. They started pleading for leniency. They said a lot of things. Seeing Jeremiah didn¡¯t respond, they turned to Aurora.


    Aurora was having a great time ying Super Mario with Yvette. Shepletely ignored the women¡¯s wailing and screams.


    Right at that moment, Eleanore suddenly remembered someone. She shouted loudly, ¡°Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, aren¡¯t you worried this might impact Mr. Clifford Chavez? He wouldn¡¯t allow you to do this.¡±

 Chapter 263

    As soon as Eleanore spoke, the room fell silent.


    Darnell paused too. He thought, ¡®If this really gets out of hand, thesedies have connections. Jeremiah doesn¡¯t care. But what about Clifford?¡¯


    Jeremiah stood there with a nk face, his cold eyes showing no warmth.


    Just then, a stern voice came from the entrance of the dessert shop. ¡°What wouldn¡¯t I allow?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they turned to the doorway. They saw a man in a ck suit standing there with a stern. expression. They were all taken aback. For none of them had ever expected the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clifford Chavez, to personally appear here.


    Clifford was different from Jeremiah. He was an influential figure who appeared frequently on TV news.


    Although Eleanore called Clifford¡¯s name with enthusiasm, she had only seen Ethan on TV. Seeing him in person made her too scared to say a word.


    Everyone present, except for the Chavez family and Yvette, felt the same shock as Eleanore. He once skillfully debated many at international conferences as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaving everyone scared.


    Darnell felt his body tense up, his heart pounding hard. He thought, ¡®First Jeremiahes, and now Clifford is here, too. Don¡¯t they realize what a huge impact they have?¡¯


    Clifford simply nced at everyone casually. The gaze that lingered on Jeremiah was just a second longer than on everyone else. His mind waspletely upied with Aurora.


    Aurora was so vague and unclear on the phone, and her texts were just as ambiguous. Even though Clifford could tell she was fake crying on the phone, he was still worried sick. He was given a moment of peace in his life.


    Clifford saw the sorry state of the women across the room, his expression became serious, and he frowned slightly. He already had some guesses in his mind. He moved past everyone and stood in front of Aurora, who was sitting in a chair. First, he nced at Aurora. He made sure she wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere, which made him feel less worried. Then his gaze swept to Yvette sitting next to Aurora, and he paused slightly.


    He had noticed her as soon as he entered. He found Yvette and Aurora pretty close. He was quite surprised because Aurora might seem easygoing on the surface, but she was actually quite selective. She hadn¡¯t been this close to anyone in years.


    Aurora had already put her phone away and stood up to face Clifford. Moments ago, she was excitedly ying a game, but her expression shifted instantly. She immediately threw herself into Clifford¡¯s arms, crying.


    The speed at which she switched her expressions was truly astonishing.


    ¡°Oh, honey. They bullied me. I was so scared all alone. Luckily, I know a bit of martial arts. Otherwise, you might never see me again,¡± She finished speaking and blinked her eyes.


    A fifty-year-old woman making such expressions didn¡¯t seem fake at all, but rather adorably innocent. Of course, it was the familiar fake crying that Clifford knew well.


    Aurora didn¡¯t even shed a single tear. ording to her, a woman¡¯s tears were more precious than pearls, and crying even once was a huge loss. In Clifford¡¯s arms, Aurora appeared so petite and perfectly snug.


    Darnell¡¯s face stiffened slightly. He thought, ¡®Jesus! Her mood swings are faster than a tiger¡¯s.¡¯


    Even Eleanore and the others were baffled by Aurora¡¯s sudden disy of fragility. When Aurora was hitting them, she wasn¡¯t this weak. They all thought Aurora was an actress and no wonder Clifford was so taken with her.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Eleanore and a few others immediately opposed Aurora, ¡°Mr. Clifford Chavez, you really shouldn¡¯t be deceived by Aurora. She was the one who started it,¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can all attest to that. Look at how badly she hurt us.¡±


    ¡°She started it, Mr. Clifford Chavez. She¡¯s just putting on an act for you.¡±


    In spite of everyone¡¯s presence, Clifford held Aurora even tighter in his arms.


    Aurora leaned closer to whisper to Clifford. Her hand was on his waist, hidden under his suit, so no one could see except Yvette. Aurora pinched the skin on his waist a little harder, and Clifford let out a hiss. He thought, nothing good ever came from her throwing herself at him like this.


    Aurora whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, ¡°Act well. I¡¯m a poor little woman who got bullied, and you¡¯re the good husband who¡¯s going to stand up for me. If you don¡¯t perform well tonight, forget about sleeping in bed. Humph.¡± What Aurora thought was a private whisper was clearly heard by Yvette sitting next to her.


    Yvette lowered her eyes. Her long, thick eyshes concealed the smile in her eyes. With deep, dark eyes, she casually tapped her toes. She turned her head slightly to give Jeremiah azy look, then watched nonchntly as Aurora and Clifford showed off their affection.


    Jeremiah looked on helplessly. He thought, ¡®Don¡¯t you two have any restraint with Yvette so close? You better not lead Yvette astray.¡¯


    Jeremiah gritted his teeth. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Aurora was getting hooked on acting. There was nothing he could do. He had to y along with it, or he¡¯d be sleeping in the study again tonight. ¡°Aurora, keep acting. Let¡¯s see what happens when we get home.¡±


    Aurora wasn¡¯t scared at all. She pretended to pat his shoulder sarcastically. ¡°Put on a good show. I believe you can do it.¡± With those words, Aurora unhesitatingly slipped out of Clifford¡¯s arms. Then she went on fake crying, looking so earnest it was almost funny. ¡°Honey, you have to stand up for me.¡±


    Clifford adjusted his suit, giving a cold nce at the anxious women arguing in front of him. His voice was cold. ¡°I know exactly what kind of person Aurora is. If you didn¡¯t provoke her, why would my gentle and kind wife, who¡¯s scared of even killing a chicken,y a hand on you? Her actions show you must have said or done something.¡± He spoke with such confidence, as if it were the absolute truth.


    Aurora sneakily gave him a thumbs-up.


    Clifford saw it and yfully scratched her palm while holding her hand. ¡°Be good.¡±


    Aurora obediently nodded, looking every bit the dutiful wife.


    If Jeremiah hadn¡¯t seen Aurora catching and ughtering chickens on the farm when he was a kid, he might have believed it too.


    Darnell¡¯s eye twitched slightly. He thought, ¡®You make a definite statement without even asking, firmly convinced it is the others who provoke your wife first. Truly lovesick!¡¯


    Clifford turned to Darnell. ¡°Darnell, can you tell me what happened?¡±


    Caught off guard by being called out, Darnell quickly went over everything again, including Jeremiah¡¯s n to sue these women for ndering soldiers.


    After listening, Clifford stared nkly at Eleanore, Gloria, and the others. He said seriously, ¡°Let me tell you all. My son¡¯s choice of girlfriend is none of your business. Who dares say my son is just fooling around? In the Chavez family, we don¡¯t divorce. Only death separates us, and we would never toy with anyone¡¯s feelings. What¡¯s it to you what kind of a person my daughter-inw is?¡±


    Clifford knew that given Aurora¡¯s personality, something must have truly pushed her to the edge for her to react so intensely. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have beaten them.


    Clifford¡¯s words left Eleanore and her group speechless. Since he had personally stepped in and acknowledged Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s status. They couldn¡¯t say anything more. Now, they were filled with regret and fear, but it was toote. Eleanore and some others tried to stammer out something, but Clifford didn¡¯t give them the chance.


    Clifford turned to Jeremiah. ¡°You did well. I¡¯ll cover the seven million.¡± He practically confirmed Jeremiah¡¯s intent to sue these women for ndering soldiers.

 Chapter 264

    Eleanore and her group looked as if they had seen ghosts. They thought they had a protectoring, only to face disappointment once again. The scene immediately turned into a wailing chorus of despair. Each one, with painted faces, was wailing and pleading with the Chavez family to let them go, Jeremiah nced at Darnell.


    Darnell, quick to catch on, immediately directed his men to escort everyone to the police station.


    It took ten minutes for the police to load all the crying and shouting women into the patrol cars.


    During this time, Jeremiah, Yvette, Aurora, and Clifford all had indifferent expressions. It was surprisingly unanimous.


    Standing not far away, Darnell couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by their expressions. He found the appearance of these four was really something. Even celebrities couldn¡¯tpare.


    After seeing everyone off, Darnell went back to the dessert shop. Just as he reached the entrance, he heard Clifford¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. Don¡¯t handle things like hitting people by yourself Look. Your hand is a little swollen. Does it hurt? Do you want me to blow on it?¡±


    These words made Darnell feel embarrassed. He felt like he wouldn¡¯t need to eat anything for three days. He thought, I¡¯ve never thought that Clifford, who usually seemed so serious and stern, would act like this in front of Aurora. You can never judge a book by its cover.


    Darnell summoned his courage to reenter the dessert shop, pretending he hadn¡¯t heard what Clifford just said. He kept a respectful demeanor. ¡°Mr. Clifford Chavez, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, everyone has been taken to the station. Do you have any further instructions?¡±


    Clifford politely said Darnell, ¡°Thank you, Darnell. The Chavez family will send someone to the station to assist with the follow-up work.¡±


    Darnell was ttered to see such a gentle expression from, Clifford. It was rare for Clifford to show this kind of kindness. ¡°Alright, Mr. Clifford Chavez. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back to the station.¡±


    After Darnell excused himself, only Yvette, Jeremiah, Aurora, and Clifford were left in the dessert shop.


    Clifford nced at Yvette with a hint of curiosity. He asked Aurora, ¡°Is this your friend?¡± He knew Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t have any female friends to ask about, so he didn¡¯t bother to ask him.


    Aurora nodded. ¡°This is the pretty girl I just met. Her name is Yvette. She came to help me in a fight, and if it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it as much today.¡±


    Aurora nodded. ¡°This is the pretty girl I just met. Her name is Yvette. She came to help me in a fight, and if it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it as much today.¡±


    Charlie gave Yvette a friendly smile. The Chavez family rule was that he must like whoever Aurora liked.


    Charlie didn¡¯t look down on Yvette for her simple clothes. ¡°Hello, Yvette. I¡¯m Charlie, Aurora¡¯s husband. Thanks for today.¡±


    Yvette nodded politely, her voice calm and her appearance stunning. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Yvette.¡±


    Their conversation was very polite and formal.


    Standing next to them, Jeremiah lowered his gaze, his thin lips barely moving. ¡°Can I say something?¡±


    Yvette, Clifford, and Aurora all turned to look at Jeremiah. It was obvious no one wanted him to speak.


    Jeremiah just stood there-silently.


    Aurora took Yvette¡¯s hand, and took the opportunity to touch it. She found Yvette¡¯s skin was soft and smooth. She really liked her and thought about taking her home. Then she suddenly pulled Clifford aside, and they whispered about something.


    Jeremiah seized the moment to stand next to Yvette and gently reached for her hand. He wore a look of grievance. ¡°Since I came in, you¡¯ve only looked at me five times.¡±


    Yvette paused, lifted one side of her mouth into a slight smirk, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Jeremiah gazed into her dark, bright eyes and went on speaking, ¡°My mom held your hand for three minutes earlier, she even took the opportunity to rub your palm.¡±


    Yvette looked rxed and nced at Jeremiah, who seemed to be quite upset. She tugged at her lips. ¡°Jeremiah, don¡¯t be so jealous.¡±


    Just as Jeremiah was about to say something, Aurora came back, pulling Clifford along. She looked thoughtfully at the positions of Jeremiah and Yvette. She thought, ¡®Did I knock myself out in the fight? Why do these two seem much closer now? It should be my delusion.


    Jeremiah coughed to get Aurora¡¯s attention. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Aurora came back to her senses. She immediately turned to Yvette with excitement. ¡°After discussing, Yvette, it seems like fate has brought us together. I feel we are destined to be great sisters. How about we be sworn sisters? You¡¯ll be my little sister. What do you say?¡±


    After saying this, Aurora cheekily pointed at Jeremiah. ¡°If you agree, you¡¯ll get a handsome nephew for free! Imagine how proud you¡¯d feel taking him out.¡±


    let her be. Judging


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t say anything at the side. As long as Aurora was happy, that was all that mattered. Over the years, due to his status, Aurora really didn¡¯t have many friends, so it was rare to find someone she liked. So Clifford from Yvette¡¯s face, she seemed to be a good kid.


    He looked at Yvette. His tone was formal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our Chavez family will treat you like family, we definitely won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze, ncing at Aurora, then at Jeremiah. There was a hint of a faint smile in her eyes. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Aurora joyfully hugged Yvette, almost spinning around in excitement.


    Chavez watched Aurora with affection.


    The three of them looked incredibly harmonious and warm, and no one noticed Jeremiah¡¯s stiffness.


    Jeremiah saw the scene, narrowed his sharp eyes, and gritted his teeth, He knew Yvette was gonna y dumb until the end. So he said, ¡°I disagree.¡±


    All three of them turned to look at Jeremiah.


    Clifford frowned. He thought Jeremiah would definitely have some opinions about Yvette being his aunt. So he spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t upset your mom. You have a girlfriend already. You can¡¯t prevent your mom from making girlfriends.¡±


    Aurora pouted and quickly tried tofort Jeremiah. ¡°Jeremiah, whether you like little Yvette or not, I understand. Just ept it. Objecting is pointless. At best, we won¡¯t make you call her ¡°Auntie.¡±¡±


    After saying that, she turned and shed Yvette an apologetic smile. ¡°Hey, Yvette. Don¡¯t mind him. He is just like that with a quirky temper and isn¡¯t the most likable. But it¡¯s alright. He has a girlfriend and isn¡¯t home much. When youe over, I¡¯ll have him move out. So no worries. He won¡¯t bother you.¡±


    Jeremiah stared at the three of them, mainly focusing on Yvette, and slowly began to speak, ¡°I¡¯m here to find my girlfriend. Her name is Yvette.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Aurora reflexively replied without even thinking, ¡°I know you¡¯re here to find your girlfriend. You don¡¯t like sweets. Your girlfriend¡¯s name is Yvette. What a coincidence!¡±


    After finishing her sentence, Aurora nced at Yvette. ¡°Yvette, what a coincidence! Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend has the same name as you. It¡¯s fate!¡±


    Aurora realized something was off only after she spoke. She suddenly widened her eyes in shock, frozen in ce. It took her half a minute to process it. She pinched Clifford¡¯s arm. ¡°Honey, Jeremiah said his girlfriend¡¯s name is Yvette.¡±


    Clifford had already figured out that it was a big misunderstanding. He thought, ¡®Aurora¡¯s girlfriend is actually Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend. What a coincidence!¡¯ Enduring the pain in his arm, he said to Aurora, ¡°Silly, they¡¯re the same person.¡±


    Aurora suddenly let out a loud scream. She stepped back two paces and hid behind Clifford.

 Chapter 265

    Aurora pecked out from behind Clifford¡¯s back, her expression was a mix of shock, joy, and confusion. She thought, ¡®So now the situation is that Yvette is actually my dream daughter¨Cinw She¡¯s Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend?¡®


    Her mind quickly shifted gears. She felt that she and Jeremiah had the same great taste. Both of them had chosen the same wonderful woman.


    Clifford pulled Aurora from behind him. He thought, ¡®You¡¯re going to be a mother¨Cinw. Stop acting so childish. Quit hiding


    Without Clifford in front of her, Aurora felt a bit uneasy. She gave him a re. Then she looked at Yvette. She had promised to be a gentle and charming mother¨Cinw in front of her daughter¨Cinw. But she let Yvette see what just happened.


    Aurora regretted it so much, she was beside herself. With an embarrassed expression, she told a lie she didn¡¯t even believe. ¡°Well, actually, the person you saw wasn¡¯t me. You¡¯re sleepwalking now. Do you believe me?¡±


    Both Jeremiah and Clifford were speechless.


    After saying that, Aurora absentmindedly stared at Yvette. Thinking about how likely it was to knock Yvette out right now. After speaking, Aurora¡¯s head drooped. Her image of the powerful businesswoman who couldmand the corporate world was gone. She was now radiating an aura ofplete dejection.


    Yvette slowly lifted her eyes, her gaze calm and her expression neutral. ¡°You were pretty cool just now.¡±


    A few simple words once again made Aurora lift her head instantly. She was filled with delight that Yvette actually called her impressive. ¡°Yvette, you think I¡¯m cool, right? Let me tell you. I wasn¡¯t even serious just now. If I showed all my killer moves from my younger days, they would have been impressed ages ago. I even once trained under an old monk, but don¡¯t let that get out. I¡¯m really humble about it.¡±


    That nickname caught Clifford and Jeremiah by surprise again. They found Aurora quite nonchnt and werepletely at a loss when it came to Aurora¡¯s whims. They¡¯d been handling it this way for years. It¡¯d been a long and tough journey, to put it mildly. They got used to it. Especially Clifford, who was, more ustomed.


    Aurora patted her chest and quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. From now on, if there¡¯s ever a fight, just call me. I¡¯ve got your back. With those thin arms and legs, you¡¯re probably not cut out for fighting, but it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re like family, right? I¡¯ll step in, and you just stay behind me.¡± She had every bit the demeanor of a leader.


    At first nce, Yvette knew that Aurora didn¡¯t have any vibe of ancient martial arts. But she didn¡¯t reveal Aurora. She just nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    To Aurora, Yvette seemed both cute and well¨Cbehaved. She felt her heart melting at Yvette¡¯s cuteness.


    Jeremiah couldn¡¯t stand to watch. Aurora had never seen Yvette take down a crocodile with her bare hands. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said such things even if her life depended on it.


    Off to the side, Clifford noticed how Aurora¡¯s mood changed suddenly, one moment happy the next gloomy, and he sighed helplessly.


    Aurora is in her fifties now. Yet she was still easy to feel thrilled once being praised.


    And all that talk about the old monk was from many years ago. The man indeed taught her a few techniques, but she didn¡¯t learn a single one. In the end, she frustrated him so much that he became a monk and retreated into a monastery, never leaving it since.


    Jeremiah saw how Aurora was being so friendly with Yvette, and felt a sting of jealousy. But he couldn¡¯t take it out on Aurora, so he just red at Jeremiah next to him. He was upset that Jeremiah found a girlfriend to steal Aurora¡¯s attention.


    At the same time, Jeremiah also nced at Clifford. He was also upset that Aurora became his love rival,


    But, to be honest, Clifford was stunned for a moment. The girl who was about to be Aurora¡¯s sister suddenly turned out to be Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend. Even Clifford was veryposed and used to handling big situations, he found it quite amusing that Aurora and Jeremiah both fell for Yvette.


    Yvette maintained her usual cool demeanor, her jet¨Cck eyes shining like polished onyx.


    Jeremiah stepped forward and gently took her cold, delicate hand. They stood together. She tilted her head without saying anything. In terms of looks alone, they were unbeatable, the perfect match and a feast for the eyes.


    Aurora¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the pair standing together, but then b


    mood darkened. For someone who really cared about appearances like her, thisbination of a handsome guy and pretty girl was perfect for her. She¡¯d feel bad if she didn¡¯t ship this couple. But she was somehow upset that Yvette was with Jeremiah, not her. She found that quite frustrating.


    Jeremiah nced at Yvette, then looked up at Clifford and Aurom. With a serious expression, he spoke in an official tone, ¡°Dad, Mom, this is my girlfriend Yvette. She¡¯s going to be my wife and the mother of my children.¡±


    Clifford looked at their hands, fingers intertwined. It was such a natural gesture. Although he was quite happy inside, his face remained stern. ¡°Alright, got it.¡±


    His attitude towards Jeremiah was distant, as if he didn¡¯t care much. But when he turned to Yvette, his expression became much warmer. Even though he maintained a serious demeanor, it was clear that Clifford was very pleased. He said to Yvette, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Clifford, Jeremiah¡¯s father.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Yvette lifted her eyes and saw Clifford¡¯s gaze filled with kindness. There was a slight pause. In her usual calm voice, she said, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yvette, Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend.¡±


    Both of them reintroduced themselves. It was clear their titles and roles had changed from just a moment ago. They added a bit of formality.


    Upon seeing the poised Yvette, Clifford felt satisfied. As the Chavez family¡¯s daughter¨Cinw, she didn¡¯t need a noble background, but she couldn¡¯t be petty. If Yvette had merely stood by watching the fight or tried to interfere, he wouldn¡¯t have approved of her. He frequently said the same thing. As long as she was justified, even if she caused chaos in Betrico, the Chavez family would support her. He was quite pleased with Yvette and proud of Jeremiah.


    In a word, the Chavez family was known for protecting their own, not tolerating any nonsense.


    Aurora stepped forward to pry Yvette¡¯s hand from Jeremiah¡¯s grasp, sessfully taking over Jeremiah¡¯s previous spot.


    Jeremiah looked at his now¨Cempty hand. The hand he was holding a second ago was now in Aurora¡¯s grip. He had a slight twitch at the corner of his eye. He felt it was necessary to remind Aurora. ¡°Mom, she¡¯s my girlfriend.¡±


    Aurora nodded confidently and said without hesitation, ¡°I know. She¡¯s my daughter¨Cinw.¡±


    Jeremiah was once again defeated by Aurora¡¯s shamelessness. The way she confidently took things from others definitely made her the most shameless one.


    Clifford coughed a couple of times. ¡°Aurora, you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    Aurora squinted at Clifford. ¡°I know. Yvette is my daughter¨Cinw.¡±


    Clifford had a strong feeling that his status in the family was about to drop again.


    Aurora, without caring what Jeremiah and Clifford thought, warmly took Yvette¡¯s hand. She smoothly slipped the safety. charm bracelet from the temple, which she wore, onto Yvette¡¯s slender wrist. She chuckled warmly.


    Both Clifford and Jeremiah were momentarily stunned by the scene. Because this safety charm held great significance for Aurora.

 Chapter 266

    When Aurora was a child, she wasn¡¯t very healthy. So her family made a pilgrimage to the temple, praying for her at every step. Once she started wearing it, her health gradually improved and she hasn¡¯t taken it off for years.


    And now she offered it to Yvette. It made both Jeremiah and Clifford touched inside. They knew that Aurora must really like Yvette.


    Yvette looked down at the red string on her wrist. It was quite old. She knew it was worn by someone who cherished it, keeping it in great condition. She dropped her casual andid¨Cback demeanor. She looked up at Aurora, her eyes beautifully cool, and her voice calm. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this.¡±


    Aurora didn¡¯t get upset at those words. She put away her smile and looked intently at Yvette. ¡°Yvette, my daughter¨Cinw, this charm is hidden in the bracelet. I¡¯ve worn it since I was little. When I was pregnant, I thought if I had a daughter, I¡¯d pass it to her so she could be protected. But I ended up having a son, Jeremiah, that rascal, so I kept it. Later, I decided that when I have a daughter¨Cinw, I¡¯d give it to her personally. You wouldn¡¯t refuse me, right?¡±


    Jeremiah now seriously doubted if he was really Aurora¡¯s biological child.


    Afraid Yvette might not ept it, Aurora pleaded pitifully with Yvette, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worthless and that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want it?¡±


    Everyone knew Aurora was just trying to persuade Yvette to take the bracelet.


    Yvette nced at Jeremiah. She paused. Then she turned back to look at Aurora. This time she didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Okay. Thank you. I¡¯ll treasure your charm. From now on, I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    These words brought a slight tear to Aurora¡¯s eye. She was quite pleased with having Yvette as her daughter¨Cinw, leaving Jeremiah out of her mind. ¡°Alright, Yvette, with you protecting me, even the King of Hell can¡¯t take me.¡±


    Aurora just jokingly remarked, who would dare to take someone from the King of Hell¡¯s hands?


    Yet Yvette replied to her quite seriously, ¡°Yes, with me here, the King of Hell can¡¯t take you away.¡±


    Aurora was momentarily taken aback, then smiled, not minding it at all.


    Seeing the two of them so heartwarming made Clifford very happy too. He thought, ¡®Why did we end up with Jeremiah, that mischievous boy? If we had a little girl, she¡¯d definitely be as sweet and considerate as Yvette.¡®


    Later, Clifford found out that calling Yvette ¡®sweet¡® was a huge mistake.


    Aurora wrapped her arm around Yvette¡¯s shoulders. Both were the same height, resembling a pair of close pals. Quicker than a magician changing masks, she had already switched moods.


    Both Jeremiah and Clifford were ustomed to her antics by now. Yet they found the hand draped over the shoulder looked a bit awkward.


    So the two exchanged a knowing nce. With a rare tacit understanding between them, they stepped forward and pulled their wives back to their sides.


    Aurora wanted to protest, but Clifford gave her a look. Seeing the look, she quieted down.


    Jeremiah nced at his watch. Unknowingly, it was already five in the afternoon. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s perfect timing to head back for dinner. Everything¡¯s ready at home.¡±


    Hearing this, Aurora eagerly took Yvette¡¯s hand again. ¡°Come on, Yvette. Let¡¯s head home for dinner. You¡¯re still staying at Sknd, right? There¡¯s no help there, and Jeremiah can¡¯t cook, so I doubt you¡¯ve had anything decent to eat. Come with me. Our home¨Ccooked meals will surely be to your liking.¡±


    Jeremiah watched as their hands linked again. He decided it was time to change the security system at Sknd. Looking at the cklist, he thought there should soon be another name added.


    Aurora and Yvette walked ahead, chatting happily. Aurora did most of the talking while Yvette listened quietly. They seemed like a pair of close sisters.


    Jeremiah and Clifford trailed behind them, with expressions as if they¡¯d been dealt a bad hand of cards.


    Clifford noticed the intense look in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Brat, keep your wife in check.¡±


    Jeremiah looked up defiantly and said, ¡°Dad, keep your wife in check.¡±


    Clifford said, ¡°Do you think I can do that?¡±


    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°Are you giving me too much credit? Do you think I can manage that?¡±


    Clifford continued, ¡°Spineless, how did I end up with a kid like you?¡±


    Jeremiah, with his hands in his pockets, said slowly, ¡°Takes one to know one.¡±


    Jeremy thought, ¡®One day, I¡¯ll beat you.


    Jeremiah thought, ¡®One day, I¡¯ll send you away.


    By the end, neither of them looked at each other. Instead, they turned to look at Yvette and Aurora.


    At the Chavez residence, there weren¡¯t many servants. But they¡¯d been working there for over twenty years. When Aurora led Yvette through the door and they saw her face, they knew in their hearts that she was going to be the future matriarch of the Chavez family.


    A few servants warmly stepped forward to greet Yvette, with genuine smiles on their faces. They all knew she came from Seacrity, but there wasn¡¯t any disdain.


    In an elite family like the Chavez family, the servants were carefully selected. Their qualifications, behavior, and character were all top¨Cnotch. Their sries were much higher than what people earned outside.


    The kind of snobbish servants who look down on others didn¡¯t exist at all. That was all nonsense from TV dramas. A servant had no right to look down on their masters.


    Cara led the servants to serve the dishes, and after arranging them, they retreated in an orderly manner. The whole process was so quiet that there wasn¡¯t a sound.


    Clifford sat at the head of the table.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    On the left were Aurora and Yvette, while Jeremiah sat alone on the right. He looked really pitiful.


    No need to say more. Even the seating arrangement was secretly manipted by Aurora.


    Jeremiah had a strong urge to return to Seacrity. If things continued like this, Yvette was definitely going to leave him.


    The Chavez family had always preferred Clusian food. Jase went through tough times, so they weren¡¯t really interested in Western food.


    Aurora, worried Yvette might not be used to it, thoughtfully added some fancy dishes, such as red wine, cheese, steak, sd, dessert. It was all carefully prepared.


    At the dinner table, Aurora eagerly ced food into Yvette¡¯s te with serving tools.


    Clifford and Jeremiah were also at the table. Aurora had her eyes only on Yvette, constantly urging her to eat more.


    Yvette epted everything. She ate whatever was given to her.


    Aurora liked her even more for that. She thought it was a blessing to eat well. Skinny people couldn¡¯t hold onto luck. A little chubbiness made one cuter.


    Clifford reached out his fork to pick up a piece of steak while Aurora quickly grabbed thest piece and put it on Yvette¡¯s te, leaving him a piece of pineapple. He took deep breaths, convincing himself that the pineapple was tastier.


    Aurora noticed him staring at the pineapple without eating. ¡°Honey, why aren¡¯t you eating? Go on, eat! What are you looking at?¡±


    Clifford smiled bitterly and popped a piece of pineapple into his mouth. He missed the taste of steak. He only picked at his food during dinner.


    With a small appetite, Jeremiah was already full.


    When Aurora saw Yvette finished thest bite of her meal, she quickly asked Cara to bring the prepared orange juice.


    Clifford noticed Yvette happily sipping her orange juice, while he only had a ss of in water in front of him. Jealousy welled up inside him. Now he was d that they had Jeremiah, the little rascal. If it were a little girl, Aurora probably wouldn¡¯t even have him in her sight.


    Jeremiah was the ultimate errand boy.

 Chapter 267

    After the meal, in the living room, the TV was showing news about the country¡¯s new energy developments.


    After the meal, in the living room, the TV was showing news about the country¡¯s new energy developments.


    Aurora and Yvette loungedzily on the sofa, neither sitting properly, looking as close as a mother and daughter. Aurora looked so youthful that people might even believe they were sisters.


    Clifford handed Aurora a freshly made bowl of milk from the servant, and Aurora gave it right to Yvette. Her expression was full of genuine concern. ¡°Yvette, eat up! We women need more milk. It¡¯s good for our health.¡±


    Yvette took her eyes off the TV and looked at the bowl of milk. She nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Aurora watched Yvette drink it down, then turned to Clifford. ¡°Honey, could you ask Cara to bring out another bowl?¡±


    Clifford hesitated for a moment. He thought, ¡®I¡¯m a senior director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I¡¯m now turning into a housekeeper at home. It seems eptable.¡¯


    Jeremiah nced at Clifford without a word, thinking to himself ¡®Who¡¯s really better off in family status anyway?¡±


    Clifford looked at James on TV and paused for a moment. He remarked, ¡°Developing new energy has always been a priority for the national physicsb. For years there was no breakthrough, and then suddenly this year, they seeded. Mr. Owens had had a hard time finding the right sessor for theb. None have met his standards. I heard he almost needed to be hospitalized from exhaustion recently. I wonder how he¡¯s doing now.¡±


    This topic naturally had a heavy tone. The older generation dedicated their entire youth to the country. Even in their old age, they couldn¡¯t bear to leave theb, never retiring. When they should¡¯ve been enjoying their golden years, they were still working at the forefront. The patriotic spirit of people like Mr. Owens and his father was embedded in their bones, too deep to erase even in death.


    Jeremiah peeled a shiny and clear grape for Yvette and ced it on her dessert. Then, he joined the conversation. ¡°Mr. Owens is feeling better. Yesterday, Yvette met with him, so everything should be fine.¡±


    Clifford looked at Yvette in surprise, as she showed no expression. He was quite surprised that Yvette actually knew Mr. Owens.


    Mr. Owens had hardly ever left Betrico. If he left Betrico, just like his father, he¡¯d need a national guard escort. No one could easily get close to him.


    The fact that Yvette knew Mr. Owens genuinely surprised Clifford. Since he considered Yvette as one of his own, he directly asked her what was on his mind, ¡°Yvette, how did you get to know Mr. Owens?¡±


    Yvette half¨Cclosed her eyes, lifted her clear gaze, and pinched her fingertips. In a casual tone, she said, ¡°We met online. Yesterday was our first meeting.¡±


    Yvette wasn¡¯t lying. Her first real conversation with James was just yesterday. But she didn¡¯t mention epting him as a god- grandfather after just a brief chat.


    Hearing this, Clifford¡¯s lips twitched slightly. He was surprised that James actually knew how to browse the inte. It right not be a big deal. But chatting with Yvette on line was very much a coincidence.


    Aurora didn¡¯t seem as surprised as Clifford. She wasn¡¯t overthinking it. Excitedly, she turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Yvette, should we exchange contacts too? So next time I miss you, I don¡¯t have to go through Jeremiah, which is kind of a hassle.¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes, and upon hearing this, quickly pulled out her phone and opened the app. Her voice was calm. ¡°Do you want me to scan your code, or should you scan mine?¡±


    Aurora liked Yvette¡¯s straightforwardness. ¡°I¡¯ll scan yours.¡±


    Once they added each other as friends, Aurora immediately sent Yvette thetest meme. It was a funny cartoon character. Next to it was the words ¡°Hello!¡± It was cute and adorable.


    Yvette sent one back to her.


    The phone buzzed. Aurora nced down at it. A cool little character was next to the words ¡°Hey there!¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Strangely, the memes they chose looked quite like them.


    Jeremiah and Clifford shared a nce and remained silent.


    Chatting on the phone while sitting on the same couch seemedpletely unnecessary and confusing.


    Traditionally, mothers¨Cinw and daughters¨Cinw had had numerous conflicts, but it was uncertain who would have more disputes with whom in the future.


    At that moment, James¡¯s voice was heard from the TV. ¡°Wee, media friends. The physicsb will hold a new energy press conference in two days. More details will be provided soon.¡±


    Clifford sipped his Grandos, having the same taste as Jase. He only drank this one kind of coffee. His eyes flickered slightly. He looked at the TV with some relief and began to speak, ¡°The press conference held by James this time is very timely, giving our country more confidence at this year¡¯s international conference and saving significant costs. I¡¯ve heard that the sess in new energy development is thanks to someone named Siren? Quite mysterious. From what I heard, James once tried to recruit this person but then backed off. Do you know anything about this?¡±


    This question was directed at Jeremiah. Clifford couldn¡¯t directly ask Yvette and Aurora what they thought about this.


    Jeremiah¡¯s mission to Seacrity to find Siren was a secret that Clifford waspletely unaware of. After all, they were not in the same department, and Jeremiah reported directly to the top leader. Even Clifford didn¡¯t have the clearance to know such details.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers paused slightly around the spoon when she heard Siren¡¯s name. Her eyes remained calm and deep. There was a touch of chilliness to it. Then she nonchntly continued eating her dessert.


    Jeremiah was quiet for a moment. His demeanor was dignified. His voice was indifferent. ¡°Yeah. The breakthrough in new energy development was thanks to someone named Siren. This project owes much to him, but I don¡¯t really know the details. Maybe Jase knows more about it.¡±


    As for why James decided against sending him to find Siren, Jeremiah never really tried to understand. Finding Siren was just a task for him. When the assignment was canceled, it no longer concerned him, requiring no further thought.


    On a day that followed, Jeremiah saw a figure appear at the International Physics Conference. He regretted not pursuing it further back then.


    Clifford nodded. His expression was serious. ¡°I wonder if Mr. Owens ever found Siren. Our country, Clusia, really needs such talent right now.¡±


    Aurora knew about Clifford¡¯s longing for talent and ced her hand on his. She offered words offort, ¡°Our country is developing really well now, it¡¯s not like in your days. If Siren is really as talented as you say, Mr. Owens definitely wo pass on them. You know how stubborn he is, so there¡¯s no need to worry abourit.¡±


    Jeremiah held Yvette¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, I know. It just hit me all of a sudden. We¡¯ve grown old and can only do so much for the country. The future depends on Jeremiah¡¯s generation. A strong youth means a strong nation. We need more talents like Siren.¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze, ate herst piece of dessert, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. Jeremiah kept an eye on her at all times, and seeing this, he casually handed over a napkin. It was indeed great service.


    This gesture made the usuallyposed Clifford twitch his eye. He found Jeremiah, who had been distant growing up, was nowpletely under Yvette¡¯s influence.


    Yvette spoke softly. Her voice was cool and clear. ¡°Mr. Owens has already sessfully recruited Siren.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Jeremiah, Clifford, and Aurora all looked at Yvette.


    Clifford¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He thought Yvette wasn¡¯t supposed to know about this. He found it hard to believe that Mr. Owens would be so careless that he¡¯d reveal this to Yvette.


    But Clifford couldn¡¯t figure out how Yvette managed to know that Mr. Owens had sessfully recruited Siren. He was filled with questions, but he didn¡¯t let them out this time. Everyone had his secrets. Some things were better left unsaid. No matter how Yvette came to know Mr. Owens, Clifford had no right to ask.


    Jeremiah turned his head to look at Yvette. His eyes flickered slightly, feeling as if there was something he had overlooked. But he couldn¡¯t figure it out anyway.


    Aurora didn¡¯t think too much about it. She just thought it was because Yvette was so charming that Mr. Owens would share such secrets with her.


    Without even realizing it, Aurora had be a huge fan of Yvette in just one short day, the kind of fan who would go wild, lose her mind, and run into walls for her.


    The topic was naturally brushed aside, and none of the three felt the need to delve deeper.


    At eleven o¡¯clock at night, Yvette and Jeremiah finally returned to Sknd.


    The reason was that Aurora insisted on keeping Yvette a while longer, even hoping the two would stay overnight. She wanted Yvette to stay. Jeremiah was just tagging along, whether he was needed or not. She kept dying again and again, so by the time they left the Chavez residence, it was already midnight.


    At the entrance of Sknd, Jeremiah pulled Yvette, who was about to walk inside, into his arms.


    The whispered by her ear sent tingles down her spine.


    He deliberately entuated his words, his voice thick and hoarse, a mix of teasing and coaxing. ¡°What should I do with you since I am a little jealous today?¡±


    Jeremiah suddenly felt that Yvette had a kind of charm that irresistibly attracted both men and women. Aurora didn¡¯t usually act like this. In just one day, she¡¯d fallenpletely in love with Yvette.


    Where the big, Only Jeremiah knows that bittersweet feeling of having rivals in love of both genders. It was another day tough Jeremiah turned into a softie. He knew that Yvette responded better to kindness than to toughness and it was perfectly fine for a man to give in sometimes.


    Yvette lifted her head from Jeremiah¡¯s embrace. She slightly raised an eyebrow. There was a touch of coldness at the corners of her eyes. She calmly said, ¡°Well. You should get used to this.¡±


    tood in front of her. His Jeremiah was a bit surprised. He hadn¡¯t noticed before that Yvette could be so self¨Cassured. He voice was low and raspy, like it had been run over gravel, low but not harsh. Yet it carried a hint of tenderness. ¡°Want to get married?¡±


    Jeremiah wanted to be Yvette¡¯s husband. He said the firmest words in the gentlest tone.


    Those words really made Yvette pause for a moment. Then she slightly lifted her eyes. Her delicate, slender fingers tugged Jeremiah¡¯s tie, pulling him back. He was pinned against the wall, with her right hand on it and her left hand hooking under his chin. She gave a soft scratch.


    Jeremiah¡¯s body tensed. He thought, ¡®Where do youe up with these tricks? Each time you be more irresistible. I¡¯mpletely overwhelmed.


    Yvette¡¯s dark and bright eyes flickered slightly, locking with Jeremiah¡¯s gaze. The depth in her eyes was filled with desire. Her stunning features were highlighted by the streetlight shadows, exuding her unique charm. Her voice was clear and crisp. ¡°Jeremiah, I¡¯m not even at the legal age to get married yet.¡±


    Jeremiah only said it impulsively. Hepletely forgot that in Clusia, the legal marriage age for women had been raised to twenty¨Cfive. Because Clusia¡¯s divorce rate had been too high in recent years, the government decided to raise the marriage age for women to encourage people to take marriage more seriously. Yvette was only twenty¨Ctwo, so she had three more years to go.


    Jeremiah lowered his eyes, hiding a hint of a smile beneath them. Since they couldn¡¯t get a marriage license, he might as well get something in return.


    In the next moment, a wave of disappointment suddenly emanated from Jeremiah.


    Yvette¡¯s hand paused on his chin, a glint shing through her eyes. She lifted Jeremiah¡¯s chin. Their eyes met.


    Jeremiah tried hard to control the surge of emotions within him.


    Yvette held his gaze for a few seconds before leaning in for a kiss. Her lips rubbed against his, not with any finesse but with raw intensity.


    Her lips rubbed against his, not with any finesse but with raw intensity.


    Jeremiah¡¯s little n worked; he quickly took charge of the situation.


    Five minutester, Yvette pushed against Jeremiah¡¯s chest, breaking free from his embrace. She crossed her arms over her chest, a smirk ying on her lips. ¡°Jeremiah, if you try the poor little me act again, I swear you won¡¯t easily get out of bed.


    Emmett heard some noise at the door. He guessed it meant Yvette and Jeremiah were back. So he came out of his room, bleary¨Ceyed. As soon as he pushed open the door, he heard those words.


    The door was now open. Jeremiah and Yvette both turned to look at the door.


    Emmett stared at the two of them with wide eyes,pletely awake.


    The silence in the room was so intense it was frightening.


    Emmett felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He thought, ¡®Yvette said something so outrageous. Should I be heading out?¡® To make sure he wasn¡¯t silenced permanently by Jeremiah and could see tomorrow¡¯s sunrise. He decided to pretend he didn¡¯t hear anything, fooling himself into believing he still had a slim chance of survival.


    In the next moment, Emmett stared wide¨Ceyed, without blinking, then suddenly closed his eyes tightly. He turned around. Muttering to himself, ¡°Sleepwalking. I¡¯m sleepwalking. I¡¯m not fully awake right now. I didn¡¯t hear anything. My memory¡¯s bad. What should I do now? Oh right, sleep. Sleeping is super important. I need to sleep.¡±


    With every step Emmett took, he could feel Jeremiah¡¯s eyes watching him closely. It was like having a thorn in his back. The conversation between Yvette and Jeremiah only made him wish he could sprout wings and fly away.


    Jeremiah asked, ¡°What¡¯s the best way to silence someone for good?¡±


    Yvette replied, ¡°There are many ways, such as bleeding from the nose and ears, heart¨Cwrenching pain, being drawn and quartered, torn apart, orpletely crushed.¡±


    Hearing this in the dead of night, Emmett felt like dropping to his knees. He started walking faster and faster. He pushed open the door, locked it immediately, and then dashed to the table to gulp down a big ss of water. He took a deep breath. He had narrowly escaped disaster,


    After such a close call, he took out his phone and found the small group chat with Bruce, Chris and Frankie. ¡°Guess what I heard?¡±


    It was daytime in Mysonna. Bruce, Chris and Frankie were having breakfast together.


    Sienna was there too. Her child has been taken care of, and she¡¯s gotten to know everyone recently. Frankie even set aside a room for her in the vi, and she¡¯d been staying there to recuperatetely.


    Chris responded to Emmett, [Eating. Do not disturb.]C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Emmett said, [Can¡¯t you be more shameless?]


    Chris said, [Day one of blocking you.]


    Emmett knew if he didn¡¯te up with some juicy news, they wouldn¡¯t pay him any attention. Then, in the next moment, he typed out the sentence he had overheard.


    Emmett was sure Frankie couldn¡¯t resist gossiping about this. He couldn¡¯t possibly resist it.


    Emmett waited for a full minute, but the group chat remained¨Csilent. He wondered if everyone had ignored their phones. He patiently waited another two minutes.


    Finally, his phone buzzed. He quickly grabbed it to check, and as soon as he saw the group message, his phone slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. He shouted inward, ¡®What on earth?¡®

 Chapter 269

    The next morning, Emmett dragged his suitcase into the living room. He saw two people already sitting at the table having breakfast and forced a slight smile. stering on a grin, he braced himself and walked up to say hello. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Mrs. Chavez, good morning. It¡¯s such a lovely day. If you have no other instructions, I¡¯ll head to the airport. You two take your time. Bye, Yve.¡± With that, he was ready to make a quick getaway


    Emmett was dragging her suitcase to the airport early in the morning, all because of that guy, Frankie.


    Jeremiah casually handed a dumpling to Yvette and looked up. Watching Emmett as if he were about to take off running. He calmly asked, ¡°Did you create the group chat?¡±


    Yvette was focused on her bowl of dumplings, ncing up at the flustered Emmett.


    Last night, Frankie took a screenshot of Emmett¡¯s message in the group chat and sent it to Jeremiah. It worked out well¨Cat least for Frankie¨Cbecause the result was that Emmett got assigned to take over the gold mine project in Afria, while a was pulled back to Mysonna. If there was ever a perfect example of ¡°brotherly loyalty,¡± Frankie showed it to the, fullest.


    Cold sweat ran down Emmett¡¯s back in an instant. He thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this just adding insult to injury? I swear that the small group chat was only created back then to help save Jeremiah. Who could¡¯ve known that Frankie, that bastard, would use me as a trade to get back to Mysonna?¡® What a heartless move. When Emmett got back from Afria, the first thing he¡¯d do was head to the States and castrate him.


    Emmett quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Chavez, I created this group when you went missing in the rainforest to help keep everyone in contact, definitely not to spread gossip. You have to believe me.¡±


    Yvette finished herst dumpling. She shot him a quick nce, tapping her toes. She thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this a self¨Cconfession?¡®


    Emmett clearly hadn¡¯t realized what he said that was wrong yet. His face was full of sincerity. Jeremiah looked at him with a knowing smile and said, ¡°Not bad.¡± And with that, he waved his hand.


    Seeing the situation, Emmett immediately grabbed his luggage and bolted outside. In just a few seconds, he was gone, leaving behind any semnce of his cool demeanor. Forget being aloof; right now, escaping was the most important thing He thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t I just see the look in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, like he wants to stab me? If I don¡¯t run now, when will I?¡®


    As for what Jeremiah called ¡°not bad,¡± Emmett only realized how off that sounded after he got on the ne. Something felt wrong about it. When he arrived in Afria, he understood. What was supposed to be three days of work had turned into half a month. Being stuck in that godforsaken ce felt like his limbs were about to start atrophying.


    Not only that, but the miners there took a liking to Emmett, constantly shouting that they wanted to have his kn


    without expecting anything in return. Emmett¡¯s body and mind suffered greatly from it, and for quite some time after he returned, he felt a wave of dread every time he saw a woman. When ites to harsh punishment methods, Mr. Chavez unmatched. After that, the group chat never had any gossip again.


    At the dinner table. Yvette¡¯s phone suddenly buzzed. She nced at it, and it was a message from James. He wanted to take her on a tour of the physicsb. Yvette was silent for a few seconds, then typed the message and sent it. [Okay.


    Jeremiah nced at her. He smiled slightly and softly asked, ¡°Any ns after dinner? Do you want toe to the military base with me?¡±


    Jeremiah was very busy. Even though he was technically on leave, he still had plenty of military duties to handle. At his level, taking a vacation doesn¡¯t really make any difference. He¡¯s been busy with the visit from Ybau to Clusia, squeezing out time wherever he can


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her eyes dark and bright, calm like a deep pool. She thought, ¡®Why do people keep wanting to take me to these secret ces? The National Physics Lab, the First Military District¨Cis this a ce ordinary people can visit?¡®


    Yvette smiled slightly, her voice was cool and clear. ¡°I can¡¯t go, I have to visit the physicsb with Jamester.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand paused for a moment, gripping his cup. His expression deepened, and his voice dropped low. ¡°He¡¯s taking you to the physicsb?¡±


    Yvette nodded freely, ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re just going to browse around.¡±


    Jeremiah took a sip of water. He nodded and didn¡¯t ask anything else. Yvette was actually busier than him, not taking a break wouldn¡¯t have brought her to the physicsb.


    since she arrived in Betrico. James must genuinely like Yvette, or else b


    Besides the researchers with clearance, only James has the authority to take someone in.


    Jeremiah stopped, gazing at her face, and eximed with a sigh, I always feel like you don¡¯t need me.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t heard it firsthand, it would be difficult to believe those words came from such a strong and cold man like Jeremiah. Maybe this is the insecurity in love, Jeremiah never thought there¡¯d be a day he would feel this way.


    Yvette paused briefly, her brows slightly furrowed, her slender white wrist resting carelessly on the table. She gazed casually at Jeremiah and said, ¡°Jeremiah, I¡¯ve never been the type of woman to wait around. I don¡¯t need to rely on anyone else. True strength is what really matters, and that¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived my life. Being in a rtionship isn¡¯t going to change who I am, so stop reading those cheesy romance novels Andrew gives you.¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers tapped lightly on the table, her corbone looking stunning beneath her shirt. She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering with a yful tease. ¡°Saving a damsel in distress? No way. But a damsel saving a hero? That, I might consider.¡±


    Her words were both bold and arrogant, yet no one could find a reason to argue. Yvette was just that strong, with the confidence to back up every word she said.


    Jeremiah coughed awkwardly. He thought, ¡®How did she discover those novels I had so carefully hidden?¡®


    Jeremiah looked at her intently. Even in casual clothes, he exuded an air of elegance and nobility. His handsome, calm profile seemed to glow with a soft golden light. His gaze lingered on the slender curve of Yvette¡¯s exposed neck, and his thin lips pressed together slightly. Such a beautiful neck, yet without a mark, it felt iplete. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°I¡¯m yours. Whenever you feel like saving me, I¡¯ll be right there, ready for you. However you want to save me, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Something about his words felt wrong. Yet Jeremiah¡¯s expression remainedpletely sincere, as if he were being entirely serious. In reality, though, he was already steering the conversation into suggestive territory.


    Yvette sat back in her chair, crossing her legs, a cold glint in her eyes. This old man had be more and more secretly flirty ever since he got a taste. At the slightest disagreement, he¡¯d turn straight to suggestive talk.


    **


    At the Terrell residence. Ronald Terrell, the patriarch, used to oversee the national finances. However, due to health issues, he has now retired and is enjoying hister years at home. He, along with Jase, James, and Walter Moore, have been fighting alongside each other since their youth, forming a deep bond through their shared struggles. The four of them get together every so often to catch up and reminisce about the past.


    At this age, gatherings be less frequent, so whenever they set a date, they make it a point to meet for coffee and chat about their recent lives. Today was one of those scheduled times


    Jase was thest to arrive; he was the busiest among the four. James sat on the sofa, leaning on his cane, and his expression darkened as he saw Jasee in with Yusef. He couldn¡¯t put on a good face when that brat from the Chavez family had stolen his newly recognized granddaughter. He might as well dream of having a pleasant demeanor.


    Jase wore a dark suit that was both elegant and stunning, custom¨Cmade just for him. A closer look revealed that all four of them wore outfits made from the same material and craftsmanship, clearly from the same tailor.


    Ronald said, ¡°You finally made it, Jase. It¡¯s not easy to see you these days.¡±


    Walter nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. You need to take it easy with your old bones. Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re still

 Chapter 270

    Jase sat down, leaning on his cane, while Yusef stood by his side and handed him the coffee that had been prepared in advance. Jase took a small sip and set the cup down. ¡°I hear you,¡± he said calmly. ¡°My body can still hold up, so there¡¯s no need for you all to worry.¡±


    Ronald and Walter both sighed. At Jase¡¯s age, still holding his position, rumors had started circting that he was clinging to power, unwilling to let go, driven by a love of authority. But only these old friends knew the truth¨CJase wasn¡¯t concerned with power at all. He couldn¡¯t let go of his duty to the country. It wasn¡¯t as if his son, Jeremiah¡¯s, position was in any way threatened. And with Jeremiah¡¯s current standing, even if Jase were to step down, no one would dare touch the Chavez family.


    Hearing those words, James remained silent, though his expression had softened quite a bit. However, Jase had already noticed his sour look from the moment he walked in. He turned his gaze to James and said, ¡°What¡¯s with the long face as soon as I walk in, old man? When did I ever offend you? Why the attitude, all grumpy and upset?¡± Ronald and Walter both turned to look at James, waiting to see how he would respond. All eyes were on him, anticipating his reaction.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    James snorted, ¡°Can¡¯t I just dislike your face?¡±


    Jase frowned. He had looked the same for decades, yet now James was acting like he couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him. It seemed like the old man must¡¯ve been chewing on gunpowder today. Back in their younger days, James had been jealous of his good looks, and even now, he was still pulling the same stunt.


    James remained silent, not offering any further exnation.


    Jase never expected that the resemnce he shared with Jeremiah¨Cthose simr eyebrows and eyes¨Cwould make James so unweing toward him.


    Seeing the tension between the two, Ronald quickly changed the subject. ¡°Hey, did you hear that Jeremiah has a girlfriend now? Why didn¡¯t you mention it, Jase?¡±


    Walter nodded as well, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this too. It seems like almost everyone in Betrico knows now. ver expected Jeremiah to actually have a girlfriend.¡±


    James chimed in with a grumble. ¡°That kid must have racked up some serious good karma in hisst life tond such a great girlfriend.¡±


    Ronald and Walter exchanged a nce, questioning the meaning behind James¡¯s words. Given the Chavez family¡¯s status and the fact that Jeremiah was such an exceptional young man, it was clear that anyone who ended up with him would be the one benefiting from good fortune.


    Before they could ponder further, Jase furrowed his brow from the sofa and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Walter noticed Jase¡¯s confusion and exined, ¡°Yesterday, at a dessert shop, your daughter¨Cinw got into a fight with somedies. It seems they said some gossip, and she overheard it. Now those women are in the Betrico police station, and Jeremiah is nning to sue them for defaming a soldier. Their families are scrambling to find connections to plead with him to let it go.¡±


    Ronald added, ¡°That move by Jeremiah is quite ruthless. If he doesn¡¯t back down, those women are definitely going to jail.¡±


    James, who had been in theb all day yesterday and was unaware of the situation, immediately asked, ¡°What does this have to do with Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Ronald, noticing that James was even more anxious than Jase, patiently exined, ¡°I heard that Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend was also there. She helped Aurora in the fight.¡±


    James stood up, mming his hand on the table. ¡°Did Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend get hurt? Those women attacked both of them- did she suffer any injuries? Those ruffians must be locked up, no question about it.¡±


    The three in the living room looked at James in confusion. They thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t his reaction a bit excessive? Anyone unaware of the situation would think it was his daughter¨Cinw or granddaughter who had been attacked! Jase was equally baffled; he thought, When did this old man start caring so much about my family¡¯s affairs?¡®


    Ronald, worried that James¡¯s agitation might raise his blood pressure, quickly tried to calm him down. ¡°Why are you so worked up? I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet. Don¡¯t worry, Aurora and Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend are both fine. They were the ones dishing out the punishment. I heard one of those women even lost her hair after arriving at the police station.¡±


    James sat back down, taking in the bewildered expressions of the others. He calmly took a sip of coffee and said with aposed tone, ¡°Oh, as long as they¡¯re fine, it¡¯s no big deal. Losing some hair is nothing to make a fuss about.¡±


    Jase, Ronald, Walter, and Yusef all exchanged nces, their eyes twitching slightly. They thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this double standard a bit too obvious?¡® They all stared at James, silently questioning his sudden change in demeanor.


    up at th


    James, relieved to hear that Yvette was fine, resumed sipping his coffee nonchntly. He looked others and asked, ¡°What are you all staring at? Keep talking.¡±


    Jase and the others thought James was acting a bit strange; old age sometimes brous out peculiar behavior. Jase turned t


    Ronald with a serious expression. ¡°Has someone contacted you?¡±


    Ronald let out a wryugh, knowing that none of them could keep secrets from each oth


    ¡°Yeah, one of the deputy ministers from the Treasury Department had his wife trying every possible way to reach me, hoping I could intercede for them.¡±


    Before Ronald could finish his sentence, Jase¡¯s expression turned noticeably cold, and James also cast a disapproving nce at him.


    Ronald, fearing that the two old men might turn on him, quickly raised his hands in a defensive gesture. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to anything. I know what your family¡¯s temper is like. I¡¯d have to be crazy to say yes


    I turned them down right away, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Jase and James¡¯s expressions finally softened a bit.


    Jase lowered his gaze, his expression serious. ¡°This matter is up to Jeremiah. Hesh out without reason; there must be something that provoked her.¡±


    decide o


    to handle it. Aurora wouldn¡¯t


    He then turned to Yusef and instructed, ¡°Make sure my message gets across. The Chav shouldn¡¯t y any underhanded tactics, or else they¡¯ll face severe consequences.¡± amily won¡¯t budge on this. They


    Yusef nodded and promptly left. Within an hour, everyone in the upper echelons of Betrico was aware of Jase¡¯s words. Those who had nned to leverage connections quickly backed off; with Jase personally weighing in, no on dared to take any risks. It would be tantamount to asking for trouble.


    In the living room, James¡¯s expression softened a bit as he asked Jase, ¡°What do you think of Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend?¡± He ground his teeth, thinking that if Jase said anything negative about Yvette, he would surely confront him about that old face, which bore a resemnce to Jeremiah¡¯s.


    Jase nced at him and replied, ¡°She¡¯s a great youngdy¨Csmart, beautiful,posed, strong, and decisive. It¡¯s truly rare to find someone like her.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yusef and Walter exchanged nces, realizing that the girl had already won Jase¡¯s approval. It seemed that the position of Mrs. Chavez was secure. They were genuinely curious about a girl who could receive such high praise from Jase, especially since they knew better than anyone how high his standards were.


    James took a sip of his coffee, sighed with relief, and looked at Jase with appreciation, saying with a hint of pride, ¡°Well, you do have good taste and vision.¡±


    Jase and the others were already immune to James¡¯s unusual behavior today. It seemed the dailyb work was affecting his mind. Jase decided it was time to schedule an appointment with a psychologist for him¨Cno one should go crazy at this age, especially when their health was otherwise fine.


    At the end of the dinner, Ronald turned to Jase and asked, ¡°When will you bring Jeremiah and his girlfriend over to the house? I should really give them a wee gift, right?¡±


    Walter added, ¡°Me too. I¡¯ve got everything ready, just waiting for them to arrive.¡±


    Jase replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask that little brat if he has any timetely. Let¡¯s see how his schedule looks.¡±


    The twoughed, but then James nced at the harmonious trio and suddenly said, ¡°Make sure to prepare an extra portion -my granddaughter ising too.¡±

 Chapter 271

    Ronald and Walter turned to James with puzzled expressions, both eximing, ¡°Where did you get a granddaughter from?¡±


    They had just been skeptical, but now it was confirmed that this old man was definitely losing his mind. They thought, ¡®With only Michael as his grandson, where could a granddaughtere from?¡® Ronald said nothing and headed into the house, leaving the other two baffled. They thought, ¡®Is there someone else who¡¯s lost their mind?¡®


    Jase called out to Ronald, who was about to head inside with his cane. ¡°What are you up to now?¡±


    Ronald stopped in his tracks at the words. ¡°No way, I need to get a psychologist for this old fool. His mind is definitely not right. Poor old friend, he¡¯s been burning the midnight oil in theb, and now he¡¯spletely lost it.¡±


    James was furious upon hearing this, jumping to his feet to rebut, his voice strong. ¡°The granddaughter I¡¯m talking about is my newly recognized god¨Cgranddaughter. What are you three old fools thinking?¡±


    The three old men were left speechless, wondering why this guy, at his age, was still getting into the business of recognizing rtives.


    Ronald turned back, scrutinizing James with doubt etched on his face. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not the one with mental issues?¡±


    James¡¯s face turned red with anger as he repeatedly insisted that he was perfectly fine. The scene was quiteical¨Cthree men looked on, their expressions a mix of confusion and skepticism, watching as he passionately defended his sanity.


    Yusef stood at the doorway, his eyes twitching. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this scene made all four of these high- ranking elders look a bit unhinged.


    Jase raised his head and asked James, ¡°What made you think of adopting a granddaughter? Are you trying to find a wife for Michael?¡±


    This was the only reason Jase could think of; James was a man of high social standing, and anyone he acknowledged as a granddaughter would certainly rise to prominence. He wasn¡¯t the type to act irrationally, after all.


    James paused, a crack of surprise forming on his face as he looked at Jase, a bemused smile ying on his lips. ¡°Oh, I wish But she¡¯s already got a boyfriend. The problem is, her boyfriend¡¯s grandfather is incredibly annoying. In his youth, he used his looks to charm other people¡¯s wives, and now he still steals people¡¯spanions. So annoying, yet he¡¯spletely oblivious. What a shame for my granddaughter.¡±


    Jase felt a strange unease at James¡¯s words, sensing something off. The way James looked at him made him wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind thosements. He thought, ¡®Is he subtly criticizing me?¡® The thought lingered in Jase¡¯s mind, making him more cautious about their conversation.


    Ronald and Walter didn¡¯t overthink it; they figured if James wanted to acknowledge a granddaughter, she must be a good person. After all, with James¡¯s standards, anyone he chose to recognize would have to be exceptional.


    Ronald said, ¡°Alright, when your granddaughteres, I¡¯ll definitely prepare a grand gift for her. You can count on it.¡±


    Walter also said, ¡°I¡¯ll get ready too, ensuring it¡¯s something you¡¯ll be pleased with.¡±


    Only Jase was left to respond, and just as he was about to say he¡¯d prepare a gift too, James interrupted, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother.¡±


    Jase was taken aback again; it was unusual for James not to try to get something from him. He thought, ¡®Has he grown a conscience?¡®


    James mumbled, ¡°Anyway, when you¡¯re gone, everything will go to my granddaughter.¡±


    However, Jase, Ronald, and Walter missed it. Only Yusef heard, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Only these old men would dare to say such things. While he didn¡¯t fully understand, he kept quiet. It seemed that James had truly gone a bit loopy from all the time spent in theb, rambling nonsensically. He thought, ¡®Even if Jase loses everything, the inheritance still belongs to the grandson; it has nothing to do with James¡¯s newly recognized granddaughter.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As he was leaving, James turned back and fixed his gaze on Ronald and Walter without saying a word. They were both startled; having those old eyes staring at them in broad daylight was unsettling, to say the least. Given that James was clearly not in his right mind, they couldn¡¯t hold it against him.


    Walter couldn¡¯t take it any longer and finally asked, ¡°You old coot, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you staring at us like that?¡±


    Ronald nodded, ¡°Yeah, if something¡¯s up, let us know. Don¡¯t just stare like that, it¡¯s creepy in broad daylight.¡±


    James thought for a couple of minutes before speaking. ¡°The gift you two are preparing for my granddaughter needs to be nicer and more expensive, understand?¡±


    Walter and Ronald paused for a moment. They seemed a bit hesitant. ¡°Isn¡¯t that not quite right? Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend is supposed to be the future matriarch of the Chavez family. If we make the gift for your adopted granddaughter better, wouldn¡¯t her girlfriend be upset?¡±


    James snorted and confidently assured, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Ronald and Walter wanted to discuss the matter further. James¡¯s expression fell again; these two were truly impossible to deal with. It was just a gift, yet they were making such a big deal out of it. Not wanting to provoke James any further, they quickly nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright, alright, no problem. It¡¯ll definitely be a valuable one, you can count on that.¡±


    James finally looked satisfied, his mood lifting. ¡°They¡¯lle on the same day. Ronald, you prepare that blue¨Cand¨Cwhite porcin. As for you, Walter, the emerald screen will do; my granddaughter isn¡¯t picky.¡± With that, he waved his hand and left, looking quite carefree.


    Ronald and Walter exchanged nces, realizing how outrageous James was being. They thought, ¡®And this isn¡¯t being picky?¡± The blue¨Cand¨Cwhite porcin had cost Ronald 30 million dors, and the emerald screen was a family heirloom of Walter¡¯s. Just this request alone felt like it was going to break their backs. To make matters worse, James expected the two girls toe on the same day. They thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this asking for trouble? These two old men can¡¯t stand a day without bickering. Do they really have toe together for this?¡® This simple act of giving had turned into a major headache for them.


    Ronald gritted his teeth and pulled out his phone. ¡°Son, find me the best psychologist you can.¡±


    Walter thought for a moment and also took out his phone. ¡°Sweetheart, find me a spot in a mental health care home just in case.¡±


    Outside the National Physics Lab. When James arrived, Yvette was sitting on the curb under a small tree, Sipping a milkshake.


    James couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow at his granddaughter¡¯s casual posture. She was a great girl, but her asional rough¨Cand¨Ctumble demeanor was truly exasperating. He shook his head and hurried over, his steps surprisingly steady for someone his age.


    ¡°How long have you been here, Yvette?¡± Before he even arrived, his voice called out from afar.


    Yvette stood up, brushing off the leaves that clung to her clothes before tossing her empty cup into a nearby trash can. As she looked at James approaching, the dappled light made her striking features even more captivating. She raised an eyebrow, her voice cool, adding a hint of chill to the hot summer day. ¡°Only just arrived two minutes ago.¡±


    James walked up and nced at the milkshake in the trash can. With a concerned tone, he said, ¡°Girls should drink less milkshake. If you like it, I can have the housekeeper make it for you. This stuff has additives, and it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    Yvette nodded, ¡°The homemade ones aren¡¯t as tasty as the store¨Cbought ones, and theyck additives.¡±

 Chapter 272

    James hung up, looked at his granddaughter, and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Come on, Yvette. Let¡¯s go to see my physicsb.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Seacrity soon, so you don¡¯t have to open a milkshake shop for me.¡±


    James waved his hand and thought it was no big deal. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If youe to Betrico close it. Take it easy. Whatever I give you, just take it.¡±


    I¡¯ll have


    open. If not, I¡¯ll


    Speaking of which, James remembered something. He added, ¡°I¡¯ve bought you a vi at Sknd yesterday. It¡¯s small and only cost 100 million dors. I¡¯ll hand you the keys this afternoon, and you should check it out. Everything¡¯s designed and furnished. You can just move in. You¡¯re going to get married to Jeremiah, and we definitely can¡¯t let him take advantage of you, understand?¡±


    Yvette thought, ¡®Does a few kisses count as taking advantage?¡®


    James continued to speak earnestly to Yvette, ¡°Luckily, Jeremiah doesn¡¯t y the field like his grandpa. Otherwise, I would never let you marry him.¡±


    The grudges between James and Jase in recent years stemmed from Mary, the president of the National Performing Arts Association, mentioned by Michael.


    Yvette watched James, who had been talking beside her, and softly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    James didn¡¯t hear clearly and turned his head to ask her, ¡°What did you say, Yvette?¡±


    Yvette paused, rxed and calm, shaking her head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The national physicsb used the most advanced iris recognition in the world and five¨Ctier security systems. As soon as the rm was triggered, the army stationed there would arrive in no more than three minutes.


    If the intruder was unlucky, the Navy, Army, and Air Force would all be there and send him to prison.


    James and Yvette changed into whiteb coats that were waterproof, electricity¨Cproof, and radiation¨Cproof.


    Theb coat was made from material that¡¯s difficult to cut even with a knife, and each piece cost tens of thousands of dors.


    That meant that even if there were no special projects in the physicsb,b coats cost millions of dors, not to mention other basic expenses. What a money¨Cburningb!


    James and Yvette had already passed through four levels of security checks before entering the most ordinary area of theb.


    As the door opened, the researchers in the outer area all stopped their experiments.


    This elevator was exclusive to James, so others couldn¡¯t use it.


    James led the way, and Yvette followed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Everyone was surprised to see a girl following James because they had never seen James bring anyone in before, except for his grandson.


    They wondered why James brought a girl into theb and spected that the physicsb might be getting a new member.


    With every new researcher that came in, the pressure on the low-level staffers increased because the risk of being fired at the end of the month improved.


    The researchers in the physicsb were divided into ordinary and core. Needless to say, core talents were physics prodigies picked from a million, or even ten million.


    Ordinary researchers were very talented too, but still not enough. They were all on thin ice, never daring to let their guard down even for a moment.


    They used this pressure to stimte themselves, while others felt a little resentment, which was normal because everyone had been through this.


    As the top talent in the nation¡¯s physics field, all researchers were fully aware of the trials they faced. After all, people tend to bezy without pressure. That¡¯s why James was always strict during evaluations.


    All researchers stood respectfully, watched as James approached, and took the initiative to greet him.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Owens.¡±


    ¡°Morning, Mr. Owens.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mr. Owens.¡±


    Yvette walked alongside James, with her hands in her pockets, at a rxed pace.


    As James and Yvette got closer, everyone could finally see the girl¡¯s face clearly, and they gasped.


    Researchers thought, ¡®She¡¯s so pretty and looked more like a morous movie star than a researcher. Wasn¡¯t she a bit too bold? Come on, next to her was Mr. Owens.¡¯


    James was very kind, nodded to everyone, and turned slightly to exin to Yvette, ¡°Yvette, this is the outer area of theb


    They are the top students from each region every year and usually do some basic experiments. When you have time,e by to give them a lecture.¡±


    James didn¡¯t find anything wrong with what he said, but some proud top students couldn¡¯t ept. They thought, ¡®Mr. Owens¡® must be kidding. She was just a girl younger than us. What qualifications does she have to teach us?¡®


    Yvette nced around at the researchers who were not convinced, her eyes stopping on someone for a moment and looking away.


    Her expression was indifferent as she raised an eyebrow. Her stunningly beautiful eyes were calm. She thought, ¡®Not convinced? Well, guess what? I¡¯m good at dealing with rebellion. You all have to know what I¡¯m capable of.


    ¡°After an hour, you can ask me any questions you have.¡± Her voice was devoid of warmth, making the atmosphere of the already chillyb even colder.


    James heard Yvette¡¯s words and nced at the researchers, who were desperately trying to conceal their emotions. Only then did he realize that these geniuses couldn¡¯t ept a girl who appeared out of nowhere.


    James med himself for being messy. He spoke that because he knew Yvette was Siren. However, he forgot that the others didn¡¯t know. So it was understandable that they were bitter.


    James wanted to rify Yvette¡¯s identity because everyone in the physicsb greatly respected Siren. If they knew that Yvette was Siren, they wouldn¡¯t be so arrogant.


    Yvette tilted her head and gave James a look, prompting him to withdraw his words.


    James thought, Yvette wanted to stay low¨Ckey. It¡¯s really hard to deal with. But she could make these researchers learn that there¡¯s always someone better than them. It¡¯s good. After all,cency will make them step back, and facing some challenges can be quite beneficial


    Thinking about this, James decided to let Yvette do anything she wanted. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing for them to take a hit,¡± he thought, choosing to stand by.


    These top students had no idea that James had already left them to their fate and were all angry, thinking, ¡®Why are you so arrogant? What a cocky attitude you have! You even let us ask anything. Do you think you¡¯re an encyclopedia or Einstein?¡®


    A boy who had been in the outerb for a while, wearing sses, looked at Yvette and said, ¡°Hey, even though I¡¯m not sure why Mr. Owens asked you to be our teacher, you must be quite talented. But do you think you¡¯re too confident? Are you certain you can handle all questions?¡±


    Anotherpetent girl took off herb goggles and said with a good attitude, ¡°Spencer is right, miss. I believe you¡¯re not boasting. But honestly, we find it hard to trust. Even our core researchers won¡¯t dare to make such bold ims.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t believe her either. Mr. Owens, are you going to recruit the little girl into theb?¡±


    ¡°Is she one of the core talents?¡±


    ¡°The assessments atbs everywhere have already ended this year, so how could she still be joining?¡±


    Since Yvette came in, only one boy was standing among the crowd and was silent and shocked.

 Chapter 273

    ¡°One hour, youe up with your questions, and I¡¯ll answer them. That¡¯s all,¡± said Yvette.


    These words made every researcher¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Spencer, the boy with sses, paused, his eyes deeper. ¡°Alright, as you say.¡±


    Suddenly, a pleasant and maic voice emerged from the crowd, ¡°Yvette?¡±


    Even though it was a question, he called out those two words with confidence.


    Although his voice wasn¡¯t loud, everyone around heard it and turned to look at him.


    Ryan couldn¡¯t believe he saw Yvette here.


    It was the first time the two had met since the Seacrity Library, and Ryan thought it was incredible to see Yvette again in this case.


    Ryan¡¯s mind went nk for a moment when he saw Yvettee in. Especially seeing James being so kind to Yvette, he felt like he was dreaming.


    Even though he¡¯d only been in the physicsb for a week, he had already known Mr. Owens¡¯ strictness. He thought, ¡®I have never seen Mr. Owens be so pleasant with anyone before. And it just so happened to Yvette, a girl I knew and felt guilty about. That¡¯s weird.


    Ryan knew that Yvette was the long-lost Ms. Chambers. But now, he started to wonder how Yvette lived those past twenty- something years and how she knew the famous Mr. Owens.


    Just Seacary.


    ek ago, Ryan was recruited into James¡¯ physicsb after winning first ce in the national physicspetition in James turned his gaze towards Ryan and had a vague memory of this boy.


    Simon had highly rmended him, mentioning that he was from a well-known family in Seacrity.


    However, students who were neers to the outerb had to go through many basic experiments and tests before joining the core team.


    James didn¡¯t know much about Ryan but was not surprised that Ryan knew Yvette. After all, they were in the same ce, school, and major. James thought, ¡®Yvette was so fabulous. There should be a lot of boys admiring her. How could Ryan not know her?¡±


    Yvette gave a slight nod, her face expressionless, showing no hint of surprise.


    As she looked at Ryan, her delicate eyes and brows remained cool before she turned her head to James. ¡°Shall we go? Is there anywhere else to see?¡±


    Everyone was stunned again when she said that and puzzled, ¡®How could she treat Mr. Owens as a tour guide?¡¯


    The students here had all experienced James¡¯s temper before and thought he would definitely get angry with her tone. While everyone was specting, James just smiled and nodded kindly, ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet the core group.¡±


    Whether it was the senior students or the new ones, everyone waspletely confused and thought Mr. Owens was different.


    However, the next moment they realized Mr. Owens was still the same as always.


    James looked at everyone. His expression suddenly changed, and his voice became serious. ¡°You have one hour to print out all your unresolved questions rted to the experiment.¡±


    James paused again, a hint of seriousness in his eyes. ¡°Cherish this opportunity. It knocks but once. Understand?¡±


    After saying this, James walked away with Yvette.


    Everyone watched James walking beside Yvette and couldn¡¯t quite believe their eyes because it looked so much like an ancient queen touring with a servant by her side.


    When James and Yvette stepped through the coreb¡¯s doors, everyone snapped back to reality.


    They were stunned that James took her into the coreb and thought, ¡®We¡¯ve never been inside, so how did she get in just like that?


    Spencer, who had made a pact with Yvette, turned to look at Ryan.


    The others followed his gaze to Ryan at the same time.


    Spencer asked, ¡°Ryan, do you know this girl named Yvette?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Ryan, do you know her? Who is she? She¡¯s really bold, right?¡± another person asked.


    ¡°Did you see how Mr. Owens treats her? My God, she¡¯s more important than Michael.¡±


    A petite girl, the winner ofst year¡¯s physicspetition in Alpineshire, said to Ryan, ¡°Ryan, you were a bit off just now. Do you have any story with her?¡±


    As a seasoned fangirl, besides doing experiments, she shipped her favorite couples and would appear wherever there was a po couple in theb.


    Everyone who knew her wasn¡¯t surprised by her words.


    Ryan tightened his fingers, feeling much easier than before. He noticed the curious looks from those around him and exined, ¡°She is Yvette, from the physics department of Argrol University, just like me. She transferred in this year, and she¡¯s our campus beauty.¡±


    Ryan didn¡¯t reveal Yvette¡¯s family background, which made everyone else even more puzzled.


    They didn¡¯t know how a student from Seacrity¡¯s Argrol University could brag about handling any challenge they got.


    As known to all, they were all top talents from various regions.


    Spencer still thought that James¡¯st sentences were warning them to seize this opportunity, or they would regret it for the rest of their lives.


    Spencer then asked Ryan, ¡°She¡¯s in your department, right? Is she good in her studies? You came first in the Seacrity¡¯s physicspetition. How about her?¡±


    Ryan lowered his head but raised his eyes when he heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She hasn¡¯t taken any exams yet and has been on leave for some reason. She didn¡¯t sign up for the physicspetition either. I¡¯m not around school much, so I have no idea.¡±


    Some people had contempt and thought Mr. Owens must have gone crazy. They didn¡¯t want a student who didn¡¯t even attend sses regrly to teach them.


    Ryan paused, recalling Ethan¡¯s incident, and added, ¡°She¡¯s good at gambling. She once won 100 million dors overnight.


    Hearing her spend 100 million dors on gambling, the onlookers thought she was a prodigal and quicklybeled Yvette as a big gambler


    Originally, Ryan intended to defend Yvette but ended up causing those researchers even more misunderstood. However, he didn¡¯t notice it and was still caught up in the fact that Yvette appeared at the national physicsb.


    ¡°Holy shit, Mr. Owens was crazy. How could he make a girl who was always absent teach us?¡±


    ¡°She even said we coulde up with any question. Is she kidding?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s insulting our intelligence. Whoever wants to ask questions can do it. I won¡¯t.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Me too. I have experiments and a bunch of reaction tests to do. I don¡¯t have time to waste here.¡±


    The girl with sses who had just defended Spencer calmly watched them making a fuss. ¡°Guys, calm down. Mr. Owens agreed with what she said for a reason. Spencer has already settled it, so we should do it. Listen, I have a suggestion. There are twenty of us. How about each persone up with one question?¡±


    Hearing this, the others felt much better and nodded in agreement that one question per person was indeed a good idea.


    Seeing everyone agree made the girl with sses feel relieved. She was worried about troubling Spencer.


    ¡°Alright, guys, please go back to your seats. We only have an hour. Since Mr. Owens advised us to take it seriously, just pick out a problem you don¡¯t understand.¡±

 Chapter 274

    Ryan nced at the girl with sses but said nothing.


    He agreed with the suggestion.


    However, when it was his turn to write a question, he deliberately chose something simple.


    He didn¡¯t want Yvette to embarrass herself.


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t expect her to get all the answers right anyway¨Cjust hoping she could answer one more question to avoid looking too bad.


    The petite girl named Isabe Jarvis was right after Ryan..


    After getting the test paper, she purposely nced at Ryan¡¯s question.


    She thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this way too easy? His intention is quite obvious.¡¯


    She sneakily looked around and after seeing that everyone around her was busy, she leaned over to Ryan and whispered in his ear, ¡°Ryan, this question is way too simple! Aren¡¯t you afraid people will notice that you¡¯re giving her such an easy question? You¡¯ve made it so obvious. Do you like this girl, Yvette?¡±


    Ryan was momentarily stunned as he looked at Isabe. His expression flickered with difort.


    He thought, ¡°This girl is obsessed with pairing people up. She even read those cheesy romance novels while eating. Why do people like reading such brainless stuff anyway? They¡¯re obviously just trying to deceive young girls.¡¯


    Ryan looked seriously at the excited Isabe and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I already like someone else.¡±


    Hearing Ryan¡¯s serious answer, Isabe was momentarily taken aback.


    Then she casually waved her hand and said, ¡°Alright, alright, no need to be so serious. You don¡¯t like her¨Cfine.¡±


    Ryan sighed and said nothing more.


    Meanwhil es was leading Yvette to the coreb.


    Halfway there, he nced at Yvette¡¯s expressionless face and asked, ¡°Yvette, are you sure you¡¯re okay with theming up with random questions like that?¡±


    James didn¡¯t doult Yvette¡¯s abilities, but with such an open¨Cended challenge, nobody could guarantee a perfect score.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette¡¯s lips curved slightly. She looked at James, who seemed a bit uneasy, and said lightly, ¡°No problem.¡±


    The two words were like a stabilizing force, instantly easing James¡¯s worries.


    He hadplete confidence in Yvette¨Cif she said there was no problem, then there truly wouldn¡¯t be.


    Besides, even if she missed a question or two, she would still be impressive.


    The coreb of the National Physics Lab had only five people.


    These five had an average age of over thirty.


    Three were out conducting experiments, and only two remained in theb.


    The two were intensely debating something, their faces flushed, neither willing to back down.


    It looked like they were about toe to blows.


    James coughed lightly, causing both of them to turn toward the door.


    ¡°Mr. Owens!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Owens, you¡¯re here.¡±


    These two were Jay Maxwell and Marcus Decker, who had been working with James on the renewable energy project.


    James raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What are you two arguing about now?¡±


    Jay and Marcus shared the same department and dorm room at Betrico University.


    Their rtionship could best be described as that of bickering buddies, and they shared one major thing inmon: both were highly intelligent and, at 35, still single with no romantic experience.


    Jay, looking more refined, better fitted the current ideal of the ¡°mature man¡± that many women liked.


    He was staring nkly at Yvette. When he heard James¡¯s question, he snapped back to reality, remembered what had happened earlier, and pointed usingly at Marcus.


    He said angrily, ¡°Mr. Owens, Marcus insists that part of my research on Experiment No. 1 is wrong. How could that be? I¡¯ve conducted this experiment countless times!¡±


    Marcus, calm andposed, nced at the furious Jay through his thin gold¨Crimmed sses.


    His eyes flickered as he said, ¡°He made a mistake, so I told him to redo it. Right is right, and wrong is wrong.¡±


    Jay, whose refined demeanor gave way to an explosive temper, shot back. ¡°He¡¯s just being petty, trying to get back at me for eating his sausage yesterday when I was starving! Now he¡¯s making me redo the experiment again and again! Such a miser. Fine. I¡¯ll pay you back for the sausage!¡±


    Marcus nced at Jay, who was angrily sticking his neck out, and replied, ¡°The sausage you ate was made from Sria ham That little piece cost at least 1,500 dors. Cash or card?¡±


    Jay was du founded.


    He thought, ¡®No wonder the sausage tasted so good¨Cit is so expensive!¡®


    In the next second, he scooted closer to Marcus with a fawning expression. ¡°Hey, look, I¡¯ve already eaten it. Talking about money between us feels so crass. How about I wash your white shirts for a week to make up for it?¡±


    Marcus nced at Jay¡¯s soft hand resting on his shoulder and, without any expression, nodded. ¡°Deal.¡±


    One moment they were ready to tear each other apart, and the next they were acting like best friends again.


    James felt quite embarrassed by the behavior of his co¨Cworkers.


    He turned to Yvette with an apologetic smile. ¡°These two are Jay and Marcus, core researchers here. They¡¯re always like this.¡±


    He then introduced Yvette to them. ¡°This is Yvette, the person you¡¯ve both been eager to meet.¡±


    Jay¡¯s face instantly flushed red.


    He sheepishly scratched his head, clearly shy.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes, however, turned cold as he red at Yvette, his gaze filled with hostility.


    He sized her up sharply, a hint of anger in his eyes.


    Yvette looked up at Marcus, who had suddenly grown hostile, her bright eyes slightly narrowing, brimming with calm indifference and quiet arrogance.


    ¡°Trying to intimidate me?¡® she thought. ¡®He¡¯s not even close.¡®


    Instinctively, Marcus felt a chill and took a step back.


    At that moment, the bashful Jay nced at Yvette, and his face turned even redder.


    He stammered, ¡°Uh, Yvette, hi. I¡¯m Jay Maxwell. I¡¯m 35. I have residency in Betrico, a car, a house, no major loans, and some savings. If you find my qualifications eptable, maybe we could explore a rtionship. I¡¯m a really obedient guy, and my biggest dream is to find a wife. I might be a bit older than you, but no worries. Older men take better care of their partners.¡±


    He rattled all this off in one breath, not giving James a chance to chime in.


    The other three stared at the bashful Jay, each wearing a different expression: shock on one face, sadness on another, and a hint of murderous intent on the third.


    James sensed that Jay wanted to say more and quickly stopped him.


    He thought, ¡°This guy is about to get carried away with his imagination again. If he keeps talking, he¡¯ll probably end up nning the future of his kids with Yvette. It isn¡¯t easy for me to cultivate such a talent. If Jeremiah knows Jay is imagining a future with Yvette, he¡¯d probably want to skin Jay alive.


    ¡°Jay, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Yvette isn¡¯t here for a blind date. What were you thinking? Stop talking now!¡± James said.


    Marcus visibly rxed, his earlier hostility toward Yvette fading.


    He even greeted her, something he hadn¡¯t intended to do earlier. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Marcus Decker.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. Her bright eyes sparkled with mischief as she nced at both men, her posture rxed and her expression unreadable.


    ¡°Yvette 7¨Cler,¡± she replied curtly.


    Jay, realizing he had made a fool of himself, wished he could crawl into a hole.


    He asked awkwardly, ¡°So who is she then, Mr. Owens?¡±

 Chapter 275

    James was momentarily at a loss for words. ¡°Who is she? Didn¡¯t you already make everything crystal clear yourself?¡±


    Jay¡¯s face got even redder.


    He helplessly nced at Marcus for backup.


    Macrally stepped forward, slightly positioning himself naturally Jay and James.


    With a trace of exasperation in his voice, he said, ¡°Mr. Owens, you know timid. Don¡¯t scare him.¡±


    James looked at the two of them and sighed. ¡°Fine, I know he¡¯s timid, and you¡¯re the brave one. This is Yvette. Haven¡¯t you two always wanted to meet Siren? Well, here she is.¡±


    Jay and Marcus were stunned when they heard that.


    Jay, losing hisposure, dashed out from behind Marcus, face full of shock.


    He felt as if something was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down as he eximed to himself, ¡®Holy cow!¡®


    Jay had always imagined Siren to be an elderly person¨Cat least in their fifties.


    The groundbreaking research papers and key theories certainly didn¡¯t seem like the work of someone in their twenties.


    He couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    This revtion was the greatest shock Jay had experienced in over thirty years.


    Likewise, Marcus, though moreposed, couldn¡¯t fully hide his disbelief.


    He thought, ¡°The great Siren I have been eager to meet is this young woman in her twenties?


    He, too, found it difficult to ept.


    Both hem stared at Yvette, who stood there with an impassive expression.


    Jay struggled to get his words out. ¡°Mr. Owens, are you saying¡­ are you saying that she twenties? You must be joking, right?¡±


    Siren? This young woman in her he had


    Marcus¡¯s hands twitched slightly as he regained a bit ofposure, but even to ask, ¡°Mr. Owens, is she really Siren?¡±


    James remembered how he, too, had beenpletely dumbfounded when he first learned that Yvette, barely in her twenties, was Siren.


    That was indeed hard to Nerd F beltent, so he found Jay¡¯s and Marcus¡¯s reactions an James said seriously, ¡°Yes, Yvette is Siren, the person you¡¯ve both admired for so long.¡±


    Jay let out a startled gasp. In a sudden burst of enthusiasm, he rushed forward to shake hand.


    However, before Yvette could react, Marcus quickly pulled Jay back.


    He held Jay¡¯s hand down firmly, his face cold, and asked through gritted teeth,at do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Jay was momentarily stunned and confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I just want to shake hands with the great Siren and maybe absorb some of her brilliance.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s expression flickered briefly with difort before he let go of Jay.


    Then he said nonchntly, ¡°Sorry, it was just a reflex. Fine, go ahead. No need to be so eager.¡±


    Yvette watched the exchange, lips curving into a slight, mischievous smile, her eyes a bit cold.


    Having been interrupted, Jay abandoned the handshake but continued to gaze at Yvette with eyes full of admiration.


    He then said, ¡°Um, hello, Siren. I¡¯m Jay. I¡¯m one of your biggest fans. If it weren¡¯t for the papers you sent over, which provided clear guidance, we might still be stuck in ce, and who knows when the new energy project would¡¯ve seeded. But, wow, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so young! I apologize for carlier. That was all because Mr. Owens didn¡¯t exin properly?


    As he said this, he shot a look of indignation at James, letting out a soft huff.


    James was momentarily stunned and thought, ¡®Why am I getting med for this?¡®


    Marcus¡¯s attitude changed quite a lot, too.


    Though he still hadn¡¯t fully processed it, he could now acknowledge the reality of Yvette¡¯s identity as Siren.


    He looked at Yvette and thought, ¡®The younger generation is really outshining the older one!


    Then he said with a note of admiration, ¡°To think that Siren is a young woman in her twenties¡­ It really shows that there are always greater talents out there.¡±


    James nodded in agreement.


    Then he said, ¡°Alright, Yvette¡¯s identity stays between the three of us. She doesn¡¯t want it to be public knowledge.


    Jay and Marcus nodded in understanding.


    Jay couldn¡¯t help but nce at Yvette again,ing to a conclusion of his own¨Capparently, a beautiful woman wasn¡¯t necessarily just a pretty face; she could also be a highly skilled and mysterious expert.


    Jay then said, ¡°Siren, I¡¯m currently working on Experiment No. 1, rted to electromaism. Marcus keeps saying there¡¯s something wrong with my process. Would you be interested in joining me? We could work on it together.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly and replied with a faint smile, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ve got something in an hour, so let¡¯s start now.¡±


    Jay¡¯s mouth twitched as he thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t she a bit too fast¨Cpaced?¡®


    He gently reminded, ¡°Siren, maybe you want to review my previous experiment data first? One hour might not be enough. Time is a bit tight


    Yvette nced at both him and the equipment behind him, already knowing which experiment he was talking about.


    She had alreadypleted it before¨Cit wasn¡¯t difficult.


    Half an hour was enough for her.


    With her hands in her pockets, she appeared rxed and casual.


    Frowning slightly, she looked at the troubled Jay, then Marcus and James, and asked in confusion, ¡°One hour? Is it that hard?¡±


    Marcus narrowed his eyes and thought, ¡®Her question really makes me want to punch her.¡±


    James, however, chuckled. He didn¡¯t see anything wrong with what Yvette said.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He thought his granddaughter had every right to be this confident.


    ¡°You two go ahead. I¡¯ll wait here,¡± James said with a smile.


    He then turned to Marcus, his expression growing serious as he said, ¡°You stay. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Marcus was surprised. ¡°Okay, Mr. Owens.¡±


    Jay cheerfully led Yvette into theb, while James and Marcus sat in James¡¯s office.


    James made himself a cup of coffee, while Marcus helped himself to a ss of water, clearly familiar with the ce.


    James looked at Marcus, his concern evident.


    He thought, ¡®Only Marcus and Jay are still single among theb members. They¡¯ve been on countless blind dates, but none have worked out. Why is that? They aren¡¯t bad¨Clooking, have good jobs, and definitely aren¡¯t short on money, yet no one seems interested in them.


    ¡°Have you been on any blind datestely?¡± James asked.


    Marcus took a sip of water, looked up with deep eyes, and said, ¡°I have, but there was no chemistry.¡±


    James bristled with frustration. He didn¡¯t believe Marcus.


    James snapped, ¡°No chemistry? The girl said you only spoke three sentences the whole time: ¡®Hello, I¡¯m here, and ¡®Goodbye.¡® Is that how you approach a blind date? You were treating it like a business meeting!¡±


    Marcus set down his ss and replied coolly, ¡°We had nomon interests.¡±


    James, at this point, pulled out his heart medication from the left drawer and took a couple of pills.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He was used to James needing medicine whenever they talked.


    James calmed himself down.


    Marcus was the type of person who wouldn¡¯t speak unless he absolutely had to, and when he finally did, his words could drive anyone crazy.


    Half an hourter¨Cright on time¨Ctheb door opened.


    Yvette emerged first, removing her face mask as she walked, while Jay followed closely be His body was stiff, and his eyes zed over as he stared at Yvette,


    No one knew what he was thinking.


    But it was clear he was massively shocked.


    James and Marcus immediately got up to greet them.


    James fussed over Yvette. ¡°Yvette, how was it? Are you tired?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her face expressionless, her eyes as cold as ever.


    In a calm voice, she replied, ¡°Not tired.¡±


    Marcus, on the other hand, went straight to Jay and asked softly, What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 276

    Jay swallowed hard and lifted his head.


    He pointed to Yvette, who was sitting, and asked in a shaky, stunned voice, ¡°Marcus, how many methods can be used to verify Experiment No. 1?¡±


    Marcus, his face serious, held up three fingers. ¡°Three. After five years of repeated experiments, we¡¯ve determined there are only three methods.¡±


    Jay wiped the sweat from his brow and shook his head. ¡°No, Marcus, there are five.¡±


    Marcus stood frozen, looking at the excited expression on Jay¡¯s face.


    He seemed to have guessed what was going on, and the thought made him feel disoriented.


    ¡°In just half an hour, Siren came up with two more methods?¡± asked Marcus.


    Jay looked into Marcus¡¯s eyes, blinked, and swallowed again.


    Then he replied, ¡°Yes, at first it was just one, but then during the experiment, another method was discovered.¡±


    Marcus suddenly turned his head, looking at Yvette, who sat with her legs crossed, calmly sipping water.


    He finally understood what James meant when he said, ¡°Some people are just born gifted.¡±


    He and Jay were regarded as geniuses out of reach.


    But today, he truly grasped the meaning of an unmatched genius.


    Completing an experiment in half an hour was already an incredible feat.


    Discovering new methods during the experiment and actually seeding was terrifying.


    to recruit Yvette, even Marcus finally understood why the director had gone to such great lengths considering dropping everything to fly to Seacrity.


    He used to think the effort was excessive, but now he realized how shortsighted he had been.


    Any remaining doubts Marcus had about Yvette being Siren vanishedpletely.


    If he had been even slightly unsure before, now he was 100% convinced.


    James overheard their conversation.


    He knew that the news of five solutions to Experiment No. I would surely create quite a stir in the physiesmunity.


    Yvette took another sip of water, her throat slightly hoarse. She pressed her lips together and said in a t tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    James said, ¡°No rush. There¡¯s still half an hour left. You can rest a bit.¡±


    Yvette stood up. ¡°No need. I¡¯d rather get it over with. Jeremiah¡¯s waiting for at for dinner.¡±


    F Nghe had it been ft with a wave of affection. ¡°Alright the?


    James if he Jay, seeing them about to leave, hurried to stop them, asking, ¡°Mr. Owens, Siren, what are you two going to do now?¡±


    James paused for a moment before waving his hand.


    Then he said, ¡°Nothing major. I wanted Yvette to take some time to go over a few problems with the students. Those outside the coreb aren¡¯t convinced of her abilities, so they made a bet. They pose the questions, and Yvette answers.¡±


    Jay, remembering how Yvette had calmly and effortlessly conducted the experiment earlier, felt a pang of sympathy for the students outside.


    He could already foresee their brutal defeat.


    He thought, ¡®Who could they possibly challenge? Of all people, they chose this master? Clearly, they¡¯ve grown toofortable and are now seeking excitement.


    Jay¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Missing this would be a blow to his gossip¨Cloving soul.


    He said, ¡°Mr. Owens, I¡¯m free too. Mind if Ie along?¡±


    Marcus, standing beside him, said nothing, but his interest was obvious.


    Yvette didn¡¯t care. ¡°Sure, if you want to watch,¡± she said, before heading out the door.


    Jay eagerly followed, with Marcus close behind.


    In the outerb, a test paper consisting of twenty questions was created.


    Ryan¡¯s question was rtively standard and simple, but the others were clearly designed to be tricky, intentionally difficult.


    Another person¡¯s question was also quite standard: it was Spencer, who had made the bet with Yvette.


    He had meticulously organized the tough questions that had troubled him for a long time.


    He had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t take this seriously, he might regret itter.


    So, unlike the others who merely wanted to make things difficult for Yvette, he included a question that posed a real challenge.


    Led by Yvette, the group of four returned to the outerb.


    As the door opened, the people who had been writing papers or conducting experiments immediately paused what they were doing.


    When they saw two more people had entered¨Cand realized who they were¨Ceveryone was stunned.


    They were puzzled about why the coreb members were present.


    Though they shared the sameb space, core members were elusive and rarely


    Each of them was extremely busy.


    The statuses of Jay and Marcus were unmatched. seen.


    Every newb member hoped to be mentored by them, but they had only taken on a handful of students.


    What happened next left everyone even more amazed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    They watched in disbelief as Jay personally fetched a soft chair for Yvette.


    Even more shocking was that the ever¨Cstoic and stern Marcus quietly went to the coffee station, poured a ss of orange juice, and ced it on the desk next to Yvette,


    As the situation escted into new levels of shock, the outerb members were left in a state of numbness.


    Yvette sat down on the chair, propping her chin on her hand.


    She scanned the room with her bright eyes filled with coldness, radiating an intimidating aura.


    Jay and Marcus, wearing serious expressions, stood behind her, sending a chill down everyone¡¯s spine.


    Those who didn¡¯t know better might mistake Yvette for a mob boss.


    The one person most familiar with this scene was Ryan.


    A few months ago, at Sky Nimbus, Yvette had behaved the same way, resulting in Daniel fainting from anger and suffering a concussion.


    With him done for, the Brooks family copsed ove James took a seat as well, addressing the dazed crowd. ¡°Are the questions ready?¡±


    The girl with sses stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Owens, yes. Each of us wrote one question, adding up to twenty in total. These are all challenging problems we¡¯ve gathered from our daily studies.¡±


    Yvette smirked slightly, cutting straight to the point. ¡°The test paper.¡±


    Not a word more was said.


    Spencer stepped forward, slightly pausing at Yvette¡¯s rxed demeanor.


    Then he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we¡¯ve all agreed that there¡¯s no time limit for this test. Take as long as you


    With that, he handed the paper to Yvette.


    Jay took it and nced at it, with Marcus also peeking over.


    The more Jay looked, the angrier he got. need.¡±


    He thought, ¡®This isn¡¯t a test. It is clearly designed to be difficult. To answer all the questions will require mastery not only in physics but also in chemistry, biology, and more. Only two questions are reasonable. I knew these students were resistant to having Yvette as their teacher, but I didn¡¯t expect them to disy such ack of basic decency.


    With a cold snort, Jay passed the paper to Marcus.


    Then he said with a stern face, ¡°Are these supposed to be physics questions? Only two or three are rted to physics. What are the rest?¡±


    Marcus, having also read the paper, shared the same sentiment.


    These questions werepletely outside the scope.


    James took a nce at the paper, feeling disappointed.


    This was clearly a set of questions designed to trip someone up, not a real test of ability.


    The students hadn¡¯t heeded his earlier advice after all.


    He said nothing, handing the paper to Yvette. ¡°Take a look at this. You can choose not to answer the questions. This test is meaningless.¡±


    Yvette gave the paper a quick look, her expression unchanged, as if everything was under her control.


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

 Chapter 277

    Though James was usually strict with students, he rarely lost his temper.


    However, upon hearing this, he pped the test paper on the desk and said in a cold, stern voice, ¡°If none of you want to ask, then we¡¯ll let this go today. Just hope you don¡¯t regret itter.¡±


    James knew that, even though Yvette didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity as Siren now, it was only a matter of time before it would be exposed in the future.


    By the time it happened, it would be toote for these students to have any regrets.


    Jay nodded and said to Yvette, ¡°Let¡¯s not bother. Instead of working on these questions, wouldn¡¯t it be better to discuss things with me?¡±


    Yvette turned around and rolled up her sleeves, exposing her slender wrist.


    She tapped the test paper with her fingertip and looked up, still looking nonchnt..


    It was clear that the test hadn¡¯t affected her mood at all.


    ncing around the room, she said, ¡°Since we¡¯re betting, there should be stakes. What can you put up?¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment.


    Suddenly, they remembered Ryan mentioning that Yvette had once won 100 million dors in just one night.


    They all respond in unison, ¡°We don¡¯t have any money.¡±


    Yvette crossed her legs, her expression indifferent, and nced at Ryan, who was staring down at the floor.


    Her tone remained indifferent as she said, ¡°Whatever you have, put it up.¡±


    Spencer¡¯s face twitched slightly as he forced himself to say, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this feels inappropriate. Isn¡¯t this just gambling?¡±


    Yvette nodded, her expressionpletely natural. ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at James, thinking, ¡®How can Mr. Owens possibly allow open gambling?¡±


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, James nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s go with what Yvette said. If you¡¯ve got money, put it up. If not, I can lend you some. Just sign an IOU.¡±


    Jay¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief.


    He thought, ¡®Wow!! The way this master makes money is so unconventional; who would have thought this could actually work? It looks like Mr. Owens has also gone astray.¡¯


    Standing nearby, Marcus said, ¡°I can lend too, at a lower interest rate than Mr. Owens. Feel free toe to me.¡±


    Once in range and Jay were possessed.


    They had seen Marcus and Jay leave the coreb, or they might have suspected that Marcus and Jay


    The twenty people from the outerb gathered to discuss.


    Every now and then, they nced at Yvette, who was sitting there lookingpletely rxed.


    Ryan stood quietly to the side, saying nothing and keeping his eyes lowered.


    Ten minutester, Spencer, the first to ce the bet, stepped forward and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, since Mr. Owens has approved, we agree too. We can only gather 15,000 dors. Is that eptable?¡±


    Propping her chin on her hand, Yvette nodded slightly at the mention of 15,000 dors.


    She replied in a crisp and clear voice, ¡°That¡¯s fine. If I lose, I¡¯ll give you 150 thousand dors, ten times the amount.¡±


    Hearing that, some couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of excitement.


    They thought, ¡°This money is too easy to win. Yvette must just be a rich fool. If we had known, we would have made the test even harder¡­ What a missed opportunity.¡¯


    With that, the bet was officially set, with 15,000 dors at stake.


    Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.


    He then said, ¡°You can take as long as you want with the test. We¡¯ve got experiments to run and can¡¯t wait around. Ms. Zeller, you can head to the second room on the left, and just call us when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Yvette looked up, noticing the crowd looking even more annoyed after pooling their money.


    Narrowing her eyes, she replied casually, ¡°No need. Twenty minutes will be enough, and I¡¯ll do it here.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, theb fell into silence.


    In the spaciousb, the only sound was breathing.


    Jay and Marcus knew Yvette was Siren, who excelled at physics.


    But the test covered not just physics but also biology, astronomy, and mathematics.


    They couldn¡¯t help but think that finishing it in twenty minutes seemed a bit too incredible.


    James didn¡¯t say anything. He believed that if Yvette said she could finish, she would.


    Yvette ignored the looks of disbelief and casually pulled a pen from the table.


    Her foot tapped lightly on the ground as a slight smile appeared at the corner of her lips.


    Then, she lowered her head and started working on the supposedly difficult questions.


    Yvette wrote quickly, her pen barely stopping.


    Except for James, Jay, and Marcus, who were closest to her, the others could only see her scribbling constantly.


    She just nced at the questions and didn¡¯t seem to need time to think.


    Everyone exchanged doubtful nces.


    Someone whispered, ¡°She¡¯s so good at pretending. Is she not even reading the questions?¡±


    A petite girl said, ¡°Exactly. Who does she think she is, some kind of genius with a photographic memory? What is Mr. Owens thinking, asking her to be our teacher? We¡¯re all top science students from our respective hometowns. What makes her so special?¡±


    The girl with sses shot them a look. ¡°Do you really think Mr. Owens is that clueless? If she wasn¡¯t capable, do you think he, Maxwell, or Mr. Decker would treat her this way? Have you even thought about it?¡±


    The two who were whispering fall silent, embarrassed.


    They thought that everrif Yvette was somewhat talented, she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish twenty questions in twenty minutes. And even if she did, there was no way they¡¯d all be correct.


    At the fifteen¨Cminute mark, Yvette¡¯s writing speed slowed noticeably.


    Spencer guessed that she¡¯d reached his optics question, which had stumped him for quite some time.


    He had included it in the test just hoping to try his luck today.


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s writing slow down even further, he sighed, thinking he would be disappointed again.


    Only James, sitting beside Yvette, and Jay and Marcus, standing nearby, could see that Yvette hadn¡¯t paused for a single second on any of the questions.


    Two of them didn¡¯t even require any calctions; she just wrote down the answers directly.


    They thought, ¡®Is she even human? Her brain works at the speed of aputer.¡¯


    The three of them wear the same expression¨Cutter shock.


    Even Marcus, who was usually calm, felt this scene was simply too surreal.


    He thought, ¡®People like her are truly on a different level. I¡¯ll never dare to call myself a genius again. She is the true genius.¡¯


    At the neen¨Cminute mark, Yvette set down her pen, twirling it briefly before cing it back in its holder.


    She looked up, raised an eyebrow, and said calmly, ¡°All done.¡±


    Everyone wore an expression that screamed, ¡°You must be joking. How is this possible?¡±


    They then stared at the test paper Yvette casuallyid on the desk, both shocked and anxious.


    James stood up and cleared his throat softly.


    His eyes scanned the room before he said, ¡°The test is done. For fairness, I¡¯ll project the answers on the big screen at the back so we can all grade them together.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, Mr. Owens.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Mr. Owens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    Yvette pulled out her phone and tapped it gently. The screen lit up.


    A message from Jeremiah appeared. [I¡¯m at the door, waiting for you. No rush.]


    Yvette replied with a simple ¡°Okay¡± and stood up.


    She tilted her head slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Jeremiah¡¯s here to pick me up and he¡¯s already at the entrance.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    James was taken aback and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay for the result?¡±

 Chapter 278

    Yvette put her hands in her pockets with a half-smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    Tilting her head slightly, she saidzily, ¡°No need. I already know the result. There won¡¯t be a second one.¡±


    Jay¡¯s mouth twitched.


    He couldn¡¯t argue with that. The confidence Yvette carried left him in genuine awe.


    As Yvette began walking out, hands in her pockets, the crowd instinctively parted, creating a clear path.


    They swore it was involuntary and unnned.


    Somehow, they just all stepped back in unison and then watched Yvette leave.


    Spencer stared at Yvette¡¯s back, then turned to James, and asked, ¡°Mr. Owens, isn¡¯t Ms. Zeller not staying to wait for the result?¡±


    James nced at him and shook his head. ¡°No need. There won¡¯t be any surprises.¡±


    The crowd was left speechless and wondering where James¡¯s confidence came from.


    Half an hourter, the people in theb were standing in stunned silence, their faces frozen in disbelief.


    They stared nkly at the screen, which disyed the result that James and three senior professors had just finished grading.


    All twenty questions were answered correctly.


    What shocked them even more was that Yvette had used two different methods to solve the final problem, the one Spencer had submitted.


    Everyone finally realized that it wasn¡¯t that Yvette was slow in answering. She had simply taken her time to solve the problem using two distinct approaches.


    The students in the outerb felt a mixture of emotions, realizing why Yvette had left without waiting for the result.


    It wasn¡¯t arrogance; she simply knew she had it in the bag.


    They couldn¡¯t help but wonder where James found such a genius and how they were supposed to keep up.


    The students now thought of Yvette as a master of all trades.


    Reflecting on how they had initially underestimated her and intentionally created challenging questions to make things difficult for her, they all lookedpletely embarrassed.


    Ryan, standing amidst the group, stared at the screen without moving.


    Suddenly, he walked out.


    But no one noticed, except for Marcus, who barely gave it any thought.


    James, seeing the dispirited expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, said seriously, ¡°I gave you all an opportunity to learn, but you wasted it. The issue is your pride. You refused to believe that Yvette was better than you. Yes, you were all top students back in your hometowns, but entering thisb is just the beginning of your journey, not the end. You should know there¡¯s always someone better out there. Take some time to reflect on this.¡±


    With those words, he walked into his office without looking back his figure appearing particrly frail and lonely.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, this man, who had single-handedly shouldered the responsibilities of the National Physics Lab for years, was getting old.


    The crowd remained silent, regret clearly written across their faces.


    They finally understood James¡¯s well-meaning efforts.


    Many began to reflect on whether they had lost sight of their original goals and their sense of self. Today¡¯s event served as a wake-up call.


    Jay and Marcus watched the disheartened group.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes wereplicated as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re that special. There are people who are far more talented and yet remain humble.¡±


    Everyone knew who he was talking about.


    After saying that, Marcus pulled Jay along and left.


    But midway, Jay stopped, turned back, and spread his hands, saying, ¡°15,000 dors. Don¡¯t forget. Make sure Mr. Owens gets it, alright?


    Everyone¡¯s faces flushed, tinged with embarrassment.


    Spencer stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Maxwell. We¡¯ll hand the money to Mr. Owens by tomorrow.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s lips twitched. He thought, ¡°This guy always has a way of ruining the moment. Always the little miser. Even at this moment, he¡¯s worrying about the 15,000 dors for Siren. I really don¡¯t know what to say about him.¡¯


    After running out of theb, Ryan wandered aimlessly until he reached a gazebo.


    After hesitating for a moment, he pulled out his phone and called Simon.


    Within seconds, the call connected.


    ¡°Ryan? Why are you calling at this time? Isn¡¯t theb keeping you busy?¡± asked Simon.


    They had kept in touch regrly.


    Ryan took a deep breath, his voice slightly shaking as he asked, ¡°Mr. Sundend, when you said I might run into a familiar face in theb someday, were you talking about Yvette?¡±


    There was a brief silence on the other end befor


    Simon replied, ¡°Yes. You met her?¡±


    Hearing the answer he had expected, Ryan couldn¡¯t quite describe his feelings.


    He recounted today¡¯s events to Simon over the phone.


    Simon sounded unsurprised. ¡°That¡¯s normal. You¡¯ll get used to it¡±


    Ryan really wanted to ask, ¡°How is any of this normal?¡±


    Back when they were at Argrol University, rumors swirled about Yvette that she was only good at drawing and knew nothing about physics because she frequently skipped exams.


    Ryan couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®If that were true, then what was all this today? Was it all just a dream?¡±


    Before ending the call, Simon reminded Ryan, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with her. Understand?¡±


    Ryan put his phone away and stood still.


    He thought, ¡®Everyone always called me the genius of the physics department at Argrol University, the future hope of the field. I believed it too. But now, it just seemsughable.


    Meanwhile, inside the Jeep, Jeremiah was driving while Yvette sat in the passenger seat, legs curled up as she nestled into the chair, a thin nket draped over her.


    She lookedpletely rxed, holding a banana milkshake in her hand, her face as effortlessly beautiful as ever.


    Jeremiah turned his head slightly and asked, ¡°How was the tour today?¡±


    Yvette took a sip of her milkshake.


    It was just how she liked it.


    She nced at Jeremiah, who was casually driving with one hand, and replied, ¡°It was interesting, and I made 15,000 dors.¡±


    Just two minutes ago, James had transferred her the money, even adding an extra zero for spending money.


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand briefly paused on the wheel, his bright eyes filled with amusement.


    He thought, ¡®She won money at the physicsb? Someone must have been foolish enough to mess with her again.


    He asked, ¡°15,000 dors? That made you happy?¡±


    Yvette sat cross-legged under the nket, only her head poking out, looking much more obedient than usual.


    She nodded slightly. ¡°Kind of.¡±


    Money didn¡¯t mean much to her; she¡¯d nevercked it.


    For years, she¡¯d measured wealth in billions.


    On the way back to Sknd, Jeremiah received a call.


    The person on the other end sounded incredibly respectful. ¡°Jeremiah, we all know you¡¯re back and gathering. Are you free to join us? We¡¯re already at Sky Nimbus.¡±


    Sky Nimbus in Betrico is thergest and most luxurious of all the chain leisure clubs.


    Want to have a


    It¡¯s at least ten times better decorated than the one in Seacrity, and naturally, the cost of the decor is several times higher as well.


    emiah said, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Then he looked at Yvette and asked, ¡°Do you want to go? It¡¯s nearby. If you don¡¯t feel like it, we can head back to Sknd.¡±


    Yvette lowered her clear, bright eyes slightly.


    Her voice was calm as she said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Earlier, there had been some noise at the other end of the phone, but now it waspletely silent.


    In Sky Nimbus, a man suddenly pushed open the door to Room and strode inside.


    In an easygoing manner, he said, ¡°Did you call Jeremiah? Samantha¡¯s already at the door.¡±


    Then he noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him in shock.


    Just now, they heard Jeremiah¡¯s voice on the phone along with a girl¡¯s voice.


    They knew it had to be Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend from Seacrity, the one who had been causing a stirtely.

 Chapter 279

    Inside the car, Jeremiah put away his phone, showing no reaction to whether Samantha would be there or not.


    Yvette clearly heard the name ¡°Samantha¡± and raised her eyes, the corners of her lips curling.


    That name hade up quite often since she arrived in Betrico.


    She raised an eyebrow and asked lightly, ¡°Childhood sweethearts? Longtime friends? Destined lovers?¡±


    With every phrase she uttered, Jeremiah gripped the steering wheel tighter.


    He thought, ¡®Am I in trouble? She is being so scary!¡¯C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah slowed the car, shifted slightly, and held Yvette¡¯s hand with one of his.


    His voice was low and deep as he said, ¡°What kind of descriptions are those? Samantha is Andrew¡¯s sister, and we grew up together. Our families did try to set us up, but neither of us liked each other.¡±


    He paused, ncing at Yvette¡¯s expressionless face, deciding that someone had to take the heat.


    He gently grazed Yvette¡¯s palm with his fingertips.


    He coughed awkwardly and continued, ¡°It was mainly my grandpa. He¡¯s always been trying to pair Samantha and me up.¡±


    Jase was dragged into this for no reason at all.


    Yvette withdrew her gaze from Jeremiah and stretched, revealing her slender waist.


    Her clear, bright eyes twinkled faintly with amusement as she said calmly, ¡°I see. Just focus on driving.¡±


    Meanwhile, in one of the private rooms at Sky Nimbus, the group of people looked unsettled after hearing the phone call hang up.


    The one who mentioned that Samantha would being was Jared Welch, a political scion closest to Andrew.


    He stared at the silent crowd, who were looking at the phone, and asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you all frozen? Samantha ising-why do you look like that? Come on. Let¡¯s get hyped!¡±


    The others wore sullen expressions.


    The one holding the phone was Joel Turner, one of the few people in the room who had Jeremiah¡¯s number.


    Even though they all grew up in privileged circles, there were significant differences among them.


    Jeremiah had long surpassed them.


    He barely hung out and partied with them.


    Over the years, he rarely went out to have fun, usually only when Andrew was around.


    Joel¡¯s father also worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    It was thanks to his father that Joel even had Jeremiah¡¯s number and could speak to Jeremiah once in a while.


    ring at Jared, Joel gritted his teeth, thinking, ¡®This idiot had to show up and mention Samantha, of all times, while I was on the phone with Jeremiah! There can¡¯t be two leaders in one territory. Everyone in Betrico already knows how much Jeremiah dotes on his girlfriend. He¡¯s already blown up for her sake, and those gossiping women are still sitting in jail. Even


    Mr. Jase Chavez has inade it clear there will be no leniency. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s epted this girl from Seacrity. Bringing up Samantha now is like signing our death warrant! One is the former rumored fianc¨¦e of Jeremiah, and the other is his official girlfriend. It¡¯s like lighting a match in a room full of gasoline-this ce is about to explode! We¡¯re done for!¡¯


    Joel had a worried look on his face as he said, ¡°Jared, you are getting us in big trouble! Why would you do that?¡±


    The others chimed in. ¡°Yeah, Jared, you sure picked the right time to mention Samantha. You¡¯re on your own for this mess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you better kneel and beg Jeremiah for mercyter. We can¡¯t help you. Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Jared, every year on this day, we will honor you with offerings. Next year, we will send off your favorite limited-edition luxury car. Rest easy, amen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the four beauties too-we¡¯ll make sure they get sent along. Rest in peace!¡±


    Jared jumped to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? I¡¯m perfectly fine; how could I possibly die? How dare you curse me like that? You¡¯re horrible!¡±


    Joel waved his phone. ¡°It¡¯s not a curse. I was on the phone with Jeremiah just now.¡±


    Jared was stunned. ¡°You called Jeremiah? And how does that have anything to do with me mentioning Samantha? It makes no sense. Is Jeremiahing?¡±


    Joel gave a troubledugh. ¡°When you brought


    up Samantha, Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend was sitting right next to him


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t Yvette that frightened them. It was Jeremiah himself.


    The nightmares he¡¯d left from their childhood haunted every single one of them.


    Whenever they made a mistake, they¡¯d hear their parents scold, Why can¡¯t you learn from Jeremiah?¡±


    That sentence was a childhood nightmare for everyone around here.


    And it had left them feeling really frustrated.


    They couldn¡¯t surpass Jeremiah academically, nor could they outfight him.


    They gradually became ustomed to their frustration.


    Eventually, they just gave up, convinced they couldn¡¯tpare to Jeremiah at all.


    When they learned that Jeremiah had a girlfriend from Seacrity and brought her to meet the Chavez family, they even began to feel a little better about themselves.


    After years of defeat, they finally had something-their girlfriends-that allowed them to feel superior to Jeremiah.


    All of their girlfriends were top-tier in


    rms of looks, figure, and education level.


    They were confident that their girlfriends could outshine Yvette.


    At this point, Jared¡¯s face twitched.


    He thought, ¡®I am finished-I¡¯ve just mentioned Jeremiah¡¯s rumored old me right in front of his girlfriend. There really is no way out now.


    Without another word, Jared turned and headed for the door.


    Seeing he was trying to flee already, everyone was astonished at how cowardly he was.


    They were also amazed by how terrifying Jerer¡¯s But just as Jared reached for the handle, a w presence was pushed the door open.


    She had long, xen, wavy hair. She wa beautiful but not seductive, stunning yet not bewitching, with impable features and wless skin; her eyes were clear and bright.


    She had a natural elegance and refined grace, with a touch of captivating allure in her poised demeanor.


    Her bright red lips stood out against her long ck dress, thetest summer collection from Vibe.


    She looked elegant and dignified.


    Everyone in the private room was stunned into silence by her breathtaking beauty.


    Theypletely admired Samantha¡¯s beauty.


    She had always been gorgeous; while others aged under the pressures of the business world, she remained stunning.


    Jared scratched his head and said, ¡°Samantha, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Samantha nced around at everyone in the room.


    Her bright eyes and radiant smile lit up the ce.


    Every man she nced at grew nervous.


    If Jeremiah was the dream of every woman in the elite circles of Betrico, then Samantha was the woman every man knew he could never win.


    The thing they had inmon was that they were both unattainable.


    Samantha had been swamped with work recently, and she had finally gotten some time off, so she decided to rx a bit.


    Knowing her longtime friends had organized an event, she thought it¡¯d be nice toe out for a drink and unwind. are you rushing off to?¡±


    Samantha furrowed her brows slightly and said, ¡°Wh


    Jared, of course, couldn¡¯t admit he was trying to run. Heughed awkwardly.


    Now that Samantha had arrived, Jared knew he couldn¡¯t escape.


    Vothing, just need the bathroom.¡±


    He slumped back into his seat, casting anxious, desperate nces at the door, like a lover waiting for his sweetheart.


    But the one he awaited was a grim reaper.


    Samantha paid no attention to him and walked toward the sofa.


    The others automatically made space for her in the center.


    They also poured her a ss of vodka, as everyone knew she only drank vodka


    From childhood to now, Samantha had always been the queen among th


    It was so natural to them by now the one they all revolved around.


    But the women they brought along-famous models, no less-were ufortable.


    Their shine faded the moment Samantha walked in, and they weren¡¯t taking it well.

 Chapter 280

    The model Keira, whom Joel brought along, had recently gained a lot of fame. She starred in a reality show, which caused her poprity to soar.


    She was introduced to Joel, and they quickly hit it off. Joel soon acknowledged her as his girlfriend.


    With her newfound connections, Keira¡¯s job offers improved significantly, and everywhere she went, people catered to her.


    She prided herself on her looks and figure, believing herself to be top¨Ctier.


    Just moments ago, all eyes had been on her, but the second Samantha walked in, the attention vanished.


    A wave of jealousy and anger surged through her.


    But she wasn¡¯t clueless either.


    She knew Samantha was a legendary and powerful woman in Betrico and that she couldn¡¯t afford to provoke her.


    Samantha¡¯s jewelrypany was currently looking for an endorser, and Keira had hoped Joel could introduce her to Samantha so she could try to secure the job.


    If she couldnd this, it would undoubtedly push her into the top ranks this year.


    Now, the opportunity was right in front of her.


    Of course, Keira, a mere model, had no idea about Jeremiah¡¯s true identity; she only guessed he was probably also a political scion.


    She had picked up some hints about the rtionship between Samantha and Jeremiah from the earlier conversation.


    This kind of rtionship dynamic was nothing new to her, having seen plenty in the entertainment industry.


    Keira kept sneaking nces at Samantha, who was sitting on the sofa sipping her vodka.


    Seizing the right moment, she took her wine ss and walked over.


    Samantha sat on the sofa, silent, with her eyes downcast.


    Her mind was already elsewhere.


    Her little ¡°toy¡± had been acting up, throwing tantrums and being difficult, which she found amusing.


    After all these years, he was still not obedient.


    She wondered how she should remind him that she was the unshakable force he relied on.


    Keira walked over gracefully and said, ¡°Hello, Samantha, I¡¯m Keira.¡±


    Samantha, hearing her voice, snapped out of her thoughts.


    She lifted her gaze slightly, her eyesnding on Keira, who stood before her in hot pants and a halter top, her face unmistakably altered by cosmetic surgery.


    The political scions were never short of women.


    Samantha didn¡¯t even have to guess to know what kind of person she was dealing with.


    She said calmly, ¡°Calline Ms. Mitchell. Do you need something?


    Keira¡¯s face briefly showed embarrassment.


    She thought, ¡®As the rumors say, Samantha is indeed sharp¨Ctongued and difficult to approach. But I¡¯ve navigated situations like this before, and sometimes, swallowing pride is necessary. If I were too concerned about pride, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today!¡®


    Keira shed a smile.


    Suppressing her discontent, she continued, ¡®Ms. Mitchell, I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Joel¡¯s girlfriend. You might have seen me on TV recently. I was the crossover star of¡ª¡±


    Samantha interrupted her and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it. If you have something to say, just say it. I don¡¯t like beating around the bush.¡±


    Even Keira, with her thick skin, found it hard to keep herposure after being disrespected multiple times.


    But she took a deep breath and pressed on.


    She said, ¡°Ms. Mitchell, I know your jewelrypany is looking for an endorser. Do you think I might be a good fit? I¡¯d love to take on the role, and the fee is negotiable. After all, Joel and you grew up together, so I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind doing me this little favor, right?¡±


    Her words implied that if Samantha didn¡¯t agree, it meant she wasn¡¯t treating Joel as a friend.


    Before Samantha could respond, Keira added, ¡°Ms. Mitchell, you weren¡¯t here just now, so you may not know that Jeremiah and his girlfriend areing soon. You might want to be careful


    She said this to earn some favor with Samantha.


    Samantha lit a cigarette, exhaling a swirl of smoke that partially obscured her pretty profile.


    ¡®Be careful?¡® she mused. ¡®What exactly do I need to be careful about?¡®


    With a smile, she abruptly mmed her wine ss on the table.


    It shattered instantly, pieces flying in all directions, with a shard grazing Keira¡¯s leg.


    Keira shrieked and stepped back¨Cher legs were her livelihood, after all, and any injury could ruin her career.


    The previously noisy and lively room fell silent in an instant.


    Everyone turned to look at the grim¨Cfaced Samantha on the sofa and the terrified Keira, puzzled about what had happened.


    Joel, who had been happily drinking and having games moments ago, was scared at the sight.


    He hurried over and asked nervously, ¡°Is everything okay, Samantha? Did Keira upset you?¡±


    Joel¡¯s words made Keira¡¯s heart sink¡ªhe had just publicly pinned the me on her.


    She felt a chill run through her and didn¡¯t dare to look at Joel.


    Samantha snuffed out her cigarette on the table and cast a nce at Keira before looking back at Joel.


    She then remarked, ¡°Your taste in women has really gone downhill. What¡¯s the matter? Is yourpany bankrupt, or are you so broke that your girlfriend has to beg others for a job?¡±


    Joel instantly grasped what had happened.


    A few days ago, Keira had been pestering him to arrange a gathering, but he now realized she had ulterior motives.


    His expression darkened as he turned to Keira and said coldly, ¡°We¡¯re done. Get out now.¡±


    Keira¡¯s face drained of color.


    She had worked so hard totch onto Joel; she couldn¡¯t ept the breakup just like that.


    Despite the many people around her, she immediately began to cry, disregarding her dignity.


    She sobbed, ¡°Joel, I didn¡¯t mean to. I swear I didn¡¯t. Please, give me another chance! I was just mentioning it casually. I¡¯ll forget about the job, I promise!¡±


    Feeling pity, Joel wavered for a brief moment, but seeing that Samantha didn¡¯t relent, he knew Keira had to go.


    Meanwhile, Samantha remained unmoved by Keira¡¯s tearful disy.


    She lit another cigarette and asked calmly, ¡°Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend ising? I should be careful?¡±


    The rest immediately understood why Samantha had be so furious.


    They thought, ¡®A mere model dared to speak so casually about such matters in front of Samantha? What gave her the nerve? She¡¯s even bold enough to discuss Jeremiah, something we don¡¯t have the right to do.


    Joel¡¯s face darkened further.


    The momentary doubt vanished, reced by unwavering resolve.


    Keira had no idea that her attempt to cozy up to Samantha had sent her straight into the fire.


    At that moment, the door to the room swung open.


    Jeremiah appeared unexpectedly at the doorway, with Yvette standing to his left.


    Upon seeing the situation inside the room, he frowned, eyes deep and unreadable.


    Yvette had her baseball cap pulled low, obscuring half her face. Only her sharp jawline and bright red lips were visible.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice cut through the tense atmosphere, cold andmanding. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Everyone in the room was in a daze once Jeremiah showed up.


    Those seated stood up, and all of them were as stiff as boards, moving with great caution.


    They looked at Jeremiah as if they were mice staring at a cat.


    Even Samantha, who had been lounging on the sofa, stubbed out her cigarette and sat up straight.


    Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she stared at Jeremiah and Yvette by the door.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to run into Yvette, the person Andrew had mentioned, here,


    ording to Andrew, Yvette, though still in her twenties, was exceptionally capable and even more beautiful than his own sister¨Cher beauty was almost overwhelming.


    Samantha trusted Andrew¡¯s judgment and had been wondering just how stunning Yvette must be to win the heart of Jeremiah, who had always been cold toward women.


    Yvette casually tucked her hands into her pockets and removed her baseball cap, letting her hair cascade down her b

 Chapter 281

    The prestigious young men in the private room went silent when they saw the face revealed after the cap was removed.


    They now understood the true meaning of a perfect match.


    They thought the celebrities should take a look at Yvette¡¯s face to see what real beauty truly looks like.


    Even Keira, who had been bawling her eyes out moments before stared nkly at Yvette, utterly mesmerized.


    She thought, ¡®Her wless beauty is clearly natural¨Cthere is no sign of any cosmetic enhancement. If only I had been blessed with such a divine appearance, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to go through so many surgeries. With looks like that, I could easily dominate the entertainment industry.¡¯


    Jealousy burned within Keira, so intense it almost drove her mad.


    She also knew that the man standing at the door was none other than Jeremiah, the one Joel had mentioned.


    She felt that Jeremiah¡¯s aura, appearance, and presencepletely outshone Joel and the others by far.


    Wiping away her tears, Keira steeled herself and began to plot.


    The other men were speechless.


    They had thought, just for once, they might beat Jeremiah in the ¡°girlfriendpetition.¡±


    It turned out that they werepletely wrong.


    They nced at the women they¡¯d brought¨Coverly made¨Cup¨Cand then at Yvette, who was effortlessly beautiful without a trace of makeup.


    The men couldn¡¯t help but feel both bitter and envious.


    Once again, they found themselves utterly defeated.


    The pair standing in silence at the door stirred a kind of reverence in everyone present, as though their very presence demanded submission.


    These men had assumed that, at best, a girl from a small ce like Seacrity might be pretty, but now they realized¨Cshe was beyond that, otherworldly.


    The first to break the silence was Samantha.


    She rose from the sofa, her ck dress entuating her graceful curves, and walked elegantly toward Yvette in her high heels.


    It wasn¡¯t until she moved that the crowd snapped back to reality.


    Jared, afraid she might act impulsively, quickly stepped forward with a troubled look..


    He cautiously asked, ¡°Samantha, maybe don¡¯t go over there?¡±


    After all, everyone in their circle knew that if it weren¡¯t for Yvette, Samantha would marry Jeremiah.


    So Jared believed that the meeting between Samantha and Yvette was practically a deration of war.


    He couldn¡¯t decide whose side to take.


    Samantha had been his ultimate crush since he was a child.


    Jared¡¯s eyes darted around as he thought about how likely he was to keep Jeremiah in check.


    Samantha patted Jared¡¯s head. ¡°Move aside.¡±


    Then she continued walking.


    With each step she took, everyone¡¯s anxiety heightened.


    They thought, ¡®Oh no, this is about to get ugly. Samantha has a seventh¨Cdegree ck belt. If a fight breaks out and Jeremiah doesn¡¯t step in, his girlfriend will be in real danger.


    Keira, head down, smirked maliciously as Samantha walked past.


    She thought, ¡®Go on. Fight¡­ Just make sure to ruin her face while you¡¯re at it!


    Samantha stopped in front of Jeremiah and Yvette, her red lips curving into a smile.


    She thought, ¡®Andrew hasn¡¯t exaggerated¨Cthis girl, even in a simple white t¨Cshirt and jeans, possesses an undeniable, distant beauty. She isn¡¯t even wearing any makeup. I¡¯ve never acknowledged anyone¡¯s beauty as greater than my own, but I have to admit, today, I¡¯m impressed.¡®


    ncing at their outfits, she noticed they were wearing matching clothes.


    She thought, ¡®Jeremiah is so cunning; anyone can see they are dressed as a couple.¡¯


    Jeremiah looked at Samantha standing in front of him.


    His voice turned stern as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    His blunt tone surprised everyone; they all thought he was being too harsh and heartless.


    In reality, the rumors about Jeremiah and Samantha were nothing but hearsay, spread through word of mouth.


    The two rarely crossed paths at social gatherings.


    Even when they did, Jeremiah always kept a straight face, never showing much interest in anyone.


    Everyone had thought it was normal, assuming they didn¡¯t want to be too affectionate in formal settings.


    Now, though, things seemed¡­ off.


    Samantha wasn¡¯t fazed by his attitude¨Cshe was used to it. Jeremiah had been this way since they were kids.


    Samantha let out a cold snort.


    Turning her head, she looked at Yvette and asked in a husky voice, ¡°Yvette Zeller?¡±


    The way Samantha pronounced the two words had its own unique charm.


    Yvette looked up, her expression sharp yet yful, her jawline strikingly pretty.


    She raised an eyebrow and replied leisurely, ¡°Samantha Mitchell?¡±


    Jared¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as he listened to their conversation.


    He thought, These two sure know how to greet each other with the utmost brevity. Could you possibly say more?¡®


    Everyone held their breath.


    They felt like the scene resembled the exchange of names before a fight.


    Samantha was momentarily taken aback.


    Then she smiled, her dimples faintly visible as she tucked her hair behind her left ear.


    She said, ¡°Andrew was right¨Cyou are interesting. Let me officially introduce myself. I¡¯m Samantha Mitchell, Andrew¡¯s sister. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    She extended her hand.


    Yvette nced at her slender hand but didn¡¯t take it.


    Instead, she nodded slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m Yvette Zeller.¡±


    Joel and Jared watched as Samantha¡¯s hand was left hanging and exchanged a nce.


    They thought, ¡°This is unbelievable! In all of Betrico, very few people ever received such a gesture of goodwill from Samantha. Yvette is the first to ignore it. Where on earth did Jeremiah find this bold and impressive girlfriend who shows no respect even to Samantha?¡®


    Jared covered his eyes¨Che didn¡¯t dare watch what would happen next.


    He thought that Samantha wouldn¡¯t tolerate being slighted like this and was bound to have a confrontation or fight with Yvette.


    Samantha withdrew her hand without fuss.


    The feeling of being rejected was new to her, but she found it oddly refreshing.


    She had heard from Andrew that Yvette disliked physical contact with strangers, and now she knew it was true.


    It made sense that Yvette and Jeremiah were a couple, given their shared aversion to being touched by strangers.


    Samantha took another step forward.


    She whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard all those rumors about me and Jeremiah. They¡¯re nonsense. Honestly, I prefer beautiful women. Like you.¡±


    She winked flirtatiously as she said this.


    Jeremiah¡¯s lips twitched. He thought, ¡®Does Samantha think I am invisible? She is trying to flirt with my girlfriend right in front of me!¡®


    He warned, ¡°Samantha, stop it.¡±


    Yvette studied the mischief in Samantha¡¯s eyes for a moment before replying calmly, ¡°Good to know. I like beautiful women too, and you¡¯re definitely my type.¡±


    Stunned, Samantha looked at the serious Yvette and saw only her own reflection in Yvette¡¯s deep eyes.


    She felt her face grow warm beneath her makeup.


    She thought, ¡®Wait¨Cam I getting flirted with now?¡®


    Jeremiah ground his teeth, thinking, ¡®Why are they staring at each other so affectionately? I am still here!¡®


    He felt a twinge of jealousy as Yvette had never looked at him that way.


    The two women locked eyes for a full minute before Samantha finally looked away, defeated.


    She thought, ¡°This girl is impressive. But it makes sense; Jeremiah will never find a girlfriend who¡¯s just an ordinary woman.¡¯


    Coughing to cover her slight embarrassment, Samantha muttered, ¡°You¡¯re good.¡±


    Yvette looked away and calmly replied, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Samantha was speechless and thought, ¡°This girl is all action, no talk.¡¯


    She offered, ¡°Want to sit with me? I¡¯ll mix something special for you.¡±


    The two exchanged smiles.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Yvette.


    One was all charm and allure, the other distant and stunningly beautiful.


    Some people just clicked without needing many words, and Yvette and Samantha were exactly that.


    The crowd felt as if they had been taken on an emotional rollercoaster by the unexpected twist.


    They thought, ¡®Aren¡¯t these two supposed to fight over Jeremiah? Now they look like best friends. Meanwhile, Jeremiah seems like the one left out, standing alone at the door looking rather pitiful. What¡¯s happening?¡®


    The crowd couldn¡¯t help but want to revel in his misfortune.

 Chapter 282

    Jeremiah watched the two women walk away, speaking quietly.


    He sighed and followed them¨Che had been used to such a situation.


    The rest of the group quickly made way, knowing they didn¡¯t have the same standing as Yvette to act so casually around him.


    As the three took their seats, Jared began to liven up the atmosphere.


    Everyone was now more reserved and cautious, casting furtive nces toward the trio on the couch every now and then.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    To be fair, the sight of the three of them sitting together was truly pleasing to the eyes.


    Keira, seeing things not going her way, clenched her teeth in frustration.


    She turned to Joel, who had just recovered from his shock, and tears instantly welled¨Cup in his eyes.


    ¡°Joel, please forgive me! I¡¯ll never do it again, I swear!¡± she sobbed.


    Joel looked at her impatiently and forcefully shook her hand off.


    Without mercy, he said, ¡°Keira, let¡¯s part ways amicably. Leave now.¡±


    Irritated by Joel¡¯s ruthlessness, Keira snapped and lost control of her emotions.


    She thought, ¡®Without Joel¡¯s backing, those I¡¯ve offended through his influence will surely retaliate against me. I can¡¯t let that happen; I might as well go all out and take him down with me.¡¯


    With a crazed expression, she screamed, ¡°Joel, since you¡¯re so heartless, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!¡±


    Joel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the frantic Keira.


    He thought, ¡®What is this woman nning to do?¡®


    Keira¡¯s outburst brought the lively atmosphere to an abrupt silence.


    Just as Samantha finished mixing a cocktail for Yvette, the music halted, and all eyes shifted toward themotion.


    Only Jeremiah and Yvette remained unaffected.


    Jeremiah was focused on peeling an apple for Yvette without even lifting his head.


    Yvette sipped her cocktail with her eyes lowered, contemting whether or not to have another.


    ¡®What if I get too tipsy and start a fight?¡® she thought, then ncing at Jeremiah, who was concentrating on peeling the apple. ¡®Can he take a hit? To drink or not to drink¨Cthat¡¯s the question.


    Keira, furious at being ignored by the trio, yelled, ¡°Ms. Zeller, did you know that before you arrived, everyone was saying Samantha was Mr. Chavez¡¯s childhood sweetheart and that they were the perfect match? They said you came from a small city and weren¡¯t good enough for him!¡±


    Of course, Keira embellished thatst part.


    Everyone present froze in fear upon hearing this.


    ¡®Is this reckless woman trying to get us into trouble?¡® they thought.


    Joel was even more frightened.


    His panic heightened as he caught Jeremiah¡¯s sharp gaze fixed on him.


    He hurriedly stopped Keira. ¡°Shut up! When did we ever say that? Are you out of your mind? Don¡¯t try to pin this on us!¡±


    The others quickly joined in to exin.


    They hadn¡¯t forgotten about the women locked away in prison.


    ¡°Jeremiah, Ms. Zeller, she¡¯s lying. We never said such thing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jeremiah, we¡¯re innocent. You have to believe us! How could we possibly talk like that behind your back?¡±


    ¡°Jeremiah, Ms. Zeller, this woman is crazy. She¡¯s just mad because Joel wants to break up with her, so she¡¯s randomly using us.


    ¡°We swear we didn¡¯t say anything like that!¡±


    Samantha watched as the crowd anxiously tried to exin.


    She tilted her head, looking at Yvette¡¯s expressionless face, and said, ¡°They¡¯re smart enough to know what they can say. They didn¡¯t have the guts to say anything like that. This woman¡¯s just trying to stir up trouble.¡±


    Hearing Samantha speak up for them, everyone gave her grateful looks.


    Now it was up to Yvette to decide what to do next.


    The attention of everyone in the room returned to her.


    They hadpletely understood how much Yvette meant to Jeremiah.


    Yvette rest her armzily on the couch, her shirt sleeves rolled up casually.


    Her pretty, cold eyes swept over the room, and her delicate brows arched slightly.


    She set down her cocktail, tilted her head slowly, and asked Jeremiah, ¡°I¡¯m not good enough for you? Is that so? Do I not deserve you?¡±


    Jeremiah nced around at the uneasy crowd.


    Then he said sternly, ¡°Not good enough? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s not good enough for her, not the other way around. Got it?¡±


    Everyone in the private room looked up in disbelief.


    This statement carried a lot of weight.


    Jeremiah was practically humbling himself for his girlfriend.


    They thought, ¡®What kind of charm does Yvette have to make him say something like that? If even Jeremiah isn¡¯t good enough for her, who else would dare im they are?¡®


    Yvette looked at the disbelieving crowd with her clear, bright eyes.


    In a t tone, she asked, ¡°Did you all hear that clearly?¡±


    Everyone in the room instinctively nodded and said in unison, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Their response was more synchronized than a military drill chant.


    After speaking, they exchanged nces, thinking, ¡®How embarrassing! How did we let ourselves be sopletely intimidated by one woman?¡®


    Yvette turned to look at Samantha, motioning with her eyes toward the empty ss on the table.


    It was a silent request for another ss.


    Samantha¡¯s eye twitched; she found Yvette rather hard to please.


    Without a word, she resignedly began mixing another drink.


    She never imagined that she, a powerful CEO, would be reduced to a bartender for someone else.


    She swore she couldn¡¯t help it.


    She simply couldn¡¯t refuse a stunning beauty with such amanding presence.


    Keira¡¯s face turned as pale as a sheet.


    Right now, she felt like someone who had tried to gain something but ended up losing instead.


    Her attempt to stir up trouble hadpletely backfired.


    Seeing that her tactic didn¡¯t work, she nned to use her usual dramatic antics of crying and throwing a tantrum.


    She screamed like a lunatic at Joel, ¡°If you break up with me, Joel, I¡¯ll kill myself right here! Let¡¯s see how the media spins that story!¡±


    After saying this, she looked around at everyone, pointed at them, and continued, ¡°And the rest of you, with your privileged backgrounds, what will you do if you¡¯rebeled as murderers?¡±


    Keira¡¯s words hit the group where it hurt most, and they were shocked and scared.


    They red at Keira, a crazy woman in their minds, gritting their teeth in anger.


    If she died here, the media would spin stories without regard for the truth, and those reports would undoubtedly tarnish their family¡¯s reputation.


    Keira, thinking she had everyone under her control, looked at Joel with arrogance and said, ¡°Joel, are you breaking up with me or not? Just say it!¡±


    Joel was furious.


    If he had known Kerra was such a woman, he wouldn¡¯t have been with her.


    Joel swallowed his humiliation from the threat and nned to agree to Keira¡¯s request to stay together.


    Just as he was about to speak, a calm, cold voice rang out. ¡°You want to kill yourself?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at the sofa.


    The speaker was none other than Yvette, who had quietly downed three cocktails.


    Yvette uncrossed her legs and stood up, ready to help Keira.


    This was the first time Jeremiah had seen Yvette drink.


    He thought, ¡®She¡¯s only had three cocktails, and they¡¯re not even strong. She¡¯ll be fine, right?¡®


    Yvette put her hands in her pockets.


    She walked in a perfectly straight line and stopped right in front of Keira.


    With an intense gaze, she asked again, ¡°Are you really thinking of killing yourself?¡±


    Eagle King once told her, after drinking, always ask twice before granting someone¡¯s request.


    That was what she was doing right now.


    Keira braced herself, thinking, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m backing down now. What could a woman possibly do to me?¡®


    She shouted, ¡°Yes, if Joel breaks up with me today, I¡¯ll throw myself against the wall and kill myself!¡±


    Yvette kept her eyelids slightly lowered, her eyes bloodshot and her expression serious.


    She lifted her eyelids, her eyes now bright, clear, and focused.


    She mumbled slowly to herself, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked twice.¡±


    No one in the private room understood what she meant. They thought, ¡®What does asking twice have to do with anything?¡®

 Chapter 283

    In the next moment, everyone was shocked.


    Before they could react, Yvette had already lifted the arrogant Keira with one hand.


    She then tossed Keira aside as effortlessly as if she were throwing away a rag.


    Keira flew through the air and crashed by the wall, her knees mming into the ground with a heavy thud that made everyone¡¯s hearts tighten.


    Yvette¡¯s movements were fluid and swift, as if she¡¯d done this a thousand times.


    Her face was filled with hostility, her lips pressed into a cold line, and her eyes slightly drooping.


    Her action left all the political scions in the private room utterly stunned.


    Their eyes were wide open, nearly popping out of their sockets


    ¡°Who the hell is this violent maniac? someone thought, stunned,


    Samantha¡¯s eyes lit up instantly as she thought, D***n, that toss was so ***da***C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah, observing Yvette¡¯s back with deep eyes, pressed his lips together and thought, ¡°Have I overestimated her alcohol tolerance?


    Keira let out an ear piercing scream that seemed like it could shatter the roof.


    Her hair was disheveled and her lipstick was unrared across her face, making her look more like a crazed woman than the refined model she was.


    ring at Yvette, she screamed. ¡°You ps**ho! Who gives you the right to hit me?¡±


    Yvette stood in front of Keira, her gaze unfocused


    She slowly lifted her head and raised her eyes; her face was nk and icy, her eyes cold and bloodshot.


    She said lightly, ¡°I asked you, did you say you wanted to die?¡±


    Keira was struck speechless.


    Under Yvette¡¯s gaze, her hands trembled with nervousness, and she was unable to form coherent words. ¡°I-I did say that, but 1-


    Before Keira could finish, Yvette cut her off, thinking. What is the point of saying so much if she wants to die? Eagle King once said, after drinking. I shouldn¡¯t listen to anyone-just help them fulfill their wishes and then go to sleep.


    While everyone else was still in shock. Yvette lifted Keira off the ground without saying a word and, forming a fist with her right hand, delivered a punch straight to Keira¡¯s left eye.


    The force knocked out Keira¡¯s contact lens, instantly turning her eye into a swollen mess.


    She struggled frantically, trying to escape Yvette¡¯s grip, but it was useless.


    She was like a helpless chick in Yvette¡¯s hand.


    Yvette nced at Keira¡¯s left eye and muttered, ¡°No, it¡¯s not symmetrical.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes twitched, and their faces froze.


    Now¡¯s the time to care about symmetry? someone thought.


    Yvette spun the wildly struggling, crying Keira around and, without hesitation, punched her in the right eye.


    Now, they were perfectly symmetrical.


    Keira screamed at the top of her lungs, looking even more unhinged.


    But no matter how much she thrashed, she couldn¡¯t escape Yvette¡¯s grasp.


    The onlookers huddled together in fear, not daring to say a word, afraid of bing the next target.


    They thought, Yvette is so strong. She could easily take down eight of us if she wanted to; we can¡¯t afford to upset her. The once-arrogant Keira is now reduced to this pitiful state.


    Keira was really scared now.


    She crawled and scrambled to get as far away from Yvette as possible.


    Yvette fixed her gaze on Keira, and with a faint smile, she raised an eyebrow


    She thought, ¡°Why is this woman Bering! I haven¡¯t fulfilled her with yet


    She then held Keira¡¯s throat tightly, her eyes cold and fierce. Suddenly, there was a cracking sound.


    Keira¡¯s agonizing scream set chills down everyone¡¯s spine.


    Her right hand was broken and hung limply


    Another cr****k sounded, and Keira¡¯s left shoulder was dislocated


    Yvette released Keira, who rolled on the ground in agony


    Everyone turned to look at Yvette and was shocked and frightened to see her smiling in a moment like this.


    But somehow, they found her smile strangely endearing and thought of her as a mix of angel and devil.


    Everyone unconsciously touched their own right hand, feeling as though it had broken as well.


    They couldn¡¯t help but think. Oh my goodness¡­ this is terrifying¡­ I want to go home!¡±


    Then they turned their attention to Jeremiah for his reaction.


    After all, the scene was quite bl****dy, and normally, no girl would act so violently in front of her boyfriend.


    Jeremiah gave a calm nce to those looking at him


    Then his gaze turned sharp as he said, ¡°If this woman dies, I¡¯ll handle the aftermath.¡±


    The people in the private room once again realized that Jeremiah would go to any lengths to indulge his girlfriend.


    Kriza was truly scared


    knew that if he didn¡¯t beg for mercy, she would die here by the usual rules at all; she wasn¡¯t human-she was a devil Keira didn¡¯t dare to pretend anymore.


    She knelt on the ground and kept bowing fervently, crying and begging for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong! I¡¯ll never threaten you again. I¡¯ll leave right now. Please let me go, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.


    Just moments ago, Keira had been so smug, and now she was utterly pathetic.


    Everyone knew who was responsible for this reversal.


    Yvette gazed at Keira for a few silent seconds..


    Her beautiful face was a mix of wildness and rebellion, her eyes cold as ice.


    Her voice was icy. ¡°Do you still want to die?¡±


    Keira shook her head frantically.


    She was certain if she nodded, Yvette would kill her right here.


    She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, Ms. Zeller. I really don¡¯t want to die! Please, let me go.¡±


    Yvette shifted her gaze away from Keira and tilted her head slightly, looking at the others with theirplex expressions.


    Her eyes were filled with innocence and purity, which was captivating.


    Her voice was emotionless. ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t want to die. Is that right?¡±


    The people around nodded even more frantically than Keira, eager to answer.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Zeller, she said she doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she said it, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    ¡°We all heard her!¡±


    They were scared too. Nobody wanted a murder on their hands.


    They thought, ¡®Who else could handle a girlfriend like this but Jeremiah? A devil of a woman paired with the Living Reaper¨C-a perfect match. Even with all the courage in the world, we wouldn¡¯t dare to be with someone like Yvette¡¯


    Joel was already dumbfounded, his soul seemingly knocked out of him.


    A stray thought crossed his mind. ¡®Is Jeremiah¡­ the one on the bottom? It¡¯s hard to say.


    Jared shuffled over to Samantha, shrinking his neck.


    In a quiet voice, he said, ¡°Samantha, Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend is even more violent than you¡±


    Samantha gave Jared a look and said with admiration, ¡°She¡¯s definitely tougher!¡±


    Samantha decided she liked Yvette even more.


    If she were a man, she would definitely pursue Yvette-what a thrill that would be!


    Yvette turned to Keira curled up in the corner, her lips curving into a faint smile.


    She said, ¡°I really am a good girl. I just saved a life.¡±


    Everyone was stunned by her words.


    They thought, ¡®Saved a life? Is she serious? Who saves a life by beating someone like that?¡¯


    Keira, in her current state, was beyond being just miserable right now. She¡¯d probably go insane from the trauma.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a smirk formed on his lips.


    Now, he was sure Yvette was drunk-there was no way she¡¯d say something like that otherwise.


    After finishing her deration, Yvette didn¡¯t spare Keira another nce. She turned around, walked up to Jeremiah, and gave a smile.


    Then she looked him in the eye and asked earnestly, ¡°Am I a good girl?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at her intently, brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead.


    His voice is low, raspy, and gravelly, like sandpaper scraping against the heart-deliberately slow and teasing. ¡°You¡¯re good. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s smile widened.


    She thought, ¡®Eagle King says I cause trouble when I drink. Nonsense. ver cause trouble.

 Chapter 284

    Thepound kids in the private room finally understood what birds of a feather flock together¡® truly meant. Watching the two unt their love as if no one else was there, they hoped that they could blind themselves with this public disy. And sneaking peeks at the couple instead. they wanted to look but didn¡¯t da


    If it weren¡¯t for Keira passed our on the floor, the two in this scene truly were a picture¨Cperfect couple.


    Yvette grabbed Jeremiah¡¯s hand, giving it a little rub, but looked unimpressed. She pursed her lips. There was a callus on the base of his thumb, which was pretty


    She gave a slight smile and look, ¡±


    their hearts start to beat faster.


    actually.


    around at the people. Her face was the picture of innocence. Everyone she nced at felt


    Yvette slowly began, ¡°Do any of you have wishes? Feel free to share them, I actually have some free time today.¡± Her gaze first rested on Samantha.


    Samantha managed to force a difficult smile. She extended a hand to reassure Yvette, ¡°I don¡¯t have any wishes. I¡¯m beautiful, wealthy, my parents are alive, and my family is happy. I don¡¯t need anything.¡± Her words were very sincere. The main thing was, she was scared too because she also noticed that Yvette might have been drinking.


    Yvette sighed a bit disappointedly, then turned her attention to Jared. ¡°Hey, do you have any wishes, bro?¡±


    Jared jolted in shock. The scene earlier had left him mentally scarred; he didn¡¯t n on making any more birthday wishes after today. He shook his head energetically. He was almost in tears, ¡°No, Ms. Zeller, I have no wishes.¡±


    Yvette looked at him seriously for a few moments. She was confused and thought, ¡®Why is he crying? It¡¯s not like anyone hir him.¡® Yvette cracked her knuckles. She then turned to look at the group huddled together, her gaze sincere and her demeanor exceptionally pleasant. ¡°Do any of you have any?¡±


    At her words, everyone stepped back. They waved their hands frantically, ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡±


    Yvette closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was a hint of sleepiness in her gaze. She said softly, ¡°Alright, if not, then forget it.¡±


    Jeremiah noticed she was getting drowsy. He drawled on with azy voice, faintly smirking¡­ His voice was deep and strong with a rich, masculine maism. ¡°I do, I¡¯m ready to head home and sleep now.¡±


    Yvette tilted her head, stared at Jeremiah, then grabbed his hand and started to walk out. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home and sleep,¡± she agreed.


    Seeing the two of them about to leave, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Yvette led Jeremiah to the door, then paused for a moment. She turned around.


    Thepound kids felt tense again. They thought, ¡®What is Ms. Zeller going to do now?¡±


    Yvette waved warmly to everyone inside as she said goodbye, ¡°I am leaving, bye! See you next time, guys.¡±


    Everyone had the same thought: ¡®Next time, no way, I¡¯m not going to meet this couple again. After tonight, they decided together to put Jeremiah and Yvette on the cklist for future parties, definitely a top¨Clevel threat.


    After this, whenever the Chavez family¡¯s ture mistress Yvette was mentioned, everyone went silent out of fear.


    After tonight, a new saying spread around Betrico. Crossing Jeremiah might still leave you a way out, but upsetting Yvette meant the end of the line.


    Jared watched as the two finally left. He out a deep breath and felt like he had been suffocating. ¡°Wow, that was terrifying.


    Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend is really something. I¡¯m totally impressed,¡± he admitted.


    As he spoke, the others in the room finally snapped back to reality, except for Keira, who had fainted and was still being ignored.


    Joel chimed in, ¡°When Yvette looked our way earlier, I felt like I was skating on thin ice. I was sweating bullets.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. It was so creepy. I felt the same way, and my back is drenched now,¡± someone else added.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s crazy! We should¡¯ve guessed that Mr. Chavez¡¯s girlfriend wouldn¡¯t just be some nobody. She¡¯s seriously impressive,¡± eximed one of the guys, amazed.


    ¡°Yeah, if it weren¡¯t for Ms. Zeller, we¡¯d still be at the mercy of that model,¡± another added, relieved.


    Everyone suddenly remembered Keira. They nced at Keira, who was passed out on the ground like a ragdoll. With a smirk, they expressed their disdain.


    In an unusual show of kindness, Joel called Keira¡¯s agent to have her taken to the hospital.


    Samantha didn¡¯t have time to discuss with them here. This trip was definitely worth it for her. She met Yvette, who was quite an interesting person. Well¡­She had a strong feeling that because of Yvette, Betrico might not stay peaceful in the future.


    With a smile, Samantha picked up her handbag, waved goodbye to everyone, and left. She sped back home in her luxury car. As soon as she entered the house, she saw her father, Tim, sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. Samantha slipped off her high heels and handed her bag to a maid. Sliding into her cozy slippers, she walked over casually. ¡°Dad, why are you still awake sote? Isn¡¯t the military district busy these days?¡± she asked.


    Tim removed his sses and rubbed his temples; he¡¯d been sitting there for an hour. Seeing Samantha so upbeat, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Samantha? Why are you so happy today? Weren¡¯t you feeling a bit down just the other day?¡±


    Samantha took a sip of the orange juice she had poured. She tilted her head slightly. ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just happened to see Mr. Chavez and his girlfriend today. She¡¯s pretty interesting,¡± she said, intrigued.


    Tim was already aware that Samantha had been seeing someone for a while. He was fully aware of who he was. There was absolutely no connection between his daughter and Jeremiah¨Cit was just unfounded gossip.


    Hearing Samantha¡¯s words, Tomorrow paused briefly and set the newspaper aside. ¡°You said you saw Jeremiah with his girlfriend, is that right?¡±


    Samantha nodded, and there was a mix of admiration and a hint of regret. ¡°Yeah, today we had a gathering, and they happened to show up. I have no idea how Jeremiah got so lucky to find such an interesting girlfriend,¡± she said.


    Tim was momentarily stunned. He thought, ¡®Can Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend really earn such high praise from Samantha? I know how high my daughter¡¯s standards are. There aren¡¯t many people in Betrico that she¡¯dpliment like that! It piques my curiosity. Just how outstanding is this girl?¡® He had heard about the dessert shop incident. Helping her future mother¨Cinw in a spat was indeed quite impressive.


    Tim said, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and that Zion? Still sulking? Listen, these artsy types love being dramatic. If it doesn¡¯t work out, just dump him, and I¡¯ll find you someone better and more attractive, alright?¡±


    At the mention of Zion¡¯s name, Samantha¡¯s eyes flickered. She looked up at Tim casually. With a does anyone in our Mitchell family not manage to tame a wild horse?¡±


    Tim was left speechless for a second serious tone, she said, ¡°Dad,


    Samantha continued, ¡°If the little toy gets fussy, I¡¯ll let him be for a few days. Don¡¯t worry, Dad, I can handle it. If he doesn¡¯t listen, I¡¯ve got plenty of ways to make him behave.¡± She smiled confidently.


    Tim looked at Samantha with satisfaction. His daughter had never failed to get what she wanted, whether it was a person or a thing. He thought, ¡®It¡¯s just a man, after all, nothing to worry about!


    Tim nodded. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t interfere. But if things get tough, just be assertive with Zion. His genes are good, so give me a grandkid and then dump him if you like. Our family can afford to raise the child, you know,¡±


    Samantha smirked. Being assertive was an option. The man loved her deeply but was just pretending to be tough to save face. She was curious to see how long Zion could keep up the act before speaking up.


    The next day, at ten o¡¯clock. In the master bedroom of Sknd. Yvette promptly opened her eyes. She turned her head to nce at the dent on the bed beside her. There was a faint mint scent, which was very faint.

 Chapter 285

    Yvette was quite sure that a certain man had slept beside her all night. She looked down at her pajamas. They were new, and it was the first time she had worn them. She thought, ¡®Who changed them?¡¯ It was obvious, no questions needed.


    Yvette got up, put on her slippers, and got out of bed. She opened the door and walked to the stairs, where she ran into Jeremiah, who was on the phone going up. Jeremiah paused when he saw her. Then he said to the person on the other end, ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± He hung up the phone afterward.


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette gently and said. ¡°Awake? Hungry? I made you some breakfast, your favorite little pierogies, this time with shrimp filling.¡± This was a new filling Jeremiah had recently learned. He thought that Yvette would get tired of eating the same thing all the time, so it was necessary to try different vors.


    Yvette lifted her eyelids. Her eyes still held a touch of sleepyziness. She said slowly, ¡°Did you eat?¡±


    Jeremiah had bloodshot eyes, as he barely sleptst night. Jeremiah replied, ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    At the dining table. Yvette took a bite of the small pierogies, still warm and perfectly seasoned. Jeremiah¡¯s cooking skills were improving greatly.


    Yvette wiped her mouth, looked up, and her gazended on Jeremiah. His deep, dark eyes were slightly narrowed. She cleared her throat, ¡°I drank yesterday, did I hurt you?¡± Based on past experiences, whenever she got drunk, someone ended up being the victim, and it was usually Jeremiah.


    She looked around. She thought, ¡®He didn¡¯t have any injuries? Could it be my stamina have dropped recently? Didn¡¯t manage to hurt him? But that seemed unlikely!


    Jeremiah put down his chopsticks, seeing her act like she forgot everything. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes. He thought, ¡®Yvette¡¯s memory loss from drinking is impressivelyplete. She almost beat someone to deathst night and now is totally oblivious?¡¯


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t answer right away. He pulled out the newspaper from the table and handed it to Yvette.


    Yvette took it without hesitation. She took a nce and thought, A tabloid?¡¯


    There was arge headline: [Famous Model Was Brutally Attacked, Suffers Multiple Injuries, And Announced Retirement From Modeling Today.], [Is Keira Quitting Modeling Due To An ident, Or Was It Orchestrated By Someone With Ill- Intentions?], [Who Attacked Keira? She Remains Silent.]


    Yvette looked closely at the face in the photo. Her fingers tapped gently on the table, and she was silent for half a minute. Then she lifted her eyes to Jeremiah and asked with confusion, ¡°This woman looks familiar. Why are you showing me this?¡±


    Jeremiah looked into her eyes, genuine and sincere, his voice soft and amused, ¡°Last night, at Sky Nimbus, you beat up this woman.¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes to the picture of the woman in the newspaper, looking a bit puzzled. She couldn¡¯t recall how it happened. She thought, ¡®Did I harm someone innocent? This might be difficult to handle. Usually, when she drank too much, she¡¯d spar with skilled fighters, and most of the time, it was the Eagle King. This was the first time she hit an ordinary person.


    Yvette frowned and thought, ¡®In situations like this, should I offerpensation? How much should I pay? Would 100 million dors be enough?¡¯


    Jeremiah noticed her conflicted expression and had a pretty good idea why. He thought, ¡®How could Yvette be so adorable? She probably didn¡¯t even remember why she hit the model.¡¯


    Jeremiah cleared his throat, his gaze serious and focused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she was set on ending it all, but after having a good talk with you, she realized she wanted to live and make the most of her life. You¡¯re literally her lifesaver.¡±


    Yvette, still doubtful, asked-again, ¡°Really?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at her sincerely and replied, ¡°Really, you saved her life.¡±


    Only then did Yvette believe him. She never thought that a night of drinking could end with saving a life. She should tell the Eagle King about this. So he wouldn¡¯t always think she was just hitting people randomly when drunk-this time she did something good.


    Seeing that she believed him, Jeremiah picked up his spoon and continued sipping his soup. He thought, ¡®Is this what it¡¯s like to soothe a child?¡¯ Today he finally got the hang of it.


    Jeremiah finished his meal and set off again for the military base. There were only five days left until the Ybaun delegation visited Clusia. Recently, he¡¯s been coordinating with Betrico University to decide on someone topete against Kaiden Harper and Robin Jenkins. The candidate selection was still hotly debated and Jeremiah would have the final say. This was no small matter. The match¡¯s oue would impact Clusia¡¯s honor and reputation, so extreme caution was necessary.


    With Jeremiah gone, Yvette was alone at Sknd. She curled up on the sofa, cross-legged. FastPulse Technologies¡¯ beta game had reached its final phase, and what she held was thest version. Whether they couldunch by the end of the year depended on how quickly Yvette could finish the game.


    She was halfway through the game when a call came through from Howard. It was the first time the two had contacted each other since the Smith family in Seacrity dealt with the Chambers family. Howard knew this person¡¯s temperament-unless there¡¯s something important, Yvette rarely initiates contact.


    Yvette paused her game, lightly tapped her finger, and answered the call. The voice on the line was as cold as ever. ¡°Howard.¡±


    Howard skipped the pleasantries, and got straight to the point. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you asked me to reach out to the head of the biochemistryb, Director Rashad, about investing in his suspended project. There¡¯s been some progress. Could we meet?¡±


    Yvette nced at the wall clock. It was exactly 11:30. She paused for two seconds. ¡°Okay, Howard, 1 PM this afternoon at 401, Building 3, Sknd.¡±


    The ce was not too far, but not too close to Jeremiah¡¯s vi. It was the set James had given Yvette. Howard was momentarily surprised at the mention of Sknd. ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you in Betrico now? Are you staying at Zeller?¡±


    Yvette had her eyes half-closed. ¡°Yeah, I came a few days ago and will leave once everything¡¯s settled.¡±,


    Howard was delighted. He thought, ¡®Finally, Ms. Zeller is just at my doorstep. This time, no matter what, even if I had to cry my heart out in front of Ms. Zeller, I had to get her to visit thepany to see how InnoCrest Technologies is progressing, and maybe even ask for some advice. The InnoCrest Technologies had been established for many years now. He had put a lot of effort into inviting Yvette to Betrico repeatedly. He also wanted to reveal her identity to the public. But it just never seemed to work out. The reason was simple, she just wanted to avoid the hassle. A reason that left Howard confused and amused for years. In the whole world, perhaps only Yvette didn¡¯t care for money or power. She simply wanted a quiet and peaceful life. This mentality was something he truly admired withoutint.


    Howard quickly replied, ¡°No problem, Ms. Zeller. I¡¯ll be at Sknd. See you there!¡±


    Yvette hung up and went back to her game. She furrowed her brows slightly and still thought it was a bit too easy.


    Meanwhile, at InnoCrest Technologies, Howard pressed a button on his phone to call his secretary, Liam, to reschedule all his afternoon appointments. Seeing Yvette was more important than anything else. Even if the world ended now, he needed to stay by the Yvette¡¯s side. Not for anything else, just for that sense of safety.


    Liam noticed Howard was excited. He was a little puzzled and thought, ¡®How did it be just like when they worked with the Chambers family in Seacrity again?¡¯ He suddenly remembered that the boss had just made a phone call from the office. He thought, ¡®Really? Can it be that he¡¯s going to meet Ms. Chambers from the Chambers family again? No wonder I am suspicious. Last time before Liam met Ms. Zeller, he was just like this.


    Liam cautiously asked, ¡°Mr Yates, are you going to see Ms. Zeller?¡±


    Liam¡¯s heart was pounding. Last time Howard met with Yvette, he gave away 45 billion dors. It was as if he didn¡¯t even think about it. The contract with the Chambers family was basically InnoCrest Technologies giving them 45 billion dors as a gift. He even gave away the game development and core departments. To Liam, it seemed like Howard had gone crazy. After Howard returned to Betrico, he seemed normal again. Liam thought, ¡®It¡¯s not even two months, and he wants to meet this person again? With years of experience as a secretary, I have a strong hunch that there are even more things to send this time.¡¯

 Chapter 286

    Howard ¨¢rrived at Sknd ten minutes carly. What a coincidence. He had a few vis in Sknd and asionally stayed here, but he didn¡¯t visit often.


    As soon as the security guard saw the car, he knew another important person was back. He grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Wee home, sir,¡± the security guard greeted warmly.


    Howard nodded slightly from inside the car to show acknowledgment. ¡°Thanks for your hard work,¡± he said appreciatively.


    The young guard¡¯s heart practically leapt with joy. He thought, The people living in Sknd are quite a ssy bunch. So I hardly faced any trouble, but it is the first time someone responded to me actively. Oh, right¡­There is someone else. That incredibly cool and beautiful girl who rode her scooter out every day. She would sometimes stop to say hello. She even eyed his lunchbox the other day. So, he ordered one more for her. They ended up having lunch together in the security booth. That girl really enjoyed her meal.


    He guessed that she might be a maid for one of the families. He thought, ¡®Otherwise, why would she ride a little scooter every day? Her employers must be really stingy. It¡¯s such a waste for someone as pretty and charming as her. He had been working as a security guard at Sknd for years. He swore she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen there.


    His thoughts were off in the clouds. By the time he snapped back to reality, Howard¡¯s car was already far down the road.


    In front of Vi 3, number 401, Howard adjusted his suit. Turning his head to look at Liam, he asked, ¡°So, how does it look? Is there anything that doesn¡¯t fit right?¡±


    Liam¡¯s eyebrow twitched. With professionalposure, he replied, ¡°Mr. Yates, your outfit is absolutely perfect.¡±


    Howard had already asked Liam three times on the way over. Liam¡¯s throat was getting dry. He thought, ¡®How could there be any problems?¡¯ A custom-made, handcrafted suit cost 150 thousand dors. The cufflinks were bought at Sotheby¡¯s auction, worth 1.5 million dors. Even the shoes were a global limited edition, only five pairs avable worldwide. This outfit was so extravagant, he felt like kneeling in it. He thought, ¡®Why does Mr. Yates still think something¡¯s not right?¡±


    Howard had already informed Liam about the meeting with Yvette. He told Liam to wait in the car and went up to knock on the door on his own.


    Liam watched Howard¡¯s back and sighed. He thought, ¡®Who exactly is this Yvette? He¡¯s never taken meetings with presidents or leaders this seriously!


    This vi, gifted by James, was Yvette¡¯s first visit and it was refined and sophisticated. The entire style leaned towards Clusian aesthetics, with all the furniture made of rosewood. All the antiques in this house were part of James¡¯s personal collection. Rare items, genuine originals one can¡¯t find on the market, were disyed all over the vi.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Howard recognized them as soon as he walked in. He thought, ¡®When did Ms. Zeller start liking these antiques?¡¯ He usually preferred collecting authentic pieces and could instantly tell that everything in the vi was genuine. He thought, ¡®What a grand gesture!¡¯


    Howard changed into slippers and carefully¡­looked at a horse sculpture next to the couch. His gaze deepened. He looked up at Yvette, who was nestled in the sofa. ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller,¡± he began, ¡°this horse should be from the year between 620 to 680. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s worth at least 20 million dors. It¡¯s so rare that you can hardly find such a piece on the market, even at auctions.¡±


    At his age, Howard¡¯s favorite things were antiques. He sat down on the sofa and asked another question. ¡°Where did you acquire this, Ms. Zeller?¡±


    Yvette nced at the horse sculpture and gave a deep ¡°hmm.¡± Her voice was calm. ¡°A grandfather gave it to me.¡±


    Howard was momentarily speechless upon hearing this. He thought, ¡®Of course, it had to be the young-boss. Just look at that charisma! So, where is this grandfather? Does he happen to need a grandson? I wonder if being a bit older would be eptable?¡¯


    Yvette lounged on the sofa, her long legs folded, as she swirled the water in her ss. She took a sip. She thought, ¡®Ah, nothing beats


    Samantha, good drink. She remembered the person who mixed her drinks yesterday. She thought, ¡®Her name is


    Samantha. Would there be a chance to have another drink with her?¡¯


    Howard withdrew his gaze from the horse sculpture. He looked at Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯ve made some progress on Rashad¡¯s project you wanted me to invest in. I¡¯ve already met him twice, and I¡¯veid out my conditions. If InnoCrest Technologies is going to invest, we need to send someone into theb to participate in this shelved project. Rashad is quite cautious and said he¡¯ll need to think it over before giving me an answer.¡±


    Yvette rubbed her wrist. She raised an eyebrow and her eyes turned cold. ¡°Double the offer,¡± she said casually. ¡°He¡¯ll it, agree to  trust me.¡±


    Howard didn¡¯t think so and believed that Rashad wouldn¡¯t give in so easily. He thought, ¡®Why does Ms. Zeller insist on getting into the biochemb?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡®What is in there that attracts Ms. Zeller so much that she¡¯d spend a fortune to get in? What can a national-levelb possibly have that Ms. Zeller desperately need?¡¯


    Howard sighed. For all these years, he truly cared for Yvette like a younger family member. Money didn¡¯t matter to InnoCrest Technologies; what mattered was the person, Yvette. Even if he knew he was being nosy, he had to ask. ¡°Ms. Zeller, could you tell me why you¡¯re so determined to get into Rashad¡¯s biochemb?¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze. Her eyes were cold and fierce with a chilling aloofness seeping through. Her voice was unnervingly calm. She slowly spoke, ¡°The truth, the answer lies only in Rashad¡¯sb.¡±


    For Yvette, killing Rashad wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all. In fact, it would be effortless. But she wouldn¡¯t let Rashad die that easily. She was determined to find out what had Lilian gone through in that biochemicalb back then. She would send Rashad to hell in the most brutal way. She had many ways to punish Rashad, but she aimed to break him emotionally first. Rashad would have to endure all the suffering Lilian endured before he could die¡­


    Howard looked at Yvette, who was exuding a cold and indifferent air. He knew he shouldn¡¯t ask for more answers. He gazed at Yvette, who seemed like a different person. After careful consideration, ¡°Ms. Zeller, don¡¯t worry. No matter what you want to do, I¡¯ll cooperate fully. Once I get back, I¡¯ll contact Rashad immediately. We¡¯ll double his offer and see what he says. I¡¯ll get in touch with you then.¡±


    Yvette looked down, then lifted her gaze again. The fierce expression she had moments ago, like a relentless wolf, seemed to soften significantly. Seeing the worried look on Howard¡¯s face, she calmly said, ¡°Howard, it¡¯s just a little game with an annoying bug. No need to worry.¡±


    Howard managed a smile, although it was somewhat strained. He thought, ¡®How can I not worry? Is Ms. Zeller really nning to deal with Rashad? Even with the status of InnoCrest Technologies¡¯ backstage chairman, it¡¯s really hard for her to go up against a national-level authority!¡¯


    He thought, ¡®How can I not be worried about Ms. Zeller? InnoCrest Technologies doesn¡¯t really matter; it is Ms. Zeller¡¯s creation anyway. If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone. But nothing must happen to Ms. Zeller.¡¯


    Howard watched Yvette sip her orange juice casually, deep in thought, ¡®No, he I have to ce an order on the ck Gold site. When the daye for she to face Rashad, Ms. Zeller, just a young girl, surely needs someone to back her up.¡¯


    He had heard that ck Gold had the world¡¯s top assassin, who had never failed a mission. It would be great if he could take the job. He¡¯ll pay whatever the top assassin want.


    Howard was already prepared for the worst. If the top choice isn¡¯t avable, the second or third best would be great.


    Howard took a sip of water topose himself before asking. ¡°Hey Ms. Zeller, do you know about ck Gold Web?¡±

 Chapter 287

    Yvette nced at him with her dark eyes. She leaned back without a care. Her long, straight legs were crossed. In a cool, clear voice, she said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Howard wasn¡¯t surprised she knew about the website. Sometimes Ms. Zeller was so mysterious he felt like bowing down. When he met her, it was as if she had descended from the heavens¡­


    Howard looked at Yvette very intently. He expressed his idea. ¡°Ms. Zeller, why don¡¯t we ce an order on ck Gold Web and hire the top assassin, Z, as your bodyguard? Whatever the cost, just to keep you safe.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Howard, fearing Yvette might misunderstand, quickly borated. ¡°I heard Z takes on jobs on ck Gold Web based solely on personal inclination, but once they ept a job, they never fail. Still holding the top sess rate on ck Gold Web. People say Z has a peculiar and unpredictable personality. No one knows their gender; they¡¯ve always appeared in a mask and use a voice modtor. However, I guess Z might be a man¨Cthis line of work seems like a man¡¯s domain, right?¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t know that two of the top three assassins on ck Gold Web were actually women. Howard decided that, regardless of the cost, he needed to ensure Yvette¡¯s safety.


    Yvette lifted her gaze and paused slightly. She cast a calm nce at the very earnest Howard. Her delicate eyebrows raised slightly. She thought, ¡®How can I protect myself?¡® In a light and slow tone, she said, ¡°No need, Howard. She won¡¯t take the job.¡±


    Howard was taken aback. He thought, ¡®Did Ms. Zeller express that too confidently? How could she know for sure that the person wouldn¡¯t take the job?¡®


    He said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, let¡¯s discuss thister. After all, we still have six months.¡±


    Yvette could tell from Howard¡¯s expression that he hadn¡¯t given up yet. She sighed and thought, ¡®Oh well, just to avoid being assigned to protect myself, I should make it clear.


    She suddenly spoke up, ¡°Howard, do you think there¡¯s a chance that I¡¯m actually the number one assassin, Z, you¡¯ve been talking about?¡±


    Howard replied without a second thought, ¡°Ms. Zeller, you must be kidding. If you¡¯re Z, then I must be the Eagle King, ranked second. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Yvette hesitated for a moment, with her eyes lowered, noticing how Howard refused to believe it. She pinched her fingers slightly, and spoke with a hint of helplessness, looked him in the eye and repeated slowly, ¡°Howard, I really am Z.¡±


    Howard thought Yvette was just trying to stop him from cing an order on the ck Gold website. He thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller was really too much. How have ver noticed this imaginative side of she before?¡®


    He thought for a few seconds, ¡®Should I go along with her joke? It¡¯s so rare for her to be this funny. Would it be rude not to go along with her joke?¡®


    He took a deep breath. Then he looked at Yvette with genuine sincerity. ¡°Ms. Zeller, I actually always forget to tell you, I¡¯m the third¨Cranked assassin on ck Gold, Flying Fish. Do I look like one?¡±


    Howard silently apuded himself. He thought he was ying along really well, almost wlessly¡­


    This time, Yvette was the one taken aback. Seeing him trying hard not tough, she felt a headacheing on. She picked the orange juice from the table and took a sip. Her delicate fingers lightly tapped the rim of the ss, her voice clear and cool. Her eyes were as deep as a cold pool and as clear as a crystal. ¡°Howard, I¡¯m actually Z. When you went bankrupt, I was on a mission and happened to save you from jumping into the sea.¡±


    Howard heard these words. His face, which was just trying not tough, suddenly froze. The ss he was holding slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a bang, with water sshed everywhere. Neither of them paid attention to it. Howard really couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.


    He thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller turns out to be the top¨Cranked hitman on the ck Gold Network? Surprised or what? Isn¡¯t that thrilling? It is so freaking surprising and exciting. What kind of legendary figure have I encountered? Back then, she just decided to give me money without a second thought. She even took me back to the business world to invest, securing the first start¨Cup fund that led to today¡¯spany. And now she is calmly sitting on the sofa, telling me she¡¯s also a hitman? This world has gonepletely mad. But it wasn¡¯t Yvette who¡¯s crazy it was Howard.


    He believed what Yvette said¨Cshe really is the number one hitman, Z. Yvette never lied and didn¡¯t need to. He thought, ¡®So it isn¡¯t a joke? Is that true? The most feared and untouchable hitman on the ck Gold website, known as Z, who never takes a contract for less than 66 million dors, is actually Ms. Zeller?¡®


    When Howard thought about how he acted just now, he felt inexplicably guilty. He took a deep breath and gave a slight smile. His expression was somewhat amusing. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you really scared me to death! With your status, I don¡¯t even know what to say. Just two words: ¡®Respect.¡± He couldn¡¯t find any other words. All he could summarize his feelings into were this one word. Indeed, Yvette was someone to be idolized.


    After a while, Howard finally regained a bit of his sanity. He looked at Yvette, who was calmly sipping orange juice on the couch. He twitched his eye slightly and cleared his throat. ¡°Well, Ms. Zeller, how many more surprises are you hiding that I should know about? Why don¡¯t you just spill them all at once? I can¡­ I can handle it.¡±


    Howard reiterated once more. His voice unconsciously rose several octaves. ¡°Bring on the storm!¡±


    His voice was so loud that Liam, not far from the vi, could hear it. He shivered involuntarily and just knew that whenever Howard met Yvette, nothing good would happen. He quickly took out his phone, ready to dial 911 at any moment.


    He was on high alert and wondered if Yvette did something that drove Howard crazy. Judging from the tone, his mental state wasn¡¯t good. Liam debated whether he should rush into the vi and rescue Howard. After thinking it over, he decided against it for staying alive was more important¡­After all, Howard will have to take care of himself.


    In the mansion Yvette¡¯s eyes were half¨Cclosed. Her eyes were clear and focused. The stray hair on her forehead added a hint of defiance. Looking at the somewhat awkward Howard before her. She spoke calmly, ¡°No, you can¡¯t handle it. Take it slow.¡±


    5000¨Cwhat does it Howard felt a bit choked, as if the words made him want to punch Yvette. He thought, ¡®But the imply about Ms.Zeller status?¡® Howard thought it was best not to think about it anymore. Yvette was right; better to ¡°take it slow.¡± That¡¯s good. Otherwise, if it¡¯s too intense, he might really not be able to handle it¡­


    Howard hadpletely calmed down by now. Then he looked at Yvette with a ¡°please pay attention to me¡± expression. Yvette lifted her eyelids and gave him a quick nce. Her expression was indifferent. ¡°Howard, just say what you want to say.¡±


    Howard sat up straight and adjusted his suit, looking the picture of propriety. He cleared his throat softly. ¡°Ms. Zeller, do you think I have the potential to be a hitman?¡±


    Yvette tapped her fingers on the table and paused. Her lips curled in a barely¨Cthere smile, ¡°No.¡±


    He thought, ¡®Seriously, what man doesn¡¯t dream of being a hero when he¡¯s young? Hasn¡¯t watched gangster movies.¡® He wanted to be a leader for many years. The guy¡¯s getting old, but still felt the urge to rebel.


    Unwilling to give up, Howard asked again, ¡°Ms. Zeller, is there any other job in the hitman business I could do? Anything at all, I¡¯m not picky, won¡¯t ask for a sry.¡±

 Chapter 288

    Yvette looked at him, eyes downcast. Her voice was hoarse and she rubbed her temples. She thought, ¡®Middle-aged rebellion in men is really scary. If one day Jeremiah bes that rebellious, just give him a good p and be done with it. That¡¯ll save a lot of trouble.¡¯ She nced at Howard, who looked really thrilled. ¡°Howard, I usually keep to myself and don¡¯t really know the rules of this circle.¡±


    Howard¡¯s eyes were clearly saying, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Yvette paused for a second. She thought, ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll just be straightforward. She calmly said to Howard, ¡°Howard, I¡¯m above the rules, no rules can hold me back.¡±


    Howard was momentarily at a loss for words. He thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller sure is bold and proud. In the business world, I¡¯m someone who can even make the rules. I lead the trends in the capital market, so I can totally understand and agree with Ms. Zeller¡¯s words. Howard could only put aside his dreams of being the big boss for now. His middle-aged rebellion didn¡¯t seed after all!


    The two talked for another hour. Afterward, Howard walked out of the vi looking energized. Liam, seeing someone finallye out, quickly got out of the car. If Howard didn¡¯te out soon, he might fall asleep waiting.


    Liam approached Howard with a slight bow. ¡°Mr. Yates, you¡¯re out.¡±


    Howard said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to thepany. Remember to schedule lunch with Rashad from the biochemb for tomorrow.¡±


    Liam nodded repeatedly. Once in the car, he kept ncing at Howard through the rearview mirror. Judging by Howard¡¯s good mood, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. His anxious heart finally calmed down.


    Howard had already noticed Liam sneaking nces at him. He thought, ¡®Is there something on my face? Why is this kid sneaking nces at me?¡¯


    Howard closed the document and looked up. He caught Liam as he peeked at him.


    The two of them locked eyes. The atmosphere was strange and awkward.


    Howard wore a serious expression. ¡°You¡¯ve nced at me no fewer than ten times on this trip. Is something wrong with me?¡±


    Liam quickly shook his head. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He thought, ¡®Can there be anything more awkward than being caught by the boss? My toes are digging into the ground out of embarrassment.


    Liam quickly replied, ¡°Mr. Yates, I just feel like you¡¯ve been especially happy since leaving the vi.¡±


    Howard wasn¡¯t upset. He nced at the anxious Liam and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just learned something unexpected.¡±


    Howard was known for his poker face. Except when he was with Yvette, getting a smile from him was nearly impossible for everyone else.


    Liam really couldn¡¯t imagine what could make Howard so happy. It definitely wasn¡¯t because of money; it had to be because of Yvette.


    The next day, at the national new energy press conference. Major media outlets from around the world were all present. Every media outlet brought theirtest equipment to secure the best positions for first-hand video coverage.


    The sessful development of new energy in Clusia marks a new era in energy. Clusia has surpassed the advanced technologies currently owned by Mysonna. This press conference is truly attracting a lot of attention. Today, the world¡¯s attention is focused on this event.


    James attended today in formal clothes. At his level, he only showed up if it¡¯s a really formal and significant event.


    In the lounge, Marcus helped Jay straighten his tie. He lowered his head slightly, his voice was a bit deep. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯ve been distracted since carly morning. What are you thinking about?¡± Marcus asked.


    Jay looked up and found that Marcus was a head taller than him. The height difference really made him want to punch Jay. He thought, ¡®What did this guy eat to grow so tall? I heard he drank a lot of milk as a kid. Maybe I should drink some too. Growingte is still growing! As long as I grow a bit, it¡¯s fine.


    Jay said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just that I feel weird if Siren doesn¡¯te today. Without her in the new energy development, we might still be on the wrong path, and wouldn¡¯t have seeded so quickly. On a day like today, when we¡¯re celebrated for our sess, she doesn¡¯t show up. It makes me a little sad. She should be here with us, getting everyone¡¯s apuse.¡±


    Marcus was silent for a few moments and he looked at Jay¡¯s face. ¡°Jay, do you think it¡¯s possible that Siren isn¡¯t showing up just because she¡¯s toozy?¡± Marcus suggested.


    The nice atmosphere was just interrupted like that. Jay suddenly wasn¡¯t sad anymore. He twisted Marcus¡¯s arm with force, wrinkling his ck suit.


    Marcus hissed in pain. Jay reluctantly nodded. ¡°Okay, I guess you might be right.¡±


    Seeing Jay¡¯s mood improve, Marcus chuckled too. He thought, ¡°This guy just loves getting caught up in the details. There is still another theory I haven¡¯t mentioned-maybe Yvette really doesn¡¯t care about the Siren identity? Or what if she doesn¡¯tck the fame, status, and wealth that everyone yearned for?¡¯


    At exactly 11 o¡¯clock, the new energy press conference officially began. Besides the core members from the national physicsb, top leaders from relevant departments also attended this press conference. Everyone attended this conference had important statues in this country.


    Jay and Marcus were seated on either side of James. One on his left, the other on his right; one in a ck suit, the other in white, making for a strikingbination. Marcus had already gained some poprity in society. A few years back, when he was taking sses at Betrico University, a student secretly took a picture of him, posted it online, and it went viral. So, besides James, the media focused their cameras on him the most.


    The press conference proceeded smoothly. It went smoothly until the final part, when James went on stage to speak. With a cane in hand and his back straight, James walked up to the stage slowly. Even though he was almost in his eighties, his posture was still upright.


    As the top figure in the country¡¯s physics field, he couldn¡¯t afford to show weakness in front of the world media. James got on stage, picked up the microphone, and looked at the international media below. His words were forceful and clear for a full thirty minutes. The auditorium echoed with his powerful voice.


    Finally, it was time for the reporters to ask questions. James looked energetic, his face glowing with health.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    This time, Mysonna¡¯s government sent their top mainstream media. They were widely recognized as having the most challenging media personnel to deal with. The person who came this time was a white man, appearing to be in his forties, with keen eyes. He was the first among the media present to ask a question. ¡°Hello, Dean James, in your report you mentioned that this new energy project owes much of its sess to someone named Siren. It was their research that sped up the development and introduction of this technology. However, this person is unwilling to show up, could you exin why Siren doesn¡¯t want to make an appearance? Is there a reason for this? Please borate.¡±


    Jay and Marcus exchanged a look. It was obvious they hade well-prepared. It seems like it was the right call for Yvette to keep Siren¡¯s identity a secret. They both thought, ¡®How many talents have they already taken from our country to Mysonna?


    ¡®Mysonna has been looking for opportunities to tarnish Clusia¡¯s reputation these past years. They¡¯re quite adept at swaying public opinion and misleading people worldwide.¡¯


    James lifted his eyelids and wore a polite smile. He¡¯s handled this kind of malicious situation countless times when he was younger. The current scenario is just a piece of cake. He thought ¡°Trying to blow things out of proportion?¡¯


    James picked up the microphone and slowly looked at the white male reporter who asked the question

 Chapter 289

    James said, ¡°Regarding Siren¡¯s identity, unless she personally agrees, neither the National Physics Lab nor I will ever announce it publicly. There are only two simple reasons for not revealing her identity. First, she does not wish to. Second, as of yesterday, her file has been approved, and she has officially be a First-ss Researcher in Clusia, and will henceforth receive national protection.¡±


    As soon as James said this, the media reporters from Clusia were in an uproar.


    The title of First-ss Researcher was no small matter.


    So far, only three individuals at the National Physics Lab hold that title, James, Marcus, and Jay.


    Now, there was a fourth, Siren.


    A male reporter from Clusia, with a malicious grin, continued his questioning, ¡°Mr. Owens, isn¡¯t it too hasty to grant Siren the title of First-ss Researcher based on just one project?¡±


    James smiled slightly, calm andposed, as if entirely unbothered by the question.


    He began, ¡°Just one project? It seems the reporters present may not fully understand. Let me rify. The fact that the new energy project waspleted so quickly and implemented in production is all thanks to Siren¡¯s efforts. I have already submitted a detailed report to the World Physics Organization in Mysonna. You should find that the World Physics Organization¡¯s website has now updated its page with information on Siren¡¯s contributions to the new energy project. If there are any doubts, you can check the website.¡±


    James¡¯ words were well-grounded, leaving the reporter momentarily speechless.


    The reporters behind him immediately began checking the World Physics Organization¡¯s website using theirptops and phones.


    Seeing the updated content on the new energy project page and the calm expression on James¡¯ face, any other journalists who had intended to cause trouble fell silent.


    After all, if the World Physics Organization, the most authoritative entity, had already recognized Siren¡¯s identity, they had no grounds to question it further without embarrassing themselves.


    The male reporter epted the phone handed to him by his colleague, and when he saw the official First-ss Researcher certification seal on the website, his face turned grim.


    Suddenly, someone whispered, ¡°Oh my God, Siren is a woman? And she¡¯s only 22? That¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    Hisment stirred amotion among the reporters.


    ¡°Really? I see it too. She¡¯s only 22. Does that mean she¡¯s now the youngest First-ss Researcher in Clusia?¡±


    ¡°A woman? Siren is a woman, a 22-year-old genius?¡±


    ¡°She must be the youngest participant in this new energy project


    ¡°Not only that, but she¡¯s broken the record. She became a First-ss Researcher even earlier than Marcus did. She¡¯s truly created a miracle.¡±


    They had no choice but to reveal these two key details about Siren.


    James had already discussed this with Yvettest night, advising that if Siren wanted to get certified by the World Physics Organization in Mysonna, she would need to disclose her age and gender.


    James coolly eyed the journalist from Mysonna who was gritting his teeth in frustration and said politely, ¡°Do you have any further questions, sir?¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s see how these journalists from Mysonna will try to dispute the recognition granted by their own country¡¯s organization,¡¯ James thought.


    Actually, this situation wasn¡¯t entirely James¡¯ doing, and it caught him somewhat by surprise.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the World Physics Organization to approve everything so swiftly this time.


    Normally, getting certification was an arduous process, but this time, the moment the materials were submitted, they were approved immediately.


    Even the website update was unusually prompt.


    The reporter remained silent, clearly embarrassed.


    He backed down from further questioning, and the other journalists naturally followed suit.


    The remaining press conference went smoothly and wrapped up in less than an hour, as nned.


    At the end of the press conference, James stood tall and spoke to the world¡¯s media with a determined voice. ¡°Five thousand years ago, we stood with Nileian, facing the floods. Four thousand years ago, like the Babelians, we cast bronze. Three thousand years ago, we pondered philosophy alongside the Aegians. Two thousand years ago, we fought with the brave Veronians. A thousand years ago, we shared the prosperity of Saracian. And now, we stand once more among the nations of the world, never faltering. The researchers from Clusia have always strived to innovate and surpass. I hope more young talents like Siren will return to the embrace of their homnd, to build the future of our nation.¡±


    As soon as James finished speaking, the conference hall erupted into thunderous apuse.


    Only the reporter and his TV crew stood apart, grinding their teeth as they watched the dignified and unyielding figure of James on stage.


    Moments ago, the reporter had made a phone call to Mysonna, trying to dig up more information on Siren.


    Instead, he received a stern warning, advising him not to pursue the matter further or exploit Siren for a story.


    With such a clear message from the top, the reporter had no choice but to book the earliest flight back to Mysonna, retreating in disgrace.


    *****


    At the Chavez residence, the television was on.


    The press conference was broadcast live.


    That meant everyone in Clusia had seen the entire event, from beginning to end.


    Jeremiah had brought Yvette to the Chavez residence today, as per Aurora¡¯s insistence.


    They had barely been apart for a short while, but Aurora already missed Yvette terribly. Aurora sat right next to Yvette, while Jeremiah and Clifford upied the other end of the sofa.


    The four of them watched the entire live broadcast of the new energy project press


    conference.


    Aurora casually peeled an orange and handed it to Yvette. ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s sweet. Try it. I had someone bring it back from the south especially for you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    Yvette naturally epted it, took a bite, and nodded slightly. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Aurora beamed with delight, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at Yvette¡¯s profile.


    Yvette¡¯s side profile was stunning, a masterpiece crafted by the hands of God.


    Seeing this, Clifford let out a discontented huff. ¡°Sweet? What¡¯s so sweet? It¡¯s just an orange. I didn¡¯t taste anything sweet.¡±


    Jeremiah, dressed casually, with his long legs crossed, nced at Clifford¡¯s expression, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.


    He then looked at Yvette, who was being fed by Aurora, paused briefly, and then casually picked up an orange to try for himself. ¡°So sour.¡±


    Aurora, still watching James on the television, sighed. ¡°ver would have guessed Siren is a 22-year-old woman.¡±


    Hearing this, Clifford lowered his newspaper and said solemnly, ¡°Indeed, a true genius. Her future is limitless. Since Mr. Owens personally applied for her to be a First-ss Researcher, it speaks volumes about her character.¡±


    Jeremiah, with a side nce, observed Yvette lounging on the sofa, focused on eating her orange, feet propped up.


    His eyes darkened slightly, deep in thought.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it a bit too coincidental? Siren and Yvette are both 22? Siren is also a woman? Could there be some connection between the two?¡¯ he wondered.


    Yvette finished thest slice of her orange, her eyes cold and her gaze sharp as she met Jeremiah¡¯s intense stare.


    She frowned.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Then she spoke slowly. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Aurora immediately turned her head when she heard this, noticing the two of them locked eyes.


    She shifted her body to block Jeremiah¡¯s view.


    ¡®Only I get to admire Yvette¡¯s beauty. I¡¯m not letting him stare at her, Aurora thought possessively.


    Clifford, feeling a twinge of jealousy, thought to himself, ¡®Does Aurora not love me anymore?¡¯

 Chapter 290

    Jeremiah noticed Aurora¡¯s actions and lightly coughed, pressing a hand to his lips.


    ¡®Is Mom jealous that I¡¯m looking at Yvette?¡¯ he wondered.


    His expression turned serious, and his tone was stern. ¡°Mom, she¡¯s my girlfriend.¡±


    Aurora stood protectively in front of Yvette, her voice bold and unyielding. ¡°Yvette and I are closer. Let¡¯s have a fight, and whoever wins gets to take her!¡±


    Seeing that mother and son were about to start another battle over Yvette, Clifford felt a headacheing on.


    As the head of the household, he had no choice but to bury his head in the newspaper again.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Jeremiah, and he definitely couldn¡¯t afford to provoke his wife.


    So, the best course of action in this situation was to let them sort it out themselves.


    Over the years, Clifford had perfected the art of staying out of conflicts at home.


    Yvette tilted her head, ncing at Aurora, who was brimming with arrogance.


    Her deep gaze shifted slightly.


    And she curled her fingers.


    Her voice, as always, was cold and detached. ¡°You can¡¯t beat him. If you really want to fight him, I can help.¡±


    Jeremiah was stunned.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Aurora, too, stared nkly at Yvette, who had seriously offered her assistance.


    ¡®My goodness! How can there be such an adorable girl?¡¯ Aurora thought.


    Jeremiah looked at the two women, both eager for a fight, and was stunned for a moment.


    He was more surprised by his mother¡¯s behavior.


    ¡®No mother would be this excited about beating up her own son, right? I guess I¡¯m destined to lose to these two in this lifetime,¡¯ he thought.


    Jeremiah bit his lip. ¡°Fine, I give up, Mom. You win.¡±


    Clifford nced at him sideways. ¡®He should have given in sooner. I¡¯ve been losing to Aurora for years, and he thinks he could win? It¡¯s just like a few days ago,¡¯ he thought.


    By the time Yvette and Jeremiah returned to Sknd, it was already midnight.


    Yvette went upstairs to shower first.


    When she came back downstairs, Jeremiah had prepared beef pasta for her, along with freshly ordered lobster and a milkshake.


    This had be her go-to midnight snack in recent days, and she never got tired of it.


    Yvette curled up on the sofa, enjoying her meal.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t have the habit of eatingte-night snacks.


    Sitting beside her, his slender fingers skillfully peeled the lobster and ced it on Yvette¡¯s te.


    After a moment of silence, looking at Yvette, Jeremiah suddenly spoke. ¡°I went to Argrol University in Seacrity as a librarian at Mr. Owens¡¯ request, to find Siren.¡±


    Yvette paused, lowering her milkshake cup.


    She lifted her gaze, her eyes unreadable.


    She let out a softugh, her pure eyeszily fixed on Jeremiah. ¡°Oh, so did you find her?¡±


    Jeremiah calmly ced thest piece of lobster on Yvette¡¯s te. ¡°I think I did, and I fell in love with her. What should I do?¡±


    His tone was light and casual.


    Yvette nced at his strong profile, highlighted under the soft lighting, and felt her heart stir slightly.


    Half-closing her eyes, she kept her calm. ¡°That means you have good taste. Keep loving her.¡±


    ¡®Who wouldn¡¯t know how to say sweet things? I can too, she thought.


    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡®Is Yvette acknowledging that she¡¯s Siren?¡¯ he wondered.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure how he felt, but maybe relief was the closest


    He was relieved that, out of billions of people, he had met Yvette at just the right time.


    At that moment, Jeremiah¡¯s phone rang.


    He answered, and the voice on the other end was grave. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Kaiden and Robin have secretly arrived at an apartment in Betrico. Our men are currently monitoring them. These two didn¡¯te with the visiting Ybau delegation. They might be plotting something in secret. Should we take precautions in advance?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained unyielding, his eyes cold as he replied in a deep voice, ¡°Understood. Proceed as nned.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Mr. Chavez,¡± the man on the line responded.


    Jeremiah hung up the phone and nced at Yvette, who was still enjoying her beef pasta.


    ¡°Take your time eating. Get to bed early tonight. I have some matters to attend to in the study,¡± he said gently.


    Yvette looked up, giving a slight nod. ¡°Okay, you go ahead and handle your business.¡±


    She paused for a moment, studying his face.


    She had overheard his conversation on the phone. ¡®It seems some people really need to meet in person,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°When is the visiting Ybau delegation arriving?¡± Yvette asked.


    Jeremiah was a bit surprised that she would inquire about such matters.


    Without holding anything back, he replied, ¡°They¡¯ll arrive the day after tomorrow at eleven.¡±


    Yvette nodded, acknowledging the information, and said nothing more.


    She then continued eating her beef pasta.


    As the night deepened, the sky was overcast, and the moon and stars were obscured. The wind howled outside, rustling the branches of the trees, leaving only one silhouette by the window


    In the master bedroom, Yvette stood by the window, the lights in the room turned off.


    In the darkness, the faint glow from her phone screen illuminated her face, showing a conversation with Charles.


    The next day at ten o¡¯clock, Andrew stepped out of the airport in Betrico, dressed in trendy brand-name clothes and wearing shoes that cost him two months¡¯ sry.


    He walked out with an air of confidence, feeling like the coolest guy in the world.


    Back in Betrico, Andrew had transformed back into the second son of the Mitchell family, brimming with self-assurance.


    During his time in Seacrity, Andrew had settled into a regr 9-to-5 job, and he felt he had grown from the experience.


    He knew he would only be in Betrico for a few days before returning to Seacrity to continue his job as a librarian.


    After all, this was his job, and he had to see it through.


    He hadmitted to six months, and he wasn¡¯t going to cut it short, even by a day.


    The true reason behind thismitment was something only Andrew knew.


    Acar sent by Samantha was already waiting at the airport entrance.


    As Andrew stepped out, the Mitchell family¡¯s driver approached him.


    Noticing that Andrew had lost some weight, the driver thought, ¡®Mr. Mitchell must have gone through quite a bit to look this thin. How unfortunate.¡¯


    ¡°Mr. Mitchell, you¡¯re finally back! Tim specifically rescheduled military affairs today, and he and Samantha are at home waiting for you to have dinner,¡± the driver said.


    Andrew looked at the driver, puzzled. ¡°Dad is here? He didn¡¯t leave today?¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Mitchell. They¡¯re both at the Mitchell residence waiting for you,¡± the driver confirmed.


    Andrew felt a bit taken aback.


    ¡®Dad has never waited for me to eat before. He is usually too busy. What¡¯s going on today?¡¯ he wondered.


    Before he could ponder further, Andrew spotted a familiar figure walking out of the airport.


    As he looked closer, he realized it was Yvette.


    ¡®What a coincidence!¡¯ he thought, surprised to see her there.


    Just as he was about to approach her and say hello, he noticed a handsome man run up to Yvette as she exited the airport.


    Andrew couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, but he could see the excitement on the man¡¯s face.


    His feet froze in ce as he watched Yvette chatting happily with the handsome guy.


    In the next moment, he wished he could blind himself.


    The attractive man even helped Yvette with her ck bag, which she epted without hesitation. This was definitely not normal.


    Andrew bit his lip, feeling conflicted.


    He continued peeping.


    Andrew thought, ¡®I can¡¯t pretend I didn¡¯t see this! Oh God, can I just disappear right now? No, that¡¯s not an option¡­ I can¡¯t just ignore this when I¡¯ve stumbled upon it. This guy dares to mess with Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend? He¡¯s got a death wish! I have to teach him a lesson, or I¡¯d be letting Jeremiah down.


    Determined, Andrew rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush forward.


    He had already made it halfway when, for some reason, he abruptly turned back and headed toward the car.


    The driver, utterly bewildered, stared in confusion.


    ¡®Has Mr. Mitchell been under too much stress in Seacrity for too long? Is he losing it?¡¯ the driver wondered.


    Andrew quickly pulled out his phone from his bag, turned it on, and urgently dialed Jeremiah.


    He was anxious, afraid that the two might leave before he could do anything.


    However, once the call connected, he found himself at a loss for words.


    ¡®What if Jeremiah can¡¯t handle the shock?¡¯ Andrew thought, suddenly hesitant. ¡®A pure, cold man crushed by his first crush¡¯s betrayal, spiraling into depression¡­ What if it gets even worse¡­ What if he can¡¯t take it and ends up¡­¡¯


    Andrew¡¯s mind ran wild, imagining countless tragic scenarios of Jeremiah¡¯s heartbreak.

 Chapter 291

    ¡°Is there something going on?¡± Jeremiah asked.


    Andrew, holding his phone, snapped back to reality upon hearing the cold voice on the line.


    He nced at the two people at the airport entrance, gritted his teeth, and decided to take the plunge. ¡°Mr. Chavez, I¡¯m back at Betrico Airport. Guess who I just saw?¡±


    Jeremiah on the other end of the line paused for two seconds, then replied coolly, ¡°Andrew, are you bored?¡±


    Upon hearing Jeremiah¡¯s tone, Andrew sensed his impatience and quickly continued, ¡°Jeremiah, this is serious! I saw Yvette at the airport, and there was a really handsome guy over six feet tall with her. They wereughing and chatting, and he even helped her with her backpack!¡±


    Andrew spoke rapidly without taking a breath, and once he finished, he let out a slight sigh.


    He was met with three seconds of silence from Jeremiah.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Jeremiah isn¡¯t even angry that Yvette is with another man?¡® Andrew thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, Jeremiah¡¯s hand, which was signing, paused slightly. ¡°A handsome man?¡±


    Andrew, hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words, took a careful look at the man in the distance and summarized it.


    Rubbing his chin, he replied, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s pretty good¨Clooking, but he¡¯s not quite as good as me.¡±


    Jeremiah was silent for a moment.


    Noticing that Yvette and the man seemed ready to leave, Andrew felt a surge of urgency.


    He quickly said into the phone, ¡°Jeremiah, it looks like Yvette and this guy are about to go! Hurry over! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll follow them and keep you updated. You know my professional scouting skills. I won¡¯t be noticed!¡±


    Before Jeremiah could respond, Andrew hung up.


    He turned to the driver and said, ¡°Give me your jacket. You can head back now. Tell my dad and Samantha I¡¯m busy saving Jeremiah¡¯s future. It¡¯s a big responsibility, so I¡¯ll skip dinner for now.¡±


    He said this while quickly taking off the driver¡¯s jacket.


    At the airport, people were bustling about.


    Some bystanders gaped as they watched a handsome guy strip a jacket off an older man, surprised by his actions.


    Andrew didn¡¯t have time to care about their reactions.


    He slipped on the jacket and drove off, tailing Yvette and herpanion as they left the airport, leaving the driver alone, bewildered, shivering in the wind.


    In the car, Charles was driving.


    He nced at Yvette, who was ying a game with her head down, his lips twitching slightly.


    He remembered how, during their rigorous training, his group always sought ways to challenge the sharpness of Yvette, who was their coach.


    They had attempted nearly thirty different challenges against her, including firearms, off¨Croading,bat, judo, kendo, taekwondo¡­


    The result was never disappointing.


    They never managed to win.


    They always fell short by just a point, at most two.


    In the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers, over a thousand people were thoroughly suppressed by Yvette.


    Eventually, they were left with no choice but to rely on intelligence since they couldn¡¯t win physically.


    It proved that seeking out difficult challenges when one was idle was a quick route to frustration.


    There was a professional esports yer from the Goodman family in the training camp who provocatively challenged Yvette to a game from FastPulse Technologies.


    The result was astonishing.


    This time, Yvette didn¡¯t just win by a point.


    She crushed him by fifty points.


    Jogical


    Later, it was heard that the esports yer left the training camp with psychological scars and announced his retirement from the esports scene.


    Now, as Charles watched Yvette seriously ying Super Mario, he found himself at a loss for words.


    ¡®Could it be that after reaching a certain level of skill, one can only find joy in ying such childish games?¡® Charles thought. ¡®Yvette¡¯s world is truly unfathomable for someone like me.¡¯


    Yvette put away her phone, nced at the rearview mirror, and smirked before saying to Charles, ¡°Turn left.¡±


    This was the exact opposite of the direction indicated by the navigation.


    Upon hearing this, Charles immediately turned left without a hint of hesitation.


    Suddenly, Charles realized something and also looked into the rearview mirror.


    The ck car behind them had been following ever since they left the airport.


    ¡®Did I just arrive in Clusia, and now I have enemies chasing me?¡® he thought.


    Charles¡® expression turned cold, and his voice was harsh. ¡°Yvette, it might be someone sent by Chief Braydon. Could I¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he made a slicing motion across his neck.


    As the leader of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers, Charles had taken many lives and didn¡¯t care about taking another more.


    Yvette raised her gaze, nced at him indifferently, opened a bag of chips, and took a bite. ¡°This is a society governed by the rule ofw. If there¡¯s a problem, we should go to the police.¡±


    Charles¡® hand froze on the steering wheel, his expression turned extremely strange.


    Hearing those wordse from Yvette¡¯s mouth was genuinely shocking.


    He took a moment to collect himself. ¡°Yvette, given my identity, going to the police would be inappropriate, right?¡±


    ¡®As a gang leader, going to the police? I¡¯d definitely be mocked by others for that, he thought.


    Yvette turned her face away, showing little expression.


    Her lips pressed together, and her voice was cool. ¡°Oh, find a ce to park. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Charles nced at the chips in her hand, noting that Yvette still had quite the appetite.


    However, he believed Yvette had a way to deal with whoever was following them.


    ¡®Whatever Yvette decides to do, I¡¯ll follow her lead. It¡¯ll definitely be fine, he thought.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Charles replied.


    In the ck car, Andrew gripped the steering wheel tightly, thinking, ¡®Is my title of driving king a joke? Do you think you can suddenly turn and shake me off? Dream on! There¡¯s no way!¡®


    Andrew had been following them ever since leaving the airport.


    He noticed that the road seemed somewhat familiar.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this the road back to Sknd? Is Yvette nning to take that guy back to Mr. Chavez¡¯s vi? She¡¯s being so bold, he wondered.


    Andrew saw the car ahead stop next to a street lined with restaurants.


    The next second, Yvette got out of the car, followed by the man.


    Andrew noticed Yvette nce his way, and he quickly lowered his head, waiting a minute before daring to look up again.


    When he did, he saw that the two figures were already gone, prompting him to get out of the car to look for them while secretly wondering, ¡®I must not lose them. Otherwise, how will I exin this to Jeremiah?¡®


    After searching along the street for ten minutes, Andrew finally spotted the two in front of a restaurant window.


    He hurried to the adjacent window, pretending to buy something, and distractedly asked, ¡°How much for this?¡±


    Before the vendor could respond, Andrew quickly added, ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll take two portions.¡±


    The vendor hesitantly asked again, ¡°Are you sure you want two portions?¡±


    Andrew kept his eyes on Yvette and the man and replied without turning his head, ¡°Yes, two portions. Hurry up and make them.¡±


    The vendor, thrilled that someone was finally buying two portions of the set meal, eagerly started preparing the order. Yvette had already spotted Andrew. She was indeed surprised to see him.


    Noticing what he was buying, a mischievous smile crept onto her lips, and her expression became rxed.


    Charles also noticed Andrew, feeling pleased with his sessful disguise.


    Holding the freshly made fried chicken, he turned to Yvette. ¡°It¡¯s ready, Yvette. What else do you want to eat?¡±


    Then he lowered his voice. ¡°Should I take care of him? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll leave no traces.¡±


    Yvette, with her hands in her pockets, casually nced at Andrew in the distance.


    She replied to Charles, ¡°No need. I know him. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Charles was taken aback


    ¡®Yvette knows this guy? What¡¯s going on? This guy is following However, Charles felt relieved since that man wasn¡¯t an enemy Charles followed Yvette into a steakhouse and sat down.


    Thebination of the handsome man and the beautiful wor People in the steakhouse subtly nced at the two of them.

 Chapter 292

    Andrew, trailing behind, saw the two enter a steakhouse and quickly sent the location to Jeremiah.


    The vendor handed two ready meals to Andrew. ¡°Hello, sir, that¡¯ll be 18 dors. Thank you for your patronage.¡±


    When Andrew turned around and saw what the vendor was holding, his expression suddenly froze.


    He pointed at the contents of the bag, covering his nose, andined. ¡°What is this? It stinks!¡±


    The vendor was not pleased. ¡°Sir, this says herring in a can. Are you joking about how it smells?¡±


    Andrew¡¯s face turned dark. He had never eaten this before.


    The smell made him want to vomit.


    With people queuing behind him, he had no choice but to pay quickly and walk away with the bag.


    All he wanted was to find a trash can and toss this thing out.


    Andrew felt like he was covered in the foul odor.


    As he approached the trash can to throw away the can of herring, he looked up and saw Yvette leaning against the door of the steakhouse,ughing as she watched him.


    The man next to her was also present.


    ¡®How awkward. How do I exin this?¡® he thought.


    Andrew forced a smile and waved the bag in his hand. ¡°Hey, Yvette! Fancy seeing you here! I just arrived in Betrico today. I was passing by and got hungry, so I thought I¡¯d grab a bite. What a coincidence running into you!¡±


    A smirk yed on Yvette¡¯s lips as she nced at the stinky bag.


    Even from a distance, she could smell it.


    She raised an eyebrow.


    Then, she asked calmly, ¡°Want to eat together?¡±


    Andrew was taken aback.


    ¡®Why is she suddenly in such a good mood?¡® he wondered.


    He felt somewhat flustered but then thought this was just perfect, so he nodded eagerly. ¡°Sure! I haven¡¯t eaten yet. When Jeremiah arrives, we can eat together¡­¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He hesitated and nced awkwardly at Charles. ¡°So, Yvette, does your friend mind? If he does, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Charles choked a bit.


    Why does Yvette¡¯s friend sound so snarky? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a guy talk like that,¡® he wondered.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes, her voice indifferent. ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind. Come on in.¡±


    As Andrew saw Yvette and Charles turn around, he thought to take the chance to toss the herring can into the trash.


    He couldn¡¯t stand the smell for another minute.


    Charles was taken aback


    ¡®Yvette knows this guy? What¡¯s going on? This guy is following Yvette? What kind of situation is this?¡® he wondered.


    However, Charles felt relieved since that man wasn¡¯t an enemy.


    Charles followed Yvette into a steakhouse and sat down.


    Thebination of the handsome man and the beautiful woman attracted attention.


    People in the steakhouse subtly nced at the two of them.

 Chapter 293

    Jeremiah nced around the private room at the three people inside.


    His eyesnded on Charles¡¯ face, pausing for a moment before he calmly withdrew his gaze.


    A few days ago, Charles¡¯ information had been on his desk, and Jeremiah hadn¡¯t expected to see him so soon in Clusia,


    Charles, in turn, was taken aback by Jeremiah¡¯s strikingly handsome face, causing him to loosen his grip on his fork.


    ¡®So, Yvette¡¯s boyfriend is a young major general in Clusia? Holy shit!¡¯ he wondered.


    In that moment, Charles couldn¡¯t find the right words to describe his feelings.


    He could only think, ¡®Yvette is amazing.


    Andrew looked at Jeremiah with a sense of grievance.


    From the moment Jeremiah entered, he nced at Charles briefly before fixing his gaze entirely on Yvette.


    Andrew, a handsome guy, waspletely overshadowed.


    Andrew spoke up. ¡°Jeremiah, you finally made it!¡±


    He stood up from his chair, and with each step he took, the overwhelming smell of canned herring grew stronger.


    Jeremiah took a couple of steps back.


    The odor was too much for Jeremiah, aplete germaphobe, to handle. His serious aversion to strong smells made it unbearable.


    With a cold expression, he said to Andrew, ¡°Sit back down.¡±


    Andrew immediately understood why Jeremiah looked that way.


    ¡®Oh no! My image has been ruined by this herring smell!¡¯ he thought to himself.


    With a long face, Andrew plopped back down onto his seat.


    ¡®Alright, forget it. Whatever¡­ heforted himself as he wondered.


    Jeremiah walked over to sit next to Yvette.


    She looked up at him as he settled beside her.


    Her eyes were pure and cool, and her voice was sweet. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, usually so deep and reserved, now sparkled with tenderness as he turned his head slightly and replied, ¡°Not yet. I just finished handling some matters at the military district beforeing here.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    After Yvette started dating Jeremiah, she noticed that his eating habits were quite irregr.


    He was very picky with his food.


    Although he would apany Yvette to eat everything she loved, he rarely ate more than a few bites.


    Yvette took the various pieces of steak cut from the serving tes and piled them onto Jeremiah¡¯s te until it was overflowing.


    Jeremiah smiled to himself as he wondered, ¡®So much meal! Yvete must really love me.


    Charles thought to himself, ¡®Yvette is so biased. At least leave me a couple of pieces of steak!¡±


    Andrew was taken aback. ¡®My steak? I had been eyeing it for almost five minutes, and now it¡¯s all gone. How heartless!¡¯ he wondered.


    While Jeremiah wasn¡¯t particrly fond of meat, he felt he had to eat it since Yvette served it to him, even if he wasn¡¯t hungry.


    After setting down her fork, Yvette pointed at theposed Charles and said calmly, ¡°This is Charles Jameson, my apprentice.¡±


    Andrew dropped his fork with a loud tter.


    The man he had been suspicious of for so long turned out to be Yvette¡¯s apprentice.


    Andrew rubbed his chin.


    He nced back and forth between Charles and Yvette.


    ¡®Charles looks nearly thirty, while Yvette is just over twenty. Is Yvette really his mentor? Why does Charles seem more suited to be the teacher?¡¯ he pondered.


    Andrew concluded in his mind.


    Yvette must not be a normal person. I can¡¯t treat her like a normal person anymore,¡¯ he thought.


    After thinking about how busy he had been all morning, Andrew felt like it had all been a waste of time, not to mention he had ended up smelling terrible. ¡®I¡¯m so pathetic,¡¯ he thought.


    Charles maintained a gentle and restrained demeanor.


    After so many years in the underworld, he had learned to disguise himself and avoid revealing a domineering attitude.


    Otherwise, his trump card would be exposed.


    Nodding at Jeremiah, he said earnestly, ¡°Hello, Lady Boss, I¡¯m Charles.¡±


    In Charles¡¯ understanding, Yvette was undoubtedly the one in control.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether Jeremiah was a major general in Clusia or the president of some country, yet he definitely listened to Yvette.


    So he didn¡¯t see anything wrong to address Jeremiah as Lady Boss.


    Andrew, who had just taken a bite of food, suddenly sprayed it all over the floor.


    He staried at Charles in disbelief.


    ¡®Oh man! He¡¯s joking with Jeremiah! That¡¯s so bold! He actually called Mr. Chavez Lady Boss! This is insane! Oh my god, I have to share this with someone. It¡¯s too funny, Andrew thought excitedly.


    He furtively took out his phone, thinking about who to tell.


    But the more he thought about it, the more he feared that if this got out, Jeremiah mighte after him.


    I¡¯m definitely not as brave as Charles. Better y it safe, Andrew wondered.


    After some hesitation. Andrew decided to share it with Samanth


    Andrew: [Samantha, you won¡¯t believe this. Someone just called Mr. Chavez Lady Boss. It¡¯s hrious!]


    Barely a minute had passed when Samantha replied.


    Samantha: [Get lost. If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me into it. Do you think you can joke about Mr. Chavez?]


    Andrew pursed his lips at her cold response.


    Yep, definitely my sister. Abandoned me at the first sign of trouble, he thought.


    Jeremiah¡¯s fingers twitched when he heard the words, his gaze sharp and icy as he stared at Charles.


    The sudden wave of killing intent made Charles freeze in ce.


    ¡°What a terrifying aura,¡¯ he thought.


    Yvette nced at the two men with mild amusement. Charles calling Jeremiah Lady Boss was definitely unexpected.


    She was sure Charles did it on purpose.


    In the next moment, the murderous intent around Jeremiah dissipatedpletely.


    He tilted his head slightly, his eyes half-closed in a drowsy,nguid way.


    His voice softened, carrying a touch of mncholy. ¡°ver thought I¡¯d see the day where I¡¯d be called Lady Boss. It¡¯s¡­ nice.¡±


    Andrew had just finished sending his text when he heard Jeremiah¡¯s words.


    His phone slipped from his hand and ttered to the floor.


    ¡®What the hell? What¡¯s Jeremiah doing? Is he acting? What¡¯s with this whole delicate routine?¡¯ Andrew wondered.


    Seeing Jeremiah¡¯s uncharacteristically vulnerable expression sent a wave of goosebumps all over his body.


    It was disturbing.


    This was the same iron-blooded warlord who¡¯d made his name known in Betrico at the age of eighteen.


    And now, he was ying coy.


    Charles hadn¡¯t expected Jeremiah to own up to the title so readily, feeling a sense of defeat.


    Yvette crossed her legs and leaned back.


    Her face showed little emotion.


    She was already ustomed to Jeremiah¡¯s flirtatious behavior.


    Her cold eyes narrowed slightly, and a subtle smile tugged at her lips.


    ¡°Having a yful boyfriend like Jeremiah is nice. Since he loves to act, I shouldn¡¯t ruin his fun,¡¯ she thought.


    Yvette nced at Charles, who was clearly ufortable, and lightly rubbed the rim of her cup as she said softly, ¡°This is Jeremiah Chavez. Just call him Mr. Chavez.¡±


    Yvette had spoken directly, and no matter how reluctant Charles felt, he could only nod politely and say, ¡°Alright, Mr. Chavez, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s words were an order to Charles, and he would never dare defy them.


    Jeremiah gave Charles a half-smile, recognizing that he had figured out Yvette¡¯s preference for a gentle approach.


    Since Charles had taken a step back, Jeremiah felt no need to prolong any difort.


    Jeremiah nodded slightly.


    He sinctly introduced himself. ¡°Hello, I am Jeremiah Chavez.


    As Andrew watched the scene unfold at the dining table, he thought to himself, ¡®Mr. Chavez is truly cunning!


    However, he was surprised by how obedient Charles was to Yvette.


    She must have been quite strict in her teachings.


    Automatically, Andrew categorized Charles as someone from the artisticmunity.


    After all, with Yvette being an internationally acimed young painter under the pen name Cyanbird, it made sense for her apprentice, Charles, to be an artist as well.


    Charles wasn¡¯t a lover.


    Since the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Andrew felt no hostility toward him.


    In fact, Charles¡¯ audacity to joke with Jeremiah was proof enough that he was worthy of friendship.


    That kind of courage was one of his greatest strengths.


    Curious, Andrew turned to Charles and asked, ¡°Charles, how much do you typically charge per piece?¡±


    Of course, Andrew was referring to the price of a painting, but Charles interpreted it differently, thinking he meant how much it cost to kill someone.


    He didn¡¯t shy away from the topic since he wasn¡¯t involved in any killings in Clusia.


    He had nothing to worry about.


    In some parts of the world, violence and war weremonce.


    Clusia was simply a sanctuary amidst that chaos.

 Chapter 294

    Charles took a sip from his cup, looked at Andrew, whose face was curious, and replied, ¡°It depends on my mood. For important people, it¡¯s usually 30 million dors, for less important ones, 10 million. Sometimes, I¡¯ll even take jobs for free.


    In the criminal circles of Mysonna, only a few had considered hiring Charles for an assassination. The payment was secondary: the real issue was that Charles led the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers for the Goodman family. Apart from Braydon, no one else dared to order him to take a life.


    Andrew was shocked. He wondered, ¡®With my low sry, there¡¯s no way I can afford to ce an order with Charles. When did prices in the art world go so crazy? Plus, I¡¯ve never even heard of Charles before. It¡¯s hard to believe that a rtively unknown painter can charge so much.


    Andrew was silent for a few seconds. He thought, ¡®Is painting really that profitable? Should I pick up the brush again?¡¯


    But then Andrew thought of his art teacher¡¯s assessment of him and decided against it. After all, back then he was the kind of guy who could draw a chicken egg so badly it looked like a duck egg¨Cso maybe he should quit dreaming about it.


    With an envious tone, Andrew said, ¡°Charles, your industry is so promising. I¡¯m envious.¡±


    Charles raised his head slightly. There was a bit of confusion in his eyes.


    Charles noticed Andrew¡¯s envious gaze, which was genuine and sincere. He wondered, ¡®What exactly is this guy envious of? Is it that he envies my ability to kill? What a weird guy! No wonder he could do something as bizarre as following us from the airport.


    Andrew was unaware that Charles had alreadybeled him as a ¡°weird guy¡± in his mind, and the impression was quite profound.


    Jeremiah nced at the two of them, a smirk ying at the corners of his mouth as he thought, ¡®The two are onpletely different wavelengths, yet they speak with such enthusiasm. Charles discusses killing with a chilling nonchnce, while Andrew is talking about painting, and neither realizes the absurdity. It¡¯s truly hrious!¡¯


    Charles was baffled by Andrew¡¯s continuous questions. He regarded Andrew as a ¡°weirdo motormouth¡± and bolted to the bathroom as an excuse to slip out of the VIP room.


    Jeremiah caught a glimpse of Charles¡¯s retreating figure, finished thest piece of meat, put down his utensils, and said to Yvette, who was enjoying her grilled pork chops, ¡°I¡¯m heading to the bathroom.¡±


    Yvette nced at him, still chewing on her food, and mumbled, ¡°OK.¡±


    Jeremiah couldn¡¯t help but pinch Yvette¡¯s soft cheeks, who looked like a hamster with her cheeks puffed out while eating.


    Charles adjusted his clothes in the men¡¯s bathroom, then leaned over the sink, hands deep in soapy water.


    Then Charles heard footsteps approaching, but he didn¡¯t even nce up from the sink, his hands momentarily stilled mid- scrub. He could feel the neer was no ordinary Joe.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The next moment, Jeremiah strode in. He made a beeline for the sink, fixing his military uniform in front of the mirror. There was an air of restrained allure about him.


    -Jeremiah, hands smoothing over his military uniform, spoke up. ¡°Charles Jameson, you were the head of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers under the Goodman family in Mysonna, the top family in the underground world. You managed all the shady dealings for the Goodman family¨Carms, assassinations, casinos, but stayed clear of drugs. Half a month ago, you parted away with the current head of the Goodman family, Braydon, and got injected with the new No.7 Toxin. You vanished from Mysonna after that. Now, here you are, showing up as the apprentice to my girlfriend¡¯s. This turn of events is quite interesting.¡±


    Hearing that, Charles tensed up instantly. He jerked his head up all the calmness he had a moment ago gone. Now he was on guard, ready for anything.


    Charles thought to himself, ¡®So Jeremiah recognized me as soon as he walked in, and he could sit at the same table with me, eating without giving away anything. Yvette¡¯s boyfriend is unfathomable!


    Charles fixed his gaze on Jeremiah, coldly stating, ¡°You seem to have all the information, so you must get that Yvette¡¯s identity is not simple. I don¡¯t know the details of your family background, but climbing to major general in Clusia at your age? That¡¯s no ordinary feat. You¡¯ve got to have some serious military clout behind you. If it turns out that Yvette¡¯s on apletely different ying field from your military dynasty, would you still stand by her the way you do now?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at Charles, whose face was tense with worry. After turning off the faucet, Jeremiah said in a serious tone, ¡°This is not your concern. No matter who Yvette is, she will be my wife one day. No matter what dangerse our way, I¡¯ll protect her anytime.¡±


    Hearing those words, Charles stood there, stunned.


    Jeremiah continued, ¡°Charles, I don¡¯t want you to cause any trouble for Yvette. While you¡¯re in Clusia, I¡¯ll have people ensure your safety, but once you leave, you¡¯ll be on your own.¡±


    Charles knew that Jeremiah said all this because of Yvette.


    Jeremiah didn¡¯t realize that Charles was safest by Yvette¡¯s side. Braydon wouldn¡¯t dream of messing with Charles while she was around. Even Damian wouldn¡¯t tangle with Yvette, so Charles was safe. But these thoughts were better left unsaid.


    Charles shook his head, declining the offer. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to send protection, Mr. Chavez. If I¡¯d depended on others to protect me, I wouldn¡¯t have survived for now. I¡¯ve had more close shaves than I can count. Rest easy. I won¡¯t bring any trouble to Yvette.¡±


    Jeremiah dried his hands, looking at Charles with a cold gaze. ¡°OK, I hope you¡¯ll remember the words you¡¯ve spoken today.¡±


    Charles held Jeremiah¡¯s gaze without flinching. ¡°I hope you remember your words today too, to stand by Yvette¡¯s side for a lifetime, through thick and thin.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded, then turned and walked away.


    As he reached the door, Charles called out from behind. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Yvette has been through a lot to be who she is today. I hope you¡¯ll cherish her.¡±


    If one were to count the scars on Yvette, one¡¯d probably run out of numbers. To stand at a higher ce, one must endure trials that would break the ordinary person. That was how Yvette had walked her path, through a sea of corpses and blood, escaping death countless times. She made it this far on her own.


    With a solemn expression, Jeremiah pushed the door open and left. As soon as he was outside, he sent a message to Bruce.


    Charles had just revealed something on his own¨Che addressed Yvette by herst name, not ¡°Ms. Zeller¡°.


    Zion had just returned to Betrico today. He had been on a whirlwind tour of concerts, traveling all over the ce, and now with only the final concert in Betrico, he could wrap up the year perfectly.


    Zion had a dedicated piano room in Betrico, so as soon as he got off the ne, he headed straight there without taking a moment to rest.


    When Zion arrived at the piano room, he found the door open. A sh of joy crossed his face, only to be reced by a sense of destion. Zion thought, ¡®Even if I know who¡¯s there, what good does it do? There¡¯s no future for her and me. Samantha is a renowned businesswoman in Clusia, the most outstanding among the political scions, while I am just a pianist. Although I earn a decent amount, it¡¯s a drop in the oceanpared to Samantha¡¯s wealth.¡®


    Samantha always thought Zion was stubborn, but Zion knew deep down that it was just his self¨Cesteem causing trouble.


    During the time away from Betrico, Zion was consumed by thoughts of Samantha, going crazy with missing her every minute, night after night, with the longing that had be a part of him.


    With a pounding heart, Zion stood at the doorway for a long moment before carefully, almost cautiously, pushing the door open.


    As the door opened, Zion spotted a red silhouette. When Samantha turned around, showing off her outfits, Zion mped his eyes shut, too bashful to make eye contact. He eximed, ¡°Samantha, it¡¯s broad daylight out! What¡¯s the deal with the outfit?¡±

 Chapter 295

    Samantha was d in a red silk nightgown, her skin delicate and smooth. Holding a ss of red wine, she turned gracefully to face Zion, who was standing at the door with his eyes tightly shut. Her face was blushed, and she let out a scornful sniff. ¡°Broad daylight? Zion, open your eyes. What¡¯s with the holier-than-thou act? You never said such things when we were together. What¡¯s with the sudden act of virtue now?¡±


    Zion¡¯s ears turned red with embarrassment at those words, as memories of their past affectionate moments shed before his eyes.


    Zion thought to himself, ¡®I know all too well how brutal Samantha can be when she confronts someone. Who knows what she might say next if I don¡¯t respond?¡¯ With that thought, Zion slowly opened his eyes.


    He saw that Samantha had changed positions, sitting on a chair next to the piano with her long legs crossed, the tips of her. toes lightly touching the floor, her red dress of thin gauze both revealing and concealing.


    Zion choked down a hard swallow, trying his best to y it cool, deliberately shifting his eyes away, steering clear of making eye contact with Samantha.


    In a somber tone, Zion said, ¡°Samantha, we¡¯ve already broken up. Don¡¯t do this. You¡¯re the Mitchell family heiress, the dream girl for every guy in Betrico. There are plenty of political scions that would line up for a chance with you. I¡¯m not the one.¡±


    With a heart heavy with loss, Zion uttered, ¡°I¡¯m not the one,¡± in a voiceced with destion. As soon as he finished, he couldn¡¯t face Samantha; he bowed his head, his fingers clenching into the palm of his hand.


    Samantha didn¡¯t show an ounce of anger at his words. Instead, she graced Zion with a smile that was all kinds of captivating. ¡°Zion, you broke up with me on your own. Did you get my consent? I¡¯m the one who starts the game, and I¡¯ll be the one to end it. It¡¯s not your call to cut us off. Got it?¡±


    Beneath Samantha¡¯s smile was a hidden fury. She thought to herself, ¡®This jerk still thinks about breaking up? Fine, I¡¯ll make him pay in bed.¡¯


    Zion looked at Samantha and said, ¡°Alright, then you say break up.¡±


    Hearing his words, Samantha was so angry she could have strangled him. Over the years, everyone outside praised him as a gentleman with an elegant demeanor and kind to all. But she, as the one closest to him, knew all too well that Zion was stubborn.


    Samantha red at Zion, her gaze unreadable, and a heavy silence fell between them.


    Samantha ced her ss down and strutted to Zion with a slinky grace. Standing right in front of him, she shed a captivating smile and said, ¡°Alright, if breaking up is what you want, I won¡¯t be the one to hold on tight. I¡¯m on board. Let¡¯s have a drink to sever our ties.¡± She continued, pressing the wine ss into Zion¡¯s hand and giving him a yful wink, ¡°Go ahead and drink. Once that¡¯s done, we¡¯re history.¡±


    Zion stood there, dazed, clutching the wine ss. He was the one who wanted to call it quits, but now that Samantha was the one walking away, the gut punch of loss left him struggling for air.


    Zion¡¯s hand clenched around the wine ss, slowly tightening, until after two long minutes, he raised his eyes to meet Samantha¡¯s gaze, a look of lingering reluctance in them. He downed the wine in one swift motion, a tear suddenly escaping from the corner of his eye, plummeting to the floor, and disappearing as if it had never been.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes lingered, and she thought, ¡°This guy is putting on a show of deep affection. It must be all those piano keys that scrambled his brains. Why make things soplicated when they could be simple? Love is love, and if it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. Be decisive. All these messy thoughts-this mule-headed man is just being stubborn. What¡¯s the point of crying now?¡¯


    But as Samantha saw Zion like this, a hint of tenderness welled up in her heart.


    After he finished his ss of red wine. Zion¡¯s eyes were slightly zed as he looked at Samantha with a longing gaze and said, ¡°There. I¡¯m done.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Samantha swept aside the loose, strands of hair, her wavy tresses pouring down to her waist like a cascade. ncing at Zion, whose eyes were reddened, she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gone in ten minutes. Come on over and have a seat.¡±


    Zion listened to his inner voice, telling himself he only had ten minutes, so he decided to stop holding back. He went to the sofa and sat down neatly, hands on his knees. Even though he was a man in his thirties, his gaze was as pure and clear as a teenager¡¯s.


    This was precisely the reason Samantha had noticed Zion the moment she firstid eyes on him. She craved that kind of pure gaze.


    Zion looked at Samantha, staring at him in a daze, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sit with me?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Samantha moved over and sat beside Zion. They were close enough that she could reach out and poke his lips gently. They were soft, one of the many things she¡¯d initially liked about him.


    Feeling the soft touch of Samantha¡¯s fingertips on his lips, Zion¡¯s body suddenly tensed up. Samantha had a thing for poking them, and she never seemed to get enough of it. She was well aware of Zion¡¯s sensitive spots and was about to touch his earlobe when, in the next moment, Zion¡¯s cold hand had captured her wrist, his grip gradually tightening. Pressing his lips together, he spoke with an affectionate yet warning tone, ¡°Stop teasing, would you? You know I have no defenses against you.¡±


    Samantha looked up, her eyes sparkling with a captivating charm. She released her grip and said with a straight face, ¡°No problem at all. I won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    Zion, though, felt puzzled. He wondered, ¡®How can the assertive Samantha ever be so obedient? Something about this scenario just seems strange!


    For the next eight minutes, the two fell into afortable silence, relishing the moment. Despite the air conditioning being set quite low, Zion felt a tingling in his heart, as if little bugs were gnawing at him. He nced over at Samantha, who was smiling, and something suddenly clicked for Zion. He stared back at her, her gaze inscrutable. He had recognized what was happening to him.


    Zion spoke with strained effort. ¡°Samantha, what have you done? This is insane!¡±


    Samantha, resting her chin on her hand, looked up at him and nodded without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t worry; it won¡¯t have anysting effects on you. I wouldn¡¯t do that to you.¡±


    Battling the unease in his body, Zion sighed in defeat, ¡°Just leave. I¡¯m going to take a shower, and I want you gone quickly.¡± After all, his current reaction to seeing Samantha was no different from a wolf seeing a steak.


    Samantha¡¯s mood plummeted. She thought, ¡®ver back down from what I want. The man I want is Zion, and no matter when, if I wish it, he has to be by my side, meekly staying put. If he doesn¡¯t understand it, I am ready to make him get it today.¡¯


    Samantha sneered, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    Zion looked at Samantha, reluctantly giving in. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. As Samantha raised her hand, with a meaningful gaze, Zion responded, ¡°Samantha, don¡¯t you dare back out on meter.¡±


    Samantha, her fingertips ying with a strand of her long hair, whispered seductively into Zion¡¯s ear, ¡°ver will. You can count on it.


    Zion¡¯s expression turned grim. Samantha¡¯s firecracker got going, and no one could stop her. The fact that she¡¯d cooked up this scheme to drive him crazy was both endearing and infuriating.


    It wasn¡¯t until the deep of the night that the door to Zion¡¯s master bedroom reopened, a full ten hours after midday had

 Chapter 296

    Zion came out of the room with a refreshed and invigorated dejicanor, walked to the kitchen, and poured himself a ss of lukewarm water. Samantha¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse. With the ss of water in hand, Zion returned to the room. He gazed at Samantha, who was wearing a white camisole and was covered in hickeys, and his eyes darkened. He had indeed lost control this time. No matter how much Samantha begged during the process, he didn¡¯t stop.


    Samantha lifted her gaze to look at Zion as he approached. She pursed her lips and thought, ¡®Pervert! He is a hypocritical viin, a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Forget it. This newly released medication is aplete rip¨Coff. Anyone who uses it will know what I mean.


    Samantha let out a snort. Her whole body was hurting all over. It ached like crazy. She propelled herself up from the bed, supporting herself as Zion handed her a ss of water. She downed arge gulp,pletely forgetting about maintaining any semnce of appearance at this point.


    Zion noticed a few drops of water falling and his eyes darkened again. He wondered, ¡®It felt as though the medication¡¯s effects were still lingering.


    After finishing her water, Samantha looked up and caught Zion¡¯s gaze, immediately stepping back a few steps. She thought, ¡®Even robots need some downtime, right?¡®


    Zion snapped out of his daze when he saw the defensive look on Samantha¡¯s face. He cleared his throat and asked awkwardly, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha didn¡¯t respond to him but turned and walked to the balcony. She picked up a cigarette box from the table, took out a cigarette, and lit it. The smoke rose slowly, carrying a pleasant minty scent. The cigarettes Samantha smoked were not like those avable on the market; they were specially customized and virtually harmless to the body. Her noble and aloof profile appeared and disappeared in the smoke, adding a touch of mystery and seductiveness.


    She gazed at the city lights outside the window, and then turned to Zion. ¡°Why are you doing this? What have I done? Drugged you? Fallen in love with you?¡±


    Listening to her icy tone, Zion felt a pang in his heart and started to exin, ¡°No, Samantha, you know I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±


    Samantha sneered and said, ¡°Zion, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve made a mistake that every man makes and I¡¯m just captivated by your body.¡±


    Zion knew he was indeed appealing. Samantha never hesitated topliment his appearance.


    Samantha stared into his eyes and didn¡¯t move. After a moment, she extinguished her cigarette and spoke coldly, a tone Zion had never heard before, ¡°Zion, we¡¯ve been together for ten years. This is thest time I¡¯ll ask. Have you really decided to break up with me?¡±


    Zion felt a wave of panic rise in him. He thought, ¡®Am I really going to give up on Samantha just for my fragile pride?¡®


    Samantha turned to look at Zion, whose face was full of pain.


    Her face was nk.


    Zion finally understood. He thought, ¡®Samantha meant everything to me and she was part of me. I couldn¡¯t live without her. No matter how much gossip and rumors the outside world might spread, I don¡¯t care anymore. Once Zion realized it, he felt relieved and his face became serene.


    Qnce Zion realized it, he felt relieved and his face became serene. Just as he was about to speak, Samantha interrupted him and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have hesitated. I dere that we¡¯re broken up.¡± Without a hint of hesitation, she put on her clothes and got ready to leave.


    Zion was stunned and Samantha¡¯s indifferent expression filled him with panic. He quickly stepped forward to stop Samantha from leaving and anxiously exined, ¡°Samantha, I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t want to break up anymore. 1 want to marry you.¡± Samantha¡¯s gaze at Zion was as cold and sharp as a knife. She gently pulled Zion¡¯s hand away. Her expression was cold and distant, The charm she had shown earlier was gone without a trace.


    What Zion feared the most was this side of Samantha, who was decisive and never dragged her feet when handling matters.


    Samantha looked up at Zion and said, word by word, ¡°Zion, after ten years, you still don¡¯t truly understand me. When I love you, I could pamper and protect you. But when I don¡¯t, you¡¯re not even worth the dirt on the ground. Now I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t love you anymore. I¡¯m tired of this love game. We¡¯re breaking up. Don¡¯t you get it?¡±


    Zion stared nkly at Samantha. Her words stabbed him like a knife. He thought, ¡°This is Samantha, passionate when in love, and ruthless when not. Shouldn¡¯t I have known this already?


    Zion waspletely stunned and stood there frozen, watching helplessly as Samantha pushed open the door. It wasn¡¯t until the roar of a sports car echoed from the doorway that he snapped out of it. He ran out barefoot, and as soon as he stepped outside, Samantha¡¯s car drove past him.


    He ran after the car like a madman, shouting desperately, ¡°Samantha, I was wrong. Can you give me another chance? I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t give up on me!¡± His usual grace waspletely gone.


    Samantha sat in the car, watching Zion running behind her with a faint smile on her lips. Then she floored the gas pedal, leaving him behind.


    She thought, ¡®As for why I had spoken so harshly just now, it was only to punish Zion. This time, I would make sure he never dared to rebel again. The man I loved must be firmly under my control, with no way to escape. I allowed Zion to escape to perform concerts, all for this day. If Zion really decided to give up on me, it didn¡¯t matter. Men are abundant in the world, and I, Samantha, could have as many as I wanted. Surely, I wouldn¡¯t abandon a whole forest for one tree, right? That would be totally stupid!¡®


    In Sknd, Charles, as Yvette¡¯s apprentice, was naturally assigned a room, but it was located quite a distance from Jeremiah, and Yvette¡¯s room. ording to Sknd¡¯syout, one was on the far east, the other on the far west.


    In the courtyard, Andrew looked at Charles and his mouth twitched. He thought, ¡®It¡¯s just like Mr. Chavez to never let someone who disrespected him easily. Well, herees the karma. Now, every time Charles returns to Sknd, it¡¯s a huge hassle just to get back to his room, let alone seeing Yvette on a daily basis. Mr. Chavez truly doesn¡¯t need a knife to kill someone!¡®


    Andrew patted Charles on the shoulder and said with a smirk, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ll feel sorry for you.¡± Charles nced at Andrew. There¡¯s no sign of sympathy, just a gloating look on his face.


    Yvette satfortably in her rocking chair, sipping on a strawberry milkshake, enjoying a delightful moment.


    Jeremiah nced at Charles and politely said, ¡°Charles, I wonder if you like this room.¡±


    Charles gritted his teeth and thought, ¡®Such a petty mind! It¡¯s just a title. Does he have to be so narrow¨Cminded? He arranged the amodation, and I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like it. Under Andrew¡¯s sympathetic gaze, Charles nodded reluctantly, his voice stiff. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Chavez. I like it very much, especially.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained natural, not realizing anything wrong with the arrangement. He nodded slightly and said something that almost drove Charles to anger, ¡°As long as Charles likes it, that¡¯s great. There was another room avable, right in the middle, but if you love this one so much, we¡¯ll forget about it.¡±


    Charles was speechless.


    Jeremiah naturally added, ¡°Charles, nice choice!¡°


    Yvette removed the hat shading her face, allowing the sunlight to cascade down and cast a hazy glo on her features, her eyes misty. A few droplets of sweat adorned her forehead, captivating and enchanting, while the corbone underneath her shirt gleamed white. She gazed at the three men in the courtyard, rocked her chair gently, and whispered softly, ¡°I want to have barbecue.¡±


    Andrew turned around and thought, ¡°did I lose my memory? Didn¡¯t we just finish cating? Is her appetite made of iron? I have finally witnessed how a foodie is born.¡±

 Chapter 297

    Yvette suggested having a barbecue and Andrew took on the role of grill master. As he looked at the newly set-up grill in front of him, he felt somewhat mncholy. He really wasn¡¯t confident about handling this task.


    Andrew turned his head to nce at Jeremiah, who was diligently threading items onto skewers in the pavilion, trying to win a smile from his sweetheart. Seeing this, Andrew knew he had to not only do the job but do it well. He thought to himself, Besides, it¡¯s not just anyone I¡¯m assisting, but my dearest Jeremiah. Mainly, I can¡¯t stand the way Jeremiah looks at me. But Mr. Chavez is truly cunning. He skewers food right next to his sweetheart. Such a scheming boy! Who are these two trying to show off their affection to?


    Andrew turned his head and saw Charles in front of him, busy starting a charcoal fire. He suddenly felt a lot more bnced and thought. If even an artist is engaged in such a task, why should I feel upset? I might as well get back to work. However, before starting, Andrew mischievously approached Charles and watched him start the fire skillfully, thinking to himself, Wow! Artists are really good at lighting fires these days?¡¯


    Andrew said to Charles, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty skilled at this. It feels like you do this every day, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Charles nced at the grinning Andrew and thought, ¡®Compared to Mr. Chavez, this man might be more to my liking. Simple-minded people are quite nice. Charles ced the lit coals to the side and skillfully fanned them to make the mes stronger.


    Charles spoke up, ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡± He nced at Yvette in the distance and said, ¡°It was Yve who taught me how to start a fire. His gaze softened with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Charles thought, ¡®It must have been ten years ago. I joined the Seventy-Two Chambers with a rtively high position, so ver bothered with such trivia myself. I was fine with killing, but not so good with starting fires. Later, when Yve took me as a disciple and we were the only two left training in the base, the task of starting fires and grilling meat fell to me every day.


    Upon hearing this, Andrew was taken aback and thought, ¡®Wow! I don¡¯t expect that Yvette taught Charles that much, not only how to paint but also how to start a fire. Her teaching covers a really wide range of topics! She¡¯s aiming to cultivate his all- round abilities!¡¯


    Andrew remarked with emotion, ¡°Charles, you really got a great deal by taking her as your mentor.¡± Charles nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah, the best decision of my life was taking Yve as my mentor.¡±


    Seeing that everything was ready, Andrew quickly returned to his spot and gazed at the meat in front him. He vowed to himself that he would grill the best skewers of his life for the sake of Mr. Chavez¡¯s love.


    Ten minutester, Yvette, Jeremiah, and Charles gathered around Andrew. They looked at Andrew, who had soot all over his face and the strings of charred, unrecognizable items in his hands. They all fell silent together.


    Andrew held the skewers in his hands. He was near tears, wondering if he had ruined Mr. Chavez¡¯s love.


    Jesse pointed at the skewers in Andrew¡¯s hand and coughed awkwardly. ¡°What on earth is this?¡±


    Andrew scratched the back of his head and nervously exined, ¡°These are beef skewers. I just didn¡¯t get the cooking time right, so they¡¯re a bit overdone, but I promise they still taste great. They just don¡¯t look very good, but they¡¯re edible, really, trust me.¡±


    Charles looked clearly unconvinced and said, ¡°Edible? Come on, do you think our stomachs can handle this?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at the ckened ¡°beef skewers¡± in front of him, nodded and said in a serious tone, ¡°Andrew, is this what you call the top grill master in Betrico?¡±


    Andrew, feeling guilty, mumbled, ¡°Well. Even a veteran can make a mistake.¡± In reality, this was his first time grilling, but he would never admit it. He volunteered to grill for a simple reason that the other two men were showcasing their skills and techniques, so he had to find something to show off as well. He thought that cooking the meat would be an easy task, but who knew it would be so uncontroble. It burns so easily. It was so embarrassing.


    Yvette leanedzily against a pir, hands in her pockets, with her eyes half-closed. She nced at the three of them and spoke in azy, husky voice, ¡°Clean this up, and I¡¯ll do the grilling.¡±


    Upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Charles swallowed, started cleaning up the mess before Jeremiah and Andrew could react, and urged the other two to doing so. ¡°Hurry up! Yve is going to grill the meat herself!¡±


    Seeing Charles so eager and fawning, Andrew was utterly confused and thought, ¡®Even if Yvette intended to grill the meat herself, there was no need to be this excited, right?¡¯ He said,¡± Charles, anyone who didn¡¯t know better would think she¡¯s preparing a Thanksgiving feast!¡±


    Charles looked up at Andrew and didn¡¯t say a word. He thought Wait till Andrew tries the grilled meat made by Yve and see if he¡¯ll still talk like that. Yve is actually really inexperienced in cooking, but somehow, the meat she grilled is absolutely delicious.¡¯


    Jeremiah turned to the side.


    He raised his eyebrow. ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyes and beckoned Jeremiah with her fingers. Jeremiah understood and walked over obediently. Yvette extended her beautiful, slender fingers and tapped on his chest, with a faint smile ying on her lips. She said, ¡°My little sweetie, just wait patiently, and I promise you¡¯ll have a delicious and satisfying meal.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s deep, dark eyes dimmed slightly upon hearing the girl¡¯s words. He thought, ¡®She called me little sweetie? And let me eat well and be satisfied? That¡¯s probably difficult!¡¯ Jeremiah smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to eat well and be satisfied. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Yvette kicked a stone by her foot, nced at him casually and thought, ¡®What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡¯


    Andrew and Charles exchanged a look. exchanged a nce. Everything was understood without a word. Andrew thought, ¡°Is it no surprise that my Jeremiah can remain soposed even when called little sweetie? Charles thought, ¡®Yve is so incredibly impressive that even Jeremiah would have to obey her. This day is really exciting.¡¯


    After they cleaned up the mess Andrew left behind, Yvette immediately took the seat where Andrew had just been. For the next ten minutes, Andrew and Charles sat quietly on the pavilion chairs, while Jeremiah stood beside Yvette, helping her with tes and barbecue seasonings. As the two stood together, the afterglow of the sunset cast down upon them, making even their backs look perfectly matched. This must be what they call a feast for the eyes.


    After taking a bite of the grilled skewers that Yvette had prepared, Andrew waspletely surprised. ¡°Wow, this is incredibly delicious!¡± Andrew couldn¡¯t stop himself, eating skewer after skewer. While enjoying the food, he didn¡¯t forget to tter Yvette, and said, ¡°Yvette, your grilling skills are truly extraordinary! Oh my god, I swear this is the best grilled skewers I¡¯ve ever had. What was I eating before this? This is so good!¡±


    Charles tasted the familiar vor, just as delicious as it was years ago. However, the setting and his mood had changed. Back then, he was constrained, but now he was free, no longer bound by anyone.


    Jeremiah took a bite and was slightly surprised. He really hadn¡¯t expected the grilled skewers made by Yvette to be so delicious. Normally, he didn¡¯t eat much meat, but he ate several skewers and still wanted more.


    As the sun set, golden sunlight filled the courtyard, covering the buildings in ayer of radiant light.. The evening breeze gently blew, making them feel slightly tipsy and immersed in a serene atmosphere of tranquil times.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Yvette snuggled into the chair, wrapped in the jacket Jeremiah had just handed her, with her feet crossed. She felt rxed and carefree, looked at the three people in front of her and slowly asked, ¡°Do you guys want to have a drink?¡±

 Chapter 298

    Andrew immediately put down his skewers and agreed. ¡°Yvette, you want to have a drink? You should have told me earlier! Red wine, white wine, or beer? Which one do you prefer? How about we have all of them?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Charles didn¡¯t mind at all. He thought, ¡®I haven¡¯t had a drink with Yvette for so many years, and it would be nice to have one now! I am actually quite looking forward to it. Yvette probably could drink three times as much as me!


    Yvette nced at them calmly and, for safety reasons, she thought it was necessary to ask about both of their health conditions first. Her voice was as cool as ever. She slowly asked, ¡°Are you two good at taking a beating? How¡¯s your recovery ability?


    Andrew thought Yvette was just trying to lighten the mood and joked around, so he patted his chest confidently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yvette. I¡¯m so tough.¡± Yvette then turned her gaze to Charles, feeling the need to ask him as well, ¡°And you?¡± Charles didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming Yvette was just casually asking. So, he replied earnestly, ¡°Yve, I haven¡¯t neglected anything you taught me over the years. I¡¯ve been practicing and I won¡¯t let you down, trust me.¡± Yvette¡¯s gaze paused for a moment, and then she concluded that there should be no problem.


    Upon hearing those words, Jeremiah was the only one in the room who tensed up a little, and his face showed brief awkwardness. He thought, ¡®Yvette definitely couldn¡¯t drink anymore. Her drunken state is simply too t¨¨rrifying.¡¯ Jeremiah watched the two enjoying themselves and, after a few moments of silence, decided to intervene out ofpassion. He addressed Andrew, who was about to fetch the alcohol, with a serious expression, ¡°Andrew, I remember there is already out of wine. let¡¯s wrap up for today.¡± Then he gave Andrew a look, indicating for him not to proceed.


    Andrew instantly understood what Jeremiah¡¯s look meant. He thought, ¡®Could I not grasp what Mr. Chavez is thinking after being friends for so many years? My mission today is to get Yvette drunk so that Jeremiah could kiss and hug her.¡® Andrew gave Jeremiah a reassuring look and then swaggered into the room to fetch some drinks. Jeremiah felt relieved, thinking that Andrew had understood his intentions.


    Charles didn¡¯t miss the exchange of nces between the two. He saw things more clearly than Andrew. He thought, ¡®What? Does Jeremiah not want Yvette to drink? That is quite conservative of him.¡® Looking at Jeremiah, Charles spoke up, ¡°Mr. Chavez, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll just have a little, and definitely won¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    Jeremiah turned to look at Charles with an unreadable expression. He thought, ¡®It¡¯s fine. People create their own problems. And then he said, ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t regret it.¡± Upon hearing this, Charles was even more confused and thought, ¡®How could drinking a little wine be connected to regret?¡®


    Yvette took a bite of the beef skewer and nestled quietly in her chair, waiting for Andrew. When Andrew came back with wine, he happened to meet Samanthaing in from outside the courtyard.


    Samantha had been sleeping soundly since she got home yesterday. She didn¡¯t wake up until the afternoon. After calling Andrew, she learned that they were going to have a barbecue and that Yvette was also there. Who wouldn¡¯t want to join in on such fun? However, this time she didn¡¯t put much effort into her makeup; she just tidied herself up a bit and wore a simple simple monochrome dress before driving over. With Yvette there, it didn¡¯t matter if she wore makeup or not; Yvette¡¯s beauty couldn¡¯t be outdone. Her vi in Sknd hadn¡¯t been decorated yet. It looked like she needed to get a move on with that now, or else how could she be good neighbors with Yvette?


    As soon as Samantha came in, she saw Andrew holding red wine, white wine, and some beer. She dashed over like she was in a sprint and thought, ¡®Oh! With Yvette here, how could these be here? Is this drinking, or risking one¡¯s life?¡® Instantly, Samantha¡¯s mind shed back to the incident at the club that day.


    Andrew got momentarily distracted and Samantha quickly took the wine from his hand. The other people present didn¡¯t seem surprised to see Samantha; they had already known she wasing. Only Charles didn¡¯t know and gazed her for a long time, wondering why this woman seemed so familiar.


    Andrew said, ¡°Samantha, what are you doing? Why are you taking my wine? It¡¯s for Yvette.¡± Samantha steadied herself when she heard this. Without saying a word, she struck Andrew¡¯s back of the head and whispered, ¡°You little brat, I am saving your life! You absolutely can¡¯t drink this.¡±


    Andrew thought, ¡®Has Samantha lost her mind? Why can¡¯t we drink the wine? Does she dislike Yvette? Didn¡¯t they meet? She praised Yvette so highly, so why can¡¯t she even have a drink now What¡¯s going on?¡®


    With the wine in her hand, Samantha instantly came up with andea. For everyone¡¯s safety, she was ready to give it her all. She turned around with a bright smile, nning to pretend to fall. It was time to test her acting skills. Just as Samantha was about to fall, she was caught by big hands. She cursed inwardly, shit! She knew all too well whose hands these were.


    Andrew caught Samantha as she was about to fall He said, ¡°Samantha, what are you doing? How can you fall on t ground?¡±


    Samantha paused for a moment, then stood up straight. She looked at Andrew¡¯s innocent face, clenched her teeth, and thought to herself, ¡®If anyone wants to take this silly kid off my hands, please do so now! Samantha took a deep breath, gave Andrew a big smile and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Carry the wine carefully and don¡¯t drop it.¡±


    Andrew felt a shiver go down his spine when he saw her smile. He confidently promised he wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t resist teasing Samantha a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not everyone is as clumsy as you. I won¡¯t fall t on as you did.¡±


    Samantha and Andrew walked to the pavilion. Samantha looked at Yvette, who was casually slouched in the chair, and greeted her first. ¡°Hi, we meet again.¡± She then turned to Jeremiah and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez.¡± She just nodded as a greeting to the really handsome guy next to Mr. Chavez. He must not be from their social circle.


    Yvette looked up, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully, and said in a cool and detached voice, ¡°Hi.¡± Rebellious yet enchanting, cool yet captivating¨Cthat was how Samantha saw Yvette.


    Samantha noticed Yvette¡¯s expression, which seemed to say she already knew what Samantha was thinking. It made Samantha feel a bit guilty.


    Andrew put the wine on the table, then cheekily sidled over next to Jeremiah and said, ¡°Jeremiah, I got you, All this booze is top¨Cshelf.¡± Jeremiah had his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless. He turned his head to look at Andrew, raised an eyebrow, and said casually, ¡°You really get me, that¡¯s nice. Just hope you¡¯re prepared for whateveres next.¡± Jeremiah gave Andrew a smile that was quite simr to Samantha¡¯s.


    That smile from Jeremiah almost scared Andrew off. He finally realized something was very wrong. It was one of the top ten unsolved mysteries of the world that why Mr. Chavez smiled at him for no reason.


    Charles, who had been sitting inconspicuously on the side of the table, nced at the woman sitting next to Yvette, and thought, ¡®Her appearance is strikingly simr to that woman, but she said her name was Samantha, a different name. Except that day, the woman had on heavy makeup, and today this woman is barely wearing any. Could they possibly be the same person?¡®


    Charles stared at Samantha and suddenly spoke up, ¡°Hello, did you visit an underground bar in South East Aploth three years ago?¡±

 Chapter 299

    Samantha, still talking to Yvette, stiffened instantly upon hearing those words. She thought to herself, ¡°Three years ago? An underground bar in South East Aploth? Of course, I had been there. Not only had I been there, but I also did something so foolish that I don¡¯t even want to remember it now!


    Samantha¡¯s head started to ache, Could it be that she had such bad luck to run into him here? That would be incredibly unlucky!


    Samantha¡¯s silence drew the attention of everyone present. Except for Charles, who was ring at her. Jeremiah and Andrew also turned to look at her. They thought, ¡®What¡¯s happening now? Could it be that they met three years ago? From Charles¡¯s words, that¡¯s what it seems to suggest.


    Yvette nced at Charles, who was clearly very angry, lowered her eyes and raised an eyebrow. A glimmer passed through her cool eyes. She thought, ¡°Three years ago, there was a rumor about Charles in the underworld of Mysonna, and no one knew if it was true or not. Now, it seems that it must be true.


    Samantha raised her head.


    She smiled brightly as she scrutinized Charles. She thought, ¡®Indeed, his face looks quite familiar. But it was so dark at that time that I didn¡¯t really seen him clearly. Now, upon closer inspection, his facial features, face shape, and even his body build are all quite simr. Who else can ask such a question besides the person himself? Clearly, his name is Charles. Oh my god! If only a lightning bolt would strike me now and knock me unconscious. I must deny it all the way. After all, back then, he was incoherent and definitely didn¡¯t get a clear look at my face. Otherwise, would he be so polite in asking, instead of just strangling me?¡®


    Andrew thought, ¡®I have never seen Samantha this silent before. Something is definitely fishy between the two of them. I am really curious and must get to the bottom of this. On a dark and windy night, in an underground bar, what could a man and a woman possibly do? Just imagining the scene makes it seem pretty wild!¡®


    Andrew¡¯s gaze darted between Charles and Samantha, looking as if he had suddenly realized something, and began his daring and reckless spection. ¡°Samantha, you¡¯re not that kind of heartbreakers? Three years ago, you ran into Charles at an underground bar in South East Aploth. He fell in love with you at first sight, and you were mesmerized by his good looks. After a night together, you got what you wanted from him but didn¡¯t cherish it, and then dumped him and came back, right? Just admit it.¡± He was almost ready to hold up a sign that said ¡°Samantha is a heartbreaker!¡±


    As he was feeling smug about his brilliant guess, Samantha stood up from her chair with a smile and kicked Andrew, who was grinning like an idiot. Andrew waspletely unprepared and fell to the ground from the kick.


    Andrew got up from the floor, rubbed his buttocks andined to Samantha, ¡°Hey, you ambushed me! At least give me a heads¨Cup next time!¡±


    Jeremiah sat next to Yvette, peeling a pomegranate. Halfway through, the crystal¨Cclear pomegranate seedsy beautifully on a transparent te. He nced at Andrew, who was getting up from the floor, and said to Samantha in a calm voice, ¡°Too gentle.¡± Yvette gave Andrew a sideways look, curled her lips, and said slowly, ¡°You can give it another kick.¡±


    Andrew thought, ¡°The world is getting more dangerous. Jeremiah and Yvette are bing increasingly inhumane.¡®


    Samantha looked at Andrew and gritted her teeth, wondering what sin she hadmitted in her past life to have such a troublesome younger brother. Grinding her teeth in irritation, Samantha said, ¡°Andrew, you really are my true brother.¡±


    Andrew replied defiantly, ¡°Samantha, it¡¯s not my fault. Novels always start with the couple chasing each other, until one finally can¡¯t escape. That¡¯s how it goes! I¡¯ve read about Charles¡¯s questions in novels before. I just made a guess. If it¡¯s not right, okay, but why kick me?¡±


    Samantha got even more upset at this. Andrew, a man, preferred nothing more than staying at home reading romance novels. An entire wall in her house was covered with all kinds ofic books and various novels. In reality, he hasn¡¯t even been in a rtionship, yet he gave Mr. Chavez tips about love. He was all talk and no action.


    Yvette lounged casually in the armchair, sipping a ss of red wine. She raised her eyes, nced at Andrew¡¯s sad face, and then turned her head to look at Jeremiah who was peeling a ponegranate. She said to Jeremiah in a clear and cold voice, ¡°Did Andrew give you the novel?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand paused briefly. He tilted his head and gently pinched her soft fingertip. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Yes¡±


    Yvette smirked and finished the wine in her ss. Then she stopped speaking. She had a goal.


    Charles stared at Samantha, ignoring everyone else, and asked again, ¡°Was it you three years ago?¡±


    Samantha felt the eyes on her back and her body stiffened slightly. She turned around to face Charles¡¯s suspicious dark eyes and instantly adopted a sweet demeanor. Her attitude was exceptionally polite. ¡°Charles, I think you¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯t go to South East Aploth three years ago. Maybe the woman you me just looked like me, and that¡¯s why you got us confused.¡± She couldn¡¯t admit it, no way. Admitting it might get her into serious trouble.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Charles clearly didn¡¯t believe any of it and was nowpletely sure that the woman from back then was Samantha, standing right in front of him, as stubborn as ever. He thought, ¡®After all these years, I have finally caught up with this woman. I had be the biggest joke in Mysonna¡¯s underworld back then just because of her!


    Charles¡¯s expression was ice¨Ccold, veins bulging on his neck. He stared at Samantha with an unreadable smile. He pressed his lips together and softly asked, ¡°Samantha, do you remember if there was a check for 15 million dors inside that dress back then?¡±


    Samantha instinctively shook her head and immediately denied it. ¡°Are you kidding? What check? It was just a piece of scrap paper.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the pavilion fell into silence.


    Samantha looked at the silent group. ¡°Why are you all staring at me like that? I mean it, I wouldn¡¯t take that kind of money!¡±


    Andrew nudged Samantha¡¯s sleeve with a peculiar expression on his face. He thought, ¡®Even Samantha isn¡¯t always sharp, is she? Haven¡¯t she just admitted it herself?¡® Then he said, ¡°Samantha, you¡¯ve exposed yourself.¡±


    Samantha finally realized what was happening, and her expression instantly froze. She thought, ¡®Shit! Charles doesn¡¯t y by the rules. If it weren¡¯t for my guilt, I wouldn¡¯t have been tricked out like this. I was being too careless.¡¯ Samantha immediately took two steps back and looked at Charles with caution.


    Charles kept a stern face, his fists clenched tightly. He had vowed back then that if he ever caught this woman, he¡¯d tear her apart. Little did he expect that she was actually a friend of Yvette. So now he couldn¡¯t hit or kill her, which made him even more frustrated.


    The atmosphere on site wasn¡¯t good at all. The two of them stared at each other and there was an indescribable meaning in their eyes.


    Andrew rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He wondered if guessing again would get him another kick. Forget it. He couldn¡¯t afford another kick to his rear. Better not take that risk.


    Andrew asked cautiously, ¡°We¡¯ve been chatting for a while. Mind if I ask something? What really happened between the two of you at that bar in South East Aploth three years ago? What kind of grudge are you holding? Come on.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Charles¡¯s demeanor became even colder, with the air pressure around him suddenly dropping. He furrowed his brow and spoke in a frosty tone, ¡°Let Samantha exin what she did, alright?¡±

 Chapter 300

    Samantha choked up for a moment and thought, ¡®Since he¡¯s not afraid of losing face, why should I be?¡®


    Samantha sat back in her chair, nced around at everyone. She cleared her throat gently and said, ¡°Three years ago, I went to South East Aploth to expand ourpany¡¯s projects and partnered with a local firm. However, they pulled a fast one on me by hiring someone to rob me of my wallet and luggage. Unable to reach anyone at that moment, I ended up encountering him in a dark alley near a bar.¡±


    As Samantha spoke, she pointed to Charles, whose face was stone¨Ccold, and her expression became a bit unnatural. After a brief pause, she continued to say, ¡°At that time, he seemed to be wounded by a gunshot in the alley. I noticed a ck suitcase nearby, filled with quite a bit of cash. So, I just took a few bills to tide me over.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Samantha and thought, ¡°If it were as simple as that, Charles wouldn¡¯t be this angry.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Andrew felt immense sorrow and anger. He thought, ¡®None of us knew about this. That bold and reckless South East Aplothpany actually dared to target his sister. What an idiot!¡±


    Andrew was furious and asked, ¡°Samantha, what¡¯s the name of thatpany? Do they go bankrupt?¡±


    Samantha nced at Andrew, and said, ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t let someone like that off easily. After I came back, I used my own ways to bring thatpany down.¡± Thinking about it now, her voice turns cold. Then she continued to say, ¡°I brought thatpany down back then and the person behind the scheme is probably picking trash somewhere now.¡±


    Andrew thought Charles was upset over this, so he quickly patted Charles on the shoulder and said, ¡°Bro, if it¡¯s because my sister took your money, I apologize for her. Let me treat you to a meal and some drinks, and please don¡¯t be upset anymore.¡±


    Charles looked at Samantha.


    He said with his eyes flickered, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Samantha knew Charles wasn¡¯t upset about just money. With some reluctance, she exined to Charles, ¡°At that time, I really had no choice. My suitcase was robbed, and I didn¡¯t even have any clothes to wear. It was so cold at night, so I just took off your shirt and wore it. Hey, at least I used your phone to call for an ambnce for you.¡± Hearing that, Charles sneered.


    In fact, Samantha really did call him an ambnce and the ambnce came and took the disheveled Charles to the hospital. Along the way, people took photos of him, a shirtless and injured man being carried out of a bar alley in the middle of the night. How could you possibly put a positive spin on that? By the next day, it was all over the local headlines and his face was shown without any mosaics. This incidentter became known to the entire underworld in Mysonna, and became the biggest joke of his life. How could Charles not be angry?


    After Samantha finished speaking, Andrew also fell silent and gave her a look that suggested she was on her own. He thought, ¡®If I were Charles, I would probably want to kill Samantha too. It was such a huge embarrassment!¡±


    Of course, Samantha knew she was wrong, and what she did wasn¡¯t right. So, Samantha, who had never apologized to anyone in over twenty years, admitted her mistake this time. She faced Charles and said, ¡°I really owe you an apology for this. You can do whatever you want to me.¡±


    Andrew hesitated for a moment and stepped forward, standing in front of Samantha, his tall presence radiating a sense of safety.


    Samantha suddenly felt a bit moved. She thought, ¡®Had the day finallye when Andrew was mature enough to protect me?¡®


    Charles nced at the two siblings who seemed deeply attached to each other and snorted. However, the next second, Andrew extended his hand in a gesture of ¡°please,¡± then stepped aside and said with a smile, ¡°Charles, Samantha won¡¯t fight back. So you better hurry and take this rare opportunity. Go ahead and don¡¯t hesitate. Just make sure fot to hurt anyone innocent. Although we¡¯re siblings, we¡¯re not that close. I won¡¯t feel embarrassed.¡±


    Charles was taken aback and felt a little confused for the first time in his life. He was now questioning if these two were really siblings. Weren¡¯t they half¨Csiblings?


    Samantha felt like her earlier feelings of being touched werepletely wasted. She thought, ¡®Do I have a younger brother? I am sure I don¡¯t. I have already decided on what his epitaph would say


    Yvette looked at the empty wine ss in front of her, just about to pour herself another. Jeremiah¡¯srge hand covered hers. He gave a slight smile and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Enough for now let¡¯s drink again next time.¡±


    Yvette half¨Cclosed her eyes and flipped her hair, her exquisite features seemingly bathed in golden light under the setting sun. Her gaze was pure, dark, and shiny.


    Yvette gave Jeremiah a gentle smile that reached her eyes, with light and shadow mingling, like the brightness of blooming flowers, which made Jeremiah¡¯s breathing slow down for a moment. They were in their own world, into which no one else could blend.


    Yvette nodded obediently.


    She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay, no more drinking.¡± Then she ced her hands on both sides of her knees, sitting even straighter than a primary school student. Jeremiah sighed and thought, ¡®Alright. She was being so well¨Cbehaved; she must be drunk again.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Charles watched Samantha and said in a deep voice, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s leave the past behind us.¡±


    Samantha was surprised that Charles let it go so easily, considering he didn¡¯t seem like someone to mess with. After all, anyone who could.silently endure so much bloodshed surely wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. Samantha knew in her heart that it was only because of Yvette. Turning her head, Samantha finally had the chance to look at Jeremiah and Yvette.


    When Samantha saw Yvette sitting on the couch without any expression, and the empty wine ss in front of her, she knew it was all over. She quickly stepped forward and asked Jeremiah, ¡°Mr. Chavez, how many sses has she had?¡±


    Jeremiah rubbed his temples, and replied in a deep voice, ¡°Two sses.¡±


    Upon hearing Samantha¡¯s voice, Yvette turned to look at her and shed a broad smile. Samantha felt like she was on high, alert. She thought, ¡®Yvette had smiled, exactly the same smile as before she attacked peoplest time.¡® Samantha quickly took steps back.


    Andrew and Charles watched her reaction, feeling very puzzled. They wondered, ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡® Samantha nced back at Charles and Andrew, staying silent for several seconds. She thought, ¡®Charles is a decent guy, and I owe him quite a favor. I need to repay him. Andrew? I have already decided what to put on his tombstone anyway. So I might choose him to save myself some hassle.


    After Samantha¡¯s thoughtless deliberation, she turned to Jeremiah and said something only the two of them could understand, ¡°Mr. Chavez, two choices, I pick Andrew, what about you?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile as he nced at Charles and Andrew, both confused. There was still a bit of brotherly bond there. So In a low voice, he said, ¡°I choose Charles.¡±


    Samantha felt frustrated. Their opinions didn¡¯t match, so it would be difficult to proceed. She thought, ¡®What did Charles do to annoy Mr. Chavez? Why did Mr. Chavez choose Charles at this moment? Well, it looks like the decision has to go to the person who¡¯s already drunk.


    Samantha looked at Yvette with sincerity in her eyes, and carefully asked, ¡°Yve, who would you pick between Charles and Andrew?¡±


    Yvette loved making choices most when she was drunk. She raised her eyes, with a hint of haziness and confusion in the depths of her pupils, and slowly murmured, ¡°Pick who? Is this a multiple¨Cchoice question?¡±


    Samantha said, ¡°That¡¯s right, you need to choose one. Only one person have wishes.¡±

 Chapter 301

    Jeremiah rubbed his check and nced at Andrew, who was all excited. He thought, ¡®If someone is beyond saving, just let it be He can¡¯t go against fate.


    Samantha leaned closer to Andrew and said, ¡°Little brother, I wish you all the best. In another life, remember to choose a good family.¡± Now¡¯s the time to show some real sibling affection.


    Andrew snorted indifferently. Jealousy, he thought, ¡®my sister is obviously jealous, but I am not going to fall for it!


    ¡°Yvette, I have quite a few wishes. Are you really going to help me fulfill them all?¡± Andrew had a ttering look on his face as he eagerly asked Yvette.


    Samantha twitched the corner of her mouth as she looked at Andrew. The scene was just hard to watch, her brother was so dumb it left her speechless.


    Charles must have felt something was wrong. He just sat there without even striving for anything. Actually, he had already noticed something was off with Yvette; her eyes shouldn¡¯t have been that nk. Plus, the way Jeremiah and Samantha were acting was hard not to be suspicious.


    Andrew turned his head and said to Charles, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ll take it this time, but next time it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    Charles sat on the bench and smiled, giving a look that suggested ¡°do as you please.¡±


    and was silent for a few Yvette looked at Andrew, who was smiling at her in a ttering manner. She lowered her gaze seconds. Then she looked up at him, thinking, ¡®I knew this guy, so I couldn¡¯t just take his life. How should I fight?¡® Yvette nced at him with a hint of disdain in her eyes.


    Andrew noticed the clear disdain in Yvette¡¯s eyes and quickly said, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t worry. I have only three wishes, and I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± He was afraid she might regret it.


    Yvette looked up. Her fingertips lightly rested on the sides of the couch, revealing a slender and toned wrist. She said slowly, ¡°Oh, in that case,e over.¡±


    just then, Jeremiah suddenly stood up, leaned over, and gently tucked Yvette¡¯s short blonde hair behind her ear. His gaze lingered on her wless face. With a small sigh, he spoke in an intoxicating and enticing voice, ¡°Be good and remember to be gentle.¡±


    Yvette lifted her dewy eyes, gazing at Jeremiah, who was inches away. She swallowed hard, thinking, ¡®His face looks so tempting! What if it¡¯s just too tempting?¡®


    Before anyone realized it, she gave Jeremiah a quick kiss on the cheek. As if it wasn¡¯t satisfying enough, she gently nibbled on it, not exerting much force.


    Jeremiah was taken aback. He looked at Yvette¡¯s rosy, delicate face, feeling the gentle touch on his left cheek. His back stiffened slightly. His fingers tightened into a fist; no one knew what he was feeling at that moment.


    The other three people in the gazebo immediately turned away, wondering, ¡®Should we really be seeing this?¡® Charles, Samantha, and Andrew moved as if they had nned it.


    This was Charles¡® first time seeing such a close moment between Yvette and Jeremiah, and he honestly couldn¡¯t figure out his feelings. The god in his heart was pulled right off the pedestal by the man in front of him!


    Samantha was just about to start pping and cheering. It¡¯s yet another day of being a fangirl for Yvette. She thought, ¡®Who could handle this sudden moment?¡®


    Andrew was probably the calmest one of them all. After all, in Seacrity, he was always the big third wheel between them. He thought, ¡®What haven¡¯t I seen? Forget it¡­This was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen something like that! You¡¯re amazing, Yvette!¡®


    Yvette had no idea thather¨Ctipsy, casual action left everyone in the roompletely shocked. After Yvette kissed Jeremiah, she immediately pushed him aside with seamless ease.


    Samantha, Andrew, and Charles, all had the same two words shing through their minds, ¡®g fernale! Isn¡¯t this just hit- and¨Crun flirting?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette and chuckled dotingly. Yvette was born to keep him in line, and he had long epted it.


    Yvette politely asked Andrew, ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe over yet?


    Upon hearing this, Andrew happily scampered over, replying, ¡°Coming.¡±


    Observing Yvette¡¯s clearly inebriated state, Charles pondered, ¡®Yvette had two drinks and got wasted? This is practically unbelievable. Is the almighty Yvette really a lightweight? This can¡¯t be true, right? It¡¯s unbelievable!¡®


    Andrew confidently strutted over, waving sinugly at Samantha and Charles.


    Jeremiah briskly walked over to Samantha and Charles and coldly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Momentarily surprised, Charles thought, ¡®That petty man actually left Andrew alone with Yvette in a gazebo? Everything about this seems strange. He didn¡¯t move and turned his gaze to Samantha.


    Samantha didn¡¯t want to stay here either. Every additional minute just increased the danger. She reached out and patted Charles, speaking earnestly, ¡°Hurry up, if we don¡¯t leave now, it¡¯ll be toote, you know?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Charles became even more suspicious seeing them talk like that. He nced back at Yvette¡¯s expressionless face and Andrew¡¯s grinning one as they sat on the bench. Feeling resigned, he got up and followed them back inside.


    The living room had a great view, and everything happening outside could be seen clearly. The soundproofing was excellent.


    Charles stood by the window for a good half hour, not from ack of desire to move, but because he couldn¡¯t believe the intense scene unfolding before him. Yvette lifted Andrew as if he were a child and tossed him into the air, then yfully hung him on a tree branch. After lowering him down, she had him perform squats and push¨Cups, his formcking precision. Without hesitation, Yvette fetched a vine from the yard and repeatedly struck Andrew¡¯s palm with it. Midway through, when Andrew attempted to flee into the house, Yvette caught him by his cor just as he reached the door, pulled him back, and continued her scolding.


    Charles pondered, ¡®Why does this scene feel so familiar? It seems like I have experienced something simr before.


    From inside the house, he could see Andrew¡¯s expression shift from initial confusion to a painful grimace. The soundproofing was so good that he couldn¡¯t hear Andrew yelling, but he could read his lips. It was clear that Andrew was calling for help. Andrew was now tied to a post, mouthing words. It seemed like he was reciting poetry.


    Charles noticed Andrew looking repeatedly towards the house, his expression pleading for help. He looked quite pitiful.


    Turning around to nce at Jeremiah and Samantha, who were drinking coffee in the living room, Charles felt unsettled, ¡®Jeremiah was one thing, but Samantha was pretty ruthless. That was her own brother! If Yvette kept going like this, Andrew might not survive.¡±


    Charles walked over and sat down on the sofa. He watched the two of them drink their coffee as if nothing were happening. He hesitantly spoke, ¡°So, does Yvette always act like this when she¡¯s had too much? I don¡¯t think Andrew can hold out much longer.¡±


    Samantha heard this and her expression remained unchanged as she nced up slightly. She said calmly, ¡°No worries, as long as he¡¯s still breathing, it¡¯s fine. Come on, have some coffee.¡±


    Jeremiah looked up and nced at the two people in the yard. Yvette¡¯s posture was like that of a tiny bandit, so cute.


    At that moment, Yvette was sitting cross¨Clegged on a chair, fiddling with a small vine stick. Her chin was resting on her hand. She was swinging her little feet, making some random small talk with Andrew, possibly about geography judging by the movement of her lips.


    Charles turned to Jeremiah, ¡°Jeremiah, should we really not step in to help Andrew?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s blue eyes were in different, casually curving into a smile. ¡°Yvette hasn¡¯t had enough fun yet.¡±

 Chapter 302

    Charles was at a loss for words.


    Right now, Andrew was just like a poor toy for the drunken Yvette.


    Samantha got up and walked to the window.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Charles nced over and thought, ¡®Samantha¡¯s just pretending to be careless. After all, Andrew¡¯s her little brother.


    But the next moment, Charles was almost knocked out of his senses when Samantha said to Jeremiah with her hands on her chin, looking at Andrew tied to the post in the yard, ¡°Mr. Chavez don¡¯t you think Yvette is being too nice to the brat? That model fromst time was wretchedpared to him. Yvette is sjich a kind girl¡±


    Jeremiah put down his coffee cup, leaning back on the sofa with his legs crossed casually, and gave a slight nod.


    ¡°Yvette has always been kind.¡±


    Shocked at their conversation, Charles thought, ¡®What are these two talking about?


    ¡®Even I as a devoted fan of Yvette find it unbelievable.


    ¡®Kind? Yvette? Isn¡¯t she the one in charge of the Seventy-Two Chambers and infamous for her cruelty throughout Mysonna¡¯s underground world?


    Imust have misheard. That¡¯s the only exnation.¡¯


    In the yard, Andrew excitedly drew circles on the ground with his foot when he saw Samantha through the window.


    He could have used his hands instead if he was not all tied up.


    Both mentally and physically exhausted, Andrew never imagined that the opportunity he fought so hard for would end up like this.


    Not only were his wishes shattered, but now his life might end here.


    By now Andrew would be a fool if he couldn¡¯t tell that Yvette was drunk, but he wondered in puzzlement, ¡®Howe she got drunk so easily?


    ¡®Didn¡¯t she im she was good at drinking?


    ¡®And why is she so scary when drunk?¡¯


    Samantha waved at Andrew after noticing his distress signal and walked back to the couch.


    She sighed while sitting down. ¡°Mr. Chavez, if I were a man, I¡¯dpete with you for Yvette.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Samantha and said casually, ¡°Sorry. You missed your chance.¡±


    Undiscouraged, Samantha thought, ¡®So what? I could at least be sisters with Yvette.¡¯


    Charles quietly took a sip of coffee and thought, ¡®I pray for you, Andrew.


    ¡®But there¡¯s nothing else I can do for you.


    ¡®Besides, I don¡¯t want to look strange among people.¡¯


    Then Charles joined the conversation with the other two,pletely forgetting about Andrew.


    The next day at eight o¡¯clock, Yvette opened her eyes right on time, finding the space next to her as empty as usual except for a faint hint of inint.


    She briskly got up to wash, selected a simple tracksuit from the closet, and went downstairs where Samantha, Andrew, and Charles were already waiting for her with a dazzling variety of breakfasts on the table.


    Yvette walked over, but as soon as she sat down, Andrew sprang up from his chair and eximed, ¡°Andrew reporting for duty. Your orders, Madain!¡±


    Amused by Andrew¡¯s face, Samantha and Charles struggled to hold theughter.


    Yvette paused, lifting her eyes with a mix of confusion and curiosity.


    She nced at Andrew who was saluting, and thought, ¡®Why does his face look like that?¡¯


    Then she looked at Charles and Samantha, both trying hard not tough.


    Finally, Yvette asked, her eyes innocent and bright, ¡°What¡¯s your deal? Didn¡¯t you sleep well?¡±


    Speechless, Andrew thought, ¡®What? The ck circles under my eyes were bruises left by her punching. My body is aching even after the entire night. If it weren¡¯t for Charles who applied me some medicine, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get up morning.


    He recalled the tormentst night when Yvette not only forced him to recite poems but insisted on ying a trivia quiz.


    Question: [Why does your mom say you should ¡°learn to live on air¡± if you idle around?]


    Answer: [Because the air can starve you to death.]


    Andrew thought, ¡®What kind of stuff was that? And if I got it wrong, out came the stick, with no mercy whatsoever. Now Yvette forget about it all? I doubt there is anyone more miserable than me in this world.


    Andrew cautiously asked, ¡°Yvette, have you forgotten everything that happenedst night?¡±


    Yvette took a sip of her orange juice and said with a cool voice while looking seriously at Andrew, ¡°I had two sses of red wine, and after that¡­ I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Andrew gave her a pitiful look and gritted his teeth.


    With a miserable face, he said, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re an amazing drinker, but don¡¯t drink next time.¡±


    ¡®Or could you pick someone else next time?¡¯ Andrew thought and slumped back into his chair, with a catchy tune stuck in his head. [Let it go¡­]


    Looking at Andrew covered in bruises, Yvette pressed her lips and thought, ¡®Did I do this to him?¡¯


    Yvette nced at Samantha and Charles and asked, ¡°Was it me who did it?¡±


    Andrew looked at the two with eager anticipation and thought, ¡®Please be honest and tell her the truth!¡¯


    Samantha looked at Yvette with a bright smile and shook her head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t you. How could you hit Andrew? He fell on his own.¡±


    Yvette turned to Charles. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    Charles nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, Yve.¡±


    Andrew, sitting beside them, raised his finger in silence at Samajiha and Charles.


    Dumbstruck, he thought, Liars! I wonder where is the justice!


    Just then, Jeremiah came out of the kitchen and ced a te of pierogies in front of Yvette.


    ¡°It¡¯s beef and radish. Have a try!¡±


    Yvette took a bite and casually said to Andrew, ¡°Be careful next time¡±


    Hearing her kind words, Andrew had no choice but to swallow his tears and replied, ¡°I got it, Yvette.¡±


    Jeremiah sat down next to Yvette.


    Samantha looked at the sandwich in her hand and then at the steaming pierogies in front of Yvette.


    Suddenly, her sandwich didn¡¯t seem so appealing.


    That biased man, Samantha thought and nced at the TV, remembering that today was the day for the Ybaun delegation to visit Clusia.


    Samantha asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, is the visiting Ybau delegation arriving this afternoon? Are they still staying for a week?¡±


    Jeremiah took a sip of ck coffee and said, ¡°They¡¯re arriving at three in the afternoon and will stay for ten days¡±


    Samantha was concerned because many of her businesses were involved this time.


    She sneered, ¡°Mr. Chavez, do they have some other purpose?¡±


    Jeremiah replied, ¡°The delegation has two additional members, Kaiden Harper and Robin Jenkins.¡±


    When Charles heard the names, his fork slipped from his hand and ttered onto the table.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards him.


    Charles calmly picked up the fork, nodding apologetically.


    ¡°Sorry. You guys continue,¡± he said.

 Chapter 303

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah gave Charles a casual nce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">An unexinable feeling of pressure overcame Charles, making him feel out of breath for a moment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles looked at Yvette who was enjoying her pierogies, and thought, ¡®How calm Yvette is! If Kaiden knew she was here, would he dare to show up?!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha and Andrew inade a disdained face, paying no attention to Charles whatsoever.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After all, Ybau was their least-liked country.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, are they trying to challenge our Clusian students at the exchange banquet as before? That¡¯s all they can manage. Such a tiny country, thinking they canpete with us. Ridiculous!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha gave Andrew a sideways nce and thought, ¡®I almost forgot that though sometimes looked foolish, Andrew was an outstanding graduate of Betrico University.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was familiar with those two family names.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Harper family was the well-known mafia in Ybau, and the Jenkins family had produced many famous individuals in the art world.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was not difficult to guess what these two families were nning by sending people over together.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah took a sip of ck coffee and said, ¡°Yeah, they do have that n.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew let out a cold snort. ¡°Mr. Chavez, do we know what these two are skilled at?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without a word, Yvette took a sip of the milk handed by Jeremiah, her eyes staying calm and cool, yet flickered slightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah replied, ¡°Fencing and chess.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha frowned and thought, ¡®It looks like they have made adequate preparations!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s expression also turned serious. ¡°Mr. Chavez, are we still choosing the contenders from Betrico University?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Last time, thepetition ended with a draw.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯ thin lips pressed together, his voiceced with coldness. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already made the choice.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, do you need me to check out these two people?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had a branch in Ybau, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to gather information.</font></font>C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah raised an eyebrow and set his coffee cup down. ¡°No need.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Samantha knew Jeremiah had already uncovered everything about Kaiden and Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew curiously asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, what¡¯s their background? What are their personalities like? Any weaknesses?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced at the three people across from him, his voice deep and cold. ¡°Robin Jenkins is twenty-eight years old, a three-time consecutive world chess champion, and the eldest son of the prestigious local artist family, the Jenkins family. He¡¯s gloomy, deeply calcted, unpredictable, and ruthlessly malicious.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At hearing those adjectives, Andrew knew Robin was a pain in the ass and thought, ¡®World chess champion? That title is no joke. It must have cost Ybau a lot to bring someone like that along.¡¯</font></font>


    Andrew said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, they¡¯ve even brought out a world champion. Does Betrico University have anyone who can take him on?¡±


    Samantha was also worried about this issue.


    Jeremiah said expressionlessly, ¡°Simon rmended me a chess prodigy, Louis Colten, discovered in this year¡¯s nationalpetition.¡±


    Hearing this, Samantha and Andrew were relieved and thought Since this person is rmended by Simon, he might stand a chance against Robin.¡±


    Andrew went on, ¡°And what about that other guy, Kaiden Harper?¡±


    Anyone who ever watched a gangster movie would be familiar with the ¡°Harper¡±.


    Jeremiah paused for a moment, his expression darker. ¡°Kaiden Harper is the third son of the head of Ybau¡¯srgest gang, Steel Serpents, and has never appeared in public before. He came back six years ago from studying in Mysonna and is now being trained as the heir. People call him the Underworld Prince, and his father values him highly. We haven¡¯t found much about him, as he usually remains secluded. Rumor has it that he¡¯s a kind gentleman.¡±


    Samanthaughed derisively. ¡°Mr. Chavez, do you really believe that? A kind gentleman highly valued by Larry Harper? It¡¯s impossible! I¡¯d rather believe he¡¯s excellent at hiding his true self. This kind of enemy is the most dangerous; we must stay alert.¡±


    Charles listened to their discussion, a mix of indescribable emotions showing on his face.


    He could only conceal his unease by drinking cup after cup of coffee.


    Just as Charles was about to pour another one, Andrew suddenly spoke, ¡°Charles, you¡¯ve already had five cups of coffee. Are you feeling alright? Sorry, we are absorbed in our conversation of which you and Yvette might not know much. Is it getting boring for you?¡±


    Charles nced at Andrew without a word and thought, ¡®What? Not know much? Yvette was the person who once swept through Mysonna¡¯s underworld and founded the infamous Seventy-Two Chambers that terrified all gangsters, reconstructing thendscape. No one knows the underworld better than her.¡¯


    Samantha chimed in, ¡°Charles, what do you think of this Kaiden Harper? Share your insights with us.¡±


    Yvette finished thest bite of her pierogies and looked up.


    She nced at Charles with a hint of aloofness and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve done my meal. Take your time.¡±


    Jeremiah gently pinched her fingertips and said softly, ¡°I won¡¯t be staying with you today. I mighte backte. Mom¡¯s over to take you shopping. If you want to go, just go. If not, just say no. Don¡¯t feel pressured.¡±


    Yvette gave a slight nod and replied in a cool voice as usual, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When passing by Andrew, Yvette paused and looked him over for a few moments.


    Andrew¡¯s heart pounded wildly under Yvette¡¯s gaze and he thought, ¡®Does Yvette want to put me through drills even when she¡¯s sober? Oh my god. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d rather die.¡¯


    Andrew instinctively shifted a little further away from Yvette and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Yvette, what are you doing? Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette didn¡¯t reply and put her hand in her pocket.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the same moment, Andrew sprang up from his chair and hid behind Samantha.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yvette, please have mercy on me. Don¡¯t make me go through what happenedst night all again. I¡¯ve got family. And if I¡¯m gone, poor Jeremiah will have no friend. Can you bear that?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Raising his eyebrow, Jeremiah picked up a fork and checked out on Andrew as if he were choosing the proper area to stab.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha rubbed her temples and kicked Andrew while thinking. How embarrassing! Is such a fool like Andrew really my brother?¡¯</font></font>

 Chapter 304

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette slightly turned her head and then pulled out of her pocket a candy that was wrapped in colorful paper, looking incredibly pretty.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette pointed at the candy and softly said to Andrew hiding behind Samantha, ¡°This is for you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had figured out that the unlucky guy who got beaten up after she went drunkst night was probably Andrew, whose face looked quite pitiful right now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew looked at the candy Yvette put on the table in astonishment and thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t it likeforting a child with candy after scolding him? I am a grown man, not a child. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t take what she didst night as a big deal anyway!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling touched, Andrew said, ¡°Thank you, Yvette. You¡¯re kind to me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette had her hands in her pockets, her shirt sleeves casually rolled up a few inches, showing a bit of her pale wrist.</font></font>All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The corner of her mouth lifted slightly yet her voice was t. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I just don¡¯t know where to put it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was speechless and thought, ¡® Can I take back my words?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A hint of amusement appeared in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes and he thought, ¡®Yvette was trying to be nice to Andrew. She was just a bit awkward and didn¡¯t want to admit it.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha also sensed Yvette¡¯s good intentions and thought with a slight smile, ¡®I am not wrong about Yvette, using candy to win over a man in his twenties. Brilliant! Does Jeremiah buy this too? Maybe I should try it sometime and treat Zion some candy.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When finished speaking, Yvette waved her hand and went upstairs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles watched the scene with mixed emotions and thought, ¡®Finally, Yvette is not cold and detached like before. I am happy for her.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah watched Yvette go upstairs until she entered her room and then turned his gaze to Charles.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s mind was filled with curiosity and he thought, ¡®Charles has been acting strangely since we mentioned these two Ybaun people. However, it seems like he cares more about Kaiden than Robin. Charles must know Kaiden well!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Since Samantha and Andrew were clueless, Jeremiah didn¡¯t ask Charles directly about Kaiden, but instead, he questioned him with an emotionless face, ¡°What do you think of Kaiden?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles was silent for a few seconds, his eyes unreadable, ncing at Jeremiah.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He knew what Jeremiah meant.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then Charles replied with a cold voice, ¡°Kaiden is quite a schemer. He is an illegitimate child of Larry Harper. His mother was a famous dancer in Ybau and gave birth to him not long after she got involved with Larry Andrew listened in shock.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was a little stunned too and thought, ¡®Howe Charles knows all the details?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Jeremiah wasn¡¯t surprised.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He nced at Charles with his eyes slightly narrowing, and said concisely in an icy voice, ¡°Continue.¡±</font></font>


    Charles had no intention to hold back as he thought, ¡®I believe the man Yvette chose. If Yvette is to marry Jeremiah, she wouldn¡¯t sit by when anything happened to him. Now Yvette is on the side with Clusia, then why do I care about Ybau at all? Besides, I owe my life to Yvette.


    Charles went on, ¡°After Kaiden was born, Larry lost interest in the dancer and she slit her wrists in front of Kaiden when he was five. Later, Kaiden was sent to Mysonna, and was only brought back a few years ago.


    Samantha didn¡¯t expect Charles to know so much and asked, ¡°How¡¯s his fencing? He must be pretty good since Ybau sent him, right?¡±


    Charles nodded with certainty and thought, ¡®Of course he¡¯s good at it. He learned his craft from the best teacher. His skills are truly a gift. If he hadn¡¯t used those dishonest tricks back then, things might be different now!


    ¡°His style is unique, and he¡¯s a tough opponent. You need to be careful; beating him won¡¯t be easy,¡±


    ¡®However, there is an easy way as to let Yvette handle him. But judging by Yvette¡¯s earlier attitude, it¡¯s clear she doesn¡¯t want to take the role. What a pity,¡¯ Charles thought.


    Charles¡¯s advice waspletely genuine.


    Jeremiah stood up, adjusted his uniform, gave a slight nod, and then walked away in his boots, leaving the other three in the dining room.


    Samantha couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how Zion would lose his mind since he had been calling her over a hundred times yet she didn¡¯t answer even once.


    The game of love has its limit. When one¡¯s had enough, it¡¯s time to stop. I need to finish things up now, Samantha thought and left too.


    The once lively room was now just Andrew and Charles staring at each other.


    In the end, they both sighed and thought bitterly, ¡®How do they know the joy of being single?¡®


    **


    At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Aurora arrived at Sknd on time, wearing a long dress and high heels.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Andrew in the yard with a man, enjoying coffee.


    Unexpectedly, Aurora found herself seeing a beautiful vibe in this scene, but she shook off the distracting thoughts in her mind and walked in.


    Seeing Aurora, Andrew eagerly ran over and gave her a warm hug.


    ¡°Mrs. Chavez, it¡¯s been a while. You look so youthful! I think you almost outshine my sister.¡±


    Hearing this, Aurora couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    After all, Andrew was the child she had seen grow up and he did have a pleasant personality.


    Aurora grinned with joy. ¡°Oh, you cheeky boy. What nonsense are you talking about? How can Ipare with your sister? You¡¯re just trying to make me happy.¡±


    Andrew said with an exaggerated tone, ¡°Come on, Mrs. Chavez. You¡¯re always as lovely as ever.¡±


    Then he cheerfully introduced Aurora to Charles, ¡°This is Mrs. Chavez, Mr. Chavez¡¯s mother.¡±


    Charles stood up politely and nodded.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Chavez. I¡¯m Charles.¡°


    Charles thought, ¡®So this is Yyette¡¯s future mother¨Cinw. It¡¯s no wonder Andrew was so dramatic. With a face like hers, people might think she was thirty


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora smiled at Charles, wondering who he was since she¡¯d never seen him before.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing this, Andrew immediately said, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, this is Yvette¡¯s apprentice learning to paint from her. He¡¯s been staying in Sknd since he arrived in Betrico.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora took a closer look at Charles and thought, ¡®Is he an art student? He seems to me more like a mafia.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then Aurora asked Andrew, ¡°Where¡¯s Yvette? Is she inside? Maybe she¡¯s napping?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll call herter on the house phone and let her know you¡¯re here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew felt strange too as Yvette had never shown herself since breakfast.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Aurora waved her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I have Yvette¡¯s private number. I¡¯ll call her myself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as Aurora was taking out her phone, she looked up and asked Andrew with a cunning smile, ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t have Yvette¡¯s private number?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew stood still silently while Charles thought, ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just knock on the door?¡®</font></font>

 Chapter 305

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Five minutester, Yvette came downstairs, still dressed in a simple ck tracksuit. Aurora sat on the sofa, smiling broadly as Andrew kept her entertained. Charles sat silently on the side, slightly lost in thought as he observed the scene. He actually envied Andrew¡¯s personality, so sunny and bright. ¡®People like them, who were born into the underworld, always maintained a so¨Ccalled safe distance from others. After all, you can never tell who¡¯s a friend and who¡¯s an enemy. One minute they¡¯re your friend, the next, they could be your enemy stabbing you in the back, he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Aurora saw Yvettee downstairs, her smile grew even wider. But upon seeing the ck tracksuit she was wearing, she sighed softly. ¡®Aren¡¯t young girls supposed to love dressing up? But her future daughter¨Cinw always seemed to favor ck, white, or gray. Too simple. How could that be right? Such a perfect face, a body like a goddess, and divine beauty¨Call wasted on these in clothes,¡® she thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew noticed Aurora sighing as she stared at Yvette walking down. He was confused ¡®Weren¡¯t they just having a great conversation?¡® He asked, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, what¡¯s wrong? Why the sudden sigh? Did I say something wrong?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora waved her hand and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not you, just¡­ look at Yvette.¡±</font></font>C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew looked at Yvette and scratched his head. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, what¡¯s wrong with Yvette? I don¡¯t see anything off.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora took a sip of coffee and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Yvette dresses too inly?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew nodded seriously. He thought, ¡®Compared to other girls he knew, Yvette did indeed dress too simply. The girls he knew changed outfits every day, from high¨Cend brands to limited editions, and even luxury collections. Regardless of their figure, their style was always on trend.¡® Andrew added. ¡°When we first met Yvette, she was wearing a tracksuit too. She usually just wears tracksuits, T¨Cshirts, and jeans. But it doesn¡¯t really matter what she wears. With that face and aura, even if she wore a sack, she¡¯d still be miles ahead of anyone else.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora nodded in agreement and patted Andrew on the shoulder. ¡°Exactly, I think the same. Yvette is like a perfect piece of art crafted by the heavens.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, we truly share the same taste.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles lifted his head and nced at the two, who were deeply immersed in their conversation. He wanted toment on their ttery but found himself at a loss for words. ¡®Well, it seems there won¡¯t be any issues between the mother¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw. The age¨Cold problem of family rtions doesn¡¯t even exist for the instructor,¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette walked over to the sofa, nodded slightly at Aurora and said softly, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Chavez.¡±</font></font>


    Aurora patted the seat next to her with a smile. ¡°Come, sit here. Have you gotten used to staying at Sknd the past few days? That boy must be busy with the Ybau¡¯s visit, so you must be bored at home. Do you want to go shoppingter?¡± Aurora didn¡¯t insist, instead, she asked for Yvette¡¯s opinion.


    Yvette sat down on the sofa, her head slightly lowered. Her jade¨Clike skin looked a bit pale, her bangs fluttered down, her nose was sharp and straight, and her dark eyes seemed to have a faint shimmer in their depths. She curled her lips slightly. ¡°Shopping for clothes?¡±


    Aurora was momentarily stunned by Yvette¡¯s beauty and took a second to respond, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a Ybau g in ten days, and I¡¯ll be attending with Clifford. I want to check out thetest haute couture gowns.¡±


    Shopping was quite a challenge for Yvette. She didn¡¯t enjoy it, nor had she ever had the time or leisure for it growing up. Did haute couture require a trip to the store? Yvette¡¯s gaze flickered slightly as she looked at Aurora¡¯s expectant face. She calmly asked, ¡°Which haute couture brand do you prefer?¡±


    Aurora thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a fixed brand, but in recent years, my favorite has been ¡°Vibe¡¯s¡± haute couture line. However, their owner is quite unique. They don¡¯t sell the same couture dress to any customer twice, and three years ago I bought one of their dresses, so I can¡¯t purchase another.¡±


    The regret in Aurora¡¯s voice was obvious even to Andrew and Charles. Andrew had heard about this brand from Samantha, so he had some understanding. To him, it seemed like a marketing strategy. ¡®Women¡¯s money was easy to make. A simple haute couture piece from Samantha could easily cost millions, and it could only be worn once, he thought. Charles, too, had heard plenty about Mysonna¡¯s ¡°Vibe.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly upon hearing this, her eyebrows furrowing faintly. She swiftly took out her phone, tapped a few times, then put it away. She turned to Aurora and said, ¡°Let¡¯s pick at home. The people will be here in half an hour.


    Aurora was puzzled. ¡°Who? Who¡¯sing?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s deep, cold eyes met Aurora¡¯s as she calmly replied, ¡°The people from ¡®Vibe. Don¡¯t you like their haute couture?¡±


    Aurora was dumbfounded. ¡®Did she hear wrong? The people from ¡°Vibe¡± wereing to her house to serve her personally? That sounded like something out of a fairy tale,¡® she thought. ¡°Vibe¡± had two unwritten rules: first, they never sold the same haute couture piece to a buyer twice, and second, they never offered at¨Chome service. If you wanted to order from them, you had to go to the store for measurements. It didn¡¯t matter if you were a high¨Cranking official or a wealthy tycoon; everyone was treated the same.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Years ago, the wife of a major real estate tycoon in Kyoto had demanded at¨Chome service from ¡°Vibe¡± and even threatened that if they didn¡¯te, she would ruin them. The headquarters of ¡°Vibe¡± immediately cklisted her, and that real estatepany eventually went bankrupt. After that, no one dared to ask for home service from ¡°Vibe.¡± She continued thinking ¡®So, what is going on now? Yvette was saying she had arranged for ¡°Vibe¡± toe to the house?¡® Aurora, fearing she had misheard, turned to Andrew and asked, ¡°Andrew, did Yvette just say that the people from ¡®Vibe¡® areing here personally?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew didn¡¯t understand why Aurora was reacting so strongly. Yes, Mrs. Chavez, that¡¯s what Yvette said. What¡¯s the matter?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles lowered the newspaper he had been reading and nced up calmly. He had an idea why Aurora was so shocked. ¡®If anyone else had said this, he wouldn¡¯t have believed them. But if Ms. Zeller said it, then it must be true. How well¨Cconnected was Ms. Zeller to be able to make ¡°Vibe¡± break their rules? That was no small feat for a brand,¡® he thought. Charles picked up the conversation and exined to the puzzled Andrew, ¡°Vibe has an unwritten rule: they don¡¯t offer at¨Chome service. No one has ever broken that rule. Even the First Lady of Mysonna hasn¡¯t enjoyed such treatment. If things go as nned, Mrs. Chavez will be the first person in the world to have ¡®Vibe¡®e to her home.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew finally understood why Aurora was so stunned. He nced at the expressionless Yvette, his eyes twitching. He thought, ¡®What kind of powerhouse was Yvette, exactly?¡® This move made him feel like kneeling before her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette loungedzily on the sofa, her posture rxed and nonchnt. Seeing Aurora¡¯s confused expression, she spoke softly, ¡°You like it, and I¡¯m giving it to you. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing these words, Andrew al</font></font>

 Chapter 306

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing these words, Andrew almost fell off the couch. ¡®Wasn¡¯t this straight out of a CEO romance novel? All those books on his shelf weren¡¯t read for nothing!¡® Charles rubbed his temples, not expecting Ms. Zeller to win over her future mother¨Cinw like this.</font></font>All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Out of the three, Aurora had the biggest reaction. Her eyes were almost teary with emotion. ¡®Wow¡­ was she about to have a CEO daughter¨Cinw?¡® she thought. Her delicate face was filled with warmth as she held Yvette¡¯s hand and gushed. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re so cool.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at the hand covering hers, pausing briefly. Her clear, pure eyes held a faint, misty glow, with a hint of indifference in her brow. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy,¡± she replied softly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Half an hourter, five luxury vans pulled up outside Sknd. The doors opened, and out stepped a man in a white suit, refined and elegant, leading a team all dressed in ck suits, each holding a box. Behind them followed a lineup of professional models, more than thirty in total, creating quite a spectacle.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the living room, Yvette, Aurora, Andrew, and Charles sat on the sofa, watching the group change into shoe covers in an orderly fashion. Within three minutes, half the living room was filled with people and boxes. The man in white, leading the group, nodded respectfully to Yvette and politely introduced himself, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m n, the head of ¡®Vibe¡® here in Betrico.¡± n looked at themanding woman seated on the sofa, feeling a bit more anxious. He thought, ¡°This was someone Ms. Sterling had personally instructed him to treat with utmost care. He wasn¡¯t sure who she was, but he knew she couldn¡¯t be offended and must be treated as a VIP. He also recognized Aurora¨CMrs. Chavez from the Chavez family in Betrico, a regr customer at their store. What was the rtionship between this woman and Mrs. Chavez?¡® n continued, ¡°All of these are thetest haute couture from ¡®Vibe,¡® unique and exclusive. Now, is it you or Mrs. Chavez who needs them? To save you time, I brought professional models. They¡¯ll try on everything for you¨Cyou just need to sit back and watch Yvette looked calm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She lightly tapped her fingers on the armrest and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, begin. Select three models ording to her figure,¡± Yvette said casually. n followed her gesture and nced at the chosen models. Wow, this woman had a keen eye. From what he could tell, these three had almost identical measurements to Mrs. Chavez. It was clear who these haute couture pieces were for. He maintained his professional smile, nodded, and replied, ¡°Understood. Please wait a moment while we get everything ready for the presentation.¡±</font></font>


    Aurora took a sip of tea to calm herself. She didn¡¯tck clothes, nor did sheck new season collections sent by various brands, but ¡®Vibe¡®¨Cshe genuinely loved their designs. She thought, ¡®Despite being a VIP, she¡¯d never experienced such a treatment at their store. Today, she was truly benefiting from Yvette¡¯s connections. Even the head of ¡®Vibe¡® in Clusia had personallye to her door. Her daughter¨Cinw¡¯s influence was no joke!¡±


    Charles and Andrew sat on the sofa, feeling that their only role now was to sip tea and wait. Fashion was something they truly didn¡¯t understand. The people n brought were highly professional, and within ten minutes, almost thirty haute couture dresses had been neatly disyed. The three models selected by Yvette were dressed in thetest pieces from ¡®Vibe¡¯s¡® new ¡°Floral Dream¡± collection. As they walked out one by one, everyone was stunned¨Cnot by the models¡® looks, but by the dresses themselves. They were dreamlike and ethereal, with pale blue gowns wrapped around the body, paired with white sheer capes that entuated graceful necklines and prominent corbones. The gowns, with their flowing, moonlit pleats, exuded an understated elegance and noble aura. The chest was adorned with a scattering of diamonds, and the golden beadwork on the skirt formed geometric patterns that radiated sophistication. The ice¨Cblue fabric contrasted beautifully against skin. At just one nce, even Charles and Andrew were captivated, fmally understanding why Aurora was so enamored with ¡®Vibe¡¯s¡® designs¨Cthey were truly breathtaking.


    Yvette¡¯s gaze flickered as she saw the three gowns, her eyes reflecting a subtle gleam. Sienna worked fast; the finished products were already here.


    Aurora was also mesmerized by the dresses. She sat up straighter, her eyes filled with appreciation that she couldn¡¯t hide. ¡®Who exactly was the genius behind Vibe? Their talent was extraordinary,¡¯ she thought.


    n noticed the reactions of the group and felt relieved. He knew no woman could resist the designs of their mysterious boss. The thirty haute couture dresses took about two and a half hours to present in total, and finally, thest model stepped forward. n turned to Yvette and Aurora and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mrs. Chavez, the dresses have all been tried on. Is there any piece you¡¯re particrly satisfied with? We will tailor it to Mrs. Chavez¡¯s measurements, and it will be delivered to your door in three days.¡±


    Aurora was torn¨Cshe liked every single one of them. How could she possibly choose? It wasn¡¯t about the money, but how could she let go of such beautiful pieces?


    Yvette nced at Aurora¡¯s conflicted face, lifted her chin slightly and spoke with her usual calm tone, ¡°Which one do you like? Or do you like them all?¡±


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew chimed in. ¡°Yvette, these thirty dresses¨Ceach one looks better than thest. If I had to choose, I wouldn¡¯t be able to either. It¡¯s too hard!¡± Charles nodded in agreement¨Ceven he, an outsider to fashion, could see how difficult it was to pick just one.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">n stood nearby, maintaining a polite smile without rushing them. He had seen this scenario y out countless times. Not just Mrs. Chavez¨Canyone ordering haute couture from ¡®Vibe¡® faced the same dilemma.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her gaze, her eyes shimmering with unrivaled beauty, and said slowly, ¡°Why hesitate? If you like them all, just keep them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The room fell into stunned silence. The team n brought stared in disbelief at the woman sitting on the sofa. They thought, ¡®Did she just say¡­ keep them all? That was absolutely impossible! No one had ever bought thirty haute couture pieces from ¡®Vibe¡® in one go¨Cjust getting one was a struggle. This was ridiculous. Having theme to the house was shocking enough, but to take home thirty dresses? If word of this got out, it would be unbelievable. n stiffly turned his head, unsure of how to respond. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that Ms. Sterling had instructed him to meet all of Ms. Zeller¡¯s requests -bur wasn¡¯t this going too far?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to say such a thing either. She was momentarily dumbfounded. She thought, ¡°Thirty haute couture dresses would cost at least five hundred million¡ªit wasn¡¯t about the money, but rather that ¡®Vibe¡® would never agree to sell that many at once! If they were willing, she¡¯d be happy to buy them, but that was impossible.¡® Aurora quickly waved her hands. ¡°No need, Yvette. How could I ever wear so many? I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll just take the purple satin one.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, and she spoke concisely, ¡°All of them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">n felt that even Sienna wouldn¡¯t agree to this. He opened his mouth to respond, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible¡­¡±</font></font>

 Chapter 307

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette remained calm as she took out her phone and dialed Sienna.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sienna immediately picked up when she saw the call. ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller. How is it? Did you see anything you like?¡± Thest time Ms. Zeller had sent her thirty sketches, Sienna had only managed to produce ten of them due to her hospital stay. She had intended to disy them in Betrico, but they had all been brought over by n for this asion, along with her own designs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at Allen who was standing next to her and casually said, ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t choose, keep them all.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">eyes widened as</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sienna let out a dramatic gasp, loud enough to make n flinch. He recognized that voice all too well. His he stared at Yvette and the phone in her hand. She had just called Ms. Sterling directly¨Cthat was bold. But even so, n was certain Sienna wouldn¡¯t agree to such an unreasonable request. Even if Ms. Sterling agreed, the mysterious owner of ¡°Vibe¡± certainly wouldn¡¯t,¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette handed the phone to n. ¡°Sienna has something to say</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">n took the phone with both hands and moved to a corner. ¡°Ms. Sterling, hello. This is n. About Ms. Zeller¡¯s request, I think¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before he could finish, Sienna cut him off, ¡°Oh, I know. Let her have all the dresses.¡± Sienna¡¯s tone with Allen waspletely different from how she spoke to Yvette, there was a bit more seriousness and sincerity in her voice.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">n was stunned. His hands shook as he almost dropped the phone. Did he hear that correctly? Ms. Sterling had just agreed to such an unreasonable demand? That was absurd. Even if Sienna were a close family member of thisdy, she didn¡¯t have the authority to break ¡°Vibe¡¯s¡± rules. He nced over at Yvette, who was lounging calmly on the sofa, her demeanor regal and indifferent. After a moment of hesitation, n steeled himself and replied, ¡°Ms. Sterling, I hope you¡¯ve thought this through. If we do this, it could be a major PR issue for ¡®Vibe. If we set this precedent, what will other clients think?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the other end, Sienna paused and cleared her throat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what others think. What matters is that Ms. Zeller likes it.¡± The truth was, ¡°Vibe¡± had been created by Yvette herself, and all the rules were set by her. The rumors about ¡°Vibe¡¯s¡± marketing strategies were nonsense; the real reason behind the exclusivity was simply that Yvette was toozy to get involved. Most designers struggled with inspiration, but Yvette was simply too uninterested to produce more, which was why she had implemented the limited¨Cquantity rule.</font></font>


    n was taken aback by Sienna¡¯s dismissive tone. He felt she was being biased and responded sternly, ¡°Ms. Sterling, I can¡¯t ept your directive. I request that this issue be reported to the owner for a final decision.¡± The truth was, n had joined ¡°Vibe¡± because he was captivated by the ¡°Dream¡± series. He had never seen such stunning designs before and had vowed to work at ¡°Vibe¡± ever since. Despite his years at thepany, his biggest regret was never meeting the mysterious owner of ¡°Vibe.¡± He had always respected the owner¡¯s vision and wasn¡¯t about to let someone tarnish it, even if it meant standing up to Ms. Sterling.


    On the other end of the line, Sienna was getting a headache. She knew n¡¯s stubborn temper, and if she didn¡¯t tell him the truth today, there was no way he¡¯d agree. Sienna had transferred him from Mysonna to Betrico precisely because of his. excellent performance, so he could help expand ¡°Vibe¡¯s¡±mercial presence. After a brief silence, Sienna finally broke it, speaking softly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you always wanted to know who the real owner of ¡®Vibe¡® is?¡±


    n was taken aback. ¡®Why did Sienna bring up the Boss now?¡® he thought. His voice rose slightly. ¡°Of course, I do. Ms. Sterling, you know how much I¡¯ve longed to meet her.¡±


    Everyone in the living room turned to look at n, confused by his outburst. Yvette, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, remained indifferent, casually ying with her phone. Aurora felt the atmosphere was getting awkward. ¡®If ¡°Vibe¡± refused Yvette, it would be embarrassing for her. With so many people present, word would definitely get out, and Yvette¡¯s reputation would suffer, she thought. Aurora clenched her teeth, determined that if it came down to it, she¡¯d do whatever it took to make sure they left with the dresses. She continued thinking ¡®Money wasn¡¯t the issue¨Cshe just couldn¡¯t let Yvette lose face.¡®


    Andrew pulled out his phone, intending to call Jeremiah for help. Yvette noticed and, without lifting her gaze, coldly said,Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Put it away.¡± Andrew immediately shoved his phone back into his pocket. He was bewildered, he thought, ¡®Yvette wasn¡¯t even asking Jeremiah for help¨Cwhy was she acting so confident? Surely, they wouldn¡¯t give her special treatment, even with her connections with president of Mysonna.¡® He sighed, convinced that this was going to end in embarrassment.


    Charles, sitting nearby, took a slow sip of water, unbothered. Unlike Andrew and Aurora, he wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°Yvette said the dresses will stay, so they will. No need to worry,¡± he said.


    Andrew looked at Charles, incredulous but said nothing. He couldn¡¯t understand why Charles had such blind faith in Yvette.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ten minutester, n ended the call, his body stiff as he turned to face Yvette. His eyes were wide, his pupils dted in shock. His hands trembled at his sides. He was in absolute disbelief, he thought, ¡®Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the muse he¡¯d admired for years was a young woman in her early twenties. But now, it all made sense. Eight years ago, how young had she been when she created the groundbreaking ¡°Dream¡± series? And here she was, sitting right in front of him. Now, everything clicked into ce. Why had they offered home service today? Why could Yvette casually demand to keep thirty haute couture dresses? Because she was simply keeping her own creations. n had been the fool all along, stubbornly fighting over something that never should have been an issue.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Of course, only the owner could have Sienna personally make a phone call. Yvette was not just the owner but the chief designer of ¡°Vibe,¡± and ten of the thirty dresses were hertest designs. After his initial shock, n felt a surge of excitement. He had finally met the person he had admired for so long. Sienna had instructed him not to reveal Yvette¡¯s identity, so he would have to pretend he didn¡¯t know.¡¯ Containing his emotions, n walked over to the sofa, bowed deeply at ny degrees to Yvette, and spoke with far more respect than before. His voice even trembled slightly as he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, would you like us to organize the thirty dresses for you? Where should we send them? I can make adjustments to the sizes right now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, I can alter it on the spot. Thirty dresses¨Care they enough? We have another dozen at the store, and if you¡¯d like, I can bring them over for you to choose from.¡±</font></font>

 Chapter 308

    n¡¯s sudden change in attitude left everyone present utterly dumbfounded. Collective silence fell over the room, with jaws practically hitting the floor. Especially n¡¯s staff, who knew his temper better than anyone. They thought, ¡®He was never the type to be easily swayed, so seeing him agree to this request left thempletely stunned. It wasn¡¯t just that he agreed¨Cthe way he spoke was overly humble, which was unbelievable. Just moments ago, he had refused. How did his attitude change so quickly?¡®


    Everyone simultaneously thought back to the phone call ¡®Who was on the other end of that call? What could have been said to make n behave like this? And n¡¯s words were even more shocking: not only did he agree to leave all thirty gowns, but he also offered to bring ten more for them to choose from. What was going on?¡®


    Aurora was equally confused. So what was happening now? Did n really agree to leave all thirty gowns just because of a phone call? Was she dreaming?


    Charles watched the scene unfold calmly. He thought, ¡®For Ms. Zeller, none of this was surprising. Even Ss, a figure who could be written into history books, had brought over No.7 Toxin to have her detoxify him. What could Ms. Zeller possibly not achieve?¡®


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her deep, tranquil eyes cold and fathomless as a winterke. She nced at the struggling n and said in a calm voice, ¡°Just leave the thirty gowns. I¡¯ll alter the sizes myself.¡±


    Aurora blinked, confused. ¡°Yvette, you know how to make clothes?¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Kind of, I can do a little.¡±


    When n heard this, he thought, ¡®If the boss only knows ¡°a little,¡± then who in the fashion industry would dare say they know how to make clothes? This left no room for anyone else. He really wanted to say that modesty is a disease. The next moment, n suddenly realized something ¡®Aurora had called his boss her daughter¨Cinw. Wait, Mrs. Chavez¡¯s daughter- inw? That means she¡¯s married to the legendary Clusia First Lieutenant General, the man known as the living grim reaper of Betrico? No wonder! The boss really knows how to fly under the radar, quietly making big moves. All those socialites in Betrico couldn¡¯t win him over, but she managed to. n looked at Yvette with stars in his eyes, full of admiration.


    Aurora nced up and saw his expression, and doubts began to surface in her mind. ¡®What was going on? Why was n looking at her daughter¨Cinw like that? Could it be that he had fallen for her at first sight? No way! Aurora quickly shifted to block n¡¯s view, giving him a nod. ¡°Thank you, Director n. You can leave the gowns here; I¡¯ll have someone organize themter. No need to trouble yourself.¡±


    Having finally met his idol, n wasn¡¯t ready to leave so easily. He decided to press on with his shamelessness. With a polite, gentlemanly smile, n said, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, these thirty gowns must be exhausting for Ms. Zeller to alter on her own. If she doesn¡¯t mind, I can help with a few of them.¡±


    Aurora, though reluctant to let n spend too much time around Yvette, couldn¡¯t deny that he had a point. She thought, ¡°Thirty haute couture gowns were intricate works, and Yvette would surely get tired altering them all.¡® Aurora patted Yvette¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°Yvette, Director n has a point. Let him help you with a few.¡±


    Yvette nced at n, who looked both eager and excited, raised her brows slightly, and responded in her usual cool tone, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Andrew, who had been speechless ever since n agreed to leave the gowns, was once again left amazed. He thought, ¡®Sure enough, nothing Yvette said ever went unheeded! He suddenly felt like bowing down to her. It¡¯s clear that being around Yvette really opened your eyes to how the world works.


    When Yvette agreed, n nearly jumped for joy. He was actually going to work with his boss? He thought, ¡®This was a dreame true, something he never dared imagine.


    Three hourster, n¡¯s hands were trembling from exhaustion Altering thirty haute couture gowns was no joke. The staff n had brought with him had already returned to the store; they couldn¡¯t handle this level of craftsmanship. Now, only Andrew, who was dozing off, Charles, who was reading the newspaper, and Aurora, who stayed glued to n¡¯s side, remained in the living room, n felt utterly drained. From the beginning to now, Mrs. Chavez had been shadowing him, and every time he wanted to say a word to his boss, she¡¯d start asking him various questions. After three hours, he¡¯d only managed to exchange two sentences with the boss, while Mrs. Chavez had practically unearthed his entire life story. n nced over at Yvette. She was still working steadily, her hands moving just as quickly as they had been at the start. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she tired? Was she even human?¡® he thought. His own hands were shaking just from holding the scissors. After finishing thest gown, n politely turned to Aurora and said, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, aren¡¯t you tired? Maybe you should take a rest.¡±


    Aurora, determined to not give n any opportunity to make a move on Yvette, shook her head. ¡°Not tired at all.¡±


    Seeing that there was no way he was going to have a proper conversation with the boss today, n dejectedly nodded, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. ¡°I¡¯ve finished. Mrs. Chavez, I won¡¯t disturb you and Ms. Zeller any longer. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± He then turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Yvette had just finished herst gown as well, setting down her needle and thread. She looked at n and, in her usual cold tone, said, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    n sighed, slumping a bit as he headed for the door. But just before he left, Aurora called out to him, ¡°Director n, aren¡¯t you forgetting something? You must be exhausted and forgot to charge us. How much for the thirty haute couture gowns? I¡¯ll write you a check.¡±


    n turned back and first nced at Yvette, quickly responding ¡°Mrs. Chavez, these thirty gowns are a gift for Ms. Zeller. You don¡¯t need to pay.¡±


    Aurora froze in ce. The whole day felt like a dream. Even Charles, who had been reading the newspaper, lifted his head at that. ¡°Vibe¡± had just gifted thirty gowns? That¡¯s at least five or six hundred million, given away just like that? Ms. Zeller¡¯s influence was sky¨Chigh, he thought in disbelief.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Yvette poured herself a ss of water, her cold, deep eyes flickering as she nced at the stunned Aurora. Raising a brow, she said in a low voice, ¡°No need to pay.¡±


    n, after saying his goodbyes, gave a nod to Yvette and hurried out. ¡®As if he¡¯d dare charge the boss¨Cor her future mother- inw. He¡¯d have to be insane,¡® he thought.


    Aurora turned to look at Yvette, who was calmly sipping her water. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Yvette had saved the life of ¡°Vibe¡¯s¡± mysterious owner. This was too much. Just casually waving away several billion? Aurora had now truly witnessed what it meant to be willful.


    Setting down her cup, Yvette said to Aurora, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs. Feel free to do as you please.¡±


    Aurora nodded. Truthfully, she hadn¡¯t fully processed everything that had happened today¨Cit had been too much excitement. But little did she know, the most shocking part was yet toe.


    At that moment, Yvette¡¯s phone, left on the table, suddenly rang. Andrew, who had been woken up by the ringtone, groggily stirred. This phone call was terribly timed; he had just been dreaming about his own wedding.

 Chapter 309

    Andrew rubbed his eyes as he woke up and muttered, ¡°Whose phone is that? Really knows how to pick the right time, interrupting my beautiful dream.¡±


    Aurora walked up and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s Yvette¡¯s. Wait, I¡¯ll go call her.¡±


    As soon as Andrew realized whose phone it was, he woke up instantly, panicking as he tried to get up. In his hurry, he hit his arm on the table, knocking over a water ss. The water spilled out and sshed directly onto the ringing phone. Andrew quickly wiped the phone with his hand. ¡®Yvette¡¯s old phone model wasn¡¯t easy to rece nowadays, and if it broke, he¡¯d be done for, he thought. Charles nced at the ck phone, knowing it had been with Ms. Zeller for almost ten years.


    In his flustered state, Andrew identally pressed the wrong button, and a cheerful female voice came from the other end of the phone: ¡°Hello, little boss, I have a tiny confession to make. I had no other choice just now and had to tell n that you¡¯re the owner behind ¡®Vibe¡® and the designer of the Blossom and Dream collections. But don¡¯t worry, I already told him he must keep your identity a secret, so no one else will know. Yvette, you¡¯re so generous, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll forgive this little cutie of yours, right?¡±


    Every word from the phone was heard loud and clear by the three people in the living room¨CAurora, Andrew, and Charles -and their expressions were identical: all frozen in shock.


    On the other end, Sienna thought Yvette might really be angry about her revealing her identity, so she quickly added, ¡°Yvette, I really didn¡¯t mean it. Don¡¯t worry about n; he¡¯s a reliable guy and has always admired you. Plus, today¡¯s situation was too sudden. If I didn¡¯t exin things clearly to him, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d have agreed to leave all thirty custom dresses behind. Please don¡¯t be mad. How about I promise not to ask you for any design drafts for the next three years?¡±


    Still, there was no response¨Cjust dead silence. In the huge living room, only the sound of the three people breathing heavily could be heard. On the other end, Sienna finally sensed something was off. Yvette wouldn¡¯t be so angry that she couldn¡¯t even speak, right? As she started to doubt, Yvette¡¯s cold voice suddenly came through the phone: ¡°I know.¡±


    In the living room, Aurora slowly turned around to look at the stairs, where Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets, leaning casually against the railing, legs bent, calm and collected. Aurora realized ¡®So, what that woman on the phone was saying was that her daughter¨Cinw was the founder of ¡°Vibe¡± clothingpany?¡® Aurora¡¯s head buzzed, and she suddenly remembered catching a glimpse of the caller ID earlier¨CSienna Now, she finally remembered who that was! She continued thinking ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the head designer of ¡°Vibe,¡± a design genius admired by the entire fashion world? No wonder ¡°Vibe¡± broke its usual rules and sent n personally to serve her. She had been suspicious all along¨Cthirty custom¨Cmade dresses, all being left behind, and for free. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t because Yvette saved the life of ¡®Vibe¡¯s secret owner; it was because Yvette is the secret owner. Was there anything more shocking than this? The hottest clothingpany in the world was founded by a girl in her twenties? And now she was her daughter¨Cinw? Hmm¡­ heaven must really have been smiling on her. This whole situation was so unbelievable, it made her want to scream. ¡°Vibe¡± was established seven or eight years ago, and back then, Yvette had barely been an adult.¡® Aurora looked at Yvette, feeling more and more satisfied. ¡®Her daughter¨Cin-w¡¯s business acumen was no joke. Oh, dear¡­ Does that mean she finally has someone to take over herpany?¡® she thought. Aurora began scheming about how to hand over her business to Yvette. But given what she knew about her daughter¨Cinw, this was probably going to be a challenge.


    Sitting half¨Cslumped on the couch, Andrew was also in a dazed state. His pants were soaked where the water had spilled on them, but he hadn¡¯t even noticed. Yvette had just revealed another mind¨Cblowing secret? He thought, ¡®Cyanbird the painter? An Interpol officer? The hidden boss behind ¡®Vibe¡®? My god! Yvette¡¯s secrets were getting more and more terrifying. If she dropped one more bombshell, his heart might not survive. Turns out, Jeremiah had hit the jackpot by marrying her.¡® Andrew sighed¨Cforget envying those who live charmed lives, he¡¯d settle for finding a way to live off someone like that. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t he find someone like that? Beautiful? Check. Talented? Check. Unique personality? Check. And who else but Yvette could get drunk and still run military drills?¡® he thought in admiration.


    Charles, on the other hand, was the only one keeping hisposure, not as shaken as the others. He knew that a girl who could outss a group of grown men at just ten years old could definitely be the founder of ¡®Vibe! With Ms. Zeller, anything was possible; nothing had to make sense¨Cshe was the master of her own world.


    Andrew let out a soft sigh, and Charles nced sideways at him. Why was he getting all sentimental just because Yvette had revealed another secret? Charles asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?


    Andrew lifted his head slightly and said softly, ¡°I just think that some people are born to create miracles and crush others in the process.¡±


    Charles nodded seriously and said, ¡°You¡¯re


    Yvette picked up the phone, turned off,, ht. Just get used to it.¡±


    speaker, and casually said a few more words before hanging up. Turning around, her deep, tranquil phoenix¨Cshaped eyes seemed to hold the universe within, serene and dazzling. She had changed into at simple white T¨Cshirt and shorts after going upstairs, her hair tied up in a ponytail, exuding a youthful and slightly alluring vibe. Looking at this girl who always wore sports clothes, white T¨Cshirts, jeans, and sneakers, who could have imagined that she was the secret boss of ¡®Vibe,¡® the fashionbel everyone in the industry chased after? Yvette nced casually at the three people, raised an eyebrow, and said in an offhand manner, ¡°I started ¡®Vibe¡® a few years ago, J on a whim.¡±


    The three of them were speechless.


    Andrew clicked his tongue in disbelief Just on a whim? Could she be any more devastating to his fragile self¨Cesteem? He also wanted to casually start a multi¨Cbillion¨Cdorpany, alright?¡±


    Charles smiled at how serious Yvette looked as she exined herself. He thought, ¡®A clothingpany worth hundreds of billions was really just a casual side project¡­ Ms. Zeller certainly had a way of getting under people¡¯s skin. If word of this got out, it would probably infuriate countless business people.


    Aurora took a moment topose herself, she thought, ¡®Her daughter¨Cinw was simply amazing¨Cwhat she said was so confidently bold yet endearingly cute.¡® Aurora looked at Yvette with high hopes and asked expectantly, ¡°Yvette, I mean, just hypothetically speaking, if I were to hand over apany worth billions for you to manage, would you refuse?¡±


    Yvette looked up, her tone casual. ¡°I would. So don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    Aurora¡¯s face fell. ¡®Why was it so hard to give her future daughter¨Cinw apany?¡® she thought.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Andrew sipped some water and watched the scene unfold, dying of envy. Even he could understand what Mrs. Chavez was hinting at, he thought, ¡®She clearly wanted to hand over her entire business empire to Yvette. But s, Yvette wasn¡¯t the type to care about money. One wanted to give, and the other didn¡¯t want to receive? Seriously, that was money! Who wouldn¡¯t want it?¡® Andrew felt like his measly monthly sry of 1,500 might as welle with a noose¨Che felt so poor byparison.


    After chatting for a while longer, Aurora and Yvette said their goodbyes, and the Chavez family¡¯s staff packed up the dresses, loading them into tworge trucks. Even the security guard at the gate was stunned. ¡®He¡¯d seen plenty of rich people¡¯s lifestyles, but a whole truckload of clothes? That was the next level,¡® he thought.

 Chapter 310

    Jase, Clifford and Jeremiah were talking in the living room of the Chavez residence.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jase took a sip of coffee and looked at Clifford, who was impably dressed and had just hosted the visiting Ybau delegation as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    Jase asked. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Clifford rubbed his forehead and assured Jase, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve dealt with Kyle before, and I can handle the situation.¡±


    At the mention of ¡°Kyle,¡± Jase¡¯s expression darkened, and he reminded Clifford, ¡°Be cautious. The instruction from above is that our interests in the trade agreement are not to bepromised.¡±


    Clifford nodded and said, ¡°I understand, Dad. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Jase emphasized. ¡°Ensuring Kyle¡¯s safety is the top priority, particrly if anything should go wrong with the agreement. Kyle¡¯s visit amid political uncertainty in Ybau makes the higher authority suspicious of his motives. Ybau will take action if anything happens to Kyle in Clusia. It¡¯s absolute security or nothing.¡±


    Jeremiah crossed his legs and lifted his gaze, exuding an effortless elegance with his neat hair, keen eyes, straight nose and chiseled jawline.


    Jeremiah nodded and thought, ¡®Hmm, Kyle would be digging his own grave if he were to use us against his enemies.


    The meeting concluded and Jeremiah was about to leave, when Aurora entered the living room, surprised to see all three of them. She wondered, ¡®What kind of chance has brought them here?


    They are usually too busy to have a family gathering.


    It must be major political affairs; otherwise, they would have handled it through phone conversations.¡¯


    Aurora asked, ¡°Jase, have you had dinner yet?¡±


    jase nodded and said, ¡°Yes, and you¡¯ve gone shopping with Yvette?¡±


    It took Aurora aback a bit to find that Jase Chavez, who was typically preupied with state affairs, showed interest in such a trivial matter.


    Jeremiah saw Aurora delighted and asked, ¡°Have you been enjoying yourselves?¡±


    Aurora took on a mysterious air and sat on the couch to face them, her chin slightly raised. She found it thrilling to keep a secret from them and boasted with a smirk, ¡°There¡¯s a prize for guessing what I¡¯ve got.¡±


    As Aurora¡¯s husband, Clifford tried first and asked, ¡°Um, you just won the lottery?¡±


    Aurora snorted and said, ¡°Boring. What¡¯s so exciting about that? Try harder.¡±


    ¡°Amazing outfits?¡± Jeremiah asked, ncing at his watch, as if talking to himself.


    Aurora pursed her lips, turning to Jase.


    Tapping his cane, Jase asked, ¡°Yvette has given you a gift?¡±


    Aurora¡¯s eyes sparkled. She had to admit that shrewdness grew with age, as Jase nailed it halfway with just one guess. Aurora dered, ¡°Jase, you¡¯re the epitome of wisdom.¡±


    Then, Aurora pped her hands. The servants opened the door behind her and en the room, each carrying arge bag.


    They lined up and unzipped the bags, and there it was, a bewildering array of couture gowns.


    Clifford instantly knew that those were luxuries. He eximed, ¡°What? Have you bought a store?¡±


    Jeremiah looked at the gowns, impressed by the scene.


    Jase, however, sipped his coffee calmly. He knew that Yvette had owned arge fashion brand, which now seemed no longer a secret.


    Aurora bragged, ¡°See, Yvette¡¯s gifts for me. Aren¡¯t they beautiful


    Clifford frowned, thinking, ¡®Even though Yvette is a famous painter, she could not afford to spend it all like that. This won¡¯t do.¡®


    Meanwhile, Jeremiah just fiddled with his phone indifferently.


    Jase pecked at Jeremiah, who was strangely calm about Yvette spending such a fortune.


    ¡°These gifts must have costed Yvette,¡± Jase remarked with pretended astonishment.


    Jeremiah slipped the phone into his pocket and said with a faint smile, ¡°Yvette¡¯s got the money and I¡¯ve got the honey.¡±


    Jase was choked with the irony that the lionhearted men of the Chavez family were all sweetheart husbands at home.


    Still, Clifford voiced his concerns, saying, ¡°Honey, Yvette needs the money, and we both know it doesn¡¯t grow on trees. Let¡¯s write her a check.¡±


    Aurora could not helpughing at Clifford¡¯s worried look. He had been so unaware of Yvette¡¯s wealth that his acts of kindness came across as condescending.


    Aurora¡¯s reaction confounded Clifford. He asked, ¡°Are you all right? You¡¯ve been acting weird today.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember Vibe, my favorite clothing brand?¡± Aurora asked, giving Clifford a hint.


    Clifford nodded and said, ¡°Of course. You always say you love their designs, and that each client can order only one gown. But why are you bringing this up now?¡±


    Aurora said, ¡°Then you can guess the brand of the gowns.¡±


    Clifford said casually, ¡°It¡¯s Vibe?¡±


    Clifford was correct, which spoiled Aurora¡¯s fun. ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted.


    Clifford had not expected that what he had said randomly turned out to be true. He adjusted his sses and asked, ¡°Each client can order one couture gown only, but now there are some twenty items. So they¡¯ve given up on that policy?¡±


    So far, Jeremiah had observed the gowns. He smiled, such an understanding smile. Jeremiah thought, ¡®It must be Yvette, my angel, dazzling us again with one of her secret identities.


    Aurora cleared her throat and exined, ¡°No, their policy remains unchanged. It¡¯s just that Vibe was founded by Yvette as hobby in her teens.¡±


    Clifford was utterly dumbfounded while Aurora smirked. Clifford turned to Jeremiah and Jase, who were seated on the sofa,. and realized that everyone, except for him, had been aware of the entire situation. Clifford asked in frustration, ¡°Dad, do you and Jeremiah already know about this?¡±


    ¡°Not long ago,¡± Jase said, nodding yes, while Jeremiah added, ¡°Just now.¡±


    Still finding it hard to believe, Clifford asked, ¡°You¡¯re telling me Yvette owns your favorite fashion brand? Are you serious?¡±


    Aurora pinched Clifford¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Wake up. Of course I mean it. Who else would be so generous?¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Clifford yelped and said, ¡°You win. I¡¯m just curious. He had never imagined Yvette achieving such sess, founding and growing major businesses as a teenager.


    Jase stood up, looked around, and concluded, ¡°Life is full of surprises, which isn¡¯t surprising.¡±

 Chapter 311

    In an apartment in Betrico, a young man with short hair in histe twenties, sat on the sofa and lit a cigar. He was wearing a white shirt, open at the neck. He had his sleeves rolled up, revealing his tanned arms.


    He was Kaiden Harper, Larry¡¯s favorite son, known as Mafia Prince.


    Another man with a mustac


    Kaiden with disdain.


    sat opposite him, but he was not as handsome as Kaiden. He was Robin Jenkins. He stared at


    Robin was surprised that Kaiden, Larry¡¯s illegitimate son, was visiting Clusia with him this time.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In his circle, everyone knew Kaiden was Larry¡¯s illegitimate son


    They didn¡¯t understand why Larry chose Kaiden as his heir over his wife¨Cborn son.


    ¡°Kaiden, are you ready for the friendly match in a week? You never get out of the house. What exactly are you trying to do? You¡¯re wasting your time. I¡¯m going to report you to


    Kaiden stubbed out his cigar in anger and then ¡°Hall,¡± Robin said coldly, looking at K?iden unfriendly.


    ¡°Mr. Jenkins, don¡¯t you want me to win?¡± ??


    Robin was boiling with rage. He didn¡¯t


    at Robin with undisguised contempt in his eyes.


    with a smile.


    to


    now what was on his mind.


    ,his positio


    He indeed hoped so. If he won and Kaiden in Steel Serpents would significantly rise. Sure enough, he couldn¡¯t admit it.


    Robin mmed the table as he up. He livid with rage, looking coldly at Kaiden with eyes that spat venom.


    ¡°Mr. Harper, don¡¯t think everyone is like you. I¡¯m absolutely loyal to our nation and will never have such thoughts. You¡¯re ndering me! I will report this to Mr. Hall. Just you wait!¡± he strongly denied.


    Kaiden showed no sign of fear.


    Instead of getting angry, heughed, sending chills down Robin¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Mr. Jenkins, I don¡¯t want to have a fall:


    with


    you unless


    Robin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell do you want to,¡± Kaiden said, looking daggers at him.


    Ou mean?¡±


    have b with my


    ¡°I guess my father doesn¡¯t know you brother behind his back. Mr. Jenkins, you should keep your head down after gaining big profits. You stay out of myne, I¡¯ll stay out of yours. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for telling my father. What do you say?¡± Kaiden sneered.


    Kaiden¡¯s position in Steel Serpents wasn¡¯t Robin was shocked.


    He never expected Kaiden to know this.


    He wouldn¡¯t be in a head¨Con sh with Robin until he really had to.


    Robin chickened out and didn¡¯t dare to be arrogant in front of Kaiden.


    He looked at Kaiden suspiciously.


    O kind to keep t s from his father. He was up to something.


    Robin gritted his teeth. Kaiden got something on him and he didn¡¯t dare say anything else. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t forget the mission Mr. Hall gave us and keep your promise. You must beat the Clusians and win the match.¡±


    Kaiden nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m confident in my swordsmanship.¡±


    After Robin left, Kaiden walked to the window and quietly stared at the distant lights.


    He nced down at his left hand.


    He had lost his little finger years ago. That man cut it off in person.


    He had never forgotten the scene until now.


    The man showed him no mercy.


    If Damian hadn¡¯t known his identity and pleaded for him, he would have died in the training camp.


    Kaiden stood still, lost in his thoughts.


    When Jeremiah opened the door in Sknd, he saw Yvette walk out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She had long, straight legs.


    Her long and wet hair spilled down over her shoulders. She was tanned and s*xy.


    Jeremiah quickly closed the door and gazed at her.


    Yvette lifted her eyes and curled her lips into a captivating smile.


    She noticed Jeremiah¡¯s blushed cheeks and ears.


    Under his gaze, Yvette calmly walked into the cloakroom and grabbed a white T¨Cshirt.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes followed her all the time. He stiffened when he realized she was about to get changed.


    Yvette saw Jeremiah¡¯s awkward look in the mirror.


    ¡°Still want to watch?¡± she asked slowly.


    Jeremiah took off his uniform jacket and hugged her from behind. He pressed himself against her soft body across the towel.


    ¡°Yes, I do, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose control,¡± he admitted in a husky voice..


    Yvette turned around and bit his lip hard. She kissed him hard and aggressively.


    Jeremiah froze in ce, his muscles tensed 4 up.


    When he came back to his senses and wanted to kiss her back, Yvette broke the kiss and took a step back. She wiped her lips and leanedzily against the wardrobe, with folded arms.


    Looking at Jeremiah, who was breathing heavily with lust in his eyes, she chuckled.


    ¡°Your mouth is sweet,¡± she said slowly.


    Jeremiah was stunned for a moment. He thought, ¡®How could she say so? He¡¯s a man. How can his mouth be sweet?¡®


    After saying that, Yvette picked up her pajamas and turned on her heel. Jeremiah grabbed her by the hand.


    ¡°Are you leaving now? What should I do? I don¡¯t want to wait any longer,¡± he said in a deep and husky voice.


    After a moment of silence, Yvette curled her lips into a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m on my period,¡± she said word by word, fixing her gaze on Jeremiah¡¯s red lips.


    Her words instantly killed the mood.


    Jeremiah gritted his teeth. Yvette was so naughty to tease him.


    Jeremiah picked at his tie and took a deep breath. ¡°Have you had my ginger tea?¡± he asked.


    Yvette was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect him to know about ginger ca.


    ¡°No,¡± Yvette replied.


    Judging from her expression, Jeremiah knew she¡¯d never had it before. His heart ached for her. Didn¡¯t she know ginger tea helped with period cramps?


    ¡°Hang on. I¡¯ll make some ginger tea for you. Go change into long pants so you don¡¯t catch a cold,¡± Jeremiah said, stroking her hair.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yvette replied.


    Jeremiah came in with a cup of ginger tea half an hourter. Yvette put her phone down.


    ¡°Drink it, then have some rest. Want me to read you story?¡± Jeremiah said.


    Yvette coughed awkwardly.


    The forum suggested that telling stories at night could strengthen the bond between couples. Jeremiah wondered if it was wrong.


    Yvette paused and then nodded her head. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied obediently.

 Chapter 312

    The next morning, Charles was surprised to see the big breakfast.


    He thought, ¡°Ten people can¡¯t finish all of them. Does Mr. Chavez have guests this morning?¡®


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, are we expecting guests?¡± Charles asked.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Ms. Zeller can eat them,¡± Andrew said in a weak voice, ncing


    Charles was dumbfounded. Did Andrew mean all the food was for Yvette?


    ar


    the food on the table.


    Charles twitched his mouth after ncing at Yvette, who sat opposite and enjoyed her breakfast.


    Yvette ate a lot in the training camp, but wasn¡¯t this a little too much?


    Jeremiah came out of the kitchen and ced a bowl of soup in front of Yvette. ¡°It¡¯s chicken soup. Drink it while it¡¯s hot,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Ms. Zeller. She has chicken soup to drink in the early morning,¡± Andrew said, staring at the hot


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night?¡± Jeremiah asked, looking at dark shadows under his eyes. soup.


    Andrew got jittery and immediately started toin. ¡°Jeremiah, I suspect there¡¯s a ghost in Sknd. Do you know what I heard in the middle of the night when I walked past the second floor to the kitchen to get a drink of water?¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± Charles asked curiously.


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand holding the cup froze a bit. He looked a bit awkward.


    Yvette took a bite of the bread and gave Andrew a nce without saying anything.


    ¡°I heard someone telling ghost stories at midnight yesterday. The voice sounded very familiar. I was half¨Casleep, so I only heard bits and pieces of it. But I¡¯m certain of it. There are only a few of us staying in Sknd. Mr. Chavez and Ms. Zeller wouldn¡¯t be bored enough to tell ghost stories at midnight, right? Charles¡® room is be him, either. So what else could it be?¡± Andrew continued.


    very end of the corridor. It couldn¡¯t at the


    Charles was an atheist. He thought Andrew must have been dreaming the night before.


    Yvette sipped her soup. A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.


    ¡°You must have been dreaming. Go home after finishing your breakfast,¡± Jeremiah said coldly.


    Andrew stopped talking as soon as Jeremiah mentioned his father.


    Yvette nced at Jeremiah with her chin in her hands. She thought, ¡®He¡¯s so good at acting!¡®


    Andrew didn¡¯t lie because Jeremiah indeed told her ghost stories for most of the night the day before.


    He was a good storyteller, and she slept soundly.


    Jeremiah kept his eyes down. He read from the forum that telling girls ghost stories would make girls jump into men¡¯s arms, taking the rtionship to the next level. jump into men¡¯s arms,However, the more Yvette listened ghost stories, the more interested she became.


    She pestered him to tell ghost stories for most of the night, with no fear at all.


    After Jeremiah and Andrew left, Charles was quiet for a few seconds.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, Kaiden has already arrived in Betrico. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll attend the friendly match between Clusia and Ybau,¡± he said, looking at Yvette.


    Yvette taught Kaiden swordsmanship in person.


    Back then, Kaiden was the best student in her ss. He had the best understanding of fencing and scored the best results. Honestly speaking, it would be hard to beat him.


    His fencing was filled with bloodlust, ughter, dissatisfaction, and resentment.


    Yvette raised her head and leaned back slightly, her eyes icy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what happens,¡± she said.


    Charles nodded.


    Clusia had already selected the contestants for the match. It was not appropriate for Yvette to intervene.


    In the First Military District, Clifford rubbed his temples. As expected, Kyle didn¡¯t with good intentions.


    In front of all the media, he suddenly proposed having a friendly match with Clusia in fencing and chess. It was part of his n.


    Jeremiah pushed the door open and saw his father sitting on the couch with a frown.


    He had just received the news and the media had started reporting on it.


    Amid wide publicity, the whole world had already known about it.


    The citizens responded well to that. It was all over the official websites.


    ¡°Look, the whole world knows about our friendly match with Ybau now. You¡¯re right. Ybau came prepared. The citizens are up in arms. It¡¯s a match we cannot afford to lose. Jeremiah, it isn¡¯t just a friendly match nation,¡± Clifford said. anymore. It represents our Jeremiah nodded, darkening his eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯ve bribed the media,¡± he said.


    Jeremiah nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, the news came out quickly. The press release must have been prepared in advance¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Well, my supervisor requested you to represent our country in the fencing match. As for the chess match, Louis is the first choice, but he¡¯s still a bit inexperienced. It¡¯s too risky, so they¡¯re hesitant. We are so pressed for time. If we don¡¯t have any better candidates, it¡¯ll have to be him.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to worry about the match if his son attended. He was aware of Jeremiah¡¯s swordsmanship.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jeremiah replied calmly.


    Charles in Sknd turned on the TV.


    The friendly match between Ybau and Clusia was all over the news.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    When he checked his phone, it was also all over the social media


    Charles handed his phone to Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, is this friendly match really such a big deal?¡±

 Chapter 313

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was Wednesday, only three days left until the friendly match between Clusia and Ybau.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No matter where people went, everyone was talking about the uing match between the two countries.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the caf¨¦, Lucy in a business suit, stirred her coffee with a spoon and looked across at Yvette with a strange look.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She just realized why Yvette would intervene to help Aurora in a fight. It was so unlike her. As expected, there was a reason for it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thinking for a while, Lucy asked, ¡°Boss, are you in love?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up and put her hands on the desk. She pressed her lips together, expressionless. ¡°Mmm,¡± she replied.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy waspletely stunned.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had never thought that this legendary figure would actually fall in love.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thinking about the rumors she had heard, she asked cautiously, ¡°Boss, is your boyfriend Jeremiah Chavez, the young general?¡±</font></font>All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°It¡¯s him Yvette replied, ncing at her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy mped her hand over her chest. This was really exciting!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When she first heard the rumor, she thought it was just someone with the same name and didn¡¯t pay attention.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But when she heard more about Jeremiah losing his mind over a woman, she realized who the woman was.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She thought, ¡®Yvette is awesome! Her boyfriend is the youngest general in Clusia, known as the Living Reaper. How amazing it is!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy took a sip of her coffee to calm down.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Boss, word gets around in high society circles of Betrico that Jeremiah Chavez is in love with a woman from Seacrity. She¡¯s nothing but a pretty face. Don¡¯t maintain a profile anymore. They will shut up if they know you¡¯re the chairman of FastPulse Technologies. Come on, stop hiding your identity!¡± she said.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If Yvette revealed her identity, those rich boys and girls born with silver spoons in their mouths would not look down upon her. Yvette was a real self¨Cmade billionaire.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette rested her chin on her hand and sneered. Was she just a pretty face? That was interesting.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°No need,¡± she replied in a cold voice.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy sighed and felt helpless to work for a low¨Cprofile boss who disliked the trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, Boss.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She wondered if she hadn¡¯t expanded FastPulse Technologies enough, making Yvette think it wasn¡¯t good enough. She -needed to keep up with the good work.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At that moment, a woman at the next table stood up and sshed a ss of water on a man¡¯s face. Tears streamed down her cheeks.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The scene drew other people¡¯s attention in the caf¨¦. Lucy couldn¡¯t help but look at them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The woman with delicate makeup was in a dark blue dress.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Mr. Jenkins, I truly love you. Why did you toy with my feelings can go back to your country with you. I promise I¡¯ll be a good wife and mother. Please believe me!¡± she cried, ring at the man in front of her.</font></font>


    The man sitting across from the woman was Robin Jenkis, the focus of attention online. He was going to represent Ybau to attend the friendly match.


    That morning, Ybau had already held a press conference and formally introduced Robin and Kaiden.


    It was almost impossible for Robin to not be recognized wherever he went.


    In the cafe, someone had already recognized Robin. They took photos and videos of him and posted them online under various titles to attract attention.


    It didn¡¯t take long for this news to be a trending topic.


    The other people in the cafe started to stream live and thousands of viewers flooded into their channels. The number The number of viewers kept increasing.


    Those livestreamers grinned from ear to ear.


    [Holy shit! What¡¯s going on? Is Robin¡¯s girlfriend from Clusia? Is he dumping her?]


    [I¡¯m totally confused. What¡¯s happening right now? Who can tell me what happened?]


    Looks like Robin is breaking up with this woman and she¡¯s trying to hold on to him. Am I right?]


    [Oh, no. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s a simp?]


    The customers in the cafe were whispering about them.


    With a gloomy face, Robin didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. Instead, heughed.


    He was just messing around with this Clusian woman, but she took it seriously and even wanted to go back to his country with him. In her dreams!


    She was such an idiot! He easily lured her into sex with a few sweet words. How cheap she was!


    Robin took out a handkerchief and wiped the water off his face, We were just messing around. You were the one who came to me. I will never marry a Clusian woman,¡± he said coldly, looking at the crying woman.


    After these words, he intentionally nced around the people in the caf¨¦ with arrogance.


    Robin did it on purpose. He deliberately humiliated the Clusians here, making them not hold their heads up.


    The people in the caf¨¦ were burning with anger.


    His words also caused an uproar online.


    [Don¡¯t you guys see Robin is deliberately humiliating us? Can you endure it?]


    [What the hell are the people in the caf¨¦ doing? Stand up and p him!]


    [Shit! Does he have a death wish? Let¡¯s start a crowdfunding campaign to kill him!]


    [This woman is a simp! She¡¯s a disgrace to our Clusians.]


    A man in a suit stood up in the caf¨¦.


    ¡°Mr. Jenkins, please watch yournguage. Not all Clusians are like this woman you know. This is between you two, so don¡¯t humiliate other Clusians. As the saying goes in Clusia, we entertain our guests with wine and deal with bad people with shotguns. I¡¯m sure you know what that means,¡± he said, looking calm andposed.


    As soon as those words left his mouth, the caf¨¦ erupted in apuse.


    ¡°That is well said!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, this woman cannot represent our Clusians.¡±


    The crying woman felt so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t dare to speak again.


    She knew what she did had caused an outrage. She flinched in her chair, not daring to lift her head.


    Robin squinted at the man, his eyes alight with malice.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong? This woman slept with me the first time we met. I am new here. I¡¯ve only known this woman. Naturally, I thought all women here were like her. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you,¡± he said, looking arrogant.


    Robin seemed to be apologizing, but he wasn¡¯t sincere at all.


    The man was rendered speechless and choked with anger.


    Robin scoffed and thought, ¡®What a bunch of idiots! How dare you argue with me!¡®


    The live streamer¡¯s hand holding the phone trembled slightly. He was not in the mood to watch the fun.


    He nced at thement section. There were already over a hundred thousand of them.


    He reopened the site and news flooded in.

 Chapter 314

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clifford looked serious after watching the news. He immediately called the Ybau delegation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, they shamelessly replied, ¡°What Robin did was an individual act. It has nothing to do with the delegation. They have no right to interfere in his love life.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford frowned. It was obvious that Ybau didn¡¯t want to take the me.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">That was indeed an individual act. If the government intervened, it would be used against Clusia. Clifford found himself in a tough spot.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He called Jeremiah and told him about it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was in the middle of military exercises, and it would take him two hours to get back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After hanging up, Clifford opened the livestream and saw the scene where Robin was about to leave.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the man was rendered speechless, Robin became even more arrogant.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While looking at the woman sitting across from him, who was too scared to speak, he took a check from his pocket and tossed it over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Take the check. Don¡¯t bother me again,¡± he said coldly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When the woman saw the figure on the check, her eyes widened in shock. However, she didn¡¯t dare to take it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If she took it, she would have be a national disgrace.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[How could you endure such humiliation? Where¡¯s the cafe? I¡¯m going to teach Robin a lesson!¡°]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Count me in!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I hope this woman has her pride. If she takes the check, she¡¯ll be a national disgrace.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Don¡¯t take it!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thements saying ¡°Don¡¯t take it¡± soon flooded the screen.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the woman was in a dilemma, he sneered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Anyway, he¡¯d had enough fun today. Those Clusians were rendered speechless by him. He rose to his feet, ready to leave.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Stop!¡± a voice shouted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It stunned everyone present and everyone in the caf¨¦ turned their heads to locate the source of sound.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When they saw who was speaking, they were all shocked. Was it a woman?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood up from her chair.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As she turned around, the entire caf¨¦ wentpletely silent, even Robin was rooted to the spot. This woman was incredibly beautiful.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy looked at Yvette and knew things were about to get serious Yvette dared to kill people in front of her back then.</font></font>Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Putting her hands in her pockets, Yvette walked slowly towards Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The streamer quickly turned the camera and focused on Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Wow, she¡¯s gorgeous! Did she just stop Robin?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I suppose so. Didn¡¯t you see the streamer point his camera at him?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[She¡¯s so cool! I love her!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[She¡¯s just a woman. What could she possibly do?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I have no idea. Just keep watching. I have a strong feeling that she¡¯s no ordinary.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I feel the same way!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood in front of Robin, her eyes icy. She raised an eyebrow, her face dark.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin pretended to be calm, thinking Yvette was another woman trying to flirt with him. He beamed at her and asked, ¡°Hey, beautiful. Do you want to know me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He looked like a peacock spreading its feathers at her.</font></font>


    Yvette slowly raised her head. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? You look so ugly! Don¡¯t you look at yourself in the mirror?¡± she said slowly.


    Robin instantly darkened his face.


    Where did this woman get the gall to insult him?


    Tens of thousands of people online watched the scene. Thements flooded the screen again.


    [Whoa, she¡¯s so cool! Does anyone have information on her? I need it in three minutes!]


    [Boohoo. I didn¡¯t expect the person toe forward to be a woman. I feel like crying.]


    [Ma¡¯am, protect yourself. Robin is a gangster.]


    [She¡¯s so brave!]


    ¡°A pretty girl has the right to be willful, but she¡¯ll be just annoying if she¡¯s over the line,¡± Robin said hatefully.


    Yvette sized him up and down coldly.


    She squinted, exuding a murderous aura.


    The next second, Yvette gripped his left arm and tugged it hard.


    Robin cried in pain. The next second, his arm dropped away.


    Everyone was stunned at the scene.


    How awesome! In a twinkling, the beautiful woman dislocated Robin¡¯s arm. How ruthless she was!


    Meanwhile, some people were afraid Ybau and the Jenkins family wouldn¡¯t let her get away with it.


    The viewers of the livestream were so stunned that they even forgot to makements.


    Three secondster, the screen was flooded withments. Too many people flooded in and its server crashed. The stream was forced to shut down.


    The male streamer looked at his phone, his hands shaking.


    But he didn¡¯t give a damn. He watched the scene with excitement.


    He didn¡¯t know it had already caused an uproar online again.


    Robin widened his eyes in shock. He couldn¡¯t even speak clearly because of the excruciating pain. ¡°H¨CHow dare you hurt me! You can¡¯t get away with it. I¨CI am calling the police. You will be punished in ordance with the Clusianw. Just you wait!¡±


    Yvette crooked her little finger at Lucy.


    Lucy immediately brought her a chair and stood aside.


    A big shot never stood when they could sit during a fight.


    Yvette walked towards Robin, not saying a word. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.


    Robin had a bad feeling about this. He wanted to dodge, but Yvette was too fast.


    She gave him a kick, sending him flying. Robin collided with the wall and slid down.


    His knees hit the ground hard.


    His face hit the floor. When he looked up, he had bruises all over his face.


    Robin was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t even make a sound.


    Yvette turned around and sat down in the chair, with her legs crossed. She looked like a big shot.


    The people in the caf¨¦ looked at each other, wondering who she was.


    The kick was so good!


    Robin propped himself up on one knee, ring at Yvette. There was a look of fear in his eyes.


    He wondered who the woman was. How dare she hit him!


    Suddenly, Robin burst into burst into a frantic fit ofughing.

 Chapter 315

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin became frightened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He copsed to the floor and didn¡¯t dare to be arrogant again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Didn¡¯t Clusia have sharply limited gun regtions? Why did this woman have a pistol?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin crawled backward, trembling with fear.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°W¨CWho the hell are you? Why do you have a gun?¡± he asked.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head and pointed the pistol at Robin¡¯s temple.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As long as she pulled the trigger, Robin would be dead.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette held the pistol, her eyes icy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Who are you to judge the woman in Clusia?¡± she spoke slowly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin broke out in a cold sweat. His hands were trembling with fear.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He wanted to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but his arm was dislocated. He couldn¡¯t even lift it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¨CI¡¯m telling the truth. This woman approached me first and kept pestering me,¡± he said.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, everyone in the cafe turned to look at the woman in the booth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The woman was too scared to say anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy sneered. She looked at Robin, who was still denying it, feeling extremely disgusted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She thought, ¡®That¡¯s so typical of him! Ybauns are so good at twisting the facts.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy walked towards Robin in her high heels. ¡°She loves you and wants to go back to Ybau with you. But she doesn¡¯t represent all the women in Clusia. Stop judging us!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin was stunned at another stunning woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Why did she look so familiar? He didn¡¯t recall where to meet her for a moment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Lucy finished speaking, the women in the cafe wanted to apuse for her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Boss,¡± Lucy whispered, walking over to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, looking at the defiant Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She thought, ¡®Is he still defiant? He needs to learn his good lesson. Okay, I¡¯m going to shoot him until he bes defiant.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked daggers at Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suddenly, Robin felt a chill down his spine. He didn¡¯t dare to resist and kept dragging himself away from her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette leaned forward slightly and Robin felt oppressed by the vague sense of impending cmity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, Yvette shot him in the left leg. Robin cried in pain, blood gushing from the wound.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucy saw it clearly because she was the nearest. She was afraid Robin¡¯s left leg was crippled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette shot Robin in public this time. She was afraid she would be in trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her personality hadn¡¯t changed at all over the years.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin desperately put pressure on the bullet wound in his left leg, but the blood wouldn¡¯t stop.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He waspletely terrified this time.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was like amb to the ughter,pletely powerless to resist.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Some customers in the cafe ran aside when they saw Yvette fire the gun. They had never seen such a scene before. They were frozen in ce, frightened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat back in her chair and asked the waitress to bring her another strawberry milkshake.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The waitress handed her the freshly made milkshake with trembling fingers.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette took it and stopped the waiter who was about to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± she said.</font></font>


    The waitress turned pale. She turned around stiffly.


    ¡°M¨CMa¡¯m, can I help you?¡± she asked, terrified.


    Yvette lowered her eyes and reached into her pockets.


    The waitress became even more frightened, wondering if she would pull out another pistol.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A few secondster, Yvette took out a $100 bill and ced it on the te.


    ¡°Here you are. Don¡¯t forget to give me the change back,¡± she said seriously.


    The customers in the cafe snapped back to reality. They thought, ¡®What the hell?


    Did she forget she just shot a man? Robin was still lying there, half¨Cdead.


    Lucy twitched the corners of her mouth.


    Her boss was quite stingy sometimes.


    The waitress was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Well, ma¡¯am, it¡¯s on the house. Take your time and enjoy it,¡± she cautiously said.


    ¡°No, thanks. Just give me the change,¡± Yvette replied, looking at her.


    The waitress had no choice but to get the change for her.


    Robin groaned in pain on the floor.


    While no one was watching, Yvette used a silver needle to seal his acupoints.


    Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t die. He would stay conscious while feeling intense pain. He would wish he had never been born.


    Yvette sat in the chair and enjoyed her milkshake. The other customers also returned to their seats.


    They just watched the two of them. It was eerily quiet.


    They didn¡¯t dare to make any noise, afraid of disturbing Yvette.


    Meanwhile, the website¨Cmanager quickly had the engineers fix thework connection issues.


    When thework was working again, the male streamer in the cafe quickly restarted the live stream.


    Within three seconds, fifty thousand people flooded in, and the number continued to grow.


    [Oh my gosh! Finally, the live stream is on. What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s Robin?]


    [Yeah, where¡¯s that cooldy? Where has she been?]


    [Move the camera closer. Can you guys see Robin?]


    [Am I seeing things? Is the man lying on the floor Robin?]


    [It seems to be him. Why is he covered in blood? What exactly happened? This site is terrible. Where¡¯s the live streamer? Tell us what happened!]


    [I¡¯m super curious, too. Who did beat Robin up?]


    [It looks like a gunshot. Yes, I am sure.]


    [No way. A gunshot? Who would shoot him? Could it be that cooldy?]


    [Come on, your imagination is wild. How could it be? A pretty woman needs something for protection. But how could she have a pistol?]


    Seeing thements, the male stream liver aimed the camera at Yvette and Robin.


    Yvette¡¯s face was zoomed.


    Her wless face once again drove the viewers into a frenzy.


    Yvette lifted her head, her eyes twinkling.


    The viewers also saw Robin lying on the floor, half¨Cdead.


    They wondered what had happened.


    Wasn¡¯t he so arrogant a moment ago? Why did he look like a shit?


    The male streamer cleared his throat and continued with a cheery spirit, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t doubt what you saw. Just a second ago, the gorgeous woman, who was enjoying coffee in her seat, beat up the arrogant Robin and shot his left leg. As you can see, Robin is half¨Cdead now. She was very cool when she beat Robin up. Robin is no match for her at all. She avenged our humiliation! Let¡¯s give Goddess of Clusia a big thumbs¨Cup!¡±


    The next moment, hundreds of thousands of people flooded into the live stream room and bombarded the screen.


    [Goddess of Clusia!]


    [Goddess of Clusia!]


    (Goddess of Clusia!]

 Chapter 316

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell received a distress call from the visiting Ybau delegation, and he was almost in tears.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He really thought he was having a streak of bad luck this year.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Every time this happened, it was always him on duty.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had just watched the livestream and couldn¡¯t help but think it was so darn satisfying.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin deserved it even if he was beaten to death. He really didn¡¯t want to save this guy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell immediately recognized the girl in the video was the one who was with Aurora at the dessert shop that day.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Later, it spread through the upper echelons of Betrico that Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend was named Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®This name?¡® thought Darnell.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He just realized that, in the dessert shop, it was Susan and Yvette ganging up on a troublemaker.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This issue could be either significant or trivial.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell didn¡¯t dare to take action without orders and had to report to his superiors first, waiting for instructions</font></font>C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Darnell reopened the live stream, he saw Robin lying on the ground, groaning in pain. Meanwhile, Yvette sat on the chair enjoying a milkshake. Blood was sttered everywhere. It looked incredibly eerie.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the live stream chat room, all of a sudden, someone started sending a series of carnival gifts. It wasn¡¯t just from one person, but a group of over a dozen people.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The screen exploded in a burst of colors, leaving viewers dazzled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Whoa! Who¡¯s doing this? They¡¯re sending a series of carnival gifts. It is worth 1 million dors, right?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[It¡¯s not just one person. These IDs all seem pretty new, wow¡­]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[How many are there now? How many carnival gifts are there?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Can¡¯t keep count. Can¡¯t keep count.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[This is crazy. Everyone¡¯s gone nuts. How much money is this? The streamer¡¯s about to get rich!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The male streamer waspletely stunned. These gifts could easily afford him a house in Betrico.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This must be what it felt like to strike it rich overnight.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The screen kept filling with carnival gifts, sports cars, and fireworks.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The livestream room was in chaos. All of them wondering who these wealthy viewers were.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Mitchell residence, Samantha looked at the livestream scene, a smile tugging at her lips. Yvette¡¯s moves were indeed-fierce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha had a group chat with thepound kids.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There were even those who had witnessed Yvette handle the incident with Kiera at the bar.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After she sent over the livestream link, she didn¡¯t even need to say anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thosepound kids knew just what to do and rushed into the livestream room. They started a shy barrage ofments.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The group name was coined by Andrew, though everyone opposed it at first.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, Andrew had Samantha¡¯s backing and held onto Jeremiah¡¯s powerful support. This group ofpound kids could only reluctantly ept the embarrassing group name.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The livestream room was being flooded by these poor little kids.</font></font>


    After sending thirty carnival gifts, Joel returned to the chat group.


    Joel: [Wow, Yvette is really awesome. Next time I see her, don¡¯t stop me. I must bow to her twice.]


    Jared sent twenty sports car gifts and then returned to the chat group.


    Jared: [Say no more. Count me in. I¡¯ll bow three times. I bet that Robin never thought he¡¯d get outdone by her, but he totally deserves it.]


    Court¡¯s son: [Damn. I feel the same. How about we do it together? Mine¡¯s bound to be louder than both of yours.]


    [You three sure are impressive. By the way, Yvette¡¯sbat skills are even stronger when she¡¯s sober than when she¡¯s tipsy. I¡¯m impressed.]


    [You¡¯re impressed only now? I¡¯ve been impressed for ages. Enough talk. Let¡¯s just bow together.]


    You two still chit¨Cchatting? Hurry back and keep sending gifts.]


    Samantha saw the conversation in the group chat, smiled, and put away her phone.


    This matter had really blown up. She had to go support Yvette no matter what.


    Even if the sky fell, she had to help keep it up with Yvette.


    In Sunrise Group, Liam was wide¨Ceyed with shock, watching the live stream. His expression was one of horror.


    Liam wondered, ¡®What kind of big shot is Ms. Zeller, anyway?


    That is the son of the Jenkins family, and he just got beaten up like it was nothing?


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how to describe my feelings at this moment¡­ I am totally impressed!¡®


    Liam saw Howarding out of the office and hurried up to him.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve got to see this. Something¡¯s happened,¡± said Liam.


    Howard took the phone from Liam, who filled him in on what was going on.


    Unexpectedly, there was no surprise. Howard¡¯s expression darkened as he watched Yvette sipping a milkshake on the livestream.


    Howard thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller is the world¡¯s top¨Cranked assassin.


    ¡®Who cares about Robin or Robert? Whether he lives or dies is up to Ms. Zeller.


    ¡®But the tricky part is now everyone around the world has seen it, which makes it a bit troublesome.¡¯


    Howard said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Jenkins family want us to invest in that partnership?¡±


    Liam paused for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Yes, boss, the Ybau branch is reviewing it.¡±


    Howard nced at the screen and saw Robin looking barely conscious.


    He said coldly, ¡°Tell the branch there¡¯s no need to consider it anymore. Just reject it. Say that Robin messed with the wrong person and none of Sunrise Group¡¯s businesses will ever deal with the Jenkins family again.¡±


    Liam nodded, bewildered. He thought, ¡®Robin offended Yvette and Mr. Yates cut off the Jenkins family¡¯s financial resources¡­¡®


    Howard had already left. He stepped back again, looking at the screen filled with colorful things, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Liam quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Yates, those are viewers sending gifts to the streamer to support Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Howard stared at the screen for a couple of seconds before saying, ¡°Oh, just move 15 million dors from my ount and send it all.¡±


    Liam stood there in shock, and by the time he realized, Howard was already far away.


    The livestream room was in an uproar again. Just now, someone sent gifts worth 15 million dors all at once, didn¡¯t even leave a name, and left.


    When the viewers tried to check the ount, they found it had already been deactivated.


    This time, the online audience really saw what it meant to have money to burn.


    At the police station, Darnell received orders from higher¨Cups to dispatch, and half an hour had already passed.


    The message from above was simple. As long as Robin was alive the rest was Clusia¡¯s own business. They would handle it themselves. No need for outsiders to get involved.


    The message was clear and concise. Darnell definitely understood.


    Darnell waved his hand. It was time to take action. No matter what, they had to make it look real.


    On the way, the young officer driving watched his foot on the gas pedal, keeping the speed precisely at thirty miles per hour.


    Darnell sat in the passenger seat, rxed.


    This was the perfect time to enjoy the scenery. Usually, there was just no time for that. He could take advantage of the opportunity now.


    The young officer spoke up, ¡°Mr. Tucker, do you think we¡¯re going a bit too fast? At this rate, we¡¯ll arrive in under twenty minutes.¡±


    Darnell turned around and patted the young officer on the shoulder. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going a bit fast. In the city, you really can¡¯t go over the limit. Keep it at twenty¨Cfive.¡±


    The young officer nodded quickly. ¡°Okay, Mr. Tucker.¡±


    Led by Darnell, three police cars advanced with a grand presence.


    Each car moved steadily at a speed not exceeding thirty miles per hour.


    Inside the caf¨¦, Robin kept drifting in and out of consciousness, repeatedly.


    He had just sent a request for help to the visiting Ybau delegation. They should arrive soon.


    Yvette finished two milkshakes and then ordered some pasta.


    The so¨Ccalled goddess turned into a mukbang.


    Lucy sat across from her.


    In the corner sat Robin, battered with a gloomy face.


    Blood smudged from Robin was everywhere around him. It looked like a crime scene.

 Chapter 317

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell pushed open the door to the caf¨¦.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The scene in front of him was shocking. He thought, ¡®Geez, how much blood did Robin lose?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The heavy metallic smell of blood was nauseating.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell also noticed Yvette in the middle enjoying her pasta. His eye twitched involuntarily.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Even with such a nasty smell lingering, she can still eat? She is really tough. I¡¯m impressed. I¡¯m totally impressed,¡® thought Darnell.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as Darnell opened the door, the visiting Ybau delegation followed right behind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A group of brawny men, more than ten in total, arrived.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the head was a man wearing a traditional Ybau suit, while the others wore ck suits and sunsses, giving off an intimidating vibe. They were clearly not here with good intentions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Robin saw the police and Malcolm Hart, Prime Minister¡¯s Secretary from the visiting Ybau delegation, he immediately felt energized.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He yelled, ¡°Help me, Mr. Hart! This woman is crazy! This Clusian woman has a gun. She did it on purpose to ruin the exchange event. Arrest her now!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The one handling the situation this time was Kishida¡¯s secretary, Malcolm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He saw Robin in a bloody mess, and his gaze was as sharp as a knife when he looked at Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat in the chair with her legs crossed, showing no fear at all.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm was so angry he felt like killing. He had already watched the livestream on his way, so he was aware of who the culprit was.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm thought, ¡®What a vicious woman. If we had arrived a littleter, Robin might have died here. Isn¡¯t she afraid of the Jenkins family or Mr. Hall?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A shadow of gloom passed over Malcolm¡¯s eyes. He quickly instructed the bodyguards to assist Robin to the side for bandaging.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The bodyguards stepped up to help Robin to the side.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm turned his gaze toward Yvette, his eyes as fierce as a hungry wolf¡¯s.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When the people in the caf¨¦ saw the police arrive, they all stood up to speak for Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You clearly started it. You were the one who was rude first.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yeah, we all heard it. You insulted our Clusian women first.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yes, officer, I can testify. This youngdy acted only because she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t just arrest her without reason, officer.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The male streamer quickly turned off the stream when the police arrived. The stream was interrupted once more.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Viewers were anxious. Unable to see the live situation, they swarmed other official ounts.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell waved his hand. His demeanor was calm. ¡°Everyone, rest assured that we, the police, will ensure justice is served. There will definitely be a satisfactory resolution to this situation We ask for your patience. Now, please follow our officers and leave the caf¨¦.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once the officers had escorted the people out, Darnell noticed Malcolm¡¯s sour expression.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He moved forward. Instead of greeting Malcolm right away, he walked over to Yvette.</font></font>


    Lucy had just left as well.


    She thought, ¡®Considering the situation, I have to go back and prepare, just in case Ms. Zeller is indeed facing trouble.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®FastPulse Technologies won¡¯t just let this go. We have enough money to crush others if we need to.


    ¡®People from Ybau trying to act superior in Clusia? In their dreams!¡®


    Darnell never thought he¡¯d run into Jeremiah¡¯s woman in such a scenario.


    Darnell thought, ¡®Mr. Chavez¡¯s woman must be a big shot.


    ¡®Facing Malcolm¡¯s murderous re, she is as calm as if she were at home.


    ¡®Is there any other woman as brave as her?¡®


    Darnell politely said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, nice to see you again. Are you okay?¡±


    Yvette was sitting in a chair. She slightly lifted her eyes.


    Her gazended on Darnell. She chuckled, her delicate eyebrows arched slightly.


    In a rxed manner, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. He¡¯s the one injured.¡±


    Those words were absolutely ruthless.


    Robin was so angry upon hearing this that he fainted again after just regaining hisposure.


    Malcolm narrowed his eyes. Being part of the political world, he thought much more thoroughly than Robin.


    Malcolm thought, ¡°The police deployment in Clusia always involves directives from higher¨Cups. So, does this police officer¡¯s attitude reflect Clusia¡¯s top officials¡® stance? Are they trying to shield this woman?¡®


    Malcolm coughed into his hand as he watched the two casually chatting.


    In a cold voice, he asked, ¡°Officer, are you the one in charge of this case?¡±


    Darnell turned around. Wearing his uniform, he stood with a serious andposed demeanor.


    Looking at Malcolm, he said coldly, ¡°Yes, I am Darnell Tucker, the deputy chief at Betrico Police Station, overseeing this case for now. As for the future, it is uncertain.¡±


    Malcolm felt a lump in his throat, thinking, ¡®Isn¡¯t that stating the obvious? They are clearly trying to avoid the issue. Do they think I can¡¯t tell?¡®


    Malcolm¡¯s face turned livid. His tone was hostile. ¡°Since Mr. Tucker is in charge of this case, this woman openly brandished a gun and injured Mr. Jenkins. ording to Clusia¡¯sws, that¡¯s a serious offense. What steps are you nning to take? Or is Clusia trying to use its power unjustly and protect the criminal? Mr. Hall said this incident is extremely serious and must be pursued thoroughly.¡±


    Darnell let out a scornfulugh, thinking, ¡®Acting tough while relying on someone else¡¯s power?¡®


    Darnell nced at Yvette before turning his eyes back to Malcolm. His eyes were sharp and bright. His confidence was undiminished.


    ¡°Mr. Hart, what¡¯s the real story behind this? We¡¯re not clear on what kind of crime this is supposed to be. Ourws in Clusia will determine that, not you,¡± said Darnell firmly.


    Malcolm didn¡¯t expect Darnell¡¯s attitude to be so firm, and he was briefly stunned.


    When he realized it, he was embarrassed and furious, his voice rising several notches.


    ¡°So, Mr. Tucker, are you going to favor this girl? If Clusia¡¯sws can¡¯t deal with her, we¡¯ll take her with us.¡± After Malcolm finished speaking, he waved his hand.


    The bodyguards he brought stood behind him, with their hands on their chests, looking ready to draw their guns. It was obvious they were prepared for a confrontation.


    Darnell¡¯s gaze turned serious. He thought, ¡®Am I really going to let these guys from Ybau push me around in my own territory? Then, what is my position as deputy chief of Betrico Police Station for?


    ¡®Besides, this girl is the future granddaughter¨Cinw of the respected Mr. Jase Chavez and the girlfriend of Mr. Jeremiah Chavez.


    ¡®Not a single mistake can be afforded. She has to be protected at all costs.


    Darnell waved his hand. The fully armed police he brought formed a neat line, enclosing Yvette securely in the center.


    Darnell said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, with us here today, nobody can touch you. Rest assured.¡±


    These words made Malcolm¡¯s face turn even more unpleasant. He thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this just announcing that they are determined to protect this girl?¡®


    The scene was instantly ignited with tension. It was like a ticking time bomb ready to go off.


    Malcolm¡¯s eyes narrowed. He froze. He waspletely baffled.


    He wondered, ¡®Why will the police across from us risk a confrontation just to protect this woman? Is it worth it?¡®


    He certainly didn¡¯t know that Robin had already upset the Clusians nor did he understand the unity and determination of Clusians in facing outsiders.


    Yvette nced around at the police officers surrounding her. She lowered her eyes.


    She never thought she¡¯d be protected by the police one day.


    This felt quite novel. But it wasn¡¯t too bad either.


    The scene remained at a standoff.


    Seeing this, Malcolm had no choice but to step aside and call Kyle to exin the situation.


    Upon receiving the call, Kyle immediately instructed his team to contact Clifford, demanding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervene in this matter and hand over Yvette.


    Clifford was sitting on a chair when he answered the call and heard the demands.


    With a sneer, he replied bluntly, ¡°No way. There¡¯s no chance we¡¯ll hand over Yvette.¡±


    He thought, ¡®Of course not. I will never hand over Yvette.

 Chapter 318

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford had just closed the live stream.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The news from the police station was immediately conveyed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He also saw who had dealt with Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette had truly given him a pleasant surprise.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No wonder she was part of the Chavez family. Her fiery spirit was unmistakable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Today, let alone Robin hadn¡¯t died. Even if he was dead, the Chavez family would still protect Yvette, and no one could touch her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford had just hung up from the call with Ybau when Aurora called in.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford had a good idea of what it might be about.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as he answered, Aurora¡¯s excited voice came through. ¡°Wow, honey, Yvette was incredible today! No matter what Yvette did, even if she caused great trouble, you have to protect her, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford rubbed his temples, responding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect Yvette, even if it means risking my life. I¡¯ll be busy here. We¡¯ll talk more when I get home tonight.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora, understanding the situation, reminded him to take care of his health before hanging up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford was a director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He needed to n his responses in advance, and if necessary, hold a press conference.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He absolutely couldn¡¯t let Ybau take advantage of the situation and cause trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the caf¨¦, Malcolm returned from the call, feeling more confident.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was visibly smug. They were already starting a media storm. He would see how Clusia would deal with it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell noticed Malcolm¡¯s demeanor with slight confusion. He thought, ¡®Malcolm is fierce just now. What¡¯s he plotting? He must be up to something.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm was bursting with pride. ¡°Mr. Tucker, if you don¡¯t hand over this woman, we will hold a press condemning Clusia¡¯s harboring actions. Just wait and see.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell¡¯s expression changed. These shameless people clearly had thought of a vicious n.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was unsure of what to do for a moment and lost a bit of confidence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm, upon seeing this, grew even more arrogant, fixing his gaze on Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">conference today</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His voice was vicious. ¡°Miss, soon Clusia will be caught in a media storm because of you, and countries worldwide will condemn Clusia for what happened today. You¡¯re the criminal.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood up from her chair. Her dark eyes were icy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She slightly lifted her eyelids with no expression and gently raised an eyebrow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She pressed her lips. A mischievous, faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. ¡°Oh? A criminal?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After speaking, Yvette spun the small silver gun in her hand and silenced the gun.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a quick and decisive motion, she pulled the trigger before anyone could react.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The bullet shot straight into Malcolm¡¯s left shoulder de. Blood spouted out.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This scene was a massive shock. Everyone was stunned.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even Darnell turned pale, thinking, ¡®Did she just shoot without warning? She¡¯s really something.</font></font>


    ¡®Robin is easy to handle, but Malcolm is an influential figure in the central government of Ybau. This shot is a big deal.


    Darnell didn¡¯t have time to think. He quickly pulled out his gun, and the officers behind him did the same. They were on high alert.


    The bodyguards Malcolm brought also swiftly drew their guns. The two sides faced each other.


    Malcolm clutched his left shoulder de, looking up at Yvette in disbelief.


    His voice was full of disbelief, and his face turned pale as the blood kept flowing. ¡°You actually dared to shoot me!¡±


    Yvette held the small silver gun tightly.


    She looked at Malcolm and said slowly, ¡°Are you an idiot? You¡¯re shot and still asking such a silly question.¡±


    In such a tense atmosphere, some of the officers with Darnell couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter and burst outughing They thought, ¡®This big shot¡¯s words are cuttingly sharp. If Malcolm¡¯s not killed by the bullet, he might die from anger. Malcolm¡¯s wound hurt even more when he heard this. He endured the pain and instructed his men to lower their guns. They couldn¡¯t fire first, otherwise, at the press conference, their country would lose the advantage.


    Malcolm endured the pain. He didn¡¯t even bother to bandage his wound.


    No matter what was right or wrong, public opinion always favored the underdog. He wanted to y the victim, using his injury to gain advantages for the country.


    Malcolm had just informed the Interpol branch within Clusia. Once Interpol arrived, today¡¯s events would be ssified as an international criminal case.


    Turning his head, Darnell whispered, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez should be arriving soon. However, I can¡¯t help but feel that Malcolm has more than just a public opinion scheme. It seems like he¡¯s stalling for time, waiting for something else.¡±


    Yvette gave Malcolm a nce. Her deep, calm eyes looked steadily as she spoke slowly, ¡°He¡¯s waiting for someone


    Malcolm¡¯s expression changed. He was surprised that this girl had figured out his n.


    Darnell was briefly stunned, thinking, ¡®Waiting for


    ne? Both sides are already here, so who else are they waiting for?¡±


    After pondering, Darnell asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller, who could they be waiting for?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were half¨Cclosed. There was a mischievous air about her.


    Her carefree attitude made Malcolm grit his teeth in anger. He swore to ensure this woman faced the harshest international sanctions.


    Yvette was concise and clear. ¡°Interpol.¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Darnell heard this, he tensed up a bit. He immediately realized that Malcolm¡¯s goal was to invoke international sanctions.


    Things were escting. Interpol was recognized as the top joint agency internationally.


    If Malcolm really reported this to the Betrico branch, then the headquarters over in Mysonna would definitely seize the opportunity to make a big deal out of this, turning it into an international case.


    Malcolm was really cunning. No wonder he wasn¡¯t even worried about a gunshot wound.


    Darnell quickly said to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, it seems like this isn¡¯t going to end well. Should we inform Mr. Jase Chavez?¡±


    In Darnell¡¯s opinion, now that it was escted to this level, only Jase could protect Yvette.


    With her hands in her pockets, Yvette had a bit of a rogue look, her eyes half¨Cshaded.


    Looking at Darnell¡¯s worried face, she slowly said, ¡°No need. Just wait.¡±


    Yvette thought, ¡®Get Jase involved? Th bad.¡®


    Darnell was as nervous as an ant on a hot pan, but the person in front of him didn¡¯t show any concern at all.


    He wondered, ¡®What makes her so confident?¡®


    He was about to go crazy.


    Darnell wasn¡¯t so optimistic. He could only take out his phone to contact his superior for guidance.


    Yvette gave him a casual nce. She didn¡¯t say anything.


    Malcolm was surrounded by a group of men in ck suits, staring intensely at Yvette. His eyes were full of malice.


    Robin woke up. Seeing the scene, he widened his eyes in shock. His mind went nk.


    ¡°Mr. Hart, how did you end up shot as well? Who hurt you? Was it the Clusian police?¡± asked Robin.


    Malcolm clutched his wound. He was so much in pain that he didn¡¯t bother responding to Robin.


    Malcolm gritted out through the pain, ¡°It was that woman who shot at me.¡±


    Robin feltpletely stunned, like he¡¯d been struck by lightning.


    He looked at the woman protected by the Clusian police across from him and finally felt scared.


    He thought, ¡®This woman is absolutely crazy. She actually dared to shoot Mr. Hart?


    ¡®Mr. Hart is the Prime Minister¡¯s secretary, someone who wields great power in Ybau.


    ¡®Did he just get hit like that too?¡®


    Robin huddled up, too scared to say anything more.


    Yvette leisurely sat in her chair, resting her chin on her hand.


    Her hand was lightly resting on the armrest. Watching the vignt officers around her, she said in a voice as cold as ever, ¡°Do you all want to sit down and take a break?¡±


    The surrounding know what to say.


    officers didn¡®


    A momentter, they all shopk their heads.


    They certainly weren¡¯t like her. She acted as if she were at hom

 Chapter 319

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm¡¯s face lit up with delight. The people he had been waiting for had finally arrived.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He raised his head, ring maliciously at Yvette, clearly up to no good.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His voice was venomous. ¡°Miss, I hope you can keep up that confidence a little longer.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin, pretending to be fierce with the support of Malcolm, said, ¡°Just wait. Interpol won¡¯t let you get away with this. You¡¯re finished.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette flexed her wrist and twirled the gun in her hand, pointing it directly at both of them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Their faces turned pale. Now, this little silver gun was their worst nightmare.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They held back the rest of their words. Another shot and they might really be done for.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell received instructions from above. He was told to dy as much as possible, waiting for Jeremiah to arrive, and under no circumstances could Interpol take Yvette away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell felt overwhelmed. The task was incredibly challenging.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It had been years since he faced such a challenge. It seemed he had to make aeback today.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell walked over to Yvette¡¯s side and said in a solemn tone, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Interpol is definitely going to insist on taking you away. They¡¯re known for being forceful, so if any conflict arises, please stay safe.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up. Her dark eyes slightly narrowed, calm yet deep, with a hint of a smile on her stunningly beautiful face, exuding a cool demeanor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her voice was t. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m way tougher than they are.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell gave an awkward chuckle, thinking, ¡®How could she be joking around at a time like this?</font></font>Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®But those are Interpol agents! Tougher than them? Just how tough is that?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Later, Darnell found out that Yvette hadn¡¯t been lying at all. When she got tough, she really was tough.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The leader of Interpol was Jack White, dispatched from the Mysonna headquarters. He looked to be in his early thirties.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With brown hair and a straight nose, he was tall and had striking facial features.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He barged in with over a dozen Interpol agents, facing off against two opposing groups.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His expression was grim. Yet, he had a sense of intrigue and curiosity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Strutting through the two opposing parties, Jack arrogantly demanded, ¡°Who called the police?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm, once so bold, now nodded subserviently. He had no trace of arrogance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Hello, Mr. White, I¡¯m Malcolm Hart, the secretary to the Ybau Prime Minister. I¡¯m the one who reported the incident. A Clusian woman tantly fired at me and Mr. Jenkins from Ybau. You can see our injuries for yourself. This is a very serious international criminal case. It¡¯s clear that Clusia is biased toward the real culprit. We hope that Interpol can provide us with a fair judgment.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jack let out a scornfulugh. He nced at Malcolm, who was holding his wound, and at Robin, whose face was as pale as a sheet.</font></font>


    ¡®Two grown men were injured by a woman with a gun? Seriously how useless can they be?¡® thought Jack.


    Darnell stepped forward. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°Mr. Hart didn¡¯t tell the whole story. Today¡¯s incident started because Robin made arrogant remarks insulting the women of Clusia. Ms. Zeller intervened because she couldn¡¯t stand it. There¡¯s a cause and effect here, so this matter is understandable. Mr. White, we¡¯ll handle this internally within Clusia, so there¡¯s no need to trouble you.¡±


    Darnell had worked with Jack before, and he knew just how bad¨Ctempered Jack could be.


    Hearing this, Jack wasn¡¯t pleased and instantly shifted to a professional attitude.


    He said in fluent Clusian, ¡°Since the authorities here in Ybau have called the police, we can¡¯t just sit idly by. We need to arrest the woman who injured others right away. Where is she? The Clusian police should turn her over, and Interpol will ensure a fair trial.¡±


    Darnell¡¯s expression soured a bit.


    It was clear that Interpol was determined to intervene in this matter.


    Yvette was surrounded by Clusian police, so Jack didn¡¯t notice her when he first entered.


    As soon as Robin heard this, he immediately pointed at Yvette standing in the middle, and said angrily, ¡°Mr. White, it¡¯s her. This woman is named Yvette. She¡¯s the one who attacked us.¡±


    Jack casually nced in the direction Robin was pointing. He froze in ce, utterly stunned.


    His jaw practically dropped in amazement. He immediately stepped back two paces.


    And then he rubbed his eyes, lookingpletely incredulous and shocked.


    He thought, ¡®Whoa¡­ How did this legendary figure just show up out of nowhere? That shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¡®She has always been in Mysonna, someone whom even the chairman of the headquarters has to schedule an appointment to see.


    ¡®And now she¡¯s suddenly right in front of me?


    ¡®Oh my God. Am I dreaming?¡®


    After confirming he hadn¡¯t mistaken her for someone else, Jack walked over confidently.


    He stood in front of Yvette, quickly holstering his sidearm, standing at attention, and saluting.


    The whole motion was smooth and fluid. His face was filled with excitement. Even his voice was slightly trembling.


    ¡°Officer, reporting in. I¡¯m Jack White, badge number 0036, chief inspector of the Betrico Interpol division. ver expected to see you here. Do you have an assignment? Do you need my help?¡± asked Jack.


    What a shocking twist. Darnell, Malcolm, Robin, and all their people stood there with stunned expressions. All of them were frozen in ce.


    Malcolm couldn¡¯t believe his eyes and ears. He wondered, ¡®What is happening? Officer? The chief inspector of Interpol actually called this Yvette ¡®Officer¡®? No way!¡®


    He was in shock, trembling, his face as pale as a sheet.


    He thought she was just an aordinary woman from Clusia. It turned out that she had transformed into an Interpol officer.


    Even someone of Jack¡¯s rank had to treat her with such respect.


    Now he understood why this girl dared to openly fire at him and Robin.


    It turned out to be because she was an Interpol officer.


    Robin was even more dumbfounded. He had never seen such a scene before.


    Seeing someone like Jack, who usually had others bowing to him, treating Yvette with such respect was surprising.


    Even if he were a fool, he realized he had messed with someone way out of his league.


    Darnell stared at the scene in front of him. He waspletely dumbfounded.


    He wondered, ¡®How does Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s girlfriend transform into an Interpol officer? What kind of rank is this? A rank that even made a sheriff like Jack act so deferential? This really makes me want to curse!


    ¡®No wonder she is so confident, not afraid of the whole Interpol thing. Turns out she¡¯s one of them?


    ¡®Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s girlfriend is an Interpol?


    ¡®Who would believe it without witnessing it in person, that Jack would be so respectful to a girl in her twenties?¡®


    Yvette looked at the man saluting her. She didn¡¯t recognize him.


    Jack noticed the puzzled look on Yvette¡¯s face. He paused for a moment, thinking, ¡®How did I forget? She was surrounded by presidents and ministers at that time. How could she pay attention to someone like me?¡®


    Jack quickly added, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯ve seen you before, but you haven¡¯t seen me. At that time, the minister was with you. I only managed to catch a glimpse of you from a distance since my rank wasn¡¯t high enough to attend your lectures.¡±


    As soon as he said that, everyone was in disbelief again.


    They thought, ¡®Jack implied that even he, a sheriff, wasn¡¯t qualified to talk with Yvette.


    ¡®And what about those lectures? What does that even mean?¡®


    Malcolm¡¯s body trembled slightly as he cautiously nced at Yvette, who stood with her hands in her pockets.


    He looked at Jack again and asked, ¡°Mr. White, have you got the wrong person? She has a gun? She shot¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Jack cut him off ruthlessly with a sharp rebuke, ¡°Sir, what are you saying? How could I be mistaken? Ms. Zeller is a top¨Clevel international police officer and a crucial person under our protection. It¡¯spletely legal and justified for her to have a gun.¡±

 Chapter 320

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Malcolm was speechless. He dared to challenge Darnell but wouldn¡¯t even speak loudly to Jack.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was thoroughly defeated.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Within the International Police Organization, officers were recognized in three levels.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The top level that Jack mentioned was the highest rank.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">People of such stature typically didn¡¯t appear in crowds.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He never would have thought that a girl in her early twenties could be a top¨Clevel international police officer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jack let out a cold chuckle, showing no friendliness to them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But when he turned to Yvette, his expression softened instantly, his smile so broad it caused wrinkles on his face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His tone was extremely respectful. ¡°Ms. Zeller, does the organization need to intervene regarding today¡¯s matter? Why did you fire the gun?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jack had no choice. After all, the incident had been reported to the authorities, involving disputes between two countries.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without a reason, it was hard to justify the situation, so he had to follow the procedure by asking questions. He asked nervously, afraid of angering Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jack thought, ¡®She is someone even the highest leaders of the organization have to humor with smiles. What if I make her angry? Can I still go back to Mysonna?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Jack¡¯spletely different attitudes toward him and Yvette made Malcolm even more frustrated.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His face grew even darker. Today¡¯s events had spiraled out of his control.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">From the moment he learned Yvette was an Interpol officer, everything went off track. The n of using Yvette to tarnish Clusia¡¯s reputation was disrupted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Interpol officers had the right to carry firearms. This was recognized by countries worldwide.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets, her expression indifferent, and her eyes deep and dark.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her voice was icy. Her tone was calm. Looking at Malcolm, who seemed anxious and resentful, she spoke slowly, ¡°I suspected there was a terrorist here, and that¡¯s why I fired.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jack froze for a moment, then it dawned on him. She was indeed clever.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With just one word ¡°terrorist¡°, today¡¯s events could be brushed off. It was the perfect exnation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell almost pped in approval.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Once Ms. Zeller revealed her Interpol credentials, today¡¯s issue was easily resolved.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®However, it is clear from the situation that Ms. Zeller has more tricks up her sleeve.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I have a feeling Malcolm and Robin might be finished, with no favorable oue in sight! Upon hearing this, Malcolm was on high alert, silently cursing Yvette for being so sneaky. Jack cooperated, asking with a serious expression, ¡°Ms. Zeller, who do you suspect?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette thought, ¡®Who do I suspect? The answer is obvious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette curled her lips into a slight sneer, her eyes glinting coldly. She raised her eyebrows. ¡°I suspect Malcolm and Robin are terrorists. Take them back to the division.¡±</font></font>


    Jack stood firmly. His voice was loud and clear. ¡°Yes.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand to the officers he brought along, saying sternly, ¡°Take these two away.¡±


    Darnell never anticipated this move from Yvette, cing such serious charges on them.


    Malcolm and Robin were stunned after hearing what Yvette said.


    They wondered, ¡®How can we be terrorists?


    ¡®This is clearly a setup. Anyone can see Yvette did this on purpose.


    Of course, Malcolm wouldn¡¯t just ept it.


    He immediately retorted, ¡°Mr. White, you can¡¯t just listen to this woman. I¡¯m the Prime Minister¡¯s secretary. How could I be a terrorist? I will appeal to your headquarters and file aint against this woman. She¡¯s lying.¡±


    Robin also hurriedly exined, ¡°The Jenkins family has always been loyal to Mr. Hall. We are not terrorists. She¡¯s making it up!¡±


    Jack watched them squirm. He let out a cold snort, thinking, ¡®Did these two really think they could file aint against Ms. Zeller? They¡¯re asking for trouble.¡®


    Jack said sternly, ¡°You both have the right to appeal, but now, under internationalw, you¡¯re under arrest. Officers, take them away.¡±


    As Malcolm and Robin were about to protest, Jack drew his gun. ¡°If you two don¡¯t cooperate, I have the right to execute you on the spot.¡±


    Malcolm and Rob didn¡¯t dare say another word and resigned themselves to being handcuffed.


    The two of them, along with their bodyguards, were all taken away.


    Darnell stood there watching Yvette. They were fully armed and had even considered causing an international conflict.


    He didn¡¯t expect things to be resolved so quickly.


    Darnell thought, ¡®Well, it¡¯s good that Ms. Zeller is fine. Now, both Malcolm and Robin are being taken back to the Interpol division.¡®


    If Jack¡¯s attitude toward Yvette earlier surprised Darnell, seeing Malcolm and Robin getting arrested really shocked him. Darnell wondered, ¡®Who exactly is Mr. Jeremiah Chavez¡¯s girlfriend?


    ¡®With a single sentence, she made Jack take Malcolm and Robin away without a second thought?


    ¡°This kind of influence? Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡®


    After putting Malcolm and Robin in the police car, Jack quickly turned back to the caf¨¦.


    The chance to connect with such an important person probably only came once in a lifetime, so he had to grab it firmly.


    Inside the caf¨¦, Darnell and a group of officers watched as the visiting Ybau delegation was taken away. Their surprise quickly turned into admiration.


    They thought, ¡®From now on, Ms. Zeller can practically dominate Betrico. Her power is just that overwhelming.


    ¡°This time, Ybau¡¯s ns have totally backfired. They¡¯d never imagine Interpol would listen to Ms. Zeller!


    Darnell had heard rumors about Yvette before. He couldn¡¯t quite understand why Jeremiah would be interested in a girl from Seacrity.


    He initially thought it was just because of her looks, but now it seemed like they were a perfect match.


    After today¡¯s events, all those unfounded rumors in Betrico would probably fade away.


    After all, no one would want to mess with an influential person in the Interpol organization.


    What Darnell didn¡¯t know was that after Yvette dealt with Keira at the barst time, thepound kids were too intimidated to say anything.


    They didn¡¯t dare to say more because they just wanted to survive.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Darnell was just about to talk to Yvette when Jack returned.


    Before Jack came into the room, he tidied up his police uniform


    He thought, ¡®What if Ms. Zeller likes older guys? I have to give it a try, right?¡®


    Jack walked up to Yvette, feeling anxious as he looked at her nk face.


    He politely asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you nning to stay in Betrico for a while? Do you need someone from headquarters toe over and apany you for protection?¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze slightly. Her eyes were cool and collected.


    Her eyes darkened a bit as she softly said, ¡°Thanks, but no need.¡±


    Jack immediately replied with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jack thought, ¡®She probably doesn¡¯t need protection.¡¯


    Darnell saw this scene and was rendered speechless.


    He wondered, ¡®Is this the same Jack, the quiet and stern Interpol agent I worked with two years ago?¡±


    Jack carefully gave his suggestion. ¡°Ms. Zeller, for today¡¯s matter, I need to report back to headquarters. Do you think you might want to give the Chairman a heads¨Cup? It could save a lot of trouble.¡±


    Of course, Jack knew it was unlikely that these two were terrorists, but if Yvette said so, then it was true.


    He also had to follow proper procedures to investigate and report. However, if Yvette couldmunicate directly with the Chairman, it would make things much easier for him.


    In the caf¨¦, every word Jason said fell on Darnell and the officers he brought along


    They thought, ¡®So this girl is not just an Interpol officer. It seems that even the Chairman will respect her.


    ¡®The Chairman of Interpol is from Mysonna, and he¡¯s actually helping Yvette?


    This really sounds like an unbelievable thing.¡®

 Chapter 321

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded. ¡°No need, just follow the normal procedure.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell was taken aback. He thought, ¡°There is a special meaning behind her actions today. Maybe I am overthinking it. Just those few words make Jack very satisfied!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There was a rumor at the Interpol Headquarters that if you didn¡¯t talk to Yvette, she would never initiate a conversation with you. If you did talk to her, getting a word or two in response would already be pretty good. So Jack was more than content and left in high spirits.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Because Darnell was standing next to Yvette, Jack¡¯s attitude towards him improved significantly. He even shook hands before leaving.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell felt a pang of bittersweet emotion. He thought, ¡®Is this really how it works? Once someone gets a taste of sess, even the people around them rise up, too. Standing next to a big shot seems to earn preferential treatment from others.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After the people left, Darnell nced at the mess around him. Today¡¯s incident was over, and the subsequent developments were beyond his interference.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He slightly bent over and respectfully said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my coffee and leave first. Would you like us to escort you back?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her eyes, her gaze deep, and politely replied, ¡°No need, thank you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Darnell smiled and nodded, knowing his limits. ¡°Alright, then Ms. Zeller, we¡¯ll pack up and leave.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then, led by Darnell, a group of police officers hurried back to their station. They had expected a tough battle, but it turned out to be a one¨Cperson show. Darnell¡¯s emotions were like a roller coaster throughout the day, but he had no time to reflect on it now. As soon as he left the caf¨¦, he immediately reported the events to his superiors.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the office of the marshal, Jase, Clifford, and Jeremiah, who should have been heading to the caf¨¦, each sat on a sofa. Jase calmly sipped his coffee, looking at the anxious Clifford.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Oh¡­ I forget, it seems that only my silly son doesn¡¯t know Yvette¡¯s hidden identity. With her status as an Interpol officer, carrying a gun, what can the people from Ybau do? It is likely that they are the ones at a disadvantage, given her character. The one at a loss isn¡¯t her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase intended to use this opportunity to establish Yvette¡¯s authority in Betrico. No one could dispel all the rumors about her; only her formidable strength could silence everyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®My grandson¡¯s girlfriend is too low¨Ckey, not revealing any of her many identities. This is not ok.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase put down his coffee cup and nced at Jeremiah, who was sitting on the sofa just as calmly. He thought, ¡®It seems that he already knows this; otherwise, he would rush to protect Yvette.</font></font>


    Clifford frowned and thought, ¡®Are Dad and Jeremiah acting too calm? Doesn¡¯t anyone realize how urgent things are? They¡¯re still here sipping tea! Just when I was about to gather my department for a meeting to discuss strategies, Dad sent someone to get me, thinking it was toe up with a good n for today¡¯s situation. But it turns out, I am just called here to drink coffee.¡¯


    After he arrived, no one said anything. After a while, Jeremiah came in and also didn¡¯t say anything, just sat down and drank coffee. The two of them hadpletely confused Clifford.


    He thought, ¡®Does Jeremiah still want his wife? Does Dad still want to save his grandson¡¯s wife? If they arete and she is taken away by Interpol, it is difficult to get her out.


    Jase¡¯s eyes were clear as he tapped his cane, looking at Jeremiah. When did you find out about that girl¡¯s identity?¡±


    Clifford was taken aback, and he quickly asked, ¡®Is Yvette? What identity does she have?¡±


    He already knew that she was Cyanbird, but in this situation, her Cyanbird identity wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Jeremiah lifted his eyes, his long legs crossed, his gaze sharp, his jaw tightened, and his voice low. ¡°A little earlier than you.¡±


    Jase snorted, a bit disgruntled. He thought, It¡¯s not toote for me to know about that


    Yusef stood by, to be honest, he was also a bit confused. He thought, ¡°The incident today is so big, but Mr. Jase Chavez is too calm, and Mr. Jeremiah Chavez is not in a hurry either. What is going on? He was just as confused as Clifford by their conversation.


    Jase said, ¡°Now that Yvette¡¯s identity should be exposed, right?¡±


    Jeremiah nced at him. He thought, ¡®My grandfather is sly, not acting is to let Yvette show her true identity?


    Jeremiah said, ¡°Yvette should be able to guess that the people from Ybau would get Interpol involved. Do you think it can still be kept a secret? Grandpa.¡±


    Jase rubbed his nose sheepishly. He thought, ¡®His words are so obvious; it is clear he knows what I am thinking


    Jase deliberately said, ¡°Your wife has be the goddess of Clusia. Aren¡¯t you nervous? What if a man more excellent than you appears? What if she falls in love with someone else?¡±


    Yusef yeyes twitched and thought, ¡®Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s words make me want to kick him twice:


    Clifford choked on his drink and coughed twice. He thought, ¡®Dad really knows how to hit a nerve.


    Jeremiah leisurely took a sip of coffee, his eyebrows and eyes indifferent. He was absolutely confident. That day will nevere.


    Jase clicked his tongue, the boy was confident indeed. He couldn¡¯t find any fault with those words.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Clifford really couldn¡¯t stay any longer. He thought, ¡®If my wife knows I am here drinking coffee and chatting instead of saving her precious Yvette, she kicks me to death.


    ¡®Chatting is one thing, but the things these two are talking about are so confusing that I don¡¯t understand it at all. What do they mean?


    Clifford stood up, his expression unusually serious. ¡°Dad, this is really serious. I need to get everything ready on my end. Ybau has already reported it to Interpol. If we don¡¯t send someone soon, your grandson¡¯s wife is going to be in big trouble.¡±


    He also didn¡¯t have a good temper towards Jeremiah. ¡°And you, why didn¡¯t you go to the coffee shop to save your wife directly? What are you doing here with your grandfather?¡±


    He thought, ¡®Does Jeremiah really like Yvette? How can he be so indifferent? It is really not like his style


    Before he finished speaking, Clifford¡¯s office phone rang. He took a look, it was an internal call. He thought, ¡®Something must happen there again. Do Darnell and the others not stop it, and is the person already arrested? Or does something new happen, and the situation further escte?¡® No matter what, Clifford had already made the worst n.


    Jase calmly nced at him. ¡°Answer it here.¡±


    Clifford didn¡¯t hesitate to press the speakerphone directly. A male voice came from the phone. ¡°Mr. Chavez, something has changed. Where are you now? I need to report to you personally Today¡¯s matter is too bizarre.¡±


    Clifford restrained his emotions and said in a heavy voice. ¡°I have something to do now and it¡¯s not convenient to go You speak slowly, don¡¯t worry. Did something happen at the cafe again?¡± back.


    The male voice on the phone paused, and then his tone chang He has already returned to the police station. This matter has | Clifford frowned when he heard this. He looked at the two gen felt something was wrong.


    He thought, ¡®Clearly, Yvette hit Robin, how does it be Yba wouldn¡¯t make trouble because of this matter and take the opp

 Chapter 322

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The male voice on the phone sounded excited. ¡°Mr. Chavez, you would never guess Yvette¡¯s background.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford was slightly stunned and thought, ¡®Background? I know that Yvette is the internationally famous painter Cyanbird. I also know that her family is from Seacrity. Besides that, what other background could make him so excited?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef was also very curious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford asked, ¡°At this time, what kind of guessing game are you ying? What¡¯s going on?¡°,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man on the phone heard this, and he didn¡¯t dare to buy any more tricks.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He hurriedly continued, ¡°Mr. Chavez, you would never guess that Ms. Zeller is an Interpol officer, and Darnell said her level is first¨Css. Even the arrogant white police chief Jack at the Betrico branch of Interpol is very respectful to Ms. Zeller. Darnell said that Ms. Zeller not only gave Robin a shot, but also the secretary of Kyle, Malcolm, she gave a shot, hitting the scap, and it is said that the injury is very serious.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah lowered his eyes, his fingers resting on the armrest, his military boots shining. Hearing this, he only paused for a moment and then continued to send his text message. [What do you want to eat tonight? You¡¯ve worked hard.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase took a sip of coffee and was very satisfied. Hearing this, he thought, ¡®Yvette also give Malcolm a shot, which is not bad¡­ Shot two is better than shot one.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford held the phone with a slight tremble, his expression frozen in disbelief. He thought, ¡®Do I hear that right? Yvette is part of Interpol and even a top¨Clevel officer. This is unbelievable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Yvette from Seacrity is actually an Interpol officer? Is today April Fool¡¯s Day?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford widened his eyes, trying to calm his emotions. He suddenly thought of the calm performance of the two generations and the phone just now. He thought, ¡®What else is there to think about? It turns out that the two already knew Yvette¡¯s identity as an Interpol officer, and only I am still foolishly deceived, knowing nothing.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford red at Jeremiah and thought, ¡®I will settle the ount with himter.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Standing by, Yusef was also stunned by the news. He thought, ¡®A first¨Css Interpol officer in her twenties would blind many with her brilliance.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford tried to keep his voice as usual. ¡°Go on, how did Yvette end up shooting Malcolm as well? What¡¯s the story there?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The inan on the phone got even more excited at this, and if you listened closely, you could detect a hint of admiration in his voice. ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zelleris a formidable individual. Darnell said that once Malcolm arrived, he barely got a word in before Ms. Zeller took action. Without a word, she fired a shot¨Cquick, urate, and ruthless.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford¡¯s eyes twitched. He thought, ¡®Yvette is too formidable, and it looks like Jeremiah doesn¡¯t have much say in the rtionship in the future.</font></font>


    He paused for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Tell me everything at once. What happened next?¡±


    Clifford was out of patience with this back¨Cand¨Cforth. He was desperate to know what unexpected actions Yvette, now revealed to be an Interpol officer, had taken.


    The man on the phone continued, ¡°Mr. Chavez, the subsequent events were even more surprising. Darnell said that when Jack arrived, he was not only extremely polite to Ms. Zeller but seemed to be trying to ingratiate himself with her. As a first- ss detective, Ms. Zeller wields considerable power¡­ You won¡¯t guess, she fired at Malcolm and Robin on suspicion of being terrorists. Now Jack has taken these two back to the Betrico branch of the Interpol.¡±


    Clifford was taken aback by these words, his phone fell to the ground, and he plopped down onto the sofa.


    Jase nced at him and decided to keep silent. He thought, If he knows that Yvette not only has the identity of an Interpol officer but also holds wealth that could shake a nation, he would be even more shocked than he is now. Maybe it¡¯s better to take it slow.


    The reason for firing the gun was something Clifford never would have guessed.


    It was reasonable, legitimate, and legal. Interpol officers have the responsibility to maintain world peace. Once associated with terrorists, it¡¯s abel that¡¯s hard to shake.


    Clifford really wanted to say Well done!


    The man continued his report. ¡°Mr. Chavez, the Prime Minister of Ybau, Kyle, is currently applying to the Interpol Headquarters for the release of the hostages, but Jack¡¯s stance is very firm, stating that he will not release them until the matter is cleared up. He also mentioned that the headquarters is already aware of the situation, and this is the decision of the Chairman of the Interpol.¡±


    Jase¡¯s hand holding the coffee cup paused slightly, then he smiled with a gentle look in his eyes. He thought, Yvette is probably even more remarkable than I imagine! I really don¡¯t know what kind of good luck Jeremiah has


    Clifford was about to p his hands in approval when he heard this. He thought, ¡°The matter is handled well!


    This time, the people whoe from Ybau are here for trade cooperation and y quite a few tricks in the contract, all of which we refuse one by one, but they are still not giving up. This time, there is a terrorist incident within Clusia, brought about by the Prime Minister of Ybau himself. Regardless of the truth, I want to see if they still have the face to make any more demands or how they will exin themselves!


    The initiative was firmly in Clusia¡¯s own hands. Yvette had given the country a great gift invisibly. Clifford hung up the phone excitedly and was about to leave without saying a word; there was still a lot for him to do.


    Jase stopped him. ¡°Yvette has paved a good way for you. The rest is up to you on how to negotiate and strive for the greatest benefits. Do it well and don¡¯t let Yvette¡¯s intentions go to waste.¡±


    Clifford was taken aback. ¡°Dad, are you saying that Yvette did this on purpose? For¡­¡±


    and down his phone. The corner of his mouth deepened, and his tone was very affirmative. ¡°Yvette Jeremiah looked up put did it on purpose, deliberately shooting at Robin and Malcolm.


    He had guessed her purpose long ago, so when he received his grandfather¡¯s order, he did not object and came here directly to drink coffee.


    vette definitely has her own confidence and ns. She had temper, but she would never act rashly without a n.


    Yusef sighed in secret. He finally understood why Mr. Chavez liked Ms. Zeller. He thought, ¡®Having a temper without ability and acting impulsively is called conceit. Having enough ability, an impressive temper, and a unique personality is what truly makes a big shot!¡®


    Jase¡¯s face was calm as he spoke to Clifford. ¡°Yvette must have nned this. Otherwise, do you really think she is brainless and likes to fire guns at the drop of a hat? She must have done this on purpose. You should understand her intentions.¡±


    Clifford suddenly understood and thought, ¡®Yvette must think of the reason for firing the gun from the beginning, with each step leading to the current result. What a meticulous mind; not a single step can be wrong, even anticipating that Ybau will ask Interpol for help. Yvette is amazing!¡±


    Clifford now doubled that his son could not match such a girl. She had artistic talent, was an Interpol officer, and both her intelligence and martial values were top¨Cnotch. You couldn¡¯t find one in a million.


    After Clifford left, Jeremiah also got up to leave. Jase, leaning on his cane, stood up. ¡°Your wife is quite considerate of you.¡±. Yusef didn¡¯t understand and thought, ¡®What he mean by that?¡®Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 323

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah quirked his lips, his voice low and cold. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be cared for by someone.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After saying this, he nced at Jase, who was leaning on a cane, and casually added, ¡°Oh, I forgot, Grandpa, you might not be cared for by anyone, so you wouldn¡¯t understand this feeling. Sorry.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef tried his best to hold back hisughter. He thought, ¡°These two, grandfather and grandson, are always at it, neither yielding to the other. Mr. Chavez is showing off his affection!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase swung his cane, pretending to take a swing at him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah dodged, retreated to the door, and neatly opened it. He stood still and said, ¡°No need to see me off, Grandpa.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase was amused. He thought, ¡®When do I n to see him off? Now he even knows how to find a way down from his pride!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Get out of here, get out of here, you annoy me just by being around.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said this, but there was a smile on his face. He was the epitome of not meaning what he said.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Jeremiah left, he didn¡¯t forget to coffees Jase again. ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re old, be careful not to strain your back if you move too much</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After saying that, he turned and walked away without looking back. Jase, furious, yelled at his retreating figure. ¡°You little brat Your grandpa is still going strong and can do eighty push¨Cups! If you don¡¯t believe me,e back and challenge me!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef, seeing the situation escting, was afraid Jase¡¯s blood pressure would rise, so he quickly helped him sit down and smoothed his breath. ¡°Whypete with Mr. Chavez? You couldn¡¯t keep up when you were young, let alone now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase gave him a big eye¨Croll. He thought, ¡®Yusef is definitely sent by the enemy, not sure if he isforting me or just blocking me up. What does he mean I can¡¯t keep up when I am young?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase said indignantly, ¡°I was definitely stronger than that brat when I was young.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef could only nod insincerely. He thought, ¡®Ah, the men of the Chavez family, always strong¨Cwilled and never admitting defeat!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He agreed, ¡°Of course, you would win.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jaseposed himself, took a sip of coffee, and calmed his breath. ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t feed me with insincere words.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef scratched his nose. He thought, ¡®Okay¡­ This is a typical case of knowing the truth but refusing to ept it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yusef voiced his doubt, ¡°Why did you say Ms. Zeller cares for Mr. Chavez? Where does thate from?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase gave a mysterious smile, his voice deep. ¡°Today, Yvette dealt with Malcolm and Robin, sending them to Interpol under. the guise of terrorists. This matter will be known worldwide. Jeremiah is responsible for Kyle¡¯s personal safety; we can¡¯t let anything happen to him within Clusia¡¯s borders. Even a minor injury to Kyle could be twisted into a story by them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase paused, not finishing the rest.</font></font>


    Yusef understood and picked up the rest of the sentence with a serious expression. ¡°You mean, by doing this, Ms. Zeller has cut off Kyle¡¯s path in this regard. If any problems arise now, it would be because there were criminals and terrorists in his visiting delegation, not because we failed to protect him. Even if something really happened to Kyle, they would never make a big deal out of it; they would just have to endure it, right?¡±


    Jase nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Indeed, and on another front, regardless of whether the two people taken away are truly terrorists or not, Ybau has caused panic in Clusia. Emotionally and logically, they have no right to demand anything more in this trade cooperation


    Yusef said, ¡°So, Ms. Zeller has cut off two paths for Ybau today They can¡¯t make any waves regarding personal safety, and they have no face to make any demands in trade cooperation.¡±


    Jase smiled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Yvette care for Jeremiah? How much simpler has the job of protecting Kyle be? Even if we don¡¯t protect him, Ybau wouldn¡¯t dare let anything happen to their prime minister, and Kyle is even more so.¡±


    Yusef finally understood why such a sentence was spoken. He thought, ¡®It meant this!¡®


    Clifford left the office. On his way back, Aurora¡¯s call came through again, and Clifford quickly answered the phone.


    He was so excited that he actually forgot about his precious wife. He thought, ¡®She must be worried at home!


    At the Chavez residence, Aurora held the phone, with Samantha sitting opposite her, her expression somewhat heavy. She had just been to the caf¨¦, but it was sealed, and she couldn¡¯t get in. Yvette wasn¡¯t there either, so she hurried to the Chavez residence.


    The only ones who could know all the insider news at the first time were the Chavez family.


    As soon as the call connected, Aurora immediately said, ¡°Honey, what¡¯s going on now? Samantha just went to the caf¨¦ and said it¡¯s been sealed off, and Yvette¡¯s not there. Has she been arrested? I saw on the news that Interpol is involved. Has Yvette been taken away by Interpol? Is that it? Tell me.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s face also looked grim upon hearing this. If Interpol was involved, the situation would beplicated.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Clifford massaged his temple, fearing that Aurora would worry, and quickly said, ¡°Honey, calm down first. You didn¡¯t even catch your breath; you have to give me a chance to speak.¡±


    Aurora anxiously replied, ¡°Then do tell me, what¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    Clifford spoke calmly, ¡°Aurora, Yvette is a first¨Css Interpol officer, and now Malcolm and Robin have been arrested as terrorists. Yvette is fine; it¡¯s those two from Ybau who are in trouble.¡±


    The next second, the phone slipped from Aurora¡¯s hand and fell onto the carpet, disconnecting the call.


    *****


    In the car, Clifford called out twice with no response. He could imagine the look of shock on Aurora¡¯s face. He thought, ¡®Not to mention her loss ofposure, even I was bbergasted when I first heard the news.


    This matter was too surreal and needed time to digest, so Clifford didn¡¯t call back.


    *****


    In the Chavez residence living room, Samantha saw Aurora standing there in a daze and became more anxious. She thought, ¡®What does Mr. Chavez say on the phone? Why does Mrs. Chavez look like that?¡®


    Samantha nervously asked, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, what¡¯s wrong? Has something happened to Yve?¡±


    Aurora heard this and snapped out of her daze, paused for a moment, and looked strange. Dazed, she said, ¡°Well, Clifford said that Yvette is a first¨Css Interpol officer, and those two from Ybau have been arrested.¡±


    Now it was Samantha¡¯s turn to be stunned. She swallowed hard. She thought, ¡®I don¡¯t mishear. Aurora says Yve is a top¨Cnotch Interpol officer. This is bombshell news; indeed, amazing women just keep getting more amazing.


    Samantha had never admired any woman, but now she admired Yvette so much. She thought, ¡®My goodness, being friends with an Interpol officer, just thinking about it is thrilling.¡®


    Aurora took a deep breath; her mind was still a bit dazed.


    Aurora said, ¡°Samantha, what does it mean to be a first¨Css Interpol officer? Is the rank very high?¡±


    Samantha was silent for a few seconds, then looked up, her eyes bright. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, you should know the nature of the Interpol, right? Put it this way, it¡¯s divided into three levels, with the first level being the highest. As for the specific powers of a first¨Css officer within the organization, I¡¯m not quite clear. But judging by what Mr. Chavez said, the fact that people from the Interpol branch could arrest those two from Ybau might be due to Yve, so you can imagine Yve¡¯s significance.¡±

 Chapter 324

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora was even more stunned after hearing Samantha¡¯s exnation. She thought, ¡®Who on earth is Yvette? If it weren¡¯t for our rtionship, I would wanted to bow down in admiration too. This girl¡­¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha saw the shocked expression on Aurora¡¯s face; actually, she was the same, just moreposed than Aurora on the surface.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Yvette to look so docile and yet be an Interpol officer. This job must be very dangerous.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha coughed lightly. She thought, ¡®Does Mrs. Chavez have any misunderstanding about the word docile? If Yve is docile, there would be no docile women in the world. Not to mention what happened at the bar before, just in the live broadcast, Robin was abused by Yve to the point of being unrecognizable. Mrs. Chavez¡¯s impression of docile Yve was too deep. It can¡¯t change.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">So the two famous strong women in Betrico stood in the Chavez living room, staring at each other with strange expressions until a servant came in and said Yvette had arrived, and they both snapped back to reality.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora was taken aback. ¡°You say Yvette is here?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cara, being older and not often using her phone, was naturally unaware of today¡¯s events. She didn¡¯t understand why Mrs. Chavez looked so strange upon hearing Ms. Zeller¡¯s arrival.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora quickly instructed Cara, ¡°Quick, prepare some desserts. Yvette must be tired after the morning¡¯s turmoil; she needs to eat more to make up for it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cara immediately went to the kitchen to order people to prepare something delicious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was overjoyed. She thought, ¡®Yvette must see my text message ande directly to the Chavez residence. Wow, does this mean I have a tiny bit of status in Yve¡¯s heart?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha quickly straightened her clothes and even took out a small mirror to touch</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">up her makeup.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora turned her head and was taken aback by Samantha¡¯s actions. She thought, ¡®What is this girl¡¯s problem? Why is she putting on makeup?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Two minutester, Yvette walked in from outside. In the living room, the two women, sitting with the posture of elementary school students, immediately stood up straight as if they were in a military training session.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette changed into her slippers and nodded politely to Aurora. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Chavez.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She looked very docile, and Aurora, looking at Yvette with some excitement, sat down next to her and cautiously asked, ¡°Yvette, are you really an Interpol officer?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She still found it hard to believe and had to ask the person herself to feel at ease.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s eyebrows lowered, her gaze calm and deep, she raised her eyebrows and said nonchntly, ¡°Yes.¡±</font></font>


    Just that one word made Aurora feel grounded. Now she finally knew what kind of amazing Yvette was. She felt the pressure. Aurora really considered whether she should return to the business world. She thought, ¡®Maybe mypany isn¡¯t big enough for Yvette to look down on. Should I start a second business and create apany that Yvette could appreciate? That seemed feasible.


    Samantha, sitting on the side of the sofa, had bright eyes; she was really curious about how Yvette became an Interpol officer.


    With a face full of excitement, Samantha stared at Yvette, wanting to speak but hesitating. A few minutester, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yve, how did you be a first¨Css Interpol officer?¡±


    Yvette sat on the sofa, looked up, poked at her water ss with her beautiful fingertips, and nodded casually, her voice as light as could be. ¡°It¡¯s simple, I just solved a few small cases.¡±


    Aurora and Samantha looked at each other, their expressions surprisingly unanimous. They thought, ¡®So, how small are these cases?¡¯


    However, both knew that the ¡°small¡± in her mouth was not the same as the ¡°small¡± in their eyes. They thought, ¡®If they are really such small cases, how can she get into Interpol and be a first¨Css officer?¡®


    Samantha looked at Yvette, who wasfortably nestled on the sofa. She thought, ¡®She indeed looks docile and honest. Uh¡­ Is this big shot a master of face¨Cchanging? Is this the same person from the live broadcast just now?¡®


    Aurora, not giving up, asked again, ¡°So, Yvette, could you specify how small?¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes, silent for a few seconds. Looking at the two curious faces, she was calm andposed, her voice in and indifferent. ¡°Seven years ago, I arrested the Mysonna serial killer, five years ago, I killed the head of the tugrea Mafia, and three years ago, I sent the leader of the Yoris cult to his maker.¡±


    Yvette only mentioned a few simple things, and there were others that were not even worth mentioning.


    As Yvette¡¯s voice fell, the expressions on Aurora and Samantha¡¯s faces became more and more colorful. They thought, ¡°These cases seemed to make us tremble just by listening. Serial killer? Iugrea Mafia? Cult leader? If these were the small things in Yvette¡¯s mouth, then what could be called big events?¡®Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, Cara came in and put the prepared desserts on the table. Leaning over, she said enthusiastically, Ms. Zeller, these desserts were specially air¨Cfreighted by Mrs. Chavez. They are prepared every day, just waiting for you toe and try them.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Cara thought Yvette was perfect in every way, the best¨Clooking and with the best personality.


    Yvette, who had already eaten a te of Iugreapasta, began to quietly eat a second round.


    focused eyes and stiff bodies, wondering, ¡®Why is Cara looked at Aurora and Samantha, who were sitting on the sofa with Mrs. Chavez fine but now looks like this again? Even Ms. Mitchell has the same expression as Mrs. Chavez.


    When Yvette ate a small piece of cake and wiped her mouth, the two finally came to their senses.


    Samantha swallowed her saliva, looked at Yvette eating desserts, took a deep breath, and nodded. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Yve, do you know that you are really awesome!¡±


    Aurora also forgot about her status and instantly became a fan of Yvette. She pursed her lips and sincerely eximed, ¡°A vette, you are really awesome!¡±


    Cara had a confused expression. She thought, ¡®Who am I? Where am I? What has stimted Mrs. Chavez? It¡¯s okay for Ms. Mitchell to say that. But Mrs. Chavez, how can she say such a vulgar thing?¡±


    Yvette wiped her mouth, her voice light and indifferent. Half¨Cclosing her eyes,zily and casually, she said, ¡°Just ok.¡±


    The other three people in the living room were silent.


    When Jeremiah entered, Yvette had already finished three small desserts. Aurora and Samantha were just apanying her, watching piece after piece of dessert go into Yvette¡¯s stomach. They thought, ¡®We are jealous. What kind of physique is she, eating every meal without missing, but her figure is still so good!¡®


    Jeremiah walked in with his military boots, and saw this scene, his eyes slightly moved, and his gaze fell on Yvette, who was eating like a little hamster. His eyes were deep. He thought, ¡®Yvette¡¯s gluttonous attribute would never change.¡±

 Chapter 325

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was used to being the neglected one. Once his mother saw the girl, she basically blocked him out. Jeremiah sat down and casually pinched the girl¡¯s waist, his eyes filled with a deeper smile.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora and Samantha also noticed this small gesture.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha couldn¡¯t help but scoff. She thought, ¡®Is Mr. Chavez now taking advantage so tantly? Shameless!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora stared at that hand. She thought, My son¡¯s hand is so rough, it is displeasing to look at</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked up, feeling the hostility from the two women across from him, and chuckled, provocatively pinching again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡°These two are now bewitched by Yvette. Do they want topete with me for her attention? They don¡¯t have a chance in the next life¡­¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora never expected Jeremiah to act so childish. She was momentarily stunned. Something about her son seems different, but she can¡¯t quite put her finger on it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah lowered his head, his deep eyes looking at Yvette, his voice enticing as he whispered, ¡°How many pieces have you eaten? Aren¡¯t we also going to have steak when we get hometer?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised her eyes, her expression wavering for a moment, and then after a few seconds of silence, she put down her fork. Clearly, she chose steak over dessert.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s go, back home. Charles and the others have prepared the steak, they¡¯re waiting for you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and turned to Samantha. ¡°Do you want to join us for a meal?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha waved her hand. She wanted to go too, but Zion was still standing at the entrance of her office. Knowing his stubborn nature, he definitely wouldn¡¯t leave until she showed up. She had to head back to check on things. ¡°Yve, I can¡¯t go. I¡¯ve got a few things to take care of over there.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette shifted her gaze to Aurora, but before she could ask anything, Aurora spoke up. ¡°You and Jeremiah head back. I don¡¯t go. You two just go enjoy yourselves!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said, ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then Yvette and Jeremiah left the Chavez residence together.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora and Samantha stared at the couple¡¯s figures. They thought, ¡®The handsome man and beautiful woman, their backsplementing each other perfectly, that¡¯s exactly what these two are like.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora suddenly sighed. ¡°I finally understand how Jeremiah managed to woo Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, with her arms crossed, had also figured it out. She thought, ¡®Yve is an unapologetic foodie, and Mr. Chavez brings her away with just one steak meal.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha made her decision and said very seriously, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, I¡¯ve decided to open a steakhouse.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora paused and thought, ¡®Why don¡¯t I think of such a great idea?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll open a barbecue restaurant.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha nodded. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, how about we coborate on a steak and barbecue chain?¡±</font></font>


    Aurora immediately agreed, ¡°Deal, I¡¯ll have mypany prepare the contracts, and you can take a lookter.¡±


    Samantha smiled, ¡°Mrs. Chayez, you can handle the paperwork, I¡¯ll just sign when it¡¯s ready.¡±


    The two of them hit it off right away, but no one expected that their restaurant for Yvette would turn into the biggest steak and barbecue chain in the country. But that¡¯s a story for another time.


    In the car, Yvette had just settled into the passenger seat and hadn¡¯t yet fastened her seatbelt when Jeremiah pulled her over, and Yvette didn¡¯t resist, making it easy for Jeremiah to seed.


    The next second, she was sitting on Jeremiah¡¯sp. She thought, This position?¡®


    Yvette squirmed, it wasn¡¯t veryfortable, a bit ufortable¡­


    Jeremiah¡¯s breathing roughened, he gritted his teeth, and his voice changed. Husky and low, it carried a different kind of temptation, filled with a heavy breath as if enduring some emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    In the dim car, Yvette raised her eyes, seeming to have countless stars shining, and her gaze focused and deep. ¡°Are you acting like a hooligan?¡±


    Jeremiah paused, then picked up her fingertips, rubbed them, and whispered, ¡°I only became a hooligan when I met you.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette stared into Jeremiah¡¯s deep eyes and lifted his chin. She thought, ¡®He is quite good at this, but it suits me just fine.¡® Yvette suddenly buried her head and kissed Jeremiah¡¯s lips. Hot and dominant, again and again, constantly eroding his breath,


    Jeremiah¡¯s blue pupils gradually sank, until they burst in an instant, once again taking the lead. The handsome and noble man was still immersed in this kiss, unable to extricate himself.


    At Sknd, Andrew and Charles were sitting in the living room watching the news report on today¡¯s events, with the phone on the table still ying the live broadcast they had just seen. Their expressions were quite different.


    Charles watched the scene of Yvette dealing with Robin on the screen; he didn¡¯t feel violent. He thought, ¡®If this is violence, then they have never seen the true violent side of Yvette. This is just a small scene. The most important thing for him was that he only found out today that it turned out Yvette had an identity as an Interpol officer.


    Being a top¨Clevel Interpol officer meant a lot, and no one knew that better than him, a guy who had tangled with the underworld in Mysonna. Interpol represented absolute authority and status.


    Now, someone was telling him that Yvette who swept through the underground world, was actually a top Interpol officer. It was hard to believe. He thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t that like ying both sides?


    ¡®Not only does she control them, but she also controls them well. Yvette ys this hand really beautifully. I know Yvette is mysterious, but ver imagine that she is beyond just mysterious. She is so amazing!


    Andrew looked at the news broadcast on the screen with admiration. He couldn¡¯t help but tsk from time to time. He nudged Charles, his voice excited. ¡°Charles, Yvette is so awesome, she¡¯s a first¨Css Interpol officer. Watching her hit those two from Ybau, Robin, and Malcolm, was simply too satisfying.¡±


    Charles nodded, and this time he wasn¡¯t so calm either. ¡°It was quite satisfying.¡±


    He thought, ¡®That Yvette must have her ns, otherwise, ording to her character, these two people would not have survived today.¡®


    Andrew turned his head, smiled at Charles, and suddenly said, ¡°Charles, you must have done many good deeds in yourst life to be able to learn from Yvette, but your luck was a bit bad. You learned art; if you had learned some martial arts or something, you¡¯d definitely make a name for yourself in both the legal and the shady sides of things.¡±


    Charles was left speechless and amused by this, wondering, ¡®If I should tell the truth. It is a bit awkward for me, a proper underworld figure, to be called an artist by Andrew every day?


    Al ten¨Cthirty, Jeremiah and Yvette returned to Sknd from outside, and Andrew and Charles had already prepared the steak


    As soon as they came in, Andrew trotted up. ¡°Yvette, good evening, you¡¯ve worked hard today. I¡¯ve prepared a delicious steak for you, please enjoy your meal.¡±


    Andrew was thoroughly implementing the ¡°flunky¡± role. Now, he didn¡¯t know Jeremiah. Andrew has temporarily forgotten.


    Charles couldn¡¯t bear to look; he said, ¡°Yve, the steak is ready.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly, raised her eyes, looked at Andrew, hooked her lips, and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Andrew immediately waved his hand. ¡°No need to thank me, Yvette. Your happiness is my honor.¡±


    Jeremiah pinched the corner of his eye and thought, Alright. In addition to my mother and Samantha, herees Andrew


    Jeremiah coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Andrew then turned his head and looked at Jeremiah, speaking casually, ¡°Oh, Mr. Chavez, you¡¯re back too


    Jeremiah pointed to the sign at the entrance. ¡°This is my house


    Andrew gave a sheepish smile. He thought, Mr. Chavez belongs to Yve, so Mr. Chavez¡¯s house is essentially Yve¡¯s house.¡±

 Chapter 326

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Early the next morning, all mainstream media and newspapers reported the incident from yesterday when Ybaun Robin and Malcolm were taken away by Interpol as suspected terrorists.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A variety of sensational headlines emerged one after another, and the inte was buzzing with activity, as lively as could be.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I¡¯m saying, what really happened to our goddess yesterday? The live broadcast was interrupted, and there is no official news. I¡¯m so worried. My goddess must be alright]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Me too, I couldn¡¯t sleep wellst night. How is our goddess really doing?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Our goddess is so strong. I said she must have noticed something off about Robin and Malcolm. Who would have thought these two could be terrorists?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Exactly, yesterday was a twist of events. I didn¡¯t expect that in the end, it was those two from Ybau who got taken away.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It wasn¡¯t just domestic websites and media; even foreign media sites were frantically covering the story. The secretary of Ybau¡¯s prime minister possibly being a terrorist. This was a big joke.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At Sknd, Charles looked at the headline in the newspaper he was holding. Goddess of Clusia strikes a heavy blow, terrorists have nowhere to hide and are captured, and thew is all¨Cepassing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He twitched at the corner of his eye and thought, ¡®The title is certainly eye¨Ccatching¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Of course, this wasn¡¯t from any mainstream newspaper, just some tabloids. After all, the investigation results hadn¡¯te out yet, so the official media hadn¡¯t officially spoken up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew took the newspaper and looked at it while sighing. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re famous now. The streets are full of talks about how you taught Robin a lesson yesterday. The topment is about wanting to marry you. Mr. Chavez must be under a lot of pressure.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yesterday, all thepound kids learned that Yvette was a first¨Css Interpol officer. Now, these people all wanted to line up to</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">get an autograph or something. Andrew firmly refused this. He thought, ¡®Yvette is so busy; she doesn¡¯t have time to deal with them.¡¯</font></font>Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles, looking at Yvette who was calmly eating breakfast across from him, asked, ¡°Yve, will Robin and Malcolm be released?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles was certain that the life and death of those two people, whether to release or not, must be up to Yve, so asking her would definitely get the right answer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew immediately pricked up his ears, listening intently.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, her posture casual as she pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands, her expression indifferent as she slowly spoke. ¡°They will be released tomorrow.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles nodded, not surprised, as there was no substantial evidence, and the whole world was watching, so they couldn¡¯t keep holding them indefinitely.</font></font>


    Andrew let out a sigh of disappointment. Although Yvette was an Interpol officer, she couldn¡¯t just judge those two people; they had to be released. Although he knew this was reasonable, he still felt a bit reluctant.


    Andrewforted, ¡°Yvette, I know you did your best. If they¡¯re released, it¡¯s ok.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrows, looking at the somewhat dejected Andrew, and casually said, ¡°Robin must y.¡±


    Andrew and Charles were stunned; they had forgotten about this. Robin was the representative yer for the tournament on the Ybaun side in thepetition the day after tomorrow.


    Andrew didn¡¯t understand and thought, ¡® At this time, it¡¯s good for them to detain Robin in this situation. ¡°Yvette, wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to hold him first?¡±


    Yvette curled her lips, her eyes cold and deep, calmly looking at the puzzled Andrew. ¡°Robin takes pride in his identity as a world champion. What do you think he would do if he was defeated by a Clusian woman he looks down on?¡±


    Charles pondered for a moment. Andrew also figured it out, pping the table and excitedly shouting. ¡°Right, if our Clusian woman defeats him in the tournament, he would feel worse than death. Let¡¯s see if he has the face to participate inpetitions in the future. It¡¯s a good n.¡±


    With Robin¡¯s arrogant personality, he would probablymit seppuku in a minute.


    After saying that, Andrew immediately sighed again. ¡°But Yvette, to be honest, it¡¯s really hard to find a female Go master. We can¡¯t have Louis dress up as a woman, can we?¡±


    Yvette got up, her eyes dark, half¨Clowering her eyelids, and lightly smiled, pursing her lips, her voice as cold as ever. ¡°Just wait.¡±


    After saying that, she went upstairs, leaving a confused Andrew and a thoughtful Charles behind.


    Charles thought of a possibility. He thought, ¡®Does Yvette mean topete herself? But I don¡¯t think it is likely I have never seen Yyette y Go. Could it be that she is also a Go master, capable ofpeting with a world champion like Robin?¡±


    Yvette had just stepped into her bedroo


    one that hadn¡¯t shown up in two years.


    when her phone rang. The caller ID showed a strange number from Mysonna


    excited. ¡°Dear Yve, you are finally Yvette tapped lightly, and the call connected. The man¡¯s voice on the other side was very willing to answer my call. After arresting the drug lordst time, you said you were going on vacation, and it¡¯s been almost two years with no news. If it weren¡¯t for the case reported by the Betrico branch yesterday, I wouldn¡¯t even know you are in Clusia now?¡±


    Yvette held the phone away from her ear, her voice light and cold. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s


    On the other end of the line was Terry, the chairman of Interpol the matter? If not, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    He helplessly rubbed his temple. He thought, ¡®Her character and temper are still the same, making her say more than a few words is impossible.¡¯


    He was used to it; if he wasn¡¯t, there was no way, as getting more than a few words from her was hard.


    Terry sighed, ¡°The incident that happened yesterday is known worldwide. Ybau has used various connections to demand the organization to release those two people, and I¡¯ve held them down. Jack said you agreed to release them. Is this true?¡±


    He, the chairman of Interpol, had to personally call Yvette to ask if this was true. If she said not to release them, no matter who spoke, they couldn¡¯t be released. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t find two such people for her. If she said to release them, then they were released.


    These two people, whether dead or alive, made no difference to the organization. But Yvette was different; she must not be offended. He would need her help to handle those difficult cases next time. Only she could guarantee a 100% sess rate.


    Yvette said indifferently, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Terry finally felt relieved. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve spoken, I¡¯ll release them. But why are you in Clusia? How long do you n to stay? Can youe back for this year¡¯s training? Can you help train some new officers?¡±


    Terry¡¯s attitude was as humble as could be. He thought, ¡®If she cane back and train a few quality officers, wouldn¡¯t that

 Chapter 327

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked out at thewn while the staff from the Chavez family¡¯s old manor were busily trimming the bushes. The flowers are blooming in vibrantpetition, especially stunning.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually slipped one hand into her pocket, her posture rxed, her gaze deep and calm. Her voice was low, hoarse, and icy. ¡°Since when do I have to tell you the reason for what I did?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the other end of the line, Terry instantly sensed danger, a chill running down his spine. He paused, realizing he¡¯d asked a question he shouldn¡¯t have asked.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s temper was never known to be good. Terry nervously said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I overstepped, my dear Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her eyes, casually saying, ¡°Let it not happen again.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Terry immediately promised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Unless I have a death wish, I won¡¯t cross the line again.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Terry finally felt relieved. Valuing his life, he knew better than to anger her, or he might die at any time.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s elusive nature and ruthless tactics had always left a mark on him. Even now, in the international prison, all the leaders and mob bosses were terrified of her name.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Terry was worried that if Yvette was indeed helping Clusia, she could pose a threat to Mysonna, so his remarks today were also a way of testing her intentions. However, he did forget that Yvette was not someone he could just test whenever he pleased.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Mysonna Interpol Building, after hanging up, Terry was still somewhat startled by Yvette¡¯s attitude.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It took Terry a few minutes to finally calm down. After much consideration, he decided to call the President. After all, Yvette¡¯s appearance was a significant event for the President, who had been searching for this influential figure for quite some time. Now that Yvette finally showed up, Terry had to report it immediately.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clifford and his team were having a meeting, and they had already received precise information. If Ybau wanted Interpol to release Robin and Malcolm, they must.publicly apologize to Clusia. Interpol¡¯s tough stance was something Clifford hadn¡¯t expected.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had a vague feeling. Perhaps this matter was closely rted to Yvette. It felt like something she would do.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A middle¨Caged man stood up from his chair and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, with Ybau being pressured like this by Interpol, do you think Kyle will apologize publicly?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Another man in his forties, wearing a ck suit, heard this from below. He thought about it for a few seconds. ¡°I think he will. If Kyle doesn¡¯t apologize publicly, it will cause a significant loss to their country. I¡¯ve heard the Jenkins family is asking Kyle to ensure Robin returns safely.¡±</font></font>


    A very dignified and elegant middle¨Caged woman was seated below. She nodded in agreement. ¡°Lagree with you. Their government is unstable, and the Jenkins family is very powerful there. If Kyle doesn¡¯t save Robin, he will have a hard time.¡±


    Clifford heard the conversation below and calmly took a sip of water. ¡°No need to argue anymore. We¡¯ll know this afternoon, won¡¯t we? For now, all we can do is wait and see.¡±


    Clifford lowered his gaze, certain that Kyle would apologize. As expected, in the afternoon, in an emergency press conference, Ybau provided a detailed report on what had happened at the caf¨¦ yesterday and publicly apologized to Clusia. They expressed that their inappropriate remarks and actions had an adverse impact on Clusia, and they promised to actively cooperate with Interpol to uncover the truth.


    Meanwhile, Clusia also held a press conference. They clearly exined the incident from yesterday and specifically disclosed that Yvette was an Interpol officer.


    Major media outlets and social media ounts started prominently sharing the news. ¡°Goddess of Clusia is an Interpol officer.¡± This piece of news went viral. It even caused the websites to crash for over ten minutes due to therge number of visitors.


    [Oh my! Goddess of Clusia is actually an Interpol officer? Is it the Interpol I¡¯m thinking about?]


    [What else could it be? I used to think Goddess needed to be protected, but now, I¡¯d better let her protect me.]


    [Hey, count me in. I need her protection too.]


    [I have to say, Goddess¡¯s fighting skills are impressive. She¡¯s my new idol, truly amazing.]


    [Watching her take down that shameless Robin is so satisfying.]


    [Turns out Goddess is an Interpol officer, so, of course, she¡¯s not afraid of anything. That¡¯s the source of her confidence. I love her!]


    [Goddess is amazing! Even Ybau has apologized. This is historic, finally breaking their stubborn tradition.]Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    [Yeah. Thinking of the past and the older folks who couldn¡¯t live to see an apology from Ybau, I want to cry.]


    [We all understand what you¡¯re saying. If those elders knew Ybau apologized today, wouldn¡¯t they be thrilled? They¡¯re surely watching this from heaven.]


    I¡¯m crying my heart out. We totally get it.]


    The Inte was flooded with news about Ybau¡¯s apology and Yvette being an Interpol officer. They were taking over headlines across global media and websites. However, the photos only showed a blurry shot of Yvette¡¯s back, no front view.


    That was becausest night, any clear images of her face werepletely deleted, leaving no traces.


    Experienced journalists knew what this meant. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend some big names, so they swapped in blurry shots. After all, the news content was what really mattered.


    Clifford was sitting in his office. He had just returned from the press conference, and the oue was truly satisfying.


    Not only that, the contract between the two countries was almost finalized. Ybau didn¡¯t gain any benefit at all. Finally, it was all settled, and now only thepetition was left to deal with.


    In the Carter residence in Seacrity, Winona¡¯s days had been far from good. Even though she was namely the youngdy of the Carter family, in reality, that was not how things were.


    Victor was always out partying with different women and rarely came home. Just in this week, she received several taunting messages from different women.


    Winona caused a scene before. But it was as if Victor had be apletely different person, and he didn¡¯t care at all. There was even a time when she saw hatred and the intent to kill in Victor¡¯s eyes, and after that, she didn¡¯t dare make a fuss, fearing he might go crazy.


    Though Robert had usually been indulging her, as time passed, he didn¡¯t find her as exciting as before and he often didn¡¯te home now.


    In the Carter family, only Yulia still listened to her, but it was because of the child she was expecting.


    Lately, Victor even confiscated Winona¡¯s phone and forbade her from contacting the outside world. Robert was sent abroad by ude on business, leaving Winonapletely isted and ignored.


    Feeling weighed down by worries, Yulia ced the freshly prepared milk in front of Winona, lost in her thought.

 Chapter 328

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona touched her belly. She wanted to speak to Yulia like always, but seeing Yulia in a trance, Winona was a bit confused, wondering, ¡®What¡¯s this old woman thinking about now?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, Winona¡¯s sharp voice sounded. ¡°Yulia, what are you thinking about? Why is today¡¯s milk not fresh?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was clear that Winona was picking a fight on purpose. Scenes like this happened every day, and the servants of the Carter family had gotten used to it. They really couldn¡¯t tell if Victor had married a wife or brought home a drama queen, given her behavior. Every day was filled with chaos without a moment of peace.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia came back to her senses, looking at the unpleasant and endlessly critical Winona. Right now, she just felt pity for this woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia thought, ¡®Winona must have no clue that the person she cursed at, even in her dreams, has be Goddess of Clusia and an Interpol officer. Even an ordinary housewife like me knows the importance of an Interpol officer. This is far beyond the reach of ordinary people like us. Yvette stood up to people from a neighboring nation for Clusia, while Winona has nothing but a baby in her belly,pletely useless, only ordering people around because of the child. There is nothing good about Winona. She can¡¯t evenpare to Yvette.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wasn¡¯t only a famous international artist but also an Interpol officer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia now regretted it so much. If the Carter family hadn¡¯t broken off the engagement back then, Yvette would now be their daughter¨Cinw. Everything would have been different, and all the glory and apuse would belong to the Carter family.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Yulia knew it was toote to say anything now. Ever since Winona came into the picture, everything seemed like a mere daydream. The Carter family could no longer attract Yvette. Not just that, soon, it seemed like Seacrity would entirely be the Chambers family¡¯s domain. With Yvette¡¯s new identity, the Chambers family¡¯s doorsteps were bound to be overwhelmed by eager visitors.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia suddenly thought of Lilian. How could someone so remarkable have an ordinary child? She should have realized this a long time ago. It was toote. Time wouldn¡¯t turn back, and no one could change what they did.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia rubbed her temples wearily. Suddenly, she felt utterly drained. She wasn¡¯t all that eager about the child Winona was expecting anymore. What kind of child could such a mother have? She couldn¡¯t even bear to think about it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia let out a cold snort. She looked at Winona and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink it, throw it away. Do you still think you¡¯re a richdy? Winona, if you don¡¯t want this baby, just abort it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yulia finished speaking and turned to leave, ignoring Winona¡¯s shouting from behind her.</font></font>


    Winona screamed Yulia¡¯s name and even pretended to have bellyache, but Yulia didn¡¯t stop. Winona waspletely panicked. If Yulia didn¡¯t care about the child in her belly, then she would have nothing to rely on.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She felt something must have happened. Otherwise, Yulia would have never treated her like this.


    Winona quickly borrowed a phone from a servant and checked the news. An automatic notification popped up, saying, ¡°Who is Goddess of Clusia?¡± Winona couldn¡¯t help but tap on the video after seeing its intriguing background.


    One minuteter, Winona held her belly, backing away in disbelief. As she moved back, she kept shaking her head, looking shocked and a bit unhinged. ¡°Impossible. No way. I don¡¯t believe it. How could she be an Interpol officer?¡±


    Winona turned on the TV, only to see the same news. This time she finally epted it. She suddenly dropped onto the couch. The phone she held had been thrown to the floor, splitting into two pieces.


    Winona red at the TV, fixating on the familiar figure she deeply hated. She snorted, ¡°She¡¯s an Interpol officer? How can she deserve it? What makes her ?o special?¡±


    Winona clenched her fists¨Csq tightly that her nails pierced her palms, drawing blood. Only then did she regain her senses. However, now her hatred for Yvette was even stronger. She thought, ¡®So what if Yvette¡¯s an Interpol officer? That job is so dangerous. Who knows when something might happen to her? Ill wait for that day and see Yvette die Winona startedughing hysterically with a chilling sound.


    Yulia, who lived upstairs, could hear theughter, but she pretended not to notice it. She just didn¡¯t want to deal with crazy Winona anymore..


    At the Chambers residence, Zachary looked at the never¨Cending stream of visitors at his doorstep. He couldn¡¯t keep them away. Since yesterday, he had beenpletely bewildered.


    After watching the livestream rey shown by Lucas, along with the news reports and online updates, Zachary finally found out that his daughter was actually an Interpol officer who had beaten up some Ybaun guys.


    However, she not get into trouble. Instead, the Ybaun guys got taken away. To top it off, the Ybaun Prime Minister publicly apologized this afternoon.


    Zachary¡¯s mind was overwhelmed. He thought, ¡®Could someone tell me this is not true? An Interpol officer? It was only then he understood why Yvette had said that she could handle the old grudge about Lilian and the truth back then. He finally realized now that his daughter was no ordinary person.


    After Kyle finished the press conference in Betrico, Interpol quickly investigated the matter and released Malcolm and Robin.


    In Kyle¡¯s room. Kaiden looked at the old man with a handlebar mustache in front of him, his attitude respectful and his expression gentle. ¡°Mr. Hall, Mr. Jenkins has been sent to the hospital, and Mr. Hart has been treated. Please rest assured.¡±


    Kyle, the current Prime Minister of Ybau, sat on his chair and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thanks for all your hard work, Mr. Harper. Go and get some rest. The day after tomorrow is Mr. Jenkins¡® chess match, and the day after that is your fencing match. I hope you two can bring honor back to our country this time. Thank you.¡±


    He sounded polite, but he was obviously implying they could only win. Kaiden got the hint, but he still responded with great respect and humility, ¡°Mr. Hall, rest assured.¡±


    Kyle waved his hand, signaling for him to leave. In the hallway, Kaiden closed the door behind him, along with his trusted ?ide, Cedric Harper.


    Seeing Kaiden¡¯s change of expression after the door closed, Cedric stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Harper, Mr. Jenkins has been taken to Betrico Hospital. He mentioned wanting to see you. Do you want to find some time to visit him?¡±


    Kaiden gave a knowing smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go. We¡¯re friends after all. I should visit him now.¡±


    Cedric understood that his master wasn¡¯t sincere, chuckling slyly, ¡°I¡¯ll go arrange the car right away, Mr. Harper.¡±


    Just as he was about to leave, Kaiden stopped him. ¡°Did you find a clear photo of that Interpol officer?¡±


    dric bowed respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Harper. We searched all over the Inte and videos, but we couldn¡¯t find an image of her face. There are only pictures of her back. A hacker might be helping her, so we can¡¯t find it just yet. We only know that her name is Yvette.¡±


    Kaiden was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s her name? Say it again.¡±


    Cedric had never seen Kaiden like this before, wondering, ¡®Why did just a name cause Mr. Harper to lose hisposure like that?¡®

 Chapter 329

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric pushed down the doubts in his heart. He bowed respectfully. ¡°Mr. Harper, the woman from Clusia who beat up Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Hart yesterday is definitely named Yvette. There¡¯s no mistake about it. Even though we can¡¯t find a clear picture of her face, the name is absolutely right. Is there an issue? Do you know this woman?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden¡¯s face turned cold, his body involuntarily trembling. The name instantly put him on edge, bringing back a flood of memories.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the hallway, Kaiden¡¯s sinister face was hidden in the shadow, looming in the light.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He still refused to mention this name. Yvette was his nightmare and a shadow that lingered over his life. She was the one who had ruthlessly chopped off his pinky finger.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He would never forget her stunning yet expressionless face and icy eyes in his lifetime.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Kaiden freeze in ce with a horrified look, Cedric didn¡¯t dare say a word, only stepping to the side quietly, wondering, ¡®Who exactly is Yvette? How could she make Mr. Harper, who is always so collected, panic?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a while, Kaiden snapped out of his memories. He moved his fingers slightly. Surrounded by a gloomy aura, he held back his inner fear and said, ¡°Go check again. Is that woman still in Betrico? I want the information on her to be as detailed as possible.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away, Mr. Harper.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Kaiden returned to his hotel room, he paced back and forth anxiously. He suddenly had a bad feeling, thinking, ¡®What if this woman really is Ms. Zeller? Why did she show up in Betrico after disappearing for so many years? And why did she suddenly hit Robin and Malcolm and get involved in the conflict between Clusia and Ybau? But it is like her style. Only Ms. Zeller has such confidence.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden had a nagging feeling that something would go wrong at thepetition. Yvette¡¯s presence gave him a strong and unsettling premonition.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden clenched his teeth, pulled out his phone, and made a call to someone in Mysonna. If Yvette really showed up, Braydon would surely be more eager than anyone else to see her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The call connected. The man¡¯s voice on the other end was cold. ¡°Got something to say?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden felt a sudden chill down his spine. He had heard this voice for three years while they lived together at the training camp. After he returned to Ybau, they only spoke with each other when they had business to discuss.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Braydon seemed lifeless when interacting with anyone, only showing signs of liveliness around Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden tried hard to calm down, but the urgency in his voice gave him away. ¡°Mr. Goodman, have you seen the news in the past couple of days? Do you know Ms. Zeller appeared in Betrico?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Braydon stopped for a moment. His voice became even more somber than before. ¡°I saw it.¡±</font></font>


    Now it was Kaiden¡¯s turn to go silent. He thought, ¡®Braydon used to go crazy at the mention of Yvette¡¯s name. Why is he soposed now? Could he have fallen for someone else? But that seems unlikely. Everyone in the training camp has experienced Braydon¡¯s obsessiveness. Getting him to change his goal? Only when hell freezes over.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, Kaiden didn¡¯t know that Braydon was utterly swamped. Ever since Damian returned, the underground world in Mysonna hadn¡¯t had a moment of peace. Damian was very influential.


    To counteract his formidable grandfather, Braydon used up almost all his energy. He couldn¡¯t even find the time to see Yvette.


    Kaiden continued, ¡°Ms. Zeller is also an Interpol officer. Do you know that?¡±


    In the study of the Goodman residence in Mysonna, the lights were off. Only the faint glow from theputer shone on Braydon¡¯s handsome face and the charming scar between his brows.


    On the table in front of him were all the newspapers from thest two days, and on theputer was a shadowy image of Yvette¡¯s back.


    Hearing Kaiden¡¯s words, Braydon stared intensely at the image on theputer screen. A slight smile appeared on his lips. His voice was as cold as he said, ¡°I know.¡±


    Hearing Braydon¡¯s words, Kaiden tightened his grip on the phone, thinking, ¡®Braydon know about Yvette¡¯s identity. Doesn¡¯t he understand how terrifying that identity is? How can he still be so calm?¡±


    Kaiden asked, ¡°Mr. Goodman, do you know why Ms. Zeller is in Betrico?¡±


    This is what Kaiden was concerned about. He was fully aware of who taught him fencing. If Yvette decided to interfere in the fencingpetition, he would stand no chance of winning. He had to find out why Yvette was here. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rx for even a moment.


    Braydon stared at the photo, his eyes filled with wild intensity and deep infatuation. He yelled angrily on the phone, ¡°A guy tricked her into going to Betrico. Yvette is just having a fling with him. She¡¯lle back to me sooner orter. That guy deceived her.¡± After yelling, Braydon threw the phone at the wall, shattering it instantly.


    Kaiden stared nkly at the phone, thinking, ¡®What did Braydon say? Is he losing it? He imed that Ms. Zeller was tricked by a guy? That¡¯s absolutely impossible. If anyone did the tricking, it must have been Ms. Zeller. But that¡¯s impossible too. Ms. Zeller will never fall in love!¡¯


    Then Kaiden pondered again, ¡®Given Braydon¡¯s obsession and possessiveness towards Yvette, if it weren¡¯t true, he wouldn¡¯t have said something like that. So, it might really be true. Did Ms. Zeller reallye to Betrico for a man? Even if that¡¯s the case, it might not be a bad thing. It suggests Ms. Zeller didn¡¯t intentionally get involved in the incident at the caf¨¦ yesterday. It was probably just a coincidence, making it less of a hassle and nothing to worry about.¡®


    Suddenly, Kaiden remembered that Robin was still at Betrico Hospital. He decided to probe Robin, thinking this person might know a bit more about the situation. Kaiden immediately shouted to the bodyguards at the door, ¡°Get the car ready We¡¯re heading to Betrico Hospital!¡±


    At Betrico Hospital, Robin was wrapped up like a mummy, only his eyes revealed. His legs and shoulders were all dislocated by Yvette. He also had gunshot wounds. He lost so much blood that he was going into shock when sent to the hospital. Fortunately, Betrico Hospital¡¯s director personally gave him surgery to save his life. It could be seen how hard Yvette beat him.


    Malcolm¡¯s situation was even worse. The bullet had been in his body for too long. Thus, after it was finally removed, he was left withsting issues. Half of his body couldn¡¯t exert normal strength, making heavy lifting impossible for him. He was now a shell of his former self.


    When Kaiden arrived, Robin was writhing in pain on the hospital bed. He didn¡¯t trust the doctors at Betrico Hospital at all and refused any treatment unless doctors from Ybau flew over to diagnose him personally.


    The doctors at Betrico Hospital weren¡¯t about to indulge him. They figured if he didn¡¯t trust them, he could just suffer.

 Chapter 330

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden didn¡¯t even knock; he just pushed the door open.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin, writhing in pain on his hospital bed, saw Kaiden arrive and struggled to get up. His bodyguard immediately stepped forward to help him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden was very good at maintaining appearances. He nervously stepped forward, looking sympathetically at Robin. With a fake sincerity, he said, ¡°Mr. Jenkins, are you feeling any better?¡±</font></font>Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">To outsiders, it might seem like these two are close, but in reality, they can¡¯t stand each other and don¡¯t want to see the other doing well.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin knew Kaiden was being insincere. He red angrily at Kaiden, his eyes showing a hint of malice, and his voice was hoarse from the pain.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be kind here. I have something to discuss with you. If you handle this for me, I¡¯ll stop our business dealings with your brother and transfer them to you. Since you¡¯ve already looked into our business, you know how profitable it is. If you agree to my terms, the Jenkins family will also secretly support you for future Steel Serpents candidates.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even Kaiden was tempted by this offer. The Jenkins family would be a significant boost for him, but he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. He realized Robin must have high demands, so he didn¡¯t agree immediately and hesitated a bit. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, can you exin? If I can¡¯t meet your demands, no matter how big the promise, I just can¡¯t take it!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin snorted. He was out of options. Kaiden¡¯s older brother had much more influence in the underworld, so to seek revenge, he had to humble himself and ask Kaiden for help. ¡®I bet the Harper family, Ybau¡¯s top mafia family, can¡¯t even kill a woman. Even if she¡¯s a level one Interpol agent, what now?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin gritted his teeth, filled with anger as he made his demands to Kaiden. ¡°Kaiden, just kill the woman who ruined me, that level one Interpol agent, right? Her name is Yvette, correct? Once you kill her, I¡¯ll support you as agreed. This deal is very profitable, isn¡¯t it? You know I keep my promises.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden, sitting in his chair, stood up abruptly after hearing this. Looking at the resentful and surprised Robin, he immediately refused without a second thought. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, you must be joking. Yvette is a level one Interpol agent. Why should I kill her? Maybe you haven¡¯t been online and don¡¯t know she¡¯s now the Goddess of Clusia, with top reputation there. I can¡¯t fulfill your request.¡±</font></font>


    Robin¡¯s expression froze. He didn¡¯t expect Kaiden to refuse without even considering it. ¡®Even if Yvette is the Goddess of Clusia and an Interpol agent, there are so many assassins in Steel Serpents. Can¡¯t they just take her out quietly?¡® Robin thought Kaiden was rejecting him because the offer wasn¡¯t generous enough and felt very annoyed. ¡®As expected, an illegitimate child can¡¯t hold his own. He¡¯s so greedy, wanting more even after being given so much. Does he really think only he can kill Yvette?¡®


    Suppressing his anger, Robin was nicer to Kaiden than ever before. But before he could add more to the deal, Kaiden interrupted him. ¡°Robin, you misunderstood. It¡¯s not that your offer isn¡¯t enough¨Cit¡¯s that I don¡¯t have the ability to kill Yvette. Want me to kill her? Not in this lifetime!¡±


    When Kaiden heard Robin¡¯s request, he was already ready to swear. ¡°This idiot actually thinks highly of me, asking me to send someone to kill Yvette? Even if I send all of Steel Serpents¡® people, I¡¯d probably end up cleaning up their bodies myself. That¡¯s an instructor! Can anyone kill her? I wouldn¡¯t dare show up in front of her unless I wanted to die horribly. Robin¡¯s already in this bad shape and is still being so unrealistic. How can someone like him b¨¨ a world champion? I used to think highly of him!


    What right do we, Steel Serpents, have to kill a level one Interpol agent?¡¯ Robin thought, ¡®Robin and Malcolm were taken away like that. Doesn¡¯t it show the instructor¡¯s position within the Interpol organization?¡® Robin figured Kaiden was just unwilling to ept because the offer wasn¡¯t good enough and despised him for it. ¡®As expected, an illegitimate child can¡¯t hold his own. He¡¯s so greedy, wanting more even after being given so much. Does he really think only he can kill Yvette?¡®


    Kaiden walked to the door, his hand on the handle, but then stopped and turned around to give his final piece of advice. ¡°For Ybau¡¯s sake, Robin, I advise you to drop this idea.¡± Of course, Kaiden wasn¡¯t doing this for Robin¡¯s good; he just feared Robin might go crazy and disrupt the uingpetition. ¡®Whether Robin shows up or not doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that I finally got a chance to be in the spotlight. As long as I win in Clusia, my position as the next sessor of Steel Serpents is secure.


    The hospital room door mmed shut, leaving Robin staring nkly with a dark, gloomy expression. After kicking out all the bodyguards, he watched the news on the room¡¯s TV about Ybau¡¯s apology today and suddenly went crazy, tearing the sheets until they were shredded.


    could Robin called the bodyguards again to bring in theputer. He logged into a killer website he had heard about before from someone else¨Cthe ck Gold Network. He heard that the world¡¯s best assassins were all on this site. As long as you pay the price, someone would take the job. Nothing these people couldn¡¯t handle.


    Confident, Robin ced the order, certain someone would ept it. ¡®I don¡¯t believe that just being an Interpol agent means no one can kill her. I don¡¯t trust a word Kaiden said. What a joke! He¡¯s just scared and cowardly, telling me to drop this idea!¡±


    Robin nervously logged into the ck Gold Network. He browsed the order section, seeing all sorts of tasks, from killing a country¡¯s president to murdering a small¨Ctime businessman. He saw the top name on the leaderboard was ¡°Z,¡± followed by ¡°Eagle King¡± and ¡°Flying Fish.¡±


    The ck Gold Network had all kinds of tasks, and seeing others take orders boosted Robin¡¯s confidence that his order would be epted too. Carefully, he ced the order and watched the screen intently, refreshing every few seconds. Finally, five minutester, someone epted the order.


    But before Robin could get excited, all the assassins on the ck Gold Network went into a frenzy. They saw who took the order. ¡°This top dog who hasn¡¯t taken an order in almost two years is now taking such a small job? Only 15 million dors? Who¡¯s this pathetic guy? The person who ced the order must have had some crazy luck to get this big shot to take it voluntarily.¡¯


    Once everyone saw the task details, they were all stunned. ¡®He¡¯sing out of retirement just to take such a small job, killing an Interpol agent? Isn¡¯t that a bit overkill?¡®

 Chapter 331

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, in Mysonna, Eagle King and Flying Fish, who hadn¡¯t watched TV or newspapers for three days and didn¡¯t use their phones, were vacationing at a secluded estate. They werepletely unaware of what was happening outside and had been ying hide and seek with wild animalstely.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vacation estate was located in the southwest end of Mysonna, surrounded by dozens of miles with few people. Only Eagle King and Flying Fish were there, choosing this ce because it was owned by Yvette and they controlled the entire area.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette liked this ce for simple reasons: few people, the ability to build their own airstrip, and plenty of wild animals. When they had nothing to do, the three of them could practice orpete. Although there was no suspense in winning or losing, it was still fun. More importantly, the meat from the animals was fresher and tastier.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upstairs, Flying Fish suddenly stood up from theputer desk and rushed downstairs, shouting, ¡°Damn it, damn it! Eagle King,e out, something big is happening!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Downstairs, Eagle King had just put oatmeal into a bowl when he saw Flying Fish running down in a white shirt, her long legs exposed and swinging, making his eyes hurt.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing her flustered, Eagle King sighed helplessly. ¡®This woman never has a stable moment. She can only be serious when she¡¯s on a mission. He took Flying Fish from her and rubbed her messy, frizzy hair. ¡°Early in the morning, why are you shouting here instead of going back to sleep? What happened?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Flying Fish quickly showed Eagle King her phone screen. It was clear¨Cthe ck Gold Network forum had pinned the order information to the top.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Mr. Jenkins¡® order has been epted by Z]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King looked at the words, a bit confused. ¡°The Boss hase out of retirement and is taking orders now? But this order is too low¨Cprofile. Why would the Boss bother to kill an Interpol agent?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Flying Fish nodded, picking up the freshly cooked oatmeal and moving to the dining table. ¡°What does it mean that the</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Boss took this order? Is sheing out of retirement for such a small job? Should we ask the Boss if she¡¯s still in Clusia? It should be evening there now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call the Boss to ask. If this order doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll go see the Boss myself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing this, Flying Fish obediently sat down properly, even more straight than a student, and didn¡¯t touch the oatmeal Eagle King had made. She just waited for the call to connect.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King dialed the number, and the call connected quickly. ¡°Boss, have youe out of retirement?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">ClusiaBetrico, Sknd, Yvette answered the phone while wiping her wet hair. Theputer beside her was open to the ck Gold Network, with messages from Mr. Jenkins constantly shing in the chat box.</font></font>


    Yvette¡¯s voice was soft and slow. ¡°Yes, I just took an order.¡±


    Eagle King knew no one else could handle this and was just calling to ask why the Boss suddenly took such an order.


    Flying Fish grabbed the phone, her voice clear and sweet. ¡°Boss, why did you take such a small order? Are you still in Clusia? If this order isn¡¯t good, I can go see you myself so you don¡¯t have to worry about it!¡±


    Yvette paused, chuckled lightly, and lowered her voice as if it wasing from deep within her throat. ¡°You want to kill me?¡±


    Flying Fish was stunned. ¡®What does the Boss mean by this? Kill her? I¡¯m so confused.¡®


    Eagle King heard it too and was baffled. ¡°Boss, you and I killing you? Don¡¯t joke around. It¡¯d be better if you killed us instead!¡±


    Yvette squeezed the corners of her eyes and leisurely said, ¡°Did you two see the name of the person to be killed at the end of the order?¡±


    Flying Fish immediately scrolled to the end of the order and saw the familiar name. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is this?¡±


    Eagle King looked over and had a simr reaction. ¡®So the Boss took this order to kill herself? But who is this unlucky guy named Mr. Jenkins cing orders on ck Gold Network? He must not realize this website is the Boss¡¯s domain. He¡¯s really asking for death here.¡®¡±


    Flying Fish had a sh of insight. ¡°The person who ced this order, Mr. Jenkins, wants to kill Interpol Yvette. So the Boss is not only an assassin but also an Interpol agent? Isn¡¯t that a bit too far¨Cfetched?¡®


    Eagle King thought of this too. They looked at each other and simultaneously said, ¡°Boss, when did you be part of Interpol?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the secluded area, people would have reported them for disturbing the peace. The wild wolves outside the estate had been scared away by their voices.


    Touching her own heart, Flying Fish felt it was beating fast and strong. ¡®No wonder he¡¯s the boss, he quietly managed to obtain an Interpol identity.¡®


    In Sknd, Yvette sat down on the chair and casually opened the message from Mr. Jenkins.


    [Are you there?]


    [Did you take the job?]


    [When will you take action?]


    [What happens if it doesn¡¯t work out?]


    [Please respond.]


    Yvette typed a few words and sent them: [Three days from now, pay upfront.] Then she closed the chat.


    Yvette said into the phone, ¡°Just messing around.¡±


    Eagle King and Flying Fish twitched their lips. ¡®If someone else said that, they¡¯d have been beaten to death. So arrogant! Buting from the Boss, it actually fits, like it¡¯s only natural.¡®


    Eagle King spoke seriously, ¡°Boss, this Mr. Jenkins ordered a hit on you. What¡¯s going on? Should I take him out?¡±


    Yvette curled one side of her lips, her eyes showing a mix of amusement and mockery. She nced at the transfer information Robin had just sent. ¡®Quite generous, he gave an extra 15 million dors. And he wants me to kill Yvette? When did my life be worth only 30 million dors?¡®


    Yvette said, ¡°No need. Leave him for three days; he still has his uses, I¡¯ll handle him personally after that¡±


    Eagle King paused for a moment and then said, ¡°Alright, Boss, got it. When are you returning to Mysonna?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette nced at the man who had just walked through the door and softly said, ¡°In two months.¡± After speaking, she hung up the phone and logged out of the website, cleaning up all traces.


    Jeremiah walked over and ced the freshly made donuts on the table. He naturally took the towel from Yvette¡¯s hand and stood behind her, gently wiping her damp hair.


    Yvette took a bite of the donut¨Cit was soft and chewy. This man is getting better at catering to my taste!


    Jeremiah¡¯s face was calm, with a faint smile. His deep eyes locked onto her. He sighed. ¡®I¡¯m really getting the hang of being a househusband. He spoke warmly, ¡°It¡¯s a new recipe, brown sugar Let me know how it tastes.¡±


    Yvette slowly nodded. ¡°Delicious.¡± Jeremiah could probably open a small restaurant with his current skills. Going from kitchen novice to master chef in just a few months. Smart people really do learn fast!¡®


    After drying her hair, Jeremiah sat next to Yvette and gently squeezed her fingertips. ¡°The chess match the day after tomorrow, the roster is out. You¡¯re ying.¡±

 Chapter 332

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, finding afortable position and raising her eyes without much expression. ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was indeed surprised that the young woman volunteered to y. ¡®Given her personality, she hates trouble the most. For her to take the initiative like this, it¡¯s quite a rare urrence. She must really dislike this Robin; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have made this decision. I didn¡¯t even know she had an interest in chess.¡® Jeremiah put down the towel and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°What made you decide topete?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette propped her chin on her hand, her gaze downcast. From Jeremiah¡¯s angle, he could only see her beautiful, wless features and the pale, alluring curve of her corbone, half in shadow, drawing him in.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wiggled her toes, her lips curling as shezily said, ¡°He¡¯s too ugly. I can¡¯t stand the sight of him.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow. ¡®If Robin knew this was the reason, he¡¯d probably die of anger. Jeremiah squinted. ¡°Yeah, he is pretty ugly.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">News came from Betrico Hospital that Robin¡¯s leg would have permanent damage, which for someone like him was a devastating blow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah pushed open a secret door, intending to return to his bedroom. From his desk to the door, it took him a full three minutes¨Che could barely move his feet.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stared at his retreating back, a faint, unreadable smile on her lips, and said unhurriedly, ¡°Jeremiah, if you¡¯re walking that slow, you might as well give up those legs.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s tall, straight back paused slightly. He turned around, his gaze tender, a bit warmer in his expression, and his voice. low and intoxicating. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I still have a third leg.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the next second, a coffee cup flew from Yvette¡¯s direction, aimed right at Jeremiah.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced at it and effortlessly caught the coffee cup, holding it in his hand.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wiggled her toeszily, casting a slow, indifferent nce at him without saying a word.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah sighed as he looked at her, then pushed open the secret door and returned to his bedroom, his retreating figure tinged with a bit of loneliness and pity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The person sitting on the sofa only silently watched his performance. ¡®His acting is too clumsy!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The long, lonely night, lying sleepless with an empty pillow, having a young wife but unable to touch her¨Cwho could understand this feeling?¡® Jeremiah finally understood now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Jeremiah left, Yvette logged back into the ck Gold site. Just moments ago, when she logged off, Robin had gone crazy, bombarding her with dozens of messages.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Are you there?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Why did you log off?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Can you reveal how you¡¯re going to kill this person?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[If possible, I¡¯d prefer you assault her before killing her. Of course, I can tell you this woman is quite beautiful. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her, Mr. Z.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Did you log off?]</font></font>


    [I can add another 15 million dors if you send me some pictures of her on her deathbed. How about it?]


    Yvette lowered her eyes slightly, her cold, dark gaze sharp. She typed a few words with her slender fingers: ¡®Add 160 million dors, and I¡¯ll agree to what you said. A fool wouldn¡¯t take money when it¡¯s handed over. Only idiots wouldn¡¯t make money!


    In his hospital room at Betrico, Robin scoffed as he read the message from Z. ¡®What top¨Cranked assassin? Just a money- grubber. How do people glorify Z so much on these sites? I knew it, there¡¯s no one in this world who can¡¯t be swayed by money. They just build up a reputation to make themselves seem untouchable.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Robin gritted his teeth. ¡°This Z is as greedy as Kaiden, that bastard. Fine, 160 million dors it is. As long as Yvette is dead, I¡¯ll pay whatever it takes! This 160 million dors is most of my secret stash.¡®


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the Jenkins family¡¯s old money status. To maintain their appearance of wealth, the family¡¯s finances had been in serious decline for years. This 160 million dors came from the shady business Robin had been doing with the Steel Serpents. And just like that, Robin spent 200 million dors trying to kill Yvette.


    But Robin had already lost his mind. As long as Yvette died, he was willing to spend his entire fortune. All he could think about now was ¡®Make Yvette die. The more gruesome, the better After transferring the money, Robin closed hisptop and copsed onto the hospital bed, staring at a corner of the room with ghostly pale skin, devoid of any color. He endured the pain of his wounds, waiting for Dr. Ybau to arrive.


    He thought, ¡®For the chess match the day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll make sure topete personally. I will defeat the Clusian people myself and crush thempletely. I¡¯ll show them what a real genius looks like! Not someone like Yvette, that savage and domineering woman. What Goddess of Clusia? Ybau will always be number one!


    On Friday, the day before the match, the media reports started to change again.


    All morning, the news had been focused on tomorrow¡¯s Clusia vs. Ybau chess match. The headlines from mainstream media remained restrained as usual, mostly just formally reporting the event schedule and format. They also confirmed from Ybau¡¯s side that Robin was in good health and would be representing Ybau in the match.


    Other non¨Cmainstream newspapers are still using all sorts of shy headlines to grab attention, mostly clickbait.


    [After being released, Robin has been carefully recuperating and is confidently entering the chess exchangepetition.]


    [Who will take the chesspetition title? A surprise or a shock new national chess champion, Louis, has decided not topete; another person will take part instead.]


    [Why hasn¡¯t the Clusia chesspetition¡¯s participants been announced yet?]


    These past few days, people in Clusia have been mostly passing the time online gossiping. Domestic and foreign websites are alternately in use, with heated debates and keyboards almost sparking from all the typing. Because of the incident Robin caused at the caf¨¦, everyone¡¯s attention in Clusia and around the world is focused on this exchangepetition between the two countries. The online discussions are as lively as during the festival.


    Early in the morning, Andrew barged into the living room carrying fried spaghetti he bought outside and shouted, ¡°Yve, Jeremiah, listen up! You know what? I went to buy breakfast, and even the olddies on the street are talking about tomorrow¡¯s chess exchangepetition. It¡¯s bemon knowledge.¡±


    The fried spaghetti was what Yvette wanted to eat; otherwise, Andrew definitely wouldn¡¯t have volunteered so eagerly to take on this tough and noble task from Charles. He even took a photo of the spaghetti he bought and posted it to the ¡°A Group of Little Pities¡±pound kids chat, showing off a bit. ¡®Yve wants to eat it.¡®


    Then, the group exploded. People almost started fighting over the chance to deliver the meal. In the end, Andrew came up with a fair method: he inted the market price and held a bidding war. As a result, Jared snapped it up for $660,000, gaining the opportunity to deliver breakfast to Yvette. The transfer has just been sessfullypleted.


    Andrew really admired his own little brain; he easily made $660 000 like that. He already understood that as long as he clung to Yve¡¯s thigh, he could have anything, and his small treasury would be full. Happily, Andrew ced the fried spaghetti in front of Yvette and said, ¡°Yvette, freshly made. If you don¡¯t like it, no charge. Even if you do, no charge, hehe!¡±

 Chapter 333

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Yvette looked at Andrew with her dark, clean, and clear eyes, untainted by a trace of dirt. She gave a faint ¡°Oh,¡± then opened the box, took a bite, and nodded in Andrew¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°Not bad.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as Andrew was about to boast a couple of sentences without even checking who bought it, before he could speak, he clicked his tongue sharply because Yvette added. ¡°It¡¯s worth 1 million dors.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s smile froze on his face, and he blurted out, ¡°Which bastard sold me out?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette rested her chin on her hand, tapping the table intermittently, yawning, looking extremelyzy, and giving a half- smile, half¨Cgrimace nce at something behind Andrew. ¡®Bastard? This kid really doesn¡¯t know what it means that troublees from the mouth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles calmly took a sip of milk, looked behind Andrew, and pointed, signaling him to turn around.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was confused. ¡®What do you mean? Is there something behind me?¡¯ He turned around in the direction Charles pointed. When he saw who was standing behind him, he immediately jumped in surprise. ¡®Damn¡­ why is my sister here?¡®Now, even if Andrew was stupid, he figured it out. ¡®Jeremiah had already left for military district matters this morning, and the only person present in the group was my sister, so my sister is that bastard?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew swallowed hard, thinking about whether he could fake death now¡­ ¡°The problem is, I think if I immediately lie on the ground and pretend to be dead, given my sister¡¯s temper, she might just make my fake death real!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew quickly tried to tter Samantha, saying, ¡°When did you get here? Have you eaten breakfast? Maybe your brother could cook for you and make some delicious dishes?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was charming in every way, exuding a 9 feet 2.24 inches bossdy aura. She wore a neat and clean white suit, with all her hair tied up, looking very professional.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha smiled, and to Andrew, it was the death smile. Every time his sister showed this smile, all he could do was run, run immediately. Andrew tried to flee, but Samantha was faster. She threw her bag, took two big steps, and delivered a roundhouse kick, sending Andrew flying like a streamlined object, hitting the dining table chairs, and his head smashed against the table leg.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrewy face down on the table leg, yelling intively, ¡°Damn it, sister, you ambushed me again.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha retracted her long legs, calmly smoothed the wrinkles in her suit, and smiled at the pitiful¨Clooking Andrew in a very friendly tone. ¡°You¡¯re reacting too slowly, ming me? Who else is the bastard? Come on, tell me properly!¡±</font></font>


    Andrew rubbed his kicked butt and climbed up from the ground, muttering, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was you, sister, you went too far by tattling to Yve.¡± Andrew had no confidence in saying this; he only dared to mutter softly. ¡®Earning this 1 million dors was really not easy!


    the Samantha ignored him and sat down next to Yvette. With Jeremiah not here, she couldn¡¯t pass up great opportunity to get closer to Yve. Samantha said, ¡°Yve, are you going to the exchangepetition with Jeremiah tomorrow as well?¡±


    Yvette nodded, took a sip of milk, and her voice was a bit weary. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Samantha knew that Yvette was the type who spoke few words but was formidable. A single word was enough. Samantha continued. ¡°I¡¯ll go too. Let¡¯s sit together at the exchangepetition.¡±


    In response to Samantha¡¯s invitation, Yvette nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Samantha turned and waved at Andrew, and Andrew could only walk over reluctantly. ¡°Sister, what else do you want?¡±


    Samantha took out her phone and opened the payment code, saying, ¡°Transfer the 1 million dors to me. Don¡¯t even think about hiding it.¡±


    Andrew, seeing that he couldn¡¯t resist his sister, could only tearfully transfer the 1 million dors he had just received. ¡®My sister Samantha is aplete nagger. My 1 million dors, just when I got it, it¡¯s already gone¡­


    Charles put down the newspaper and nced at the two, his eyes growing deeper. ¡°These brother and sister really aren¡¯t alike at all. All the intelligence is going to the sister.


    In the afternoon, Yvette took some time to go to the Chavez family and selected a dress for Aurora to wear at tomorrow¡¯s exchangepetition. As the wife of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs head, Aurora would be apanying the exchangepetition for the two days.


    The exchangepetition is divided into two events: the first is chess, and the second day¡¯s second event is fencing. The format is very simple, notplicated; both chess and fencing are decided by a single game.


    The night before thepetition, Robin and Kaiden could hardly sleep all night. Robin couldn¡¯t sleep at all due to anger and physical pain, while Kaiden was worried about Yvette as an unpredictable variable. Only Yvette, after having dinner, went to bed early and slept particrly soundly that night.


    The next day, the highly anticipated exchangepetition between the two countries was about to officially begin at 1 PM this afternoon.


    Today, the world¡¯s media attention was all focused on the Eastern Hotel, the venue for the exchangepetition. Every media outlet waspeting fiercely to secure a good spot, not even neglecting the surrounding areas, all to get first¨Chand information. Due to the nature of this exchangepetition, only a limited number of official media were allowed entry. Whoever could get first¨Chand data would gain traffic, and onlineizens were already eager for it.


    However, before the exchangepetition, there was a small banquet. The invitations were extended only to the families of Betrico officials and members of the Ybau delegation visiting Clusia. The number of guests wasn¡¯trge, but each one was a heavyweight in their own right. The banquet was not open to the public, but that didn¡¯t stop the media from arriving early and waiting at the entrance.


    The banquet hall was set up in the Eastern Hotel, where Betrico hosts state guests. To facilitate the smooth conduct of the exchangepetition after the banquet, the venue was already set up next door. After the banquet concluded, attendees could directly move over to watch thepetition.


    In Banquet Hall No. 1, Aurora was already at the venue apanying Clifford.


    Jase and Kyle were not attending this banquet; they would appearter at the exchangepetition.


    Aurora was wearing a dress that Yvette personally altered for her¡­ A purple brocade satin dress, with patterns like traditional Art Nouveau plum blossoms and other ink wash painting designs, a purely hand¨Cpainted dress. The dress showcased Aurora¡¯s beautiful figure to the fullest, elegant and dignified yet grand. It was also the first for the ¡°Vibe¡± next season¡¯s main Renaissance motifs collection, making Aurora the first woman to wear it.


    As soon as she entered, she caught the attention of all the women. The men only nced once and then looked away; they wanted to look twice, but with Clifford being such a big jealous type next to his wife, they didn¡¯t have the courage.


    Aurora stood straight, wearing a proper smile on her face, and gave a slight smile to everyone.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Today, Clifford deliberately chose a dark suit to match Aurora, coordinating with her. The two of them standing together were simply a perfect pair, making many people envious.


    Samantha came with Tim, wearing a blue mermaid dress today, entuating her curves. Plus, her bossdy face attracted quite a bit of attention. However, most of them knew Samantha; it wasn¡¯t their first time seeing her. Samantha was known as a shopping mall diva.


    Samantha, holding a wine ss and linking her arm with Tim¡¯s, walked towards Clifford and Aurora. When she reached them, Samantha said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Aurora, didn¡¯t Jeremiah and Yvee with you?¡±

 Chapter 334

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tim greeted Clifford; the two of them had been friends for many years.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora smiled, her expression somewhat mysterious. ¡°Jeremiah and Yvette aren¡¯ting to the banquet. They¡¯ll go straight to the exchangepetition site.¡± Aurora already knew who would be ying in today¡¯s chess match. ¡®How much more. surprise does my daughter¨Cinw want to give me? I didn¡¯t expect her to be a chess expert. I¡¯m really looking forward to the match. Thinking about it made Aurora excited. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to leave this damn banquet even a moment longer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha felt a bit disappointed when she heard Aurora say that. She nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, Aurora. If Yve isn¡¯ting, then I won¡¯t be either. I¡¯ll go straight to the exchangepetition. By the way, is Yve also interested in chess?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford nodded. ¡°Samantha, you¡¯ll understand soon enough. Rest assured.¡± He had personally signed off on the final list of participants, so he was naturally the first to know that Yvette would bepeting in the chess tournament. Despite being over fifty, Clifford still looked elegant and handsome, with traces of his youthful grace and charm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Timughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Mrs. Chavez, your daughter¨Cinw is truly remarkable. Samantha has only met her a few times, but she talks about Yve every day. Andrew, that rascal, does the same. I really need to see who she is! What happened the day before yesterday was really impressive. No wonder she¡¯s the Chavez family¡¯s daughter¨Cinw¨Cshe has such character!¡± Tim didn¡¯t lower his voice, and since most eyes at the banquet were on these few people, many heard what he said..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A small group gathered together, and a fashionable woman in her forties spoke up, ¡°Did you hear that? Was Mr Mitchell praising Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend just now?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A plumper woman added. ¡°I heard it too. From what my son told me, Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend has a bad temper. Last time at the bar, she even dealt with a young model.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I heard about it as well, but my son said that model was asking for it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend is named Yvette, right? It¡¯s a prettymon name. Wasn¡¯t it also a Yvette who dealt with those two from Ybau the day before yesterday?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Oh, it must be a coincidence. How could the Major General¡¯s girlfriend hit someone!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Look at Mrs. Chavez¡¯s dress¨Cdoesn¡¯t it look familiar?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone nodded, and a woman looked closely. ¡°Now that you mention it, it does look familiar. Didn¡¯t ¡®Vibe¡® exhibit this gown recently? Didn¡¯t their director say it wasn¡¯t for sale? What¡¯s going on?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yeah, I just remembered. Their director said they wouldn¡¯t ept private orders and were very firm about it. So how is Mrs. Chavez wearing it now?¡±</font></font>


    A woman who saw them gathering approached and happened to hear this. She looked enviously toward Aurora and whispered, ¡°Stop guessing. I know a bit about this. I have a rtive who works at ¡®Vibe. All thirty of the haute couture pieces they showcased this time are now at Mr. Chavez¡¯s home. We can¡¯t even dream of that.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The women who were gossiping just moments ago all looked towards Aurora in unison. ¡®All thirty haute couture pieces were bought by Aurora? What a joke! Didn¡¯t ¡®Vibe¡® say each person could only customize one piece? Why is Aurora getting special treatment?¡®


    Some people started to feel bitter upon hearing this. ¡°Oh well, we just don¡¯t have a husband like Mr. Chavez. Let ¡®Vibe¡® break the rules for us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, what else can we do? We don¡¯t have his capabilities!¡±


    The woman who had just approached immediately waved her hand. ¡°My rtive said it wasn¡¯t Mr. Chavez. Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend casually made a phone call, and their director personally delivered all the dresses to them, even adjusting the sizes herself.¡±


    The room fell silent as everyone looked incredulous. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be a second¨Crate heiress from Seacrity? How could ¡®Vibe¡® break their own rules for her? Not to mention, even one haute couture piece is something many of us couldn¡¯t get no matter how much we begged!¡®


    The woman who had just arrived added. ¡°Also, ¡®Vibe¡® didn¡¯t charge a single penny for the thirty haute couture pieces.¡± Dropping this bombshell, she left with her wine ss in hand.


    Their daughter¨Cinw is so excellent. Who can they argue with now? They can only me their own ungrateful sons.


    The banquet passed quietly, with no participants from either country showing up. The photos taken by the media featured either this leader or that minister. Media outlets without permission didn¡¯t dare publish photos, so the entire morning¡¯s inte was calm. It was like the calm before a storm, with only a few people checking the news, all waiting for the global live broadcast of the uing exchangepetition.


    In the car, Jeremiah and a few others were on their way to the Eastern Hotel.


    Yvette wore a ck outfit today¨Cck clothes and pants. Compared to her usual attire, she looked much more formal and serious. As soon as she got into the car, she found the mostfortable spot and nestled into the sofa.


    Jeremiah was driving, with Charles and Andrew sitting in the back seats.


    Yvette casually opened a piece of vani toffee, its milky aroma filling the air. She hadn¡¯t eaten muchtely because she¡¯d been keeping in shape. Then she took out her phone, lowered her gaze, her eyshes fluttering slightly. Her stunning beauty shone even brighter, and her delicate white fingers tapped lightly on the screen.


    She hadn¡¯t been ying Super Mario recently. She had discovered a more interesting game¨Ca virtual pet game that was sweeping through elementary schools. Yvette had recently bought a pig, a donkey, and a very expensive Husky in the game. It was quite fun.


    Andrew, sitting in the back, still had a You¡¯re kidding me¡± expression on his face. He had just heard Jeremiah say that Yve was participating in the chesspetition, meaning Yve was the mysteriouspetitor today. ¡®Good grief, what¡¯s going on here? Is Yve going to challenge the world champion?¡®


    Charles looked noticeably calmer. ¡®The instructor¡¯s intelligence even surpasses the principal of Mysonna¡¯s top academy. The next chess match shouldn¡¯t be a problem. For the instructor, it¡¯s all about what they want to do or not.¡®


    Andrewposed himself, swallowed hard, and patted Yvette¡¯s shoulder. Just as his hand touched her, Jeremiah gave him a piercing look and calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t want the hand anymore?¡±


    Andrew immediately withdrew his hand. As the lowest in the food chain, he felt frustrated and rubbed his hand. ¡°Jeremiah, I was just expressing my admiration for Yvette.¡± Andrew thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Yvette, can you tell me what you¡¯re not good at?¡±


    another piece of vani toffee, and put it in her mouth. Her Husky in the game was getting tore open Yvette looked up, married soon, but finding a partner was tough. She had spent ten thousand gold coins, but the Husky refused to agree. Tilting her head slightly, she casually replied to Andrew, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t met anyone yet.¡±


    Andrew gave an awkward smile, realizing he had embarrassed himself and deserved the blow from someone as formidable as Yvette. Suddenly, he felt a bit sorry for Robin. ¡®If he knew that his careless words had provoked such a strong opponent, would he want to die more? In the uing chess exchange, I have a feeling Robin will be crushed.

 Chapter 335

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the banquet, a national¨Clevel deputy¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity any longer. She approached Aurora with a smile on her face. As she got closer, she noticed the unique aspect of Aurora¡¯s dress. ¡°The dress is made from fragrant cloud yarn. What a grand gesture!¡® Felicity Linker greeted Aurora politely. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Chavez. May I have a moment?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora nodded slightly. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Linker.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Felicity stared at her dress with obvious envy. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, is this dress from Vibe¡¯s new season haute couture? I heard someone saying you bought all of Vibe¡¯s new season pieces in one go. That must be a rumor, right?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora smiled gently, nced around at the people pretending not to care, nodded graciously, adjusted her hair, and said warmly, ¡°It¡¯s not a rumor. I didn¡¯t expect such a small thing to spread like this. It¡¯s nothing special¨Cmy beautiful, generous, kind, and lovely daughter¨Cinw/just made a phone call, and Vibe sent all the haute couture pieces over.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The eavesdropping guests were nearly infuriated by Aurora¡¯s boastful remarks. ¡®She¡¯s just a daughter¨Cinw, why all the adjectives? Just a phone call? How could a simple phone call make Vibe break their own rules?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Felicity forced a smile. ¡®Am I being punished for something? Did I just make Aurora show off her mother¨Cinw rtionship for no reason?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eastern Hotel, 12:30 PM. Jase met with Kyle on behalf of Clusia, apanied by Clifford, Tim, and others. On Kyle¡¯s side were the visiting delegation, Kaiden, and Robin, who had just been discharged from the hospital that morning. Representatives from media around the world had already arrived at thepetition venue early.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the entrance of the Eastern Hotel, Yvette, Jeremiah, Andrew, and Charles got out of the car together and went straight through the VIP internal passage. The four of them took a private elevator directly to the exchangepetition venue.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As the doors to the venue opened, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the two people at the entrance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah, dressed in military uniform, stood tall and handsome, with eyes as deep as the ocean. The two gold stars on his shoulders nearly blinded everyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood beside him in ck clothes and pants, hands in her pockets. She looked stunning, exuding an effortless indifference, her usualzy demeanor, with a slight lift of her eyes and a smile at the corner of her mouth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Standing together, their powerful aura made everyone think. ¡°Perfect match.¡± Behind Charles and Andrew, no matter how good they looked, they were just background. Everyonepletely ignored them, focusing all their attention on Jeremiah and Yvette.</font></font>


    Among those present, only Robin and Kaiden noticed Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s strong reactions at the entrance. ¡®Charles being kicked out of Seventy¨CTwo Chambers by Braydon has be notorious in the underworld. I can¡¯t believe he escaped Braydon¡¯s hunt and ended up with the instructor. He really hit the jackpot with a big leg!¡®


    Kaiden felt a deep resentment rising in his heart. ¡®Why is Charles always so lucky? The instructor chose to take him under his wing out of everyone at the training camp, and now he¡¯s openly favoring and protecting Charles! Why is the world so unfair? All the good things are just for Charles!¡®


    Kaiden saw that Jeremiah, standing next to Yvette, had his eyes narrowed. He already knew who he was¨Cit was his fencing opponent in thispetition, Jeremiah, the youngest major general in Clusia, the grandson of the topmander. Kaiden didn¡¯t know Jeremiah¡¯s exact strength, and no one sent out had any information on him, showing how tightly Clusia was protecting him.


    However, Kaiden still had great confidence facing Jeremiah. His fencing was overwhelmingly domineering, far superior to that of a conventional military fencer. ¡®But why are the instructor and this major general appearing together?¡® This made Kaiden feel uneasy.


    Standing next to Kyle, Kaiden leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear. Whatever he said made Kyle¡¯s expression instantly sour as he stared at Yvette with a troubled look, Jase nced at Kyle without showing any emotion, then withdrew his gaze.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah and Yvette walked side by side into the hall, while Andrew and Charles, both in matching ck suits, followed behind them. With Charles around, Andrew seemed to take on a sharper edge.


    Wherever they went, people would instinctively step aside, avoiding their sharp presence. No man could match Jeremiah, and no woman could rival Yvette, so naturally, no one would invite trouble.


    Jeremiah walked over to Jase and gave a standard military salute Commander.¡± He then nodded in acknowledgment to Clifford, Aurora, Tim, and Samantha.


    Yvette lifted her eyes, scanning the crowd with a cold gaze, pausing when hernded eyes on Kaiden.


    Just that one nce made Kaiden shudder, his whole body feeling cold.


    Yvette didn¡¯t speak or greet anyone proactively, and this demeanor left everyone in the room shocked. ¡®Even though she¡¯s with Interpol, isn¡¯t this a bit too arrogant? This is Mr. Jase Chavez and Prime Minister of Ybau. Doesn¡¯t she think they¡¯re worth a greeting?¡®


    In an unexpected turn of events, Jase didn¡¯t get angry at all. Instead, he smiled kindly and said, ¡°Why are you sote?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and replied, unhurriedly. ¡°Traffic.¡± Just two words, not one more.


    Everyone froze again. ¡®Why does that tone sound like casual small talk? Does Mr. Jase Chavez know this Interpol officer?¡® Some people seemed to suddenly realize something, exchanging whispers with those around them, and soon after everyone looked at Yvette with a different gaze.


    ¡®How could we forget that the girlfriend Jeremiah brought back from Seacrity is also named Yvette? Now looking at Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s attitude today, isn¡¯t it obvious they¡¯re the same person? We¡¯ve been so foolish to only realize it now.


    Only Kyle, Kaiden, Robin, and the remaining members of the visiting Ybau delegation were still confused,pletely unaware of the situation.


    Robin red at Yvette with anger on his face. Unable to hold back, he stepped forward and mocked. ¡°Grand¨Caunt, so this is the so¨Ccalled International First¨Css Interpol Officer? I¡¯m not the terrorist you im I am. You injured me so badly, and you¡¯re not even nning to apologize? Is this the professional conduct of Interpol?¡±


    The room fell silent again. Kyle didn¡¯t step in to stop him, simply smiling as he stood to the side.


    Charles sneered when he saw Robining up for another round. ¡®If someone¡¯s looking for trouble, no one can stop them. Getting beaten once wasn¡¯t enough; now he¡¯sing back for more.¡®


    Kaiden took a step back, not wanting to face the instructor head¨Con and stir up more trouble¨Che couldn¡¯t afford to.


    Jeremiah stepped forward, exuding an aura of deadly intent. His deep¨Cset eyes, like dark, starry skies, gleamed with a chilling coldness as he gazed at Robin. The cold, mysterious look in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes made Robin feel a suffocating pressure, as if he could hardly breathe.


    Yvette remained as indifferent andzy as ever, her deep eyes narrowing slightly. She pressed her lips together and said to Robin, ¡°Apologize to you? You think you¡¯re worthy?¡±

 Chapter 336

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced to the side, a smile in his eyes. ¡°This girl¡¯s ability to snap back at people has really reached the peak.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once again, the hall fell into an eerie silence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin¡¯s face changed dramatically. ¡®In front of all these people, my dignity was just stomped into the ground by this woman!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even Kyle¡¯s expression grew tense. ¡®Robin is part of the Ybau delegation. Isn¡¯t Yvette¡¯sment a p in the face to the whole delegation?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Ybau¡¯s Prime Minister, Kyle couldn¡¯t get too involved in such a personal grudge. Besides, Yvette was a top¨Ctier Interpol officer, and he didn¡¯t want to provoke Mysonna¡¯s side. Suppressing his anger, he whispered to Robin, who was about to speak again, ¡°Shut up. Stop causing trouble for me. Today¡¯s chess match is your stage, understand? The most important thing for you is to win today¡¯s game, not to bicker with this woman. Only victors have the right to mock others!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin was taken aback. He didn¡¯t dare disobey Kyle, so he held back his rage and stepped aside, clenching his fists tightly, his teeth grinding together. He thought, ¡®Fine, let Yvette act arrogant for two more days. She¡¯ll be killed by Z soon anyway!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Robin fall silent, the room grew even quieter. ¡®Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s future granddaughter¨Cinw is really someone who doesn¡¯t need to say much to make her point. One sentence, and Robin didn¡¯t dare utter another word. No wonder Jeremiah chose her¨Cthey¡¯re a perfect match.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The media quickly captured the entire scene, and within moments, edited clips of it were uploaded online. In less than a minute, the video had over 30 thousand views, with the numbers rising at a frightening speed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The inte erupted once again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Whoa, my goddess is amazing! Robin must be spitting blood by now!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Forget spitting blood; he¡¯s probably suffering internal injuries. Our goddess can kill with just one line.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Exactly, with just one ¡®You¡¯re not worthy,¡® the damage is off the charts. But now I wonder, who exactly isn¡¯t worthy¨CRobin or¡­?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Is that even a question? It¡¯s obviously a double entendre. We know what it means, don¡¯t we?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Haha, exactly, ¡®He¡¯s not worthy!¡­ none of them are.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Enough said, I¡¯m here to carry the g for our goddess. Get me to the trending topics now!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Uh, can I timidly ask, aren¡¯t you all curious why our goddess is even here?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But thatment quickly got drowned out in the flood, and not many people paid attention.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suddenly, a newly registered ount left ament that caught everyone¡¯s eye. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by Yvette. She¡¯s not a good person. She¡¯s just pretending to be high and mighty. What¡¯s so great about her?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment people saw thisment, they focused all their anger on it. How could anyone nder their goddess, who had worked so hard for Clusia?</font></font>


    [Who is this? Fresh out of a mental hospital? You better go back before you disgust us any further!]


    [Agreed! What right do you have to talk about our goddess?]Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    [Talking about our goddess? Who do you think you are? ¡®Pretending to be high and mighty¨Csounds more like you!]


    At the Carter household in Seacrity, Winona stared at her phone her eyes bloodshot as she saw everyone¡¯s harshments. She screamed in rage, [Bitches, they¡¯re all btches! Only btches would like that bitch Yvette!]


    Downstairs, the servants ignored Winona¡¯s screaming and went about their tasks as usual.


    At the Eastern Hotel, Kaiden stood by Kyle¡¯s side. It must¡¯d been his imagination, but he didn¡¯t even dare lift his head to look at Yvette, avoiding her even in his peripheral vision.


    At 1 p.m., all key personnel had taken their seats. Jase and Kyle sat in the center, with Clifford and other relevant figures in the front row. Jeremiah and Yvette sat together, also in the front Andrew, Tim, and Samantha, who had just returned from the banquet, sat together, while Charles took a seat in the back row.


    For this exchangepetition between the two countries, both Clusia and Ybau each had a host. After a brief opening ceremony, they announced the names of the participants, who then took the stage. Cameras captured every angle, and the entire event was broadcast live in high definition.


    Clusia was the first to draw a name from the box, announcing Robin¡¯s participation. There was no surprise there, as everyone already knew. Now, the crowd was eagerly awaiting Clusia¡¯s participant, whose identity had yet to be revealed¨Cthe biggest mystery of the day.


    The Ybau host drew a slip of paper from Clusia¡¯s box and slowly opened it. The male host froze for a moment when he saw the name, his expression shifting slightly. He quickly nced at the audience, his eyes filled with doubt. These small gestures left the audience puzzled. The host read the name on the paper. ¡°Yvette.¡±


    As soon as the two sybles were spoken, the once¨Csilent hall instantly buzzed with chatter as everyone began whispering to each other.


    ¡°Did I hear that right? Yvette? Is it that Yvette?¡±


    ¡°You heard me right, it¡¯s Yvette. Where else would another Yvettee from?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ why does this feel so surreal? She can y chess? Dares topete against the world champion?¡±


    ¡°She must be a master. If she couldn¡¯t do anything, who would go up and bring shame on themselves?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Jeremiah¡¯s girlfriend is truly talented in both literature and martial arts. Jeremiah is better than fencing, and grand- aunt is better than chess. These two are teaming up with strong forces.¡±


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s going to be exciting. I don¡¯t know if grand¨Caunt can actually win.¡±


    ¡°Winning is unlikely. Robin is the world champion. If Yvette really had that level, she would have participated inpetitions by now. How could she stay hidden?¡±


    ¡°I think so too. The reality is harsh. I guess there¡¯s not much hope for us, Clusia, in chess!¡±


    Robin heard the name and widened his eyes, then nced at Yvette, who was not far away, with excitement almost overflowing in his eyes. ¡°This is too easy! This woman is actually Clusia¡¯spetitor. God is helping me regain my ce. I can properly humiliate this woman! I must crush her pride beneath my feet!¡® Robin was immersed in his own fantasies,pletely oblivious to the slight sneer on Yvette¡¯s lips.


    Samantha stiffly turned her head to look at Andrew and mechanically asked, ¡°Is Yve going topete?¡±


    Andrew nodded calmly, feigning depth as he stroked his chin. ¡°No need for surprise. With Yvette in the mix, you can be confident.¡±


    Tim also looked towards the speaking siblings, his expression serious. ¡°Yvette ispeting? She can y chess?¡± Andrew nodded with great assurance. ¡°Dad, besides not being able to have a child on her own, there¡¯s probably nothing Yvette can¡¯t do, no task she can¡¯t aplish. As for you, just keep your worries inside!¡±


    On the stage, after both hosts had stepped down, Robin stood up first, swaggeringly walking up to the stage and sitting down. He was wearing a standard ball gown.


    Yvette stood up, flicked her eyelids, her face indifferent, her tone deep and strong. Her brows and features exuded a hint of evil, her expression calm andposed. ¡®Chess¡­ it¡¯s been a while since I yed. To the curious gazes around her, Yvette acted as if she hadn¡¯

 Chapter 337

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette walked up to the stage and sat in a chair, not even ncing at Robin across from her,pletely ignoring him. She nced at the ck pieces in front of her and curled her lips. ¡®ck clothes and ck pieces, quite a match!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment Yvette smiled, the media captured it again and quickly uploaded it online. The media already knew who could bring them huge traffic.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As expected, once this photo went online, Yvette¡¯s fans couldn¡¯t stay still, constantly flooding the inte.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s seated posture, her long straight legs slightly bent, seemed like she was wearing ¡°I¡¯m here just to have fun¡± on her body.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin gritted his teeth. ¡°This woman can really act. Wait till I see how I crush her!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the same moment, in the Goodman family, Braydon sat in front of theputer staring at the live broadcast of that face he¡¯d been longing for day and night, his brow furrowed. ¡®Just a little longer, almost there. I¡¯ll be free from Matthew soon. Then I¡¯ll go find the instructor, I¡¯ll definitely get him back, no matter what, even if it means death, we¡¯ll be together! I won¡¯t allow the instructor¡¯s ashes to be with anyone else, only with mel</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At Mysonna Medical Lab, Ss had turned down all experiments, just watching Yvette on the live broadcast. He didn¡¯t know when thisdy had also gotten an Interpol identity. ¡®If this keeps up, my medicalb will really not get any recognition. Think about me being stuck in thisb until I¡¯m eighty, that would be so pitiful. No matter what, I have to take back control of the medicalb!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Betrico, James and Michael were at home, also watching the live broadcast on TV. ¡®My granddaughter is a physics genius, that¡¯s one thing, but now she¡¯s also first-ss Interpol, just thinking about it makes me so proud.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the chesspetition site, Yvette and Robin sat opposite each other, their postures and auraspletely different. Before it even started, Robin had already lost the initiative. Chess was a matter of the mind, and when the mind was chaotic, the strategy dispersed. Unfortunately, Yvette¡¯s aura was too strong,pletely suppressing Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin also realized this; after all, he was a chess master. He immediately felt the psychological change. He quickly forced himself to calm down, not to be affected by Yvette¡¯s aura. Robin wiped the cold sweat off and regained some of his confidence on thepetition field, but his slightly trembling right hand still betrayed him. After what had happened the day before, he already had a psychological shadow regarding Yvette, which was hard to erase.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave him a faint nce, half-lowering her brows, and chuckled lightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">People in the audience were bewildered. ¡®Why did Yvette suddenlyugh?¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Only Jeremiah knew why. ¡°The youngdy obviously isn¡¯t taking Robin seriously as an opponent!¡¯</font></font>


    At exactly ten past, the match officially began.


    Everyone in the banquet hall automatically slowed their breathing, watching the two on the stage and the magnified chessboard on the screen. Even online viewers were the same. This thrilling and highly anticipated match had finally arrived! Would Yvette be able to protect Clusia¡¯s dignity? No one knew until the end.


    Robin took the white pieces, Yvette took the ck. The chessboard had 19 horizontal and vertical lines, 361 intersections, and ording to chess rules, ck moved first.


    Yvette extended her pure white jade hand to hold the pieces, casually cing one on a spot on the board.


    Robin nced at her. ¡®Why isn¡¯t this woman ying normally? cing a piece here would lose the initiative, wouldn¡¯t it? Can she actually y chess?¡¯ Robin didn¡¯t dare to underestimate Yvette. He suspiciously ced a white piece; this was also his style, to take the initiative, upy advantageous positions, implement encirclement, and finally trap and capture enemy to win.


    The two went back and forth, and in no time, half the pieces were ced. Compared to Robin¡¯s pondering and thinking, Yvette seemed to ce her pieces without much thought, very casually.


    As time went on, Robin felt like his eyes were suddenly blurry, his chess path bing narrower. But this was also a deliberate illusion to make Yvette fall into the trap, to catch her off guard in the end.


    People in the audience who understood chess had their own thoughts. Jase took a sip of coffee, tilted his head, and said to Clifford, ¡°Robin is intentionally luring that girl. If this continues, this game is dead.¡±


    Clifford frowned, his study of chess not deep, so he only had a superficial understanding. He whispered, ¡°Dad, Robin does have some skills. This situation is hard for the opponent to win


    Jeremiah turned to look at the worried pair, his voice hoarse. ¡°The youngdy is using their own methods against them.¡± After speaking, he turned his gaze to Yvette, as if he could only focus on her alone.


    Jase and Clifford were stunned. ¡®What does he mean?¡¯ They immediately understood, then turned their attention back to the chessboard. After Jeremiah¡¯s insight, they understood what it meant. Looking at the board again, with different mindsets, they indeed saw different things. ¡®It¡¯s true that the involved parties are confused! This isn¡¯t Robin setting a trap for Yvette. Clearly, Yvette is gradually countering Robin step by step, subtly rearranging Robin¡¯s original setup. This girl¡¯s brain is really terrifying.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jase and Clifford exchanged a nce, then pretended nothing had happened, their faces still slightly worried, genuine acting father and son.


    Robin was smug. ¡®Just three more moves, and it¡¯s time to sweep in.¡¯ He looked at Yvette, his eyes filled with venom. In the chess match, neither side could speak until the game ended, so Robin had to endure and express his hatred with his eyes.


    Yvette gave him a faint nce and casually ced another ck piece.


    By this point, Robin still didn¡¯t understand Yvette¡¯s strategy, feeling like each move wasn¡¯t doing much. But after ying for so long, he felt like he hadn¡¯t gained any advantage, which was strange. Robin could only continue ying ording to his strategy. Ten more minutes passed.


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, looking at the ck and white pieces on the board, both sides biting hard.


    Robin felt the game was getting more and more wrong, his brain struggling to process, his head feeling dizzy. ¡®No way¡­ The moves aren¡¯t following hisyout. Now it¡¯s wrong; the ck pieces have unknowingly formed a siege.¡¯ Robin was dazed, wiped the cold sweat from his head, gritted his teeth, made another move, and then stared hard at Yvette. ¡®As long as she hasn¡¯t seen through my move¡¯s intention, I will definitely win!¡¯


    In the audience, Kaiden, who had somehow sat next to Charles, looked at the two on the screen and the chessboard between them, eyes fixed on Charles, his voice a bit sharp. ¡°Who do you think will win, the instructor or Robin?¡±


    Charles didn¡¯t even lift his head. ¡®Why did Kaiden suddenly sit next to me to annoy me?¡¯ Back in the day, Kaiden did as Carson did, doing countless shady things to be the instructor¡¯s apprentice. In the end, he even tried to use children to achieve his goals, which was why the instructor chopped off one of his fingers, or rather, the instructor probably intended to kill him at that time.

 Chapter 338

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles looked indifferent. He was sitting in thest row and could only see the two yers¡® moves on the big screen. He was a chess novice; with his days on the knife¡¯s edge, he didn¡¯t have the energy to study such leisurely things. He wasn¡¯t an instructor, so he only had a basic understanding of the game, seeing that it was a bnced match. A thinyer of frost covered Charles¡¯s face. When Kaiden asked him a question proactively, he didn¡¯t even nce at Kaiden and coldly said, ¡°The instructor won¡¯t lose.¡±</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden looked at Charles¡¯s reaction and let out a sneer. Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he knew that since the instructor volunteered, she would definitely win. No matter the current situation of the game, the oue was already decided. ¡®If Robin is a chess prodigy, then the instructor is a genus among geniuses!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°This world champion has reached his limit today,¡® but that was exactly what he wanted. ¡®If Robin and I both win, there¡¯s noparison. Only one win and one loss can clearly show the difference between us, right?¡® Stepping on Robin to rise to power was Kaiden¡¯s initial n, but he never expected the instructor would step in to help him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden stood up and looked down at Charles. His expression was gloomy, and his tone was somewhatplex and hard to understand. ¡°Charles, back when we were in the training camp, I was jealous of you. I admit, even now I¡¯m still jealous of you. In terms of swordsmanship, you can¡¯t match me; in terms of cunning, you can¡¯t match Carson. But the instructor chose you. Even Carson and I were almost killed by the instructor because of going after you. With the instructor as your backing, you¡¯ve climbed all the way to the position of Seventy¨CTwo Chambers General Master, bing Braydon¡¯s greatest asset.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden paused, then continued with a hint of schadenfreude. ¡°Too bad, you¡¯re too stupid. You betrayed Braydon to stick to the instructor¡¯s rule of not touching poison, and ended up as a stray dog, only able to seek protection by the instructor. I really look down on you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles looked up at Kaiden, his face calm and unremarkable, and nced him up and down. ¡°This person has remained the same all these years, narrow¨Cminded, sinister, and crafty. Charles didn¡¯t get angry butughed instead.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A faint smile made Kaiden pause. ¡®I humiliated Charles like this, how can he still be smiling?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles spoke word for word. ¡°Kaiden, take a look in the mirror. You look like a resentful woman. I¡¯m happy to be a freeloader next to the instructor, happy and free. What does that have to do with you? If you really want to be one, try getting the instructor to even nce at you. The instructor would find you disgusting even as a lowly worm!¡±</font></font>


    Kaiden wanted to curse him out, but couldn¡¯t do it in this setting. He really didn¡¯t expect that after several years, Charles had be so sharp¨Ctongued. Kaiden dropped a harsh remark. ¡°Take care of yourself!¡± and stormed out.


    Charles snorted disdainfully. ¡®Kaiden¡¯s intentions are all on his face. Does he really think that if Robin loses the chess match, he¡¯ll win in fencing?¡®Although Jeremiah didn¡¯t show much skill, a man who got to this position at a young age and was chosen by the instructor couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    On stage, Robin looked nervous, his face turning pale and blue, a faint, almost imperceptible sweat forming on his forehead. His eyes wandered, showing a thoughtful expression, his faceplex and pale, his breathing bing increasingly unstable. He felt that Yvette had unknowingly disrupted all his nned moves. He even knew he had subtly fallen into the trap set by ck¡¯s underhanded strategies. Robin watched Yvette¡¯s casual demeanor, revealing his hidden panic and unease. ¡®What should I y next?¡®


    Robin now realized he had underestimated Yvette. She had pushed him Chess between masters, one wrong move could be disastrous this point. He couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.


    The media focused all their cameras on Robin, who hadn¡¯t made a move yet. The website had upgraded their servers for this live broadcast, so no matter how many people watched simultaneously, the stream remained stable, with all cameras in high definition, even showing his pores clearly. Robin¡¯s anxious demeanor was fully captured on live broadcast.


    A websitement. [Is Robin stuck? Can¡¯t make a move? Oh my God, the goddess is amazing, she can push Robin to this level.]


    I¡¯ve watched Robin¡¯s matches. He¡¯s always been so arrogant in worldpetitions, basically forcing his opponents to give up. Didn¡¯t expect this day woulde for him.]


    [Someone upstairs is right, I¡¯ve also studied his chess moves; they¡¯re very tricky and unexpected. But the goddess didn¡¯t follow his strategies from the start. She must have figured him out!]


    [I¡¯m going crazy for the goddess, she¡¯s so awesome! Not only is she good in Interpol, but now she¡¯s also so good at chess.]


    [This isn¡¯t just good, it¡¯s aplete, low¨Ckey, overwhelming crush. So satisfying!]


    [If the goddess marries me, I¡¯ll have monkeys with you. Marry me, marry me, important things need to be said a hundred times!]


    [Weakly asking, is there a chess expert here to exin the situation? Who has the advantage here?]


    After thisment, the replies below turned into exnatory posts.


    [I¡¯m from the Chess Association, just a nobody. Our president is also watching the live broadcast. He says the game is evenly matched now, but the goddess has a slight advantage. The president said he can¡¯t understand the goddess¡¯s next moves, so it¡¯s hard to say.]


    [What the person upstairs said is right. Robin is the world champion, he must have his own trump cards. It¡¯s still hard to tell.]


    On the banquet hall stage of Eastern Hotel, Yvette nced at the digital clock on the wall; there were ten minutes left of the hour. The warm¨Cup is over, the game should end now! She smirked, choosing a do¨Cor¨Cdie approach. Making someone despair meant letting them gain everything first and then lose it So she had willingly walked into Robin¡¯s trap.


    Robin stared fixedly at the ck piece in Yvette¡¯s hand, feeling extremely anxious and uneasy, constantly praying that she would make a move quickly. ¡®As long as she ces that piece here, I will definitely win. This chess game will be decided!*


    Yvette ced the ck piece. In the audience, chess enthusiasts gasped. ¡®Even we saw that move was wrong. Isn¡¯t she just giving him an opportunity? Didn¡¯t Yvette realize this? What is she doing? Is she seeking death?¡®


    Aurora held her purse tightly. ¡®Looking at everyone¡¯s reaction, Yvette made a wrong move? If I had known earlier, I would have learned chess well back then.She hated this when she was young; it was too boring, so she didn¡¯t study it properly. Now she could only understand a little. Aurora tugged Clifford¡¯s sleeve, whispering quietly when no one was looking. ¡°Honey, Yvette made a wrong move? Why are they reacting like this?¡±


    Clifford squeezed her palm, signaling her not to worry. ¡°It¡¯s okay, she knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±

 Chapter 339

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the audience, Jase and Kyle sat in the main seats. Kyle smiled at the scene and hypocritically said to Jase. ¡°Jase, your Clusiapetitor¡¯s chess is still a bitcking, needs more effort. But if she¡¯s willing, maybe our Mr. Jenkins could guide her a bit.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase sipped his coffee leisurely. Kyle wasn¡¯t meeting him for the first time. ¡°This hypocritical and pretentious demeanor, who is he pretending to impress here?¡®He calmly said. ¡°Prime Minister Kyle, we in Clusia have an old saying: the one whoughsst is the winner. Thepetition isn¡¯t over yet; it¡¯s better not to speak too soon.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kyle¡¯s expression changed slightly, then he immediately returned to his smile. ¡°Jase is right, let¡¯s keep watching.¡± Kyle still had a bit of fear of Jase; back in the day, Jase was a famous sharpshooter. During the war between the two countries, countless people died at Jase¡¯s hands. The deadly aura and battlefield dominance he exuded were truly intimidating.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase leaned on his cane, sitting upright. From behind, he didn¡¯t look like a man in histe seventies.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah stared at Yvette¡¯s profile, her slightly raised eyshes casting a faint shadow, her fair side face clearly showing her corbones. ¡®What¡¯s the girl nning? Pretty good, he had already guessed part of it. ¡®Is she trying to torment someone? She should just torment them to death. Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s views on this matter were surprisingly aligned.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On stage, Robin confidently looked at Yvette, a smug smile on his lips, his eyes showing disdain and arrogance, reverting to that arrogant, conceited Robin. ¡®Just give me another ten minutes, and I¡¯ll definitely win this woman.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Both sped up their moves. Five minutester, Yvette¡¯s chess strategy changed again. Clearly surrounded by white pieces, Yvette broke out from behind the white pieces and gradually began to reim them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At one o¡¯clock, the time was announced punctually. The stage and audience were silent. In less than ten minutes, they witnessed an incredibleeback. They had thought Robin was already guaranteed to win, but Yvette found a way out of despair and slowly reopened the game.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The media was still catching up. The ck pieces had already dominated the board, with white pieces having nowhere to hide. Even people who didn¡¯t understand chess knew who had won. Today, they had witnessed a Clusia girl emerge and defeat the three¨Ctime world chess champion Robin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Some observant people noticed that from start to finish, the entire gamested exactly one hour, not a minute more. If Yvette wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, why wouldn¡¯t they believe it? ¡°Using time to control chess? That¡¯s just too scary!¡®</font></font>


    Yvette ced herst piece and stood up, looking at the pale¨Cfaced Robin with a calm expression, the remaining rebellious and wild aura in her eyebrows and eyes. Her tone was very calm. ¡°World champion?¡±


    Not a single extra word, yet everyone felt the absolute sarcasm. Those four characters are truly heart¨Cwrenching! Using the fewest words to do the harshest things is just what Yvette does. So cruel! Cruel to the extreme!¡®


    Sitting on the chair, Robin stared at the chessboard, panting heavily, the veins on his forehead standing out, his face gradually contorting and turning bright red. He couldn¡¯t believe he had lost like this. ¡®I was still the winner just now! How is this possible? Which move went wrong? Why did I lose? Did I make a mistake from the beginning?¡±


    Robin¡¯s mind was about to explode. He was emotionally agitated, his eyes blurry, his ears buzzing with peopleughing at him. ¡®I lost, a world champion lost to a girl. He knew he had be the biggestughingstock, and everyone around the world saw his en Tassment.


    Robin¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. With this loss, his family would be ashamed of him, and even the Prime Minister would no longer favor him. Hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Robin suddenly looked up, his face flushed red from his hair to his roots. His eyes stared, then darkened, flickered, and turned pitch ck. Robin didn¡¯t have the strength to retort; he could only clench his fists tightly.


    Yvette lifted her chin, her eyes always cold and clear, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised, and said slowly. ¡°What does it feel like to be defeated by a Clusian girl? If you could write a book, you¡¯d have a lot of experience.¡±


    In the audience, Samantha couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. ¡®When ites to mocking others, it has to be Yve. Those words are really hard to refute


    Andrew sat next to Tim, almost apuding Yvette. ¡®Only Yvette can speak like that, her linguistic skills are on point!


    Charles in thest row also smiled. ¡®Don¡¯t mess with the instructor, but some people just never understand that!


    As expected, when Robin heard this, sparks of anger shed in his eyes, like they were flying out of sizzling coals. Just as he was about to raise his finger, his vision blurred, and he fell forward.


    Everyone was shocked, and then they saw Robin crash heavily to the ground. The chessboard was flipped over, and everything was scattered all over him. He looked utterly ridiculous, and Robin hadpletely lost face. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, he was elegantly knocked unconscious by Yvette¡¯s words.


    The hall, which could hold thousands, fell silent as everyone watched Robin faint on the stage and Yvette casually walk off. The scene was intensely shocking and sufficiently stunning for everyone present.


    Jeremiah stood up, walked over, exchanged a nce with her, and then left.


    Samantha and Andrew greeted Tim and followed him out, and Charles also left through the back door.


    The person involved just walked away. By the time the media realized and tried to chase after him with their cameras, he was already gone. They missed such an interview opportunity and deeply regretted it. This person will be considered a pride of the Clusian people in the future, and his status has risen beyond what media like them can casually interview. Media, look at me, I look at you¨Ceveryone regretted missing such an opportunity.


    The big shot had left, and the media could only focus their cameras on the Ybau delegation. Their expressions were worse than if they¡¯d eaten something awful. Everyone who had been arrogant just moments ago now looked dejected and actively avoided the cameras.


    Kyle, barely containing his anger, stood up from his chair. In front of the whole world¡¯s media, he couldn¡¯t show any genuine emotion and had to force a smile to congratte Jase. ¡°Congrattions, Jase, Clusia won the first exchange match.¡± It was a ssic case of swallowing his frustration.


    Jase straightened his suit, looking refreshed. Regarding Kyle¡¯s insincere congrattions, he just nodded politely and said, ¡°Prime Minister Kyle, thank you. See you at the fencing match tomorrow.¡± Jase acted distant, as if he didn¡¯t know Kyle well, making him wish he hadn¡¯t been written about so inly.

 Chapter 340

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kyle pped his warm face against a cold backside, looking somewhat embarrassed. He nced at Robin, who had fainted on stage, and thought, ¡®What a useless guy, the world champion actually lost to a Clusia woman in her early twenties and was knocked out by a few words. We¡¯vepletely lost face for Ybau this time. Why didn¡¯t he just die instead?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In front of the media and everyone, Kyle put on a gentlemanly demeanor and instructed those around him. ¡°Take Robin to the hospital. Kyle led the Ybau delegation out in a grand procession.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora watched all of this and was speechless for the first time. She had weathered many storms in the business world and seen all kinds of scenes, but today¡¯s situation was something she had never witnessed before.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The remaining media left in an orderly fashion. Everyone was eager to rush back and write their articles. Today¡¯s event was sure to explode in the news. All the media outlets werepeting, not wanting to fall behind, and they ran out of the Eastern Hotel faster than rabbits.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the car, Aurora looked at Clifford dazedly and said, ¡°Honey, is it over? Did Yvette win? Just like that?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford pinched his cheek and saw Aurora looking a bit silly. Heughed and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over. Your Yvette won, and she did it decisively.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora pped her thigh, so happy that she forgot she was wearing a gown. She threw herself into Clifford¡¯s arms, extremely excited. ¡°Honey, I think our daughter¨Cinw is amazing, absolutely incredible. I can¡¯t even find the right words to describe her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford took her in his arms and straightened her up. ¡°You¡¯re old enough now, stop acting like you¡¯re young. Get yourself together!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora didn¡¯t care about that. She looked Clifford up and down and suddenly felt emotional. ¡°Our son took after me in taste, that¡¯s why he found such an excellent girlfriend.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly. ¡°This kid, all his good qualitiese from her, and his bad ones from me. I¡¯m used to it anyway. Arguing is pointless.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever you say.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sknd, Yvette, Jeremiah, Samantha, Andrew, and Charles were all in the living room. They went straight back to Sknd after leaving the Eastern Hotel.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette was nestled on the sofa, with Jeremiah draping his arm around her shoulders, peeling oranges, feeding each other. He looked down at the young girl tirelessly trying to find a mate for the little Husky. ¡®Why does it feel a bit demeaning? Is it because our son is so unreliable that even his mother isn¡¯t confident in finding him a match? I can¡¯t help butugh. Jeremiah thought thatpeting against Robin might be less important to the young girl than finding a mate for the Husky.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles and Samantha were sitting far away, ring at Jeremiah and Yvette across from them. It was so annoying.</font></font>Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew was sitting on a carpet worth around 30 thousand, lookingpletely out of ce. He was on his tablet, refreshing a forum website every three seconds. Andrew clicked his tongue twice, thinking that this generation ofizens was really something else.


    Today¡¯s full match video had already been pinned to the top of the website, and people all over the world had seen it. Now the inte was buzzing with all kinds of jokes andments about today¡¯s match,ing out one after another. Andrew felt like he couldn¡¯t keep up with them all.


    Andrew shouted, ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, today¡¯s event went viral as soon as the video was released. It already has 30 million views.¡±


    Samantha took a sip of red wine and said, ¡°Why make such a big deal? Are there any interestingments? Read some out loud.¡±


    Andrew casually flipped through thements and said, ¡°Here¡¯s one. This user, ¡®I am a wolf from the north, says it¡¯s really harsh¡­ hahaha¡­¡±


    [Is Robin already dead from being so angry? Should we erect a monument for him? I¡¯ve already thought of the epitaph: ¡®I am Robin, from Ybau, from that ce in Ybau.]


    Andrew read a few morements randomly, and even Charles was amused by theizens¡® creativity.


    Yvette put down her phone. She had just added 30 thousand gold coins and finally someone agreed to the Husky¡¯s matchmaking.


    Andrew looked up admiringly at Yvette, thinking. ¡®Look at what true vision is. What true badassery is. Yvette won the match without trying to show off at all. After returning, she didn¡¯t even mention the match, as if it was nothing. Winning against a world champion was like ying a game.


    Yvette greeted a few people and went upstairs, with Jeremiah following her without a word.


    Andrew watched the two go upstairs and muttered to himself, ¡°Why does Jeremiah seem so sycophantic?¡±


    At the bar, Samantha and Charles were sipping red wine. Samantha initiated a toast by touching her ss to his, her voice cool. ¡°You didn¡¯t learn painting from Yve, did you? You don¡¯t have that artist¡¯s temperament.¡±


    Charles replied about the twins, ¡°One is always smart and the other dumb. ¡®Isn¡¯t it obvious who¡¯s the smart one?¡® Charles refused to lie, nodded, and said calmly, ¡°No, I learned how to kill


    Samantha, being smart, was momentarily stunned by Charles¡¯s words, then understood. ¡®Some things are better left unknown. Yve¡¯s identity is probably far moreplicated than what I¡¯ve seen! Coming from a military family, they were exposed to much more than ordinary people. This world is inherently mysterious.


    Samantha smiled. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve learned well.¡±


    Charles was momentarily taken aback. He looked at Samantha¡¯s alluring face and pressed his lips together, thinking. ¡°Talking to a smart person is indeed less tiring!¡® Charles said, ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±


    Andrew turned around and saw the twoughing together. He quickly walked over. ¡®Don¡¯t be impulsive, sis. She has a boyfriend. I don¡¯t know who it is yet, but she must have one; my dad has mentioned it before. With Charles looking so good, if my sister gets tempted, wouldn¡¯t that be cheating? It¡¯s a moral issue that must be prevented.¡±


    Andrew walked up to the bar, poured himself a ss of red wine, clinked sses with the two, and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s toast to our friendship, may itst forever.¡± After saying that, he winked at Samantha, thinking. ¡®What an obvious hint. My sister must understand.¡® Andrew still had some confidence in the twins¡® telepathic connection.


    Samantha looked at Andrew, whose eyes were twitching, and gave Charles an embarrassed smile. ¡°Sorry about that. My brother can be a bit scatterbrained sometimes. It¡¯s a recurring issue, but he gets used to it.¡±


    Charles nced at Andrew and nodded seriously. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. It gets better with time.¡±


    Andrew was speechless.


    At Betrico Hospital, Robin had just been discharged in the morning but was sent back in the afternoon. The doctors and nurses had also watched the live stream, so they knew what had happened. ¡°These men are really something. How petty can they be, getting knocked out from being so angry?¡®


    Afterpleting the usual physical checks, the doctors concluded it was stress¨Cinduced cardiac symptoms. He would wake up soon.


    The Ybaun people who brought him looked ashamed seeing Robin in the hospital bed.


    At four o¡¯clock, Robin regained consciousness from hisa. He looked around and realized he had been sent back to the

 Chapter 341

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His mind was about to explode as the day¡¯s events flooded his head. ¡®I lost. The Jenkins family¡¯s top chess prodigy from Ybau was defeated by a Clusia woman like this? Her name isn¡¯t even on the international chess rankings. How could she have beaten me?¡® Robin couldn¡¯t ept the fact. His face turned pale, and his veins bulged.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The bodyguard heard the noise and pushed the door open. Seeing that Robin was awake, he immediately reported to Kyle.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Robin saw the two people pushing the door open, he immediately started cursing loudly. ¡°Get out! Get out right now! Who gave you the right to push the door open without my permission? I¡¯m definitely going to tell Prime Minister Kyle that you two are extremely rude. Rude! Get out!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin¡¯s roaring only earned him the cold sneers and disdain of the two bodyguards. ¡®Does this Robin still think he¡¯s some high¨Cand¨Cmighty world chess champion?¡® Today¡¯s match video has already gone viral. He lost to a rtively unknown girl in the chess world, and this has caused a huge scandal in their country. About thirty thousandments are all cursing him. Even if he returns to Ybau, he¡¯s just a despised person. The two bodyguards exchanged a nce. ¡°This Robin really can¡¯t get it through his thick skull. He still has time to throw a tantrum here!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">One of the bodyguards spoke up, not very politely, showing a stark contrast to how they treated Robin a few days ago. ¡°Robin, this is Mr. Hall¡¯s orders. Once you wake up, you need to report immediately. We¡¯re just following orders. Besides, when you suddenly started making such loud noises, we thought something happened and had to push the door open. Since everything¡¯s fine, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin was so furious at the bodyguards¡® words that he became even more frantic. Don¡¯t think he didn¡¯t see the contempt in their eyes. ¡°These two bodyguards dare to treat me like this? They¡¯re really pushing it!¡± ¡°What attitude are you two showing? I¡¯m the eldest son of the Jenkins family, do you think you can talk to me like that? Two watchdogs, get out! I won¡¯t let you off easily!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The two bodyguards left without even turning their heads after hearing this. ¡®Robin is nothing but a paper tiger. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡®</font></font>


    Of course, Robin didn¡¯t know that his harsh words to the bodyguards would eventually lead to his mysterious death. After the bodyguards left, the dimly lit hospital room only had Robin¡¯s eerie and terrifying face faintly visible. Suddenly, the phone on the cab rang. Robin immediately turned to stare at the phone and then startedughing sinisterly. Hisugh was chilling. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ve already ced an order with Z, the top killer from ck Gold online. Z will definitely kill that Yvette. With a top killer on the job, that woman is doomed. Even if I win, what¡¯s the point if I can¡¯t live to enjoy the apuse and praise? It¡¯s all just pathetic.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the phone, and a text message was prominently disyed on the screen.


    ¡®Betrico, left at the third fork, rooftop of the tall building. Your person has arrived.¡°¡± The sender was Z.


    Seeing these words, Robin¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. He excitedly held his phone, quickly grabbing it without even changing out of his hospital gown. He didn¡¯t expect the top killer Z to be so efficient in his work, catching someone so quickly. Wearing only a thin jacket, Robin ran out of the hospital room,ughing as he ran. He lookedpletely insane.


    The two bodyguards happened toe out of the bathroom and saw Robin¡¯s state. One wanted to stop him, but the other held him back, saying bitterly, ¡°Why stop him? What if he runs away? Let¡¯s just stay on our posts. Maybe Robin is just going somewhere to vent his emotions. We shouldn¡¯t follow him.¡± The bodyguard who wanted to stop him found his reasoning valid and stayed in ce.


    way, he tried On the rooftop, Robin ran out of the hospital and hailed a taxi without even driving his own car. Along the hard to suppress his inner hatred. ¡®Soon I can see Yvette being humiliated with my own eyes. When she dies, I won¡¯t let her off. I must capture the most painful and desperate moment of her death and upload it online for the whole world to see. Let everyone see how miserable the so¨Ccalled Goddess of Clusia dies. This is the fate of someone who goes against us Ybau!¡®


    In Sknd, Yvette came downstairs. In the living room, Samantha, Andrew, and Charles were dealing with thendlord. The three saw Yvette dressed in a leather jacket, ck casual clothes, and a baseball cap. Her long hair was tied up, revealing only half of her delicate face. She obviously looks like she¡¯s going out


    Samantha put down her cards. ¡°Yve, are you going out? What about Jeremiah? Isn¡¯t heing with you?¡±


    Yvette put her hands in her pockets, flicked her eyelids, and casually said, ¡°He¡¯s tired and went to sleep. I¡¯m going out by myself.¡± With that, she left.


    Andrew eximed, ¡°Damn!¡± Then he turned to Charles and Samantha mysteriously. ¡°Jeremiah is tired¡­ Is Jeremiah not up to it? Look, Yve seems fine. Didn¡¯t expect Jeremiah to be so weak inside.¡±


    Charles raised his chin slightly. ¡®Although I don¡¯t think it should be like this, Andrew does have a point. Maybe it¡¯s true. But isn¡¯t there a possibility that it¡¯s not Jeremiah¡¯s fault, but that the instructor is too harsh?¡®Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha nodded and continued to sit down, picking up her cards. ¡®It¡¯s really hard to say if this is going to work or not!¡®


    Twenty minutester, Robin arrived at the location based on the address Z provided. He nced around the environment. ¡®Isn¡¯t this ce a bit too secluded? How can there be such a gloomy spot in the city center?¡® But then he thought, ¡®After all, Z is a killer dealing with shady business. It¡¯s normal to meet in such ces for transactions. Feeling relieved, he took the elevator and then walked to the top¨Cfloor balcony. He was so eager to get there that he wanted to run the rest of the way, not wanting to wait another moment.


    The night was deep and silent. The entire city of Betrico was engulfed in thick darkness. Looking out from the rooftop, Betrico was brilliantly lit up.


    Robin shakily pushed open the balcony door. He was only wearing a thin hospital gown and a jacket, barely keeping out the cold night wind and chill air. His teeth were chattering from the cold. To avoid losing face in front of Z, he forced himself to pretend he wasn¡¯t cold.


    On the rooftop, as soon as Robin opened the door, he saw a figure wearing a hat sitting on the edge. From his angle, the back was very slender, not at all like a man¡¯s back. Robin didn¡¯t expect a top killer to have a back as thin as a woman¡¯s. ¡®Can someone like this really be a top killer?¡®


    Robin looked around, thinking it was just his imagination in the dark. Besides them, there was no one else on the rooftop. As he walked in, he cautiously asked, ¡°Hello, are you Z? I¡¯m Mr. Jenkins. Didn¡¯t you say that woman has arrived? Where is she? I haven¡¯t seen her!¡±


    As Robin moved closer, he noticed Z¡¯s sitting position. ¡°This is too dangerous. If a person moves even a little, they might fall off the rooftop! What a lunatic!¡®

 Chapter 342

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin saw Z was silent and was about to speak again when he was interrupted. ¡°The person has arrived.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin heard the voice and it sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had heard it. He thought he might be overthinking it. ¡®How could there be a ck Gold top killer around me?¡® Hearing this, Robin tried to hold back his anger and searched the rooftop back and forth. After a while, he returned to the original spot, looking very embarrassed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®It¡¯ste at night, and I¡¯m almost getting blown away by the wind What¡¯s Z trying to say? Yvette isn¡¯t here at all. Is he ying games with me? This so¨Ccalled top killer has no professional ethics. When I get back, I¡¯ll definitelyin about him on the website. This is just too much!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin¡¯s jaw was trembling as he spoke. ¡°Mr. Z, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re messing with me here. I¡¯ve already paid you 200 million. Is this how you operate? If you haven¡¯t caught the person, why did you have mee out here in the middle of the night? What about your professional ethics?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, sitting on the edge of the rooftop, let out a lightugh upon hearing this. ¡°This Robin really loves to talk about professional ethics.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the chilly wind, that lightugh echoed in Robin¡¯s mind, making his head feel like it was going to explode. He had heard thisugh before and could never forget it. It was the sameugh thatpletely broke him during today¡¯s match, shattering all his mental defenses. ¡®No way! How could Z¡¯sugh be the same as that woman Yvette¡¯s?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, Yvette slowly turned around and stood up from the edge of the rooftop. Facing the wind, her brown hair slightly lifted. Her all¨Cck leather jacket made her look even more cool and handsome. Her eyes, devoid of any warmth, looked at Robin with a mix of coolness and fierceness. Her exquisite and stunning face was sanctified under the moonlight, making it impossible for anyone to have the courage to look directly at her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robin¡¯s eyes widened instantly, feeling like he¡¯d been struck by lightning. His body trembled uncontrobly, unable to speak a word. He had no strength left and copsed to the ground, his face pale. He was freezing from the cold and now scared stiff. He pointed at Yvette, continuously backing away, his mouth open but unable to say anything.</font></font>


    ¡®What¡¯s happening now? Someone tell me why Yvette is here? Clearly, Z was supposed to meet me. How could Yvette be here? Am I dreaming? This has to be a dream, it must all be a dream!¡® But the cold in his body and Yvette¡¯s smile told him it wasn¡¯t a dream. He could only think of one possibility, one that would make him despair and push him into hell. Suddenly, Robin had a sh of realization. ¡®Doesn¡¯t Z and Zeller share a Z?¡® Robin¡¯s eyes were vacant, filled with deep fear. He shouted incredulously, ¡°Are you Z? You¡¯re the top killer Z from ck Gold?¡±


    Yvette, wearing Martin boots, calmly walked towards Robin. She took off her baseball cap, a mischievous smile on her lips, her blue eyes gleaming with a shallowugh. Her delicate eyebrows and eyes were deathly cold as she leisurely said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡±


    These three words became the final straw that broke Robin. Hearing them, he suddenly lost all the strength to resist. ¡°This world is too absurd! How can there be such a woman? An Interpol agent and a top killer? The world has gone mad, it¡¯s all mad!¡® gone Robin stared fixedly at Yvette, fully aware that this woman wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡®I paid someone to rape and then kill her first. With her temper, how could she let me go?¡® Robin forced himself to endure his inner fear. ¡®I¡¯m not willing to just die at Yvette¡¯s hands.¡® He still wanted to threaten Yvette.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget this is Betrico. I¡¯m part of the Ybau delegation visiting Clusia. If something really happens to me here, our Ybau and the Jenkins family will definitely hold you ountable. You won¡¯t be able to escape. If you spare me this time, I promise to return to Ybau and will never reveal your identity. I swear we can just forget about it. After all, you won the chess match against me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    As Robin threatened Yvette, he also begged her for mercy, essentially just wanting to stay alive. At this point, he didn¡¯t care about his own face anymore, only hoping that this woman would let him off.


    Yvette only raised an eyebrow, her eyes deepening as she slightly tilted her head. ¡°You mean to say that the Jenkins family won¡¯t let me go?¡±


    Robin nodded vigorously, thinking he had moved Yvette. ¡°Yes, in the eldest son of the Jenkins family. My father values me highly. If something happened to me, he would definitely avenge me. You wouldn¡¯t want to provoke such a powerful enemy, right? As long as you spare me, I won¡¯t expose your identity. Truly, I guarantee it with my integrity.¡±


    Yvette remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled at him.


    Robin was stunned.


    Yvette pinched her wrist, her blue eyes narrowing, and calmly said, ¡°Then just kill us both.¡±


    Robin waspletely stunned in ce upon hearing this. ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯


    Yvette lowered her gaze and nced at the watch on her wrist. ¡°Time¡¯s up. She took a step forward. Before Robin could react, she kicked him hard, knocking him to the ground. Slowly, she put on a pair of disposable gloves and then crouched down, snapping his chin back with her hand. Robin tried to scream for help but didn¡¯t even get a chance to open his mouth before Yvette pressed something into his mouth.


    It tasted sweet and sour, but Robin knew it couldn¡¯t be anything good.


    Yvette stepped back two steps, looking at Robin lying on the ground, struggling in pain. With her hands in her pockets, her expression was indifferent, showing no emotion at all.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Robin didn¡¯t realize he had ingested the world¡¯s real No.7 Toxin. The truly terrifying thing about the real No.7 Toxin isn¡¯t that it takes lives, but that after ingesting it, the victim suffers for three whole hours before dying. It¡¯s truly worse than death. Besides Yvette, no one else in the world has ess to this toxin, not even Ss.


    Robin copsed on the ground, desperately wing at his throat, trying to spit out what he had swallowed. Unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain.


    No.7 Toxin was personally developed by Yvette. It melts in your mouth, and even the mighty gods can¡¯t reverse its effects.


    After a short while, Robin felt his whole body turning cold, his entire being aching as if invisible beasts were tearing at him Every limb was enduring unbearable pain, his body shaking uncontrobly, his limbs convulsing, and he couldn¡¯t help but fet out moans of agony.


    He rolled on the ground in pain, his trembling legs kicking and thrashing in the muddy earth, covering him in dirt. With his convulsing hands, he desperately tore at his chest clothes, leaving noticeable bloodstains on his exposed pale skin, his bloodied fingers trembling nonstop. After a while, his body would suddenly stretch out and then bend into an arch, his desperate eyes darting around wildly, his pupils dted, and his mouth emitting pitiful, dying screams, sounding hoarse and horrifying.


    Not far away, Yvette stood there, almost blending into the darkness under the moonlight.

 Chapter 343

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, Jared carefully held the breakfast and stood at the door of Sknd. ¡°This is a breakfast worth 1 million dors. He nervously adjusted his suit, then fixed his hair, and then pressed the doorbell with anticipation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew came downstairs with his hair all messed up. ¡®Who came so early this morning?¡® He, his sister, and Charles had all yed cards by midnight, and Yve came backte at night. They had eaten ate¨Cnight snack before sleeping.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After opening the door, Jared put on his signature smile. ¡°Hello, Y¡­¡± Midway through, seeing it was Andrew, his smile disappeared immediately, his tone turned gloomy, and he looked inside. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. Where are Jeremiah and Yvette?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew leaned casually against the door, his blue slippers shy What¡¯s with his face changing so quickly when he sees me?¡¯ ¡°Hey, Jared, are you that disappointed to see me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jared nodded at Andrew. ¡°Not just disappointed, very disappointed.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When the two wanted to say more, Charles came down the stairs, seeing the two arguing at the door, chose to ignore them and sat on the dining chair.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Jared entered with the breakfast, he was quite reserved. After all, this was Jeremiah¡¯s home, and among thesepound kids, except for Andrew, who else had been here?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew noticed Jared¡¯s difort and patted his shoulder. ¡°Bro,e sit. Jeremiah and Yvette will probablye down soon, they were both too tiredst night.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jared hadn¡¯t even taken a sip before choking on it. ¡®What is Andrew talking about? What does it mean that the two were too tiredst night? Can I even hear this?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles calmly picked up a piece of bread, ignoring the outside world, focused solely on his breakfast, because from his observation, Jared was likely as unintelligent as Andrew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette and Jeremiah came down from upstairs, and as soon as they appeared, Jared immediately stood up from his chair, crossing his hands together, a very standard weing gesture.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jared looked at the two powerful figures approaching, stammered as he tried to greet them, and in his nervousness caused a big mistake. ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, Merry Christmas!¡± As soon as he said it, Jared wanted to die. ¡®So embarrassing, and in front of Jeremiah and Yve, I wish I could just crash into a wall and die now!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat down on the chair, nced at the nervous, sweating Jared. ¡®Am I that scary? What is he so nervous and scared about?¡® Yvette said. ¡°Have a seat.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jared scratched his head, sat down, then shyly ced the oatmeal with savory toppings and shrimp ravioli he bought in front of Yvette. He had watched her livestream yesterday, and now he had definitely be Yvette¡¯s fangirl. Jared said. ¡°Sister¨Cinw, I specially bought this for you.¡±</font></font>


    The matter where Andrew scammed Jared out of 1 million dors was already known to Jeremiah. He nced at Andrew, who was enjoying his oatmeal, and in a hoarse voice said. ¡°Give the 1 million dors back to Jared.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the oatmeal in Andrew¡¯s hand didn¡¯t taste good anymore. ¡®So not only did my hard¨Cearned 1 million not arrive, but I also have to take out 1 million from my own pocket to return to Jared. I¡¯m losing big on this deal!¡® Andrew could only nod tearfully. ¡°Understood, Jeremiah.¡±


    Jared sat aside, not expecting happiness toe so quickly.


    Jeremiah said to Jared. ¡°Have some more before you leave.¡±


    Jared swore this was the gentlest he¡¯d ever seen Jeremiah.


    At the dining table, Jeremiah naturally spread strawberry jam on the bread, then poured a cup of hot milk and handed it to Yvette, Charles and Andrew were used to it, Jeremiah¡¯s being so considerate to Yve was nothing new for them, they were indifferent as it had happened too many times. Only Jared watched this scene with wide eyes. ¡®Oh my god¡­ I can actually see this side of Jeremiah in my lifetime, I have no regrets even if I die.


    Andrew poked the dazed Jared. ¡°Eat, what are you staring at?¡±


    Jared. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, I¡¯m eating now.¡±


    After finishing the meal, the group returned to the living room. Yvette found afortable spot to nestle into the sofa, loungingzily, not holding herself properly, with her eyes drooping, fiddling with her phone.


    Jeremiah had just had a phone call and was outside taking it.


    Andrew turned on the TV, casually switched to a news channel.


    ¡°ording to reliable information received this morning, a man from Ybau jumped from a rooftop at a three¨Cway intersection, dying a gruesome death. His body waspletely torn apart, and he is currently without breath. Betrico Police Station is verifying the identity of the deceased, initially suspecting this person to be Robin, who participated in yesterday¡¯s chess exchangepetition. Our station will continue to follow and report on this incident.¡±


    The remote in Andrew¡¯s hand ttered to the ground. He turned abruptly to look at Yvette, who was on the sofa ying with her phone without even lifting her head, his tone panicked. ¡°Yvette, Robin is dead!¡±


    Charles also looked at Yvette, his eyes clear. ¡®Robin diedst night, and the instructor came back in the middle of the night. It¡¯s quite a coincidence, if the instructor killed Robin, it must be because Robin did something to anger him.¡®


    Yvette heard Andrew and didn¡¯t take her eyes off her phone, her voice indifferent. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Andrew swallowed, recalling that Yvette came backtest night. ¡°The dark and windy night is perfect for murder! Who else besides Yvette could have killed Robin? This is really exciting!¡¯


    Jared looked dumbfounded. ¡®Although Robin¡¯s death is quite unexpected, why are they all looking at Yve? What does she have to do with it?¡®


    Jeremiah entered holding his phone, saw the news on TV, nced at everyone¡¯s reactions, expressionless, and sat down on the sofa.


    Andrew repeated to Jeremiah. ¡°Jeremiah, Robin is dead.¡±


    Jeremiah already knew. The call earlier was from the military district. It was confirmed the deceased was Robin. Although he died from falling off a rooftop, the Ybau side still wants to hold onto it and make some points. The body has been sent for autopsy, and now the Ybau side suspects intentional murder, but everything depends on the autopsy results, letting the facts speak.


    Jeremiah wrapped his arm around Yvette¡¯s waist, squeezed her gently, his voice deep. ¡°Can it be found out?¡±


    Yvette looked up, her eyes clear, raised an eyebrow, and curled her lips. This man never says a useless word. ¡°No, no one can find out.¡±


    Hearing this, Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were full of smiles. ¡°This youngdy¡¯s tactics are truly unpredictable!¡± ¡°Hmm, the swordsmanshippetition is at four in the afternoon, are you going to the scene?¡±


    Xyette shook her head. ¡°Not going.¡± Apetition without suspense is not worth watching


    Jeremiah squeezed her fingertips, very soft and tender, then lowered his head. Whispered in her car. Alright, I¡¯ll handle it quickly, and make osso buco for you when I get back.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Yvette nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    The two continued talking on their own, while Andrew and the others could only watch. ¡®Are these two showing off their love now? What if it¡¯s found out that Yve killed Robin?¡®


    In the hotel where the visiting Ybau delegation was staying, room 403, Kaiden stood with a gloomy face, watching the footage ying on the TV.

 Chapter 344

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric stood aside, bowing his head, not even daring to breathe. Why has Mr. Harper¡¯s aura suddenly be so terrifying?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Robin¡¯s body was discovered this morning, Kaiden sat on the sofa, staring fixedly at the news footage on TV,pletely still, his gaze extremely terrifying. After a while, Kaiden looked up, his face showing fear and anger, his deep eyes flickering with a horrifying light. Exhausted, Kaiden rubbed his temples and asked, ¡°Has Robin¡¯s body been sent for an autopsy?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric immediately stepped forward and replied, ¡°Mr. Harper, Mr. Hall has personally ordered that Robin¡¯s body has been sent for an autopsy. The results should be out soon, and we¡¯ll be able to determine whether Robinmitted suicide or was murdered.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s useless. If that person did it personally, there wouldn¡¯t be any evidence left. Even an autopsy would be a waste of effort, unnecessary.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric was momentarily puzzled, a look of confusion on his face. ¡®What does Mr. Harper mean by this?¡® He continued. ¡°Mr. Harper, however, this doesn¡¯t seem to be a human¨Ccaused incident. The Prime Minister sent guards to watch over Robin, and they reported that Robin ran out of the hospital on his own. They say he was acting crazy when he left, lookingpletely abnormal. It¡¯s very likely that he really couldn¡¯t handle thepetition results and chose tomit suicide, not a human¨Ccaused act.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Kaiden¡¯s eyes darkened, and his expression became gloomy. ¡®Would someone like Robinmit suicide?¡® He found it unlikely. ¡®Robin¡¯s business with my brother makes billions every year. Even if he lost, he wouldn¡¯t be so willing to die.¡® He knew that only an instructor had the means to kill Robin in a way that was unclear.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden waved his hand and asked in a low voice, ¡°What about that afternoon match with Major General Jeremiah? Haven¡¯t we found any information on him yet? What style of swordsmanship does he use?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric leaned forward. ¡°Mr. Harper, we haven¡¯t found anything yet, but I have a lead. Our people have been following Jeremiah¡¯s mother, Aurora. This Jeremiah is the only son of Mr. Chavez Clifford from the Clusia Ministry of Foreign Affairs If we want to ensure victory without fail, we can target Mrs. Chavez. Should we first knock her out and hide her? Then, reveal the information to Jeremiah. Should we prioritize his mother or the match? Jeremiah will definitely save his mother first. Even if he manages to get back to thepetition, his performance will be significantly weakened. By then, your victory will be a done deal, won¡¯t it?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden nced at him. This method was too risky. If it failed, the consequences would be unimaginable. He needed to consider carefully.</font></font>


    Seeing Kaiden hesitating, Cedric quickly added in a low voice. ¡°Mr. Harper, this was secretly ordered by Mr. Hall. In the fencingpetition, we can only afford to win, not lose. He is willing to use any means to win. Moreover, if we lose, as you know, your father won¡¯t be able to exin it. So you need to decide quickly!¡± Cedric was persuasive. He immediately added. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re not going to kill Aurora. We¡¯ll just use some tactics to hide her. Once the match starts, we¡¯ll release her immediately. Nothing will happen. As long as you agree, our people will act right away!¡±


    Kaiden knew Kyle was desperate. He couldn¡¯t allow any mistakes in this match; Ybau¡¯s reputation couldn¡¯t be tarnished a second time. Kaiden lit a cigar, lowered his head, his eyes cold and ruthless. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it your way, but you must ensure Aurora¡¯s safety. If something happens to her, none of us will survive. This is Clusia. We¡¯re dealing with Mrs. Chavez of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If something goes wrong, Mr. Hall won¡¯t be able to protect us either. Understood?¡± Cedric immediately nodded upon hearing his agreement. Rest assured, Mr. Harper, we will make sure Aurora is safe. Our goal is simply to ensure you win this match.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Kaiden gave a slight nod. ¡°Go ahead, I need to rest for a while and prepare for this afternoon¡¯s match.¡± After saying that, he closed his eyes, clearly not wanting to say anything more. After the door closed, Kaiden suddenly opened his eyes wide. ¡®Kyle¡¯s influence is far¨Creaching; the people around me must have been bought off. Cedric is finished, like a ticking time bomb, unusable now. Luckily, ver considered him a close ally


    At 1 PM, the Chavez family¨CAurora and Clifford¨Cfinished their Clusian meal and nned to head to thepetition venue. On the way, Clifford took a work call and left first, specifically instructing his driver to pick up Aurora and take her to the venue. Aurora had put on another ¡°elegant¡± haute couture outfit, this time a simple and graceful white dress, very elegant.


    In the car, while Aurora was touching up her makeup, the car suddenly stopped.


    The male driver nced at the road ahead and then turned to Aurora, saying, ¡°Mrs. Chavez, it looks like there¡¯s been ident up ahead. Two people are arguing, and it might take a while. This road is a bit off the main city area, but it¡¯s the fastest way to the scene. Do we wait a bit or take a detour? Taking a detour now would add about forty minutes. How should we proceed?¡±


    Aurora put down herpact mirror and looked ahead. There were indeed two people arguing, and two cars were blocking the center of the road. ¡®But if we detour now, we might bete. In such an important asion, beingte isn¡¯t good and could lead to negative media coverage.¡® After thinking for a moment, Aurora said, ¡°Max, go down and take a look. See if you can move the cars to let us first.¡±


    The driver, Max, replied, ¡°Alright, Mrs. Chavez, but there¡¯s not much traffic or people here right now. Just in case, please don¡¯t get out of the car. I¡¯ll go check it out first.¡± Max had also retired from the military, so he had a strong sense of security. Aurora¡¯s status couldn¡¯t afford any mistakes.


    After Max got out, he approached the scene. The two arguing men saw himing and made eye contact, escting the argument. They started pushing and shoving each other even more aggressively.


    Eastern Hotel, thepetition venue, was still set up here, right next to the hall where the chess match took ce yesterday.


    In the lobby, media from various countries had arrived early today. Yesterday, they witnessed a miracle by a Clusian girl, and today, who knows what surprises await.


    Netizens were also ready early online, waiting for the 4 PM match.


    [There¡¯s only half an hour left until four o¡¯clock. Oh my gosh, I¡¯m so excited!]


    [You¡¯re not the only one excited. I was so excited yesterday that I didn¡¯t sleep all night. Yesterday¡¯s chess match, the goddess really brought honor to us Clusians.]


    [I dreamed about the goddess saying those four words all night, World Champion¡®? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s just amazing?]


    [Upstairs, where are the other world champions? Didn¡¯t you see this morning¡¯s news? The person who jumped was preliminarily identified as Robin, right?]


    [It¡¯s not surprising if it¡¯s him. With such fragile mental resilience. I believe he could do something like jumping off.]


    [I think so too¡­]


    In thepetition hall, Kaiden was dressed in a special fencing uniform, wearing a homemade helmet, sitting on a chair without saying a word. Suddenly, Cedric walked in from the door.

 Chapter 345

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric walked over to Kaiden and said proudly, ¡°Mr. Harper, Aurora and her driver have been knocked out by our people. Jeremiah will soon learn that his mother has been kidnapped. We¡¯ve taken Aurora to Heaven¡¯s Bliss Resort, which is 6 to 56 miles away from Betrico. By the time he finds her, there won¡¯t be enough time for him to return to thepetition. By then, your victory is assured.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down even for a Kaiden pressed his lips together, his face serious and his eyes reddening. He couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down even for a moment. Kaiden instructed Cedric. ¡°Remember, no one should be harmed, understood?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Cedric nodded. ¡°Understood, Mr. Harper. Rest assured, our people know wh on this matter. Aurora will not be harmed. Just focus on the match.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At 3:30 PM, Jase and Kyle entered thepetition venue surrounded b a they¡¯re doing. I¡¯ve repeatedly instructed them</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah had also changed into hispetition attire and entered the venue?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Next to him was Jacob, who had returned from the rainforest after making a bet with Yvette. After being provoked by Yvette in the rainforest, Jacob had worked hard and was now Jeremiah¡¯s personal bodyguard.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Media from various countries focused their cameras on Jeremiah as he walked in. Due to his special status, his mask was custom¨Cmade. With the mask on, Jeremiah only revealed his bright, deep blue eyes, hiding the rest of his facial features. This was a specific request from Jeremiah himself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden sat on a bench, watching Jeremiah walk in with his boots clicking. He lowered his eyes, his fingers tightening. Will everything go as smoothly as I imagined today? What choice will Jeremiah make?¡® He usually wouldn¡¯t take such uncertain actions, but this time he had no other option. ¡®But I have no way back now. If I don¡¯t want to be a pawn, I have to take the risk. I just hope everything goes smoothly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In thepetition hall, Andrew and Charles sat in the front row of the audience. Yvette and Samantha hadn¡¯te; they were still in Sknd. Only the two of them had arrived.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew saw Jeremiah approaching and stood up in the audience, starting to chant, ¡°Jeremiah, Jeremiah, you¡¯re the strongest Jeremiah, Jeremiah, you¡¯re the best!¡± His enthusiastic cheering sessfully drew everyone¡¯s attention to him, and the media¡¯s cameras all focused on Andrew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles, seeing this, moved aside and covered his face with a newspaper. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to mess this up.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tim heard Andrew¡¯s voice and turned around, his expression changing. ¡®Who the hell raised this idiot? Why is Samantha so smart and capable, while this brat pisses me off to no end?¡®</font></font>


    An official who knew Andrew and was sitting next to Tim smiled and said to Tim, ¡°Mr. Mitchell, look at this. Truly, like father, like son. Mr. Mitchell¡¯s cheering looks really impressive.¡±


    Another minister from the judicial department nodded in agreement. ¡°Exactly. Everyone in Betrico envies the rtionship between Mr. Mitchell and Jeremiah. They¡¯ve been close since childhood. Look at this setting¨CMr. Mitchell has to be here


    Tim had some dealings with these two people in the past; they were all in the samepound and knew that these two had no other intentions. Otherwise, he would have kicked them for saying such foolish things like ¡°like father, like son.¡± Forget that like father, like son crap. This is so embarrassing!¡®


    Clifford had just finished handling something and arrived at thepetition venue. He took out his phone, staring at the screen with a serious expression. He suddenly had a bad feeling


    ¡®I can¡¯t reach either Aurora or the driver, Max. If one phone has an issue, both can¡¯t be down at the same time. There¡¯s definitely something fishy here. Besides, Max¡¯s phone is an internal line; it shouldn¡¯t have issues like unpaid bills. I¡¯ve called almost fifteen times and still can¡¯t reach either of them. Something must have happened! Thinking this, Clifford couldn¡¯t stay seated. He stood up to leave but received a photo and text from an unknown number.


    [They want Aurora to stay alive and Jeremiah toe personally. The location will be notified ten minutester. Don¡¯t make any noise, or face the consequences.]


    After reading this, Clifford¡¯s face changed dramatically, his demeanor shifting. I knew it. Aurora is in trouble! Clifford was extremely anxious, but he immediately realized that the true purpose of this message was to prevent Jeremiah from attending today¡¯s fencing match. Who kidnapped Aurora? No need to guess¨Cit was Ybau.


    Clifford tightly held his phone, his gaze coldly fixed on Kyle and the visiting Ybau delegation. ¡®Using such underhanded tactics for a fair match!¡® Although he knew Aurora wasn¡¯t in life¨Cthreatening danger, Clifford couldn¡¯t risk her life. ¡®If Jeremiah really doesn¡¯te to save her, and the Ybau kidnappers be truly ruthless¡­


    Clifford stared at the thirty¨Cminute countdown on the big screen, feeling dazed and stuck in ce. At this moment, he was more conflicted than ever, unable to make a choice. ¡®I know if Jeremiah is told about this, he will choose Aurora over the match. But without him, where can we find someone to rece him at thest minute: If we randomly pick someone, not only will we lose, but we might lose terribly. Clusia can¡¯t afford to lose face either!Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Clifford walked over to Jase and whispered, ¡°Dad, Aurora has been kidnapped. The kidnappers are demanding that Jeremiahes personally, or else¡­¡±


    Jase¡¯s grip on his cane suddenly tightened, and his expression darkened instantly, his aura turning cold. The people sitting nearby noticed this change, and the quiet conversation came to an abrupt halt. They didn¡¯t dare say anything more. Jase¡¯s sudden shift in demeanor,bined with Clifford¡¯s serious face, clearly indicated that something was wrong.


    Kyle turned to him, concern etched on his face. ¡°Jase, what¡¯s going on? Is something wrong?¡±


    Jase didn¡¯t even turn his head, replying curtly, ¡°It¡¯s a family matter; you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    Kyle knew exactly what was happening, but he pretended to be oblivious and nodded, then turned back to watch the game, focusing intently on it.


    After a moment, Jase spoke, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°Go tell Jeremiah to make his own decision. Whatever he decides, we, the Chavez family, will support him. No matter how big the problem is, I¡¯ll handle it, got it?¡±


    Clifford nodded. ¡°Understood, Dad.¡± Even though he was burning with anxiety, he maintained a calm exterior. ¡®Now is not the time to let the Ybaun people see us panicking. We must show them that the honorable Clusia cannot be defeated by cunning tricks.¡®


    Clifford walked down the stairs and approached Jeremiah. He waved his hand at Jeremiah and handed him his phone. ¡°Jeremiah, your mom is in trouble. They want you to go in person.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s brow furrowed, and his eyes instantly turned frosty. He nced expressionlessly at Kaiden sitting across from him and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

 Chapter 346

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford knew his son would make this choice. His expression hardened; they needed to substitute someone else. Clifford said, ¡°Jeremiah, do you have anyone in your team who can take your ce?¡± This was the only solution he could think of. If they had to change, they could find someone from the army. That might give them a fighting chance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah lowered his gaze, looking at Clifford, and replied in a deep voice, ¡°No need. Just wait for me.¡± After saying this, he stepped aside. Jacob immediately handed him the phone, saying, ¡°Major General, your call.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the distance, Kaiden watched as Jeremiah walked away, speaking on the phone but couldn¡¯t hear anything due to the distance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah picked up the phone and dialed a number, which was Yvette¡¯s exclusive line. Once connected, he asked directly, ¡°Do you want topete in this match?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Sknd, Yvette was curled up on the sofa with her phone. Upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow. On the table were fruits Jeremiah had cut before leaving, and Samantha was sitting nearby, working on herptop.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette responded sinctly, ¡°Something happened? Be there in fifteen minutes.¡± She stood up from the sofa as she spoke.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah knew he didn¡¯t need to say more; the young girl understood immediately. He stated seriously, ¡°My mom has been kidnapped by the Ybauns. They want me to go in person.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just that brief statement stopped Yvette, who was putting on her coat. Her brows furrowed, her eyes shing with a cold light, and her voice was disturbingly calm. ¡°Bring back the kidnappers; I¡¯ll deal with them personally.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been ages since anyone dared to touch someone I protect.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">REFERER 287 Portte continued. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you your aunt¡¯s</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">location i</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">just head straight there.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah understood. ¡®Looks like the young girl is a bona fide hacker. Only a hacker could find someone in such a short time. He didn¡¯t waste time and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After hanging up, Yvette nced at Samantha, her eyes swirling with unfathomable emotions. ¡°Get dressed; we¡¯re heading out. I need you to drive to Eastern Hotel.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked up, startled. ¡®What are we going to Eastern Hotel for now?¡® She could clearly sense that Yvette was in a very bad mood after hearing Jeremiah¡¯s phone call. Samantha quickly stood up. ¡°No problem, Yve. Are we leaving now?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded. ¡°Yes, bring yourptop; I need it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She sensed that something urgent was happening, so she chose a sports car and nned to speed over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">seat Yvette opened herptop, her slender, fair fingers flying dizzy. Two minutester, a red dot appeared on the screen. Yvette sent the location of the red dot to Jeremiah and then shut theptop,pleting the entire process in under five</font></font>


    In the car, Samantha drove while Yvette sat in the across the keyboard, performing actions that legger s minutes.


    At thepetition venue, when Jeremiah received the text, his eyes lit up. He whispered a few words to Jacob, whose expression shifted to one of excitement. After speaking, Jeremiah left the venue wearing hispetition uniform.


    Seeing him leave, Clifford quickly chased after him. There were only fifteen minutes left in thepetition. He caught up to Jeremiah and anxiously asked, ¡°Jeremiah, do you have news about your mom? Where is she?¡±


    Jeremiah halted and replied in a low voice, ¡°The girl found Moin¡¯s location and sent me the coordinates. She¡¯s at a resort about 31 to 35 miles from Betrico. I¡¯m going knew his dad was probably going crazy with worry, but he had to keep hisposure in this situation.


    ere now, Dad. I promise I¡¯ll bring Mom back safely; don¡¯t worry.¡± Jeremiah


    Clifford was momentarily stunned by this news before asking, ¡°You mean your wife found her?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell youter. I¡¯m off to save Mom now.¡±


    At the entrance of Eastern Hotel, Samantha was giving it her all. A trip that usually took twenty minutes only took her ten. Once they arrived, Samantha turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Yve, you go ahead. I¡¯ll head to thepetition venue directly afterward.¡±


    Yvette narrowed her dark eyes and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Yvette walked away, Samantha looked around, then took out a stic bag. With a ¡°wow,¡± she emptied the fruit she had just eaten¡­ It was her first time driving this fast. Although she usually didn¡¯t get car sick, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore after such a ride, holding back all the way. ¡®I have to hold it together in front of Yve. Otherwise, if she sees me throwing up, that would be so embarrassing. I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¯


    When Yvette reached the entrance, Jacob was already waiting there. The major general had informed him that Yvette would rece him in the match¡­ Jacob was so excited. Since parting in the rainforest, he had idolized Yvette. He never expected to see her again so soon, and in this context. Just thinking about Yvette ying crocodiles fired him up. ¡°Today is bound to be even more exciting. That Kaiden is really out of luck. When this big shot takes action, it doesn¡¯t matter who you are!¡®


    As soon as Jacob saw Yvette approaching, he rushed over. ¡°Grand¨Caunt, I¡¯m Jacob. Do you remember me?¡±


    Yvette nced at him and nodded. ¡°I remember; we met in the rainforest. You lost the bet.¡±


    Jacob¡¯s face flushed. ¡®Why does this big shot remember so clearly?¡® He continued. ¡°Grand¨Caunt, the major general told me to wait for you here. Thepetition outfit is ready, and don¡¯t worry; the mask is custom¨Cmade. No one will see your face.¡± Yvette stood at the entrance with her hands in her pockets, her expression indifferent, her voice cold. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Jacob quickly led the way, avoiding everyone as they entered the changing room. He stood at the door, waiting.


    When Yvette finally came out again, she looked entirely different, dressed in a white fencing uniform, with her face fully concealed by the mask. The only thing that could be discerned was that she was a woman; everything else was hidden.


    At a quarter past three, the Clusia vs. Ybaun fencing exchange match officially began.


    The first to enter the arena was Kaiden, striding aggressively onto thepetition field. He gestured to the audience, then stood tall, sword in hand, his expression cold and indifferent.


    Harper focused on the entrance at the other end of the arena. He had received word leaving Eastern Hotel, meaning he had chosen his mother over thepetition.


    Jeremiah had confirmed he was


    ¡®As expected, the Clusian people are all about loyalty, but that will only lead to their downfall. What good is loyalty? Just like that fool Charles back in the day; in this world, only the ruthless can rise to power. I, Kaiden, have long since cut off my feelings. This Jeremiah seems to be all show; if the person recing him today loses, this major general will surely be scorned by everyone.¡®


    The Clusia host announced, ¡°Let¡¯s wee our contestant to the stage


    At thepetition venue, apuse erupted. The Clusian people were always full of enthusiasm and solidarity in their own arena.


    ¡°Clusia will win!¡±


    ¡°Clusia will win!¡±


    ¡°Clusia will win!¡±

 Chapter 347

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the next second, the Clusia host saw a fencer emerge from the right side of the arena. He could only tell from the figure whether it was a man or a woman. The host¡¯s jaw nearly dropped as he nced down at the list in his hand. ¡®Wait a minute, this clearly says Jeremiah, male, Clusia major general. How did he turn from a man into a woman in less than half an hour¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Not only were the Clusia hosts surprised, but even the spectators were taken aback. ¡®How could a womane up topete?¡® Most of them already knew Jeremiah would bepeting. ¡®What on earth is going on? Clearly, this is ast- minute switch!¡® Those who were quick to connect the dots remembered Clifford¡¯s serious expression earlier and realized something big must have happened; otherwise, Jeremiah would never have left mid¨Cway. The atmosphere instantly became tense.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The host, confused, quickly looked toward the staff below the stage but was surprised to see Clifford standing to one side. Clifford nodded, giving the host a reassuring look, then took the conversation headset. ¡°Continue.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The host suddenly understood and, drawing on their professionalism, began to exin thepetition rules again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford watched the figure on stage, rubbing his temples, fatigue and worry evident in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t expected Jeremiah to let Yvettepete in his ce. ¡®I wonder if this decision is really the right one?¡® However, thinking of Yvette¡¯s identity with Interpol, Clifford felt that perhaps his future daughter¨Cinw could really surprise him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the main stage, Jase subtly nced at the figure in the center, his gaze deepening. It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t surprised; he waspletely bewildered about what this kid could or couldn¡¯t do. He began to question whether the information he had wasplete. ¡®I hope this kid can give the Clusian people another surprise,¡® he thought eagerly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kyle, sitting beside Jase, had been watching his movements with keen interest. ¡®How could Clusia send a woman topete? That¡¯s impossible! Even if they¡¯re not using their major general, they could easily grab a few men from the army. What kind of ability is it to have a womanpete? It seems they really have no one left to use. Ybau is bound to win this match; they have to reim all the dignity they lost in thest round.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No one noticed that after Clusia¡¯s representative appeared, Kaiden waspletely dumbfounded. Standing on stage, he stared nkly at the figure walking toward him leisurely, panic and fear nearly impossible to hide in his eyes. Though his face revealed nothing, he could never forget those eyes¨Ccold and indifferent, devoid of warmth¨Cas if nothing in the world mattered to her.</font></font>


    Kaiden¡¯s hand holding the sword trembled slightly. He had never expected that after calcting every angle to keep Jeremiah frompeting, he had ended up switching his opponent to a coach. ¡®Is God ying tricks on me? Why? Why is the coachpeting instead of Jeremiah? What went wrong? I must have missed something crucial¡­¡® Kaiden¡¯s mind was in chaos, nearly losing its ability to think.


    The fencing match was still being broadcast live, capturing Kaiden¡¯s dazed and disoriented state clearly. Online viewers began discussing it again.


    [I mean, does anyone else think Kaiden looks really weird? He seems to know ourpetitor somehow.]


    [Upstairs, I feel the same way. Not only that, I think Kaiden looks scared. Is his left hand shaking?]


    [But that¡¯s not the main point, is it? Don¡¯t you think the real shock is that Clusia¡¯spetitor is a woman again? The goddess¡¯s performance yesterday was fierce, and I¡¯m even more excited for today. Who do you think is prettier, this girl or the goddess?]


    [Upstairs, fellow kindred spirits! I¡¯m super excited, but it¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face. She must look incredibly cool.]


    [Do you think it¡¯s possible that this person is the goddess herself


    [What kind of daydreaming is that upstairs? The goddess can¡¯tpete in two matches; that¡¯s just absurd.J


    [I really hope left for us ordinary people.


    ; if the goddess is this amazing at fencing, there¡¯sProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    [Exactly¡­ If we win this match, it¡¯ll be our second victory in a row.]


    At thepetition venue, Charles focused on the person on stage. He recognized that familiar figure. ¡®Something must have happened for the coach to suddenlypete? This has to be Kaiden¡¯s doing. He¡¯s always been willing to do anything to secure victory, but I wonder what it is this time? How could he get Jeremiah removed from such an important match?


    Charles sighed; he suddenly felt a bit sorry for Kaiden. ¡°This fool must not have figured out the rtionship between coach and Jeremiah, or he would never have dared to target Jeremiah. This is just fate ying tricks¨Cnow the coach is the one handling him. To Charles, the oue of this match was already certain, with no suspense. ¡®I just wonder how the coach will deal with Kaiden. Today is definitely going to be Kaiden¡¯s worst nightmare. Given the coach¡¯s protective nature, if Kaiden really has set his sights on Jeremiah, his life might be in danger.¡¯


    Andrew¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, swallowing hard. ¡°Charles, is that Yvette?¡±


    On stage, Yvette stood facing Kaiden, her gaze piercing and cold, lifting her eyelids just to nce at him before looking away.


    That look of indifference only fueled Kaiden¡¯s anger. ¡®Why has the coach never seen my growth and effort over the years? I¡¯m already the heir of the Steel Serpents, yet the coach still views me as worthless. Do I not even deserve to have the coach acknowledge me?¡®


    Kaiden kept his head down, ncing at the sword in his right hand, which was starting to tremble. He knew he had already lost most of the match before it even started; he couldn¡¯t muster the strength to resist in front of Yvette. I¡¯ve known since training camp how high the coach¡¯s fencing level is. Is there even any point in this match anymore?¡® Kaiden realized he had no way out; he couldn¡¯t retreat. If he went back to the Steel Serpents, he would still be amb to the ughter.


    Yvette stood casually, sword in hand, appearing utterly unconcerned about the match. From her stance alone, it was obvious she was just going through the motions,pletelycking the seriousness expected in apetition, contrasting sharply with Kaiden¡¯s tense demeanor.


    The disparity was obvious to everyone present; they looked at each other in disbelief. ¡®Where did this powerhousee from? Why does this match seem so casual and easy?

 Chapter 348

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At 4:15, the fencing match officially began.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The people watching from below the stage grew tense as they observed the two standing with swords.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As the countdown reached itsst second, Kaiden gritted his teeth, resolved, and struck first. ¡®After all these years, my swordsmanship has improved dramatically. I¡¯m not the same as used to be. I¡¯ll win this fencing match even if it costs me everything. Besides, I might not even lose; surely the coach must have moments of weakness, right?¡® He knew he could only approach this match with a sense of luck.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched as Kaiden¡¯s sword came toward her, stepping aside effortlessly and perfectly avoiding his strike.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden knew that this attack wouldn¡¯t harm the coach; if it could she wouldn¡¯t be the top coach of the Mysonna underground. He charged forward again, his sword thrusting menacingly toward Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They exchanged blows, with Kaiden mainly attacking and Yvette focusing on defense. The audience below was on edge, confused about why she was only defending. ¡®Is it because she can¡¯t fight back? Is she just dodging the attacks?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Online, viewers were heatedly discussing what they saw.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Wow, why does this girl keep dodging? Isn¡¯t she going to attack? I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on here!]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I agree with the person upstairs; it doesn¡¯t make sense for her to keep dodging. Could she be preparing some big move?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I think she¡¯s just dodging because she can¡¯t handle it. Kaiden¡¯s fencing is so powerful; the average person wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Based on what you¡¯re saying upstairs, it seems we have no hope in this match. I was hoping for a double victory; what a shame.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[If they lose, there¡¯s nothing to be done; matches always have winners and losers. The girl has shown a lot of courage; let¡¯s not criticize her.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hey, what are you talking about upstairs? If she keeps dodging, we¡¯ll lose respect for her; she deserves to be criticized.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clearly, online opinions about the match had split into two factions¨Cthose supporting and understanding her, and those ready to pounce on the keyboard, waiting to criticize as soon as she lost.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">neither would and at this rate, On stage, Kaiden continued to attack, but no matter how hard he tried, Yvette would only defend. Initially, Kaiden thought she had a strategy, but now he was starting to lose rity. The score remained zero to zero, win. ¡®Is Yvette hoping for a draw? But there¡¯s no way this match can end in a draw.</font></font>Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ten minutester, Kaiden¡¯s attacks slowed, his stamina waning.</font></font>


    Yvette still stood casually, clearly with no intention of attacking. It wasn¡¯t until a faint vibration came from the stage that Yvette raised her eyelids and slightly arched her delicate eyebrows. ¡®I was almost falling asleep waiting.¡® She thought as she leisurely brushed off some dust from her fencing outfit. The vibration was the signal from her agreement with Jeremiah- once Aurora was safe, Jeremiah would send a message. With half¨Clidded eyes, Yvette finally looked at Kaiden properly.


    Kaiden caught Yvette¡¯s gaze, momentarily stunned, then saw her lips move. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Before Kaiden could react, Yvette was already in front of him. On the screen, it was just a blur as her figure flickered across, suddenly appearing on the opposite side.


    The audience below gasped, unable to suppress their amazement. ¡°Oh my god¡­ oh my god¡­.¡±


    The host on the side of the stage was just as bewildered. ¡®What just happened? How did she suddenly move from one side to the other so quickly¡­ Was that magic?¡®


    Andrew, dumbstruck, pointed toward the stage, turning to Charles next to him. ¡°Holy crap, is your sister¨Cinw some kind of goddess? Was that magic just now?¡±


    Charles calmly nodded, his voice steady. ¡°No, that¡¯s Yve¡¯s signature technique¨Cno one else can master it.¡± Thebination of her speed and internal energy allowed her to move in a way that almost defied reality. Back in training camp, she had taught it, but no one could learn it.


    Kaiden had never seen this move before. By that time, he had already been expelled, so his expression grew more serious than ever. He had experienced the coach¡¯s methods before, but the Ybau only practiced Tradecraft, which had no connection to ancient warrior techniques. No matter how much he had trained back then, he could never blend the two. Kaiden lowered his head, staring at the mark on his chest¨Che had been hit. Sure enough, the next second, the screen showed a score of 1-0.


    Before Kaiden could think much, Yvette¡¯s second strike came, aimed straight for Kaiden¡¯s left leg. Kaiden hurriedly stepped back, but before he could retreat fully, Yvette was already in front of him again. The sh of the sword dazzled him; in the blink of an eye, they brushed past each other. Yvette¡¯s gaze, devoid of eyes, simply swept past his vision. He panicked, nearly losing grip on his sword, almost dropping it to the ground.


    The crowd gasped, with some people even standing up from their seats.


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s a tear in Kaiden¡¯s fencing outfit.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I saw it too. Didn¡¯t they say this fencing suit was made with space nanotechnology? It shouldn¡¯t be cut; what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ This fencing suit has never been torn. I¡¯ve watched so many matches over the years and have never seen anything like this. That sword energy must have contained the power of mountains and rivers; otherwise, how could it have such force with just one strike?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating! It sounds so fantastical to me.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s really not exaggerated at all. Fencing suits undergo millions of tests. I heard this particr one Kaiden is wearing was custom¨Cmade by experts from Ybau at the request of their prime minister. It¡¯s probably even tougher.¡±


    Kaiden couldn¡¯t hear a word of the discussions below. His mind was buzzing, and he looked down at his chest. Not only was it torn, but he also knew that Yvette¡¯s second strike had injured his flesh and bones; he could already smell the blood. The score on the screen had turned to two to zero, the zero standing out starkly.


    With only three minutes left in the match, everyone knew the oue. They finally understood why this big shot had held back at the beginning. At this rate, if he made a move, what chance would Kaiden have? This match wouldn¡¯t even be worth watching anymore; it would just be a personal showcase.


    Clusia¡¯sizens had already begun celebrating online, with some wildly typing out apologies for their earlier misunderstandings.


    Kaiden gritted his teeth and suddenly charged at Yvette like a madman. ¡°There¡¯s no time left. If I can¡¯t win, I can¡¯t lose this badly.¡® I have to at least score one point, so Kaiden made a desperate move, aiming to injure Yvette by three points while injuring himself by ten, but that would allow him to get one point.


    Below, Kyle looked at the score, his expression darkening further ¡®Why did we, Ybau, lose both matches to a Clusian woman? And in chess and fencing, which are our strong suits¡­ especially since today¡¯s match has even ended with a score of zero


    This time, Kyle lost so much. Ybau not only lost face but also didn¡¯t gain any advantages in the trade contract.

 Chapter 349

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On stage, Yvette watched as Kaiden charged at her like a mad dog. She casually sidestepped, dodging him, then quickly turned her sword, delivering a clean counter¨Cstrike with no hesitation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The de shed, and Kaiden couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Yvette¡¯s sword pierced his shoulder, and Kaiden awkwardly bowed. His protective visor even fell to the floor, his hair bing disheveled, and blood began to seep from his chest.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden clutched his chest, a mouthful of blood surging up. He forcefully swallowed it back down, then red at Yvette, saying, ¡°You¡¯re still you, never changed.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked down at Kaiden, who was on the ground, clearly unwilling to ept defeat, turned, and left without saying a word, utterly ignoring him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden let his hands drop,cking the strength to even clench a fist. His face turned ashen. He already knew the oue of this match; it was just that he couldn¡¯t ept losing everything. Losing this match meant losing Kyle as his supporter; all the opportunities he had painstakingly fought for had beenpletely ruined by Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The crowd fell into a deathly silence, their breathing even slowing down. No one had expected that thest strike would not only tear Kaiden¡¯s fencing suit but also seriously injure him; the blood had clearly been there for a while.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the final second, the match stopped, and the screen prominently disyed the score of three to zero. That number felt like a p in the face to everyone in the visiting delegation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase turned to nce at Kyle, whose face was dark with anger, and calmly said, ¡°Prime Minister Kyle, I concede.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kyle could no longer maintain his facade, standing up and leaving the match hall under the siege of numerous reporters. Jase turned to look at the stage, where only Kaiden bowed in despair; Yvette had long vanished.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, Clifford had received a call from Jeremiah that Aurora had been rescued. He was eager to return home and had already arranged for his subordinates. He approached Jase and said, ¡°Dad, Aurora has been rescued. I won¡¯t be going back with you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase nodded, tapping his cane and waving him off. ¡°Go on, go on. What good is it to be present in body but not in spirit? Go back and check on your daughter¨Cinw.¡± He paused and then called Clifford back, his tone growing cold. ¡°What about the kidnappers? Did Jeremiah say?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford stopped, his voice grave. ¡°Jeremiah said they have already been taken away. My daughter¨Cinw said she wants to deal with them herself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t intervene. Let her handle it as she sees fit. She knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±</font></font>


    Clifford nodded in agreement. ¡®We probably have a good understanding of what kind of person Yvette is. Those people who fall into her hands¡­ will definitely have a hard time. Anyone who dares to touch my wife deserves to die a thousand times over.¡¯


    After Yvette left the Eastern Hotel, Samantha was waiting by the sports car with her phone in hand, having been watching the live stream. ¡®Another day of being dazzled by Yve¡¯s charm, That final strike was truly remarkable. As soon as she saw Yvette, she rushed over, asking, ¡°Yve, are we going back to Sknd now?¡±


    Yvette nodded, her red lips slightly parting. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to the First Military District first.¡±


    Samantha paused for a moment, confirming. ¡°Yve, are you saying we¡¯re going to the First Military District?¡±


    Yvette replied, ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±


    At the entrance of the First Military District, Yvette was in the driver¡¯s seat, her expression impassive.


    Samantha sat in the passenger seat, patting her chest, her palms mmy with sweat, nervously looking at Yvette. ¡®I finally experienced what it¡¯s like to be swept away at breakneck speed. I thought I was fast, but Yve is the real deal.


    The road from the Eastern Hotel to the First Military District was mostly winding mountain roads with curves. Samantha thought this big shot would case up a little, but to her surprise, Yvette sped through the curves. ¡®One wrong move could mean disaster. Although Samantha didn¡¯t want to admit it, she truly felt her legs were a bit wobbly. In just half an hour, she felt like she had teetered on the brink of death countless times. Each curve felt like a near escape, but Yvette remainedpletely unfazed, her calm expression seeming inhuman.


    Samantha took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. ¡°Yve, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a professional race car driver?¡± She voiced her suspicions.


    Yvette turned off the engine and tilted her head upon hearing this, smirking slightly, her ck¨Cand¨Cwhite eyes fixed on Samantha, silent for a few seconds. ¡°I used to y around with it for a few years, but not anymore. It¡¯s not interesting.¡±


    Samantha didn¡¯t expect to hit the nail on the head. ¡®I knew it! If Yve¡¯s skills weren¡¯t from professional racing, I wouldn¡¯t believe it. But what does ¡®not interesting¡® even mean? That sounds a bit strange.¡¯


    At that moment, the massive gate of the First Military District opened, revealing Jeremiah in military uniform standing in the middle, nked by soldiers standing at attention, each looking serious and unwavering.


    In fact, Yvette¡¯s car had already been located by satellite navigation when it was at the mountain¡¯s base, so themand center at the First Military District had already seen the vehicle¡¯s entire route, including its thrilling speed through the


    curves.


    Yvette got out of the car, and Jeremiah immediately walked out to her, ignoring Samantha, who followed her out.


    basically just


    Samantha shrugged, indicating she was used to it¨Cand very much so. As long as Yve was around, they were decoration in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes.


    Samantha greeted. ¡°Jeremiah.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded at her. ¡°Mm.¡± Then he took Yvette¡¯s hand and said in a serious tone, ¡°The people who kidnapped Mom have been brought to the interrogation room. My men questioned them beforehand, but they¡¯re tough. They¡¯re likely suicide warriors and Tradecrafters trained by Steel Serpents. These types of people will try everything to kill themselves once a mission fails, so getting information from them will be difficult.¡±


    Jeremiah had dealt with these Tradecrafter suicide warriors before. Years ago, while capturing an international fugitive in Ybau, those people would rather bite off their tongues and die than reveal the hiding ce of their leader. In the end, he had to follow clues to find the fugitive¡¯s location himself, eventually bringing them to justice.¡±


    This time, Ybau and Kaiden seem determined to seed. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have deployed Tradecrafters. After all, training a Tradecrafter starts from a young age, requiring immense financial and human resources to produce a high¨Clevel one. This time, Jeremiah caught five high¨Clevel Tradecrafters in one go¨Can impressive feat.


    Samantha, following behind them, understood what was going on. ¡®So Aurora was kidnapped by Ybauns, and they even sent Tradecrafters to do it. That¡¯s just so despicable.¡±¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yvette only nodded coldly. ¡°They¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Jeremiah paused. ¡®How is she so sure? I feel like she¡¯s about to unlock some new skills again. But getting Tradecrafters and suicide warriors to talk? That¡¯s definitely no easy task.¡¯Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 350

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the way from the military district to the interrogation room, all the soldiers stopped to salute Jeremiah, but none seemed surprised that Yvette and Samantha were suddenly here in the First Military District.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This made Samantha a bit curious. ¡®Isn¡¯t it strange? Jeremiah is known as a ruthless general, and he¡¯s never had a woman around him. Yet here we are, Yve and I, and no one seems the least bit curious? Don¡¯t these soldiers gossip about Jeremiah at all?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As they approached the interrogation room, Jeremiah stopped and told Samantha, ¡°Mr. Mitchell is looking for you. Just wait for him in his office.¡± Then he casually called over a passing soldier and ordered, ¡°Take her to Mr. Mitchell¡¯s office.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The young soldier was thrilled; just getting to talk to Jeremiah made him happy for three days. He responded loudly, ¡°Yes, Major General!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha nodded. ¡°Okay, Jeremiah, I understand.¡± Even if Jeremiah hadn¡¯t said anything, she wasn¡¯t interested in interrogating prisoners. ¡®I just have a feeling that Yve¡¯s methods will be terrifying. I¡¯m worried that if I got involved, I¡¯d end up having nightmares. ¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Samantha followed the soldier, Jeremiah turned to Yvette, smiled, and said softly, ¡°Everyone unrted to the interrogation has been removed. The remaining ones are my trusted men, so feel free to do as you like. They won¡¯t leave the interrogation room alive.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvettezily lifted her eyelids and replied, ¡°Got it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah noticed that her mood was off, so he gently squeezed her hand, saying, ¡°Mom is fine. They didn¡¯t dare touch her; they just locked her up.¡± At that moment, a sh of anger crossed Jeremiah¡¯s eyes. ¡®If anything happens to my mom today, I make these people pay a thousand times over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up, her delicate features softened a bit as the coldness in her eyes faded.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah had sensed her bad mood from the moment they met. How could he not know why?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the interrogation room, five men dressed in ck were being held, their faces showing a mix of anger and numbness. They seemed to know their fate, so they didn¡¯t resist, just gritted their teeth in silence. Their hidden poisons had already been confiscated, leaving them desperate for survival but unwilling to betray their master.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Jeremiah and Yvette entered, the expressions of the five men shifted slightly, showing a hint of fear. They recognized that this was the man who hade into the resort and immediately restrained them without a word, able to find them no matter how they hid.</font></font>


    Capturing one of them might not be difficult, but catching all five at once was the work of a master beyondprehension. During the interrogation, this man radiated such a powerful aura, sitting silently without asking a single question¨Cit didn¡¯t feel like an interrogation at all. Men like this were the ones these killers feared the most, intimidating without a word, their intentions inscrutable, and who knows what else they might have in store for them?


    When the five men saw Yvette walking in beside Jeremiah, they exchanged puzzled nces. ¡®Why would they send a woman to interrogate us? Is this some kind of beauty trap?¡®


    Yvette walked around the table, casually pulled out a chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and even took her time to pull out ¨¤ piece of vani toffee from her pocket and slowly started eating it.


    The five men were a bit taken aback by her actions. ¡®Didn¡¯t they say Clusia soldiers were all very disciplined? Why isn¡¯t this female soldier following the usual rules?¡®


    The Clusia soldiers in the interrogation room were also somewhat taken aback, their lips twitching. ¡°This major general¡¯s girlfriend really has a personality. If someone didn¡¯t know better, they might think she was just ying a game with how rxed she is.


    No woman had ever entered the interrogation room before; Yvette was the first.


    Jeremiah ced the prepared orange juice on the table, closest to Yvette, so she could easily reach for it when she got thirsty. Then he sat beside her, skillfully taking oranges from the office, peeling them, and cing them in a fruit bowl, arranging them neatly with calcted spacing.


    The five Ybaun men exchanged nces and began speaking in Srian to ensure the others couldn¡¯t understand them. This was a specific dialect for theirmunication since not many people studied thenguage.


    Meanwhile, Samantha followed the young soldier, feeling she was riding on Yve¡¯s coattails. The Betrico¡¯s First Military District was the nation¡¯s most important military base, and every soldier who could get in had been carefully selected. Many soldiers dreamed of joining the First Military District, whereing from a good family was just the first step, and individuals had to pass numerous assessments. After all, the First Military District controlled the nation¡¯s most crucial military power, aimed at cultivating high¨Clevel military talent, and could not afford any mistakes.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When she was younger, she had been very curious to see inside but her father had firmly refused and warned her sternly that this wasn¡¯t a ce she could visit casually. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Yve, I probably wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to see the First Military District in my lifetime. Since I¡¯m here, I might as well take a good look around.¡®


    Samantha looked at the soldier leading the way and couldn¡¯t help but ask her burning question, ¡°Um, excuse me, is it okay if I ask you a little question?¡±


    The young soldier blushed when the beautiful woman smiled at him. It was the first time in his years in the army that he had met such a pretty girl who spoke so gently, making him extremely shy. He stuttered, ¡°Uh¡­ um, please go ahead, but I refuse to answer anything rted to the military district.¡± With this, his attitude suddenly became firm. ¡®No matter who it is, I won¡¯t say a word about anything concerning national security.


    Samantha waved her hand to rify. ¡°No, you misunderstood. I was just asking if you guys are not at all curious about Jeremiah¡¯s gossip?¡±


    The soldier was taken aback and rubbed the back of his head. ¡°You mean Jeremiah¡¯s gossip?¡±


    Samantha replied, ¡°Yeah, look at us¨Ctwo beautiful girls showing up beside Jeremiah. Isn¡¯t anyone curious?¡± Although this question was a bit silly, Samantha was genuinely curious.


    The soldier looked at Samantha strangely before answering, ¡°Um, you mean the girl standing beside the major general just now? The reason we¡¯re not curious is that we¡¯ve already seen her photos.¡±


    Now it was Samantha¡¯s turn to be dumbfounded, and she eagerly asked, ¡°No way! How could Yvee to the First Military District?¡± Her voice rose in pitch.

 Chapter 351

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The young soldier paused, scratching his head sheepishly. He exined. ¡°The major general¡¯s girlfriend? Almost all of us in the First Military District have seen her photo. It¡¯s framed on Jeremiah¡¯s office desk.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha clicked her tongue. ¡®I really didn¡®$</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">desk. Isn¡¯t that just tant show¨Coff?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">expect that such a reserved guy like Jeremiah would have a photo of her on his</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the interrogation room, the lighting was dim, with only a small skylight barely letting any light through. It was silent and still.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette extended her slender fingers, which were pale and delicate, lightly tapping on the table. She listened as the five kidnappers across from hermunicated in Srian and their organization¡¯s secret codes, discussing how they had to find a way tomit suicide, vowing not to reveal their master. These kidnappers even nned to ambush Jeremiah, willing to do whatever it took to kill him to remain loyal to Ybau.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The five Tradecrafters spoke openly, showing no concern for the people in the interrogation room, convinced that Clusia soldiers wouldn¡¯t understand the obscurenguage of Sria.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A few soldiers had intended to interrupt their conversation but held back when they caught Jeremiah¡¯s eye. Although they didn¡¯t understand why the major general allowed the kidnappers tomunicate, they sensed it had a purpose.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Yvette finished thest piece of orange on the table, she wiped her hands and nced at the bound men across from her, interrupting them. She spoke fluently in Srian, causing the five Tradecrafters to freeze in ce, fear overtaking their faces. ¡°Who do you want to move against?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even the soldiers standing nearby were stunned. This major general¡¯s girlfriend can even speak Srian?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s eyes darkened, and his expression turned knowing. The girl can even handle the obscure indigenousnguage from South East Aploth, so how could Srian be a challenge for her?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">One of the older Tradecrafters, sporting a thin mustache and a gloomy face, red at Yvette and responded, ¡°We are forever loyal to our master. No matter how you torture us, we won¡¯t betray him. Just give up that thought!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">These five Tradecrafters had been secretly trained by Ybau to carry out various missions. Since Clusia was Ybau¡¯s most feared enemy, the first thing these assassins learned was Clusian By the time they reached the advanced level, they were so fluent in Clusian that they could blend in with the Clusian poption without being noticed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette curled her lips slightly, and in the dim interrogation room, the subtle smirk on her face looked quite wicked. She stood up casually, her face expressionless and her eyes devoid of emotion, as she walked over to the man who had spoken earlier. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the chest.</font></font>


    The man didn¡¯t take her move seriously at all, smirking as if to mock her. Just as he was about to say something insulting, Yvette¡¯s seemingly effortless kick sent him flying into the cornernding heavily on the ground with his face hitting the floor. When he tried to get up, his face was a mess. The Tradecrafter tried to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood and copsed back into the corner That one kick had injured his lungs.


    The other four kidnappers stared in disbelief. ¡°This woman actually made our boss cough up blood with just one kick!?¡±


    But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Several of Jeremiah¡¯s soldiers, sharp¨Ceyed as always, dragged the blood¨Cspitting kidnapper from the corner back in front of Yvette and then stepped aside, waiting for further instructions.


    Yvette casually pulled out a pair of ck gloves from her pocket and put them on. She then effortlessly lifted the man, who weighed between 165 to 176 pounds, as if he were a small chick, with no struggle at all.


    Watching Yvette¡¯s actions with a face full of affection. ¡®Let the girl have her fun.


    Jeremiah sat in the chair,


    Yvette carried the man step by step toward the four other bound men and threw him onto the floor like a piece of trash. The man, already severely injured from Yvette¡¯s kick,y there like a rag, panting heavily. Yvette looked down at him, crouched halfway down, and with a loud ¡°crack,¡± she dislocated his jaw. The man let out one final pained wail before falling silent, now only able to re at Yvette with hatred, making faint grunting sounds.


    The four kidnappers watched Yvette¡¯s ruthless actions, their pupils shrinking in fear. They had dealt with Clusian soldiers as vicious as her. before, but they had never encountered a womaContent held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette looked expressionlessly at the chatterin man, her eyes cold, as she pulled out a silver pistol she always carried, silenced it, and loaded it.


    A few assassins saw her draw her gun and thought she was about to put them out of their misery, raising their heads, ready to meet death, their expressions fierce.


    Yvette chuckled lightly at their actions, aimed the gun at the wrist of the man lying on the ground, and with quick precision, fired a shot that pierced straight through his wrist, blood gushing out in a column and sttering the four men¡¯s faces. The man who was shot wanted to scream, but since Yvette had just dislocated his jaw, he couldn¡¯t make a sound, only contorting his face in agony, his eyes bloodshot, struggling to move.


    In the next moment, Yvette turned the silver pistol towards the man¡¯s knee and, without hesitation, fired again, creating a bloody hole in his knee. The man was now half¨Cconscious, and the pain in his body drained him of the strength to even re at Yvette.


    The blood flowing from the man quickly stained the surrounding area red, the vivid blood filling everyone¡¯s vision. The other four weren¡¯t as defiant as before; this kind of torment before death was the most terrifying, and the interrogation room was suddenly filled with the smell of blood.


    Yvette stood in the pool of blood, her facepletely expressionless, as if everything was unrted to her. She looked at the other four while aiming the gun at the nearly dead leader of the kidnappers on the floor, her cold gaze deep as night, finally speaking the second sentence since entering the interrogation room.


    She asked softly, ¡°Skinning alive, quartering, drawing and quartering, capital punishment, scaphism, strangtion- which one do you prefer?¡± It was a casual question, as simple as asking if you had eaten. As soon as she finished speaking, she didn¡¯t even look at the lying kidnapper and casually fired again, this time hitting the lower half of the kidnapper¡¯s body.


    With a thud, everyone stared in shock at the little thing that fell in the middle of his pants,pletely dumbfounded, their expressions a mixture of horror and disbelief.


    The four kidnappers reflexively turned to the expressionless Yvette.


    Jeremiah rubbed his temples. ¡°The ces this girl targets are truly indescribable.¡®


    The soldiers standing nearby suddenly felt a chill run down their spines and collectively swallowed hard. ¡®Where did this Major General Mrs. Chavez find such a ruthless person? How could she think to shoot there?¡®


    But they didn¡¯t know this wasn¡¯t the first time, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be thest.

 Chapter 352

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The four kidnappers exchanged nces, wanting to bite their tongues tomit suicide, just then, Jeremiah walked over in his military boots, his eyes as cold and deep as a frozen abyss, revealing an aura of decisiveness and brutality. Before they could react, he reached out and, without any hesitation, dislocated a few of their jaws. ¡®Want to bite your tongue to die? Dream on!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With their jaws dislocated, they couldn¡¯t close their mouths, staring at Yvette and Jeremiah with resentment on their faces.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette slightly narrowed her eyes, her voice t and low. In the dimly lit interrogation room, her voice echoed. ¡°By the way, I forgot to introduce these methods of punishment. Let me briefly exin them so you can choose. I suggest you go for skinning alive. It¡¯s simple- bury you in the ground with only your head sticking out, then cut a cross on top of your head, peel back your scalp, and pour some mercury inside.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The kidnappers shook their heads desperately, retreating, faces filled with fear that seemed to be breaking through the sky.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah remained silent nearby, his soldiers¡® eyes wide with shock.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned and sat back in her chair, her legs crossed on the table, lookingzy. She picked up an orange from the table, lowered her gaze, and slowly began peeling it, then spoke slowly. ¡°Not satisfied? Well, capital punishment or scaphism is also an option. Starting from your feet, I¡¯ll cut off a thousand pieces of flesh from your body, chop your hands, dig out your eyes, and slice your ears. Don¡¯t worry, my knife skills are excellent; you¡¯ll feel excruciating pain but absolutely won¡¯t faint. You¡¯ll remain fully conscious every minute and every second. How about that? Do you like it?¡± Yvette¡¯s tone was very politepared to the earlier moment when she shot without a word, her current attitude was almost overly friendly, provided you ignored what she was saying.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With each word Yvette spoke, the faces of the four bound criminals grew paler. They had never heard of such tortures, but they knew this woman wasn¡¯t lying. ¡®Doesn¡¯t her treatment of the Boss say everything about her?¡® The mental defenses of the assassins were crumbling one by one, and they no longer bore the fearless expressions they had before.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s subordinates watched Yvette sitting in the chair, casually peeling an orange while speaking nonchntly, and now they understood why Mrs. Chavez could take down a Major General. ¡®What kind of woman can eat an orange so leisurely in this environment? The smell of blood in this room is nauseating even for these big men. The future Major General Mrs. Chavez¡¯sbat abilities and interrogation methods are truly remarkable; she¡¯s ruthless. Didn¡¯t you see how the previously arrogant Ybau assassins have turned into what they are now?¡®</font></font>


    They suddenly began to worry about this major general¡¯s standing in her family; it was indeed concerning.


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, the corners of her mouth curling slightly, her eyesnding on one of the four, the Bald Man, and then she gave Jeremiah a look.


    Jeremiah understood immediately and resigned himself to the girl¡¯s arrangements, stepping forward to realign the Bald Man¡¯s jaw.


    Once the Bald Man¡¯s jaw was back in ce, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of joy, staring at Yvette with an extremelyplicated expression, words on the tip of his tongue but he didn¡¯t dare to speak. ¡°This woman is simply terrifying.


    Yvette said lightly, ¡°Kaiden or Kyle?¡±


    The Bald Man¡¯s eyes narrowed; he was a Tradecrafter assassin trained by the Steel Serpents for Prime Minister Kyle. However, this task was indeed personally ordered by the gang leader, all because they wanted Mr. Harper to win thepetition to smoothly secure the next heir.


    The Bald Man gritted his teeth, troubled. ¡®Anyway, I can¡¯t walk out alive now, but I really don¡¯t want to suffer the devilish tortures


    this woman mentioned before I die; being in her hands must be more painful than death. The Bald Man asked, ¡°If I tell you, can you give me a quick end?¡± The other three red at him fiercely upon hearing this. The Bald Man ignored


    Vette, waiting for her response. them and only looked at


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, replying unhurriedly, ¡°Sure, after all, the guest is important. Since you don¡¯t like my


    hospitality, I can¡¯t force it


    The Bald Man felt a surge of blood rush to his head. ¡®Is there a more shameless woman than this? Who would like this hospitality of skinning alive and dismemberment?¡®


    The soldiers standing nearby forced themselves to suppress theirughter. ¡®Major General Mrs. Chavez¡¯s words are bound to infuriate Ybaun Tradecrafters!¡®


    The Bald Man reluctantly replied, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Harper. We were ordered by the leader Larry; only by killing the man in front of us will Mr. Harper win thepetition and be the leader¡¯s perfect heir.¡±


    Yvette heard the answer she wanted, stood up, and said to Jeremiah, ¡°I have something to do, don¡¯t wait for me for dinner tonight.¡±


    Jeremiah waved his hand to his subordinates, and the soldiers immediately stepped forward to take the men away.


    As the Bald Man left, he shouted loudly, ¡°You said you would give me a quick end!¡± but no one paid him any attention. After they left, Jeremiah took Yvette to his office, poured her a cup of hot coffee, and handed it to her. ¡°Kaiden, I¡¯ll go kill him.¡±


    Yvette scanned the office, then her gaze fell on a corner of the desk before casually looking away, curling her lips as she epted the hot coffee. Hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words, she shook her head. ¡°Jeremiah, I need to go see this person myself. Killing him was something I should have done seven years ago.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes deepened, his blue eyes momentarily flickering as he looked at Yvette. The two locked eyes, and neither spoke until Jeremiah finally relented. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave him to you.


    Far away at the hotel, Kaiden had no idea that his fate was being sealed in the office of the First Military District; he was still trying to regain Kyle¡¯s support, but Kyle wouldn¡¯t even give him a chance to meet.


    In the middle of the night, Kaiden returned to his room. Just as he was about to turn on the lights, his hand hadn¡¯t even touched the switch when all the lights in the room came on. When Kaiden saw the two people sitting on the sofa, it was as if he¡¯d been struck by lightning. He staggered back two steps, his expression instantly turning to horror. ¡®How are they here?¡®


    Yvette sat on the sofa, dressed in ck, her head lowered, fiddling with her phone.


    Charles stood up from the sofa, walked behind Yvette, and stood there, looking at Kaiden with a glint in his eyes. ¡°This guy really brought it upon himself, daring to mess with the future mother¨Cinw of themander.¡¯ When themander texted him earlier today toe to the hotel where Kaiden was staying, he knew the man¡¯s time was up.


    Kaiden cautiously observed Yvette¡¯s expression and nervously asked, ¡°Commander, what brings you here? Is there something you need from me?¡± His tone could not have been more humble¨Che was practically groveling.


    Charles wasn¡¯t surprised by this; this guy had fooled who knows how many people with that face back in the training camp. Deep down, he was rotten to the core.


    Yvette raised her eyes, put away her phone, and nced Kaiden up and down. Her voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Will you kill yourself, or should I do it? You get to choose.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 353

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as the words left her mouth, Kaiden didn¡¯t hesitate for more than three seconds before doing somethingpletely unexpected¨Che bowed directly in front of Yvette, who was sitting on the sofa. His head was lowered as far as it would go, and his fists were clenched tightly. He thought Yvette was angry with him because of his attitude during thepetition today, and that¡¯s why she came to him at night. If themander truly wanted to kill him, he knew he had no chance of fighting back, so all he could do was beg, hoping she¡¯d spare him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Commander, I know I shouldn¡¯t have gone against you in today¡¯spetition. I knew full well that I couldn¡¯t win, and yet I was still so arrogant and disrespectful. I really had no choice. I didn¡¯t know Clusia would switch you in. If I had known, I would have withdrawn from the match immediately. Please, Commander, forgive me this time. I swear I won¡¯t dare do it again.¡± After speaking, Kaiden quickly raised his head, looking at Yvette with genuine fear, his face pale.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles frowned, watching Kaiden beg so pathetically, letting out a cold snort. ¡®With acting skills like Kaiden¡¯s, it¡¯s a waste not to have gone into show business. If he had, he could casily y a colonel¡¯s role¨Che¡¯d be a natural. After all, he¡¯s just ying himself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, sitting on the sofa, remained unmoved by Kaiden¡¯s pitiful begging. Her eyes were cold and sharp, with a faintly yful smile on her lips. ¡°Do you really not know what you¡¯ve done to win thepetition? Do I need to remind you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Kaiden trembled, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice pit, the bone¨Cchilling cold spreading through his limbs. His face showed his panic, and sweat slowly started to form on his forehead, though he tried his best to stayposed in front of the two. In truth, he still didn¡¯t understand why themander, who usually avoided meddling and taking the spotlight, had entered thepetition twice in a row for Clusia. Especially in this match¨Cit was strange. He had suspected something earlier, but hearing Yvette¡¯s question now, Kaiden was even more certain he¡¯d missed something critical.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and when he reopened them, they were bloodshot, as if resigned to his fate. His hands fell weakly onto his legs. After a moment, he stood up from the ground, pushing away the fear in his eyes, which were now filled with anger and resentment.</font></font>


    Kaiden, in a frenzy, shouted at Yvette and Charles, ¡°Why? What did I do wrong? I just wanted to win this match. If I won, I could rightfully be the next heir of the Steel Serpents. I¡¯m an illegitimate child¨Cwithout schemes, how else would I have gotten this far? I¡¯m not Charles! He has your favor, Commander. Even without Braydon, he could still turn to you. All I have is myself. Why did you have to show up, Commander? Why did you have to ruin my chances of sess again? Back at the training camp, I made one tiny mistake, and you wanted to kill me. Later, Damian had to use a favor to save me, but you still cut off one of my fingers. Now, over a match you shouldn¡¯t have even been in, you want to kill me again. Why? Why?¡±


    Kaiden¡¯s desperate screams echoed throughout the room, his roars filling the space.


    Charles was almost amused to the point of anger by Kaiden¡¯s ridiculous usations. ¡°This person has truly reached a new low of shamelessness, distorting the truth so boldly here; it¡¯s reallyughable.¡¯


    Charles stepped forward, his expression serious. He rebuked the roaring Kaiden without hesitation, ¡°Kaiden, was it just a small mistake you made back in training camp? You were absolutely insane! You were willing to sacrifice the lives of ten children just to buy time for yourself in thepetition. When the instructor discovered it, they had to save those kids. Didn¡¯t you know the rule in the underworld is to not kill innocent children? You conspired with Carson to try and eliminate me behind my back for a chance to be his apprentice. And now you¡¯re here iming I ruined you? And talking about relying on yourself¡ª what utter shamelessness!¡±


    Upon hearing Charles¡¯s words, Kaiden¡¯s features twisted in difort; Charles¡¯s remarks left him feeling incredibly humiliated.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong; the fault lies with others. I¡¯ve suffered torment and humiliation since childhood. Is it wrong to strive to rise up?¡® Kaiden looked at Yvette, who remained expressionless on the sofa, feeling increasingly anxious. ¡®I¡¯ve said so much just to get the instructor to let me off the hook. Why is she so indifferent?¡®


    Kaiden smirked slightly, a crazed look on his face. Suddenly, he threw his head back andughed loudly. ¡°Instructor, you¡¯re always like this. No matter what I say or do, you never bother to give me a second nce. All I wanted was to make something of myself. Even if I was wrong back then, didn¡¯t I pay for it? You cut off one of my fingers and kicked me out of the training camp. Isn¡¯t that enough? Why do you have to show up now, at the most important moment of my life, to ruin everything? Even if you¡¯re from Clusia, you grew up in Mysonna; what connection do you have to this country? Why help Clusia win?¡±


    The more Kaiden thought about it, the more extreme his feelings became. He even considered that the instructor was doing it on purpose, intending to make him crash down from his peak. Once again, he¡¯d be reduced to someone everyone could trample on. Kaiden red at her, his eyes gleaming with a venomous light, appearing terrifying.


    Charles was left speechless. ¡®Does this guy have some sort of persecutionplex? If he hadn¡¯t stupidly kidnapped Jeremiah¡¯s mother and angered the instructor, she wouldn¡¯t even have bothered to deal with him! What a self¨Cindulgent fool! This guy is beyond savingContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Charles scoffed. ¡°Kaiden, if you want to win thepetition, do it fair and square. Kidnapping Jeremiah¡¯s mother is nothing to brag about! And why are you even questioning it? Where do you get the courage to make such usations? After all these years, you¡¯ve truly mastered the art of ying the victim.¡±


    Yvette stood up from the sofa, her hands in her pockets. She looked at the deluded Kaiden and said slowly, ¡°You kidnapped Aurora.¡± Her voice was t and calm, with no hint of emotion.


    Kaiden knew he couldn¡¯t deny it any longer and reluctantly nodded. ¡°Yes, I kidnapped her, but instructor, it doesn¡¯t make sense for you to kill an innocent person because of her.¡±


    Yvette slowly walked up to Kaiden and gave him a faint nce. Her gaze, casual yet sharp, felt like a de glimmering in the cold light, as if it would dismember Kaiden piece by piece. Kaiden¡¯s breath became increasingly difficult.


    The close proximity only amplified Kaiden¡¯s inner fear. He lowered his head to avoid Yvette¡¯s gaze, his body trembling uncontrobly.


    Yvette lowered her voice, t and unemotional. ¡°The person you kidnapped is my boyfriend¡¯s mother.¡±


    Kaiden¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he looked up. ¡°No way! Absolutely impossible!¡± But when he saw Yvette¡¯s eyes and Charles¡¯s expression, he realized she wasn¡¯t joking. Suddenly, he remembered Braydon¡¯s words: the instructor had been deceived by a man, a Betrico. ¡®So that man is¡­ he¡¯s the Clusia major general Jeremiah, who¡¯speting against me?¡®

 Chapter 354

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now Kaiden finally understood everything, but it was toote. He never imagined that all his cunning ns were aimed at the instructor¡¯s boyfriend and that the person he had kidnapped was the instructor¡¯s future mother¨Cinw. ¡®No wonder the instructor yed two matches for Clusia; everything makes sense now. Braydon truly ruined me. If he had told me the instructor¡¯s boyfriend was Jeremiah, even with a hundred guts, I would never have dared to kidnap Aurora. I wouldn¡¯t have brought this disaster upon myself¡­ From start to finish, I¡¯ve been a colossal joke; I¡¯ve walked myself into a dead end!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kaiden¡¯s eyes darted around; he was unwilling to die like this. He pretended to calm down and quickly pulled out a ck pistol from his pocket, pointing the dark muzzle directly at Yvette¡¯s chest. He had said so much just to lower Yvette¡¯s guard, giving him the chance to draw the hidden gun.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought his n was foolproof, but Yvette had already noticed his gaze lingering on her chest; his intentions were clear as day.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A mad glint flickered in Kaiden¡¯s eyes, his hidden murderous intent and resentment bursting forth. While threatening Yvette, he cried in despair, ¡°Instructor, I know you¡¯re going to kill me, and you can do it! But I don¡¯t want to die! I really don¡¯t want to die. Please, let me go, will you? If you spare me, I¡¯ll do anything you want! I beg you! I don¡¯t want to point a gun at you, instructor. Just nod and say you¡¯ll let me go, and I¡¯ll put it away right now.¡± Kaiden fixed his gaze on Yvette, missing not a single change in her expression.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette satzily on the chair Charles brought over, her long legs slightly bent, her face still devoid of expression. She looked at Kaiden, who was putting on a show, and merely smirked. ¡®Why do so many people think they can threaten me into giving them what they want? I guess I was too lenient in the past, giving these people such an illusion.¡®</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at the trembling Kaiden seriously, smiling slightly as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Tell me, do you think your gun is faster, or do you think I can kill you faster?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles, standing behind them, showed no signs of nervousness; there was a hint of mockery in his eyes. He thought to himself. ¡®What a fool Kaiden is! He¡¯s already witnessed the instructor¡¯s speed inpetitions, yet he still dares to threaten her!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Back in the training camp, Charles had witnessed this scene. He would never forget how the instructor dodged bullet after bullet with her own speed and unique steps amidst a hail of gunfire. Now, Kaiden was just a minor yer inparison.</font></font>


    Kaiden felt unwilling to admit defeat. ¡®Clearly, the initiative is in my hands; why can the instructor be so confident? I refuse to believe that anyone can outrun a bullet. With the gun in hand, Kaiden felt a surge of confidence. He smirked arrogantly, shedding the meek demeanor he had before, filled with hidden murderous intent and overwhelming hatred. The gun in his hand was his greatest source of confidence, and at this point, Kaiden finally revealed his true nature.


    ¡°Instructor, if you really don¡¯t n to let me go, then we might as well part ways. If I die, I won¡¯t let you off the hook either. The pain of losing a finger has tormented me for years; it¡¯s time for you to pay me back. If you¡¯re willing to spare me, I¡¯ll put the gun away right now.¡±


    Yvette stood up, raised an eyebrow, and looked Kaiden over, then said, ¡°Let you go?¡±


    Kaiden¡¯s heart leaped with joy, but before he could say anything, Yvette¡¯s next words sent him spiraling into despair.


    ¡°Dream about it in your next life!¡±


    Kaiden was infuriated by this remark. He immediately cocked the pistol, but within three seconds, Yvette was already standing in front of him, just like in thepetitions¨Cblink, and it was done.


    Kaiden was once again taken aback by Yvette¡¯s speed, his mouth agape as the gun slipped from his hands. Yvette kicked it effortlessly into her own right hand. The two had swapped positions in an instant.


    Kaiden wanted to plead for mercy, but he no longer had that opportunity. The saying that viins die from talking too much was always true. In the midst of Kaiden¡¯s terror, Yvette gently squeezed the trigger, and with a bang, the bullet struck Kaiden¡¯s heart, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Kaiden clutched his chest as he copsed, blood pouring from his mouth, ears, and eyes, his breath growing faint. Desperately, he raised his left hand, pointing toward the light above, as if trying to grab hold of something. The light in his eyes dimmed little by little, his pupils widening as life slipped away.


    Yvette walked past him without even ncing down, pushing the door open and leaving.


    Charles approached Kaiden, who was now barely hanging on by a thread. He crouched down and whispered in his ear, ¡°Kaiden, your life has been truly pathetic. If you hadn¡¯t used those children back then, the instructor had already agreed to take on another apprentice from Chief Braydon. But no, you dug your own grave.¡± With that, Charles stood up and walked away.


    Kaiden heard those words, gasped for air one final time, but failed to draw breath. He died with his find peace.


    eyes wide open, unable to


    Outside the hotel, Jeremiah sat in a Jeep. Since Yvette went up, he had been waiting in the car, his eyes sharp and deadly as he stared ahead. His gaze was like a sword, exuding an undeniable sense of danger and murderous intent, dark and unfathomable. Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and spoke sternly, ¡°Is everything settled?¡±


    A voice from the other end replied, ¡°Master, everything is done. Tomorrow, the Ybaun people will discover that something happened with the Steel Serpents. They won¡¯t have time to bother you.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Jeremiah¡¯s eyes deepened, his expression dark as night, and the air around him grew even colder, chilling the entire car. ¡®My girl kills, and I take care of the aftermath for her. No loose ends for her to worry about.¡®


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw the familiar figure in a baseball cap step out of the hotel that a smile crept onto his lips. His once icy eyes softened, and a gentle light shimmered in them as his brows lifted in a pleasant arc. He got out of the car to greet her, holding her hand¨Cit was slightly cold, with a faint trace of blood lingering on her. Jeremiah said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I made meat balls and your favorite strawberry milkshake.¡±


    Yvette obediently nodded. Looking at Jeremiah, she didn¡¯t seem the least bit surprised by his presence. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m starving.¡± Jeremiah¡¯s eyes sparkled with affection, and a slight smile yed on his lips. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Charles watched the two holding hands up ahead. Shivering in the cold wind, he pulled his coat tighter around himself. ¡®It¡¯s freezing out here¡­ and my heart feels even colder.¡®


    In the car, Yvette received a text from Eagle King. ¡°Boss, we went to the Steel Serpents, but we were a step toote. The Steel Serpents¡® headquarters has already been wiped out, and Larry¡¯s corpse is hanging right in the middle of the main hall. Take a guess who did it?¡±

 Chapter 355

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Yvette could reply, Eagle King impatiently sent another text. [Boss, someone¡¯spletely bloodied the Steel Serpents, setting fire to their headquarters. Ybau¡¯s in chaos tonight. Tomorrow¡¯s newspaper headlines will be all about this, no doubt. Whoever did this was ruthless. After tonight, the Steel Serpents will be crippled, and their internal conflict willst for years.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Steel Serpents were a powerful andplicated force. With Larry dead, chaos was inevitable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette curled up in the passenger seat. After reading the texts, she nced at Jeremiah, who was driving. His blue eyes reflected a casual indifference. She smiled and asked, ¡°Was it you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s hand paused slightly on the steering wheel, but his face remained unchanged as he calmly replied. ¡°Hmm.¡± Then, in a deep voice, he added. ¡°You kill, I set the fire. We¡¯re a match made in heaven.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s serious expression as he said this left Charles, sitting in the backseat, utterly bewildered. ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of killing and arson being described as ¡®a match made in heaven.! These two are in a league of their own when ites to how they ¡®date¡®!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at Jeremiah and nodded. ¡°Hmm, next time, you do the killing, and I¡¯ll set the fire. Let¡¯s be fair about it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles was speechless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day in Sknd, Andrew rushed into the living room, holding a newspaper and panting. ¡°Another major news story! Jeremiah, Yve, Kaiden are dead! They were found dead in their hotelst night, and their bodies were already stiff this morning. They looked terrifying! Also, the Steel Serpents were burned down! It¡¯s all over the world news. I wonder which big shot did this; it¡¯s unbelievable!¡± While saying this, Andrew made a face to try to scare the others in the living room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, Yvette, Jeremiah, Charles, and Samantha, who had been there since morning, didn¡¯t even look at him, each engrossed in their own activities, showing no surprise at what Andrew had said.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was confused. ¡®Isn¡¯t this news explosive? Isn¡¯t it exciting? Why is this group so unresponsive? Jeremiah and Yve are one thing, but Charles and my sister are being too calm. There¡¯s definitely something going on!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew cheekily sat next to Samantha and said, ¡°Sis, Kaiden is dead, and it was really brutal.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked especially stunning today in a Chanel¨Cstyle outfit that highlighted her figure, with fiery red lips and an aura of sophistication. She was wearing 2¨Cinch heels and sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, holding a tablet to check today¡¯s stock market trends. She turned her head to look at Andrew, nodding coolly. ¡°Oh, I know. Kaiden is dead. Is there anything else? If not, don¡¯t bother me.¡± After saying that, she clearly showed she didn¡¯t want to engage with Andrew and continued looking at her tablet.</font></font>


    Andrew thought, ¡®Actually, if this had happened normally, I would be surprised too, but I already guessed who did it. Yesterday, Yve and Jeremiah definitely interrogated those kidnappers of Mrs. Chavez from Ybau to find out who was behind it. Kaiden¡¯s death exins everything. This person is truly reckless. You¡¯d think running into those two big shots would mean certain death, so Samantha shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter who burned down the Steel Serpents; we¡¯re all family, so who cares who did it¡­¡®


    Andrew scratched his head, still not giving up, picked up the newspaper, and sat next to Charles again. He cleared his throat. ¡°Charles, major news: Kaiden is dead, and the Steel Serpents were burned!¡±


    Charles, putting down the financial magazine, looked calmer than Samantha and replied slowly, ¡°Yeah, I know. No need to repeat it.¡± ¡®How could I not know? I was thest person Kaiden saw before he died. And as for who burned down the Steel Serpents, I found that outst night too. It¡¯s not worth making a fuss over!


    Andrew turned his gaze to Yvette, raising his eyebrows and cautiously starting. ¡°Yvette, the mountain¡­¡± But as soon as he spoke, Yvette nced at him, and Andrew swallowed the rest of his words, sitting down on the sofa feeling wronged. Andrew was now sure that these four were hiding something from him.


    At the dining table, Jeremiah came out of the kitchen, cing a bowl of oatmeal with savory toppings in front of Yvette. ¡°Eat it


    while it¡¯s hot.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Samantha, Charles, and Andrew all looked at the steaming bowl of oatmeal in Yvette¡¯s hands, then nced at their own bread, milk, and cold sd, feeling a pang of sadness. Breakfast had be a major disappointment these days because Yvette¡¯s bowl was always personally made by Jeremiah, while Charles and the others bought theirs from outside.


    After Yvette finished her oatmeal, Jeremiah naturally sat beside her.


    Ignoring the others¡® gazes, Yvette calmly finished her oatmeal, put down the bowl, stood up, and casually said to Jeremiah, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Chavez family.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    This was a n they made yesterday. If it hadn¡¯t been sote and Aurora hadn¡¯t been too tired to sleep, they would have returned to the Chavez family old manor already.


    After finishing her breakfast, Samantha stood up and said to the two, ¡°Jeremiah, Yve, my house in Sknd is renovated now. Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll be neighbors.¡± She even winked at Yvette.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression darkened. ¡®Just because it¡¯s renovated doesn¡¯t mean they can live there.¡¯


    Samantha spected. ¡®If all goes well, Sknd will definitely be Jeremiah and Yve¡¯s marital home; if they don¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity now, when will they?¡®


    Hearing this, Andrew quickly swallowed his bread and said with a smile, ¡°Jeremiah, Yve, I¡¯d like to officially inform you that my vi, Andrew¡¯s, is in the third building next door. It¡¯s also ready for moving in tomorrow.¡±


    The next moment, Charles leisurely finished thest sip of his milk and softly said to Yvette, ¡°Yve, a few days ago I bought a house; there just happened to be an idle vi in Sknd for only 10 million dors. I thought it was pretty cheap, so I bought one too. I¡¯ll be moving out tomorrow; it¡¯s not far from here.¡±


    Andrew and Samantha exchanged surprised looks. ¡®This guy is definitely up to something; he secretly bought a house in Sknd. His intentions are too obvious. Thankfully, my sister and I already bought our vi in Sknd.


    Jeremiah and Yvette watched the three of them, feeling a bit of a headache for the first time. ¡®Why don¡¯t they understand that distance can create beauty?¡®


    At the Chavez family old manor, as soon as Yvette entered the door, Aurora, who was standing in the living room, immediately copsed onto the sofa, looking extremely weak, a stark contrast to how she had just been with Clifford.


    Clifford looked at Aurora, who had just been scolding him, suddenly weak on the sofa, feeling confused. He thought it was the aftereffect of being kidnapped yesterday and rushed to hold her, saying, ¡°Honey, honey, what¡¯s wrong? Please don¡¯t scare me! Let¡¯s go to the hospital right away!¡±


    Aurora pinched his thigh,y in his arms, blinked, and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. My daughter¨Cinw is here. I¡¯m just putting on an act so she¡¯ll spend more time with me. You better not spoil it; otherwise, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡±

 Chapter 356

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡®What mother¨Cinw uses this trick to keep her daughter¨Cinw? Only my wife could think of such a bizarre tactic. He helplessly whispered, ¡°Honey, can we skip the act?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora rolled her eyes. ¡°We have to act. If we don¡¯t do it well, you¡¯ll have a hard time. Do you want to sleep in the study?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Aurora use this tactic again, Clifford could only sigh and grit his teeth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll act, okay?¡± ¡®Imagine, the illustrious Mr. Chavez of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs being threatened by his wife to sleep in the study¨Cwho would believe that?¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Yvette and Jeremiah entered, they saw Aurora leaning back on the sofa, supporting her head, clearly ufortable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford looked at her with concern, saying, ¡°Honey, if you¡¯re not feeling well, let¡¯s go to the hospital, okay? Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± He wore a serious expression, speaking earnestly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora rubbed her temples, speaking softly, ¡°Honey, it¡¯s okay. If Yvette coulde over and spend some more time with me, I¡¯d probably feel better.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah and Yvette stood there, hearing every word of the conversation. Jeremiah squinted, his emotions hidden. ¡®My mom is really something; she even knows how to y this trick to keep a girl around.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood there, looking at the ¡°weak¡± Aurora and Clifford, silent for a few seconds. ¡®How should I y along in this situation?¡® She needed to think; for the first time, Yvette felt she had encountered a dilemma.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah couldn¡¯t take it any longer and coughed lightly. ¡°Dad, Mom, we¡¯re back.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette greeted them lightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora pretended to just notice the two of them, sitting up weakly and speaking in a voice barely above a whisper, ¡°Oh, Jeremiah, Yvette, when did you twoe back? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford forced himself to y along with Aurora and asked with a serious face, ¡°Hmm, how long have you been here?¡± In fact, they both knew exactly how long they had been there.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah watched the performance of the two, pursing his lips, showing little emotion. ¡°Oh, not long. Just heard everything we needed to hear.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford¡¯s face looked somewhat unnatural. He could only feign seriousness to change the subject. ¡°Did you finish handling the military affairs today?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora wanted to roll her eyes at him. ¡°This acting deserves a bad review.¡® She weakly coughed twice to interrupt their conversation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stepped forward, her expression shifting awkwardly, full of concern as she looked at Aurora. She even took Aurora¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Auntie, are you okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was taken aback seeing Yvette like this. ¡®What is this girl doing?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora was also stunned. She had imagined many possible reactions from Yvette but hadn¡¯t expected this one. Clifford was just as surprised. All three of them were frozen for a moment.</font></font>


    Yvette nced at their expressions. ¡®In the family dramas I¡¯ve been watchingtely, this is how they act in these situations. Did I not do it right?¡® With a serious look, Yvette asked the three of them, ¡°Do you think my acting was bad?¡±


    All three shook their heads in unison, then nodded together.


    Yvette lowered her eyes in silence for a while, then lifted her head. Since it wasn¡¯t good, she figured she might as well stop acting. She immediately withdrew her previous expression.


    This sudden change left the three of them dumbfounded, though they felt morefortable with her current demeanor. Jeremiah squeezed her fingertips and curled his lips slightly. ¡®It¡¯s really asking a lot of this girl to act along with them for the first time.¡®Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    fault for your Aurora felt embarrassed and thought, ¡°This is obviously blown, it¡¯s really awkward.¡® She calmly stood up, instantly transforming from Ophelia to Joan of Arc, and addressed Clifford, who was still a bit dazed on the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s all saying I¡¯m too weak and want my daughter¨Cinw to stay with me longer. I¡¯m perfectly fine. Don¡¯t do that next time, okay? If 1 asked Yvette to stay longer, would she refuse? What a pointless move.¡±


    Clifford, called out by name, was speechless.


    After finishing, Aurora looked at Yvette with a pitiful expression. ¡°Yvette, would you like to stay for dinner and keep mepany a bit longer?¡±


    Yvette raised her delicate eyebrows slightly and replied calmly, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Aurora quickly stepped forward warmly and said to Yvette, ¡°Yvette, let¡¯s go see the new dessert Cara is working on.¡±


    Jeremiah and Clifford watched as Yvette and Aurora walked away, exchanging nces.


    Clifford looked at Jeremiah and said, ¡°Your wife¡¯s acting is really subpar.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Clifford. ¡°Your wife¡¯s acting isn¡¯t that great either.¡±


    At dinner, Jase returned, and the four of them sat at the dining table¨CJeremiah and Clifford on one side, Aurora and Yvette on the other. Both men looked rather grim, not making eye contact with each other.


    On the other side, the atmosphere was quite pleasant; Aurora kept using fork to serve Yvette, piling food onto her te.


    Jase, sitting at the head of the table, observed the four of them and chuckled. He looked at Yvette and said, ¡°Yve, my granddaughter¨Cinw, Jeremiah said you booked a flight back to Seacrity in three days?¡±


    Yvette put down her fork, looked up, and replied slowly, ¡°Yeah, I need to go back for exams.¡± Simon had already called her several times urging her to return for the tests.


    Jase paused. ¡®I actually forgot my granddaughter¨Cinw is still in school.


    Clifford picked up the conversation, saying, ¡°Exams are important; study hard.¡±


    Aurora added another chicken wing to Yvette¡¯s bowl without a care. ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s just an exam. It¡¯s fine. Back in my day, I relied on dice rolls for my exams. You just need to remember that for the questions you don¡¯t know, far C will do; it works like a charm.¡±


    Jase and Clifford both looked at Aurora and cleared their throats¡­ ¡°Teaching kids the wrong things.¡¯


    Aurora forgot that her servant was there and smiled awkwardly.


    Only Jeremiah calmly peeled shrimp cocktail for Yvette, not looking up at all.


    Jase considered for a moment and then said to Yvette, ¡°Yev, do you have time tomorrow? I have a few old friends who have been wanting to meet you. They¡¯ve watched Jeremiah grow up and have been saying they want to see him with a girlfriend.¡±


    Jeremiah looked up and asked, ¡°Walter and the others?¡±


    Jase nodded. ¡°Yeah, who else could it be besides this group of old geezers?¡±


    Yvette replied, ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Jase was happy but suddenly paused, as if he thought of something else. After hesitating for a few seconds, he told Yvette, ¡°Now, Yev, one of those old geezers tomorrow is named James. He¡¯s been acting kind of strangetely, probably because he¡¯s gone a bit loopy with his experiments. He recently recognized a new granddaughter and keeps bragging about how great she is. He insists on bringing her to visit you the same day. Can you, for grandpa¡¯s sake, not pick a fight with that old guy?¡±


    Jeremiah paused in peeling shrimp, then looked at Jase, who looked worried, and replied meaningfully, ¡°James wants to bring his newly recognized granddaughter along for the visit?¡±


    Jase wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with that old guy and said, ¡°James has been in a weird mental statetely. He keeps saying Mary has a crush on me. Can you me me for being handsome? I was better¨Clooking than him when we were young, and he still can¡¯t ept it. I don¡¯t know where he found a granddaughter who insists on visiting the same day as my granddaughter- inw, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

 Chapter 357

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase continued. ¡°Tomorrow, after we meet the granddaughter James recognized, check her background. If she¡¯s maniptive or intentionally getting close to that old guy with bad intentions, you need to be cautious. I¡¯m worried his unstable mental state might be exploited by someone with ulterior motives. If the secret of the physical research in James¡¯s hands is stolen by another country, the loss would be unimaginable. I just can¡¯t figure out what kind of girl could catch that cranky old guy¡¯s fancy; it¡¯s really strange.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase¡¯s words carried discontent and suspicion about the granddaughter James recognized.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah ced the peeled shrimp into Yvette¡¯s bowl, and before Jase could say anything more, he interrupted him. ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s be careful with our words and actions.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase was taken aback. ¡®What does this brat mean by that? What did I say that was wrong?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford and Aurora also looked at Jeremiah, a bit puzzled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The only one at the table who was calm was Yvette, who continued eating the shrimp Jeremiah had peeled for her, casually swinging her little feet under the table, looking very rxed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford suspiciously asked Jeremiah, ¡°Do you know James¡¯s new granddaughter?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Jeremiah could answer, Aurora spoke first, winking at everyone while saying, ¡°How could it be? Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t know James¡¯s granddaughter. Other than Yvette, he definitely wouldn¡¯t know any other strange woman.¡± Aurora confidently guaranteed this while discreetly kicking Clifford under the table. ¡®This man has no sense at all; why would he ask that with my daughter¨Cinw here? Isn¡¯t that digging a pit for my son to jump into?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford caught on, awkwardly coughing and ncing at Yvette, feeling a bit guilty. ¡®But my daughter¨Cinw is really a true daughter¨Cinw; that kick almost sent me away!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase, worried that hisment might upset the young couple, quickly chimed in. ¡°Well, Jeremiah surely doesn¡¯t know that mysterious woman.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase, Aurora, and Clifford all waited for Yvette¡¯s reaction, and the dining table suddenly fell silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette leisurely finished thest bite of shrimp, looked up, raised an eyebrow, smirked a little mischievously, and nodded nonchntly at the three of them, saying, ¡°He knows her, but I don¡¯t mind.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now it was Aurora and the other two who were stunned. ¡®When did this child be so easygoing? She¡¯s not even mad that Jeremiah knows a girl!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked into Yvette¡¯s eyes across the table and wisely chose to y along. He nodded slightly, speaking seriously to the three at the table, his voice low. ¡°Yeah, she doesn¡¯t mind.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s words made the rest of the dinner difficult for the other three, leaving them with no appetite.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After dinner, in the living room, the four of them sat on the sofa sipping coffee.</font></font>


    Suddenly, Jase stood up, leaning on his cane, and said to Yvette, ¡°Yev, would you like to apany this old man upstairs to my study and take a look at my collection of paintings? I wonder if I could have the honor of having our Cyanbird deity critique my artwork.¡±


    Jeremiah, Aurora, and Clifford knew this was just an excuse; Jase wanted to talk to her privately. Yvette also understood this; she put down her water cup and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Jase smiled, and the two of them went upstairs, leaving the family of three in the living room to continue drinking coffee¡­


    Aurora sat across from Jeremiah, watching his indifferent expression, and deliberately asked, ¡°Brat, aren¡¯t you worried your grandpa will make things difficult for Yvette?¡±


    Clifford also put down his newspaper and adjusted his sses. ¡°This brat is indeed acting a bit strange today; something feels off.¡®


    Jeremiah looked at the two curious people and replied calmly, ¡°Grandpa won¡¯t.¡±


    Clifford chuckled at Jeremiah¡¯s confidence. ¡®Is this brat pretending to be clueless while knowing full well?¡® Suddenly, he recalled the incident of Kaiden being killed today, and his expression darkened, bing more serious, his gaze sharp. ¡°Who


    killed Kaiden, you or your daughter¨Cinw?¡±


    At the same time, in the study on the second floor, Jase took a sip of Da Hong Pao tea, waved his hand to let Yusef go down first, then focused his sharp gaze on Yvette, exuding the authority and dominance of someone in power. ¡°Did you kill Kaiden?¡±


    Yvette sat in the chair opposite him, lifted her eyes, and raised her eyelids slightly. Her usual cool demeanor showed no sign of fear or fluctuation in her gaze as she calmly replied, ¡°Yeah, I killed him.¡± Then she leisurely took a sip of her floral coffee, looking at Jase with an air of tranquility¡­


    After a moment, Jase suddenlyughed. He looked at Yvette, increasingly satisfied. His granddaughter¨Cinw had indeed surprised him these past few days. ¡®Setting aside Kaiden¡¯s Ybau¡¯s identity, the fact that he dared to kidnap someone from the Chavez family to win thepetition through unscrupulous means was enough for him to die dozens of times¡­ If my granddaughter¨Cinw knows who kidnapped Aurora and remains unfazed, that would truly disappoint me.¡¯


    Jase said, ¡°Girl, your identity is far moreplex than I imagined, isn¡¯t it?¡± He knew very well that Yvette¡¯s background was definitely not as simple as what he had found out. ¡°This kid has an extraordinary level of intelligence and skill; she kills decisively and cleanly, which is not something an ordinary girl can achieve. The secrets she carries probably cannot be uncovered unless she reveals them herself. What I¡¯ve discovered about her background took some effort, but with dedication, it wasn¡¯t too hard. But is this really all there is? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s far from that!¡®


    Yvette, hearing Jase¡¯s words, looked at him calmly. Her deep ck eyes and indifferent expression held no emotion as she replied in a slightly husky voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Jase¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Girl, can we not be so modest?¡±


    Yvette held her coffee cup, her voice still icy. ¡°I¡¯m not being modest; I just don¡¯t know which identity you¡¯re referring to.¡±


    Jase found her response both amusing and exasperating, ¡®So I¡¯m the only one taking this seriously, while this girl isn¡¯t bothered at all.¡® He spoke formally, ¡°No matter how many identities you have, the Chavez family will always support you from behind and trust you unconditionally.¡± At his age and position, very few people received such a promise and assurance from him, making even a single word from him invaluable.


    Downstairs, Jeremiah watched Clifford with a nk expression, his gaze heavy.


    Aurora, standing nearby, had only learned about this matter in the afternoon. It was Yvette who killed Kaiden, but she thought it was a good thing¨Cswift and decisive.


    Jeremiah said, ¡°Yeah, the girl killed him¨Cone shot, dead on the spot.¡±


    Clifford was momentarily stunned by Jeremiah¡¯s unwavering response.


    Aurora stood up, somewhat indignantly saying, ¡°Honey, our daughter¨Cinw didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    Clifford noticed their expressions and realized they had misunderstood. He sat back on the sofa, rubbed his temples, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not here to assign me. I just think that this little punk should take care of such things in the future. Why let our daughter¨Cinw do the dirty work of killing?¡±

 Chapter 358

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as he finished speaking, Yvette and Jase came down from the second floor and overheard this statement.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase suddenly spoke up, startling Clifford, who was facing away from them on the sofa. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford immediately turned around, seeing the two of them looking at him. For the first time in many years, facing the world withposure, he felt a bit embarrassed. His usually stern face showed signs of awkwardness.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora wanted tough at his expression. ¡®Honey, you¡¯re clearly very satisfied with Yvette, yet you always put on a serious front. Now that someone overheard this, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora stepped forward to ease the tension. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Dad. Clifford just said that next time there¡¯s danger, all the dirty and tough work should be done by Jeremiah. Yvette is the treasure of our whole family; we can¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah walked over to Yvette, nced at her, then at Jase, and softly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Sknd.¡± After that, he turned to Jase, ¡°Grandpa, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase nodded. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at your Purplegold Estate tomorrow.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded at the three of them and paused briefly beside Clifford before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clifford stood there, momentarily stunned. After understanding the meaning behind her gratitude, he smiled. This kid is starting to see me as family now,¡¯ even though he was Jeremiah¡¯s father and her future servant, he could clearly see the coldness in her eyes. ¡®But just now, my daughter-inw acknowledged me, which wasn¡¯t easy at all.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aurora stood beside him, patting him proudly. ¡°Yvette may be quiet usually, but she knows better than anyone who truly cares for her. If you genuinely ept her, she will really see you as family.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase watched the two of them walk away, then turned back to the study, his silhouette slightly forlorn. ¡®I¡¯m getting old; this world ultimately belongs to the young.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the way back, Jeremiah sat in the driver¡¯s seat and asked in a low, hoarse voice, ¡°Did Grandpa ask about Kaiden?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, nestled in the passenger seat, casually unwrapped a vani toffee and popped it into her mouth, mumbling, ¡°Yeah.¡± She turned her head to nce at Jeremiah, pausing briefly, ¡°To tell the truth.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah knew the girl wouldn¡¯t stoop to lying. If she did it, she did it; if she didn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t. He squeezed her palm and asked, ¡°Did he say anything else?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a long moment, Yvette didn¡¯t respond.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah had only asked casually, but now he was a bit curious.</font></font>


    Yvette let out a deep ¡°mm-hmm,¡± resting her chin on her hand as she looked Jeremiah up and down, raising an eyebrow, her expression partially concealed, making it hard to read her emotions. She slowly said, ¡°Grandpa mentioned that his grandson seems to becking and asked me to be more understanding.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s body suddenly tensed, and he didn¡¯t say anything. The next second, he elerated and pulled the car over to an empty roadside. Leaning slightly, he unbuckled Yvette¡¯s seatbelt and lifted her up. His gaze was dark and intense, staring at Yvette as if he could devour her like a beast. His cold, inky eyes finally settled on Yvette¡¯s rosy lips, then he took her right hand, lifting it up and looking straight into her eyes.


    The atmosphere in the car was charged with ambiguity, and neither of them was willing to back down.


    Yvette rested her chin on Jeremiah¡¯s shoulder, a slight smile gracing her lips as she whispered in his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t want to wait any longer?


    Jeremiah felt his breath-deepen at her words. ¡°This girl is bing more provocative. ¡°Seems like waiting isn¡¯t an option anymore.¡±


    Yvette was taken aback for a moment, then nodded generously, pinching his chin and rubbing against him. ¡°Then let¡¯s not wait.¡± With that, she leaned in. The car moved¡­.


    The next day, Jeremiah looked at Charles, Samantha, and Andrew opposite him, calmly straightening his military uniform. He turned to Yvette and said, ¡°ed to go back to the military district for some matters in the morning. I¡¯lle back to pick you up at noon.¡±


    Yvette nced at his high-neck shirt covering his neck, a smile creeping on her lips. ¡°This man is trying to cover his tracks. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying that, Jeremiah left Sknd without even ncing at the other three. ¨C


    Samantha, Andrew, and Charles exchanged nces before simultaneously looking at Yvette.


    Yvette finished herst sip of oatmeal and leisurely headed upstairs.


    Only the three of them remained at the dining table. Samantha tidied her hair and took a sip of orange juice, saying, ¡°Jeremiah got his mouth bitten.¡±


    Andrew nodded, channeling his inner Sherlock Holmes, sounding quite serious. ¡°From what I observed, this happenedst night, and the wound is quite deep, likely from repeated bites.¡±


    Charles put down his coffee cup, saying, ¡°No need for observation; Jeremiah¡¯s came backst night.¡±


    mouth was already injured when he and Yve


    Ou think dared to bite Jeremiah? I


    Samantha put down her cup and looked at the two of them, asking excitedly, ¡°Who do never expected Yve to be so fierce!¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Andrew and Charles nced upstairs. ¡®Who else could it be?¡±


    Purplegold Estate, the chosen location for this visit, was usually a ce where the four old men would rx and unwind. They never hosted outsiders here, and this was the first time anyone besides the four of them had been invited.


    Jase, Ronald, and Walter had already arrived, with only James yet to show up.


    In the living room, the three of them were sipping coffee.


    Ronald and Walter looked at the gifts on the table, feeling a bit pained. That old man Owens asked for their cherished Delftware and the ancestral emerald screen right away.


    Ronald sighed and said to the two of them, ¡°In a little while, my favorite Delftware will be leaving me forever.¡±


    Walter sighed in response. ¡°Me too. When Owens brings his granddaughter over, I¡¯ll have to say goodbye to my ancestral emerald screen for good.¡±


    Jase calmly took a sip of coffee, still puzzled about why Owens made the two of them prepare gifts while he didn¡¯t have to. ¡®He started off asking for the emerald screen and Delftware. I guess my collectibles dodged a bullet.¡¯ Jase said, ¡°You two could have just refused. It¡¯s toote to feel regret now.¡±


    Ronald and Walter nced at Jase, who was standing there talking as if it didn¡¯t matter, and both huffed in annoyance.


    Walter replied to Jase, ¡°When Jeremiah brings his girlfriend, I¡¯ll prepare a Delftware for her too. One for Owens¡¯ granddaughter, one for your granddaughter-inw. Fair enough¡± ¡®I lost my favorite treasure, and who do I cry to about that fairness?¡¯


    Ronald quickly said, ¡°My emerald screen is ancestral. I can¡¯t find another one like it. But I¡¯m preparing antiques too-an emerald makeup set. It might notpare to the emerald screen, but its value is about the same.¡±


    Jase took another sip of coffee and waved his hand dismissively. ¡°What you send doesn¡¯t matter; it¡¯s the thought that counts.¡±


    Ronald and Walter couldn¡¯t be bothered to expose his nonsense. ¡°That old guy talks like this, but if our gifts for his granddaughter-inw aren¡¯t as good as the ones for Owens¡¯ granddaughter, he¡¯ll definitely be unhappy!

 Chapter 359

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald looked at Jase and remarked. ¡°I have to say, the Chavez family must have done a lot of good deeds in their past life. Jeremiah is such a great kid, and without your support, he¡¯s made it to where he is now. And now he¡¯s found such an excellent wife! These days, all anyone can talk about in the Betrico courtyard is your granddaughter¨Cinw. Even my youngest son can¡¯t stop bringing it up¨CI¡¯m about to get calluses in my ears from hearing it!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter set down his coffee cup. ¡°My granddaughter is the same. Your granddaughter¨Cinw has be her idol. She even joined some online fan club¨Cit¡¯s all the rage! I suggested bringing her over, but she insisted that idols need distance and mystery, so she just won¡¯te. I really can¡¯t understand what the younger generation is thinking. But your granddaughter- inw is truly impressive. I watched the match from start to finish; her chess skills are extraordinary!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter, who had studied chess for a lifetime, considered himself a skilled yer. He had learned a lot from Yvette and Robin¡¯s match. ¡®Yvette is so young yet has such talent, especially her mindset. It¡¯s rare at her age!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase waved his hand, looking indifferent. ¡°That kid was just ying around. Who knew she¡¯d win?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter and Ronald couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the corners of their eyes. This guy thinks he¡¯s fat and gets all puffed up¡­ Seriously¡­ Does he even know what ¡®just ying around¡® means? If that dead Robin heard this, he¡¯d probably be furious!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald nodded, saying, ¡°I heard your granddaughter¨Cinw is also participating in fencing. Didn¡¯t Jeremiah sign up for it? Why was she switched out at thest minute? I wanted to ask you about that.¡± There had been a lot of rumors about this in the past few days, but not many people knew Yvette hadpeted in fencing. Only a few were aware.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase took a sip of coffee, and his expression darkened a bit; the atmosphere around him chilled slightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald and Walter exchanged nces and knew something had happened. Otherwise, thepetition wouldn¡¯t have changed participants; that wasn¡¯t the Chavez family style.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase exined. ¡°Kaiden had the Steel Serpents kidnap Aurora to ensure a win, and he specifically called for Jeremiah, which is why Yvette had to step in at thest minute.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter and Ronald were slightly surprised. They hadn¡¯t expected such a thing to happen. ¡®What a despicable way for Ybau to handle a match¨Ctruly disgusting!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald spat angrily and stood up, fuming. ¡°Those Ybau people dare to act so recklessly in Clusia! Has Jeremiah caught them? We can¡¯t let them off the hook. They must know that Clusia cannot be defeated by tricks, and it¡¯s definitely not a ce they can just bully!¡±</font></font>


    Seeing his agitation, Walter quickly got up to calm him down. ¡°Calm down! You need your heart! Didn¡¯t Kaiden die yesterday? How could Jeremiah let go of someone who harmed his mother?¡±


    Ronald froze at the mention of Kaiden. ¡®How could I forget that Kaiden was found dead in the hotel? No doubt Jeremiah did it¨Cgood job!¡® Ronald took a sip of coffee to steady himself and said, ¡°Jeremiah¡¯s approach is always clean and decisive¨Cgood job.¡± The three of them didn¡¯t need to hold back; Ronald bluntly pointed out that Jeremiah had killed Kaiden.


    Jase looked at the two and shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Jeremiah; it was my granddaughter¨Cinw.¡±


    In the next moment, Ronald¡¯s coffee cup slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor, but he didn¡¯t even notice. Walter¡¯s cup didn¡¯t fall, but he stared nkly at Jase, both of them gasping in shock. They truly hadn¡¯t expected it to be Yvette¡¯s doing. ¡®No wonder Jeremiah is so fierce¨Che found a wife just as tough. She kills without hesitation; you can see that temper runs in the family.¡®


    At the door, James had just walked in and heard Jase say Yvette killed Kaiden; he stood frozen in ce. The three were turned away from him,pletely unaware of his arrival, Eventually, it was James who moved first; he shouted, ¡°What did you say? You said Yvette killed Kaiden?¡±


    who turned around to see James rushing in, heading straight for Jase with an Ronald and Walter exchanged nces. ¡°Oh no, this old guy is about to throw a fit again.¡±


    Jase frowned and asked, ¡°Why do you keep showing up out of nowhere every day?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    James sat right next to Jase and stared at him. ¡°You said Yvette killed Kaiden¨Cwas she hurt? I thought Jeremiah seemed capable, but why did he let a little girl do the killing?¡± After a moment, he looked Jase over and said ungraciously. ¡°I thought Jeremiah was better than you¨Clooks good but can¡¯t handle crucial moments?¡±


    Jase¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. ¡°This old fool says whateveres to his mind. At this age, does he even know what shame is?¡® Jase shot back. ¡°Owens, who are you saying can¡¯t handle it?¡±


    Seeing the two of them going at it, Ronald realized he needed to intervene or they¡¯d end up in a full¨Cblown fight. A couple of years ago, they had a petty squabble over something trivial, and they both threw away their dignity and canes, fighting like women, and ended up with bruised faces, hiding from everyone for days.


    James rolled up his sleeves, showing he wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you! The Chavez family is well¨Coff; why let a little girl do the dirty work? What if she gets hurt?¡±


    Jase felt more and more ufortable with his attitude. ¡®What does my granddaughter¨Cinw¡¯s injury have to do with this old guy? Why is he so riled up? It¡¯s utterly ridiculous.¡® Jase was getting angry; he tossed his cane aside. ¡®If I don¡¯t teach this old man a lesson today, he won¡¯t know why the flowers are so red.


    James and Jase locked eyes and, relying on their years of understanding, started hurling insults at each other.


    Jase said, ¡°I¡¯m handsome, and I¡¯ve been good¨Clooking since I was young. If you¡¯re jealous, just admit it. Don¡¯t twist it into something about my granddaughter¨Cinw!¡±


    James went for a sneak attack,nding a punch on Jase¡¯s chest with some force. After he hit him, he jumped back a couple of steps, keeping a wary eye on Jase in case he retaliated. With hands on his hips, James said, ¡°So what if you¡¯re handsome? You¡¯re just an old face; no matter how good¨Clooking, it¡¯s all wrinkles!¡±


    After the sneak attack, Jase looked up at James. ¡®This old man is just like he was when he was young¨Cwhen he couldn¡¯t argue, he¡¯d always resort to sneak attacks. Jase took two steps forward and, while talking, caught James off guard and kicked him in the leg, making him grimace in pain. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one who knows how to sneak attack? I can do it too! And don¡¯t think just because you¡¯ve been feeling downtely that I¡¯ll go easy on you. Today, I¡¯m going to teach you a real lesson!¡±

 Chapter 360

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Of course, James wasn¡¯t about to take that lying down. He taunted Jase. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of you? Let¡¯s go, old man! Don¡¯t think just because you used to be in the military, you¡¯ve got better stamina than me. Come on, let¡¯s see who¡¯s better!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With that, the two of them went at it again, kicking and punching each other. These two guys, almost two hundred years oldbined, fought like kids, making the scene more and more ridiculous.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald and Walter sat calmly in their chairs, sipping their coffee. They listened as the two bickered, bringing up old grievances from decades ago, each one exposing the other¡¯s ws. Some of the incidents they mentioned had happened more than forty years ago, yet both of them remembered everything in vivid detail. Every time they fought, it was like a walk down memoryne.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Watching the two fight like an old married couple, Walter turned to Ronald, puzzled. ¡°What exactly are they fighting about this time?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ronald thought for a few seconds and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s because of Jase¡¯s granddaughter¨Cinw. That¡¯s what started it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter¡¯s eye twitched as he watched the fight intensify, and he sighed helplessly. ¡®Let them fight. Based on my experience, anyone who tries to break them up is just asking for trouble.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Jeremiah and Yvette entered the living room, Jase and James were already worn out. They were sitting on the floor, clutching each other¡¯s remaining few strands of hair, refusing to let go. They stared at each other, silently challenging one another.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the pair walk in, Walter hurriedly turned to Jase and James on the floor and said, ¡°You two stop it already! Jeremiah and his girlfriend are here. If you keep this up, you¡¯ll both lose face!¡±</font></font>Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Walter and Ronald both knew Jase and James too well; they couldn¡¯t care less about things like losing face. They would only stop when they¡¯d fought to their heart¡¯s content, so neither of them had much hope that their words would make any difference.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, Jeremiah and Yvette were already standing in the living room, watching the scene unfold with Jase and James rolling around on the floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While still holding onto Jase¡¯s hair, James greeted Yvette. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re here! Have a seat. Let me finish this fight with your grandpa, and then I¡¯ll properly wee you.¡± He then turned back to re at Jase, brimming with determination.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase did the same, leaning over James¡¯s shoulder to Yvette and said, ¡°Sit there, Yev. Grandpa¡¯s a bit busy here; you can have coffee with Walter and Mr. Terrell first.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah introduced Yvette to Ronald and Walter, ¡°Walter, Mr. Terrell, this is my girlfriend Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette politely nodded and greeted. ¡°Hello, Walter. Hello, Mr. Terrell.¡± Jeremiah had already briefed her on the backgrounds of these two influential figures before they arrived.</font></font>


    Ronald and Walter smiled kindly. ¡°Ah, hello, Yvette. Don¡¯t be shy, just treat this ce like your home.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s blue eyes were cold and expressionless; she raised an eyebrow and tilted her chin towards the two on the ground. Casually, she said, ¡°Guess who will win?¡±


    Those five short words made Jase and James freeze instantly, and even Walter and Ronald were taken aback. Was she trying to mediate? It sounded more like she was stoking the fire!¡®


    Jeremiah chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a tie; both sides will get hurt, no one can win.¡±


    Once he said that, the two on the ground finally stopped, ignoring the hair scattered around and the scratches on their faces.


    The battle wasn¡¯t too brutal after all James grabbed Jase¡¯s white hair. ¡°You let go first, and I will too. You said you¡¯d keep your word.¡±


    Jase snorted. ¡°Who are you kidding? If I let go, you¡¯ll definitely pull out some of my hair. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? To be fair, let¡¯s count to three and let go together.¡±


    James knew he was at a disadvantage here,cking confidence. He had pulled the same trick on Jasest time, but it wouldn¡¯t work this time.


    They both counted to three and released their hands simultaneously, panting as they sat on the ground.


    Ronald and Walter watched as the two, who barely had any hair to begin with, now had almost none left. It was a sight to behold.


    Jase regained some strength, and Jeremiah stepped forward to help him up. ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re still going strong.¡±


    Jase proudly raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Of course! Just look at who your grandpa is!¡±


    James, having a worse physical condition than Jase, was panting heavily on the ground. Seeing Jase being cared for by Jeremiah made him feel a bit sad. He lowered his head, and just then, he heard a cool female voice above him say, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Those two words made James¡¯s heart flutter with joy.


    So, the scene looked rather strange to Ronald and Walter.


    After they finished dinner and sat on the living room sofa, the atmosphere remained awkward. They couldn¡¯t believe what they had just witnessed at the dinner table. That old geezer, Owens, had been fawning over Yvette, serving her food and getting her napkins, barely eating himself, his attention solely on her. This bizarre scene made everyone except Jeremiah feel like they were choking on their food.


    Jase leaned on his cane, watching James and wondering why Owens was treating his granddaughter¨Cinw so well. ¡®Could it be just because she¡¯s a Siren? But isn¡¯t that a bit over the top? He doesn¡¯t treat other geniuses this way, does he?¡®


    James, noticing the suspicious looks from everyone, calmly poured Yvette another cup of flower coffee.


    Yvette took the coffee and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jeremiah sat beside Yvette, saying nothing, just ncing at her before lowering his head. ¡®It¡¯s good for the girl to have someone care about her; she deserves it.¡®


    James immediately patted her. ¡°No need to be polite with grandpa.¡±


    Jase was not pleased. ¡®Why does it look like those two are the family here?¡®


    Then James turned to Ronald and Walter. ¡°Where are the wee gifts you prepared? Bring them out.¡±


    Ronald and Walter had already given Yvette her wee gift; the remaining one was meant for his newly recognized granddaughter. ¡®But she¡¯s not even here; we want to give it, but to whom?¡®


    Walter frowned and said, ¡°Owens, your granddaughter isn¡¯t here. Who should we give our gifts to?¡±


    Jamesughed and raised his chin. ¡°Who says she hasn¡¯t arrived Just hurry and bring it out.¡±


    With no other choice, Walter and Ronald took out the prepared gifts. Since they were valuable items, they had been stored in a private antique vault, and now the box contained a receipt that could be used to retrieve the items, just in case. Each antique required special security personnel to deliver it home.


    James took the gift box and ced it directly into Yvette¡¯s hands ¡°Granddaughter, here¡¯s the wee gift from those two. Just ept it for now; when you go to grandpa¡¯s ce, he has plenty of good stuff for you to choose from.¡±


    The scene seemed frozen, with Jase, Ronald, and Walter¡¯s faces filled with expressions of surprise. ¡®What did we just hear?


    Owens said this is for Yvette; does that mean she is his newly recognized granddaughter?¡®

 Chapter 361

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was already evening when they left Purplegold Estate. After learning that Yvette would be returning to Seacrity in a couple of days, James chatted with her for a while, reminding her to take care of herself and to let Jeremiah handle any dangerous situations. Jase nodded in agreement.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was speechless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Yvette and Jeremiah saw Jase and James off, the two casually walked to a night market and found a street vendor to sit down at.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The night market had just opened, so there weren¡¯t many people around. With Yvette wearing a baseball cap and a ck mask covering half her face, most of the attention fell on Jeremiah, who was sitting on a shabby stic stool, looking extraordinarily out of ce with his impressive looks and affluent aura.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah exuded an air of ¡°stay away,¡± causing many young women who wanted to approach him to hesitate, not daring to ask for his contact information. After he ced his order at the vendor, the surrounding tables filled up within a few minutes, with everyone subtly observing their table.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched Jeremiah wiping the table, her long eyshes fluttering slightly. Her voic showstopper.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">t. ¡°You¡¯re quite the</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked up, frowning slightly, momentarily confused by herment. When he scanned the area and noticed that ny percent of the customers were women, it suddenly clicked. With his noble appearance and indifferent demeanor, he ignored the nces from the women around him, his eyes only on Yvette. He smiled faintly, which only made the surrounding women more eager. His voice lowered, tinged with a hint of reproach, as he leaned closer. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable; it¡¯s not my fault.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s voice was deliberately low, carrying a maic charm that was both enticing and mischievous. He knew that young women were susceptible to this charm. ¡®Using good looks to gain some benefits for myself is only fair given this appearance.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette smirked, dragging out her words. ¡°I¡¯m being unreasonable? You said the same thing when we were in bed. I remember you said you liked how unreasonable I was. Men¡¯s words can be so deceiving; I guess what I promised you is off the table.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s expression stiffened, feeling like his world had just copsed. He gritted his teeth and sat back down. ¡°I¡¯m the showstopper, you¡¯re the reasonable one. You promised; let¡¯s take care of it when we get back tonight.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from a nearby table, where a big, burly man had flipped it over. A trembling woman crouched on the floor opposite him, her head buried in her chest, too frightened to look up. She appeared utterly helpless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned to look at the man and woman, her gaze lingering on the woman for a few seconds, her expression neutral, before turning away.</font></font>


    Jeremiah did the same, clearly having no intention of getting involved,


    Besides their table, the others stood up, moving to the side, whispering and pointing at the two, mostly criticizing the man. Those standing on the side of justice only dared to softly admonish him.


    The burly man clearly had too much to drink; he wore arge gold watch and a heavy gold chain around his neck, giving off a total nouveau riche vibe. He pointed at the woman and yelled, ¡°What are you pretending for? All I did was offer you a drink! I bought you so many things, and now you want to break up? If you dare leave me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The woman raised her head at this, but instead of looking at the man right away, she turned her gaze to Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s table. Her eyes wandered before finally settling back on the man, crying pitifully, ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore! I want to break up with you! Please let me go, I¡¯m begging you. I only got together with you because I had no choice. Please don¡¯t hit me! I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    Hearing her words, the man¡¯s eyes turned red. He couldn¡¯t understand why she had changed so quickly. ¡®She was calling me ¡®brother¡® in my arms just yesterday; now she wants to break up so suddenly!¡® With bloodshot eyes and fueled by alcohol, he picked up a chair, ready to smash it over her.


    The woman, who had been crying pitifully, instantly sprang to her feet and ran through the crowd to Jeremiah and Yvette¡¯s table. She pleaded with Jeremiah. ¡°Sir, please help me! If not, he¡¯s going to kill me!¡±


    There were plenty of people around who recognized the situation. They could tell that Jeremiah¡¯s clothes were expensive and he was likely wealthy. Sympathy started pouring in, even from those who had been too scared to speak earlier.


    ¡°Yes, sir, please help this poor woman! It could easily turn deadly, someone chimed in.


    ¡°Right? Look at that man, he¡¯s clearly drunk and dangerous. If you can help her, please do!¡± another added.


    ¡°That girl looks so pitiful; that man is old enough to be her father!¡± someone else eximed.


    ¡°Saving a life is worth more than building a pagoda, sir. I¡¯m sure your girlfriend wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± another suggested.


    The woman cried, covering her face, secretly pleased with herself. She had used this trick many times before. ¡®I don¡¯t believe this man can resist my charm. As for the woman next to him, she won¡¯t even show her face; she must not look good


    Jeremiah ignored her plea, casually pouring orange juice for Yvette before ncing at the woman.


    The woman felt even more jealous seeing Jeremiah¡¯s actions. He was truly exceptional, and she had noticed him the moment he sat down.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression turned icy as he spoke words that stunned everyone present. ¡°Stay away from me. You¡¯re too filthy.¡±


    The woman looked at Jeremiah in disbelief. ¡®Does he even know what it means to cherish a woman? How could he call me filthy?*


    Those around them, wanting to defend the woman, began to speak up. However, when Jeremiah cast a cool nce their way, they felt as if they were being choked, leaving them speechless.


    The woman anxiously watched the man approaching with a stool, then nced at the indifferent Jeremiah. In desperation she turned her attention to Yvette, saying, ¡°Hello, miss, I really mean no harm. This old man is threatening me; please help me!¡±


    Yvette leisurely sipped her orange juice, her casual demeanor unyielding. She looked at the woman with her cold blue eyes but said nothing.


    The woman felt a sudden pang of anxiety and lowered her head feeling somewhat guilty.


    The burly man had arrived, clutching his stomach. Upon seeing Jeremiah, he blurted, ¡°So you suddenly want to break up because you¡¯re interested in this Nathan guy? Today, I¡¯m going to kill both of you! Let¡¯s see if you dare to cheat on me again!¡± He threw the stool at Jeremiah, and the crowd gasped in shock.


    However, contrary to expectations, Jeremiah stretched out his right hand and caught the stool mid¨Cair. He casually tossed it back, and it struck the man¡¯s stomach, causing him to stumble back and fall to the ground, howling in pain.

 Chapter 362

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment the woman saw this scene, her eyes lit up, and her previously hidden ambition surfaced. However, when she turned to see Yvette¡¯s gaze, she instantly reverted to her weak and pitiful demeanor. ¡°Thank you, kind sir. May I have your contact information? I¡¯ll be sure to repay you bothter.¡± She said this to lower Yvette¡¯s guard, as getting the man¡¯s number was her ultimate goal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah didn¡¯t even look at her, and the atmosphere became tense again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">More and more people gathered around, murmuring to one another about what had happened, all feeling sorry for the woman who had been bullied by the man.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched the woman¡¯s performance, raised an eyebrow, and casually flicked her eyelids. Her usual coldness shone through as she asked, ¡°Are you done with your act?¡± Just those four simple words silenced the noisy crowd.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah lowered his gaze. ¡°The girl has no idea how to expose this poorly acted woman.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The woman was taken aback, but she held back her tears, refusing to let them fall. Looking at Yvette. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this ugly woman to have such a pleasant voice. She argued. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t know what you mean. Everyone saw that this man was attacking me. I just wanted protection; if you don¡¯t want to help me, why say such things?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The onlookers were also ring at Yvette, clearly siding with the woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette brushed off the dust from her clothes, crossed her legs, and nonchntly looked at the woman, saying, ¡°Your outfit is thetest LV, worth 30 thousand.¡± She continued, ¡°Those shoes are a Dior limited edition, the lowest price on the market is 70,000 dors.¡± She pointed at the ne, ¡°That blue diamond is small but at least 100 thousand dors.¡± Then she added, ¡°And that watch is a Jacob & Co 50th anniversary edition, worth 330 thousand dors.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With each of Yvette¡¯s words, the woman¡¯s face grew paler.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gasps of disbelief echoed around them. ¡®Who would have thought that a girl who looks so pitiful is decked out in clothes worth 330 thousand dors? She¡¯s no victim; she¡¯s a wealthy woman. How could she let an old man treat her like this?¡® Some people seemed to realize something, and their looks towards the woman changed immediately.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The woman hurriedly tried to hide the watch she had on, but it was a diamond watch she bought to show off, and now it was toote.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, the man got up from the ground, clutching his stomach and appearing sober. He pointed at the woman and shouted, ¡°You have no idea how ruthless this woman is! She¡¯s just a student from a second¨Crate university. All her designer clothes and essories are gifts from me. Now that she thinks I¡¯m too old for her, she wants to ditch me! Why should I take that? I even gave up my wife for her! She¡¯s just a gold digger! I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±</font></font>


    Upon hearing his words, the crowd realized the truth and fell silent, lowering their heads. They thought she was a pitiful woman, but she¡¯s actually a mistress. Though the man isn¡¯t a good guy either, how dare he ask us if he¡¯s right?¡®


    Seeing how the situation turned against her, the woman decided to fight back. She immediately dropped her previous demeanor and stood tall against the burly man. ¡°It¡¯s your problem that you abandoned your family, you¡¯re the one who is infatuated with my beauty and wants to leave your old wife! I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve already broken up with you. I¡¯ll say it again: stop harassing me, or my new boyfriend won¡¯t let you off!¡± With that, unable to hold her anger, she swung her hand at Yvette, but her wrist was caught mid¨Cair.


    Yvette, expressionless, held onto the woman¡¯s hand and smiled. Does this fool really think she can touch me?¡® With a sharp twist, there was a loud crack as the woman¡¯s bone snapped.


    Jeremiah¡¯s cold gazended on the woman, his voice steady and chilling as he narrowed his blue eyes. ¡°You want to die?¡±


    The woman shrieked in pain, and the burly inan stood frozen in shock. The onlookers were also stunned. ¡®Who would have thought that this woman in a cap would be so ruthless right from the start?¡®


    Despite the pain, the woman defiantly shouted at Jeremiah, ignoring her broken hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to hit this ugly woman! Do you know who my boyfriend is? Just wait here; he¡¯ll be here any minute! You¡¯re all going to regret it!¡±


    The woman was brazen, acting as though she feared nothing and no one. ¡®My new boyfriend is a second¨Cgeneration heir from the prestigious Betrico estate. So what if this guy here has money? I refuse to believe he could have more influence than my new boyfriend!¡® She had just sent her new boyfriend a text, and as luck would have it, he was nearby. He could get to the food stall in five minutes.


    Yvette sat casually in her chair, spinning it slightly, crossing her legs, and watching the woman with a bored expression. She unwrapped a candy and popped it into her mouth, her tone casual. ¡°Let hime. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Jeremiah and Yvette sat at the food stall, Yvette wearing a baseball cap and lowering her gaze. After taking off her mask, only half of her face was visible, showcasing her sharp jawline. She calmly continued eating the lobster Jeremiah had prepared for her.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, the woman, clutching her injured arm, red at them from a distance. The burly man, sensing things were getting out of hand, had already run off. Dozens of onlookers stood around, watching the scene in stunned silence, asionally swallowing nervously.


    Five minutester, the woman¡¯s new boyfriend arrived. Coincidentally, he was a familiar face.


    As soon as Joel appeared, the woman rushed into his arms, instantly transforming back into her tearful, delicate persona. The people who had watched the entire scene unfold were speechless at how quickly she could change faces. ¡®Is she some kind of face¨Cchanging master?¡®


    Joel hurried tofort his new fling. ¡°Sweetheart, what happened? Who dared to bully you?¡±


    The woman, feigning fear, pointed towards Jeremiah and Yvette, sobbing. ¡°It¡¯s them! Those two bullied me. That woman¡¯s unreasonable! All I did was say a few words, and she broke my hand. It hurts so much!¡±


    Hearing this, Joel immediately got angry. He followed her finger to see who she was pointing at, but as soon as he recognized who was sitting there, his expression changed dramatically. ¡®What kind of day is this that I run into these two at a food stall? Oh my God!¡® In the next second, Joel realized the situation. ¡®Wait, did she say they bullied her? Maybe anyone else, but these two? No way! That¡¯s impossible!¡® Joel quickly pulled the woman out of his embrace as if she were contagious, now wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.


    The woman was utterly confused by Joel¡¯s sudden change in attitude. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why is he acting like this?¡®


    Joel, mustering his courage, walked shakily towards the two, praying that the heavens would spare him today. ¡®I swear I¡¯ll never touch a woman again; if I get involved with the wrong one, it could be disastrous and cost me my life!¡±

 Chapter 363

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joel put on a smiling face and approached Jeremiah¡¯s table. Just as everyone thought he was going to stand up for the woman and start a fight, Joel bowed deeply at a ny¨Cdegree angle to both of them. ¡°Jeremiah, Yve, good evening. What a coincidence to run into both of you here. I¡¯m not sure what this clueless woman did to offend you, Jeremiah, so feel free to handle it however you like.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joel¡¯s words left the woman waiting for him to retaliatepletely stunned. She stared at the scene in front of her, unable to believe that her supposed ally would bow so low to these two. Joel is the son of a big shot in Betrico; who exactly are these two people?¡® She realized she had messed with the wrong people. Fear finally gripped her; she wanted to run, but with so many eyes on her, she knew there was no escaping.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After speaking, Joel lowered his head, unable to look at the two. Don¡¯t me me for being cowardly; thatst time at the bar, seeing Keira getting beaten up by Yve was no joke. The next day before I even made a move, Keira had already decided to leave the scene. It was obviously Jeremiah¡¯s doing.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah spoke, his expression emotionless, his voice cold and devoid of warmth. ¡°Is she your girlfriend?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Those four words sent chills down Joel¡¯s spine. He immediately denied it. ¡°No, Jeremiah, she¡¯s not my girlfriend. We haven¡¯t officially established anything; we¡¯re just in a flirtation stage, really. Jeremiah, I swear on my character.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing Joel deny their rtionship, the woman was infuriated, but she knew she couldn¡¯t afford to offend Joel. Besides, what he said was right¡ªshe had wanted him to see her as a unique girl, so she had kept him dangling. Now she had trapped herself and regretted it deeply.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Fearing that Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t believe him, Joel turned to the woman and gestured for her toe over, warning her with his eyes. ¡°Come here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The woman could only walk over under the mocking gazes of everyone, feeling as ridiculous as she had been arrogant before.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joel said to the woman. ¡°Are we dating? I¡¯ve only pursued you for a few days, right?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">People around them began to whisper and point at the woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Is this woman too full of herself? The guy¡¯s only pursued her for a few days, and she ims he¡¯s her boyfriend, then has hime over. What a scheming bitch.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°She¡¯s not just a scheming bitch; she¡¯s got this old guy wrapped around her finger and even got him to abandon his wife and kids. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s just mad because she can¡¯t get that guy sitting over there¡¯s phone number?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the crowd, a short guy defended the woman. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too much to say that about a girl? Maybe she was deceived too. That woman sitting over there is the real viin; she even broke that girl¡¯s hand. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s cruel?¡±</font></font>


    The girls watching scoffed at his words, their anger shifting to the guy.


    ¡°No wonder there are scheming bitches in this society who can act so brazenly; it¡¯s because of blind men like you.¡±


    ¡°Ladies, keep your eyes wide open; be careful of men who back scheming bitches. Such men can be easily led away by a few sweet words from a woman.¡±


    The guy felt his face flush as everyone countered him, leaving him speechless, and he hurriedly left.


    The woman cast a pitiful nce at Joel and could only nod. ¡°Yes, you were only pursuing me; we¡¯re not dating.¡±


    Joel sternly scolded her. ¡°Apologize to Jeremiah and Yve right now, quickly.¡±


    The woman gritted her teeth against the pain in her arm and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Joel was immensely relieved that he hadn¡¯t officially gotten together with this woman; otherwise, he would have needed someone to collect his body today. He turned to Jeremiah and Yvette, and his heart raced since the real boss hadn¡¯t spoken yet. He cautiously approached Yvette, ingratiatingly saying, ¡°Yve


    Yvette rested her pale, slender hand on the table, lightly tapping it, her chin slightly raised as she nced at Joel with a serious look. ¡°Your taste isn¡¯t very good.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Joel¡¯s face flushed. ¡®I used to think I had good taste in women; who knew I¡¯d stumble so many times with womentely? If it weren¡¯t for my belief in science, I¡¯d probably consult a master. By the time Joel saw Yvette and Jeremiah off, he was already drenched in cold sweat.


    The onlookers lost interest and dispersed, and the bustling food stall suddenly emptied out.


    The woman didn¡¯t want to lose Joel. She thought if she obeyed him, he would definitely give her another chance.


    She reached out to pull Joel¡¯s sleeve, but he instinctively recoiled, looking at her warily. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t expect such a strong reaction from him and could only plead softly. ¡°Joel, my arm is broken, and it really hurts. Can you take me to the hospital?¡±


    Joel looked at her drooping arm, showing no sympathy, his gaze turning cold. This woman really doesn¡¯t understand what she¡¯s done wrong? Why does she still think there¡¯s anything between us?¡® He mercilessly told her. ¡°Do you have any idea who you¡¯ve offended? You should have checked my background. Don¡¯t rush to deny it. I don¡¯t want to y with you anymore, so let me tell you: you¡¯ve offended someone big in Betrico, someone we second¨Cgeneration folks have looked up to since childhood. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m anything special; even our fathers would have to call him Jeremiah when they meet, understand?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression turned to shock, her pupils dting as her face changed instantly. All she could think was. ¡°Joel said. even his father has to call this man Jeremiah.¡±


    Seeing her in despair and fear, Joel didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡®Who are Jeremiah and Yve? Why would they bother with a woman like her? Breaking one of her arms is already a lesson for her.


    At Sknd, only Yvette and Jeremiah were left today; Andrew and Samantha had already moved out, and Charles wasn¡¯t around.


    In the main bedroom, shrouded in darkness, Yvette looked down at Jeremiah, a hint of mischief in her beautiful face as she curled her lips while gazing at his handsome face. With cool fingertips, she glided from his lips down to his neck and corbone, unbuttoning his shirt one by one. Jeremiah¡¯s breath hitched, tensing up involuntarily.


    Jeremiah¡¯s slightly rough fingertips brushed against her soft red lips as he grasped her wrist firmly, his voice low and serious. ¡°Remember what we agreed on? I¡¯m here, you promised.¡± Who would have thought that the youngest major general of Clusia, the decisive Living Reaper, could be so humble?


    Jeremiah¡¯s charming face came so close to Yvette¡¯s that their faces almost touched, his gaze darkening. From this angle, he could see everything clearly, but one hand just wasn¡¯t enough. In the darkness, he noticed the red stain on her lips, and his gaze grew even darker.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 364

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually curled her lips, moving her waist slightly. Jeremiah¡¯s breath quickened again. ¡°Don¡¯t move around; if you do, you¡¯ll have to take responsibility for the consequences.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted his chin, and Jeremiah grasped her hand, shifting their positions so that he was on top and she was below. He leaned down, burying his face in her delicate neck, biting gently with his other hand sping her slender waist, his voice low and hoarse, yet filled with an undeniable reverence. ¡°I love you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked into his eyes; in the darkness, they locked gazes, but she didn¡¯t respond.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah leaned down once more, trailing his lips along her slender corbone, leaving a long line of deep crimson marks.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At nine in the morning, at Betrico Airport, Jeremiah watched Yvette, his blue eyes narrowing as he softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll head to Seacrity once I finish up here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood idly, nodding with a soft, slow voice. ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Behind them, Samantha, Andrew, and Charles all tactfully turned their heads to the side. Today, Jeremiah was in an exceptionally good mood. The fact that he made a special breakfast for Yve and even brought a portion for them was unheard of: When they saw him in the morning, his attitude toward the three of them was like a spring breeze. It made them feel so ttered they didn¡¯t quite know how to react.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, holding hertest limited¨Cedition handbag, looked at the two in front of them and suddenly sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you guys, but don¡¯t you think something has subtly changed between Yve and Jeremiah? I can¡¯t put my finger on it, but something¡¯s definitely different.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">uld Charles was also going back to Seacrity with Yvette this time. Simon had already taken care of his paperwork, so he directly enroll. This whole situation is ridiculous. I¡¯m a top graduate from Mysonna¡¯s leading university, and now I have to go back to school. Charles adjusted his sses, nced at Samantha, and responded in a t tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew had booked his ticket too. He was heading back to Seacrity as well, after all, there was someone there he missed. ¡®It¡¯s been almost half a month. If I don¡¯t go back soon, that heartless person might forget all about me. Andrew stroked his chin and nodded. ¡°Sis, I¡¯ve got the same feeling. Do you think it¡¯s twin telepathy?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha paused, looking at Andrew, and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this time when you go back, you better bring your girlfriend with you. If you don¡¯t, don¡¯t bothering back next time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew vowed confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis. Your little brother will definitely bring her back.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After chatting a bit more, it was time to board the ne. Jeremiah and Samantha watched as the three of them left, then each went their own way to handle their own matters.</font></font>


    Seacrity. After more than two months, Yvette returned to Seacrity once again. Only Simon knew she was back and went out of his way to pick her up at the airport.


    Yvette was wearing a baseball cap, a ck mask, and casual sportswear. Charles was in a white shirt and suit pants, looking more business¨Clike. Andrew had a mixed style, wearing a ck jacket and Martin boots.


    The three of them were the center of attention at the airport. Seacrity and Andrew, the two handsome guys, sitting together were a sight to behold. Many subtle nces from others lingered on them, and some girls even gathered the courage to ask for their contact information, but both men declined.


    As soon as they left the airport, they saw Simon standing next to a ck car, looking inside. When he saw the three of them, Simon¡¯s eyes lit up and he waved to Yvette in the middle, saying ¡°Over here, grand¨Caunt.¡±


    Simon¡¯s shout caused people around to stop in their tracks. This name had be so popr recently that even young children could recite it by heart. In the past few days, major video websites and trending searches were all about thepetition, with nationwide enthusiasm soaring. Yvette¡¯s name echoed throughout the country.


    After calling out, Simon regretted it when he saw everyone staring at them. ¡®My brain, I really forgot her current status.¡°Times have changed. Now, Yvette is an idol to most people. Posts about Yvette on the school forums are already ranked number one.


    Yvette walked calmly towards Simon. Andrew whispered to Charles, ¡°Bro, see that? That¡¯s the principal of Apex Urban University. Look at Yve¡¯s stature; the principal personally came to pick her up.¡±


    Charles was indifferent and somewhat confused. ¡®Is this strange? When the principal of Mysonna First Academy personally approached an instructor to offer her a professorship in the physics department, the instructor didn¡¯t even go after him three times. What¡¯s so surprising about a principal of a local university now?¡®


    Yvette took off her baseball cap, a few strands of brown hair falling out, and pressed her lips together. ¡°Hello, Principal.¡±


    Simon nodded and smiled at Yvette. ¡°Thank you, grand¨Caunt.¡± From the first moment Simon met Yvette, he knew she was something special. Indeed, in just a few months, she had aplished many unexpected things. He was thrilled watching herpete a few days ago. ¡®This kid really didn¡¯t disappoint!¡® Especially when he learned that James had epted her as a granddaughter, it shocked him even more. ¡®Being James Dean¡¯s granddaughter means endless resources and a highly coveted status. Although Yvette doesn¡¯t care, it¡¯s definitely something people envy. Now, Yvette is someone everyone looks up to.¡®


    Suddenly, there was a burst of exmations around them. A woman dragging a red suitcase covered her mouth and shouted loudly, ¡°Oh my god, I didn¡¯t see it wrong, it¡¯s the goddess, the goddess, she¡­¡±


    Immediately, everyone around looked towards Yvette and the group¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it wrong! Oh my god, it¡¯s really the goddess. She¡¯s back in Seacrity, I¡¯m so excited!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so excited? The goddess looks even more beautiful in person than on TV. Her appearance is just stunning!¡±


    ¡°You say she¡¯s Yvette, right? You didn¡¯t mistake her for someone else, did you?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely no mistake, she¡¯s the goddess. There¡¯s no one else with a face like hers!¡±


    Seeing people starting to gather around, Simon quickly said to Yvette, ¡°Let¡¯s go, grand¨Caunt, we¡¯ll talk on the way.¡± He really didn¡¯t expect Yvette to be recognized so quickly; she was truly popr.


    After getting into the car and driving a short distance, they looked in the rearview mirror. People at the airport entrance were still watching their car.


    Simon knew the time of Yvette¡¯s return and volunteered to pick her up. Now that he had been tasked with it, he was momentarily at a loss for words. He nced at the two men in the back seat. ¡®I already know who Andrew is. The other man must be someone Yvette rmended for admission. But looking at his resume, an outstanding graduate from the first academy, he could easily be a professor or mentor at Apex Urban University. It¡¯s a bit of an overqualification for a student.¡¯


    Charles remained very calm despite Simon¡¯s intentional scrutiny.


    In the car, Andrew broke the silence by cheekily asking Simon, ¡°Principal, have you considered giving me a raise?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Simon nced at Andrew. ¡®Asking for a raise at this moment?¡®He decided to y dumb. ¡®Giving a raise to this Zeke? What a joke! Our school is so poor!¡®

 Chapter 365

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon said, ¡°Hmm? What did you say? Lately, my ears haven¡¯t been too good. Getting older, sometimes I can¡¯t hear what people are saying.¡± Simon clearly pretended to be oblivious; the topic of a raise was out of the question.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew gritted his teeth. ¡®At this moment, this old man says he¡¯s getting older. Do you believe that if I offer Apex Urban University an investment of several million, his ears would instantly get better?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon asked Yvette, ¡°Grand¨Caunt, where are you going? Back to the school dormitory or?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her delicate features, raised her eyebrows, and spoke in a detached tone, ¡°The Chambers family.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">All three in the car looked at her simultaneously. ¡®At this moment, going back to the Chambers residence?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette ignored their gazes, resting her chin on her hand and looking out the window. Her dark eyes were deep and profound.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the Chambers family vi, Zachary looked at the group of rtives sitting on the sofa¨Calmost ten people ranging from seventy to thirteen or fourteen years old. Zachary felt a bit headache and helpless. ¡®With all these old and young people, how am I supposed to ask them to leave?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ever since Yvette became famous on TV, these rtives had beening to the Chambers family like flies every day, impossible to get rid of. Some elders, who usually had little contact, suddenly showed up for several consecutive days. Who were they really here for?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Lucas walked in and saw the people in the living room, his mind went nk. ¡®Ever since grand¨Caunt became famous, the Chambers family threshold has almost been breached. We sent some away yesterday, and today so many more have arrived. It¡¯s endless.¡¯Lucas approached Zachary and whispered a few words.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">An elderlydy in her seventies, with gray hair and clearly a shrewd woman, kept looking at the two. After Lucas finished speaking and stepped aside, the olddy became animated. ¡°Oh, Zachary, what is Lucas talking about? We¡¯re all family here What¡¯s there to not listen to? What¡¯s the matter? Are you being suspicious of us?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The olddy was Zachary¡¯s grand¨Caunt. She married into the Lommore family when she was a teenager and rarely returned to Seacrity. Since Zachary¡¯s mother passed away, the two families hadn¡¯t had much contact, only exchanging gifts during festivals out of courtesy. When the grand¨Caunt started speaking, the other Chambers family members who were visiting fell silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At this moment, a woman dressed mboyantly in designer brands stepped forward. ¡°Grandma, Zachary, we¡¯re all part of the Chambers family. You¡¯re the closest to us. Uncle won¡¯t guard against us, right?¡± The woman was openly speaking on Zachary¡¯s behalf but also had her own agenda. She had important matters to handle today.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing this, the olddy¡¯s expression noticeably softened.</font></font>


    Zachary merely responded to them without causing a scene, exining to give both sides a way out. ¡°Grand¨Caunt, you¡¯ve got it wrong. Lucas was talking about some business matters. It¡¯s too boring, and he was worried you¡¯d get bored. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    The olddy knew that today¡¯s Chambers family and Zachary were different from before. She didn¡¯t know what kind of luck Zachary had¨Cfinding a daughter who had been missing for over twenty years, bringing her back, and having her represent the country inpetitions, even winning and bing the Goddess of Clusia. This also elevated Zachary¡¯s status.


    The olddy knew she was relying on the reputation of Zachary¡¯ste mother and dared not overstep. After all, she had her own intentions ining all the way to Seacrity. She smiled kindly at Zachary and began reminiscing about the past.


    Zachary held his coffee cup, listening more and more uneasily. His face showed no emotion, and he didn¡¯t respond, letting her talk about her childhood.


    The others were very supportive,ughing heartily at times and appearing deeply moved at others.


    Finally, seeing that the olddy had said so much and Zachary still wasn¡¯t responding, she bit her lip and had to abruptly shift the topic to her own purpose. ¡°Zachary, I¡¯m old now and have no particr wishes left in this life. There¡¯s just one thing I¡¯ve been worried about, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here today.¡±


    Zachary paused, set down his cup, and moved his jaw before speaking. ¡°What are you talking about? If you have something to say, go ahead and tell me. Let me see if I can help.¡± Zachary wasn¡¯t foolish; he left room in his response, handling what he could and absolutely not agreeing to things he couldn¡¯t.


    Hearing this, the olddy knew Zachary had left an opening. Although she was somewhat displeased, she had no choice. If this matter went through, the future of the Chambers family would be hers, and she wouldn¡¯t have to argue with Zachary anymore. The olddy maintained the denieanor of a refineddy and said to Zachary, ¡°Zachary, I have a grandson. He¡¯s 27 years old, a very excellent young man, the only male in our family. He graduated from a prestigious university, has a good personality and looks great. His future is limitless. I was thinking that keeping the wealth within the family is best. Your Yvette doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend yet, does she? I think they would be a perfect match. What do you think?¡±


    Zachary was stunned. He really didn¡¯t expect the olddy to set her sights on Yvette. ¡®Shameless, thinking I don¡¯t know that this so¨Ccalled promising grandson is a notorious yboy in Lommore, very flirtatious. Their family paid for him to study abroad to polish him, and he still hasn¡¯t found a job since he returned.¡¯How did she know so much? It was thanks to a business trip he took to Lommore once, where his business partners told him. Otherwise, he might have easily been fooled by the olddy.


    Before Zachary could say anything, the others began to praise the olddy one after another.


    ¡°I think grand¨Caunt is right. Keeping the wealth within the family is best. Yvette is so outstanding. If she marries someone else, who knows how much pressure she might face. Marrying grand¨Caunt¡¯s grandson would definitely ensure a good life.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Mr. Chambers, this match is a perfect match made in heaven. You mustn¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± ¡°The Chambers family is a prestigious lineage in Lommore. Yvette won¡¯t regret marrying into our family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, with parental matchmaking, if you agree, Yvette definitely won¡¯t object.¡±


    Lucas stood to the side, watching the members of the Chambers family with their shameless attitudes. ¡®This is ridiculous, toads trying to eat swan meat. Does she even know what kind of person Grand¨Caunt is now? And this olddy is seriously thinking her grandson could marry Grand¨Caunt? What a joke! She should take a good look at herself!¡®


    Zachary sneered. ¡®Do these people really think I¡¯m a paper tiger: Just because I¡¯ve been polite, they dare say such shameless things? Her useless grandson wants to marry my daughter? Keep dreaming!¡®


    None of these people had ever met Yvette, but they sure acted close, calling her ¡°Yvette¡± like they knew her.


    Zachary looked at the people on the sofa, all deep in discussion, and said coldly, ¡°Grand¨Caunt, let¡¯s drop this. I¡¯m not getting involved in Yvette¡¯s marriage. She can marry whoever she wants. Your grandson should look elsewhere.¡±

 Chapter 366

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The olddy¡¯s face immediately fell when she heard that. She gave Zachary a dark look, then put down her coffee so much put down as mmed it on the table with a thud.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">cup¨Cnot</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The other rtives of the Chambers family saw what was happening and instantly fell silent, pretending to drink their coffee.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The olddy turned to Zachary with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Zachary, look at you, getting all high and mighty. I know your long- lost daughter is doing well and famous all over the country now, but you can¡¯t forget your roots. I was making that suggestion out of kindness. Don¡¯t take my goodwill for granted. Honestly, with your daughter being so headstrong, what respectable family would take her? My grandson is the only one willing to consider her, practically begging me toe and propose.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette was Zachary¡¯s bottom line. Since it hade to this, he decided to tear off the pretensepletely. His demeanor shifted, and he said sharply, ¡°Grand¨Caunt, like I said, it¡¯s not happening. If you want to be blunt, then I¡¯ll be blunt too. Your grandson, who weighs over 200 pounds and is aplete mess¨Cdrinking, gambling, womanizing¨Che might seem like a catch to you, but to others, he¡¯s a joke. Even if my daughter never gets married, she would never marry him. So drop it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary¡¯s words sessfully turned the olddy¡¯s face dark as coal. ¡®How does Zachary know my grandson is fat? And about all his drinking, gambling, and womanizing? He¡¯s all the way in Seacrity; how could he possibly know these things?¡® The olddy immediately started spinning conspiracy theories in her mind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The others were stunned, too. A moment ago, the conversation was lively, but now their faces were flushed with embarrassment. Even they looked a bit dissatisfied with the olddy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Humiliated and angry, the olddy stood up, shaking, pointing a trembling finger at Zachary. ¡°Fine! You Chambers family people are something else! I was kindly offering your daughter a match, and this is how you repay me? My grandson must¡¯ve been out of his mind to take an interest in that Yvette. Let¡¯s see how high and mighty your daughter acts when no one wants to marry her, and she¡¯s left all alone.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Who I marry has nothing to do with you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary froze slightly when he heard that voice, then turned excitedly. Sure enough, standing there was the person he¡¯d been dreaming of seeing. ¡®Ever since she performed my surgery she hasn¡¯t returned to Seacrity, but today she¡¯s finallye back.</font></font>Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">eyes on The next person to get excited was Lucas. A dragon is never, ever bound to the pond. From the moment he firstid Grand¨Caunt, he knew she wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. And it turned out he was right. ¡®Grand¨Caunt represented the country in apetition and even beat the Ybaun team! How incredible</font></font>


    Lucas looked at Yvette standing at the door and shouted, ¡°Grand¨Caunt, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Yvette, dressed in ck pants and a ck shirt, added a cool and aloof touch to the summer day. She lifted her gaze, sweeping it over the room, hands casually in her pockets, then slowly walked towards Zachary with a swagger, her upturned eyes full of defiance.


    The Chambers family rtives in the room were seeing Yvette for the first time. They had only ever seen her on TV before, and now they were all dumbfounded. They hadn¡¯t expected her to look so much more stunning in person. Some people always said that TV doesn¡¯t do people justice, and they hadn¡¯t believed it until now. Yvette was breathtakingly beautiful from every angle.


    Even the olddy who had just been running her mouth was momentarily stunned by Yvette¡¯s aura and beauty, instinctively taking a step back when Yvette¡¯s gaze swept over her


    Yvette leisurely walked up to Zachary, raised an eyebrow, with a barely¨Cthere smile on her lips, and said in her usual cold voice, ¡°Quite the lively scene, huh?¡±


    Zachary was so excited his hands trembled slightly. He didn¡¯t care about the people in the room and looked lovingly at Yvette. ¡°Just some distant rtives. You must be tired after just getting back to Seacrity. Go upstairs and rest. I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare some food for you. You¡¯re looking skinnier. I¡¯ll have them make you some milk stew, chicken soup, and the sea bass that arrived by air yesterday. You need to get your strength back.¡±


    Zachary turned to call for Lucas, but the olddy¡¯s voice interrupted him. ¡°Ah, so this is Yvette? She looks even more exquisite in person than on TV! I¡¯m your father¡¯s grand¨Caunt, so you can just call me Grand¨Caunt.¡±


    The olddy¡¯s sudden shift in attitude left everyone in the living room speechless. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she just saying Yvette would die alone and never get married? Now she¡¯s suddenly all smiles? How fake can you get?¡®


    The olddy, with all her years of life experience, didn¡¯t even blush when she spoke such words. It was obvious she¡¯d said these kinds of things many times before.


    Yvette turned her head, her eyes half¨Clowered, with no expression on her face. Ignoring everyone in the room, she walked over to the sofa, sat down, leaned back, and spread her arms wide in apletely dominant pose. She exuded an aura of arrogance and defiance.


    The Chambers family rtives, seeing this side of Yvette, all looked uneasy.


    The olddy, suppressing her displeasure, spoke to Yvette on the sofa. ¡°Yvette, I am your¡ª¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Yvette¡¯s simple four words made the olddy¡¯s face turn extremely sour.


    ¡®What do you mean, what does it have to do with her? That¡¯s just too much!¡® The olddy couldn¡¯t keep up her act any longer and reverted to her usual sharp¨Ctongued self. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t the Chambers family just the high and mighty ones! If you look down on your poor rtives so much, what are we even doing here? Are we just here to beughed at?¡±


    The olddy said this on purpose, hoping to stir up resentment among the others towards Zachary and Yvette. She thought the people in the living room would side with her, but she didn¡¯t realize they all had their own interests tied to the Chambers family and wouldn¡¯t dare offend them.


    Despite all her talk, not a single person in the room backed her up. The olddy was thoroughly humiliated. Furious, she red at Zachary and Yvette, then huffed and delivered her ultimatum. ¡°Fine! If you¡¯re going to be so heartless, we¡¯ll just cut off all ties.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s lips twitched slightly, her gaze icy and detached as she stared at the smug olddy. She said, ¡°Show her out.¡±


    Lucas immediately followed the order without hesitation. He gestured towards the door and said, ¡°This way, please. I¡¯ll see you out.¡±


    The olddy¡¯s face froze, and the others in the room didn¡¯t look much better. Yvette¡¯s words had caught everyone off guard; no one expected her to actually kick them out without any regard for appearances.


    Seeing even Lucas daring to show her the door, the olddy almost choked on her anger. She clutched her chest as if she was about to have a heart attack. ¡°You¡­you¡­Zachary, you¡¯re really going to let your daughter treat me like this? I¡¯m your grand¨Caunt! When your mother was alive, she treated me with so much respect. And now, your daughter wants to kick me out? Aren¡¯t you going to say something fair?¡±

 Chapter 367

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary walked over to Yvette and stood behind her, his dark eyes fixed on the olddy, who looked like she was about to faint from anger. ¡°What Yvette says is what I say. If she says ¡®show you out, then you¡¯re being shown out. And if you feel we shouldn¡¯t maintain ties anymore, then that¡¯s fine with us. We¡¯ll just go our separate ways and never speak again.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The expressions on the faces of the Chambers family rtives in the living room were truly something to behold. Their reactions were nothing short of spectacr.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The olddy, clutching her chest, wasn¡¯t faking it anymore¨Cthis time, the pain was real. Trembling, she pointed a shaking finger at them. ¡°You¡­ you¡­. you two are outrageous!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette¡¯s frown, Lucas quickly stepped forward. ¡°Please, this way.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, seeing that no one was going to back her up, the olddy had no choice but to leave the Chambers family home, cursing under her breath as she went. The room was left in an awkward silence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once the olddy had left, the people in the living room started to stir again. A woman dressed head¨Cto¨Ctoe in designer clothes, who had been biding her time, took this opportunity to stand up and showerpliments. ¡°Zachary, this is the first time we¡¯ve met Yvette in person, and she¡¯s even more stunning than on TV.¡± The words sounded sweet, but the envy and jealousy in her eyes were hard to hide. ¡®How could a girl found in the countryside suddenly be a national hero? What did she do to deserve it?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the woman speak up, the others quickly shifted gears and started ttering Yvette as well. They took turns praising her, one after another.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°La is right. Yvette is truly the pride of the Chambers family. Just look at her grace during thepetition, it was unbelievable!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You don¡¯t even need to say that! I watched the wholepetition from start to finish, and it was amazing!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">of person who valued sons over A man who didn¡¯t stand out much in the room, with shifty eyes, spoke up. He was the kind daughters, and after three marriages, he still hadn¡¯t managed to have a son¨Conly daughters. It drove him crazy. After all, what good were daughters? Who would inherit his estate? Sour with envy, he muttered, ¡°Yvettepeting for the country? There must be something going on behind the scenes.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The room, which had just started to heat up again, immediately fell silent. All eyes turned to the man who had just spoken.</font></font>


    He was just a distant rtive of Zachary¡¯s, here to try and gain some favor from the Chambers family. Seeing everyone staring at him, he didn¡¯t even realize what he had said wrong. With a smug grin, he exined further. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just being honest. Yvette, don¡¯t take it the wrong way¨CI¡¯m just curious. With so many people in Clusia, how could they not find a single man topete? How did it end up being you? I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity. Don¡¯t read too much into it.¡±


    His words might have sounded polite on the surface, but everyone knew the real meaning: he was insinuating that Yvette only got the chance topete through some secret, shady connections, and that¡¯s how she gained fame.


    In fact, many people in the room had thought the same thing when they saw how beautiful Yvette was. Though they didn¡¯t say it out loud, it crossed their minds. Now that this man had voiced it, everyone was eager to see how Yvette would respond.


    Zachary mmed the table and stood up, ring angrily at the sharp¨Cnosed man. He shouted, ¡°Get out immediately! My daughter won thepetition for Clusia through her own abilities. Why involve you? Are you capable? What kind of rtionship would make the country take such matters lightly? Stop talking nonsense here!¡±


    The man shrank back, intimidated by Zachary¡¯s fury, but deep down he still looked down on Yvette, believing she must have used some underhanded tactics. This belief was deeply ingrained in his mind, so no matter what Zachary said, he remained convinced. The man was unwilling to ept it, but out of respect for Zachary¡¯s authority, he could only meekly reply, ¡°If it¡¯s not, it¡¯s not. I was just speaking casually.¡±


    Yvette sat on the sofa, fluttered her eyelids, and showed no warmth in her eyes, lightly twisting her lips. She stood up and walked towards the man. Just when everyone thought she was about to say something, Yvette didn¡¯t hesitate and pped the man directly. The pnded heavily on his right cheek, leaving a clear mark, and blood started to trickle from the corner of his mouth.


    The sound of the p was crisp and loud, hitting everyone¡¯s hearts like a strike, making everyone present tremble involuntarily.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucas watched the scene unfold and secretly cheered to himself. This man really deserves it. Grand¨Caunt disciplining him was the right move. He needs to know who he should never offend!¡®


    Zachary sat on the sofa, only slightly surprised by Yvette¡¯s action, then looked at her with a permissive smile. ¡°This kid is something else. She hit him so hard; it would have been better if I had done it myself. No need for her to get her hands dirty!¡®


    The man was stunned by the p; he never expected Yvette to hit him like that. He lifted his dazed head, widened his eyes, and stared at Yvette. ¡°You¡­ you actually dared to hit me?¡±


    Yvette bypassed him and sinctly said to Lucas, ¡°Tissue.¡±


    Lucas immediately handed the tissues to Yvette with both hands and then stepped aside.


    Yvette ignored the man¡¯s resentful gaze and the surprised expressions of those around her. She simply lowered her head to wipe the hand that had just pped, and whispered, ¡°Keep talking trash, and I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±


    This casually spoken sentence froze everyone in ce because, at that moment, they truly believed Yvette wasn¡¯t exaggerating. If the man spoke another word, Yvette would indeed kill him.


    The man was also frightened by Yvette¡¯s words. He wanted to retort, but seeing Yvette¡¯s calm and profound gaze, his words got stuck in his throat, unable toe out.


    Just then, a servant walked in from outside and approached Lucas, whispering, ¡°Lucas, a man iming to be Wyatt is at the door, saying he¡¯s here to see grand¨Caunt.¡±


    Lucas was stunned for a moment but quickly realized who Wyatt was. ¡®Damn it, why would the mayore here personally at this time?¡® Lucas hurriedly walked to the sofa and whispered a few words into Zachary¡¯s ear.


    Hearing the name Wyatt, Zachary was also surprised and paused. This important figure is always busy managing Seacrity¡¯s investments. He should be too busy to even have time to eat, yet he managed to find time toe here for Yvette. In politics, nothing is done without benefit. Wyatting personally means Yvette is worth his trip. Having a city¡¯s leader visit personally speaks volumes.¡®


    Zachary asked Lucas to invite Wyatt in. He nced around the room at the lingering people. ¡®Having Wyatte now might be a good thing.¡¯


    Everyone in the living room wondered what had happened as they saw Lucas leave in a hurry.


    The man who was pped red at Yvette with hatred. He knew he had nothing to gain in this situation and could only leave, dejected and embarrassed.

 Chapter 368

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as the nan reached the doorway, Lucas leil Wyatt inside from the outside,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man looked up and saw a familiar face. With this face, who in Seacrity wouldn¡¯t recognize him? He stood frozen. unable to move his feet, as the man watched Wyatt being led by Lucas to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt was impably dressed in a suit, his hair neatlybed clearly well¨Cprepared. The others in the living room recognized him and eximed, ¡°Mr. Langford?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt had already heard that the Chambers family had been having frequent visitorstely and probably understood their intentions. ¡®Helping those in need is rare, adding to it is a queue. The most difficult thing in the world is managing rtionships.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing someone recognize him, Wyatt politely nodded to everyone, then turned his gaze to Yvette sitting on the sofa, his eyes deep. ¡®It¡¯s been a while, and her status has risen another level He was already aware of the news from Betrico¨CJase had acknowledged this daughter¨Cinw, and he heard that Clifford and his wife were particrly satisfied and had stood up for her. Now, Yvette¡¯s position as Major General Mrs. Chavez was solidified, and her recent win in Ybau had made her an idol among the Clusian people.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt ignored everyone¡¯s looks and quietly said to Yvette on the sofa, ¡°Grand¨Caunt, long time no see.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt greeting Yvette first shocked everyone present. ¡®He¡¯s the top leader of Seacrity, being this polite to Yvette, even respectful¨Cit¡¯s simply unbelievable!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man at the doorway stiffly turned his body to watch the scene, feeling deeply regretful. If he had known the mayor would be so polite to Yvette, he would never have said those things. Now, even if he regretted it, it was toote. The man could only reluctantly leave the Chambers family.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Only Lucas nced at the man¡¯s departing figure. ¡®What¡¯s the use of regretting now?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up, showing no surprise at Wyatt¡¯s appearance. Her expression was indifferent, and her voice was cold. ¡°Sit.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone else had a collective twitch at the corner of their eyes. Is this one word showing too much disregard for the top leader?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary said to Wyatt, ¡°Mr. Langford, you¡¯ve been so busytely. How do you find time toe personally? If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt sat on the sofa, being extremely courteous to Zachary. After all, Zachary was Jeremiah¡¯s future father¨Cinw and M Jase Chavez¡¯s inw. Being friendly at this moment only had benefits without any downsides.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt gave a heartyugh,pletely dropping the mayor¡¯s formalities. ¡°Mr. Chambers, you¡¯re too kind. I knew grand¨Ca was returning today, so I thought I¡¯de by to visit. There¡¯s nothing important, just wanted to stop by. Mr. Chambers, don¡¯t mind me being a bother. I came uninvited, sorry to trouble you.¡±</font></font>


    Zachary knew he was here because of Yvette. Since taking over Seacrity, Zachary had never actively befriended families. This time, regardless of the reason, his visit was seen by outsiders as a sign of goodwill towards the Chambers family, which was certainly a good thing for them. Zachary asked Lucas to serve coffee and acted as if he didn¡¯t notice th other standing guests in the living room. ¡°These people can stand if they want.


    any elite


    Wyatt nced around the living room. ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry today. I didn¡¯t realize Mr. Chambers had so many friends here. Should Ie another day?¡±


    Zacharyughed and waved his hand. ¡°Mr. Langford, not at all. It¡¯s just thattely, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but rt keeping one after another. People might think I have something good here.¡±


    This wave of sarcasm left everyone in the living room feeling deeply ashamed, their faces flushed. They certainly didn¡¯t


    let David leave be tire of them and could only pretend not to iderstand and leave one by one Mr. Chambers, I just remembered I have something to attend to at home, so I¡¯ll leave firstProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Oh look at the time. I still have family waiting for me at home ll head back now


    Zachary naturally didn¡¯t try to stop them. These people won¡¯t dare to step into the Chambers family doors again in the future. He said to Lucas, Send them off, Lucas.¡±


    The once lively living room instantly emptied, leaving only one woman who hadn¡¯t left¨CLa, who had previously stepped out dressed to impress to ease the situation. She saw Wyatt¡¯s eyes light up. I knew it. Yvette must know many high¨Cranking officials. If she¡¯s willing to introduce them to me, I can definitely marry into a real elite family. This was also her purpose foring.


    La could only pretend to be in a dilemma, adjusted her hair, and naturally sat down on the sofa, clearly not nning to leave. ¡°Mr. Chambers. I¡¯m really sorry. My driver¡¯s car broke down halfway, and it might take a while toe over. If it¡¯s okay, can I stay a bit longer?¡±


    Zachary had a good impression of this younger generation¨Cshe had her own little schemes but nothing excessive, He nodded. ¡°Sure, once the car arrives, you can leave.¡±


    La was pleased inside but still had to maintain a calm appearance on her face.


    Yvette squeezed her coffee cup, looked at the woman, and smiled yfully with a hint of mischief.


    La noticed Yvette¡¯s gaze and smiled awkwardly.


    Wyatt and Zachary chatted. Both were seasoned yers, exchanging words back and forth, enjoying their conversation. Yvette kept her head down, ying with her phone, lounging on the sofa without proper posture, veryzy.


    La, on the other hand, was like a refineddy, sitting up straight and asionally making smallments. She didn¡¯t bother anyone, but her eyes kept wandering over Wyatt.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t foolish; he certainly felt La¡¯s scrutiny. Inside, he was slightly displeased. ¡®At my age, she could see me as a father figure. What is she trying to achieve with these tant and purposeful looks?¡® Since he was a rtive of the Chambers family, Wyatt chose to politely avoid her.


    Zachary also noticed this and sighed. ¡®Another one trying to take shortcuts, and now she¡¯s setting her sights on Mr. Langford. She¡¯s not picky either.¡¯


    La thought she was hiding her intentions well, but the three people across from her had already seen through her, choosing not to mention it.


    La nced at her outfit, meticulously dressed from head to toe. ¡®My posture and behavior are all professionally trained; I¡¯m a true socialite. But this Yvette, she can¡¯t even sit properly in front of Mr. Langford. She¡¯s incredibly rude and unpresentable. Even if she won thepetition, it doesn¡¯t change her inherently low statuspared to a natural¨Cborn socialite like me.


    Seeing the malice suddenly appear in La¡¯s eyes and then her gaze fall on Yvette, Zachary spoke up, ¡°La, Mr. Langford and I have some things to discuss. Since your driver can¡¯te right now, I¡¯ll have the Chambers family driver take you.¡±


    La was taken aback by his words, feeling a bit embarrassed. But since Zachary had already said so, she could only nod. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± She then stood up, nced at Yvette, and her eyes darkened. ¡°Yvette, could you give me a ride?¡±

 Chapter 369

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After La finished speaking, she shot Wyatt a look that was just shy of leaping into his arms. To be honest, Wyatt was her ideal choice. She thought, ¡®So what if he is a bit older? He is still elegant and charming!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At Wyatt¡¯s age, he was already a mayor, and bing a governor was practically within his grasp. She had already looked into it¨CWyatt¡¯s family was from Betrico.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If she could get her hands on him, being a mistress wouldn¡¯t be out of the question. After all, anyone with power and influence was her target.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt avoided La¡¯s gaze. He thought, ¡®This woman must be crazy. What in the world does she see in me?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary asked, ¡°Yvette, could you tell us what she did?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Zachary¡¯s tone, La felt uneasy. Zachary didn¡¯t sound like he was about to reprimand Yvette at all.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up and nced at La, who was quietly wiping her tears and acting like a victim. With a daring lift of her eyebrows, she seriously replied to Zachary, ¡°She asked me to help her find a rich and powerful man in Betrico.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Wyatt struggled to hold back augh. Seeing Yvette¡¯s deadpan face, it was surprisingly funny to hear her make thatment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary rubbed his temples. He really hadn¡¯t expected La, who normally seemed so honest, to show her true colors now. She wanted Yvette to introduce her to some guys. Truly shameless she had no shame saying something like that.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La was shocked that Yvette actually said it out loud so directly She was flustered for a moment, but luckily, she had strong nerves and quickly regained herposure.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La quickly exined, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I just¡­ I just thought since Yvette knows some promising young men in Betrico, maybe I could meet them and make some friends. It is a misunderstanding, honestly a misunderstanding by Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Anyway, since there was no third person around earlier, as long as she stuck to her story that she never said those words, then it would all be Yvette¡¯s doing ¨C she¡¯d still have a chance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at the stubborn La and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s a camera above your head. Want to take a look?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Those light words made La, who had just been denying everything, freeze. Cold sweat started trickling down her back and her hands, resting by her sides, instinctively clenched.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She never expected the Chambers residence to have a camera at the entrance. Back when she used to hang out with Winona and visit the Chambers, there was no camera. She wondered, ¡®Howe they installed one suddenly?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary had been so busy these days that he waspletely frazzled. He even forgot that just a few days ago he installed cameras at the entrance, making it easy to see who was doing what and saying what.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But he didn¡¯t even need to check; he trusted his daughter wouldn¡¯t stoop telling such a lie.</font></font>


    Zachary spoke coldly to La, ¡°The camera footage is always avable; if there¡¯s a misunderstanding, we can all take a look and clear it up.¡±


    La quickly shook her head and said through gritted teeth, ¡°No need, Mr. Chambers, I just remembered something I have to do. I won¡¯t bother you any longer; I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    After speaking, La wanted nothing more than to flee the Chambers¡¯s residence at lightning speed in her high heels, ignoring the curious nces from the household staff as she made her hasty exit.


    Wyatt and Zachary watched La¡¯s embarrassed retreat with the same thought, ¡®She brought this on herself!


    Wyatt had achieved his goals for the day, showing interest in Yvette and indicating friendliness with the Chambers. It was time for him to leave, as staying longer would only be awkward.


    He thought, ¡®The father and daughter haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, they surely have a lot to catch up on.


    Thinking of this, Wyatt said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, Ms. Zeller, it¡¯s gettingte, so I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I¡¯ll visit again another day when the time permits.¡±


    Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Take care, Mr. Langford.¡±


    Zachary escorted them to the front gate, only returning to the living room after watching the car drive away. He looked at Yvette sitting on the sofa, his eyes lingering for a moment with a trace of guilt.


    He thought, ¡®This child became such an outstanding person in times and ces I wasn¡¯t aware of. How much effort did it take? What hardships did she face as a young girl? Perhaps only she knows.


    Zachary took the fruit tter from the servant and walked over to sit on the couch. He ced the fruit tter in front of Yvette and gently asked, ¡°How long do you n to stay this time¡±


    Zachary knew Yvette couldn¡¯t be confined by a small town like Seacrity. She had her own vast world, and all he could do in Seacrity was to be her silent support.


    Yvette looked at Zachary. He seemed much older than when she first met him, with hints of gray already showing at his temples.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe two weeks, a month,¡± Yvette said. Her main reason foring back this time was for her exams at Argrol University.


    Zachary nodded, his voice grew deeper, with a touch of pleading. ¡°Can you promise to stay at home during this time?¡±


    Meanwhile, La finally spotted her driver by the roadside. Once she got into the car, with no other way to vent her pent¨Cup anger, she yelled and screamed like a crazy woman, even giving the driver a p.


    Over the years, the driver had be ustomed to this. La would always vent her frustrations on those around her. In public, she acted like a refineddy, but no one had a darker heart than La.


    The driver had no choice; he had to endure it for the sake of the high sry.


    La finally let off some steam. She looked at herself in the rearview mirror, her eyes bloodshot. After thinking for a moment, she took out her phone and called a number she hadn¡¯t dialed in a long time.


    As soon as the call connected, La began to cry andin, Winona, where are you? Can youe out? I miss you so much.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My family has been keeping a close watch on me and didn¡¯t let me contact you, but they¡¯ve finally given me some freedom. The moment I got my phone, I called you.


    ¡°How have you been? Can youe out for a while? I really want to see you, is that okay?¡±


    At the Carter residence, Winona was surprised to receive a call from La. Since her incident, her friends treated her like an outcast, cutting her offpletely. Even La, who used to be her best friend, did the same.


    Winona thought they would remain strangers for the rest of their lives. Unexpectedly, La called, and Winona hoped that maybe La had her reasons.


    Winona pushed Robert off her. She said, ¡°La, it¡¯s not convenient for me right now. How about we meet tomorrow morning at the club we often visit downtown?¡±


    Seeing that Winona believed what she said, La felt secretly pleased and immediately agreed. ¡°Alright, Winona, see you tomorrow.¡±


    Winona looked at Robert, who started snoring right after she pushed him aside, feeling a bit disgusted. This old man had exhausted himself with drinking and women. Now that her pregnancy had stabilized, they hadn¡¯t held back when they were together.


    She had already lost Victor¡¯s favor, so she couldn¡¯t afford to lose Robert¡¯s too. For the sake of the baby she was carrying, she had to keep Robert firmly by her side.

 Chapter 370

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At night in the Carter residence, Winona hung up the phone and sat on the bed, her eyes filled with uncertainty. She suspected that Victor might have learned something recently. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t exin why his attitude toward her changed so much.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She felt uneasy and thought, ¡®If Victor had found out about my affair with Robert, how could he possibly have remained silent?¡® Winona gritted her teeth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had secretly taken the baby in her belly for a check¨Cup without the Carter family¡¯s knowledge and confirmed it was a boy. If her child was going to inherit everything from the Carter residence, then Victor couldn¡¯t be allowed to live.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona looked at Robert, who was sleeping like a log beside her. She pinched her arm hard, let a few fake tears fall, then reached over and shook Robert awake.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robert was shaken awake by Winona, feeling a bit annoyed. He nced at Winona¡¯s belly, which kept him from getting really angry, but his tone was still a bit grumpy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s the middle of the night, why aren¡¯t you asleep and making a fuss?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona felt a little wrong. Recently, Robert had started chatting again with a college student, and she had seen their messages, which made her sick to her stomach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But she had to endure because she couldn¡¯t confront Robert directly yet. During her pregnancy, she risked her own well- being to keep him close.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona shed a tear and looked at Robert, saying with a choke in her voice, ¡°I just had a bad dream and needed some</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;"fort. Are you losing patience with me? I knew it. Your derations of love for me were nothing but lies.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robert couldn¡¯t understand why a pregnant woman could be so sensitive, alwaysining about not eating well and having nightmares. There was never a moment of peace. However, his feelings for Winona were special, so he felt a bit more sympathetic towards her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing her genuinely scared, he had no choice but to calmlyfort her. ¡°Nightmares aren¡¯t real, they don¡¯t count. You¡¯re just overthinking things, which is why you have nightmares. It¡¯ste, so just go to sleep.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona paused, looking a bit lost, which only confused Robert more. ¡°Winona, what¡¯s really bothering you? What did you dream about?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona lifted her head, tears streaming uncontrobly down her face, looking incredibly pitiful. In a soft voice, she said, ¡°I think¡­ I think Victor might have found out about us.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The way he¡¯s been looking at metely is really strange like he wants to kill me. Honey, if he finds out and tells someone, we¡¯re doomed. Mr. Carter won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robert waspletely jolted awake. He shot up from the bed, eyes wide with shock, looking utterly horrified. ¡°What did you say? You said Victor knows about us? No way, that¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡±</font></font>


    Robert kept denying it. He just couldn¡¯t believe it. He thought, Victor knew about this, how could he possibly stay silent? It would¡¯ve been a huge uproar by now.¡¯


    Robert stared at Winona with suspicion, questioning, ¡°Was it you? Did you tell Victor?¡±


    Winona quickly shook her head, denying it. ¡°No way, am I crazy How could I have told Victor?¡±


    Calming down, Robert also thought it was unlikely. But what Winona said reminded him of Victor¡¯s strange behaviortely; sometimes his words really did sound odd.


    Doubt began to grow in his heart. Once the seed of suspicion was nted, ittched onto his mind, eventually taking root and growing uncontrobly,


    Robert lifted his head, his gaze dark and brooding. He stared at Winona¡¯s belly, lost in thought for a long time.


    Finally, he spoke, his voice was rough and grating like a chainsaw. ¡°Is it a boy or a girl in your belly?¡±


    Winona felt a bit scared seeing Robert like this. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s a boy. I went to the hospital myself a few days ago, and the doctor said it¡¯s a healthy boy.¡±


    Robertughed eerily, sending chills down anyone¡¯s spine. If he failed at raising Victor, he could always start over with a more obedient one; after all, he still had time to cultivate another heir.


    Robert said, ¡°Even if Victor knows, he hasn¡¯t said anything. No matter what he¡¯s thinking, as long as we ensure he never talks, no one will find out.


    ¡°You just need to quietly have this baby. I¡¯ll raise him to be the next heir of the Carter residence.¡±


    Winona¡¯s heart filled with joy upon hearing this. This was the result she wanted.


    She thought, ¡®Blood is thicker than water? Robert is selfish; as long as he is okay, he doesn¡¯t mind sacrificing his own son. I have known this about him for a long time.¡¯


    Winona pretended to be surprised, her eyes narrowing as she whispered, ¡°You mean¡­ to¡­¡±


    Robert/nodded. With a fierce tone, he said, ¡°After all, Victor is my son. I¡¯ll let him live, but he¡¯ll spend the rest of his life bedridden, unable to move.¡±


    Looking at Robert¡¯s face, Winona suddenly remembered that the luxury car Victor recently bought overseas was about to arrive in Seacrity.


    She thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t making someone unable to move forever basically turning them into a vegetable? The best way to be a vegetable is through a car ident. Winona touched her stomach.


    She deliberately said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that very difficult? Besides getting into a car ident and ending up as a vegetable in bed, what other way is there?¡±


    After speaking, she immediately contradicted herself. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just talking nonsense, don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Robert¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard Winona¡¯s words; it was clear he took them to heart. After the lights went out.


    Winonay on Robert¡¯s left side, and turned around, her lips curling into a sly smile. What a perfect scheme.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The father and son were fighting each other, and in the end, she could gain without any effort. Once Victor was gone, it would be Robert¡¯s turn, and then the one in her belly would be the future heir of the Carter family.


    At the Chambers residence. From the afternoon until now, the servants at the Chambers¡¯s residence had been bustling around because the eldest daughter had agreed to move back and stay for a while.


    Zachary had the servants clear out the entire second floor, leaving only the master bedroom, the study, the gym, and the art studio that had been prepared long ago for Yvette, turning the entire floor into a personal entertainment zone.


    Watching Yvette eating ate¨Cnight snack in front of him. Zachary couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. He thought, ¡®This girl has a great appetite, already having two servings of pasta, a quiche, two milkshakes, and a dessert.¡®


    Yvette looked up, thought for a moment, and put the quiche into Zachary¡¯s bowl.


    Zachary was momentarily stunned. Looking at the quiche in his bowl, he was so touched he could almost cry tears of joy. He thought in his mind, ¡®Daughters truly are little treasures close to parents¡® hearts.¡®


    Zachary eximed with surprise, ¡°Is this for me?¡± Yvette nodded


    The next words made Zachary¡¯s feeling of being moved vanish instantly. In a serious tone, she said, ¡°This one is yours, and these are mine.¡±


    Zachary looked at the tray of quiches, caught betweenughter and tears. So, out of the whole tray of quiches, he only got one.


    Zachary asked, ¡°Yvette, how did you get by after Lilian was gone¡±


    Yvette leisurely finished thest quiche, wiped her hands, and looked up.


    With a casual tone, she said, ¡°Using my fists and my brains, I¡¯m doing pretty well.¡±


    Zachary hesitated and thought, ¡®Yvette is indeed unique; if it had been someone else, they might have been seeking sympathy right now.¡®

 Chapter 371

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the master bedroom on the second floor, Yvette looked at the freshly renovated room. The decor was totally her style- simple and elegant¨Cand it was clear thought had gone into it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The phone rang, and when Yvette answered, Jeremiah¡¯s face filled the screen. The background was still his office decor; obviously, he hadn¡¯t gone home yet.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Jeremiah met Yvette, he finally understood the saying ¡°Absence makes the heart grow fonder.¡± It hadn¡¯t even been a day since they parted, and he had already begun to miss her. Jeremiah¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Back to the Chambers residence?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually took off her coat, her voice low and husky. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be staying here for a while.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah wasn¡¯t surprised; he already knew about Zachary¡¯s situation. Although he had used the simplest method all these years, it really hadn¡¯t been easy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But if it were him, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have put up with being with another woman for so long. Anyone who dared to mess with Yvette, he¡¯d make sure they regretted it deeply.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle back to Seacrity to be with you after I finish my military duties.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, looking at him with a deep gaze. ¡°Button up.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked down and realized two of his buttons hade undone without him knowing. He smiled and reached out his well¨Cdefined fingers to slowly button them back up, taking a whole minute for a task that could have been done in seconds.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched him, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement in her eyes. He was bing more yful, getting better at using his charms.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After finishing with the buttons, Jeremiah looked up with an innocent expression. ¡°Sorry about that, the buttons just slipped open.¡±</font></font>Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette chuckled softly, twirling the coffee cup between her fingers as she observed Jeremiah¡¯s posture, and whispered, ¡°You said the exact same thingst time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah paused; he thought, ¡®it seems like this tactic isn¡¯t going to work anymore. Yvette is no longer falling for it. Is my charm really losing its effect?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, as soon as Yvette got to the school gate, she was surrounded by a group of students. They held up all kinds of light signs and huge homemade posters of Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The giant poster showed Yvette¡¯s first time at Argrol University, captured in a candid shot on the forum, with her head down, revealing only half of her beautiful face. The students chanted slogans in unison so loudly that people passing by stopped to watch.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette pressed her hat down, with a mask covering most of her fare, her longshes casting shadows as she looked at the boys and girls in front of her. She wondered, ¡®Even dressed like this, how do they recognize me?¡®</font></font>


    Yvette didn¡¯t realize that after being recognized at the airport yesterday, ¡°Yvette Returns to Seacrity¡± immediately became the top trending topic. The Argrol University fan club had arrived at the school early with banners, waiting for her to arrive.


    The representative of the fan club was a student from the Department of Foreign Languages, a boy named Connor, with ck¨Crimmed sses. He stepped forward excitedly and said to Yvette, ¡°Uh¡­Ms. Zeller, hello! I¡¯m Connor, a sophomore in the Department of Foreign Languages.


    ¡°We¡¯re all your fans, and we wee you back to Argrol University. We¡¯ll always support you, you¡¯re forever the Goddess in our hearts.¡±


    Connor¡¯s face turned red as he finished speaking. Lately, besides attending sses, he¡¯s been spending his time starting threads about Yvette on online forums. Now, he¡¯s gained some recognition as a popr thread starter.


    As soon as Connor fmished speaking, people around him immediately started chanting slogans. ¡°Goddess, Goddess, we are crazy about you!¡±


    ¡°Goddess, Goddess, you¡¯re the best, you¡¯re our great role model


    ¡°Goddess, marry me¡­¡±


    The three chants were absolutely thunderous. Yvette raised her hand, and the crowd immediately quieted down, looking at her with eager anticipation. She nced at the people around and said inly, ¡°Disperse.¡±


    Charles and Andrew arrived together. They quickly noticed Yvette standing in the crowd, surrounded by students holding various colorful signs and banners.


    Andrew crossed his arms and eximed, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re really famous all over the country now. You¡¯ve already topped the fan rankings on the forum. These fans are intense!¡±


    Charles watched the scene with a nk expression. Anyone else would have been thrilled, but he knew that Yvette didn¡¯t like this kind of attention.


    After Yvette said those three words, Connor immediately responded, ¡°Okay, okay, Goddess, don¡¯t worry! We, your fans, are very respectful and we won¡¯t cause any trouble for you at school We¡¯ll just support you quietly.¡±


    This group came quickly and left just as fast. Led by Connor, they retreated quickly and in an orderly manner. The previously crowded entrance quickly became quiet, with only a few people lingering.


    Andrew was amazed at the speed of the fans¡® retreat. This organization was quite disciplined, but they looked like they were hired. Andrew and Charles walked over. ¡°Yvette, your fans are really impressive. Look how quickly they retreat,¡± Andrew said.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call a well¨Corganized and disciplined fan club..¡± Charles agreed with Andrew this time. It was hard not to admire such a fan group.


    Yvette nodded without saying anything. She went to the physics ssroom while Andrew apanied Charles toplete his enrollment paperwork.


    At first, Charles didn¡¯t know what major to choose. He graduated with top marks in finance from the top university in Mysonna. Further study seemed pointless until Samantha reminded him of something. ¡°If you¡¯re an assassin, majoring inw seems like a perfect fit.¡±


    Charles thought that made sense. He was well¨Cversed in human anatomy, so he ultimately chose thew program at Argrol University.


    As Yvette entered the physics ssroom, she was met with apuse. She looked around but didn¡¯t see Bonnie. Recently, Yvette¡¯s texts had gone unanswered, except for one reply she got [All is well. I¡¯m dealing with some issues, so it¡¯s inconvenient to contact right now.]


    Yvette nodded to the people around her and then casually found a seat. With her eyes lowered, everyone in the physics department already knew her reputation ¨C tough and quiet.


    As soon as Tobias walked in, he noticed Yvette sitting in the back row. He had heard about her return the day before and nned to pick her up with his uncle.


    But unexpectedly, his blind date was rescheduled, insisting on meeting yesterday, so he had to meet his date first.


    Recently, Tobias had be obsessed with blind dates. In just a few months, he had nearly gone on thirty dates, all ending without any oue. He was so numb from dating that he looked at women as if they were tigers.


    In front of the whole ss, Tobias said, ¡°Wee back, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    A thunderous apuse echoed in the ssroom once again. Yvete looked up, stood up, and politely said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tobias smiled and said, ¡°You can sit down, Ms. Zeller. Alright, lets start the ss.¡±


    Meanwhile, Winona arrived at the club she and La used to visit frequently, known for its excellent privacy, catering specifically to the wealthy daughters of affluent families. All the male escorts there were carefully chosen.


    These male escorts were trained professionally before they could start working. The tips they received from wealthy patrons in a day could easily match a few months¡® sry for an average person.

 Chapter 372

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona and La were regrs at this ce. Before Winona¡¯s real identity was revealed, they used toe here often because the ce was very discreet. So apart from them, no one else knew they were frequent visitors to this club.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Winona arrived at the club, she went straight to the private room she had booked to wait for La. Winona requested a new guy, a male escort with a fit, gym¨Ctoned body. He had a rugged, masculine look.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No one knew that Winona was actually into muscr guys. She liked the feeling of conquering such men, which gave her a great sense of aplishment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Since Victor and Robert weren¡¯t that type, she woulde here secretly to relieve her stress and fulfill her needs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Since the Smith family went bankrupt, Winona had be more and more out of control, visiting this ce more often and enjoying ordering around the male escorts here.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The muscr escort¡¯s stage name was Jackman. He looked at Winona, who was visibly pregnant and felt uneasy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In his line of work, Jackman had encountered all sorts of wealthy women seeking entertainment, each with their own quirks, but it was the first time he¡¯d seen a woman so far along in her pregnancy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Still, he knew Winona was a regr who used certain methods, but since she always tipped well, he weed her with a smile.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jackman was dressed in a special club outfit, with only a triangr piece of clothing below, its thin fabric barely covering anything. A small red bell hung around his neck, and he wore a deer antler headband.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This might have been cute on a young toy boy, but on a muscr man like Jackman, it seemed out of ce. However, for Winona, it had a specific charm, full of a wild elegance that was exactly her taste.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jackman willingly knelt at Winona¡¯s feet, lifting her foot and gently massaging it. He looked up at her and said, ¡°Ms. Chambers, is this pressure to your liking?¡± From Winona¡¯s viewpoint, she had a clear view downward.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona let out a satisfied sigh due to Jackman¡¯s service. She nodded arrogantly, looking at the humble Jackman with eyes full of disdain yet also a lustful longing for his physique.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Satisfied, well¨Ctrained,¡± Winona said as she nonchntly pped Jackman with her hand.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jackman wasn¡¯t upset at being pped. On the contrary, he smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Ms. Chambers.¡± Lowering his eyes, he thought, ¡®In this job, what¡¯s a p?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A few days ago, a wealthy woman nearly beat a male escort half to death. He was still in the hospital, but she paid him a fortune; he was set for life. It was all about equal exchange, giving and taking, a fair deal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Still, it was pretty wild for this woman toe here with her pregnancy out to have fun.</font></font>


    Winona felt quite pleased seeing him being so tactful, and she pled out 30 thousand dors from her bag, tossing it at Jackman¡¯s face. She found a sense of self¨Crespect that she hadn¡¯t felt for a long time from Jackman. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    Jackman¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight of the 30 thousand dors, and he quickly pocketed it. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Chambers.¡±


    Winona looked at Jackman with disdain, thinking how cheap he was.


    Jackman pretended not to notice Winona¡¯s look and continued to work hard. When the timing seemed right, Winona signaled Jackman toe over with her finger. ¡°Come here, you know what to do, right?¡±


    Jackman knew exactly what she meant, but he hesitated. He thought, ¡®Her belly is so big; what if things got physical and something went wrong? I can hardly take that responsibility.


    Jackman hesitated and said, ¡°Ms. Chambers, with your belly, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Winona snorted coldly, crossing her arms. She told Jackman, ¡°Come here, didn¡¯t the club teach you some other techniques? Do I really have to exin it to you?¡±


    Of course, Winona wouldn¡¯t risk the child she was carrying. This baby was her trump card at the moment and she couldn¡¯t afford for anything to happen to it.


    Jackman understood and quickly crawled over, untying the restraints and reaching out. Just as they were having fun, La burst through the door.


    Seeing the two of them in the room with hardly any clothes on didn¡¯t surprise her at all.


    She¡¯s always been familiar with Winona¡¯s private life, having seen such scenes before¨Cand it was not even the first time they had shared a partner. This was just small potatoes.


    La just couldn¡¯t believe that Winona, with her belly so big, still wanted to have this kind of fun, not even worrying about Victor finding out,


    She wondered, ¡®If the Carters no longer supported Winona, who else could she rely on? Does she really think she is still the prestigious daughter of the Chambers family?¡®


    Winona and Jackman were taken aback when La suddenly burst through the door. Jackman quickly stood up and moved aside.


    Winona put on her clothes andined to La, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock beforeing in? Can¡¯t you wait a bit?¡±


    Being interrupted at a crucial moment by La left Winona¡¯s anger unexpressed, and her desire was still building up. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t happy.


    La could only smile as she moved forward and took hold of Winona, who was already dressed. She said yfully, ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll book you a session with thetest male escort from the clubter.


    ¡°He¡¯ll definitely be better than this one, and you can have all the fun you want, okay?¡±


    The idea of someone better than Jackman instantly lifted Winona¡¯s mood. ¡°Okay, fine, fine.¡±


    Jackman¡¯s expression shifted, and he gritted his teeth. Thepetition in their field was intense, and he was depending on this job with Winona for a tip to boost his ranking in the club.


    He never foresaw a woman stepping in to cause trouble, trying to rece him with just a few sentences.


    Jackman felt a bit resentful but had to swallow his pride. He lifted his head and looked at Winona with a ttering gaze, his eyes seeking attention. ¡°Ms. Chambers, could you please not rece me? I¡¯ll go along with whatever you need. I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    La was intrigued by how different Jackman¡¯s demeanor was from his tough appearance. She hadn¡¯t expected this man, who seemed like a tough guy, to speak so gently.


    Winona knew what La was thinking just by looking into her eyes. She exchanged a nce with La, and both of them were interested.


    La said, ¡°We might not have to rece you, but what about your stamina?¡±


    Seeing her relent, Jackman quickly chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very professional. Even if I serve two people, it¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll definitely make sure you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    Winona nodded generously, giving Jackman a look of disdainful charity. ¡°Alright, you can stay. Do your job well, and you¡¯ll get your tip.¡±


    After the noon session, Winona and La moved from one suite to another.


    Jackmany on the bed, his breathing faint, with no part of his body unharmed. His back was covered with whip marks, still bleeding and staining half the sheets red while hey therepletely exposed.


    On the bedside table was a freshly written check. One hundred and fifty thousand dors.


    Jackman looked at the amount on the check and grinned with satisfaction. After all he¡¯d been through, getting one hundred and fifty thousand dors definitely wasn¡¯t a bad deal.

 Chapter 373

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In another private room at the club, Winona and La, after indulging their desires, felt much more at ease. They were back to being as close as sisters, sipping their wine.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona sipped her wine, straightened her posture, and said, ¡°So When I tried reaching out, you were always busy. Then you stopped answering entirely. Now suddenly, here you are?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Laughed, her expression exaggerated with mock sincerity. Oh, Winona, it wasn¡¯t me. My family didn¡¯t want me reaching out. Forgive me this once, will you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona knew perfectly well that La¡¯s silence had been her own choice, but there was no point making an issue out of it now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ever since Yvette was revealed to be Cyanbird and Winona was exposed as not being Zachary¡¯s biological daughter, everyone distanced themselves from Winona. La¡¯s contact was a lifeline, and no matter the reason, she needed the semnce of a friend¨Ceven a superficial one.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feigning aloofness, Winona lifted her chin. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let it slide this time. But if it happens again, we¡¯re done. Got it?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La concealed her disdain beneath a bright, fake smile. The two kept their facades on, chatting idly, their words as empty as the sses they held.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally La brought up her real reason for meeting. ¡°Winona, have you heard? Yvette¡¯s back in Seacrity.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the mere mention of Yvette, Winona¡¯s face darkened. She smashed her wine ss to the floor, watching it shatter, red wine pooling like blood.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I know. That witch returned to town, and people went crazy over her! All she did was win some petty artpetition¨Cdoes she really deserve this attention? She must¡¯ve cheated; no way someone like her won fair and square.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La flinched at Winona¡¯s crazed expression. Once the city¡¯s premier socialite, Winona now looked unhinged, far from her former self.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Besides, it was impossible to cheat in an internationalpetition like that. Not wanting to risk Winona¡¯s temper affecting her unborn child, La soothed her friend.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Winona, don¡¯t get so worked up. Yvette¡¯s fifteen minutes of fame won¡¯tst. The higher she rises, the harder she¡¯ll fall. Just wait¨Cit¡¯ll alle crashing down for her soon enough. Just make sure you don¡¯t do anything to disturb the baby.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Winona heard La mention the baby, she calmed down She sat back on the couch and looked at La, wondering why she suddenly brought up Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La, feeling a bit guilty, avoided Winona¡¯s gaze. Winona asked, ¡°Why bring her up out of the blue? Have you seen her? What happened?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La shifted uneasily, hiding the truth as she fabricated a story. went to see Mr. Chambers, hoping to appeal on your behalf. Surely, he¡¯d show somepassion after all these years as father and daughter.¡±</font></font>


    Winona paused, a glimmer of hope crossing her face. Could the affection Zachary had shown really have been an act? She pressed La, ¡°You pleaded for me? What did he say?¡±


    Hesitantly, La spun her tale further. ¡°Mr. Chambers said it¡¯s over between you two. He even said not to contact him and that Yvette is his only daughter now.¡±


    In truth, La hadn¡¯t spoken with Zachary about Winona at all; she¡¯d concocted the whole thing. She knew Winona and Zachary would never reconcile, and no one would ever discover her lie.


    Yvette¡¯s arrogance needed a dose ofeuppance, and who better to deliver it than Winona?


    As La expected, Winona¡¯s face twisted with rage. ¡°Cut me off, will he? I¡¯ll make him pay for that.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Feigning concern, La poured fuel on the fire. ¡°Winona, Mr. Chambers is so invested in Yvette now¨Che¡¯s practically showered her with everything. He even remodeled the second floor of the Chambers residence into her personal space, filled with antiques worth millions.


    ¡°And he evenmissioned a custom studio for her, something he never did for you, even when you were into painting. Isn¡¯t it just unfair?¡±


    Winona clenched her fists, body trembling, a dark glint in her eyes. She sneered, her expression feral. ¡°Tell me, if Yvette were¡­ gone, do you think Zachary would still y favorites?¡±


    La froze. She¡¯d only wanted Yvette¡¯s reputation tarnished, but Winona¡¯s ruthlessness exceeded her expectations. She never dared to think about anything as serious as death.


    La bit her lip, a hint of fear in her voice. ¡°Winona, that¡¯s dangerous. With her poprity, any harm thates to her would bring the police down on us. It¡¯s too risky.¡±


    Winona smirked, looking straight at La. ¡°You must¡¯ve crossed Yvette somehow, or you wouldn¡¯t be here talking about this, would you?


    Caught off guard, La floundered, but Winona continued her maniption. ¡°Listen, Yvette holds grudges. If you¡¯ve wronged her, she might retaliate. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯d be better off making the first move?¡±


    La hesitated, Winona¡¯s words seeping into her thoughts. After a tense moment, she nodded, her voice shaking but resolute. ¡°Winona, what do you want to do?¡±


    Sensing La¡¯s opening, Winona touched her stomach, confidence gleaming in her eyes.


    ¡°Yvette¡¯s arrogant, full of herself with no real talent beyond painting and ying some worthless game. We can pay someone from the underworld. With enough money, plenty of people will take the job. Once Yvette is in our hands, she¡¯s ours to toy with.¡±


    La¡¯s face lit up with twisted excitement at the image of Yvette humiliated at their mercy. Sensing La¡¯s wavering resolve, Winona leaned in, whispering, ¡°La, don¡¯t you want to ruin Yvette¡¯s face?


    ¡°With her gone, nothing will stand between you and bing Seacrity¡¯s top socialite. She¡¯s just a roadblock. Only by removing her can we have the life we deserve.¡±


    As though hypnotized, La nodded, her eyes zing. ¡°You¡¯re right, Winona. Only without Yvette can we finally live our best lives. Tell me what to do. I¡¯m with you.¡±


    Winona nodded in satisfaction, leaning close to murmur her n as La¡¯s eyes brightened, her mind already savoring the thought of Yvette¡¯s downfall.

 Chapter 374

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, as instructed by Winona, La headed to Argrol University to find Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The n was set: La would lure Yvette out to a remote area, where they¡¯d hired some rough types from Seacrity¡¯s underworld to lie in wait. Once Yvette arrived, she would be trapped like a sitting duck.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Not willing to risk any failure, Winona and La had recruited twenty or so burly men. Winona had seen Yvette with a gun before and had no idea what other tricks she might have. They had to be ready for anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When La arrived at the physicsb, she spotted Yvette heading out. Yvette acted as if she didn¡¯t see her, about to walk past without a nce. Quickly, La called out. ¡°Yvette! Hey, Yvette!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette paused, turned, and saw La motioning to her in a suspiciously discreet way. ¡°Do you need something?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After scanning their surroundings, La approached with a soft, apologetic tone. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m here to apologize. I realize now how wrong I was yesterday¨CI was being petty and thoughtless. It¡¯s been weighing on me, so I came here specifically to make things right.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La¡¯s voice was soaked with fake sincerity, her eyes even misting up slightly. Yvette raised an eyebrow, her response as indifferent as ever: ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette¡¯s nk face, La was fuming inside but couldn¡¯t show it. She had said so much and even admitted her mistake, but Yvette didn¡¯t respond at all.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La thought, ¡®I¡¯ve made myself small and yed nice. Did Yvette really have to be so cold?¡® La forced herself to continue, ¡°Yvette, I really mean it. Can I buy you a coffee, just to show I¡¯m sorry?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La cautiously made her request, hoping Yvette would agree with a nod. Yvette stood there with her hands in her pockets, her gaze cool and unfazed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After an awkward pause, La added hastily, ¡°Or maybe¡­ I know you love desserts. I had fresh ingredients flown in just for you.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¡¯ve got a renowned chef waiting to prepare them at my vi outside town. It¡¯s my way of making it up to you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La¡¯s nerves were fraying as Yvette¡¯s silence stretched on. Finally, when she thought she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Yvette responded, ¡°Fine. Lead the way.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Relieved, La¡¯s tension eased. She barely noticed the glimmer of amusement in Yvette¡¯s eyes. Yvette thought, ¡®Since some people wanted to put on a show, she might as well set the stage properly.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thinking she¡¯d finally won Yvette over, La perked up. ¡°Great, my car is just outside. We can head to the vi straight from here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The two walked out together, only to run into Charles, who had just returned to campus. The moment Charles saw Yvette, he came over, his voice firm. ¡°Yvette, where are you headed?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment Charles saw Yvette, he came over, his voice firm. ¡°vette, where are your headed?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded casually. ¡°Oh, someone invited me for dessert.¡±</font></font>


    Charles nced over at La, who was striking a pose she probably thought was seductive. He barely suppressed a smirk and thought, ¡®What is Yvette doing with this woman?¡®


    La¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of Charles, taking in his chiseled features and impressive build. She tried her best to look coy, biting her lip in what she thought was an attractive manner. ¡°Yvette, is this your friend?¡± she asked sweetly.


    Neither Yvette nor Charles dignified her with an answer. Feeling the snub, La covered her embarrassment with a hasty suggestion, ¡°We should go, Yvette. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    Charles shot La a sharp look but held back, his face impassive. Yvette said to Charles, ¡°I better go.¡±


    Charles nodded. This woman didn¡¯t seem trustworthy, but if anyone were to mess with Yvette, they probably wouldn¡¯t know what hit them. He wasn¡¯t concerned¨Ca woman like this couldn¡¯t harm Yvette at all.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Charles watched as Yvette climbed into the ck Jeep with La. Just before the door shut, Yvette shot him a look that only the two could understand. Instantly, Charles caught on.


    Another fool was walking right into Yvette¡¯s own trap. Charles wondered, ¡®Why did people keep underestimating Yvette? Did she really look that easy to mess with?¡® Charles knew better. If Yvette wanted to y along, he¡¯d let her.


    Just as he turned to head back to the campus, Andrew rushed up, practically shoving a drink into Charles¡¯s hand before hurrying to the library, muttering something about needing a raise. Charles chuckled, it was another day of hustling for that paycheck.


    Meanwhile, inside the Jeep, Yvette remained glued to her phone, ignoring La¡¯s presence. Relieved that her scheme was underway, Ea¡¯s nerves settled, and her previous humility vanished.


    Peeking over at Yvette¡¯s screen, La¡¯s face twisted with a sneer at the casual game Yvette was ying¨Csome sort of pet- raising app. She thought, ¡®Seriously? What kind of person ys games like that?¡®


    La felt her confidence rise. World¨Csspetition winner or not, Yvette was still ying ¡°kiddie¡± games, nothing close to the high¨Cend online games La indulged in.


    Feeling surprised, La gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. ¡°Oh my gosh, you y that kind of game? Isn¡¯t that, like, for little kids? So childish.


    ¡°If you want something more grown¨Cup, I can rmend a game or two. Of course, the ones I y have entry fees in the tens of thousands. Not sure you¡¯d be able to handle that.¡±


    La¡¯s superiority was practically dripping from every word. The driver briefly nced in the rearview mirror, wisely staying silent.


    Yvette, however, had heard enough. Lifting her eyes, she turned to La, her face as cold as ice, lips curving into a smirkced with menace. ¡°You talk too much. Shut up.¡±


    La¡¯s mouth twitched, anger simmering beneath the surface. Just as she was about tosh out, her phone chimed. Suppressing her irritation, she nced at it¨Ca text from Winona.


    Winona: [All set here. Where are you?]


    La furtively typed her reply, leaving her phone away from Yvette¡¯s view. She snuck a nce at Yvette, who seemed oblivious, eyes still on her game.


    La: [Almost there. About fifteen minutes away. Don¡¯t screw this up, or we¡¯re both fmished.]

 Chapter 375

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon receiving Winona¡¯s text, La felt a fresh wave of anxiety. After all, this was her first time participating in a murder. She wasn¡¯t the one getting her hands dirty, but being involved in such a scheme as an aplice was terrifying.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, thoughts of Winona¡¯s words and a sideways nce at Yvette¡¯s wless face reignited the jealousy burning within her. A person like Yvette didn¡¯t belong in Seacrity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La was supposed to be the city¡¯s future socialite, and Yvette¡¯s presence was an obstacle. With renewed resolve, she steeled herself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Yvette continued ying on her phone, her voice was cold and detached. ¡°This isn¡¯t the road to the vi.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La tightened her grip on her purse, forcing a confident tone. ¡°Um, it¡¯s a shortcut. You haven¡¯t been in Seacrity long, so you wouldn¡¯t know¨Cthis way is faster.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The driver, aware of the deception, felt a twinge of fear. He knew they weren¡¯t headed toward any vi. La had instructed him to drive to an abandoned factory on the outskirts. He had no idea why La was lying to this girl.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">And he had heard rumors about La¡¯s dark past¨Clike the time she bullied a girl so relentlessly that the poor girl ended up jumping off a building. La¡¯s parents had covered it up, but the driver couldn¡¯t shake his unease.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Taking a risk, the driver muttered, ¡°Ms. Chambers, maybe this road isn¡¯t ideal. Perhaps we should take a different route?*</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La didn¡¯t expect this lousy driver to mess up her ns. She red daggers at him. ¡°What are you saying? Just drive. I say it¡¯s a shortcut, so it is. One more word, and I¡¯ll dock your pay for the month.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced up, catching the driver¡¯s worried gaze through the mirror, his silent signals not lost on her. Calmly, she said, ¡°Keep driving.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a resigned sigh, the driver pressed on, deeply uneasy about whatever was awaiting them at the factory.</font></font>Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After another fifteen minutes, the ck Jeep finally pulled up in front of the abandoned structure.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The deserted factory loomed eerily, surrounded by tall, wild grass, casting shadows that seemed to reach out in the daylight. The decayed building had a sinister air, even making the driver a full¨Cgrown man¨Cfeel a chill run down his spine.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La hadn¡¯t seen the location before and was taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected Winona to pick a ce so creepy, and now she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The web of lies she¡¯d spun unraveledpletely, and the reality of the situation was far from what she¡¯d imagined. Yvette opened the door and stepped out, ncing back at the nervous La. Her voice was calm, unhurried. ¡°We¡¯re here. Come on out.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La froze. She thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t Yvette supposed to be scared?¡® Instead, it seemed as if Yvette had brought her here. La felt a surge of bewilderment¨Cwho was leading whom here?</font></font>


    La would never guess that Yvette was all too familiar with ces like this. She¡¯d been to dozens, if not hundreds, of abandoned sites more terrifying than this one¨Csome even used as dumping grounds, littered with bones. Compared to those, this ce felt almost like home.


    La was still in a daze when Yvette walked straight to the factory entrance. Once La snapped out of it, she quickly followed, surprised that Winona chose such a ce,


    Wearing high heels, she managed just a couple of steps before she started swearing under her breath.


    Yvette stood at the entrance with her hands in her pockets, looking up at the worn¨Cout sign on the dpidated factory. The name had eroded beyond recognition, leaving only the words ¡°Chemical nt¡± barely visible.


    When La finally caught up, she stammered, ¡°The, uh¡­ the dessert chef¡­¡±


    Realizing there was no way to continue the charade, La dropped the pretense. ¡°Listen, Yvette, I¡¯ll be honest. Someone else wants to meet you here. If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll head inside on your own.¡±


    Her tone dripped with insincere concern as if she were doing Yvette a favor.


    Unfazed, Yvette strolled further into the factory.


    La gritted her teeth and followed behind Yvette, but regardless of how fast she walked, she couldn¡¯t catch up to Yvette, who always kept some distance ahead.


    Once inside, the spacious factory revealed itself¨Ca two¨Cstory expanse with rusted machinery scattered around, relics of a long¨Cforgotten era.


    The dim lighting cast shadows over a group of roughly fifty burly men d in ck tank tops, their arms tattooed with dragon insignias, each at least six feet tall.


    Yvette surveyed the group with a smirk and an air of nonchnce about her. Fifty men to her it was almost insulting. She hadn¡¯t had a good workout in ages. If these were the best they could muster, she might as well let them bring more.


    Yvette said nothing, her eyes scanning the area, calcting. Free practice dummies weren¡¯t easy toe by, after all.


    La quickly dashed towards them as soon as she saw the crowd, forgetting all about her foot pain.


    Meanwhile, Yvette nced up, her dark eyes narrowed, an icy edge glinting in them. She looked at the men with a chillingly genuine suggestion.


    ¡°This is all you¡¯ve got? Maybe you should call for backup.¡±


    After all, this was an once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime opportunity, and she hoped they would seize it.


    The fifty or so men in ck exchanged wary nces, their mouths twitching in disbelief. They wondered, ¡®Is she serious? Does she think she isn¡¯t in enough trouble already in this situation?¡®


    One of the men, evidently their leader, stepped forward, removing his sunsses to reveal a crude, leering expression. His eyes roamed over Yvette, lingering in a way that made his intentions clear.


    She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and wicked thoughts crept into his mind.


    ¡°Listen up,dy,¡± he sneered, ¡°we¡¯re here on Ms. Chambers¡® orders. y nice, surrender, and she¡¯ll let you keep your life. You¡¯re a woman¨Cwe don¡¯t want to get rough.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s smirk widened, tinged with irony. She thought, ¡®y nice? Surrender? Spare her life?¡® She couldn¡¯t recall hearing those words in her life.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting over the group before settling back on Lay?a. ¡°Ms. Chambers? Maybe the real Ms. Chambers should show herself.¡±


    La froze, her face betraying a flicker of panic. She couldn¡¯t help but feel Yvette knew Winona was the mastermind.


    In an exaggerated attempt to cover her shock, La raised her voice. ¡°What are you talking about? I am Ms. Chambers! Who else would you be looking for? I was just messing with you, and there¡¯s no one else. I just can¡¯t stand you!¡±

 Chapter 376

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s expression remained unreadable as she nced briefly toward a nearby pir, her hands still casually in her pockets. With a faint smirk, she called out, ¡°Come on out. I¡¯m here, so why keep hiding?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Both La and the group of men in ck froze, shocked that Yvette had spotted someone behind the pir. Winona, realizing her cover was blown, decided there was no point in hiding any longer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona had no intention of sparing Yvette, and if Yvette knew who was behind this plot, it wouldn¡¯t change the oue. Only one of them would leave this factory alive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona emerged, pping slowly, her eyes¡® cold and menacing as they locked onto Yvette. Seeing Winona step forward, La hurried to her side.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Winona, I did everything you asked. I brought her here, so I¡¯ll just head out now. This ce gives me the creeps,¡± La said, shifting ufortably.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La thought her role was done¨Cthat she had merely been the bait to lure Yvette into Winona¡¯s trap.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But in the next moment, Winona cast her a look of disdain. She thought, ¡®Foolish girl. Does Winona really think she¡¯d walk away unscathed? Her purpose here is far more than just leading Yvette into the trap!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona motioned to the men in ck, and without hesitation, they moved forward and restrained La.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La stared in horror, struggling against their grip as she shouted at Winona, ¡°Winona, what are you doing? Why are you tying me up? We¡¯re good friends, and you should be tying up Yvette! Let me go, let me go!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona¡¯s gaze shifted from Yvette¡¯s calm, detached expression to La¡¯s frantic, pleading face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She said, ¡°Friends? You only wanted to use my hatred to get back at Yvette. Did you really think I¡¯d fall for such a simple trick?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Are you that na?ve or just in stupid? You thought you could use me as your weapon? You¡¯re not even close to being worthy</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La¡¯s face paled as the realization hit her. Winona had known all along that she was using her, and now she was paying the price. Panic gripped her as she realized just how dangerous and unpredictable Winona truly was.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">La tried to beg for mercy, but the men in ck, following a nod from Winona, shoved a rag into her mouth and dragged her aside, silencing her pleas.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With La out of the way, Winona turned her gaze toward Yvette, seething with resentment. If it weren¡¯t for Yvette¡¯s existence, none of this would have happened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She would still be the daughter of the Chambers family, the socialite envied by all of Seacrity. Yvette had ruined her life. Winona rested a hand on her stomach with a smug smile. For someone usually so clever, Yvette really lost her mind for a moment¨Cfalling for La¡¯s tricks. But this worked out just fine. She didn¡¯t have to resort to n B.</font></font>


    Winona looked proud. ¡°Yvette, ver thought you¡¯d end up here. I must¡¯ve overestimated you if even a fool like La could lure you in. If I¡¯d known, it would be this easy, and I wouldn¡¯t have gone into so much trouble with all my careful nning.


    But don¡¯t worry¨Csoon, you¡¯ll have plenty ofpany, and none of you will be leaving.¡±


    For the first time, Winona confronted Yvette without any pretense, letting her hatred show openly.


    Yvette cast a disinterested nce at Winona, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her voice was calm, ¡°So La¡¯s your scapegoat?¡±


    The ¡°she¡± referred to La, who was tied up. La¡¯s eyes went wide at this, a flicker of realization dawning in her eyes.


    Winona hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to remain soposed, showing no fear even in this situation. It unsettled her for a moment, but she brushed it off, assuming Yvette was merely putting on a brave face.


    After all, she had over fifty men with her, all hired at a hefty price from the underworld. How could Yvette, a woman, possibly pose a threat?


    Emboldened by the thought, Winonaughed, finally dropping any restraint. She pointed to the bound La.


    ¡°This idiot tried to use me, so I used her instead. Once you¡¯re dead, she¡¯ll be the one med for your murder. She went to Argrol University to find you, plenty of people must¡¯ve seen her. They¡¯ll be witnesses.


    ¡°After you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll burn this ce to the ground¨Cno evidence, no trace. See, even fate is on my side. Yvette, today¡¯s the end for you.¡±


    La was truly terrified now. She struggled desperately, but no sound could escape her gagged mouth. Her eyes shot daggers at Winona, but the look was powerless against the twisted woman she thought she¡¯d been using.


    La had thought she was the one pulling the strings, only to realize toote that she was the pawn, set up as the scapegoat. If she had known it would turn out like this, she would never have teamed up with Winona.


    One of the men, seeing La¡¯s frantic thrashing, stepped forward and knocked her unconscio Just before she copsed, her eyes held a bitter regret.


    to avoid further disruption.


    Meanwhile, Winona¡¯s frustration only grew as she watched Yvette¡¯s stoic expression remain unshaken. She couldn¡¯t stand Yvette¡¯s aloof demeanor, as if she was above everything. Yvette¡¯s calm demeanor drove her mad.


    Winona clenched her fists, teeth bared in fury, shouting, ¡°Why? Why are you always soposed? Don¡¯t you see? You¡¯re in my hands now!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s gaze shifted to Winona, her eyes clear and unreadable as if she were observing something far beneath her. Her expression remained serene, almost indifferent, as she brushed an invisible speck off her sleeve.


    She responded in a tone so casual it bordered on contempt, ¡°You think I¡¯m in your hands?¡±


    Winona froze, momentarily thrown off by the simple question. She shook it off¨Csurely this woman was just putting on a front. How could Yvette hope to stand against fifty men?


    Her confidence bolstered, Winona sneered, suppressing a faint unease. ¡°Yvette, stop pretending. Today, you¡¯re finished. But don¡¯t worry¨CI¡¯m generous. I¡¯ll let you see someone first before you die. After all, I¡¯m nothing if not kind.¡±


    Winona sneered, her eyes glinting with malice. ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon, and I¡¯ll make sure he watches every second as I kill you. He¡¯ll suffer¨Cjust like I did. It¡¯s what you both owe me!¡±


    Her voice echoed her tone that of a scorned woman, wild with jealousy and rage.


    Unperturbed, Yvette finally spoke a single name, calm as ever. ¡°Zachary?¡±


    Winona¡¯s face hardened for a moment before she smirked, her gaze as venomous as poison. Yes, I already had someone inform him that you¡¯re in my hands. By now, he¡¯s probably going mad. You¡¯re his precious daughter, after all.


    ¡°For your mother¡¯s sake, he¡¯s yed along with my mom for so many years, feigning affection for me and Zeke¨Cit must have been quite the strain.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    And the minute you came back, he was ready to and over the entire Chambers family fortune to you as if I was nothing.


    Her voice grew cold with resentment. ¡°He¡¯s done everything for you, but how much do you actually care about him? What gives you the right to sit back, do nothing, and have it all handed to you? What right do you have?¡±

 Chapter 377

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually flexed her fingers, her dark eyes glinting with an icy sharpness. In a tone as calm as asking about the weather, she drawled, ¡°Which way do you think is the best way to die?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona and the men in ck froze, stunned. They had been in the underworld for years, yet they had never encountered a woman like this.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the brink of death, she was asking them how they wanted to die as if it were the simplest question in the world. It was almost¡­ unsettling.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona scoffed, narrowing her eyes at Yvette, trying to mask her unease. She thought, ¡®Is this woman insane? What kind of question was that?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">An uneasy silence settled over the group, each of them caught off guard by her strange question. No one knew how to respond. Yvette sat with her legs bent, rxed and indifferent. She¡¯d given them a chance¨Cif they didn¡¯t want it, so be it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">ncing at her watch, Yvette realized it was nearly lunchtime. If she didn¡¯t hurry, she¡¯d miss the pork ribs they served in the cafeteria¨Ca limited special, firste, first served.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, Zachary couldn¡¯t sit still after receiving Winona¡¯s call. She¡¯d threatened that if he called the police, she would kill Yvette on the spot¨Cready to go down with her if needed. He had to go alone to an abandoned chemical factory on the outskirts.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary knew the ce¨Ca project started by a developer years ago, only to be abandoned and left to decay when the developer fled. The area had been deserted for decades, an empty shell of rusted metal and broken machinery.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While driving like a madman, Zachary ran multiple red lights, focusing solely on getting to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If anything happened to Yvette, how could he ever face Lilian again? His life would be hollow without Yvette. Although he knew Yvette was an Interpol officer and could handle herself, Winona was cunning and likely had used some underhanded scheme against her. Zachary prepared himself for the worst. He¡¯d trade his life for Yvette¡¯s if he had to.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He couldn¡¯t allow anything bad to happen to Yvette. Winona, that lunatic, should never have been let go¨Cshe was a ticking time bomb.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As he sped down the deserted roads, a myriad of terrifying oues flooded his mind, fear gripping him with each passing second. Half an hourter, he finally reached the abandoned factory, his heart pounding.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without hesitation, Zachary threw himself against the door, bursting it open and stumbling inside. When he looked up, he froze, utterly stunned by the sight before him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°What¡­what the hell is this?¡± Zachary couldn¡¯t help but blurt out stunned by the scene before him.</font></font>


    Inside the abandoned factory, the sight was surreal. A group of ck men were kneeling on the ground, each in a perfect, disciplined posture, their arms limp at their sides. Their faces were ghostly pale, eyes wide with terror, their gaze vacant and haunted.


    Blood pooled beneath their knees, filling the air with a nauseating metallic scent¨Ctheir kneecaps had been shattered, and their hands were clearly broken.


    Behind the men, a trembling Winona clutched her stomach, her face ashen, her eyes unfocused, hair disheveled as she sat huddled on the ground.


    Nearby, slumped against a pir, was an unconscious woman, her face obscured by her hair. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar to Zachary, And in the middle of it all sat Yvette, perched on an old, abandoned piece of machinery, her legs swinging casually as she focused on her phone.


    Zachary swallowed hard, struggling to process the scene. He¡¯d prepared himself for every worst¨Ccase scenario¨Cexcept this one.


    ¡°Yvette?¡± Zachary called, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Yvette replied, ¡°Yep. You made it.¡± She nced up briefly, a hint of impatience in her gaze as if to say she¡¯d already be halfway to the cafeteria¡¯s pork ribs if she hadn¡¯t been waiting for him.


    Zachary¡¯s mouth twitched. He was at aplete loss for words. Having such a fierce daughter was definitely an experience¡ª and not for the faint¨Chearted.


    As if it were nothing, Yvette hopped down from her perch and walked toward Zachary, her expression calm. ¡°You¡¯re pretty easy to fool, you know.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s initial shock turned to bemused disbelief. At this moment, wasn¡¯t he supposed to be emotional? Only Yvette would greet him with ¡°You¡¯re pretty easy to fool¡± after such a situation.


    He could only shake his head at her nonchnce. He¡¯d been so panicked that he rushed over without calling Yvette to confirm anything.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Winona looked up and screamed, ¡°Dad! Dad, help me! Yvette¡¯s a monster, she¡¯s insane! She¡¯s the one who did this to them!¡±


    Images of Yvette ruthlessly incapacitating these fifty men reyed in Winona¡¯s mind, filling her with dread. How could a single person, a woman at that, dismantle a group of fifty men without breaking a sweat? It was beyondprehension.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    As Winona shakily rose to her feet, Zachary looked at her coldly, ¡°You still have the nerve to call me ¡®Dad? You kidnapped Yvette. You¡¯re as hopeless and twisted as your mother.¡±


    Winona froze, stunned by his words, and then exploded in a fit of rage. ¡°I¡¯m the hopeless one? Twisted? It¡¯s Yvette who` destroyed everything for me! I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if it weren¡¯t for her!


    ¡°I had a happy family until you brought her back. I was supposed to be Richard¡¯s renowned apprentice, but Yvette exposed me at the worst possible moment, turning me into theughingstock of Seacrity.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m barely surviving with the Carters. All of this¨Call of it is because of Yvette. She should¡¯ve died with her mother! If act as the perfect husband and father. It¡¯s her fault I¡¯m like this!¡± could¡¯ve continued your she were dead, you


    Winona¡¯s voice grew more hysterical as she spat the words, her messy hair framing her crazed expression as she red daggers at Yvette. Stepping forward, Zachary positioned himself between Winona and Yvette, blocking her view.


    This small action tipped Winona over the edge. She clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. Zachary sighed, looking at her with a mixture of pity and resignation.


    After all, Winona was raised by Nellie¨Ca woman who never epted responsibility and always med others. She wouldn¡¯t be in this position if Winona hadn¡¯t harbored such ill intentions.


    Zachary looked at Winona, his face etched with disappointment ¡°Even now, you¡¯re ming everything on Yvette. I warned you when you were young¨Cto walk the right path because once you stray, there¡¯s no going back.


    ¡°The situation you¡¯re in now has nothing to do with Yvette. You know exactly how many underhanded tactics you¡¯ve used, both openly and secretly, ever since she returned.


    ¡°I was only acting in front of Nellie, but ver wronged you or Zeke. You walked yourself into a corner, ming Yvette for every misstep. She¡¯s never once sought you out to cause trouble.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t tried to deceive everyone with forged paintings from the ck market, there¡¯d have been nothing for her to expose. Even now, you refuse to admit your mistakes. You truly are beyond saving.¡±


    Yvette stood beside them, one leg bent casually, her expression cold and distant, like the chill of winter sunlight.


    There was azy indifference about her as the faint starlight on an autumn night¨Cremote and untouchable.

 Chapter 378

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at the deranged Winona, her voice steady and cold. ¡°You reap what you sow.¡±</font></font>Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Zachary paused for a moment. He looked at Winona and said with a heavy heart, ¡°Winona, it was your choice to take what you thought was an easy path. Your jealousy has destroyed you.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yvette never had you in her sights, and deep down, you know it. You just don¡¯t want to admit it. Rather than living on your own merits, you chose to cling to the Carter family, letting hatred cloud your mind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Everything that has happened to you¨Cyou have only yourself to me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary sighed and felt conflicted. Although Winona was not his biological child, he¡¯d raised her for over twenty years, never treating her unfairly. He¡¯d done all he could, and now he felt no guilt or obligation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without the Chambers or Smith families, Winona could have survived on her own¨CNellie had invested so much in her education. Even as a dance instructor, she could have led a decent life.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Instead, Winona chose to degrade herself, depending on the Carter family and harboring malicious intent, even going so far as to kidnap Yvette. This was the point of no return.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona¡¯s face twisted as she clutched her stomach in pain, her bloodied fingers trembling as she pointed at Yvette, her voice choked with bitter resentment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yes, I¡¯m jealous! Jealous that she gets everything without lifting a finger. Why is she the Cyanbird, while I have to use her name to achieve my goals, and only for her to ruin it all and turn me into aughingstock?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If she hadn¡¯t exposed me, none of this would¡¯ve happened! We could have coexisted peacefully, and it¡¯s all her fault. Even now, you¡¯re ming me! My only mistake was not finding her sooner and ending her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winona¡¯s mind was consumed by her hatred, and her red¨Crimmed eyes fixed on Yvette with a murderous re.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat there, looking calm andid¨Cback, her gaze thoughtful and eyes cold. She looked at Winona seriously and said, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Those four words, spoken with absolute certainty, shattered Winona¡¯s final sliver ofposure. The words echoed in her mind, relentless, as her stomach pain intensified, cold sweat trickling down her face until she was as pale as a ghost.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary¡¯s eye twitched. Yvette¡¯s talent for driving people mad was unmatched. The impact of those four words on Winona was enormous.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary pondered for a moment. Winona would naturally face legal consequences for her mistakes, and Yvette did not need grave to get involved in such matters.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then Zachary¡¯s tone hardened. ¡°Winona, what you¡¯ve done today has crossed every line of thew. We will not protect you. Prepare yourself for judgment¨Cby the police and thew. May you reflect on your choices.¡±</font></font>


    Winona nced at Zachary, who was visibly furious, and at Yvette, who looked at her with cold indifference as if she were nothing. In ast¨Cditch effort, she made an unexpected move.


    Clutching her stomach, she dropped to her knees before them, hiding the hatred in her eyes as she pleaded through tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad, no¡­ I mean, Mr. Chambers, I¡¯m really sorry. I truly regret what I did. I was foolish, consumed by jealousy, and I swear I¡¯ll never do anything like this again.


    Please, give me one more chance. I promise I¡¯ll disappear from your lives and never bother Yvette again. I know you¡¯re a kind man who raised me for over twenty years. Please, show me mercy just this once.¡±


    Winona¡¯s sudden disy of remorse took Zachary aback for a moment. But Zachary wasn¡¯t na?ve. He knew Winona¡¯s heart was twisted beyond repair. Her words rang hollow¨Che saw through her act.


    Like her mother, Nellie, Winona was a master maniptor, and Zachary wouldn¡¯t leave such a threat lingering around Yvette.


    Seeing Zachary¡¯s steely resolve, Winona¡¯s desperation deepened. She turned to Yvette, kneeling on the ground and lowering her head in supplication, clutching her stomach in an attempt to use her unborn child as leverage.


    ¡°Yvette, please! I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have let jealousy cloud my judgment or see you as an enemy. I¡¯m begging you to give me a chance to make things right. You¡¯re a woman too; surely you understand.


    ¡°My child is already forming¨Cwould you really let him grow up without a mother?¡±


    Hands in her pockets, Yvette looked down at Winona with a prating gaze, her expression void of empathy.


    Tilting her head slightly, Yvette¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t care about your own child, why should I? I¡¯m no saint. You tried to kill me¨Cwhy would I ever spare you?¡±


    Winona froze, stunned by Yvette¡¯s words. She had expected to use the unborn child as leverage, but Yvette¡¯s response was ice¨Ccold, devoid of any sympathy.


    Realizing that there was no hope for her here¡ªand that the Carters would abandon her once they discovered what she¡¯d done¨Cshe gritted her teeth, a desperate n forming in her mind.


    What Winona had nned was already underway. Today, Robert would be making his move against Victor. Once Victor was out of the picture, her child would be the Carters¡® only legitimate heir.


    In that case, the family would have no choice but to protect her, even if she had to flee to Mysonna afterward. Let¡¯s see how Yvette could stop her then.


    With a crazed glint in her eyes, Winona pulled out a concealed gun, pointing it directly at Yvette.


    A maniacalugh burst from Winona¡¯s lips, ¡°Did you two really think I¡¯de here unprepared?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s eyes widened in horror. Winona hadpletely lost it. Without thinking, he stepped forward, shielding Yvette with his broad shoulders, blocking her from Winona¡¯s aim.


    Watching his protective stance, Yvette clenched her fingers slightly, her gaze sharpening.


    ¡°Winona!¡± Zachary roared, his voice thick with anger. ¡°Are you out of your mind? You¡¯d dare to wield a gun?¡±


    Winona smirked, her voice dripping with venom. ¡°What wouldn¡¯t I dare? Today, I¡¯ll make sure you witness your precious daughter¡¯s death in front of you.¡±


    Meanwhile, outside the abandoned factory, La¡¯s driver paced back and forth near the car, his face pale with anxiety.


    He eyed the factory, but his fear kept him from going inside. Unable to wait any longer, he took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and dialed 911.


    ¡°Yes, this is the police? I¡¯m at the abandoned factory on the outskirts. Here¡¯s the situation¡­¡±


    In a panic, the driver didn¡¯t notice the ck SUV parked some distance away.


    Five or six men sat inside the vehicle, each looking seasoned and battle¨Cready, their expressions cold behind dark sunsses. Watching the driver on the phone, Victor quickly realized he was calling the police. He never expected an inconspicuous

 Chapter 379

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor and his men had been waiting outside the factory for quite some time. Ever since Winona had arrived, he¡¯d stayed on alert, knowing her n inside and out.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He intended to step in at the perfect moment to rescue Yvette when it would have the most impact.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Given Yvette¡¯s current influence and reputation, it would be an invaluable asset if he could have both her and Zachary owe him a favor. But he hadn¡¯t anticipated the driver calling the police, potentially disrupting everything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">ncing at his watch, Victor decided it was time to move. As if on cue, his phone rang¨Cit was Reba. Victor answered immediately. ¡°Reba. Did everything go smoothly?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Reba¡¯s voice was calm, her tone devoid of emotion as she looked down at Robert, whoy on a hospital bed, paralyzed on one side. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied softly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°He tampered with the car, just like you said. But instead of you, he ended up taking the hit himself. The doctors say he¡¯ll never wake fully. He¡¯s aware, but that¡¯s all he¡¯ll ever be.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Reba spoke with a cold detachment. She had long since lost faith in her father, especially after discovering his alliance with Winona in such a twisted plot, willing to sacrifice his own son.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Reba couldn¡¯t understand how a father who had cared for Victor all these years could betray the son like this.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the car, Victor¡¯s expression grew dark, his gaze hardening. He had given Robert a chance, and Robert had squandered it. ¡°Thank you, Reba. Once I¡¯m done here, I¡¯ll join you. Keep Mom and Grandpa calm in the meantime.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After they hung up, Reba rubbed her temples, exhausted. She looked down at Robert, whoy staring at the ceiling, his eyes the only part of his body still capable of movement.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If only you hadn¡¯t pushed things this far¡­¡± she murmured.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Robert¡¯s eyes widened slightly in response, a faint tremor passing through him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Reba couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how much Victor had matured in just a few short months, orchestrating events with such skill that it was Robert, not him, who nowy immobilized.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ultimately, it was fate¨Ca curse of the Carter family, forever embroiled in their own destruction.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">*****</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor turned to the men in his car, giving a brisk order. ¡°When we get inside, stay sharp and be ready to act.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The men nodded, ready for action.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor couldn¡¯t afford any more dys; if the police arrived first and managed to rescue Yvette and Zachary, his n to gain their gratitude would be wasted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">*****</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the factory, Winona¡¯s hand shook as she aimed her gun, weakened by the pain in her stomach. She red at Zachary, who stood firmly between her and Yvette, refusing to budge.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If Zachary was so determined to die for Yvette, she would grant his wish. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, the bullet speeding directly toward him.</font></font>


    Zachary closed his eyes, epting his fate. He wouldn¡¯t move¨Cnot if it meant protecting Yvette.


    But in a split second before impact, Zachary heard someone call him a ¡°fool¡± before being forcefully pulled aside.


    Zachary opened his eyes and saw Yvette standing with a sleek silver gun in her hand, aimed precisely at Winona¡¯s weapon.


    With impable timing, Yvette¡¯s bullet met Winona¡¯s in mid¨Cair, and both fell harmlessly to the ground.


    Winona¡¯s face contorted in shock, and she tried to fire another shot, but Yvette¡¯s second bullet had already hit her right hand.


    Winona screamed in pain, her gun slipping from her grasp as she crumpled to the floor, disbelief, and terror etched across her face.


    At that moment, the doors to the factory burst open as Victor and his team rushed inside. He took in the scene with narrowed eyes.


    The line of kneeling men, all of whom he recognized as Winona¡¯s hirelings, were barely conscious, kneeling in pools of their own blood. Their defeated, broken bodies conveyed the brutality they¡¯d endured, leaving a palpable tension in the air.


    Victor¡¯s gaze shifted to Yvette, her silhouette exuding an aura of authority and quiet strength as she stood, weapon raised. For the first time, he understood that some people were born to stand above, tomand the world¡¯s respect with unyielding confidence.


    Yvette turned, noticing Victor¡¯s entrance, her expression cool andposed as she raised her gun slightly, its barrel aimed at his chest. Her eyes were icy, with a hint of suspicion in her narrowed gaze.


    Zachary, regaining his bnce, hurried over to Yvette, ¡°Are you alright, Yvette?¡±


    Yvette shook her head, her voice calm, ¡°I¡¯m fine. She couldn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    Only then did Zachary feel at ease. He then looked at Victor, wondering why he was there.


    Victor approached with a polite, respectful tone. ¡°Mr. Chambers, Ms. Zeller, my apologies for arrivingte. I only recently discovered that Winona intended to kidnap Ms. Zeller, so I hurried over. I¡¯m relieved to see that both of you are safe.¡±


    With no desire to be impolite to someone who had supposedlye to help, Zachary replied with a curt ¡°Thank you,¡± his tone neutral.


    Winona, seeing Victor, scrambled to her feet, too frantic to notice the blood staining her dress. ¡°Victor, did youe to save me?¡±


    Before Zachary could say anything, Victor cut her off, distancing himself from herpletely. ¡°Mr. Chambers, don¡¯t misunderstand¨CI have nothing to do with Winona anymore. For such a heinous act, the Carter family will not protect her in any way.¡±


    Victor said this without sparing Winona a nce. His eyes instead focused on Yvette, attempting to win her favor.


    Hearing this, Winona¡¯s fragileposure finally shattered. If everyone wanted to abandon her, they could all go down with her.


    In ast act of desperation, she reached for the gun on the ground. Just as her fingers brushed it, Victor¡¯s warning shout filled the air, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    The sudden yell startled even the unconscious La into a brief state of wakefulness. She opened her eyes just in time to see a sh of light as Victor¡¯s gun fired.


    The bullet hit Winona square in the chest. Blood began to pool beneath her as she stumbled, clutching her chest, her face a mask of disbelief as she looked at Victor, then copsed.


    Seeing this sudden turn of events, La fainted from shock again.


    ¡°Winona.¡± Victor approached with a cold, unfeeling expression, his disdain for Winona evident as he watched the blood flow from her wound.


    Winonay on the ground, wrapped in a bone¨Cchilling cold that made her shiver uncontrobly, yet she had no strength left. With barely enough strength left, Winona whispered, ¡°Why¡­why would you do this to me? I¡¯m carrying your child.¡±


    Victor looked down at her, his voice chilling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I die in the trap you and Robert set for me? Why are you iming that the child you carry is mine when it¡¯s really my father¡¯s?


    Why did you sink so low as to seduce my father? Do you really need to ask?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Winona¡¯s eyes widened at his words, and with onest bitter cough of blood, she choked out, ¡°I did nothing wrong.¡±


    In her final moments, a lifetime of betrayal shed before her: a mother who used her, a father who wasn¡¯t her own, a grandfather who traded her for benefits, and a boyfriend who only pretended to care. The world was wrong, not her.


    With that, her eyes closed for thest time, her body slumping as she took her final breath.


    Victor looked down at her lifeless body, saying nothing. To the end, she remained unrepentant.

 Chapter 380

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor nced up, catching Yvette¡¯s gaze fixed sharply on him. Her piercing look made him feel exposed as if she could see right through his intention to kill Winona from the start.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor gave Yvette an awkward smile, then ufortably looked away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette squeezed her fingers, pulled her gaze back, then turned to Zachary and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary nodded, sparing a final nce at Winona¡¯s lifeless body his expression heavy with resignation. Death had finally imed her, bringing an end to her troubled path. Hopefully, in the next life, she could find a better way.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the two about to leave, Victor quickly instructed his men to take care of the scene and then jogged to catch up, calling out, ¡°Mr. Chambers, please wait.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary and Yvette paused, turning back as Victor adjusted his tie and addressed Zachary with aposed but humble tone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Mr. Chambers, I assure you that the Carter family had no part in today¡¯s events. Please don¡¯t misunderstand our intentions. ude, my grandfather, has decided to withdraw from Seacrity and focus on expanding in Mysonna. Soon, only the Chambers and Lewis families will remain here!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary¡¯s surprise was evident. The Carters, entrenched in Seacrity for generations, were suddenly abandoning the city? Reflecting on the recent sell¨Coff of their stocks, he realized it hadn¡¯t been a mere market strategy¨Cthis was a full retreat. It was all happening rather abruptly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor lowered his gaze, concealing theplexity of the decision. Leaving Seacrity was a monumental move for the Carter family, uprooting a legacy built over centuries. But they¡¯d run out of options.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His grandfather had admitted that, although he hadn¡¯t directly involved himself in the events that led to Yvette¡¯s mother¡¯s- downfall, he had quietly encouraged them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Initially, when Yvette returned to the city, she seemed like a harmless young woman from the countryside, unworthy of attention.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But things had quickly spiraled beyond control. Yvette not only garnered the interest of the elite from Betrico but also became a renowned artist and an Interpol Officer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her involvement, no doubt, had turned the tide in the Chambers family¡¯s favor during their sh with the Smiths.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The oue for Dennis and the Smith family made the Carters realize the stakes were too high. Before Yvette could turn her attention to them, they needed to withdraw from Seacrity and secure their position in Mysonna, which was far from her reach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Victor thought back to the arranged marriage ude had set up for Reba. The family she would be joining held immense power in Mysonna, ensuring that the Carters¡® influence would eventually be restored,</font></font>


    Witnessing firsthand the devastating defeat of Winona¡¯s hired men, Victor understood just how dangerous Yvette was. ude had been right, a confrontation with Yvette would be disastrous for the Carters.


    ude had been right, a confrontation with Yvette would be disastrous for the Carters. ude knew Jaiden Lewis, ever shrewd, would never cross the Chambers, and once the Carters withdrew, Seacrity would belong to the Chambers.


    Zachary offered a courteous ¡°Congrattions,¡± his voice polite. He knew ude¡¯s departure wasn¡¯t without motive, but as to what exactly, he couldn¡¯t say.


    As Victor watched them leave, he exhaled deeply, finally beginning to rx¨Cuntil Yvette stopped. Without turning around, she curved her lips into a faint smirk and spoke slowly, ¡°Running won¡¯t change the consequences of your actions.¡±


    Her words made Victor¨Cfreeze, a chill coursing down his spine as cold sweat broke out. He wondered, ¡®Does Yvette know something?¡®


    Though Zachary didn¡¯t understand her remark, he refrained from questioning it.


    As the two of them disappeared from view, Victor immediately pulled out his phone and called his grandfather. ¡°Hey, ude¡­¡±


    As soon as Yvette and Zachary stepped out of the factory, La¡¯s driver hurried over, visibly relieved to see Yvette unharmed.


    He had been ready to risk his job rather than let something happen to her.


    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± he asked anxiously. ¡°I called the police¨Cthey should be here soon.¡±


    Zachary nced curiously at the driver, wondering who this man was.


    Looking at the honest, kind¨Clooking driver, Yvette¡¯s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, ¡°Are you interested in a new job?¡±


    The driver was taken aback, hesitating before sighing with a touch of pessimism. ¡°Miss, finding work these days isn¡¯t easy. If Ms. Chambers fires me, she won¡¯t leave me with any options.


    ¡°She¡¯s a branch member of the Chambers family, and she¡¯s supposedly very favored by Mr. Chambers himself. If she spreads the word, no one in Seacrity¡¯s elite circles would hire me


    Zachary¡¯s eyebrows shot up, baffled. He thought, ¡®When had I ever shown any favor toward La?¡®


    Zachary looked to Yvette, who raised a brow and said pointedly, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say?¡±


    Clearing his throat, Zachary addressed the driver directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Mr. Chambers you¡¯re talking about. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯d be happy to hire you as a driver for the Chambers family. Monthly sry at twenty thousand, with full benefits through the Chambers Group. Does that sound eptable?¡±


    The driver gaped in disbelief. Was this man really Mr. Chambers? A twenty thousand sry with full benefits sounded like something out of a dream.


    To ease the driver¡¯s uncertainty, Zachary pulled out his business card and handed it over. Finally, seeing the card, the driver¡¯s nervousness turned into excitement.


    This man was a billionaire! The driver could hardly believe it¨Cthis was the man whose influence could shake Seacrity¡¯s business world, and he treated him respectfully.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Yvette gave the driver a cool look, her tone steady. ¡°Think it over. If you¡¯re interested, contact him.¡±


    The driver nodded vigorously, his face lighting up. This opportunity was beyond anything he¡¯d imagined. He¡¯d been earning ten thousand with La and never dreamed of benefits. This was an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°Ms. Chambers, Mr. Chambers,¡± the driver said eagerly, ¡°I don¡¯t need to think it over. I can start tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Zachary replied. ¡°Just report to the Chambers residence in the morning.¡±


    As he watched them leave, the driver felt as though he¡¯d encountered a stroke of pure luck. His daughter¡¯s words echoed in his mind, ¡®Be kind, and the heavens will reward you.


    If he had turned a blind eye today, he doubted such fortune would havee his way,


    In the car, as Zachary drove, he kept sneaking nces at Yvette, his mind lingering on her cryptic words to Victor.


    Yvette noticed his sidelong nces and, with a faint smile, said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Zachary hesitated before asking, ¡°So, uh, Yvette¡­ thatst thing you said to Victor about ¡®running¨Cwhat exactly did you mean?¡±


    Zachary looked almost innocent, his curiosity unguarded.


    Propping her chin on her hand, Yvette replied calmly, ¡°ude might have been involved in what happened back then.¡± The moment Zachary heard this, his grip on the wheel faltered, and he pulled over, parking by the side of the road. That ude jerk had a hand in it?¡± Zachary¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Then let¡¯s go after him¡ªhe can¡¯t be allowed to get away.¡±


    He reached for his phone, intent on making a call, but Yvette¡¯s cool gaze stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s only a suspicion,¡± she said. ¡°I have no evidence.¡±


    Zachary paused, his fingers hovering over the dial. He nodded firmly. ¡°Your suspicion is all the evidence ed.¡±

 Chapter 381

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, surprised at Zachary¡¯s resolve. She replied with a calm, deep gaze, ¡°When I have proof, I¡¯ll deal with ude myself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Even if they gathered evidence, the Carters had moved to Mysonna, a ce riddled with powerful underworld ties. Tracking down ude there would be no small feat. He nodded, though his face remained tense, clearly still worried.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Alright,¡± he said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± He tried to mask his concern, but the strain was evident.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Noticing his unease, Yvette closed her eyes, pressing her lips together before murmuring, ¡°He won¡¯t escape.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary took her words as a reassurance, thinking she was merely trying tofort him. Onlyter would he understand the weight of that promise¨Cno matter how far he ran, ude would never be beyond her reach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The following morning, after the police came by for their routine inquiries, Lucas handled their questions and saw them off. He then arranged the driver¡¯s duties as instructed before heading to Zachary¡¯s study.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Mr. Chambers,¡± Lucas said respectfully, ¡°the police have left, and everything you requested has been handled. Ms. Zeller went to school this morning and will return in the afternoon.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary put out his cigar, his face serious as he sat in contemtion. Lucas remained silent, waiting patiently by his side. After a long pause, Zachary looked up with a pensive expression and asked, ¡°Do you think my health might not be as good as it used to be? I¡¯m feeling a bit weak these days.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas blinked, momentarily thrown off. He had ho idea what to make of Mr. Chambers¡® words. After a pause, he carefully responded, ¡°Mr. Chambers, you¡¯re still as strong as ever. You even had an extra bowl of yogurt this morning. There¡¯s no need to worry yourself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary eyed Lucas and wondered why he wasn¡¯t catching his hint. He thought, ¡®Am I being too subtle?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary sighed, rubbing his temples, appearing genuinely distressed. ¡°My health,¡± he murmured with feigned concern, ¡°it must be deteriorating. If not a physical illness, then it¡¯s a psychological one¨Ca serious ailment, indeed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">And with such an illness, how can I keep up with work at thepany? And if I¡¯m unwell, who will lead the Chambers Group?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary¡¯s tone turned wistful. ¡°I only have Yvette, but I don¡¯t know who else could help shoulder this responsibility.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally, Lucas understood, a glimmer of realization dawning on him. Mr. Chambers wasn¡¯t simply concerned for his health -he wanted Ms. Zeller to step up at the Chambers Group.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas chuckled inwardly at Zachary¡¯s roundabout way of hinting, knowing that Yvette would resist any direct offer. Mr. Chambers certainly had his tactics.</font></font>


    Lucas, ying along, asked, ¡°Mr. Chambers, psychological conditions are quite serious. Perhaps I should inform Ms. Zeller?¡± Zachary nodded approvingly. ¡°Yes, yes. Although¡­¡± he hesitated, feigning reluctance, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble her.


    Lucas could barely keep a straight face, finding this role more exhausting than his actual work.


    Just as Lucas was about to put the phone, Zachary quickly added ¡°Yes, give Yvette a call, She¡¯s so concerned about me I can¡¯t keep this from her. No, she has to know.


    Lucas nodded, fully on board now, and dutifully made the call.


    The cafeteria at Argrol University buzzed with chatter as news of Winona¡¯s death hit the headlines, sparking conversation among students.


    Yvette, however, sat unfazed in front of five tes, each filled to the brim with pork ribs. She raised an eyebrow, taking a moment before settling in to eat.


    Andrew, poking at his measly three ribs, sighed. ¡°Yvette, someone spread a rumor that you love ribs, huh? Looks like you¡¯ve got a secret admirer doing the heavy lifting lining up for you.¡±


    With a mischievous grin, Andrew snapped a photo and sent it off to Jeremiah, knowing the jealous streak it would surely ignite in him.


    Chuckling to himself, Andrew¡¯s smile faded as he thought about Bonnie. Ever since he left, she had been taking an unusual amount of time off, iming to be back in her hometown.


    Calls went unanswered, or when Bonnie did pick up, she brushed Andrew off with a rushed ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off.


    ¡°Yvette,¡± Andrew asked, a bit gloomy, ¡°have you heard from Bonnie at all?¡±


    Yvette paused, savoring a rib before answering, ¡°She reached out three days ago. She mentioned being busy but didn¡¯t borate.¡±


    Andrew sighed, losing his appetite. S sensing his mood, Charles silently pushed his own te of ribs over to Andrew, who looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Ribs? Nah, I¡¯ve lost my appetite,¡± Andrew grumbled.


    Charles was about to offerfort, knowing dealing with love troubles is tough. But before he could speak, he saw Andrew pick up the ribs and eat them with gusto.


    Charles muttered under his breath, ¡°So much for no appetite¡­¡±


    Lowering her eyes, Yvette calmly said, ¡°One week. If she¡¯s still not back by then, we¡¯ll go find her.¡±


    Andrew¡¯s spirits lifted immediately. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re the best! Unlike Charles here, trying to fatten me up. What am I supposed to do if I lose my charm?¡±


    Charles rolled his eyes in resignation.


    Just then, Yvette¡¯s phone rang. Lucas¡¯s voice came through the line, unusually solemn. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you should return as soon as possible. There may be an issue with Mr. Chambers¡® health.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s set down her fork. Without another word, she stood, her face expressionless as she turned to Andrew and Charles. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    With that, she left the cafeteria, hermanding presence, parting the crowd around her. No one dared to block her path- after all, a force like Yvette¡¯s wasn¡¯t something anyone wanted to mess with.


    **


    Yvette sped all the way back to the Chambers residence. As soon as she stepped inside, she found Lucas pacing anxiously in the living room.


    ¡°Where is he? Yvette asked calmly.


    Lucas, his eyes still red from being irritated by the peppers in the kitchen, approached Yvette sheepishly.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Lucas stepped forward. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you¡¯re finally back! Mr. Chambers wasn¡¯t himself this morning, and he started running a slight fever by noon. He¡¯s been in a strange mood, sighing non¨Cstop. He¡¯s upstairs resting now.¡±


    Lucas lowered his head, feeling the strain of his involvement in Zachary¡¯s scheme. Mr. Chambers had gone to lengths to sell the act, even sweating it out in the sauna and using hot towels on his forehead to mimic a fever.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and unexpectedly sat on the sofa, making no rush to go upstairs. She nced at Lucas with an unreadable expression, speaking slowly, ¡°Did he see a doctor?¡±


    Lucas felt a flicker of doubt. He thought, ¡®Does Ms. Zeller actually care that much? She seems calm¡­ maybe Mr. Chambers overestimated her reaction?¡®


    Quickly, Lucas replied, ¡°Mr. Chambers wouldn¡¯t allow it. Just took some medicine and went upstairs, but he didn¡¯t even eat lunch. How is his body supposed to hold up like this?¡±

 Chapter 382

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at Lucas with a faint smile, leaning back on the sofa and drumming her fingers idly. She wondered, ¡®What is Zachary trying to achieve with this charade?¡® She couldn¡¯t quite tell but found Zachary¡¯s antics mildly entertaining.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just missing one meal, don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± Her attitude was as indifferent as could be, leaving Lucas even more puzzled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas wondered if something had happened between Ms. Zeller and Mr. Chambers that he didn¡¯t know about. Lucas was baffled. But since the scene had reached this point, he had to brave it, thankfully backed by decades of experience.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a heavy sigh and a seasoned poker face, Lucas continued, ¡°Ms. Zeller, food is essential, especially at Mr. Chambers¡® age. He can¡¯t go skipping meals with a fever.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His health just isn¡¯t what it used to be, and he¡¯s never been a big eater. It would mean a lot if you¡¯d go upstairs and check on him.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow and nced toward the staircase, where she noticed a faint shadow behind the column.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With an amused smirk, Yvette gave Lucas an order. ¡°Fine. Go tell him I¡¯m here. If he doesn¡¯te down and eat, he¡¯ll deal with the consequences himself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas¡¯s mouth twitched at her bluntness¨CNothing like a daily dose of Ms. Zeller¡¯s no¨Cnonsense charm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Lucas could respond, Zachary emerged from behind the column, stumbling down the stairs with a hand on his forehead, face pale and moving as if every step had taken a monumental effort.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling surprised, Zachary called out, ¡°Oh, Yvette! I had no idea you¡¯d be here. I specifically told Lucas not to bother you. You do not need to worry about something so minor.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas froze for a moment before turning to see Zacharying downstairs. Mr. Chambers¡¯s words, even the slyest pretenders couldn¡¯t beat his act.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas was almost in tears but could only nod reluctantly. Mr. Chambers waspletely under Ms. Zeller¡¯s control. After hearing what she said, Mr. Chambers headed downstairs without another word¨Ca ssic, doting father to his core.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Turning dutifully to Yvette, Lucas said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I¡¯m afraid the call was my decision alone. Mr. Chambers didn¡¯t ask me to call you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary sank onto the sofa beside Yvette, coughing weakly as he gave her a pleading look. ¡°Now, don¡¯t be hard on Lucas. He was just worried. Next time, don¡¯t trouble her over such a small issue,¡± he told Lucas, clearly trying to maintain his ¡°fragile¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas gritted his teeth, wishing that Mr. Chambers would stage his own drama next time without pulling him into it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave Zachary a cool, amused nce, crossing her legs as she rested her chin in her hand. ¡®Not bad, she thought, ¡®He¡¯d certainly perfected the ¡°frail heart¡± act.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Out of courtesy¨Cand curiosity¨Cshe decided to y along, wondering what exactly he was up to.</font></font>


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking your medicine? And why skip a meal?¡± Yvette asked.


    Caught off guard by her direct questions, Zachary hesitated. He thought, ¡®If I had actually taken medicine or eaten, she probably wouldn¡¯t have rushed back.


    But Zachary couldn¡¯t risk saying that out loud¡ªYvette had little patience for nonsense. So he gave her his best pitiful look. ¡°Yvette, the medicine is too bitter¡­ and anyway, it won¡¯t fix what¡¯s really wrong,¡± he sighed, looking thoroughly miserable.


    This is a psychological issue, you see, and medicine can¡¯t cure that.¡±


    Lucas kept his head down, struggling not to grimace. His inner critic marveled at his boss¡¯s ability to ¡°y up the charm,¡± while inwardly, he found the performance a bit too much.


    Yvette¡¯s delicate fingers stilled as she fixed Zachary with her striking gaze, cutting right through the act. ¡°Speak inly.


    Zachary straightened up instantly, the power in those two words snapping him back to attention. Even Lucas gave an approving nod. It seemed only Yvette could keep Mr. Chambers in line.


    Clearing his throat, Zachary patted his chest and ventured, ¡°Yvette, I think I may be struggling with depression. I looked up the symptoms online, and¡­ well, I fit all of them.¡±


    His expression was so earnest that even Lucas, who knew the whole scheme, had to admit it was convincing.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But Yvette just raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea as she stared him down. ¡°Diagnosing yourself online?¡± she replied, voice cool. ¡°Well, you should know that online diagnoses start with cancer, at the very least. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Zachary blinked in confusion and looked over to Lucas, utterly baffled. He thought the online diagnosis was popr. He clearly had a lot to learn about the subtleties of modern life.


    Lucas had no choice but to step forward and ease the situation. ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Chambers has been unwell for quite some time now. He¡¯s been feeling down,cking appetite, and often seems lost in thought.


    In fact, he¡¯s even made a few costly mistakes at work, losing billions in revenue. The family doctor rmended he take a good rest, but he¡¯s been too worried about thepany to follow through. Things are only getting worse.¡±


    Zachary couldn¡¯t have been prouder of Lucas¡¯s smooth performance. Lucas¡¯s left leg was trembling a bit under Yvette¡¯s gaze. You can¡¯t me him; no one can withstand the intensity of Ms. Zeller¡¯s stare.


    Zachary nodded, adding, ¡°Yes. But don¡¯t you worry, Yvette? I¡¯ll keep pushing through. I¡¯ll make sure the Chambers Group stays in good hands.¡± He then put on a show of weakly covering his mouth, faking a small cough, looking pitiful.


    The Chambers Group was no longer Zachary¡¯s; it now belonged to Yvette. In reality, Zachary was just a highly paid employee¨Cthough that was something outsiders didn¡¯t know.


    Yvette watched the two of them, and as the dots connected, her eyes narrowed slightly. So, this whole act was to convince her to take over thepany. She could practically feel Zachary waiting for her to say, ¡°Fine, let me take over for now.¡±


    Then Zachary would effortlessly hand over thepany to Yvette, which was a perfect n.


    But as Zachary looked at her with hope and anticipation, Yvette gave a calm nod and replied, ¡°Since you¡¯re convinced you can handle it, keep working then.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s expression froze, and a wave of disappointment washed over him. Lucas shot him a sympathetic nce; the grand n had crumbled right before their eyes. Yvette, as ever, was not one to bend easily.


    Zachary¡¯s crushed expression nearly brought a smirk to Yvette¡¯s lips. After a pause, Zachary finally gave in with a sigh, ending his performance.


    He said sadly, Fine. I¡¯ll take my medicine and eat. Go on back to ss, then. We¡¯re having steak for dinnere home and join us.*


    Yvette looked at Zachary nkly and started to walk toward the door but paused before stepping out. ¡®Might as well let him have a little victory, she thought.


    Without turning back, Yvette said in a cool tone, ¡°One week. I¡¯ll manage the Chambers Group for one week.¡±

 Chapter 383

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Yvette left, Zachary¡¯s demeanor shiftedpletely from his earlier fragile act. He loungedfortably on the sofa, savoring a ss of red wine with a smug look on his face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas, returning after seeing Yvette out, couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the sight. He wished Ms. Zeller could witness this scene.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, Ms. Zeller has returned to campus.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary took another sip of his wine, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. ¡°Well, Lucas, age and experience have their perks. I knew Yvette would respond better to subtlety.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas blinked, surprised. ¡°So thatst part¡­ was intentional?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary nodded, chuckling slightly. He¡¯d gone to great lengths, crafting this whole performance to set Yvette on a path to leadership.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His tone grew more serious as he turned to Lucas with a firm instruction. ¡°Pass on a message to the Chambers Group¡¯s executive team. Starting tomorrow, Yvette will be stepping in as acting head in my ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°During this time, all decisions will go through her, and no one needs to report to me. She¡¯s in charge.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas hesitated, a bit concerned. The senior executives were a tough, set¨Cin¨Ctheir¨Cways group who might resist the idea of Yvette¡¯s sudden authority.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, the top brass might not take kindly to Ms. Zeller¡¯s sudden role. I worry they¡¯ll make things difficult for her¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary shot him a knowing look. He had already anticipated this and saw it as a test for Yvette. After all, Yvette would eventually need to assert her authority and decide who among them was trustworthy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This, he figured, was the perfect opportunity for her to handle things on her own.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">And as for those old guys thinking they could bully his daughter, they should first see if they have what it takes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lucas. Do you really think they can handle Yvette? The most they¡¯ll throw at her are some corporate power ys. And as for anything physical? Well, that would be theirst mistake,¡± Zachary replied with a smirk.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Announce her new position without any fuss. Everything¡¯s in ce,¡± he added.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Lucas felt a wave of relief. Mr. Chambers was absolutely right. With Ms. Zeller¡¯s personality, she was always the one dishing it out; anyone who dared disrespect her would be in for quite the show.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bus Route 1 was a direct line to Argrol University. Yvette had turned down Lucas¡¯s offer to drive her, preferring to take the bus back to campus herself,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sitting at the very back, she adjusted her baseball cap and checked Jeremiah¡¯s message on her phone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[How were the pork ribs? Better than mine?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette had a slight smile in her eyes, amused by Jeremiah¡¯s odd sense of rivalry, even with the cafeteriady.</font></font>


    Meanwhile, at Betrico¡¯s First Military District, Jeremiah¡¯s phone chimed as a soldier was mid¨Creport. Jeremiah picked up his phone, and the room fell silent as the soldier hesitated. Jeremial gave a quick nod, prompting him to continue


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s reply (Not as good as yours.) Jeremiah¡¯s cold and stern expression softened, and he typed back: [See you in three days.]


    On Seacrity¡¯s Route 1, Yvette stashed her phone and leaned her head against the window, watching the city pass by.


    Suddenly, a shrill voice pierced through the quiet bus.


    ¡°Hey, youngdy, don¡¯t you know about respecting elders? I¡¯m old enough to be your grandma, and you won¡¯t give up your seat? How did your parents even raise you? No consideration for us seniors! Everyone here¨Cdon¡¯t you agree she should stand up for me?¡±


    The voice belonged to a sharp¨Cfeatured woman, likely in her sixties, who stood over a young girl seated nearby. The frail and unassuming girl looked up helplessly as the older woman loomed over her.


    This kind of scene¨Cdisputes over giving up seats¨Cwas all too familiar on the bus, so most passengers initially remained indifferent. But gradually, some began to weigh in.


    ¡°Youngdy, why don¡¯t you just give up your seat? Save us all this noise¨Cit¡¯s disturbing everyone.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, respecting elders is a virtue in Clusia. You look young, probably just graduated, maybe? You should know better.¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s just one seat. Just get up. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending you can¡¯t hear us! Stand up and give her your seat.¡±


    The young girl slowly looked up, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, yet she seemed to hold them back with all her strength.


    Staring down at herp, she whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t give up the seat.¡±


    Hearing this, the onlookers and the older woman grew even more agitated, showering her with sharper words that made the girl tremble as she gripped her bag tightly.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as the older woman raised her hand, ready to hit the girl, a tiny silver needle flew across the aisle, striking her wrist. The woman gasped, feeling a sharp pain that forced her hand to freeze mid¨Cair. She looked down, only to find the needle had dropped to the floor¨Ca small detail most passengers overlooked.


    ¡°Who says she has to give you her seat?¡±


    The voice was cold andced with authority, casting an icy chill over the bus that seemed to silence everyone.


    Eyes darted around, searching for the source until they all looked toward the back row, where a girl in a baseball cap sat with only half her face visible under the brim.


    The older woman red at Yvette. ¡°Who do you think you are? Butt out! Maybe you¡¯re in on this with her. It¡¯s called respecting your elders¨Cit¡¯s only right she gives up her seat!¡±


    The passengers on the bus quickly split into two camps¨Cone group siding with the elderly woman, the other opting to remain uninvolved. Clearly, Yvette, from the old woman¡¯s perspective, did not seem as easy to bully as the other young girl.


    ¡°Oh, youngdy, no one needs to make it a rule. It¡¯smon decency! Respect for the elderly is something we all should uphold,¡± one woman insisted.


    While another added, ¡°You look young. Seems like people your age just don¡¯t care about these things anymore. It¡¯s disappointing.¡±


    Yvette stepped forward, positioning herself between the young girl and the old woman.


    Her gaze swept the crowd, her expression cold and unreadable. Oh, I see. You two over there care a lot about respect for elders, right? Why don¡¯t you give up your seats for her?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s face lit up, forgetting about the pain in her arm as she looked over expectantly. The man and woman who had spoken up looked like they¡¯d swallowed something bitter, clearly regretting their words.


    Reluctantly, the man sighed and stood up, gesturing stiffly for the olddy to take his seat. He shot Yvette a re as he moved aside, but she paid him no mind, her attention fixed elsewhere.


    The old woman, pleased with herself, sat down with a satisfied smirk, oblivious to the fact that the effects of that needle jab would leave her unable to lift her arm for at least two weeks.


    Yvette turned back to the young girl, who looked down and murmured softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yvette nced at her left foot and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The girl instinctively moved her left leg. They both remained silent all the way to the final stop at Argrol University.

 Chapter 384

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, at the Chambers residence, Lucas was waiting downstairs for Yvette. Today was the day to visit the Chambers Group.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Following Zachary¡¯s instructions yesterday, everyone in thepany knew that the youngdy would be visiting today, and who knew what kind of buzz might be at the office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary certainly knew how to enjoy his free time. He went off to the countryside to grow flowers,pletely handing over such argepany to the youngdy. Lucas thought it was unfair that Zachary didn¡¯t take him along for the getaway.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While Lucas was lost in thought, Yvette came down from upstairs. As soon as he heard footsteps, Lucas immediately stood at attention, adjusting the wrinkles on his suit since he had made sure to dress neatly that day.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After all, he didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself standing next to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Lucas looked up, his smile froze. Yvette wasing down the stairs unhurriedly in a dark tracksuit with cartoon patterns, and it made his head spin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Could Yvette n to wear that to the office? Absolutely not.¡® Lucas could only try to hypnotize himself with such thoughts, but momentster, Yvette was standing right in front of him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a pause, taking her time, she nced at Lucas¡® outfit, then at his face, and casually asked, ¡°Are you going on a date?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas felt embarrassed. At his age, the idea of dating was ridiculous. Yvette was teasing him. Lucas quickly denied it, waving his hands dismissively.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He then said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, please don¡¯t joke about that. I¡¯m too old for blind dates. For the next seven days, I¡¯ll stay by your side, just let me know if you need anything.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas paused for a moment, following Yvette. He was caught in thought and eventually asked just before they got into the car, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you nning to wear just that?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°There¡¯s a board meeting today, and I¡¯m worried the board members might havements about your outfit.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave a slight smile, with her hands in her pockets, and slowly asked a question that left Lucas speechless and stunned, ¡°Can they take a punch?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure if they could take a hit, but they definitely couldn¡¯t handle one from Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the car, Lucas watched Yvette as she rxed in her seat with her eyes closed, resting. He silently prayed for the Chambers Group executives, hoping nothing would happen to them from provoking her, knowing Yvette¡¯s temper could easily lead to a disaster.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the entrance of Chambers Group¡¯sndmark building in Seacrity, the entire 30¨Cplus floors belonged to the Chambers Group.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe looked at the resume in her hand, then her empty left leg with only a mechanical prosthetic visible. Normally, it wasn¡¯t noticeable under a skirt. Gazing up at the tall skyscrapers, she appeared timid, her palms sweating.</font></font>


    After standing for a good half hour, she finally gathered the courage to walk into the Chambers Group.


    As soon as Yvette and Lucas got out of the car, the manager, who was already waiting at the Chambers Group entrance, rushed over with a group of people, bowing deeply at ny degrees with a respectful demeanor.


    He then said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Zeller. I¡¯m Jackson, the manager of the promotional nning department.¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you, Ms. Zeller.¡°,


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Yvette nodded at the sharply dressed man. She exuded a cool and aloof vibe, with a strong aura that warned others to keep their distance.


    Jackson felt a wave of nervousness. She was the future head of the Chambers Group and known as the ¡°Goddess¡± who had represented the country and triumphed over Ybau. It was also rumored that she was an internationally renowned artist.


    Any one of these achievements could easily outshine ordinary people. If he could catch her eye, it would be like striking gold and rapidly achieving sess.


    In the private elevator, Lucas was surprised when he heard Yvette say she wanted to go around on her own. Then he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you nning to inspect thepany? It might be easier if Ie with you.¡±


    Yvette casually said, ¡°No need, you can wait for me on the top floor.¡±


    Lucas nodded, knowing that at Chambers Group, even if Yvette caused a stir, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem..


    On the tenth floor, it was the Chambers Group¡¯s recruitment day. Women dressed in elegant and stylish attire kept arriving on the tenth floor, with the whole level bustling with interviewees from diverse backgrounds and experiences.


    Zoe sat in a corner, holding her number. She was number 36, and number 20 just got in. She guessed she¡¯d need to wait a while, with over fifty people lined up behind her.


    It was no surprise that everyone was vying for a spot at Chambers Group here in Seacrity. It was tougher to get into than working in the government.


    Zoe clutched her resume tightly, continuously cheering herself on in her mind.


    Not far away, a woman in high heels and a designer suit noticed Zoe, her look unfriendly.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman thought, ¡®An illegitimate daughter with a limp was trying to interview at Chambers Group? How absurd. Does she think this ce takes in just anyone off the street?¡®


    This woman was none other than Zoe¡¯s half¨Csister, Vivian. She was also here for an interview today, coincidentally for the same position.


    Vivian walked over in her high heels. She looked down, pretending not to notice Zoe, and gave her a casual push. Caught by surprise, Zoe awkwardly fell to the ground, her resume papers scattering everywhere.


    The scene caught the attention of everyone else waiting for the interview. Suddenly, all eyes were on Zoe, who was sprawled on the floor.


    A gasp came from the crowd. ¡°Look, she doesn¡¯t have a left leg.¡±


    ¡°Why is someone with a disability even here for an interview? That¡¯s just ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Having a disabled person work at the Chambers Group would be inconvenient. I don¡¯t want to work with someone who would be a hassle.¡±


    Lagree. People with disabilities tend to have issues, and I¡¯m sure working with them would be difficult.¡±


    People kept talking.


    Vivian stood on the side as the ringleader, hiding in the crowd and watching the drama unfold. She saw Zoe desperately clutching her left leg, looking panicked and flustered.


    Filled with malice, she thought, ¡®Serves her right. Who told her toe and ruin the interviews?¡®


    Even without looking up, Zoe could feel the unusual stares around her. She could clearly hear every word of their whispers. In distress, she covered her ears to block them out, but it was no use.


    She thought, ¡®I have worked so hard, yet why is it still not enough? Why couldn¡¯t I face the crowd confidently?¡® In her daze, she caught sight of Vivian¡¯s malicious face in the crowd.


    She gritted her teeth but didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up, left to endure the pointing and gossip.


    Just when Zoe was losing hope, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Get up.¡±


    Though the words were soft, they somehow calmed Zoe¡¯s heart. She mustered the strength to lift her head and saw the girl who had helped her on the bus yesterday.


    Though the girl was wearing a baseball cap, Zoe, naturally sensitive to voices, couldn¡¯t forget the voice she heard. Yes, it was undeniably her.


    The noisy crowd instantly quieted down. Due to Yvette¡¯s presence, wherever she went, people automatically moved aside to make way for her.


    Yvette, wearing a ck baseball cap, walked unhurriedly to Zoe¡¯s side. Her expression was icy, with her delicate features slightly raised. When she noticed Zoe¡¯s mechanical prosthetic leg, her expression didn¡¯t change at all.


    With her hands in her pockets, she said, ¡°This little gadget is pretty cool.¡±


    Everyone there was stunned. Thement ¡°This little gadget is pretty cool¡± caught everyone by surprise.


    Zoe¡¯s eyes widened. For the first time, she didn¡¯t see fear, disdain, or curiosity in someone else¡¯s eyes. It was as if it was just another ordinary thing.


    Yvette lowered her eyes, looking at Zoe with a gaze that grew more intense. Her voice was cold and without any warmth, ¡°Get up on your own.¡±


    Zoe was taken aback but seemed to regain a bit of strength. She braced her legs and stood up shakily. Her voice quivered with a sobbing tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting you see me like this again.¡±

 Chapter 385

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wore a baseball cap, her ck mask covering most of her face. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Zoe. Her blue eyes were deep. ¡°Dry your tears.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe carefully took it and hastily wiped her tears. Yvette turned her gaze to a woman in the crowd and said to Zoe, ¡°Two choices: pretend it never happened or fight back. You decide.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe was stunned for a moment. She quickly understood what the words meant. She wanted to fight back, but with the Houston family¡¯s influence behind her, they may cause trouble for this girl.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head slightly, noticing Zoe¡¯s hesitation, and narrowed her eyes. Zoe whispered, ¡°She¡¯s from the Houston family. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll cause trouble for you. It¡¯s not worth it for me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Do you want to hit her?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe wiped her tears and nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes, in my dreams.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Vivian realized that an unexpected protector had appeared for Zoe. Knowing it was unwise to cause trouble, she nned a discreet exit from the scene.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as she turned around, someone called out, ¡°Stop!¡± Everyone turned to look at Vivian, and as if on cue, they all dispersed, leaving Vivian standing there alone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With all eyes on her, she had no choice but to turn around and face Zoe and Yvette. ¡°What do you want from me? She fell on her own. What¡¯s that got to do with me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Vivian, not realizing how desperate she seemed to separate herself from the situation, appeared even more suspicious. Without saying a word, Yvette stepped forward, grabbed Vivian, and pulled her over to Zoe¡¯s side.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Vivian,pletely baffled, watched as she was thrown to the ground, her high heels snapping off in the process. She let out two ear¨Cpiercing screams.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She shouted, ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy? Let go of me. Who are you? If you have the guts, show your face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Ah, let me go. If you dare to touch me, the Houston family won¡¯t let you get away with it.¡±.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe looked at Vivian, whoy helpless on the ground, cursing and yelling, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes. Before she turned eighteen, she had spent every day being bullied by Vivian. But seeing her like this now, she felt a sense of relief.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The reason she was bullied was because she wasn¡¯t strong enough. If only she had been as strong as Yvette, Vivian would never have bullied her for so many years.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before anyone could react, Zoe grabbed Vivian¡¯s dress and pped her hard, making her cheek swell instantly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Vivian went crazy, lunging at Zoe. ¡°You slut, bastard! How dare you hit me? Just wait, the Houston family won¡¯t let you get away with this.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Vivian red fiercely at Yvette. ¡°And you, how dare you help Zoe bully me? You¡¯re finished. I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t stay in Seacrity anymore.¡±</font></font>


    As Vivian was shouting, Jackson came down from the top floor. He heard there was amotion on the tenth floor and rushed over. These interviewees hadn¡¯t even passed the initial screening, and they were already causing trouble.


    ¡°Move aside, make way, the Chambers Group¡¯s department manager ising,¡± someone said.


    Upon hearing this, Vivian felt like she¡¯d found a pir of support Zoe was making trouble at the Chambers Group. Even if Vivian didn¡¯t do anything, the Chambers Group would cklist her. She wondered how Zoe managed in Seacrity then.


    Jackson had a gloomy look. The crowd parted, and before he could see clearly, something unidentified rushed towards him.


    Frightened, Jackson instinctively kicked Vivian in the ribs. Vivian got hit hard again.


    Vivian asked, ¡°Sir, why did you kick me?¡±


    Jackson saw it was a girl who looked alright, and her face looked weird. She had been beaten. Someone dared to start a fight at Chambers Group. They were doomed.


    Vivianpletely disregarded her appearance, crying and sniffling. ¡°Sir, look, these two dared to hit me at the Chambers Group. Is there no justice? You must help me. I want to call the police and get a medical check.¡±


    Vivian was wrapped up in her usations against Zoe and her friend, not noticing Jackson¡¯s face growing more tense, and his body trembling steadily.


    Jackson¡¯s mind was buzzing. He never expected the troublemaker on the tenth floor to be Yvette. He wondered, ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Jackson was so annoyed that he wished he could shut this woman¡¯s mouth. He thought, ¡®Call the police? Get checked for injuries?¡®


    After Vivian finished speaking, she realized it waspletely silent around her. She looked up to see Jackson approaching a woman wearing a baseball cap and mask.


    Amidst everyone¡¯s incredulous stares, he bowed respectfully. ¡°Ms. Zeller, you are here. People on the top floor are waiting for you.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped. One man at the interview even dropped his briefcase, swallowing hard.


    ¡°Did you hear that? The manager called the person in the baseball cap ¡®Ms. Zeller¡®?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not deaf, those words were loud enough for everyone to hear.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s the Chambers family¡¯s heiress, Yvette? The Goddess of Clusia?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, the news said she returned to Seacrity, and it¡¯s true. Wow, this is incredible. I can¡¯t believe I saw the Goddess here!¡±


    ¡°I have to take a picture. My daughter likes her.¡±


    What was supposed to be a tense fight scene instantly turned into a fan meeting. Vivian was baffled. She had no idea what was happening.


    Vivian thought, ¡®She¡¯s the Chambers family¡¯s heiress? No way, how could the Chambers family¡¯s heiress know someone as insignificant as Zoe and stand up for her?¡®


    Vivian couldn¡¯t believe what was happening, she stayed off to the side, nowpletely unnoticed.


    Zoe stiffly turned her head and looked at Yvette beside her, equally surprised. Ever since she watched thepetition, she had be a fan of Yvette herself.


    Little did she know that the person she admired was right next to her, and not just once, but twice, Yvette hade to her rescue


    Jackson was nervous. Yvette¡¯s expression was indifferent as she said calmly, ¡°Pull up the surveince footage for this floor, and charge her with intentional harm.¡±


    Jackson immediately looked toward Vivian. Of all the people this unlucky fool could run into, it had to be Yvette.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Vivian was scared and wanted to plead for mercy, but Yvette didn¡¯t nce at her again and went straight into the elevator.


    To Zoe, who was still in shock, Yvette said coldly, ¡°Bring your resume over.¡±


    Under the envious gazes of all the job seekers, Zoe held her resume and followed Yvette into the elevator.


    Jackson turned around, looked at the trembling Vivian, and said sternly, ¡°Go and hire awyer, or you¡¯ll be toasted.¡±


    Vivian came to her senses and copsed to the ground, breathing heavily. She thought, ¡®Hire awyer? Suing the Chambers Group? Whichwyer in Seacrity will dare take the case? Even if someone does, the surveince evidence clearly shows me intent to harm Zoe.


    In the elevator, Yvette took Zoe¡¯s resume and flipped through it casually, reading quickly, ten lines at a nce. She finished in less than a minute and handed it back to Zoe.


    She asked, ¡°Are you applying for the design department?¡±


    Zoe nodded, a bit reserved, and now that she knew Yvette¡¯s identity, she felt not only grateful but also an admiration. Zoe exined, ¡°Well, I majored in finance in college, but no one wants an investor with a disability, so I thought I¡¯d try a different job.¡±

 Chapter 386

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette showed no expression, her gaze calm. She pulled out a candy from her pocket, slowly unwrapping it as she asked unhurriedly, ¡°Want to change a job?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe was stunned in ce, then nodded nkly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the top level of the Chambers Group, a meeting was held in a conference room that could fit hundreds of people, although only a few dozen were there now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Among them were the shareholders from the Chambers Group and the managers from various departments. Today, th were all gathered together.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Today was the first day the eldestdy of the Chambers family took charge of the Chambers Group. No one would dare bete. That would just be asking for trouble. However, everyone sitting here had their agendas, each with a mind full of schemes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Currently, aside from the 55% of shares held by Zachary, which gave him absolute authority, thergest shareholders were Nelson and Warron, each with 10%. They had always used their shares to exert influence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Though not initially on good terms, after finding out yesterday that Yvette would join the Chambers Group, they quickly teamed up. Just a girl who¡¯d won an international chesspetition. It showed her chess skills. But this was business, being good at chess was meaningless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette was a girl who hadn¡¯t even finished college. She couldn¡¯t easily take charge of the Chambers Group. The cake wasn¡¯t that big, and it was enough to have the two of them in thepany. Besides, they heard Zachary went on a countryside vacation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without Zachary to support her, a young girl like her could do nothing. Nelson and Warron came prepared today. They had a tough case ready, specifically to make Yvette erhbarrassed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the conference room, Nelson took a sip from his coffee cup and then pretended to nce at the door.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson said, ¡°Why is she alwayste? There are only three minutes left, and she doesn¡¯t realize everyone is waiting for her. Young guys today just aren¡¯t mature.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron was a lean man in his fifties. He clearly understood that Nelson was trying to smear Yvette¡¯s reputation, and he was more than willing to contribute to tarnishing her image.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron added, ¡°Well, she¡¯s the boss here, so it¡¯s right for us to wait. But my body¡¯s not what it used to be. Waiting a bit makes me feel so tired.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelsonughed heartily and praised Warron, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re still as strong as ever. You¡¯re being modest. The Chambers Group can¡¯t go on without you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The praise was as ttering as it could be, making Warron glow with happiness. The two of them bounced remarks off each other effortlessly. The veteran executives at the Chambers Group immediately understood what was going on.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The two people who usually didn¡¯t get along were suddenly on the same side. They decided to join forces, creating an unprecedented harmony between the two factions in the meeting room.</font></font>Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    At exactly 1:30, the door of the meeting room opened. As soon as the person standing at the entrance was seen, everyone suddenly fell silent. The wholerge meeting room became so quiet that breathing seemed almost inaudible.


    Yvette stood at the door, wearing a cartoon¨Cstyle tracksuit and a ck baseball cap. Only her cool eyes were visible, and she stood there casually, radiating a carefree andid¨Cback vibe.


    Lucas stood behind her on the right, with another person on her left. Yvette nced up and scanned the meeting room, saying lightheartedly, ¡°Quite lively, huh?¡±


    Nelson, Warron, and the rest of the Chambers Group¡¯s executives snapped back to awareness at her words. They had all expected Yvette toe to the board meeting in formal attire.


    Her outfit made her look like a student, showing a tant disregard for the meeting. It was a humiliation for them. It was simply too much.


    Nelson¡¯s dissatisfaction was evident on his face. Warron, usually wearing a fake smile, couldn¡¯t hide the disdain in his eyes no matter how hard he tried.


    Lucas, standing behind Yvette, nced at their expressions and sighed. It seemed unlikely those two would leave the meeting without incident today.


    The Chambers Group had be a chaotic mess because of these two, constantly pushing people in and acting as if they were the major shareholders.


    For minor issues like this, Zachary usually turned a blind eye, since together they hold twenty percent of the shares. Plus, Plus, they were veterans at thepany, making it hard to confront them directly.


    This had emboldened them over time, and now they were starting to get a bit too arrogant.


    Yvette calmly walked past everyone and sat at the head of the table. It was Zoe¡¯s first time seeing such a grand scene, so she stood nervously beside Yvette, still feeling a bit anxious.


    Just a moment ago, she had agreed to be Yvette¡¯s secretary for a week. Whether or not she could stay at the Chambers Group after the week, she needed to work diligently every moment to live up to Yvette¡¯s guidance and trust.


    Yvette casually took off her baseball cap, allowing her long hair to flow down. After she removed her mask, the conference room was left in stunned silence, with some people unable to hold back their exmations of surprise.


    She was incredibly beautiful. It was the first time they had thought someone could be described as stunningly beautiful.


    Even Zoe was taken aback. On TV during thepetition, they only showed distant shots of Yvette. After the coffee shop stream, no rey was avable. So, only a small number of people truly experienced Yvette¡¯s beauty.


    The rest had only seen thepetition on TV, which didn¡¯tpare to the impact of seeing her beauty in person. Everyone would be attracted by her.


    Yvette looked up, her eyes dark and bright, and she frowned slightly. Her fingers tapped on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting.¡±


    Those words sent a shiver through everyone present. Her voice was chilling. Warron and Nelson exchanged nces. Yvette certainly had a distinctive presence, but that didn¡¯t affect their ns.


    Warron was the first to speak, proudly addressing Yvette, ¡°Ms. Chambers, I¡¯m Warron. I hold ten percent of the shares in the Chambers Group. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand when you join thepany, feel free toe to me.


    ¡°My office is below yours. You haven¡¯t graduated from college yet, right? Thepany¡¯s matters are numerous andplicated, so don¡¯t hesitate to reach out if you¡¯re unsure about something.¡±


    After speaking, he took a sip of his coffee, waiting for Yvette¡¯s reaction with a cheerful smile. When people heard this, their expressions in the conference room subtly changed.


    Right off the bat, Warron tried to cozy up. He was practically undermining Yvette¡¯s authority with those words.


    If she didn¡¯t handle this well, Warron would overshadow her just after she joined thepany, and it would be tough to regain her authority andmand respect.


    Yvette pulled out her phone and opened a cute pet game. Recently, her virtual husky was having puppies. The app had just introduced a puppy delivery simtion. She focused on her phone,pletely ignoring Warron.


    Seeing her watching her phone without speaking, Warron became angry. He thought, ¡®ying with her phone on such an asion? Does she really think she is at home?¡®


    Just as Warron was about to make a mockingment, Yvette looked up at him. She raised her eyebrows, disying a bit of a rebellious and carefree aura.


    Her long legs were crossed as she leaned backfortably in the chair, a smirk on her lips. ¡°Is ten percent of the shares considered a lot?


    ¡°Why should I turn to you for help? Who do you think you

 Chapter 387

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron¡¯s expression changed. He thought, ¡®How could Yvette be so out of line, daring to publicly embarrass me like this?¡± The department managers exchanged looks, heads lowered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They were like small fry in the struggle between Yvette and Warron, even more so now, making them afraid to speak up.</font></font>Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas saw Warron getting put in his ce, his face turning red with anger. He deserved it. Lucas stepped forward immediately.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He then said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is Warron, a director at the Chambers Group. He was responsible for the HR department.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas¡® wordspletely shattered Warron¡¯s facade, leaving him trembling with anger. Those present understood what was happening and couldn¡¯t help but admire Lucas.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was no surprise he¡¯d been with the chairman for so many years. He truly knew the art of conversation. With just a few words, he made Warron a nobody. That was impressive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After speaking, Lucas stepped aside, ignoring Warron¡¯s murderous re. If Yvette wanted someone dead, he¡¯d take care of it. One look wouldn¡¯t intimidate him. He wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson saw things were turning bad. As an ally of Warron, he had to side with him. When faced with the choice between letting Yvette take over or sharing power with Warron, he¡¯d choose thetter without hesitation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson chuckled to break the tension. ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Osborne is just straightforward. Please don¡¯t take it seriously. We¡¯re all here for the benefit of the Chambers Group.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After speaking, he gave Warron a look. Reluctantly, Warron muttered, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Zeller. I shouldn¡¯t talk to you like that.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at them both, her icy eyes showing no warmth. ¡°Continue,¡± she instructed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone in the conference room let out a deep sigh. This was truly a tense situation. Yvette was showing Warron no mercy at all. With this attitude, it seemed the Chambers Group was up for some changes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For this board meeting, department managers had been preparing since</font></font>

 Chapter 388

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the city office, Wyatt waved his secretary away while holding the phone, and politely said to the person on the other end, ¡°Ms. Zeller, what can I do for you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Chambers Group meeting room, Yvette spoke with a somewhat cool tone over the phone, ¡°Is it okay if I put it on speaker?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt quickly agreed, ¡°Of course, no problem. Since everyone we¡¯re discussing is someone Ms. Zeller knows.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After cing her phone on the table, Yvette pressed the speaker button in front of everyone in the meeting room. A voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, came through, ¡°Hello, what do you need?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas, behind Yvette, lifted his head immediately. He wasn¡¯t sure if others recognized the voice, but he was quite familiar with it, having heard it just a few days ago. Yvette was really brave. When she fought back, it was fatal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was funny that Nelson and Warron tried to scare Yvette with Wyatt. Now Yvette called him directly. Lucas was curious about what they do next.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone else in the meeting room exchanged puzzled nces. They were discussing the case about the eastern suburb project and wondering why Yvette was suddenly on a call with a stranger.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">People below started whispering, ¡°Who is Ms. Zeller calling during the case discussion? How did it end up in a phone call?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I wonder if it¡¯s a big shot Ms. Zeller is contacting to pull some strings.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like it at all. Have you ever seen someone powerful be so approachable? The way she¡¯s talking doesn¡¯t sound like someone asking for a favor.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I think so too. Do you think¡­ Could she have called Mr. Langford, the mayor?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Stop dreaming. How would she have the mayor¡¯s private number? You¡¯re crazy to even think that. Wake up. Even our chairman probably doesn¡¯t have his number.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You¡¯re right too. I¡¯m just kidding. But what if she does know him? Ms. Zeller returned from Betrico, so it¡¯s quite normal for her to be acquainted with some big officials.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Do you think all officials have nothing to do? With their status, why would they casually call up a chess yer? That¡¯s absurd.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, the man on the other end said, ¡°This is Wyatt.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly locked onto the phone on the table. Their faces were frozen in shock, eyes wide with surprise, and a few even showed clear disbelief.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson¡¯s hand shook as he held the cup, looking incredibly shocked Hot water spilled onto his hand, but he couldn¡¯t even bother about the pain.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No wonder this voice sounded so familiar. He had just heard it on the news this morning. Warron¡¯s smug look was suddenly wiped off his face, leaving him in a mix of emotions. No one could tell whether he wasughing or crying.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He looked at a loss. He never thought Yvette had Wyatt¡¯s phone number.</font></font>


    On second thought, it was not just about the phone number, but her attitude too. The way she treated the mayor was not proper.


    She wasn¡¯t asking for a favor. Unless they were close, they wouldn¡¯t talk like that. Thinking about this, Warron felt a shiver run down his spine.¡±


    Nelson tried hard to steady his trembling hands as he awkwardly set down the cup he was holding.


    The cell phone on the table was now the center of attention, with the person on the other end being the top dog in Seacrity, a big shot one would see on the evening news.


    Yvette raised her eyelids slightly, crossing her legs as shezily nced around at everyone in the meeting room.


    She spoke calmly into the phone, ¡°The Chambers Group¡¯s bid for the east suburb project is all set, but the city keeps dying the review process, expecting some benefits from us. Now, should I give them those benefits or not?¡±


    As soon as she said that, nobody in the meeting room dared to lift their heads or even breathe too loudly. This was incredibly intense. This was something that minor staff like them shouldn¡¯t listen to.


    Yvette was amazing. She was not asking for a favor. She wasining to Wyatt that the departments below weren¡¯t doing their jobs.


    Giving rebates like this was quite normal, but this time what they were asking for was too much, which was why the chairman hadn¡¯t agreed, causing the project to be dyed.


    But they understood the idea of officials protecting each other. Wyatt wouldn¡¯t change his officials just for Yvette.


    He was probably just going to pacify her with a few dismissive remarks, and that would be it. Nelson and Warron felt somewhat relieved inside.


    They initially thought Yvette was smart, but she turned out to be so foolish as to use the mayor¡¯s team of corruption right in front of him. It was absolutely insane.


    No leader would ept something like this. And she even openly talked about it.


    The fear that held them a moment ago had mostly disappeared. They didn¡¯t care if she knew the mayor. If she was asking for trouble, she deserved it. Now they were just waiting to enjoy the show.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The meeting room waspletely silent. One could hear a pin drop. Everyone was waiting for Wyatt¡¯s reaction, or rather, his outburst.


    Wyatt, on the other end of the phone, felt tense. He was supposed to return to Betrico for his position by the end of the year, yet he couldn¡¯t believe there was still someone slipping through after all his efforts to tighten things up.


    These fools believed they could get benefits from the Chambers Group. He thought, ¡®Do they even recognize the status of the Chambers family now?¡® They were practically future inws to the marshal, not someone these people could extort.


    And it just happened when Yvette joined the Chambers Group,nding right in her hands. Now he¡¯d got a huge headache.


    Wyatt quickly assured, ¡°Ms. Zeller, don¡¯t worry. I will thoroughly investigate this matter. If anyone is found taking advantage for personal gain, I won¡¯t let it go and will deal with it strictly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll personally handle the case of the east suburb, and as long as all paperwork isplete, I¡¯ll expedite the approvals. I¡¯ll ask my secretary to contact someone from Chambers Group soon. Is that OK, Ms. Zeller?¡±


    Every single word from Wyatt over the phone was crystal clear. As minutes passed, the expressions on the faces in the meeting room became more interesting.


    They couldn¡¯t believe what they heard. Wyatt was the mayor after all.


    They thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t his attitude towards Ms. Zeller a bit too respectful? He said he¡¯ll deal with it personally? Not letting them go? Not only did he not criticize her, but he also didn¡¯t get angry? And his attitude is so good?¡®


    He even cared about if Yvette was OK with it.


    Everyone looked at Yvette, sitting quietly at the head of the table without any expression. It made them shiver inside.


    The way Wyatt spoke made them think Yvette was the mayor. The world had gone mad. Everyone had gone mad. People were crazy.


    Nelson couldn¡¯t hold onto his coffee cup anymore and dropped it on the floor. To cover his embarrassment, he picked it up quickly.


    Looking ufortable, he respectfully said to Yvette, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Zeller. I couldn¡¯t hold it steady.¡±


    In stark contrast to his earlier confidence, Nelson now seemed a bit flustered. He thought she was just a naive youngdy, new to the world.


    It turned out that she was someone so well¨Cconcealed, even making the mayor talk to her with such caution. Nelson wasn¡¯t stupid.


    If the mayor was so respectful to her, Nelson shouldn¡¯t show off here. He lowered his eyes.


    His eyes deepened with thought, and his face was full of calctions. He was pondering if his alliance with Warron was still necessary. This might lead to trouble, with unimaginable consequences.

 Chapter 389

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tapped her fingers on the table and slightly raised her eyebrows, speaking in a rxed tone, ¡°Hmm, much appreciated, Mr. Langford.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Wyatt replied, ¡°You are wee. Thank you, Ms. Zeller.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After the call was disconnected, the conference room fell into silence. The man who had brought up the East Suburb project looked defeated. He had openly sided against Yvette, and now it backfired, leaving him extremely embarrassed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a moment, Yvette raised her eyebrow, put away the phone and partially closed her eyes. ¡°Anything else you want to say?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron and Nelson nced at each other, then lowered their heads and stayed silent. None of the other department managers dared to cause trouble. All of them noticed how polite Wyatt was to Yvette. They didn¡¯t dare to say anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe looked at Yvette with admiration. Yvette was truly remarkable. No one could have imagined that the future powerful businesswoman, who would dominate Seacrity, would solidify her resolve at this moment, beginning her journey of oveing the odds.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her eyes and tilted her head with a mischievous look in her eyes. ¡°Thepany will conduct a review of its employees. Those who are cking off or got in through connections and contribute nothing will be dismissed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The dismissal list will be posted on thepany website tomorrow. Secondly, I need to inform everyone here that I have a bit of a temper, so to avoid any unpleasant incidents, you should behave yourselves. Don¡¯t cause me any trouble.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone was stunned again. She was badass as the new boss here. The Chambers Group was so big. It was inevitable that some got in through connections.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Especially Warron and Nelson. They used their positions to get people to work in the Chambers Group. Their rtives all got nice and easy jobs. Now, they were the most ufortable ones, sitting there like they were on pins and needles.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tapped her fingers, her face expressionless as she took in everyone¡¯s reactions. She said, ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was a simple begin and a simple ending. After an hour, everyone in the conference room finally realized one thing. That was Yvette was not to be messed with.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After the meeting, Nelson and Warron left one after the other, while managers from various departments exited in an orderly manner. The whole process was silent, clearly reflecting the change in their attitude toward Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Left in the conference room were Yvette, Lucas, and Zoe. Lucas stepped forward, a bit worried that those two wouldn¡¯t behave.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In a quiet voice, he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Warron, and Nelson are deeply entrenched in the Chambers Group. I¡¯m worried they might try some underhanded tactics behind your back.¡±</font></font>


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, and leaned back in her chair, spinning her phone absentmindedly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m quite looking forward to it. Having someone to amuse myself with isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    Lucas was unsure whether tough or cry. Yvette had an unusual way of thinking, treating Warron and Nelson as her amusement. If those two found out they had been her source of fun and jokes, they¡¯d probably be devastated.


    Lucas suddenly felt a bit sorry for them. Facing Yvette, who never followed the rules, Warron and Nelson should pray for themselves. If they insisted on fighting against Yvette, no one could stop them.


    Yvette nced back at the nervous Zoe, who was anxiously picking at her fingers, and said calmly, ¡°For the next week, she¡¯ll be my assistant. Make sure to arrange it.¡±


    Lucas paused for a moment before nodding. So Yvette went out and brought back a girl to be her assistant.


    Zoe was so moved. She never thought Yvette would be thinking of her at a time like this. She vowed to work her hardest for Yvette. Unintentionally, Yvette had gained another admirer.


    Meanwhile, in Warron¡¯s office, after the meeting, he and Nelson nned to meet there.


    Nelson pushed the door open and saw Warron pacing back and forth, clearly anxious. His expression was serious. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Warron quickly weed him in. After checking to ensure no one was around, he promptly closed the door and pulled down the blinds.


    Warron said anxiously, ¡°Yvette is much harder to deal with than we thought. Now it¡¯s difficult to proceed. She¡¯s already starting toy off people, clearly trying to weaken our influence in the Chambers Group.


    ¡°And she even knows Mr. Langford. How does a young girl like her know the mayor?¡±


    Nelson¡¯s face was full of contemtion. A single phone call from Yvette could make Wyatt change his attitude. It was ironic that something they had worked on for half a year was resolved with one call from her.


    Nelson said, ¡°Yvette is ambitious and enthusiastic. Being new to her role, it¡¯s understandable she wants to achieve something. Butyoffs aren¡¯t that simple. What if an employee gets into an incident because of theyoffs? That would be a real mess.¡±


    When Warron heard this, his eyes lit up. If something like that happened, and the employees fought back. If they pretended to do something drastic like jumping off a building, Yvette would be in big trouble.


    Having just joined the Chambers Group, if something as serious as this urred, she¡¯d have to leave thepany in disgrace. Warron looked at Nelson sitting on the couch. Both had different expressions, each with their own hidden motives and ns.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Warron gritted his teeth. ¡°That¡¯s a good n, but who will take charge of it? If it¡¯s one of our people, won¡¯t it be too obvious? We should pick someone from the list ofyoffs announced tomorrow, someone unknown to both you and me.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave any evidence for Yvette to trace back to us.¡±


    Nelson nodded. He couldn¡¯t risk any involvement in this, not even a little. If it was discovered that they were behind the scheme, it would spell disaster. The two of them were in perfect ord and started nning how to execute the scheme without a hitch.


    At the Chambers Group, all the employees were restless today. All the department managers had gone to the meeting, leaving just the regr staff.


    All the staff wondered, ¡®What would the new youngdy in charge say? Would shee up with some chaotic, unrealistic ns and projects, and the ones left to deal with the hard work and stress would be us at the bottom?¡®


    When the department managers returned to their departments, the employees sitting at their desks all turned their eyes toward their respective bosses.


    The director of the administrative department, who usually had a very cordial rtionship with his subordinates, waved his hand. ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re all curious about today¡¯s meeting. Ms. Zeller has decided onyoffs. The list will be announced tomorrow.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the employees¡® faces went pale. They thought, ¡®Layoffs? How can this happen?¡® Seeing their shocked expressions, the manager refrained from saying anything more. Once the list was revealed tomorrow, everyone would know.


    For now, there were things better left unsaid. Nobody truly understood what Yvette was thinking.


    At the Chambers residence, when Yvette returned, Zachary was already seated at the dining table. His dream of escaping to the countryside for a peaceful retreat waspletely shattered.


    Yvette sent a short text message: [Come back.] He was a bit cautious on this. He didn¡¯t want to get into trouble after all. By now, he knew his daughter¡¯s temperament. Beingte to the Chambers residence by even a minute meant walking into a storm.


    After weighing the pros and cons, Zachary obediently packed his things and returned from the countryside.


    As soon as Yvette and Lucas entered the house, they saw Zachary beaming with a big smile. ¡°Yvette, hey, how¡¯s your day?¡± Zachary made it clear how delighted he was.

 Chapter 390

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling Zachary¡¯s ttering behavior shameful, Lucas had his eye twitched. Zachary had tried to escape but was scared back by Yvette¡¯s short message.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At this moment, Zachary, who was spineless in Lucas¡® eyes, stood up full of enthusiasm. ¡°Yvette, I cooked all these dishes just for you. Come and try them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette leisurely walked over and sat down. She looked at the table full of delicious dishes and raised an eyebrow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There were shrimp cocktails, grilled steak, fried chicken wings, chicken soup, and a serving of sd. It was obvious Zachary made them, as the presentation would have been much more elegant if they were prepared by the servant of the Chambers family.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Standing aside, Lucas mentally mocked Zachary, ¡°After all these years, Mr. Chambers only knows how to make these few dishes. Knowing Yvette likes eating, he even learned to tter her with food.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat down and casually took a few bites. She felt the taste was quite good, but it still fell a bit shortpared to the dishes Jeremiah made.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head thoughtfully and gave her review slowly, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary was full of confidence, only to feel frustrated by Yvette¡¯s casual review of his prized cooking skills.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He tried to exin himself to Yvette in a friendly tone, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that I went on some vacation. I was checking on some old friends at the old manor out in the countryside.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I nned toe back today. I didn¡¯t mean to leave you to deal with the mess in the Chambers Group. You know that, right?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary was eager to prove that he did not desert in the face of trouble. Yvette put down her chopsticks, lifted her head slightly, and smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty bad excuse. Try another one.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Too embarrassed to say anything more, Zachary pretended to cough a couple of times. He knew his excuses were terrible, but what he had said was probably the best one.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After dinner, the two were lounging on the couch, and Yvette absentmindedly picked up a fashion magazine. As she saw the headline, her eyes narrowed. Sienna had submitted her article to the fashionpetition.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Nameless burst onto the scene at the Mysonna International Fashion Competition and easily took the first ce.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Who is the designer of Nameless? When will the person behind Vibe finally show up?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary ced a nicely peeled apple on the te in front of Yvette. ¡°Yvette, have some apples.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette set the magazine aside and nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary felt like he finally saw a glimmer of hope. Previously, he was like a lifeless actor going through the motions every day. Now with Yvette by his side, he truly understood what happiness and contentment meant.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After thinking it over, Zachary asked, ¡°Yvette, have you prepared theyoff list yet?¡±</font></font>


    He was quite surprised when he first heard about theyoffs, but since it was Yvette¡¯s decision, he fully supported it. It was about time for the Chambers Group to deal with those freeloaders who were getting by on connections.


    With a slight frown, Yvette casually said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been drafted. Lucas is handling it.¡±


    Zachary did not ask further. He trusted that Yvette had her reasons for wanting to fire those people.


    ng. She nced at the screen: it was Sienna calling. She pressed to answer, and a cheerful


    At this moment, Yvette¡¯s phone rang. voice came through.


    Sienna said, ¡°Hey Yve, your design Nameless won another award. Since it won, will you forgive me for secretly submitting it to thepetition?¡±


    Thest sentence was the main point, and Sienna¡¯s voice got a bit quieter as she said it.


    Yvette moved the phone away from her ear. Since freeing herself from Nathan¡¯s entanglement after aborting their child, Sienna was back to her energetic self.


    She was obsessed with her work every day. Vibe¡® for this quarter consistently ranked in the top three. The other two


    were century¨Cold brands, and only Vibe managed to outdo all the new brands and reached the top three.


    Yvette said casually, ¡°Alright. No vacations for you over the next three years.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Sienna¡¯s face fell. Sheined mentally, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re really ruthless. My vacation ns are ruined. No more beaches, handsome guys, or delicious food¡­ Everything is gone.¡±


    Sienna continued, ¡°Yve, Mr. Winslow said she¡¯d like you to think about teaching in her school. She knows you don¡¯t enjoy being restricted, so she¡¯s offering a special arrangement: just three sses a semester.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty great. Besides, it could attract some new designers to Vibe.¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow. Her voice was cool as she simply declined, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Less than half a minute after Yvette hung up, the phone rang again. Zachary paused mid¨Cpeel of an orange. He was annoyed and muttered to himself, ¡°Who is this inconsiderate guy interrupting my family time?¡±


    The call was from Jeremiah. After it connected, there was a brief silence, and then Jeremiah said, ¡°I¡¯m at your door.¡±


    Yvette quietly got up and headed out. As she walked, she said, ¡°Okay. Wait for me.¡±


    As soon as Zachary heard those words, his ears perked up and he sat up straight. He pretended not to care while watching Yvette leave, and he noticed that she had not even put on a coat. That phone call was definitely suspicious.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette¡¯s demeanor while she answered this call waspletely different from earlier. A light bulb went off in Zachary¡¯s head ¡°It must be a guy on the other end of the line. Which no¨Cgood dude is daring enough to try and fool my daughter?¡±


    An hourter, Zachary sat on the couch in the living room. When he looked at the man across from him, his face showed pure disbelief and disapproval.


    He had this gut feeling earlier that the scoundrel trying to whisk away his daughter was this guy named Jeremiah. His feeling was right. Now Jeremiah dared to waltz right in here.


    Zachary did not care if this guy was a major general. To him, Jeremiah was just some older guy with a bit of charm trying to take Yvette away.


    Across from him, Jeremiah looked striking and confident in his ck suit and deep blue tie. His brown hair was slick, his eyebrows were thick and straight, and his eyes held a sharp intelligence.


    His lips were thin and slightly pursed, his features sharply defined, and he was tall and slender without being rugged. Like an eagle soaring through the night, he was both aloof andmanding.


    Despite the grumpy vibesing from Zachary, Jeremiah maintained a perfectly polite smile¡­


    Sitting in the middle of the couch, Yvette watched the nces exchanged between the two. She leisurely munched on an apple.


    This was a scene she was witnessing for the first time, so she wanted to observe closely. She was considering who she should support if her boyfriend and dad started fighting.


    Just moments ago, as Yvette stepped out of the Chambers residence, she spotted Jeremiah waiting at the door. Jeremiah joked, ¡°Since we¡¯ve been together, I need to visit my future father¨Cinw,¡± and that is why he was there.


    Feeling a flutter of unease, Lucas stood to the side. It seemed like Zachary and Jeremiah could sh at any moment. He hesitated if he should try to calm Zachary down.


    He thought, ¡°Zachary¡¯s body is not what it used to be in its prime. Compared to Jeremiah, who is a major general seasoned by the battlefield, Zachary could not go head¨Cto¨Chead. It¡¯s about being smart in fighting, not just strong.¡±


    Jeremiah gave a charming smile to Zachary. ¡°Mr. Chamb

 Chapter 391

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas¡® face twisted with a mix of emotions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He struggled internally, ¡°Zachary is truly nice to me, yet never missed a chance to throw me under the bus. How could I, an ordinary butler, offend the youngest major general of Clusia, especially when he is the future son¨Cinw of the Chambers family?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After weighing the pros and cons, Lucas made the toughest decision of his life.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He did not even dare to look Zachary in the eye, instead bowing his head. ¡°Sir, times have changed. Young people nowadays are not like us anymore,¡± Lucas mumbled, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary sat on the couch, stunned as he watched his once¨Cloyal butler betray him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He doubted in his heart, ¡®Is this really the same faithful butler who would stick by me through thick and thin? The speed of his betrayal seems way too fast, not even giving me a moment to react.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary awkwardly put down his coffee cup, nning to sort things out with Lucas after Jeremiah left Jeremiah shed Lucas a friendly smile, making Lucas beam with joy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas eximed in his heart, ¡°Yvette certainly has an eye for good looks. The future son¨Cinw of the Chambers family is really handsome. If I were in Yvette¡¯s position, I¡¯d choose Jeremiah too.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced at Zachary, who was quietly sulking, then at Yvette, who was clearly nning to enjoy the show while munching on an apple. Jeremiah pulled a big ck envelope out of his briefcase and ced it on the table.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, here¡¯s a little gift from me. I hope you like it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling stunned, Zachary thought, ¡°So that¡¯s what this guy is waiting for.¡± Lucas, perceptive as ever, stepped forward, picked up therge envelope, and handed it to Zachary.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary red at the ¡°traitor¡± with displeasure and took the envelope. He opened it, and the moment he saw what was inside, his eyes slightly narrowed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary eximed inwardly, ¡°Is this just a gift for the first meeting? A check for thirty million dors, a deed for arge estate in Mysonna, and a contract for a vi in Betrico? What a generous gift.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Thebined value of these items must be at least a billion dors.¡± When Zachary reached thest sheet, he waspletely stunned. It was a contract for the transfer of 10% ownership of the Chambers Group.</font></font>Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary could not help but exim, ¡°How is this possible? Where did you get 10% of the Chambers Group shares?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing Zachary¡¯s words, Yvette paused and then looked up at Jeremiah. She doubted in her heart, ¡°When did Jeremiah acquire shares in the Chambers Group? It seems like he kept this well¨Chidden.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah calmly took a sip of water before saying, ¡°I bought them from some small shareholders</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary immediately blurted out, ¡°When did you start?¡±</font></font>


    Lucas curiously looked at Jeremiah and thought, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to collect shares from those minor shareholders. Mr. Chavez is really considerate; these shares will save Yvette a lot of troubleter on for controlling the Chambers Group.¡±


    Zachary had thought of that too. Now he found Jeremiah a bit more pleasing. Jeremiah noticed the change in Zachary¡¯s look and calmly nodded.


    Jeremiah said casually, ¡°Ever since yourst press conference, I¡¯ve been preparing.¡±


    Zachary gave Jeremiahr an annoyed look. He grumbled inwardly. ¡°This guy imed it was a gift for me? Isn¡¯t this meant for Yvette?¡±


    Zachary put down the envelope and waved his hand casually. ¡°Your gift doesn¡¯t need to be so extravagant. After all, you and Yvette haven¡¯t been engaged yet. If I took this, it would seem like I¡¯m selling my daughter.¡±


    Zachary did not mince words at all, which made Lucas shake his head. He thought Zachary would be a tough father¨Cinw for Jeremiah to deal with.


    Despite Zachary¡¯s cold remarks, Jeremiah kept up his courteous smile. It seemed Jeremiah used all his smiles for today.


    Jeremiah said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, do you really think Yvette is worth only these things? It¡¯s just a gift, and you don¡¯t need to overthink it. To me, Yvette is priceless and cannot be evaluated by these things.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s face fell. He thought, ¡°Damn it. I really encountered a rival today. He¡¯s trying to make me look bad in front of Yvette. This man¡¯s cunning runs deep and he¡¯s not easy to handle.¡±


    Lucas lowered his eyes and thought, ¡°The future son¨Cinw is truly impressive. Didn¡¯t he notice that Mr. Chamber is so mad so\mad that he¡¯s about to lose his cool?¡±


    Zachary was silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a meeting gift, right? Since you have the guts to give it, why wouldn¡¯t I have the guts to ept it?¡±


    Yvette lounged on the couch. She casually opened a bag of chips, cracked open a bottle of soda, and put in a straw. She wiggled her small feet and rested her chin on her hand, her clear eyes watching the exchange between the two.


    She thought, ¡°The Eagle King was right; battles between men should be resolved by themselves. If I get involved, I would end them all.¡± The Eagle King, far away in Mysonna, had no idea that his words were being whimsically twisted and misinterpreted by Yvette.


    Jeremiah¡¯s gazended on Yvette watching the show. When he noticed her rosy lips, his eyes went deep and dark as his throat moved slightly.


    Zachary shifted the topic and then asked, ¡°What do your parents do?¡±


    He thought, ¡°For Jeremiah to achieve the rank of major general at his age, his family must be quite remarkable.¡± Yet, Jeremiah lookedpletely calm.


    He replied calmly, ¡°Mr. Chambers, in our family, it¡¯s just my grandpa, my parents, and me. My father, Clifford, currently works in diplomacy and is now the director of the Clusia Ministry of Foreign Affairs. My mother runs apany, and my grandpa is about to retire.¡±


    The coffee cup in Zachary¡¯s hand fell directly to the floor and rolled to a stop at Lucas¡® feet. He waited a long time, but unlike usual, Lucas did not pick it up.


    Because Lucas too was frozen in ce, eyes wide, and filled with disbelief. Yvette looked at them and felt puzzled. She thought, ¡°Is this really that surprising?¡±


    Zachary took a while to regain hisposure. He wanted to look causal but his mind was so nk that he did not even know what to say.


    He thought, ¡°Clifford is considered a diplomatic legend by people of my time. During an era when Clusia had little international influence, he was already making significant impacts on the global stage.


    ¡°Faced with pressure from Mysonna and other nations, it took incredible courage and determination for Clifford to never back down. He¡¯s truly a hero of the peaceful era.


    ¡°He¡¯s the prominent figure appearing on daily news broadcasts and at foreign affairs press conferences; but now Jeremiah is saying that¡¯s his father? Could anything be more startling?¡±


    Zachary felt a bit lightheaded now. He thought it was unreal that he was going to be inws with Clifford. When he looked at Jeremiah now, he found him to be quite likable.


    He thought, ¡°Jeremiah truly has that charming and dignified aura, and he extrudes a refined elegance, much like Mr. Clifford Chavez in his younger days.¡± Jeremiah could never have guessed that Zachary found him eptable because of his father.


    Lucas was quite baffled. He thought, ¡°The Chambers family is well¨Cestablished in Seacrity, but hardly recognized in ces like Betrico. Yet now, they are about to be inws with a director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?¡±


    Lucas really felt like he had hit the jackpot and he could not stay calm about it. Zachary steadied his slightly trembling left hand.


    He was already getting tongue¨Ctied, and to hide his embarrassment, he casually asked a question. But he did not even know what he had asked. ¡°So, how¡¯s your grandpa doing? Why hasn¡¯t he retired at such an old age?¡±

 Chapter 392

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With his eyebrows lowered, Jeremitali shifted slightly and sat stroght. He told Zachary in a serious tone. ¡°The reason my grandpa hasn¡¯t retired is prettyplicated. Mainly, the higher ips won¡¯t let him step down.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase wanted to retire ten years ago, but the person above him insted he stay, so he was still working to this day. Zachary felt a bit uneasy hearing that</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡°Jeremiah¡¯s grandfather must be at least in his severies. How can the government be so thoughtless, making a man in his seventies work? What the person above Jeremiali¡¯s grandfather is thinking?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary shrugged it off. ¡°Your grandpa¡¯s had it tough. Didn¡¯t Mr. Clifford Chavez try to convince him to retire? At his age, he should be taking it easy, maybe start a garden or go bird¨Cwatching.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Health is the real wealth, especially as he¡¯s getting older; he really should focus on it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah chuckled softly and nodded. ¡°Absolutely.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary was getting along with Jeremiah much better now, but he still needed to rify some things. Zachary¡¯s expression became serious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He addressed Jeremiah, ¡°You¡¯re a major general, and our family is in business. Even though times have changed, families like your¡¯s probably still care a lot about social status, right?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Let me be clear: I don¡¯t want Yvette to marry into a family where she¡¯ll be troubled by her parents¨Cinw. She should be free and have her own broad world.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If she gets married, she shouldn¡¯t be some high¨Csociety daughter¨Cinw stuck at home, catering to inws with chores and coffee. Can your family ept that?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After finishing his speech, Zachary calmly sipped his coffee, his gaze deep. He thought the Chambers family did not need to cling to anyone for advancement, nor did they need to use Yvette for higher status.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ideally, he would prefer Yvette to find someone willing to marry into their family. He felt Jeremiah¡¯s status was indeed quite prestigious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head slightly. Her calm gaze rested on Zachary and noticed the deep emotion clouding his eyes. She paused for a moment and wondered if she needed to reveal a bit about her identity to ease Zachary¡¯s worries.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah sat upright with his eyes unreadable for emotion. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, you can rest assured. My parents absolutely adore Yvette. Whatever she chooses to do in the future, she can do it. You don¡¯t need to worry about that.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°No matter what she chooses to pursue, both I and the Chavez family are fullymitted to supporting her. We¡¯ll never hold her back.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary was stunned when he heard that. He scrutinized Jeremiah and thought, ¡°Does he mean what he said? With my years of experience reading people, it seems like he¡¯s genuinely honest.¡±</font></font>


    After a while, Zachary looked up again and sighed. He felt heartbroken that his beloved daughter had barely even warmed his heart before being taken away.


    Finally, Zachary said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m splitting up lovers. Have a seat. I just want you to keep your word and always remember what you¡¯ve promised today.¡±


    Lucas stood nearby, his eyes filled with admiration for Jeremiah, He thought, ¡°This future son¨Cinw of the Chambers family is remarkable. Not so many people could make such a promise, especially someone from his family background.¡±


    Half an hourter, Yvette wer smiggled up on the couch, She watched as the two men, who had been at odds just moments ago, now acted like best friends. She raised her delicate eyebrow slightly.


    Zachary was there, speaking smoothly, while Jeremiah chimed now and then, making timely remarks. It was not long before he had Zacharyughing heartily and downing ss after ss of red wine. It was clear Zachary was getting a bit Tipsy


    Jeremiah showed no signs of inebriation; his expression was stealy as if he had not drunk at all. He seemed to be in his prime mood,


    All of a sudden, Zachary stood up, dering he was going to demonstrate walking in a straight line for Jeremiah. Jeremiah nodded with a smile, waiting for Zachary to deliver his entertaing straight¨Cline performance.


    Yvette stayed nestled on the sofa and rested her chin in her hands. The light cast a soft glow on her profile. Zachary stood up unsteadily, wavering a bit.


    Seeing Yvette was also watching him, he was determined not to lose face in front of his precious daughter. Fueled by sheer willpower, he seemed ready to try a couple of back flips.


    And then, here was what happened. Halfway through, Zachary dramatically toppled over to the ground,pletely drunk.


    Lucas came in from outside just in time to see Zachary fall. He hurried over. ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    He called out for quite a while, but Zachary did not wake up. Looking down, he saw Zachary sleeping soundly. Lucas could not help but chuckle. He thought Zachary¡¯s drinking ability was no match for Jeremiah¡¯s.


    Lucas turned to Yvette, who was sitting on the couch and said respectfully, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll help Mr. Chambers upstairs now. You and Mr. Chavez can continue your chat.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly. Jeremiah was sitting on the couch, looking a bit tipsy. He lowered his head and remained silent, which made him look adorable.


    After Lucas helped Zachary upstairs, Yvette turned to see Jeremiah who was watching her with big, pitiful eyes that were slightly moist.


    She slowly approached Jeremiah, leaned over, and whispered in his ear, ¡°Cut the act. They¡¯ve gone.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s throat moved as he rubbed his temples. He said in a tempting voice, ¡°I¡¯m not pretending. I¡¯m truly tipsy and I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly. With a half¨Csmile and a mischievous glint in her eyes, she casually said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re tipsy? I wanted to show you my room, but since that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before she could finish, Jeremiah stood up from the couch and said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go upstairs and check it out. We still have a lot of time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned to look back at Jeremiah. He did not look drunk at all. With his eyes clear and focused, he was standing upright.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the second floor, the door closedpletely. Jeremiah followed Yvette in, wrapped his arms around her, and nuzzled her corbone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The bluish veins were clearly visible, and the fair skin on Yvette¡¯s neck shimmered seductively. Jeremiah¡¯s breath brushed against Yvette¡¯s neck, sending a tingling sensation. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°I want you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned around, looked into his deep, dark eyes, and let out a softugh. Taking the lead, she pressed her soft lips against his thin ones.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a few seconds of gentle strokes, tingling waves of electric sensations traveled all the way to her heart.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the room, their breatheintertwined, making the air feel heat. Jeremiah ced one hand on Yvette¡¯s back and the other on her check as he leaned down to kiss her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He kissed her softly from deep to light, drawing her deeper into the kiss. Holding onto Jeremiah¡¯s shoulders, Yvette kissed until she was breathless and her eyes were slightly reddened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were also tinged with red, and just when Yvette was almost out of breath, he finally let her go. Breathing heavily, Jeremiah rested his chin on Yvette¡¯s shoulder, whispering in a raspy voice.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head back and stood on her tiptoes to peck his thin lips. Like a traveler entering an oasis, she pressed on urgently to deepen the kiss.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah held Yvette¡¯s waist and turned her over. His dark eyes were intense, full of a terrifying desire, like a beast ready to swallow her whole. They enjoyed a wonderful night</font></font>

 Chapter 393

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the morning. Zachary rubbed his temples as he came down from the third floor. Hisst memory from yesterday was that he stood up, and then everything went nk. He thought. What did I do after I stood up?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Why are my legs bruised and my arins sore like this? It feels like someone beat me up. But that¡¯s impossible. This is the Chambers residence. Who would dare toy a hand on me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once Zachary got to the first floor and was about to ask the servant for a cup of ck coffee, he noticed someone familiar sitting ahead. Then he waspletely shocked.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡°Can someone tell me why Jeremiah is here? Didn¡¯t lie leave the Chambers residence yesterday? Where did he sleepst night?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As a possibility urred to him, Zachary, despite being slightly hungover, became fully alert. He thought, ¡°Oh no, I got caught off guard. My poor Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Raising his voice to its highest, Zachary shouted at Jeremiah¡¯s back, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you leavest night? Where did you stay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Zachary¡¯s call, Jeremiah turned his head and showed not a hint of guilt. He appearedpletely at ease. ¡°Good</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">like it.¡± morning, Mr. Chambers. I made the breakfast myself. Let me know if you</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Standing nearby, Lucas looked at the flustered Zachary and theposed Jeremiah, who looked effortlessly charming and confident and started the day by preparing breakfast in the kitchen.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He signed in his heart, ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating topare Mr. Chambers with Mr. Chavez. How did I never notice how immature Mr. Chambers was before?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary walked over to the table and saw it was full of various dishes. He was a bit surprised; he really did not expect someone from a family like Jeremiah¡¯s to be able to make a breakfast like this.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The food looked pretty appetizing. But then he thought, ¡°So what? It doesn¡¯t make up for him sleeping here. He did something unforgivable.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary sat down angrily at the head of the table, ring directly at Jeremiah with a fierce look in his eyes. Jeremiah, however, sat serenely and unaffected, greeting him with a warm smile. The contrast between their expressions was striking.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas, seeing how Zachary was targeting Jeremiah, could not resist speaking up for Jeremiah. ¡°Sir, Mr. Chavez stayed in the guest roomst night.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary was surprised when he heard Lucas say that Jeremiah stayed in the guest room, and his face changed right away. ¡°You stayed in the guest room, huh? That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have the servant set up a room just for you, so you¡¯ll have your own space whenever you visit. How do you think?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded calmly. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chambers.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then Zachary picked up a sandwich and told Lucas, ¡°Well, go and tidy up the guest room on the fourth floor. From now on, it¡¯ll be Jeremiah¡¯s private room.¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiah lowered his eyes, picked up the cup, and took a sip of ck coffee. He felt Zachary¡¯s intention was pretty clear. Yvette¡¯s room was on the second floor, while he was on the fourth floor, which was quite far apart.


    To get from the fourth floor to the second floor, Jeremiah had to go through the third floor where Zachary stayed. Lucas nodded his head to Zachary. He also knew Zachary¡¯s little trick.


    Zachary did not know that ever since Jeremiah arrived, his standing in Lucas¡® eyes had greatly declined.


    Zachary picked up a sarthwich, thinking it would be just good¨Clooking, but one bite proved him wrong. The taste was unexpectedly good, prompting him to take another bite quickly He found himself hooked and ended up eating two sandwiches, and he still craved more afterward.


    When Wette came down. Jeremiah and Zachary were already seated in the dining room, and both were almost done with their meals. Jeremiah had thoughtfully arranged Yvette¡¯s favorite foods on a te and ced it in front of her.


    Jeremiah asked softly. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    Yvette respondedzily, ¡°Yeah.¡± But sheined in mind, ¡°You kept me up until after midnightst night, and you still dared to ask if I slept well?¡±


    On the other side of the table, Zachary watched this scene with bit of satisfaction in his eyes. When it came to love, it was not what a man said but what he did that mattered.


    Jeremiah was definitely attentive to Yvette, and Zachary was quite pleased with that.


    Zachary suddenly remembered that he forgot to ask Jeremiah what his grandfather¡¯s name was yesterday. Out of politeness, he decided to ask.


    Zachary said, ¡°I forgot to ask yesterday, what¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s name? Since he isn¡¯t retired yet, what does he do for work now?¡±


    Jeremiah put down his fork casually and said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, my grandpa¡¯s name is Jase. It¡¯s hard to describe his job, but he mostly/signs papers.¡±


    Zachary mumbled the name ¡°Jase¡°. The more he repeated it, the stranger he felt.


    For a moment, he could not figure it out, but he had a nagging feeling that this name was very familiar. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head, and his mind buzzed¨Che finally remembered the name.


    He thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the name of that distinguished figure? He was a genuine hero from the wartime era who fought against Ybau and is now one of the few elder statesmen left in the country.


    ¡°If Clifford is considered a hero of the peacetime, then Jase is undoubtedly a hero of the war era.


    ¡°Well, could the Jase Jeremiah mentioned really be the Jase I¡¯m thinking of?¡±


    Zachary tried to convince himself that was not true, but since Jeremiah¡¯s father was Clifford, it was reasonable that his grandfather was Jase.


    Zachary swallowed hard and lifted his head. The fact that Yvette¡¯s boyfriend was Jase¡¯s grandson made his mind reel. Lucas stood to the side with his legs trembling slightly. He thought, ¡°Have I really just helped Mr. Jase Chavez¡¯s grandson make breakfast in the kitchen? That felt like a surreal moment.¡±


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary took deep breaths and tried to steady himself to ask a full question. ¡°Well, the person you mentioned, Jase¡­ Could he be the Mr. Jase Chavez that we all know?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a steady expression, Jeremiah poured Yvette a cup of warm milk and just gave a slight nod at Zachary¡¯s shock. ¡°Yes, Mr. Chambers.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette took a sip of her milk and slowly said, ¡°Jase is his grandfather.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary immediately said, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t just call him Jase; you should say Mr. Chavez.¡±</font></font>Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Chambers. Yvette is used to calling my grandpa Jase.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary¡¯s heart clenched again. He thought, ¡°What does he mean? Could Yvette have already met Mr. Chavez? And she is already used to calling him Jase?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary could not even imagine what it would be like to meet Je one day, but now he was going to be family with him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As he thought about that, Zachary felt a shiver go down his sping At his age, he really could not handle such a shock.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary wanted to drink some water to calm his nerves. He picked up the ss, but it slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, Jeremiah, and Lucas all looked at him at the same time. achary¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly found an excuse to slip away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He needed some space to process his shock. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go upstairs for now. You enjoy your meal. There¡¯s something I have to deal with.¡± With that, he made a quick leave, and Lucas seized the chance to follow him upstairs.</font></font>

 Chapter 394

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Downstairs at the Chambers residence, Yvette finished her breact while in the study, taking in the situation by himself came down from upstairs Zachary was still</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas became a bit more reserved as he faced Jeremiah. He respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Mr. Chambers is busy with some matters and won¡¯t be able to see you off. Would you like me to arrange a car for you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah n?dded politely and said. ¡°No, thank you. I drove here myself¡± Then, he turned to Yvette and gently squeezed her fingers. He said, ¡°I¡¯m not going back to Argrol University ill pick you up after work.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas discreetly turned away, pretending not to hear. He thought. They are having sweet talks, I don¡¯t dare to hear and watch.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, her voice cool and calm as she replied, ¡°Okay, got it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded at Lucas and then left.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you heading to the office now? Theyoff list has been posted on thepany¡¯s internal website, and I bet it¡¯s already causing a stir.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette shook her head, her hands in her pockets. She looked naturally cool and a bit rebellious. ¡°To the office, she said. Lucas hesitated and thought, ¡®If Ms. Zeller shows up at the office right now, her presence might just cause a scene.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas had already reviewed the list but couldn¡¯t understand how Yvette chose these people. Out of the twenty or so individuals, most were rtives of Nelson and Warron.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They held cushy jobs with ridiculously high sries and should have been let go long ago. However, there were also a few regr employees who weren¡¯t connected to anyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas wondered why Yvette decided toy off those regr employees, too. He couldn¡¯t guess the reason, but he believed Yvette had her ns. He believed there was some reason behind every person on the list beingid off.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Chambers Group, all employees were at theirputers early this morning, eyes wide open, hardly daring to blink At 9:15, everyone frantically kept refreshing thepany¡¯s internal website.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The rumor about Yvette nningyoffs had already spread throughout Chambers Group. Nobody wanted to lose such a great job with excellent benefits. Everyone silently prayed that they wouldn¡¯t be on the list.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When theyoff list was updated at 9:15, most employees felt relieved and happy. They didn¡¯t expect that almost everyone on the list would be department heads, not small fries like them. They experienced a night of mixed emotions.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once the employees calmed down and reviewed the list of thoseid off, they all felt justice had been served. These peop on the list usually relied on their connections to bully subordinates.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They often used their rtionships to pressure others. They were truly obnoxious and never did any real work. The resul that they were fired was incredibly satisfying to all employees.</font></font>


    While some were happy, others were upset. From early in the morning, there was a steady flow of people going in and ou of Nelson and Warron¡¯s offices¨Call those being let go.


    As another man walked out of Nelson¡¯s office looking down, the surrounding employees finally couldn¡¯t help but start gossiping.


    One said, ¡°Wow, Ms. Zeller is serious about this, firing so many people right from the start. It¡¯s a bold move, especially si those fired are rtives of two of our board members. She doesn¡¯t care about showing Mr. Hegan and Mr. Osborne resp


    Another person said, ¡°Keep your voice down. I¡¯ve heard from inders that Ms. Zeller ns to take special measur Mr. Hegan and Mr. Osborne. I don¡¯t think things will be calm in the near future


    One said. ¡°Stop spreading rumors, it¡¯s all just gossip. After all, Megan and Mr. Osborne together hold twenty percent of Chambers Group¡¯s shares.


    ¡°Even if Ms. Zeller wants to go against them, she can only do so much. I doubt it will lead to anything substantial¡±


    Another person added, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, whether it bes important or not doesn¡¯t concern us. What happens in management isn¡¯t our problem. Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    Just as the words were said, Nelson¡¯s secretary walked in, deliberately wearing her business attire in a revealing way.


    When the gossipers saw her enter, they quickly dispersed. This secretary was no pushover and had a close rtionship with Nelson.


    Wearing a tight pencil skirt, the secretary sashayed into Nelson¡¯s office. She gave Nelson a flirty nce and asked in a yful voice, ¡°Mr. Hegan, why is my name on the resignation list? You have to help me out!¡±


    All morning, Nelson was pestered by the rtives he had ced in Chambers Group, leaving him with a headache. He thought, Yvette is indeed a force to be reckoned with.


    ¡°There is no room for negotiation. Everyone that Warren and I brought in is on theyoff list without exception. She is goin to uproot uspletely; how ruthless she is!¡®


    Seeing his beloved secretarye in, Nelson¡¯s expression improved a bit. But when he heard her sniffling words, he was so angry that he threw the documents in his hand right at her chest


    Nelson roared, ¡°What¡¯s there to cry about? What¡¯s the big idea of being fired? There are other good jobs besides Chambers Group. You¡¯re not going to suffer following me¡±


    The secretary was startled and didn¡¯t dare to speak, standing anxiously at the side and quickly apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hegan, I didn¡¯t mean to. I was trying to stand up for you.


    ¡°The people on the list are all your trusted aides. Are they really just going to be dismissed by Ms. Zeller without a word?¡± Nelson let out a cold snort. He thought, ¡®Foolish woman. Yvette is the eldest daughter of the Chambers family, and Zacha holds fifty¨Cfive percent of the Chambers Group¡¯s shares. It is the Chambers family who has the final say.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®What could shareholders like us possibly say about her discussing the dismissal of a few people? But I didn¡¯t expect Zach to give up his power so quickly this time, leaving us no time to prepare.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Luckily, I have already considered this. Since Yvette is being ruthless, I won¡¯t hesitate to ignore any prior friendship with Zachary. As long as that man does as instructed, Yvette¡¯s reputation will be ruined.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Goddess of Clusia? No way. She¡¯ll end up disgraced and be kicked out of the Chambers Group!¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson didn¡¯t have time to appease his secretary. He asked, ¡°Has Yvettee to the office yet?¡± He thought, ¡®Does she fe guilty and not dare toe?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The secretary wiped her tears and softly said, ¡°Mr. Hegan, Ms. Zeller is already on the top floor, in her office now.¡± Nelson thought for a moment and immediately took out his phone and sent a message to an unknown number: [Start y n in half an hour. If it works, I¡¯ll give you another 660 thousand dors.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After sending the message, Nelson stared at the corner of the table and chuckled. He was curious to see how Yvette wou handle the situation that was about to unfold.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson beckoned his secretary over. The secretary hurriedly approached, and Nelson whispered something to her, cau her eyes to brighten</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The top floor contained only one office, which was simple yet i set up another small office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">By the time Yvette and Lucas arrived, Zoe was already on the jpletely refreshed. It was pretty obvious that Zoe had clean</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Zoe saw Yvette and Lucas, she approached them wit Lucas.¡±</font></font>

 Chapter 395

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">cas had a pretty good impression of Zoe. She had a pure and clear look in her eyes, with no ambition or greed, which was quite rare in today¡¯s society.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Go get the financial reports from the Chambers Group for the past three years from downstairs and reorganize them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe was a bit surprised. She wondered, ¡®Is this something a secretary does? Can I handle documents of this level?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas understood that Yvette nned to give Zoe a critical position. Looking at Zoe, who was still stunned, he advised Zoe, ¡°Go on, organize them well, and give them to Ms. Zeller.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe nodded excitedly, bowed to Yvette, and then headed downstairs to the finance department.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas ced the coffee on the table and was about to leave.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood by the window, sunlight streaming through therge ss and hitting her face. Her long, delicate eyshes, like gossamer curtains, cast a shadow, adding a touch of softness to her stunning profile.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas was momentarily taken aback by what he saw. People said Yvette resembled Lilian, but truth be told, Yvette was even more beautiful. Lilian was gentle, while Yvette was strong¨Cwilled; their personalities couldn¡¯t be more different.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gazended on Lucas, who quickly snapped back to his senses. He bowed slightly and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, here is your favorite coffee.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat back in her chair, pressed her lips together, and said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas chuckled; certainly, making a cup of coffee didn¡¯t warrant a thank you from Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas continued, ¡°Ms. Zeller, if there is nothing else, I¡¯ll step out for now. I¡¯ll be right outside the door if you need me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette waved her hand and said, ¡°When the visitors arrive, bring them in directly; there is no need to hold them up.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas was surprised, his eyes reflecting some puzzlement. He thought, ¡®Is someoneing? Who would visit at this time?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Five minutester, when Lucas saw Warron and Nelson appear from the top¨Cfloor elevator, he was taken aback. He wondered how Yvette could know these two woulde.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron and Nelson never got along, but now they seemed to be getting along quite well. Nelson was the typical smiling fox, and Warron was smiling like a blooming flower, which was a festivity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson told Lucas, ¡°Mr. Osborne and I want to meet with Ms. Zeller.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas stood straight and nodded calmly. He said, ¡°Come with me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson and Warron exchanged a look and went into the office with Lucas.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as the three entered the office, they saw Yvette seated in a chair, toying with an intricately designed silver gun.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson and Warron stood frozen, unable to take a step. They thought, ¡®How does she have a gun?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Clusia, people weren¡¯t allowed to have guns; even for shooting practice, one must go to special facilities. Gun control was very strict and not something to mess around with.</font></font>


    Both Nelson and Warron had visited gun clubs regrly, so they were sure that the silver gun in Yvette¡¯s hand was real because fake guns wouldn¡¯t have such authentic quality.


    Nelson and Warron broke into a cold sweat as they suddenly realized that Yvette was definitely not someone to mess with


    Nelson began to panic. He looked at his watch. He thought, ¡°There are five minutes before the act starts. Should I back out now?¡®


    In the end, Nelson gritted his teeth. There was no turning back now. He thought, ¡®So what if she has a gun? Would she really kill to shut me up?¡®


    Yvette looked up to Nelson and Warron standing by the door. She raised her eyebrows slightly, exuding indifference. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the chair.


    She spoke slowly, ¡°Got something to say?¡±


    Nelson and Warron had already made a n before they arrived, but under Yvette¡¯s icy gaze, their minds went nk for a moment. It wasn¡¯t until Lucas called out to them that they snapped back to reality.


    Their faces turned red with embarrassment. They were actually intimidated by someone younger.


    Nelsonposed himself and stepped forward, saying, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we just thought we¡¯de by for a chat since it¡¯s quiet. By the way, did you personally decide on theyoff list?¡±


    Warron nodded along. He also had a messy morning.


    Yvette spun her chair around. Then, she casually unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth. Curling her lips, she tilted her chin and answered, ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Nelson and Warron were furious with Yvette¡¯s behavior. They were filled with resentment but could only swallow theirints. Seeing Yvette¡¯s arrogant demeanor, they felt utterly powerless against her.


    However, they weren¡¯t just here to ask pointless questions; they were stalling, worried Yvette might leave and ruin their uing n.


    Yvette nced at Nelson and Warron whose minds were clearly not in the office, she curled her lips into a smirk, thinking, ¡®Aren¡¯t they starting yet? I¡¯m about to drift off


    Lucas watched Nelson and Warron struggle to make conversation. His eyebrows nearly pinched together. He wondered if these two were so bored that they were resorting to such pointless chatter.


    Lucas nced at Yvette again, bing more confused. He thought, ¡®When did Ms. Zeller be so patient? And now, sh. takes the time to stand here listening to these two bicker.¡¯


    The constant chatter was giving Lucas a headache. He wondered why everyone was acting so strange today. The door suddenly swung open as he tried to make sense of it all.


    Zoe rushed in, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°Ms. Zeller, there¡¯s an emergency,¡± she said, ¡°Aid¨Coff employee from the finance department is on the rooftop saying if Chambers Group doesn¡¯t provide a satisfying exnation, he¡¯s going to jump.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the room reacted differently. Lucas was shocked, while Nelson and Warron appeared tense, yet a bit of satisfaction flickered in their eyes.


    Yvette was the only one who stayed calm. Watching Zoe take deep breaths, she casually said, ¡°Go get a drink of water.¡±


    Zoe was confused. She thought, ¡®Does having a drink of water matter at a time like this?¡®


    Zoe was extremely anxious. If a tragedy urred because of theyoffs right after Yvette joined Chambers Group, it would ruin her reputation.


    Nelson, looking equally worried, said to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is serious. We can¡¯t take it lightly. If the person jumps and daes, even if we¡¯re in the right, we wouldn¡¯t be able to exin ourselves.


    ¡°Especially since it¡¯s rted toyoffs, the media would definitely exaggerate the story.¡±


    Warron quickly chimed in, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Hegan is right. Let¡¯s go and check it out. You¡¯re the head of the Chambers Group. our guiding light in times like this.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford a tragedy. If someone loses their life here, no money would restore thepany¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Lucas¡¯s face turned more serious. This situation hade up too suddenly. If an employee really did jump because of the Layoffs announced by Yvette, it would indeed be difficult to handle.


    Lucas stepped forward and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, let me handle this matter.¡±


    Lucas made up his mind; if anything happened, he would risk everything to protect Yvette. He must ensure her reputation stayed untarnished.


    Nelson and Warron were surprised by this unexpected development. They thought. What happened to Lucas? He is attempting to take Yvette¡¯s ce as the loyalpanion. Such loyalty!¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Nelson couldn¡¯t allow Lucas to ruin their ns. He said. ¡°Ms. Zeller, if you don¡¯t step in, this issue might remain unresolved.¡±

 Chapter 396

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow at the eager Nelson. Without any expression, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas was puzzled by how obedient Yvette was, but with the urgency of the situation, he didn¡¯t have time to think it over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stood up and casually ced the small silver gun on the table. The dark barrel coincidentally pointed straight at Nelson, causing him to freeze suddenly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He awkwardly said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, your little gun is quite exquisite</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the oflice turned their gaze to the gun on the table. Zoe was startled to see the small gun for the first time and wondered why it was in Yvette¡¯s office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas didn¡¯t find it odd. After all, Yvette had an Interpol background, so having a gun wasn¡¯t strange. It would actually be weird if she didn¡¯t have one. However, Nelson and Warron werepletely unaware of this.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There was a cool detachment in Yvette¡¯s eyes as she stood leisurely, smiling. For some reason, her smile gave Nelson and Warron an inexplicable sense of danger, tingling their skin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually said, ¡°It is just a replica toy.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, your tastes are unique.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Are you kidding me? Who would y with a replica gun? Even if she gave it to me, I wouldn¡¯t dare to keep it. Although it is a toy, it is so real that it can easily pass for the real thing!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Warron, standing by, felt a lot of his fear dissipate. He didn¡¯t expect the gun to be a toy. He thought ¡®Maybe Yvette is</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">a real one. and couldn¡¯t get interested in guns</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®She must have spent a lot of money on this realistic toy. How childish!¡® He looked down on Yvette even more, wondering why she didn¡¯t get a real gun if she could afford one instead of pretending to have a fake one.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A few people left the meeting room. Zoe, who was at the back, closed the door, and her eyes inadvertently fell on the small silver gun on the table. She thought, ¡®I don¡¯t think it is a toy; the gun looks exactly like a real one.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A middle¨Caged man was standing on the Chambers Group¡¯s rooftop. He was in¨Clooking and unremarkable, wearing an ordinary suit and casually tossing a briefcase on the ground.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was standing right at the edge of the rooftop. Just one more step, and he would fall dozens of meters to a deadly aftermath.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Not far away, a group of Chambers Group employees and a few security guards tried to talk him down, urging him to calm down. But the man seemed oblivious to their words, frantically yelling, ¡°Bring Ms. Zeller here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The male manager of the PR department was extremely worried. If the man fell, it would be all over the news tomorrow, and events like this were the hardest to manage.</font></font>


    Public opinion undoubtedly favored the so¨Ccalled victim. They wouldn¡¯t care about the real truth. If it became a big issue, Chambers Group¡¯s reputation would be damaged, and the stock price would also be affected.


    The manager thought, ¡®Why isn¡¯t Ms. Zeller here yet?¡® He noticed the man threatening to jump be agitated again and quickly offeredforting words.


    He said, ¡°Dex, please don¡¯t get so upset. We can solve anything; there¡¯s no need to handle it like this. Whatever requests you have, you can talk them over with Ms. Zeller. She¡¯ll understand.


    ¡°Have you thought about your parents, your wife, and your kids if you were to jump today? You can¡¯t be this selfish. Come down, let¡¯s sit down and talk things through.¡±


    The other employees joined the manager, all trying to persuade Dex. But the more they tried, the more upset Dex became, shaking his head vigorously.


    With bloodshot eyes, Dex shouted desperately, ¡°You don¡¯t understand at all! After my wife found out I was fired, she yelled at me and returned to her parents.


    ¡°My daughter is sick and needs a bone marrow transnt, and she¡¯s still in the hospital. The medical bills are overwhelming me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get fired. If I lose my job at the Chambers Group, I might as well be dead. Ms. Zeller is trying to ruin me, ruin my family!¡±


    Dex¡¯s words were heartfelt. They brought tears to everyone¡¯s eyes, making them sympathize with Dex. On theyoff list, Dex was the only ordinary employee, while the others were people with connections.


    Letting those people with connections wasn¡¯t a big deal. But the employees at Chambers Group couldn¡¯t understand why Yvetteid off Dex.


    Someone spoke up, ¡°I think Dex has a point. Why should Ms. Zellery him off? She didn¡¯t even give a reason. What¡¯s his family supposed to do?¡±


    Another person said, ¡°Ms. Zeller is totally out of touch with reality, living a sheltered life. She can fire anyone she wants without considering the consequences. What say do we have in this?¡±


    One said, ¡°That¡¯s a bit too harsh. Except for Dex, Ms. Zeller hasn¡¯t fired anymon employees. Shouldn¡¯t those just here because of their connections be the ones to go?¡±


    Another person said, ¡°We don¡¯t mean it like that. Dex¡¯s family is struggling, and he¡¯s been relying on his sry to support his sick daughter. He¡¯s truly a good father, and it¡¯s really moving.¡±


    Someone said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we all talk to Ms. Zeller on behalf of Dex? Maybe Ms. Zeller won¡¯t let Dex go if she knows about his situation. Dex does his job well; perhaps Ms. Zeller is unaware of his circumstances.¡±


    Others agreed, ¡°Yes, exactly. I agree. Let¡¯s all plead for Dex together.¡±


    Standing at the edge of the rooftop, Dex felt a rush of happiness as he listened to everyone speaking. He thought, ¡®Mr. Hegan is right. Using public opinion to pressure Ms. Zeller is my only chance of not beingid off.


    ¡®Moreover, once everything is settled, I will receive 660 thousand dors. The thought made him extremely excited. Yet, at the moment, he still put on a pitiful expression, looking very distressed.


    While everyone was still arguing, the rooftop do together.


    swung open. Yvette, Zoe, Lucas, Nelson, and Warron all walked out


    The crowd fell silent immediately, not daring to say a word. The male manager wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was relieved to see Yvette arrive. He might not be able to hold it together if Yvette arrived anyter.


    At the edge of the rooftop, Dex¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw the group led by Yvette approaching.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The male PR manager walked up respectfully and said to Yvette ¡°Ms. Zeller, the person attempting to jump off the building is Dex, the assistant to the finance department director.¡±


    After saying that, he paused, sneaking at Yvette¡¯s expression before continuing, ¡°He¡¯s one of the names on theyoff list you released this morning.


    ¡°He¡¯s upset over theyoffs and is threatening to jump, hoping the Chambers Group will give him an exnation.¡±


    After speaking, the PR manager stepped aside, lowering his head What to do next was up to Yvette, especially with Nelson and Warron present; it wasn¡¯t his ce toment further.


    Meeting with Nelson¡¯s eyes, Dex caught on and acted even more hysterically. He did something that no one expected. He dropped to his knees and began kowtowing frantically, hitting his head until it bled.


    With excitement, Dex said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, I beg you, please don¡¯t fire me. I¡¯ve worked diligently at Chambers Group for so many years and have never done anything wrong.


    ¡°My entire family relies on my sry, and I have a sick daughter in the hospital who urgently needs money. I¡¯m pleading with you. Please don¡¯t let me go. I¡¯ll get down o

 Chapter 397

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">People said a man¡¯s knees were worth their weight in treasure. Dex¡¯s act of kneeling won the sympathy of everyone present -except for Yvette and the masterminds behind the scene, Nelson and Warron.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Also, Zoe and Lucas were unaffected by Dex¡¯s words. Lucas looked at Dex with a slightly cold stare. He believed that Yvette wouldn¡¯t dismiss an employee without any reason. Dex must be at fault, and this drama only heightened the suspicion.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zoe wasn¡¯t swayed by Dex¡¯s words because she hadplete trust in Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at Dex, who was trembling on the ground. Yvette walked forward casually with her hands in her pockets and a calm expression. Everyone stepped aside automatically, creating a path.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stopped ten feet away from Dex, her gaze indifferent. Ever since she returned to Clusia, her encounters with rooftops seemed endless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Dex looked up at Yvette, his body trembling under her knowing gaze.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette smirked slightly, raising one eyebrow with a hint of mischief. She asked calmly, ¡°It¡¯s dozens of meters high. Do you think jumping down would mash you up like a pancake?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Dex was startled. Everyone behind him had astonished expressions. They thought, ¡®What¡¯s Ms. Zeller doing? Talking about whether a fall would tten someone at a time like this? Isn¡¯t that a little excessive?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s expression was unusually serious as if she were just chatting casually. She looked at Dex calmly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Dex¡¯s mind was a bit confused now, not knowing how to respond, so he just stayed silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually took out a piece of vani toffee, not in any rush, and looked rxed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">very</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nobody knew how to describe their feelings at the moment. They thought, ¡®Someone is jumping off a building. Why does Ms. Zeller stay so calm and unconcerned in such a serious situation?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then he took a small step Dex thought repeatedly and assumed that Yvette was trying to scare him, thinking he wouldn¡¯t dare jump. He didn¡¯t dare, but when he thought about the extra 660 thousand dors, he gritted his teeth and stood back up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sure enough, when everyone saw this, they gasped again, and the atmosphere became tense again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Dex felt smug, thinking, ¡®Will Ms. Zeller still be able to stay calm now?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stared at Dex and said slowly, ¡°Go ahead and jump.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The people behind couldn¡¯t believe their ears. They thought, ¡®What is Ms. Zeller talking about? Telling Dex to jump? Has she lost her mind?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nelson and Warron exchanged a knowing look, both appearing amused. They thought, ¡®Howe she said something so ridiculous? If this is spread around with a bit of exaggeration, the public will definitely not let her off easily.¡®</font></font>Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Dex¡¯s body was stiff. He stared at Yvette with wide¨Copen eyes, trembling so much that he could barely speak. He asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller, are you telling me to jump? Are you forcing me to jump off the building?¡±</font></font>


    Yvette fiddled with her ear and lifted her eyes slightly. She said calmly, ¡°Did I tell you to stand there? If you¡¯re not going to jump, why are you there? Are you enjoying the scenery?¡±


    As soon as Yvette said this, a few people couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter. They thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller¡¯s words are sharp, but they make sense. Isn¡¯t he standing there because he is considering jumping?¡®


    Dex was taken aback by Yvette¡¯s words and was momentarily speechless. The atmosphere turned quiet.


    Nelson and Warron realized things were not looking good. Concerned that Dex might not cope, Nelson quickly said, ¡°Dex, don¡¯t think you can fix things this way.


    ¡°Even if you jump today, theyoff list won¡¯t be withdrawn. Let¡¯s discuss this instead of making it so awkward.¡±


    Upon hearing Nelson¡¯s words, Dex forced himself to move closer to the edge. His legs were shaking at that distance, and taking one more step would mean falling.


    Falling from such a height, Dex indeed wouldn¡¯t survive. ¡®Fortune favors the brave,¡® he thought and decided to take the risk.


    Seeing he had made his point, Nelson became silent.


    Dex shouted, ¡°Ms. Zeller, why are you firing me? What did I do wrong? You owe me an exnation, and if you don¡¯t give me one today, I¡¯ll jump right now.¡±


    Yvette raised her eyebrows and walked toward Dex calmly. This time, she stopped less than 3 feet away from him.


    Lucas and Zoe gasped in surprise from behind, ¡°Be careful, Ms. Zeller!¡±


    Dex was shocked. Everyone present was also taken aback. They thought, ¡®What¡¯s Ms. Zeller going to do? If she keeps walking, she¡¯ll end up standing at the rooftop¡¯s edge like Dex. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Dex didn¡¯t have any strength at that moment. Watching Yvette get closer, he could only keep repeating, ¡°Stay back, don¡¯te any closer.¡± Unfortunately, it was useless.


    Just one more step away, Yvette stopped in her tracks, hands in her pockets. She took another step, and now she was aligned with Dex. Yvette looked down. With this height, one could fall badly, but it wouldn¡¯t be fatal.


    Dex¡¯s heart raced with fear as he nced at Yvette beside him, deeply terrified. He thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller is crazy. I am scared standing here, but she doesn¡¯t react at all.


    Dex trembled as he said, ¡°Ms. Zeller¡­ I¡­ As long as you promise not to fire me, I won¡¯t jump.¡±


    Yvette looked at Dex with a slight tug of her lips, her expression indifferent and her voicepletely devoid of warmth. She said, ¡°Go ahead and jump. It looks like you need my help.¡±


    Yvette and Dex¡¯s situation made everyone below highly nervous. Lucas and Zoe were in a panic while other employees watched the scene with mixed expressions.


    Although Nelson and Warron didn¡¯t know what Yvette intended to do, they hoped she would fall. The crowd heard Yvette¡¯s words and fell silent in shock. They thought, ¡®What does she mean by saying that?¡®


    The next moment, they understood.


    Yvette took gloves from her pocket and calmly put them on. Then she grabbed the trembling Dex and casually threw him off the rooftop without saying a word.


    Everyone was shouting with panic: ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± ¡°Ms. Zeller¡¯s gone mad!¡± ¡°What¡¯s she going to do?¡± ¡°Hurry, save him!¡± Nelson and Warron, the nners of this scheme, were stunned. They thought, ¡®How could this happen? Howe Ms. Zeller dared to push Dex off right in front of everyone?


    ¡®Did she even understand the consequences of this action? How could she be so daring?¡®


    Lucas and Zoe immediately ran forward, followed by most of the staff. But halfway through, therge crowd abruptly stopped. They couldn¡¯t believe what they were witnessing.


    Amidst everyone¡¯s cries of surprise, Yvette reached out and caught Dex. Dex¡¯s legs were dangling high up, suspended in mid¨Cair. A single mistake, and he would fall to his death.


    Everyone was stunned, which made them overlook an astonishing fact: Yvette was holding up a grown man with just one hand¨Chow was that even possible?


    Dex¡¯s mind was aplete mess. Just moments ago, he thought he was done for. Now, he didn¡¯t dare move as the early autumn wind bit painfully against his face. He looked up, staring at Yvette. Fearpletely overtook him.


    Dex regretted it. He thought, ¡®What good is 1.5 million dors if fall to my death? Money is meaningless if I can¡¯t enjoy it.¡®


    Dex wanted to plead for mercy, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a gust of wind filled his throat, making it ache. But right now, he couldn¡¯t worry about that.

 Chapter 398

    Dex screamed, his voice painfully piercing to the ears. The others on the rooftop were shocked, but no one dared to say a word. The situation was clear: if Yvette couldn''t hold on and let go, Dex would be finished. Yvette looked down at Dex, the wind making her hair flutter. Her stunningly beautiful face turned even colder in this situation. She asked calmly, "Do you want to die?"


    Dex shook his head and said, "Ms. Zeller, I was wrong. I didn''t want to die; I just didn''t want to get fired. I won''t dare do that again. Please, pull me up. I was really wrong. He was crying his heart out, looking incredibly pitiful. Yvette paused momentarily, her eyes fixed on the terrified Dex. She said nothing.


    Lucas didn''t know why Yvette was treating Dex this way. He thought, ''With everyone watching, what would happen if something went wrong?'' He stepped forward to plead on behalf of Dex.


    He said, "Ms. Zeller, please pull Dex up first so we can discuss things calmly."


    Zoe was anxious, too. Nelson and Warron wanted to watch the drama, but if Dex''s death affected the Chambers Group''s stock price, it would ultimately hurt them. So they pretended to join the group, trying to persuade Yvette. They chatted away, making the once quiet rooftop very noisy. Yvette nced at the terrified Dex and smirked. To everyone''s shock, she pulled Dex with one hand and tossed him back onto the rooftop.


    Dex, thrown to the ground, felt like his insides were about to shatter. He had been so scared earlier that when he was tossed back up, he lost control and ended up wetting himself right there in front of everyone. Before the people could even react, the sharp smell of urine hit them. They covered their noses in disgust and stepped back. They thought, ''Dex, a grown man, was so scared that he actually wet himself. Yvette turned around. She slowly took off her gloves and tossed them aside.


    Dex couldn''t even bring himself to care about the embarrassing ident. He looked at Yvette, trembling in fear. It was easy to imagine how much this scene affected him.


    Dex said quietly, "Ms. Zeller, I... I wasn''t thinking straight for a moment. Why are you firing me? I''ve never made any major mistakes at work, and I have a sick daughter in the hospital... my wife is also leaving me because of this." Hearing this, everyone started to feel sorry for Dex again. Putting everything else aside, having a daughter in the hospital was pitiful. The people on the rooftop turned their eyes to Yvette, wondering what she would say. They thought, ''Did Ms. Zeller dismiss Dex without any reason? If so, that''s really too much.


    Lucas and Zoe stood behind Yvette.


    Yvette''s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze getting sharper as she smiled. She said softly, "A sick daughter? Is it the one born by the woman in the vi at 152 Evergreen Road?


    "Or the one in your wife''s hometown hospital, where you''ve been finding all sorts of ways to avoid donating marrow for her leukemia treatment?


    "Your wife is leaving you? Is it the one who stood by you from having nothing to having it all, only to be kicked out by you, with no choice but to return to her parents with your sick daughter?


    "You are hardworking and dedicated, and you have never made a major mistake? What about five years ago during the West District project when you used your position to embezzle 660 thousand dors? "You used the money to buy an apartment for your mistress while your wife was running around trying to treat your


    0


    daughter''s illness, even having to sell blood."


    With each sentence Yvette spoke, the expressions of those present grew more displeased. They thought Dex was a good father. It turned out it was all just a facade.


    They thought, If what Ms. Zeller says is true, then Dex is worse than a beast. He neglected his daughter yet embezzled money to buy houses and cars for his mistress. Earlier, people who supported Dex were now turning against him.


    One said, "Dex, you''re just trash. How could you do something like this? You seemed like a good person, but now I see how disgusting you are. I can''t believe I was ready to plead for you just now." Another person said, "He fooled me too. lle always talked about how sweet his daughter was and how beautiful and understanding his wife was, but it turns out he was talking about his mistress and her child. "What a shameless man! Now that I think about it, it makes me want to puke. Gross!"


    Someone said, "Ms. Zeller said he used the embezzled money to buy a house for his mistress instead of treating his daughter.


    "What a weirdo and a scumbag. What kind of father does that? He''s a monster. Why didn''t he just fall and die earlier?"


    Another one said, "Honestly, I thought the same thing when I heard Ms. Zeller. Why didn''t he just fall to his death?"


    Dex''s ears were buzzing. Hearing all this made his head feel like it was about to explode, but he couldn''t evene up with arebuttal. The crowd''s spittle was almost drowning him


    Lucas knew Yvette wouldn''t dismiss an innocent person just like that. It turned out she was right; Dex did such a filthy thing ''What a beast!'' he thought.


    Everyone looked angrily at Dex on the ground, eager to kick him. Even Nelson and Warron were surprised that the person they had so much trouble finding had such secrets. They realized Dex, their pawn, was useless now. They thought, ''What a worthless guy. He had embezzled 660 thousand dors. That''s an economic crime. He''ll probably spend the rest of his life in jail.''


    At this moment, Dex''s face was as pale as a ghost, almost bluish. He didn''t dare to look up at the people around him and just kept his head down.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He thought, ''How did Ms. Zeller find out about these old secrets? Everything''s over now. If my embezzlement is investigated, I''ll be spending at least ten years in jail.''


    Even when Dex''s secret came out, he didn''t feel guilty towards his wife and child. All he thought about was how he and the unborn son with his mistress were going to live.


    Dex stumbled and cried out with tears streaming down, "Ms. Zeller, I had no choice. Back home, the elders only care about having a boy to carry on the family name. Girls are just supposed to marry off.


    "I was out of my mind. I truly know I was wrong. Please, let me go this once. I promise to turn over a new leaf and be a better person."


    Dex''s current woman was pregnant again, and it was confirmed to be a boy. So everything he said was to make Yvette forgive him, and none of it was sincere.


    Dex''s words only made everyone there even angrier. They thought, ''What age are we in? Do these outdated, sexist beliefs still exist? It''s harmful and archaic. Yvette''s expression remained indifferent as she watched Dex try to justify himself, showing no emotion.


    000, 40%*


    Dex red at Zoe as if he wanted to tear her apart, but when he saw Yvette standing bes

 Chapter 399

    1


    Yvette nced around, a faint coldness in her eyes gradually softening. Slowly, she left the balcony.


    From behind, Lucas told the crowd, "Alright, everyone, you can disperse now."


    When Lucas and Zoe entered the top-floor conference room, Yvette was sitting in a chair, slightly frowning as she fiddled with her phone,pletely focused. Lucas and Zoe thought the earlier incident had worsened Yvette''s mood. Lucas brewed a fresh cup of coffee and ced it on the table.


    He softly said, "Ms. Zeller, please don''t let those few people affect your mood."


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand and casually said, "No, it''s just that the puppy in my game recently had babies, and I''m trying to pick names for them."


    Lucas was caught betweenughter and tears, thinking, ''Is she frowning the whole time just over the name of a little pet?'' It was Zoe''s first time seeing Yvette act like this. She paused and thought, ''Ms. Zeller acting like this is so adorable. I really want to pinch her cheeks. But she only thought about it; even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn''t dare.


    Yvette nced at the dazed Zoe and thought for a moment. She asked, "Do you have any good name suggestions?"


    Chapter 399 %*


    Dex red at Zoe as if he wanted to tear her apart, but when he saw Yvette standing beside Zoe, he lost his nerve.


    Worried that Dex might implicate him, Nelson quickly spoke up "Dex, if you''re at fault, own up to it. Don''t make the situation worse."


    Only Nelson and Dex understood what he meant. Dex had actually thought about revealing who was behind him, but after hearing Nelson''s words, he didn''t dare speak up.


    Lucas didn''t want someone like Dex to taint Yvette''s sight. He bowed slightly and respectfully said, "Ms. Zeller, I''ll call the police now."


    Hearing this, Dex turned ashen and shook on the ground.


    Yvette looked up and calmly said, "No need, they''re here."


    Lucas and everyone present were taken aback. They wondered who they were referred to by Yvett?.


    The next moment, the door swung open. The police arrived. Leading the group was Zane. This was the first time he and Yvette met again since thest incident involving Zachary''s car ident, during which Yvette had personally interrogated the criminals. Not many presenters knew Zane''s identity, but Nelson and Warren did. They thought, ''This guy is a bigwig in Seacrity, head of public security. What brought him here personally?''


    With Zane and his group''s arrival, everyone understood that Yvette must have informed the police beforehand. Otherwise, how could the police have arrived so quickly?


    Zane bypassed Warron and Nelson, who were eager to greet him and get closer. Instead, he approached Yvette with a warm smile, showing her great respect. Zane said, "Yesterday, Mr. Langford mentioned that you had returned. I was thinking about visiting the Chambers residence


    to see you.


    "A couple of days ago, when Mr. Langford went there, I nned to go with him, but a case came up, so I couldn''t.


    "I didn''t expect to receive your report and evidence today; it has saved our police station a lot of effort. Many thanks; it is much appreciated."


    Nelson and Warron looked at each other, frozen in disbelief. The others present were equally baffled. They thought, ''What the heck. What did we just hear? ''What does the head of the police station mean by this? Did the mayor of Seacrity go to the Chambers residence to visit Ms. Zeller? That''s hard to believe.'' The regr employees didn''t know what happened in the meeting room yesterday, but the managers, along with Nelson and Warron, knew all about it. Yvette nodded politely and said, "Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Chappell."


    Zane replied, "No need to thank us, we should be thanking you. By the way, where is the prisoner? We can take him directly."


    Seeing the situation, Lucas stepped forward and said, "Mr. Chappell, the person on the ground is Dex. He''s the assistant to the director of the Chambers Group''s Treasury Department." Zane nodded to the officers behind him. The police stepped up, picked up the copsed Dex, and handcuffed him.


    0


    19:31


    Wed, Nov


    3


    40% +5)Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    As Dex walked past Yvette, he stopped, his eyes full of resentment. He couldn''t figure out how Yvette could know about his personal matters.


    Not only did she know, but she knew everything in such detail. Howe? However, nobody gave him a chance to ask as the police took him away.


    After Dex was taken away, Zane looked around and said, "There are two more, right? Ms. Zeller, are they here too?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone on the rooftop was stunned. They thought, "Two more people? Isn''t it just Dex?''


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and nced at Nelson and Warron, who were hanging their heads. Her voice was cold and calm as she said, "Over there, Nelson, Warron." Nelson and Warron, who were named, were already rigid with fear.


    Zane nodded and gestured to the police officers he brought along. The evidence Yvette sent to the inbox was thorough, and any piece of it was enough to put them in jail.


    Nelson, handcuffed by the police, red at Yvette and shouted, "Ms. Zeller, what right do you have to call the police on me? What did I do wrong? You can''t just join forces with the police to arrest people without reason!"


    Warron also began shouting as he looked at the handcuffs on his wrist, "Ms. Zeller, don''t think you can do whatever you want just because you know the mayor. I''m going to take legal action against you."


    The employees present werepletely bewildered by the situation. They wondered what had happened to lead Nelson and Warron ended up in handcuffs.


    However, they didn''t dare to pick sides easily now, as the previous humiliation was still fresh in their minds.


    Seeing Nelson and Warron boasting, Zane found it amusing. He had already seen the email Yvette sent involving 30 million in embezzlement and several lives. Yet they still dared to brag here.


    He thought, ''Are they using Ms. Zeller of relying on the mayor to act recklessly? Honestly, she wouldn''t even consider the mayor notable.''


    Zane sternly addressed Nelson and Warron, "The police prioritize evidence and don''t arrest people randomly. You have the right to remain silent, and once we reach the station, you''ll understand the reasons." Then he turned to the officers behind him and ordered, "Bring them back to the station."


    a


    Nelson and Warron were so intimidated by Zane''s words that they didn''t dare say anything. Once they were rest of the people on the rooftop felt bewildered and unsure how to describe their emotions. taken away, the


    Lucas sighed. He remarked inside, ''Ms. Zeller is amazing. She managed to find the evidence quickly, resolving the issues with both Nelson and Warron andpletely removing the threats to the Chambers Group. From the first moment Lucas met Yvette, he knew she was no ordinary person, and she proved it time and again.


    Everyone else felt that the day had been a rollercoaster. First, it was Dex, andter, both Nelson and Warren. Big changes were indeeding to the Chambers Group.


    Zane''s attitude towards Yvette was amiable, different from what he showed to others. He said, "Ms. Zeller, I''ll find time to visit you again, but for now, I''ll head back to the station."


    Yvette nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Chappell."


    Zane and the officers he brought with him left as quickly as they had arrived. In no time, only the employees of the Chambers Group remained on the rooftop.


    19.31 we, NOV 20

 Chapter 400

    Zoe scratched her head and suggested, "Ms. Zeller, how about we call it Cutic?"


    Lucas'' eye twitched. He was getting on in years and couldn''t understand calling a puppy Cutie. Yvette nodded in agreement. She said, "Sure, let''s call it Cutie, thank you."


    Lucas was speechless.


    At 5 p.m., Jeremiah arrived precisely at the entrance of the Chambers Group, right at quitting time.


    The employees, especially the female ones, couldn''t help but brighten up at the sight of Jeremiah. They thought, ''Where does this incredibly handsome guye from?


    ''These TV shows with cheesy, over-the-top CEOs should take a look at him-this is what a real CEO looks like. His aura of a mature man shines from within. Just standing there, he captures everyone''s attention. When Yvette and Lucas were leaving thepany, they noticed Jeremiah at the entrance. He stood out too much in the crowd to go unnoticed.


    When the Chambers Group employees saw Yvette, they all stopped and greeted her, "Hello, Ms. Zeller!"


    Jeremiah stepped forward and made his presence known in front of everyone. In a low voice, he said, "It''s chilly tonight. Wear this coat." Then, he ced the jacket he had ready over Yvette''s shoulders.


    This scene caused a buzz among the Chambers Group employees. Anyone watching could see that he was Yvette''s boyfriend.


    They remarked inside, ''Oh my, they are truly meant to be together, a perfect match made in heaven, both talented and beautiful.''


    A female employee looked at Yvette and Jeremiah with envy. She said to the woman beside her, "Ms. Zeller''s boyfriend is so handsome. He must be some wealthy heir.


    "Did you see that watch on his wrist? It''s an LV century limited edition, starting at least in the eight figures, maybe even


    nine."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    This number took aback others nearby. They thought, ''How many downtown apartments could that watch buy? The life of the wealthy is truly something we working folks can only dream of!


    A man smirked in disbelief and said, "This guy clearlyes from a well-off family, relying on his parents."


    Everyone who heard this quickly distanced themselves from him. They thought, ''Seriously? That''s Ms. Zeller''s boyfriend? How could he say something so thoughtless?''


    Seeing Jeremiah act like that, Luca understood Jeremiah''s intention. He thought, ''Mr. Chavez is clever. The news that Ms. Zeller has a boyfriend will probably spread all over the Chambers Group by tomorrow. After all, gossip is the fastest thing on earth. Jeremiah nced around at the people nearby. They all instinctively lowered their heads.


    Yvette nced at Jeremiah''s coat on her shoulders and calmly said, "Let''s go."


    Once they left, the employees at thepany entrance let out a deep sigh of relief. They thought, "The aura of Ms. Zeller''s boyfriend is something we can''t handle.


    Jeremiah was driving the car. Yvette was in the front passenger seat, while Lucas was alone in the back.


    0


    Wed, Nov


    C


    Jeremiah kept one hand on the steering wheel and turned his head slightly, asking, "What did you


    do today?"


    Yvette tore open a bag of chips, pursed her lips, andzily said, "Just dealt with a few people.


    Jeremiah chuckled, knowing that Yvette''s version of "dealing with a few people" probably wasn''t as straightforward as it sounded.


    When Lucas heard Yvette''s words, he couldn''t help but twitch his lips. If he hadn''t been on the scene to witness what happened himself, he might have been fooled by Yvette''s casual demeanor. 40%2


    Lucas couldn''t hold back and said, "Mr. Chavez, you wouldn''t believe it unless you saw it. Ms. Zeller was incredible today; she dealt with a man who abandoned his family and solved a long-standing problem for Mr. Chambers." Lucas looked at Yvette with admiration. He was now her biggest fan.


    Yvette nced back at Lucas coolly. She wondered if she should tell Lucas that his smile was quite odd, and maybe he should tone it down since it was a bit scary.


    After thinking momentarily, she decided against it; considering Lucas''s age, she didn''t want to hurt his feelings. So Yvette lowered her gaze and continued to munch on her chips leisurely


    As soon as Eucas caught Yvette''s nce, he was overjoyed. He thought, ''She must have noticed the admiration in my eyes.


    Jeremiah heard Lucas''s words and smiled calmly. He knew that Yvette always ensured that her actions were decisive and fatal.


    At the entrance of the Chambers residence, Lucas got out of the car and bowed slightly to Jeremiah and Yvette. He respectfully asked, "Ms. Zeller, are you not returning tonight?"


    Yvette nodded.


    Before Lucas could say anything else, Jeremiah said "Goodbye" and rolled up the car window, leaving Lucas puzzled as the car sped off like an arrow. Lucas could only see the car''s taillights in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Zachary''s voice called behind, asking, "Where''s Yvette? Was Jeremiah driving just now?"


    Lucas finally understood why Jeremiah was so eager to leave. It was because Zachary had arrived.


    Lucas turned around and said, "Mr. Chambers, it was Mr. Chavez and Ms. Zeller who brought me back. They have a date tonight, and Ms. Zeller won''t being back this evening."


    Upon realizing the situation, Zachary rushed inside to make a call. He was determined to get Yvette back and not let that troublemaker Jeremiah get his way.


    Zachary had no idea that Jeremiah had not only seeded but also ended up being at a disadvantage.


    In the car, Yvette rested her chin in her hand. With a yful smile on her lips, she said, "You did that on purpose."


    Jeremiah''s hand hesitated slightly on the wheel as he was set on pretending he didn''t know what was happening. He asked innocently, "On purpose? What do you mean?" His face remained calm. Yvette looked indifferent. Her stunning face was quite captivating. She said, "Then take me back."


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette, who had that "try denying it, see what happens" look on her face, and bit his lip. He was never a match for Yvette''s wit, but somehow, he didn''t mind losing to her at all. Jeremiah admitted, "Yes, I did it on purpose."


    Yvette smiled, thinking it would have been better if he had just confessed from the start.


    {

 Chapter 401

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The week passed quickly, with several changes taking ce at Chambers Group. Three major events were particrly noteworthy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Firstly, Warron and Nelson, who had been throwing their weight around at Chambers Group for years and cing their supporters thanks to their shares, were imprisoned for financial crimes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The second issue was theyoff¡¯s at Chambers Group. Yvette fired everyone who got their jobs through connections, ensuring they would never be hired back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As for Dex, he finally got hiseuppance; not only was he sent to prison, but the mistress he supported had an abortion. She took all his money and left him with nothing, even after his release.</font></font>N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The third matter was about Yvette making one phone call, which resulted in the approval of all necessary documentation for the Chambers Group¡¯s East End development project.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The group had begun using resources and manpower to transform the development area. This project would be the main and once finished, it would promise huge profits focus of the Chambers Group over the next three yore!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone at the Chambers Group worked harder and evaluation system. motivated because Yvette introduced a new promotion</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With hard work, anyone can move up. The work atmosphere at Chambers Group was more enthusiastic than ever</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the Chambers residence, Zachary casually sipped his coffee while watching Jeremiah and Yvette, sitting unusually close across from him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Why are they sitting so close together? It¡¯s not like there wasn¡¯t enough space.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary said, ¡°So, Yvette, are you not going to the Chambers Group tomorrow?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and raised her eyebrows slightly, saying, ¡°A week has passed.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary knew the week was up, but he still couldn¡¯t help but ask again, hoping for a different response.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas had been with Yvette the entire week, staying close to her at thepany every step of the way. He watched as Yvette methodically handled variouspany affairs, sorted out the finances, reassigned staff across departments, and initiated corporate reforms.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After witnessing Yvette handle each task with precision, Lucas was now utterly in awe of Yvette. He was truly amazed by Yvette¡¯s brain.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®What is her brain made of? She can recall all the data instantly. Whether it is finance, architecture, design, orw, she masters them all with ease.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas finally grasped the true meaning of a certain phrase: some people were simply born to surpass others; they were like gods among men.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary looked at Jeremiah, who was peeling an apple for Yvette He said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy with your duties in the military? How do you have time to hang around here in Seacrity? At your rank, you should be super busy.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah smiled slightly without pausing his apple peeling. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m on vacation right now.¡±</font></font>


    Zachary nodded; it made sense. He had been wondering why a significant general like Jeremiah would have so much time to spend with Yvette.


    Zachary wasn¡¯t aware that Jeremiah had never taken a holiday since joining the military over ten years ago. ording to the regtions, he could take a whole year off if he started his leave now.


    Zachary asked, ¡°Are you staying for dinner tonight?¡±


    Yvette took a bite of her apple and replied slowly, ¡°No, I¡¯ve got friendsing over from Betrico.¡±


    Zachary paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    At night in the club, guys and girls danced with abandon on the floor as the DJ kept the energy up. The ce was packed and vibrant with the shing lights, wild crowd, and attractive waitresses moving through the party.


    Andrew sat alone in a booth, having already turned down several women who tried to chat him up.


    After Andrew turned away another flirtatious woman, Jeremiah, Yvette, Charles, and Samantha, who had just returned, came.


    Andrew waved to them and called out, ¡°Over here, Jeremiah, Yvette, over here!¡±


    Wherever the four were, it was the attention point. In fact, from the moment they entered, they had captured most people¡¯s


    The bar wasn¡¯tcking in beautiful women, but seeing such stunning and fabulous girls like Yvette and Samantha was rare.


    One was a sophisticated and alluring woman, the other an ethereal goddess unattached to the world. Many men, upon seeing Yvette and Samantha, were noticeably intrigued.


    Women felt the same way; Jeremiah and Charles also had an undeniable attraction for them. Men like them, with both looks and a great physique, were truly one in a million.


    After they sat down, Samantha nced at Andrew, wondering, ¡®Where¡¯s the cute, beautiful girlfriend he promised?¡± She ordered a vodka, took a sip, and found it mediocre.


    She finally said to Andrew, ¡°You brat. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d confess to your crush when you returned to Seacrity? Where¡¯s the girl? Are you going to tell me you backed out?¡±


    Charles looked up at Andrew when he heard this but said nothing.


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, with a ss of orange juice in front of her. The other four weren¡¯t letting her have any alcohol.


    Andrew¡¯s mood instantly soured at the mention; he had lost contact with Bonnie. Since yesterday, Bonnie¡¯s phone had been unreachable, always going straight to voicemail. No calls picked up, and she didn¡¯t reply to any texts.


    Andrewmented, ¡°When did I ever get a chance to confess? I haven¡¯t seen her since I got back. Thest time we met was before I left for Betrico. She¡¯s gone back to her hometown since then.¡±


    Andrew was always on edge, feeling something was wrong with Bonnie. This strong feeling made him anxious these past two days.


    Samantha paused momentarily. Seeing Andrew¡¯s clearly worried and downcast look, she decided not to say anything.


    Andrew thought momentarily but couldn¡¯t resist asking Yvette, ¡°Yvette, are you going to work at the Chambers Group tomorrow?¡±


    Yvette half¨Cclosed her eyes. She raised her delicate eyebrows raised and said coolly, ¡°Not going.¡±


    As soon as Andrew heard this, he quickly added, ¡°Yvette, you have mentioned going to find Bonnie¡­¡±


    Jeremiah looked up at the worried Andrew and said in a serious tone, ¡°We¡¯ve already pulled up Bonnie¡¯s records and reviewed them. Her hometown is in Normis, and the ne tickets are booked for the morning after tomorrow.¡±


    Andrew couldn¡¯t believe how suddenly this surprise arrived. He thought, ¡®Yvette and Jeremiah have already booked the flights. Does that mean I¡¯ll see Bon the day after tomorrow?¡®


    Andrew¡¯s gloomy mood from the past few days instantly lifted. He thought Yvette was too busy and had forgotten about this. He drank the beer in front of him in one go.


    Samantha asked, ¡°Normis?¡±


    Charles also set down his beer and looked at Jeremiah. Normis was a gathering ce for minority groups, with some mysterious spots that no one dared to visit even today.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression was somewhat serious as he looked at the excited Andrew, wondering if Andrew even knew exactly where Bonnie¡¯s home was in Normis. Jeremiah was a bit surprised when he saw Bonnie¡¯s records.


    Bonnie¡¯s hometown wasn¡¯t just any ordinary ce; it was a very mysterious minority vige. That ce still held on to some traditional customs.


    Yvette lowered her eyes, appearing calm and indifferent.


    Jeremiah said, ¡°Bonnie¡¯s hometown is in a vige in Normis. I¡¯ve been there once before.¡±


    When the conversation reached this point, Samantha, Andrew, and Charles became curious. Given Jeremiah¡¯s character, he couldn¡¯t go there for a vacation. He must go here on a mission.


    Samantha knew well that Jeremiah had a very secretive military unit under him. Her dad had mentioned that this unit specifically handles national secret affairs.


    Samantha asked curiously, ¡°Jeremiah, what did you go to do in Bonnie¡¯s hometown?¡±

 Chapter 402

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s voice gradually deepened, and after a moment, he said, ¡°Dungo Vige, Bonnie¡¯s hometown, is also a gathering ce for poison sorcerers. They inhabit the entire vige.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s face was serious as he delved into his memories. Five years ago, he and his team chased an international fugitive who fled to Dungo Vige and disappeared.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vige had a creepy atmosphere, and its residents still held onto some mysterious beliefs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">One night, Jeremiah identally passed by a viger¡¯s house. He saw many vigers gathering, each with a strange look of excitement. They were performing some ritual. But when the fugitive¡¯s location was uncovered, they quickly left Dungo Vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Later, Jeremiah looked up information about Dungo Vige. He spected that the vigers back then might have been performing a ceremony to pray for good weather and a bountiful harvest. However, the exact nature of the ceremony involved remained unknown.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was stunned. Although he had known Bonnie for so long, he didn¡¯t know she was a poison sorcerer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles set down his ss and looked at Jeremiah¡¯s serious face. He realized things were not that straightforward.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®What¡¯s most famous about poison sorcerers?¡® He suddenly recalled something from years ago and sank into deep thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was intrigued and continued to ask, ¡°Jeremiah, don¡¯t leave us in the dark. What¡¯s going on with the vige? Is something wrong?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were as deep as a cold pool. He said casually, ¡°Indigenous peoples are known for their expertise in magical poisons, which are secrets passed from mother to daughter.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s hand trembled, spilling half of his drink. His expression changed instantly, thinking, ¡®What did I hear? Magical poisons? Passed from mother to daughter?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was also taken aback, but she epted it faster than Andrew. After all, Clusia had many mysterious ces with a five thousand¨Cyear history. Some things were hard to exin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But she didn¡¯t expect Andrew to fall for a poison sorcerer. She took a sip of vodka and thought, ¡®Although Andrew usually appears unreliable, once hemits to something or someone, he won¡¯t easily change his mind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was the only son of the Mitchell family, so Samantha decided to join the trip to Normis as well.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew asked, ¡°Jeremiah, are you saying Bon knows magical poisons?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah shook his head and said solemnly, ¡°Not sure.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the lively bar, their corner felt strangely peaceful and isted,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her eyes as she rested her chin on her hand. Her gaze lingered slightly, and she said coolly, ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Yvette spoke, everyone looked at her, meeting her bright eyes.</font></font>


    Andrew felt much more at ease. He believed what Yvette said. She would never speak without certainty. He asked, ¡°Yvette, have you been to Dungo Vige?¡±


    Yvette leaned back and replied calmly, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Yvette hadn¡¯t been to Dungo Vige, but years ago, she had already dealt with people who practiced magical poisons. The oue was obvious: that person died, and it was a gruesome death.


    Samantha had a strong hunch that even if Yvette hadn¡¯t been there, she surely had deep knowledge.


    Charles asked, ¡°Yvette, do you know about magical poisons and poisonous insects?¡±


    Yvette took a sip of orange juice, curled up her legs, and pursed her lips.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, she said, ¡°Humans breed poisonous insects. The method involves cing various highly toxic critters into a sealed. container. These include venomous snakes, eels, centipedes, frogs, scorpions, worms,rge green caterpirs, and mantises.


    ¡°Flying creatures and four¨Clegged animals that can run are excluded. Only toxic crawlers are used. After putting these twelve types into the jar, they fight each other, and thest one standing is poisonous insects.¡±


    Samantha and Andrew were really grossed out by this exnation. Charles, having seen all kinds of things in the underworld, found it more surprising than disgusting.


    Jeremiah stayed calm, his expression unchanged the whole time. His gaze fixed on Yvette. He was impressed by how much Yvette knew about poisonous insects.


    Raising an eyebrow, Jeremiah continued, ¡°Ancient texts have spoken about this, and archaeologists have found rted evidence. In some tribes in the Normis region, chiefs wanted to rest peacefully without disturbance after death.


    ¡°They had the superior sorcerer turn their people into human statues. While the person was still alive, an insect was injected into their body. This insect fed on the person¡¯s flesh and blood, quickly turning them into a mummy.


    ¡°The insect would theny eggs within the body, which became a vacuum environment. Thervae could stay dormant in the body for a long time. If disturbed by future generations, theservae would break out quickly, killing the intruder.¡±


    Upon hearing Jeremiah¡¯s words, Samantha quickly took a sip of her drink to calm her nerves.


    Yvette nced up at Jeremiah. He was expertly peeling nuts, which was interesting to watch. Jeremiah nodded and casually handed the nuts he had peeled to Yvette.


    The other three had grown so ustomed to their public disy of affection that it barely registered anymore.


    Samantha held back her disgust and continued to ask, ¡°Yvette, how did you know Bonnie couldn¡¯t do magical poisons? Didn¡¯t Jeremiah say this skill is traditionally passed from mother to daughter?¡±


    Yvette slightly raised her chin and said calmly, ¡°The smell. People who practice magical poisons usually have a distinct aroma on them all year round.¡±


    Andrew thought for a moment. Bonnie always had a milky scent without any other smell. He remarked that if Bonnie could do magical poisons with her simple mind, anyone could.


    If Bonnie knew what Andrew thought about her, she would be speechless.


    Yvette nced at everyone and said calmly, ¡°Over time, there are fewer people who can do magical poisons. Moreover, the conditions required are very strict: timing, location, temperature, and soil¨Call must align perfectly. It¡¯s not that easy.¡±


    Samantha looked at Yvette and said, ¡°Yvette, I want to go with you all too.¡±


    Charles said, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯d like to go too.¡±


    Yvette narrowed her eyes. She thought for a few seconds, then nodded without expression. She agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Originally, only three ne tickets were booked, but two more were added, bringing the group heading to Normis from three to five people.


    They stayed at the bar a little longer, talking about the trip nned for the day after tomorrow and what they needed to prepare.


    As they were about to leave, Andrew said he needed to use the bathroom. When he didn¡¯t return after five minutes, they thought something was wrong.


    Charles went to the men¡¯s restroom but couldn¡¯t find anyone. Passing one of the private rooms, he heard Andrew¡¯s voice and immediately pushed the door open.


    The room was chaotic. There was a creepy middle¨Caged man, a trembling young girl in light clothing holding a knife, and Andrew, who looked furious.


    He had seen the creepy middle¨Caged man once before during the enrollment process at Argrol University. He remembered that this man named Patrick was the dean of academic affairs.


    Charles walked over with a serious look. He asked Andrew, ¡°What happened?¡±

 Chapter 403

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew pointed at Patrick and said, ¡°I came out of the men¡¯s room and passed by this private room when I heard shouting. I opened the door and saw Patrick naked, forcing this girl.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°She had a knife in her hand, trying to fight him off. I rushed in, but you showed up before I could say anything.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Patrick stood there, shirtless, with his skin sagging. He had a bad look. He had gone to great lengths to trick this girl into meeting him today, and just as things were about to start, the girl snapped and stabbed him with a knife.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While arguing with the student, neither noticed that the door had opened slightly, allowing Andrew to see what was happening.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Patrick also knew Andrew; he was the librarian. However, noticing how respectfully Simon treated Andrew, Patrick realized that Andrew¡¯s background might be moreplicated than it seemed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Patrick couldn¡¯t dare challenge Andrew, knowing that causing a big fuss would be bad for him as he was at fault. He quickly put on his clothes while Andrew and Charles were talking, then deliberately put on a stern face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He awkwardly exined, ¡°It is a misunderstanding. The girl and I were both willing participants. You suddenly barged in on what is a private affair between the two of us. Don¡¯t you have any manners?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, the woman crouched on the floor trembled, her face turning pale, her tears streaming down even more intensely.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew scoffed. He sneered at Patrick and said, ¡°Are you trying to fool anyone with that old line? Anyone with eyes can see you¡¯re forcing her. Look at you, all greasy and balding. A total eyesore!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Then look at her. Do you expect anyone to believe you both are mutual? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting struck by lightning?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles nced at Patrick and the girl sitting on the ground. A young girl in her prime hanging out with someone like Patrick in a ce like this? It must be about money or trying to achieve some goal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The girl on the ground shakily raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, with a look of sheer determination.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the girl¡¯s face, Andrew let out a surprised sound. Charles turned to look at him. Andrew whispered to Charles, ¡°I know this girl. She oftenes to the library to borrow books. She¡¯s called Amy Green.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Amy flinched when her name was called. She hadn¡¯t nned to leave here alive; she wanted to take Patrick down. Unfortunately, she still hadn¡¯t managed to kill him. Amy nodded, she said. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±</font></font>Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Patrick sensed that things were taking apletely lost about what to do.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">rn for the worse. He hadn¡¯t expected Andrew to know Amy, and now he was</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles remained calm. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s inform Mr. Sundend about this; he¡¯ll take care of it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The director of student affairs involved with his own student was a massive scandal. Patrick panicked and quickly objected, ¡°No, absolutely not.¡±</font></font>


    Andrew sneered and said, ¡°Do you think saying no will stop this: Youmit such disgraceful acts but are afraid of Mr. Sundend finding out?¡±


    Patrick was stunned by Andrew¡¯s words, looking very grim. He thought, ¡®This must not get out, or my reputation will be destroyed. Patrick knew the only way out was for Amy to admit that she was a willing participant.


    Patrick would have been confident that Amy wouldn¡¯t say anything in the past, but he wasn¡¯t sure anymore after she talked about wanting to take him down with her.


    Patrick forced a smile and told Andrew, ¡°Mr. Mitchell, Amy tried to seduce me. She wanted to trade for a grad school spot with her body, but I said no, so she shed me with scissors. You have to trust that I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    While they were chatting, Yvette, Jeremiah, and Samantha found their way to the private room and pushed open the door.


    Yvette looked around the room. Seeing Amy, her expression was icy.


    As soon as Andrew saw them arrive, he said, ¡°Yvette, this jerk forced his student and is still making excuses, saying the girl seduced him for a grad school spot. Disgusting.¡±


    Samantha said coldly, ¡°Why keep people like this around? Call the police.¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Patrick, whose clothes were messy, and his face was pale. He took out his phone and walked out. Noticing Jeremiah¡¯s actions, Yvette didn¡¯t say anything.


    Since Yvette showed up, Patrick was scared out of his mind, totally terrified. He knew he wasn¡¯t getting out of today¡¯s trouble easily.


    He thought, ¡®Ever since Yvette started at Argrol University, we¡¯ve been at odds. Now that she knows about this, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll let me off the hook.


    While everyone was talking, Amy, who hadn¡¯t spoken at all, suddenly grabbed the knife in her hand. With Patrick off guard, she rushed forward and plunged the knife into his stomach.


    Patrick fell to the ground immediately, his face full of anger as he pointed at Amy. He said, ¡°Y¨CYou witch. How dare you stab me!


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this. Just wait till you¡¯re locked up for good. Call the police. I need to call the police.¡±


    Yvette, Samantha, Charles, and Andrew all watched the scene with calm expressions; they felt it was no big deal if scum like Patrick died.


    Amy looked at Patrick, who was lying on the ground, andughed wildly. Herughter was chilling.


    She said, ¡°You monster, you sleaze. I trusted you as my teacher and my mentor, but you drugged me, took those revealing photos, and ckmailed me into sleeping with you.


    ¡°Then you used my grad school ns against me. I¡¯ve had enough. I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Let¡¯s die together.¡±


    Patrick¡¯s screams echoed in the room, but the others didn¡¯t even acknowledge him. After a while, Patrick fainted from losing too much blood.


    Yvette stepped forward and looked at Amy, whose hands were covered in blood. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and ced it in Amy¡¯s hand.


    Amy, with a distant look in her eyes, suddenly burst into tears at the sight of the handkerchief that appeared in her hand. Her once happy youth waspletely ruined by that scumbag, Patrick. If only she hadn¡¯t trusted Patrick so much, she wouldn¡¯t be in like this now.


    Samantha watched the scene and sighed. Andrew couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore and turned his head away.


    Charles felt no emotion. In Mysonna, some gangs, driven by money, were involved in the trafficking of women and children. Honestly, he had be numb to it all. If this were Mysonna, these people would just be dealt with quickly.


    Yvette crouched down, looking at the shattered Amy who couldn¡¯t pull herself together. Yvette¡¯s voice was as cool and detached as always. She said, ¡°Wipe your tears away. Crying fixes nothing. You should be considering how to solve this problem perfectly now.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s nearly emotionless words brought Amy back to her senses. She realized she shouldn¡¯t waste her future on a beast like Patrick.


    But the fact was she had stabbed Patrick, and thew wouldn¡¯t let her get away with that. What could she do now?


    Holding herself, Amy said, ¡°Yvette, I don¡¯t know what to do. I was ready to go down with him. But I don¡¯t want to throw away my future because of him. I don¡¯t regret stabbing him. If he stays, more girls will fall into his trap.¡±


    Amy¡¯s biggest regret was not having the courage to stand up to Patrick the first time he threatened her and expose him for the scumbag he was.


    It was a pity that life didn¡¯t offer a do¨Cover; this was the price she paid for her weakness.

 Chapter 404

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked at the distraught Amy and said, ¡°I can get youwyer from Betrico. He specializes in these types of cases. Don¡¯t worry. This jerk doesn¡¯t stand a chance once mywyer steps in.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°However, there¡¯s one thing you need to be aware of: using l¡¯atrick means openly exposing your own wounds to everyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After you report this, the media will definitely cover it since Patrick is a director at Argrol University, and it can¡¯t go unnoticed. I can introduce you to a greatwyer, but you must be determined.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°No matter how much gossip you face during this process, you must keep going with thewsuit; otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha knew she was not a good person, nor did she have thepassion to meddle in others¡® affairs. But today, since she came across this situation, with Yvette and Andrew willing to help, she couldn¡¯t ignore it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The condition, however, was that Amy back down; otherwise, even the bestwyer would be useless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette paused momentarily, her face showing no expression as she put her phone away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking, ¡®Awyer who specializes in these kinds ofwsuits? Who else could it be but Benjamin? If hees to Seacrity to help Amy with the case, Patrick might lose everything, even hisst piece of dignity?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew asked, ¡°Samantha, are you talking about Benjamin? You want to ask him toe and represent Amy in court?¡± He was surprised that Samantha would step in to help Amy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Benjamin was a nationally recognizedwyer on Samantha¡¯spany¡¯s legal team. He pursued Samantha years ago. They were childhood neighbors and grew up together, but Samantha never fancied him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, Benjamin had to step back and work with the Mitchell Group as their chiefwyer. He¡¯d been with them for eight years now, realizing there was no chance, and was nning to leave soon to start his ownw firm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Andrew¡¯s gossip¨Chungry expression, Samantha gave him a light smack on the back of his head. She said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s him. He¡¯s leaving next month but will handle this case before he goes, just as a farewell.¡±</font></font>Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew clicked his tongue twice. He gave Samantha a thumbs up. He thought, ¡®She is a true capitalist. It¡¯s shameless how she can make exploitation sound so justified.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Amy stared in shock at the people before her, especially Samantha. She could tell Samantha was not ordinary. She had previously worked part¨Ctime at a luxury store, and Samantha was dressed in head¨Cto¨Ctoe limited edition pieces.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Amy thought, ¡®Is she really going to help me find awyer? Has heaven really sent someone to rescue me?¡® Her life had been dark for so long that she couldn¡¯t believe someone would appear to help her.</font></font>


    Andrew looked at the stunned Amy and said casually, ¡°What are you standing there for? My sister¡¯s asking you if you¡¯re determined to get this jerk in jail. Go ahead and say it.


    ¡°Thewyer my sister found for you is the best in the country for this sort of thing. With him on the case, you¡¯re sure to win.¡± Amy wiped her tears and nodded right away. She said, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Mitchell, for helping me. I¡¯ve already decided. No matter what others say or how they judge me, I¡¯ll keep fighting. I will make Patrick pay for what he did.¡±


    Samantha nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Then she turned to Yvette and asked, ¡°Yvette, should we call the police now or wait a bit longer?¡±


    Yvette nced at Patrick and said, ¡°No need, he won¡¯t die. Let¡¯s wait for someone to arrive.¡±


    Samantha just realized Jeresiah was gone. She wondered where he had gone.


    Andrew looked at Patrick, who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He thought, Is he dead already!?¡±


    Charles nced at Andrew. He replied as if he knew what Andrew was thinking, ¡°He¡¯s not dead. The stab didn¡¯t hit a vital part. He can bleed for three more hours, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Amy calmed down. She stood up and tidied her clothes. She put on a jacket and bowed deeply in front of Yvette and the others. She said, ¡°Thank you, Yvette, Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Mitchell, and this gentleman.¡±


    Andrew waved his hand dismissively and said. ¡°Just helping out when I saw someone in trouble, no thanks needed.¡±


    again. She said. ¡°Thank you, Yvette.¡±


    After Amy finished speaking, she bowed to e


    Yvette lifted her gaze. Her eyes were cold and indifferent. Her voice was calm and cool as she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need; I didn¡¯t really do anything.¡±


    No matter what Yvette said, Amy knew in her heart that Samantha¡¯s decision to help her was because of Yvette. Everyone present was focused on her.


    Ten minutester, Jeremiah pushed the door open, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, Simon, the president of Argrol University, was right behind him.


    Simon¡¯s face was heavy with concern; he was clearly aware of what had happened.


    -Patrick had done something that severely damaged his reputation. It was disgraceful for a teacher¡¯s conduct to be so


    appalling. Nothing like this had ever urred in Argrol University¡¯s hundred¨Cyear history.


    Simon knew that after today, this news would spread everywhere by tomorrow. Patrick had destroyed Argrol University¡¯s hundred¨Cyear reputation in an instant.


    Jeremiah walked over to Yvette, lowered his eyes, and spoke sincerely, ¡°He called the police himself.¡±


    Yvette lifted her beautiful eyes to look at Simon.


    Meeting Yvette¡¯s gaze, Simon nodded at her. Then, he turned to Amy. As for Patrick lying on the ground, he didn¡¯t spare him a look before heading straight to Amy..


    It was the first time that Amy stood close to Simon, especially in such a tense situation. It was impossible for her not to be scared. She feared Simon would tell her to keep it quiet, just to let it go.


    She was worried that Simon would side with Patrick, thinking she was trying to seduce Patrick by any means to secure her spot. She feared Simon might tell her to forget about it and threaten her with not graduating if she spoke up.


    She was concerned Simon would me her without knowing the facts, thinking it was entirely her fault.


    Amy¡¯s nerves red up again. She nervously raised her head, looked at Simon¡¯s serious face, and said, ¡°Mr. Sundend, I¡­¡±


    Noticing her nervousness, Simon made a calming gesture to Amy and said seriously, ¡°Amy, I know everything about this matter. Rest assured, the school will not cover for someone like Patrick.


    ¡°I have personally called the police. The school and I will fully support any decision you make without hesitation. The school will take care of all legal fees and any associated costs. Don¡¯t worry.


    ¡°Of course, I understand this can¡¯t make up for the harm you¡¯ve suffered, and I¡¯m truly sorry about that. As the principal, it¡¯s my fault for not discovering this sooner.¡±


    Hearing what Simon said, Amy immediately burst into tears. She felt it was her fault. Initially, she thought if she exposed

 Chapter 405

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon looked at Amy, who was crying uncontrobly, feeling more upset but unsure how tofort her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha knew Simon; back when he was in Betrico, he would visit her grandfather during holidays, so she knew about his character.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon dedicated his entire life to educating and tirelessly nurturing countless talents for the country, only to see someone like Patrick appear under his watch in hister years.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gossip could be frightening: Patrick not only damaged Argrol University¡¯s century¨Cold reputation but also ruined Simon¡¯s lifelong reputation. One could imagine how difficult it was for Simon to decide to call the police.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha felt a wave of emotion; at a young age, Amy encountered a teacher like Patrick, which ruined her life.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Amy cried for five full minutes before stopping. She looked at Simon and said firmly, ¡°Mr. Sundend, I will ensure Patrick goes to jail. Please forgive me. I can¡¯t just act like this never happened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I know that once this gets out, the school¡¯s reputation might take a hit, but I will still go through with it. Mr. Sundend, thank you for being willing to support me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon nodded and said, ¡°Child, this isn¡¯t your fault; you are the victim.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After finishing their conversation, Simon walked over to Yvette and the others.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha politely greeted Simon, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Sundend.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon nodded at Samantha, feeling a bit surprised. He wondered why Samantha hade to Security. But it wasn¡¯t the right situation to ask further questions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon said to Yvette, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with Amy and wait for the police. The physics department exam is tomorrow, so you¡¯d better go home early and get some rest.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon already knew about Yvette¡¯s ns to leave Seacrity. He personally approved her leave request. Yvette postponed her departure by a day for the physics exam tomorrow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As they were leaving the bar, they ran into Zane and his group. Zane waspletely surprised. He thought, ¡®Why are Yvette and Jeremiah here? Could today¡¯s events be linked to them?¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He quickly approached and respectfully addressed Jeremiah and Yvette, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah remembered Zane. He slightly nodded and said calmly, ¡°Alright, go on in.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing this, Zane realized the two were rted to the event today.</font></font>Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zane said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Ms. Zeller, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± With that, he led the police officers behind him into the bar. Shortly after, the bar was sealed off.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the car, Yvette was sitting in the front passenger seat, eyes down, ying with her phone. Andrew asked her, ¡°Yvette, you have an exam tomorrow, right? I haven¡¯t seen you study at all. Do you feel prepared?¡±</font></font>


    Andrew hadn¡¯t seen Yvette pick up any books about physics. He guessed her exam results might not be very good. That might be a huge disappointment for Yvette.


    Samantha was also curious about how Yvette performed in physics. Charles said nothing because he was aware of Yvette¡¯s physics abilities.


    Once, the principal of Mysegna¡¯s top university tried three time to invite Yvette to be a tutor in the physics department, but Yvette didn¡¯t even care, Not to mention a simple physics exam.


    From Charles¡¯s perspective, Andrew¡¯s question wasn¡¯t worth answering.


    Jeremiah continued to drive without saying a word. He thought, Siren¡¯s physics grades?¡±


    Yvette replied to a text: [Get what I need ready and send it to Normis.] Then she looked up, rxed and casual. Her voice was always cool and clear as she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Andrew quicklyforted Yvette, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t be discouraged just do your best; grades are just marks on paper. Look at me. I graduated from Betrico University, and now I¡¯m a librarian¡± He then patted his chest confidently.


    Samantha looked at Andrew and gritted her teeth. She thought, Why does he boast so confidently about these things? Where in the Mitchell gene pool does things go sideways?¡®


    Charles twitched his mouth and leaned towards the window. He felt it was better to keep a safe distance from Andrew; foolishness tended to be contagious.


    Jeremiah was used to it by now, driving as calmly as ever.


    The next day, Patrick¡¯s situation was the talk of the town from early morning. The entire city of Seacrity was buzzing, and the inte was aze with discussions.


    As Samantha said, once things escted, Amy would surely face all kinds of rumors and gossip. As expected, the inte was split into two camps.


    One side thought that Patrick was deceiving students and using photos to threaten female students into bed, saying he deserved a harsh punishment.


    The other side argued that it took two to tango; Amy brought it on herself.


    Onemented: [How could Argrol University have such a disgraceful director? Forcing female students with vile tactics ispletely insane, like a monster ruining a girl¡¯s life. It¡¯s truly disgusting.]


    Another one said: [How can someone like that even be considered a teacher? I really hope the authorities give this scumbag a severe punishment to give the victimized girl some justice. This incident is too terrible.]


    One said: [You can¡¯t only listen to the female student¡¯s side of the story, right? What if she¡¯s doing this to secure a spot in a better program? Who can know the truth in this society?]


    Another person said: [Hey, do you even have any sense of humanity? Do you know how much courage and determination it takes for a female college student to stand up and talk about something like this?]


    The online debate was heated, but most people were reasonable, with moreizens supporting Amy.


    Benjamin, thewyer hired by Samantha, flew to Seacrity early in the morning. After meeting with Amy, he had lunch with Samantha and Andrew. Benjamin was confident about the case and convinced Patrick would pay for his actions.


    Today was exam day for the physics department at Argrol University. Yvette, dressed casually, walked into the exam hall right on time.


    Everyone in the exam hall was excited, and even the proctors couldn¡¯t help but watch Yvette closely, as seeing her in person


    was rare.


    After distributing the test papers, the proctor announced loudly, ¡°Once you finish the exam, ensure you check your answers well. You can submit your papers up to half an hour early.¡±


    Yvette picked up the paper from the desk, read it thoroughly, and started writing. She moved through the answers smoothly, without pausing and finished her work effortlessly.


    The proctor had been keeping a keen eye on Yvette. He was tre test was designed by eight university physics professors, and he


    He thought. Does Yvette take a good look at the questions befo


    even a


    Doubting, the proctor chose to focus only on Yvette, ignoring th


    After half an hour, Yvette stopped writing. She looked up at the An hour and a half left before I can hand in the paper? What sh


    After considering for a moment, Yvette, under the invigtor¡¯s


    Watching Yvette close her eyes while resting on the desk, the pr finished in just half an hour? That seems impossible.


    Yvette stayed in her position.

 Chapter 406

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In thest half hour, most students in the exam room were still grappling with the final tough questions, feeling overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Yvette casually got up, walked to the podium, ced her test paper down, and nodded to the proctor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette leave the exam room, the other students were left dumbfounded. They had mixed emotions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They thought, ¡®What happened to the promised torture of difficult questions? There are differences among people. Observing this, the rest quickly buried their heads back into their tests.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The proctor couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity. He genuinely wanted to see how many questions could be finished in half an hour and how many could be right.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He felt thatpleting the entire test correctly seemed impractical; maybe just barely passing was feasible. But he was taken aback when he took a closer look at the paper.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the entrance of Argrol University, Jeremiah drove a ck Jeep. Andrew, Samantha, and Charles were inside the vehicle. Andrew took a piece of vani toffee that Yvette had casually left in the car, and once he started, he couldn¡¯t stop.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He shook his head as he gazed at the school entrance and said sincerely, ¡°Listen, Jeremiah, when Yvettees out, she might not be in th0e best mood.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¡¯ve heard the exam this time is challenging.¡± As he spoke, he tossed another vani toffee into his mouth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah leaned against the car window and spoke in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten ten pieces of toffee.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha snatched thest piece of toffee from Andrew¡¯s hand and put it back. She said, ¡°You¡¯re a grown man eating candy. like a kid.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles quietly swallowed the candy and then nodded in agreement, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew quickly took back the candy and put it in his pocket. He said, ¡°Samantha, you¡¯ve never tried this. Yvette¡¯s candy is incredibly delicious. You won¡¯t find it anywhere else.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha paused, wondering, ¡°Candy that one can¡¯t find anywhere else?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, Yvette left the school and spotted the Jeep. She went over, opened the door, and entered the front passenger seat. Once she sat down, she instantly noticed the familiar sweet smell.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She gave Andrew a thoughtful look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to transfer the money. It¡¯ll be 30 million dors.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew was caught by surprise. The candy stuck in his throat, making him turn red. He thought, ¡°Thirty million dors? Are these candies worth that much?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, Andrew, with tears in his eyes, transferred 30 million dors to Yvette, feeling his heart shatter. He swore never to eat that candy again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Normis enjoyed a year¨Cround spring¨Clike climate with great weather and plenty of resources. In the past, it wasn¡¯t a major focus for national support.</font></font>


    However, with the recent boom in tourism, the government had been actively supporting the development of its tourism industry. Normis had be a ce everyone wanted to visit.


    After the nended, Yvette and Jeremiah had a private car waiting at the airport exit. Jeremiah had already sent their luggage via air transport a day in advance.


    Ar a vi in Normis, Andrew stood frozen at the entrance. The vi¡¯s gate looked exactly like the design from Sknd, and even theyout seemed the same.


    Samantha and Charles just paused briefly, then calmly carried their luggage into the vi, leaving Andrew alone at the entrance.


    Watching everyone walk ahead, Andrew called out from behind, ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    In the living room, Emmett, who had been sent to Afria by Jeremiah and had just rushed back to Normis, stood quietly on the side.


    Emmett was thrilled to see Jeremiah and Yvette. He quickly stepped forward and slightly bowed. He said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, Yvette, you¡¯re here! The room is ready for you.¡±


    He then nodded toward Samantha and Charles, who had followed Jeremiah in. He greeted, ¡°Ms. Mitchell, Mr. Jameson.¡± Emmett had already learned about Charles¡® background. Charles was once a dominant figure in the Mysonna underworld and the leader of the Goodman family¡¯s Seventy¨CTwo Chambers undoubtedly a fierce character.


    Emmett remarked inside, ¡®Yvette¡¯s circle is indeed full of remarkable people; even someone as tough as Charles is willing to take orders from her.


    Jeremiah nodded and gave a simple reply.


    Yvette¡¯s expression was indifferent. Her voice was cold as she looked at Emmett and said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re doing well.¡± Emmett¡¯s mouth twitched. He thought, ¡°Doing well? How did Yvettee to that conclusion? My time in Afria was tough; I was chased by local girls asking if I wanted to have a child with them.


    ¡®Have kids, just like that? Do they think kids are like cabbages that can pop up whenever?¡±


    Finally, two days ago, he received orders from Jeremiah that he could return home. He left Afria as quickly as he could, not wanting to stay a moment longer.


    Emmett nodded with tears in his eyes, forcing himself to say, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The words felt hollow, as insincere as they could be


    Andrew walked in and saw a few people sitting on the couch. When he spotted Emmett, he eximed inside, ¡®What the heck? Why is he back?


    Andrew tossed his luggage aside, plopped casually onto the couch, and shouted, ¡°Emmett, I want vani ice cream!¡±


    Emmett nced at Andrew, nodding without hesitation. Then, he went straight to the fridge. Inside the drawer, there were stacks of vani ice cream.


    Emmett handed the ice cream to Andrew and softly reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t overeat.¡±


    Andrew nodded and said, ¡°Alright. I knew it, Emmett. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    Charles paused briefly. Samantha was used to it.


    Emmett had followed Jeremiah since he was young. He grew up with the group. Since childhood, he had been particrly fond of Andrew, often without any limits.


    To others, Emmett was always serious and rarely chatty. People who didn¡¯t know them well might even think he and Andrew were brothers.


    Yvette sat on the couch. She raised her eyebrows as she said, ¡°Tm going upstairs to change.¡±


    Jeremiah gently squeezed her fingers. With a serious look, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    Andrew looked at Jeremiah with admiration. He thought, ¡®See? That¡¯s how one elevates flirting¨Csaying the cheekiest things with apletely serious expression. Impressive, truly impressive.


    Yvette nced at Jeremiah with a faint smile. Shezily curled one side of her lips and said, ¡°No need.¡± Then, she turned around without a second thought.


    Jeremiah watched Yvette go upstairs, then turned to Emmett and said, ¡°The Dungo Vige¡¯s documents.¡±


    Samantha wasn¡¯t interested in hearing about this, so she went upstairs too. Soon, only Jeremiah, Charles, and Andrew remained in the living room.


    As soon as Andrew heard Dungo Vige, he quickly sat up straight. Emmett gave him a nce, then pulled a stack of papers from a nearby folder and handed them to Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah flipped through the documents as Emmett exined: Mr. Chavez, Dungo Vige is located at the southwest end of Normis, near Glenwood. This vige has a long history and is inhabited by poison sorcerers.


    ¡°Usually, it isn¡¯t very open to outsiders. Several nearby viges have been developing tourism, but Dungo Vige has always turned down the government¡¯s development ns, dragging it out for years. Now, the government has pretty much left it alone.


    ¡°To get to Dungo Vige, one has to go through a cliff, which is why there haven¡¯t been many visitors. Not much information is avable about it. There¡¯s only one interesting point.


    ¡°Over twenty years ago, there was an outbreak of gue in Dungo Vige that killed about half the poption. How it resolved is unclear, and the truth of this story is uncertain. It¡¯s a rumor that came from other viges.¡±


    Andrew asked anxiously, ¡°Emmett, have you heard anything about Bonnie?¡±


    Emmett looked serious and shook his head.


    He said, ¡°No, we¡¯ve been asking around, but all we know is that ever since Bonnie entered the vige, she hasn¡¯te out.


    ¡°Someone saw her at the bus station; she looked really anxious, almost on the verge of tears. She even paid a hefty sum to hire an unregistered car to take her back to Dungo Vige.


    ¡°When our people showed the driver her picture, he recognized her, which provided us with a lead.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 Chapter 407

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Andrew¡¯s heart was filled with worry. He thought, Crying? Why was Bonnie crying? What on earth happened?¡® Andrew pulled himself together and asked Jeremiah, ¡°Jeremiah, can we head out tomorrow?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett noticed the rare seriousness in Andrew and realized he really liked Bonnie.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked at Andrew, nodded, and said firmly, ¡°Yes, get ready; we¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">While they were talking, Yvette came down from upstairs, wearing a baseball cap and all ck, looking quite cool. Jeremiah got up from the couch and went over. He asked, ¡°Are you going out?¡±</font></font>Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave a light nod, her eyes were dark and bright, with a hint of coldness. She said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going out for a bit, don¡¯t wait for me for dinner.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah paused, looking at Yvette with a deeper gaze, and softly said, ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah and Yvette never needed to say much to each other. They had an understanding that avoided testing each other¡¯s limits and never touched on secrets they weren¡¯t ready to share. They had absolute trust and understanding between them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Yvette left the vi, she took a cab directly to an antique shop, Vintage Vista. It was the most famous antique shop in Normis and a popr spot for treasure hunters trading quality items.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Yvette walked in, a man of ordinary appearance approached her. He had a noticeable mole at the corner of his left eye and was dressed in traditional robes. He was Isaac Taylor, the owner of Vintage Vista.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Vintage Vista was a family business passed down through the generations, with a history of sixty or seventy years. Isaac, who was in his thirties, greeted Yvette enthusiastically.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Yvette, I didn¡¯t expect you toe to Normis in person. What brought you here? Just let me know if you need anything.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, her deep and calm eyes meeting Isaac¡¯s as she raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. She said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac thought carefully before he spoke, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been three years since west saw each other in Mysonna.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°When I received your call recently saying you wereing to Normis, it surprised me. If it hadn¡¯t been your voice, I might have thought it was a scam call.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat in the chair, her hand casually resting on the table. She picked up the coffee cup, took a sip, and asked unhurriedly, ¡°How much have you learned about Dungo Vige</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac nodded and said, ¡°I have to say, Yvette, your sudden call asking me to investigate Dungo Vige caught me off guard. Luckily, a few friends of mine recently visited a grave there, so I was able to get some firsthand information.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The friends Isaac talked about were the renowned treasure hunters from their circle. Isaac stood up and ced the prepared documents on the table.</font></font>


    He looked at Yvette seriously and asked, ¡°Yvette, are you nning to go to Dungo Vige? Can¡¯t you avoid it? That ce is quite dangerous.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s fingers tapped lightly on the table. She lifted her gaze slightly and replied calmly, ¡°Dangerous?¡±


    Isaac nodded seriously and asked, ¡°Yvette, did you know Dungo Vige is and of poison sorcerers?¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly and replied slowly, ¡°I know.¡±


    Isaac continued, ¡°Yvette Dungo Vige is eerie. My friends, well known treasure hunters in our circle, have explored many dangerous ces, but after returning from Dungo Vige, they were all on edge. ording to them, they barely escaped with their lives.¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her eyes fixed on Isaac, and said calmly, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Isaac, knowing Yvette¡¯s personality, didn¡¯t hold back and shared everything his friends witnessed in Dungo Vige.


    He said, ¡°Yvette, the burial method in Dungo Vige involves cing the deceased in a coffin set on a cliff. It¡¯s not surprising: this coffin burial is not unusual in some southern areas.


    ¡°However, unlike other regions, my friends saw that the vigers in Dungo Vige raise venomous insects with the corpses as sustenance.


    ¡°If I¡¯m correct, the vigers must know some form of sorcery, which is extremely evil, somewhat like what we encountered in Mysonna.¡±


    Back in the day, Isaac met Yvette because of an evil sorcerer. If it weren¡¯t for Yvette, he would have been gone several years ago. So, strictly speaking, Yvette wasn¡¯t just a friend; she was a lifesaver for Isaac.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes were downcast. She casually yed with the coffee cup in her hand. Her voice chilled to the bone as she asked, ¡°Using bodies to breed insects?¡±


    Isaac nodded and said, ¡°Yvette, Dungo Vige has at least a thousand residents. Even if not everyone breeds insects, dealing with even a third of them isn¡¯t easy. These creatures can slip in anywhere and are impossible to guard against, making them dangerous.¡±


    Yvette could handle one sorcerer, even two, but what about three or more? Isaac still didn¡¯t want Yvette to take this risk. However, he knew her temperament too well. She might appear aloof, but she¡¯d do anything for a friend.


    Isaac said seriously, ¡°Yvette, can¡¯t you avoid this? Is this friend so important? Is it really worth the trip?¡±


    Yvette narrowed her eyes without any expression as she held the coffee cup in her hand. Her voice was soft as she said, ¡°Important.¡±


    Isaac had expected Yvette¡¯s answer. No one could stop Yvette from doing what she wanted or going where she desired. He sighed and shared all the information he had gathered.


    He said, ¡°Yvette, have you heard of the Sacred Maiden? Some minority viges still hold on to this belief. Back in Dungo Vige, this feudal tradition remains.


    ¡°They believe that a girl born at a certain unlucky time is a gift from the heavens and the protector of the vige. Your friend might truly be a Sacred Maiden.


    ¡°Her being able to study at Argrol University already proves it; she¡¯s the Sacred Maiden of Dungo Vige.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s hand, holding the coffee cup, paused. She raised her eyes, which were cold as ice, and murmured, ¡°Sacred Maiden?¡±


    Seeing Yvette¡¯s expression, Isaac swallowed hard, thinking, ¡®Her expression is frightening. He said, ¡°Yes, because in Dungo Vige, besides men who can go out for work or study, only the Sacred Maiden of each generation can receive a good education elsewhere, but¡­¡±


    At this point, Isaac¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. Yvette looked at him and said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Startled, Isaac quickly continued, ¡°Well, when the Sacred Maiden reaches a certain age, she must return to the vige to be with the chosen Sacred Son.


    ¡°Their children will be the next Sacred Maiden, so your friend¡¯s return instead of going back to school might mean she¡¯s getting married.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Yvette crushed the coffee cup in her hand, scattering pieces all over the floor.


    EIsaac looked at his precious coffee cup with distress. It was the most valuable cup in his shop. But he didn¡¯t dare speak more. Seeing Yvette¡¯s expression, he didn¡¯t dare provoke her, or he¡¯d be shattered.

 Chapter 408

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette slightly narrowed her eyes, a cold hostility suddenly flickering in her gaze. She looked at the shattered pieces on the floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was a porcin coffee cup with a sky blue ze that was at least worth 1.5 million dors on the market. Considering its quality, it might go up by another 1 million.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said mildly, ¡°Give me your ount number, and I¡¯ll transfer the money to youter.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac quickly waved his hands. He wouldn¡¯t dare take money from Yvette. He said, ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s just a small broken coffee cup. I was nning to rece it anyway.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Next time I find a suitable set at the auction, I¡¯ll send you one.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac was thrilled to hear that. He thought, ¡®Is the renowned appraiser Evelyn in the antique world finally making aeback?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Evelyn appeared suddenly on the scene five years ago. She became famous for her keen eye at the West Auction House appraisalpetition by identifying the authenticity of thousands of antiques with a wless record, surpassing everyone and taking first ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Each time she appraised an antique, it cost at least 30 million dors, and it depended on Evelyn¡¯s mood. In the past five years, no antiques appraised by Evelyn had ever been misjudged, making her the top expert in the antique appraisal field.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the antique world, whenever Evelyn verified an antique as genuine, its value increases by at least 2.6 million dors over a regr piece. Yvette was the well¨Cknown Evelyn.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac found out that Yvette was Evelyn purely by ident. Yet, he kept this knowledgepletely confidential and never told anyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac cautiously said, ¡°Yvette, thendscape painting you evaluatedst time has now shot up in value. If you return to the antique world, the whole circle might go crazy again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Recently, the antique scene has been full of fakes. Not long ago, the Mysonna auction house bought a piece of blue¨Cand- white porcin for a staggering 30 million dors, only to find out it was a fake, and now it¡¯s the butt of jokes among us.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The world¡¯s top auction house bought a fake piece. That alone was a massive joke. They tried to cover it up, but news spread quickly in the antique world.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even though it was never auctioned publicly, everyone in the circle knew about it, and they hadpletely lost face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There were even rumors that Evelyn was nning toe out of retirement, but those whispers soon died down.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette showed no emotion. Back then, she entered apetition at the West Auction House on a whim and surprisingly took first ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She fiddled with another coffee cup and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll pick one for you when I can.¡±</font></font>


    Isaac felt disappointed. He knew that getting Yvette toe out of retirement wasn¡¯t likely. He looked nervously at the other coffee cup in Yvette¡¯s hand. If it broke, his poor heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.


    Isaacposed himself and said, ¡°Yvette, if your friend is a Sacred Maiden, Dungo Vige won¡¯t let her go easily. For the vigers, the Sacred Maiden not getting married is a bad omen, so the whole vige will do whatever it takes to stop you.


    ¡°You know how dangerous poisonous insects are; they can kill without a trace. Silently taking someone¡¯s life is no problem for them.¡±


    Yvette had a cold, wicked smile on her lips. Her voice was chilling as she said, ¡°Without a trace? Do you think my life is that cheap?¡±


    Isaac awkwardly rubbed his nose. He had forgotten that Yvette in front of him wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    Back in Mysonna, the sorcerer they met was already considered a master at using poisonous insects, and his skills were exceptional.


    What was his oue when he met Yvette? Isaac saw Yvette turn things around and defeat her opponent with a single blow, not leaving any chance for thest words.


    The most important thing was that it seemed Yvette learned how to control those bugs back then. But that was only Isaac¡¯s assumption and hadn¡¯t been confirmed.


    The sorcerer¡¯sst words before dying were: ¡°You can do it too?¡± Isaac pondered these words for years, the only exnation he came up with was that Yvette knew how to control poisonous insects, too.


    Isaac said to Yvette, ¡°Hang on for a moment, Yvette, I¡¯ll go get something.¡±


    Yvette nodded. Isaac went into the inner room. Yvette sat there, looking tired and at ease. She watched the peopleing and going outside Vintage Vista, lowering her eyes, lost in her thoughts.


    She was unaware that every move she made was watched by a man with shifty eyes across the street.


    Opposite Vintage Vista was Past Perfect, their long¨Ctime rival, constantly inpetition.


    The manager of Past Perfect looked at the stunned man in front of him, then followed his gaze to see Yvette sitting there. With just one look, the manager knew the man¡¯s flirtatious tendencies were kicking in again.


    With a ttering smile, the manager said to the man, ¡°Mr. Jacobs, have you taken a liking to someone again?¡±


    The man turned his head. He was Sheldon Jacobs, the only son of the current vige chief of Dungo Vige, and he looked like he¡¯d indulged in excess. He nodded, his eyes gleaming with determined desire.


    He said, ¡°This woman is a real gem. Her looks and figure are top notch. Do you know if this woman has any ties with Isaac? Could she be his girlfriend?¡±


    The Taylor family held a special status in Normis. If Yvette were Isaac¡¯s girlfriend, then Sheldon wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move, and he shouldn¡¯t either.


    The manager of Past Perfect smiled and said. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, from what I know, Isaac doesn¡¯t have such a beautiful girlfriend. He¡¯s single, famously picky in our antiques sector, and very selective about women.¡±


    Sheldon nodded with satisfaction. He thought, ¡®In that case, it is easier to handle.


    ¡®I will take her back to Dungo Vige, lock her in the basement, and with a binding love spell, she will obediently follow my orders and be my ything for pleasure.¡®


    The manager of Past Perfect looked at Sheldon and immediately understood his intentions.


    The manager thought, ¡®Since she is a guest of Vintage Vista, getting into trouble is inevitable. If this woman ends up with Sheldon, she will be considered very lucky indeed¡®


    In Dungo Vige, everyone was dirt poor, except for the Jacobs family. They were not just not poor; they were actually quite wealthy. A few years ago, they somehow came into a fortune.


    They began dealing with antiques and artifacts, bing important clients of Past Perfect. Sheldon was attracted to beautiful women, and each time he visited, he was apanied by different stunning women.


    These women all obeyed¨CSheldon, following his everymand, which made others envious. The manager figured Yvette wouldn¡¯t be any different.


    In Vintage Vista, Yvette lowered her gaze, gripping her coffee cup as a sh of coldness appeared in her eyes.


    Isaac came out and noticed that Yvette¡¯s expression seemed off. He wondered what had happened in those few minutes when he wasn¡¯t around.


    Yvette lowered her gaze slightly. Her voice was calm as she asked, ¡°Who are the people over there?¡±


    Isaac paused and then looked over with disdain, scoffing, ¡°A lousy store selling both genuine and fake goods, ruining the industry¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Knowing something was fake and selling it as real was different from making an honest mistake.


    Yvette held her coffee cup with long, slender white fingers and sipped, her eyes cold.


    Isaac asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Yvette? Is heing over? That doesn¡¯t seem right. He¡¯d rather throw a bomb at my shop thane here willingly.¡±


    Yvettezily nced over with deep, hazy eyes. She said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy to handle.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Isaac nodded and nced across the street. Then he looked down at the photo in his hand again. He shouted in surprise, ¡°No way, Yvette, this is such a coincidence!¡±

 Chapter 409

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at Isaac, who was making a fuss, her expression cam and unhurried as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac took another careful look at the photo in his hand, ced in front of Yvette, and then walked to the door, pulling the curtain to block the view from the people across the room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In a low voice, he said, ¡°Yvette, the man over there is Sheldon Jacobs, the son of the vige head of Dungo Vige.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s hand paused for a moment before she lifted her head. Expressionless, she asked, ¡°Sheldon Jacobs?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She picked up the photo and nced at it to confirm it was Sheldon across the street. With his rat¨Clike features, he looked sleazy and creepy, ugliness even the photo couldn¡¯t hide.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac nodded and said, ¡°Yvette, I have discovered quite a bit about Sheldon. He¡¯s the only son of the vige head of Dungo Vige. He¡¯s been away most of his life, so he¡¯s quite experienced.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by Dungo Vige being remote and isted. The vige head is indulgent with Sheldon. He sent Sheldon away for education when he was young.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Sheldon only returned a few years ago, changing girlfriends like he changed clothes. But he¡¯s quite odd; three women havemitted suicide over him under mysterious circumstances.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I think Sheldon might know how to control poisonous insects; otherwise, with his appearance, who wouldn¡¯t find him unattractive? How could he have had so many girlfriends?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette pondered momentarily, then casually remarked, ¡°I think I look pretty alright, don¡¯t I?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac didn¡¯t know how to react. He thought, ¡®Does Yvette have some misconception about herself? What does she mean by saying look alright? If she looks alright, then there¡¯s no such thing as a beautiful woman!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If Isaac hadn¡¯t known Yvette for so many years, he¡¯d definitely think this was some sort of humble brag. But he knew Yvette was genuinely unaware of her beauty.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac looked at Yvette seriously and said earnestly, ¡°Yvette, you don¡¯t just look alright; you look amazing.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± She pulled out her phone, texted Jeremiah, and looked up. She said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Past Perfect.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac¡¯s coffee cup slipped from his hands and fell to the floor, shattering. The two precious cups were both broken now. But he couldn¡¯t worry about that right now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Yvette, are you joking about going to Past Perfect?¡± He suddenly had a revtion, thinking, ¡®Is Yvette nning to take action against Sheldon?¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac awkwardly asked, ¡°Yvette, are you nning to target Sheldon to get into Dungo Vige?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette smirked and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it interesting that the vige chief¡¯s son is personally showing me into the vige?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Isaac swallowed nervously, thinking, ¡®Only Yvette can think of such a n. Isn¡¯t having Sheldon take her into the vige a bit too exciting?¡®</font></font>


    Isaac said, ¡°Yvette, isn¡¯t this a bit risky? Sheldon isn¡¯t one to be easily dealt with. Why would he bring someone into the vige unless¡­¡±


    He trailed off, not wanting to say the rest. He thought, ¡®Unless Yvette is nning to use herself to entice Sheldon. Isn¡¯t that too much of a sacrifice?¡®


    Yvette knew exactly what leaac was implying. She raised an eyebrow. With a yful glint in her eye, she said, ¡°Keep your wild ideas to yourself.¡±


    Isaac immediately stopped his daydreaming. He opened the bigbox he had just taken out and stroked the clothes inside. He said, ¡°Yvette, it is a good thing. Do you know celestial silk armor?


    Yvette looked a bit surprised. The celestial silk armor was said to be imprable by weapons and resistant to water and fire. It was incredibly rare on the market. Seeing it here was indeed special.


    Yvette picked up the celestial silk armor and took a closer look, Judging by its craftsmanship, it seemed quite ancient. She asked, ¡°Where did you find this?¡±


    Isaac withdrew his hand and said, ¡°Yvette, this is an heirloom of our Taylor family. It¡¯s been passed down through countless generations and never shown to anyone outside the family.¡±


    Yvette put the celestial silk armor back in the box and closed the lid. ¡°Take it back,¡± she said calmly.


    Isaac was taken aback. He shook his head firmly and said, ¡°Yvette, please don¡¯t refuse. I can¡¯t go with you to Dungo Vige, but keep this. Wearing it will give you extra protection.¡±


    Yvette casually pushed the box back to Isaac and said indifferently, ¡°Poisonous insects are useless to me.


    Isaac was stunned. He thought, ¡®Poisonous insects are useless to Yvette? That sounds a bit exaggerated. After a moment, Isaac regained some of hisposure. He knew Yvette wouldn¡¯t lie.


    Isaac looked curious and asked, ¡°Yvette, back in Mysonna, was thest thing the great sorcerer said true?¡±


    Yvette narrowed her eyes, a clear chill in her gaze, and said slowly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Isaac smiled, thinking, ¡®As expected. He couldn¡¯t figure out where Yvette got such talents. It was incredible that Yvette could learn how to control poisonous insects, which was rted to ethnic inheritance.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Isaac had long known that he could be friends with Yvette or just acquaintances, but definitely not enemies. Otherwise, he¡¯d have no idea how he ended up dead.


    Isaac said, ¡°Yvette, I¡¯ve wanted to give you the celestial silk armor for a long time. Without your help back then, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. I¡¯ll keep it safe for you until you need it.¡±


    Yvette looked at Isaac and nodded. She said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ten minutester, Yvette came out of Vintage Vista, dressed in all ck, exuding a hint of menace. She nced at Past Perfect and walked over.


    At Past Perfect, Sheldon was thrilled to see Yvette walking toward him. He hadn¡¯t expected she would walk right into the trap; just when he thought he¡¯d have to put in some effort, she showed up alone.


    Sheldon quickly straightened himself up, appearing neatly dressed and wearing a charming smile.


    He pretended to move to the side casually, picking up objects as though browsing, but he never took his eyes off Yvette. The manager of Past Perfect saw through Sheldon immediately.


    Yvette walked into Past Perfect and noticed the antique disys. With just a nce, she could tell that Isaac was right; the items here were mixed with counterfeits, and most were of low quality.


    Yvette approached a disy. She casually pointed at a bracelet and looked at the manager, asking, ¡°How much is this?¡±


    Seeing a chance to start a conversation, Sheldon gave the manager a look and quickly walked over. He said, ¡°Hello, Miss, is this your first time here? Do you like this bracelet? I can tell you more about it.¡±


    Yvette sat with her legs curled up, lookingzy and rxed. She lifted her eyelids slightly and smiled at Sheldon.


    That smile was enough to make Sheldon overjoyed. It strengthened his determination to win Yvette over, confident as he continued to talk.


    The manager of Past Perfect chimed in to agree with Sheldon. He said, ¡°Miss, this must be your first time at Past Perfect; you seem new here.


    ¡°Rest assured, everything we sell is genuine and of excellent quality. This gentleman, Sheldon Jacobs, is a regr with refined taste, generous spending, and truly a rare man.¡±


    Sheldon pretended to cough, still acting modest as he said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, manager. It¡¯s because Past Perfect has great products. I don¡¯t want to visit the store across the street, Vintage Vista.


    ¡°Their manager is stingy, the goods are poor, and they¡¯re arrogant. Miss, I sincerely rmend buying antiques here at Past Perfect.¡±


    Across from the street, Isaac packed up the celestial silk armor and yawned twice. He nced at Past Perfect and wondered, ¡®What¡¯s Yvette going to do to teach Sheldon a lesson this time? Seems like Dungo Vige is going to get lively.¡¯


    In Past Perfect, Seeing Sheldon and the manager bantering, a hint of annoyance crept into Yvette¡¯s expression. She was impatient, annoyed, and disgusted.

 Chapter 410

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon got more and more animated, words spilling out rapidly. He said, ¡°With all this talk, I still don¡¯t know your name. A meeting must be fate¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before he could finish, Yvette interrupted him. ¡°Yvette Zeller, remember that name,¡± she said.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon nodded very seriously. He wondered what was so special about the name Yvette. He usually forgot about a woman after being with her, but Yvette¡¯s looks and presence were hard to forget, even for a yboy like him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stepped back. She bent her knee slightly and said casually ¡°Do you have money?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect Yvette to be so straightforward. He thought she was like a high and unattainable flower, but she turned out to be so ordinary and blunt, asking immediately if he had money.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Indeed, women all have the same demeanor in the end, just interested in money.¡¯ Sheldon considered Yvette a gold digger, and he became more rxed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought that a woman who talked about money so easily, what could be truly valuable about her?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon casually said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, while I¡¯m not super wealthy, I have enough money. If you need anything, you cane with me back to my vige, and I¡¯ll write you a check.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon didn¡¯t want to lose Yvette. Worried that Yvette might doubt his intentions, he quickly added, ¡°Ms. Zeller, please don¡¯t misunderstand. As for the check, I left in a hurry today and didn¡¯t bring it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The manager immediately understood and said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, rest assured. Mr. Jacobs is a trustworthy person.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette slightly raised her eyes, giving a quick nce at Sheldon and the manager. Her delicate face was cold and distant. She spoke slowly, ¡°Lead the way; I¡¯ll go with you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon was at a loss for words. He thought, ¡®Her demeanor is something else. Who is lending money to whom here? Someone might think I am the one asking for a loan. She is the first person I met who could borrow money boldly.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon, holding back his dissatisfaction, nodded with a show of gentility. He said, ¡°I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. I¡¯m the son of Dungo Vige¡¯s head. Have you heard of Dungo Vige?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon remained cautious, mainly because their vige was nning something major soon, and outsiders might not be wee. But he couldn¡¯t just let such a beautiful woman pass by so easily.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®A woman? What trouble could she possibly cause?¡® He didn¡¯t believe a woman, especially one who loved money, could stir up much trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette paused for a moment, then shook her head. She said, ¡°I have no idea.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette¡¯s sincere look, which didn¡¯t look like lying, Sheldon let his guard down. He said, ¡°Then Ms. Zeller, please go this way. My car is parked not far from here.¡±</font></font>


    Seeing Sheldon and Yvette leave, the manager smiled with envy. He thought, ¡®Sheldon is not handsome, but when ites to romantic encounters, he¡¯s got all the luck. Each woman around him is more beautiful than thest.¡¯


    In the car, Sheldon kept talking to Yvette, but Yvette rested her hand on her head and closed her eyes in the back seat, not responding. Sheldon noticed her silence and stopped talking.


    He was fuming inside, thinking, ¡®Is she mute? Can¡¯t she hear anything I am saying?¡® But despite his anger, when he saw Yvette¡¯s exquisite face, a wave of heat rushed through him again


    Meanwhile, when Jeremiah received the text message, his eyes instantly turned sharp. He said to others, ¡°No need to wait until tomorrow; we¡¯re treading to Dungo Vige tonight.¡±


    Hearing this, Samantha, Andrew, and Charles looked at Jeremiah Charles was the first to react, his gaze darkening. He asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, did Yvette go to Dungo Vige and run into trouble?¡±


    Samantha and Andrew¡¯s expressions changed when they heard this. They spoke in unison, ¡°Yvette went to Dungo Vige already?¡±


    Jeremiah stood up and nodded. He said, ¡°Yes, she ran into someone from Dungo Vige and is on her way there. Pack up. We¡¯ll leave in half an hour.¡±


    The three nodded, their faces serious. Everyone knew that this trip to Dungo Vige wouldn¡¯t be easy, and getting Bonnie out wouldn¡¯t be straightforward. So, they had to make the necessary preparations.


    Jeremiah finished speaking, turned, and walked out while taking out his phone. He said, ¡°I need the stuff you prepared right now¡­¡±


    The man on the other end of the line didn¡¯t hesitate. He replied, ¡°Understood, Mr. Chavez. Everything is ready for you.¡±


    The three people left in the living room exchanged looks. Then, they spread out, each going to take care of their own things.


    Half an hourter, Jeremiah, Charles, Andrew, and Samantha had all finished packing.


    Andrew looked at his clothes with curiosity; Jeremiah said they were made of a special material that could prevent bugs from burrowing into the skin. It was incredible.


    It was Andrew¡¯s first time seeing such clothes, he felt it was like something out of a fantasy novel.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha was much moreposed about it; she knew Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t head to Dungo Vige without some preparation.


    Charles watched Jeremiah thoughtfully. To his knowledge, this nano high¨Ctechbat attire first appeared with the world¡¯srgest mercenary group, Wolfpack. It had never been shared outside, so he wondered how Jeremiah got this.


    Andrew nced around and asked, ¡°Jeremiah, isn¡¯t Emmetting with us?¡±


    Jeremiah said, ¡°No, he has other things to handle. He¡¯ll join us once he¡¯s finished.¡±


    Dressed entirely in ck, Jeremiah had a cold and ruthless demeanor. He looked at the three and said deeply, ¡°Make sure you protect yourselves. Poisonous insects can sneak in anywhere, so never let your guard down.¡±


    The three nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    In Dungo Vige, Sheldon led Yvette down a small path. The road was smooth, without the rumored cliffs and steep areas. They entered through a patch of woods and reached the vige entrance in about half an hour.


    Sheldon had a reluctant and angry look on his face. He thought, Yvette is quite a peculiar character. Even though the path was smooth, it felt eerie and was hard to traverse. Even for Sheldon, a native of Dungo Vige, it was challenging.


    But Yvette walked incredibly fast, covering that half¨Chour distance without sweat. Sheldon had nned to act in the woods but found the reason not to do so too embarrassing to even think about.


    All along the way, Sheldon couldn¡¯t catch up with Yvette. No matter how fast he moved, Yvette seemed to have eyes in the back of her head, always maintaining a calcted distance that seemed intentional, making him suspicious.


    When Yvette saw the stone b engraved with Dungo Vige, she came to a halt. Sheldon, out of breath, caught up from behind and cautiously asked, ¡°Ms. Zeller, why didn¡¯t you wait for me? Are you trained in boxing?¡±


    With her hands in her pockets, Yvette looked at Sheldon. She shook her head, raised an eyebrow, and, with eyes devoid of warmth, remarked coolly, ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡±


    Sheldon choked, thinking, ¡®At a time like this, whatever. I have to take her back to the vige first before dealing with her. He said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, excuse me, I¡¯ve not been feeling welltely.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s indifferent attitude made Sheldon feel even more uneasy. He escorted Yvette into the vige, barely encountering any vigers. Those they did see were elderly, with withered faces and calm eyes.


    Yvette¡¯s face initially showed caution, but when she saw Sheldon her expression turned into a friendly smile. Since entering the vige, Yvette hadn¡¯t spotted any young people.


    She found it odd. How could there be no young people in an entire vige?


    Yvette nced casually and noticed there was a piece of red cloth hanging at the entrance of every house. She asked casually, ¡°Red cloth? Is there a celebration happening in your vige?¡±


    Sheldon felt more confident when he entered the vige. Hearing Yvette¡¯s question, he replied with an air of mystery, ¡°Ms. Zeller, in just three days, we¡¯ll have a huge celebration here in Dungo Vige.¡±

 Chapter 411

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvene became irrigurd Whare this happy asion! It looks like you all are taking it very seriously.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon pointed toward one of the houses and quietly said, ¡°Se that one? That¡¯s my uncle¡¯s house. In three days, my cousin Navian is going to many Bonnie, the special woman from Dungi Vige</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°t¡¯s going to be the grandest wedding in our vige. The whole vige is looking forward to this day</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. ¡°The special woma</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon, noticing that Martin was intrigued by this topic, was pleased.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He quickly exined to Yvette. ¡°Bonnie is the guardian goddess of Dungo Vige. Every few years, she has to marry a man chosen from the vige, and Xavian was recently selected. If you¡¯re interested, you can stay here in the vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Normally, outsiders aren¡¯t allowed to attend the wedding, but since you¡¯re my friend, I can talk to my father. He¡¯ll probably agree.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon wasn¡¯t hiding his thoughts anymore. Now that Yvette was in Dungo Vige, he had plenty of time and opportunities to win her over. There was no rush. His n was to keep Yvette here first.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon, already used to her cold manner, nodded back. He said kindly, ¡°I¡¯ll go make arrangements. Let¡¯se back to my ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Jacobs residence had a typical medieval style of decor, luxurious and exuding an ancient charm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Sheldon entered, a man in a gray suit, Gideon, stepped out. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, wee back.¡±</font></font>N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon¡¯s gaze shifted to Yvette, his frown deepening as he eyed her with a look of suspicion and some distaste.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Has Mr. Jacobs lost his mind? Doesn¡¯t he know that women always bring trouble? A beautiful woman is nothing but a disaster. If this keeps up, Mr. Jacobs will surely meet his end because of a woman,¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at him, her gaze indifferent. With both hands in her pockets, she raised an eyebrow, her expression showing a hint of rebelliousness.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon hesitated. ¡°Sheldon, Mr. Jacobs is asking for you. I¡¯ll arrange a room for thisdy.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clearly, Gideon had handled such situations many times before. Sheldon nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thank you, Gideon. Please make sure Ms. Zeller is well taken care of. She¡¯s an important guest of mine.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Turning to Yvette, Sheldon spoke gently. ¡°Ms. Zeller, please rest for now. I have something to take care of.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded in acknowledgment, her hands still in her pockets, her eyes cold. Her sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing her slender, smooth wrists. She didn¡¯t say anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon¡¯s dissatisfaction was evident as he thought, ¡®What an arrogant woman. How dare she be so disrespectful to Mr. Jacobs!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Sheldon left, Gideon coldly addressed Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, follow me. Your room is on the left.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As they walked, Gideon casually asked her questions, to which Yvette responded.</font></font>


    At the door of her room, Gideon spread his hands. ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is your room. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Yvette and sonly, then turned to close the door. Their eyes met, and Gideon¡¯s gaze darkened with a sh of malice. Does he want to kill met she thought.


    After the door closed, Gideon stood for a moment before turning to leave. It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of woman she is. In the end, she¡¯s just fertilizer. Nothing worth paying attention to be wondered.


    In the study. Sheldon straightened his clothes and knocked on the door. After hearing the invitation to enter, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He walked toward the man sitting at the desk.


    Gideon bowed respectfully. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back from South East Aploth?


    Sheldon¡¯s father, Holden Jacobs, was fifty¨Cfive years old. He had been the leader of Dungo Vige for thirty years, and his power was absolute. No one dared defy him. The vigers treated him with the utmost respect.


    Holden¡¯s face was lined with deep wrinkles, and his narrowed eyes gave him a stern appearance. Sheldon resembled him quite a bit. It was clear that they were father and son.


    Holden put down what he was holding and looked at Sheldon with a cold expression. ¡°You brought back another woman?¡±


    Sheldon knew he couldn¡¯t hide anything from his father, so he spoke honestly. ¡°Yeah, Dad, she¡¯s incredibly beautiful. I fell for her the moment I saw her.


    ¡°But rx. She¡¯s just a silly woman who loves money. Once I¡¯m done with her, I¡¯ll have her serve as fertilizer for the little ones. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Holden knew Sheldon¡¯s ways. After all these years, his weakness for women was no secret. He couldn¡¯t live without them. Nodding dismissively, Holden thought little of it. Sheldon had fallen for countless women over the years. It was nothing new.


    ¡°Just keep a low profile,¡± Holden warned. ¡°In three days, it¡¯ll be Xavian¡¯s wedding with Bonnie. You¡¯ll need to lend a hand. Bonnie¡¯s been making trouble, refusing to eat in protest.


    ¡°Do whatever it takes to stop her from causing any more problems. She can¡¯t be allowed to stir things up before the next special womanes along.¡±


    Sheldon nodded, then spat on the ground in disdain. ¡°Dad, Bonnie¡¯s just out of her mind. She thinks a bit of schooling means she can escape Dungo Vige, utterly delusional.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her special role, I would have killed her by now and tossed her into Deathworm Hell.¡±


    Holden¡¯s expression darkened, his tone stern. ¡°Watch your mouth! Do you think you can throw around talk about Deathworm Hell like that? Keep that ce a secret from outsiders, or you can pack up and leave Dungo Vige for good.¡± Seeing Holden¡¯s anger, Sheldon immediately backtracked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I was wrong. Please, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    With an annoyed wave, Holden dismissed him. ¡°Get out of here. Stop making trouble and keep an eye on that woman you brought in.¡±


    Sheldon nodded, mumbling, ¡°Yes, Dad. I¡¯ll head out now. Just get back to your work.¡±


    After Sheldon left, Holden¡¯s expression grew pensive as he gazed thoughtfully toward the bookshelf.


    At the westernmost house in Dungo Vige, the door opened, revealing Bonnie dressed in wrinkled clothes that she had clearly been wearing for days. She sat motionless on the bed, her eyes dull and unfocused, and a cold, untouched meal sitting on the table.


    The woman who entered nced at Bonnie, her eyes flickering briefly before she turned to close the door.


    Janice walked over, looking at Bonnie with concern, her voice soft and gentle. ¡°Bon, please eat something. Don¡¯t keep faire Tuisy redu/3 Jate buye Thawee fire about already Fidourt want to the the operat


    Termild trave Dunuse Vige former and esetes leek brack Gresort fome now fanies. Caart we lrawee ogother¡® aiÃâ·Ñ


    For a moment, a fock of confer shed in Jade¡¯s eyes. After a silence, under Bonnie¡¯s hopeful gree, Janies thank her head and took Bonnie¡¯s hund gently


    Janice persuaded ¡°Bon, you¡¯re the special woman. It¡¯s been your destiny since the day you were born. You can¡¯t escape it You know what Holden¡¯s temper is like. If you keep this up, and he truly gets angry, the consequences could be disastrous. ¡°Really, is Xavian that bad? Marrying him could bring you happiness, respect, and admiration in Dungo Vige Isn¡¯t that


    Bonnie weakly pulled her hand away, looking up. ¡°Janice, did you call Yvette with the number I gave your

 Chapter 412

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At Janice¡¯s reaction, her expression stiffened slightly, and she avoided Bonnie¡¯s gaze. Awkwardly, she murmured, ¡°Bon, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Holden had me under surveince. I didn¡¯t have a chance to make that call</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In truth, Janice did have a chance, but it was a call she was never going to make. Only if Bonnie married Xavian would she receive a generous dowry that would allow her to marry an elderly, wealthy man from the neighboring area.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She¡¯d had enough of the hard life in Dungo Vige. Marriage was her only escape to a better life.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Bon, even if I did get a chance to call Yvette, do you honestly think she¡¯de all this way just to help you escape?¡± Janice thought Bonnie¡¯s studies had made her naive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They¡¯re just friends. Who would risk everything to travel all the way to Dungo Vige for Bon? Who would be that foolish? Impossible, Janice thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie was about to speak when a cough escaped her, but she steadied herself, looking resolute as she told Janice, ¡°Janice, if Yvette knew about my situation, she would absolutelye to rescue me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Fearing that Bonnie¡¯s excitement might worsen her condition, Janice quickly replied, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The room fell quiet. Bonnie was already too weak. Her once¨Cround face had grown gaunt over the past few days.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Beside her, Janice looked at Bonnie with a tinge of guilt, though helplessness filled her gaze.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suppressing the itch in her throat, Bonnie forced herself tofort Janice. ¡°Janice, I know it¡¯s because of me that you¡¯re being watched as well. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Looking at Bonnie¡¯s frail state, Janice¡¯s resolve wavered momentarily, but in the next second, she steadied herself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Bon is young and doesn¡¯t understand Xavian¡¯s worth. Once she¡¯s married, she¡¯ll realize that life with him will be just like any other marriage. It doesn¡¯t matter who one ends up with,¡® Janice wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With some effort, Bonnie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°Janice, I have onest request.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°After I get married, call the number on this paper. Just tell him that I¡¯m d I knew him, and I hope he¡¯ll have a wonderful future.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Janice¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. ¡°Bon, does that mean you¡¯ve agreed to marry Xavian?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie nodded with a look of unshakable determination. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve agreed.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had mentally prepared herself for the worst. In truth, she had no intention of actually marrying Xavian.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice took the slip of paper, noticing there was a photo on it. The picture was crumpled as if Bonnie had held onto it tightly for a long time.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Janice saw the man¡¯s face in the photo, her eyes sparkled. What a handsome man,¡® she thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hiding her own excitement, Janice cautiously probed. ¡°Bon, is he your boyfriend? Is he the one you¡¯re in love with?¡±</font></font>


    Bonnie, oblivious to Janice¡¯s shift in tone, shook her head and answered softly. ¡°No¡­ he¡¯s not my boyfriend. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s just someone I love.¡±


    Janice hesitated for a moment and wondered, ¡®Not her boyfriend?¡®


    Carefully, she tucked the photo away. ¡°Bon, is he a ssmate? His clothes look like designerbels, He must be right


    Romme paused, feeling Janice¡¯s questions were a bit odd, but she nodded anyway. ¡°His family¡¯s from Betrico. I don¡¯t know much about what they do, though.¡±


    Janice¡¯s mood soured slightly, thinking Ronnie wasn¡¯t being entirely honest. ¡®Does Bonnie think just because I never went to school, I don¡¯t recognize luxury brands! The man¡¯s clothes screath money¡®


    An idea suddenly shed in Janice¡¯s mind. ¡°Bon, I¡¯ll leave your food here. Make sure you eat while it¡¯s still warm.


    ¡°I have things to take care of, including sewing your wedding dress, so just rest and wait for your big day three days from now. I¡¯ll check in on you tomorrow.¡±


    She paused before adding, ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Bon. On your wedding day, I¡¯ll sneak away and call that man. I¡¯ll pass along what you wanted to say.¡±


    Bonnie nodded. ¡°Thank you, Janice.¡±


    Janice turned around, a faint smile crossing her face, then walked out the door.


    Inside, Bonnie looked at the food on the table, mustered her remaining strength, and walked over. She sat down, her hands trembling as she picked up a fork, lifting a bite to her mouth, but the food tasted like nothing at all.


    As Bonnie continued eating, tears began to slip from her eyes, falling onto her te. ¡®I was such a fool, blindly trusting her words, she thought bitterly.


    The woman had imed Bonnie¡¯s grandmother was ill and hospitalized, which had hurried Bonnie back from Seacrity, only for Holden to trap her here and force her to marry Xavian.


    ¡®A special man?¡® She scornfully thought, ¡°This is all just Holden and Dr. Hansen¡¯s twisted scheme to deceive the vigers¡­ Grandma passed away long ago. Holden has been lying to me all along.¡¯


    Just as Bonnie was crying while eating, she heard three quick taps on the window. Bonnie froze, listening intently, and then heard another soft knock.


    Setting down her fork, Bonnie tiptoed over to the window, whispering cautiously, ¡°Who¡­ who¡¯s there?¡±


    The next moment, the window opened, and a face appeared, the very face Bonnie had dreamed of seeing.


    Bonnie stood in stunned silence, almost afraid the sight might vanish. She rubbed her eyes, wiped away her uncontroble tears, and asked in disbelief, ¡°Yvette? Is it really you, Yvette?¡±


    She pinched her arm. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°The pain¡¯s real. So is Yvette!¡® Bonnie wondered.


    Yvette, dressed in ck, with a cap pulled low over her eyes, stood there with a cool, steady gaze fixed on Bonnie¡¯s gaunt face. Her voice was calm, almost icy. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Realizing it was indeed Yvette, Bonnie quickly nced around, ensuring they were alone. ¡°Yvette, how did you get here? How did you even find this ce?¡±


    Yvette looked at Bonnie, her usual calm gaze unfazed by Bonnie¡¯s chaotic excitement. ¡°Step aside. Let me in first.¡±


    Bonnie immediately backed away, leaving space by the window, and stood awkwardly to one side.


    Bonnie watched as Yvette swung herself gracefully through the window,nding in the room in one smooth, agile motion.


    Before Yvette could even regain her bnce, Bonnie threw herself into her arms, hugging her tightly.


    Bonnie sobbed even harder, clinging to Yvette. ¡°Oh, Yvette, you¡¯re finally here! I¡­ they were starving me, and they¡¯re trying to make me marry a fan.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I just want to go back to school. I miss you. I miss Andrew. I don¡¯t want to stay in Dungo Vige another second¡­¡±


    Bonnie went on and on, pouring out everything she¡¯d been holding in, her words spilling out nonstop for nearly ten minutes. When she finally stopped, her eyes were swollen and barely open.


    Still clinging to Yvette, Bonnie looked up, her tear¨Cstreaked face a mess. She sniffled. ¡°Did youe here alone? That¡¯s so dangerous!¡±


    Yvette pointed to Bonnie¡¯s hands, a silent signal. Realizing her mistake, Bonnie quickly let go, remembering that Yvette didn¡¯t like people getting too close.


    Yvette surveyed the room briefly before saying in a low voice, ¡°No, I didn¡¯te alone. Jeremiah, Andrew, and two other friends are with me. They¡¯re outside the vige. They haven¡¯te in yet.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yvette¡­ did you say Andrew came too?


    Yvette nodded slowly, her tone deliberately casual. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been really worried about you.¡±


    A soft blush crept up Bonnie¡¯s cheeks as she murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be so thoughtful.¡±


    Seeing Bonnie¡¯s shy smile, Yvette smirked. Her gaze was cold but held a hint of mischief. ¡°So, Bonnie, tell me everything. What¡¯s going on? And what¡¯s the deal with your marriage with Xavian?¡±

 Chapter 413

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie let out a sigh.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She began. Yvette, there¡¯s an old custom in Dungo Vige. If a woman gives birth and her firstborn is a boy, she¡¯s free to have more children without restrictions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°But if her firstborn is a girl, and the second is also a girl, that second daughter must be killed unless she¡¯s born with a unique constitution that allows her to better control poisonous insects.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°In that rare case, the girl is spared and given a special title. I¡¯m one of those rare cases. For years, I¡¯ve been the only second- born girl in Dungo Vige who met these two conditions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Before me, there hadn¡¯t been one in the vige for nearly twenty years. Holden is pressuring me to marry because only a daughter born to me is chosen as the next special woman.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze sharpened, a glint of ruthless rity in her bright eyes. Superstitions like these had been passed down for generations.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie was the only surviving second¨Cborn girl in all these years, which meant many others had met their deaths at the hands of these ignorant vigers.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette toyed with the cup in her hand, her tone detached. ¡°How was Xavian chosen?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie snorted coldly. ¡°Yvette, Xavian¡¯s selection was nothing but a farce concocted by Dr. Hansen, the vige¡¯s so¨Ccalled great doctor. It¡¯s a sham, with no scientific basis whatsoever.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vigers blindly believe in it. Marrying me off to Holden¡¯s nephew, Xavian, is just another way for Holden to keep the future special woman under his control.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette let out a short, sarcasticugh. ¡°Quite the scheme.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie hesitated, her expression turning serious. ¡°Yvette, since I got back, I¡¯ve noticed something odd about the vigers. They look pale and listless, easily angered, almost as if something has drained the life out of them. It¡¯s frightening.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze lowered slightly, her voice cold enough to chill the room. She tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table, musing. ¡°The vigers are raising poisonous insects, sustaining them with their own blood. Naturally, they¡¯dck vitality.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Yvette, how do you know that everyone here raises poisonous insects?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Jeremiah and a friend of mine uncovered it,¡± Yvette replied coolly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie nodded. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for someone with Jeremiah¡¯s skills to find that out. Suddenly, Bonnie looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you who I really am.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced up briefly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonni</font></font>Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">hurried to exin, ¡°Yvette, I don¡¯t raise poisonous insects, and I don¡¯t know anything about using magical poisons¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave a slight nod. ¡°I know. There¡¯s no trace of poisonous insects on you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie scratched her head, looking a little sheepish. ¡®So, Yvette knew all along,¡¯ she wondered.</font></font>


    Shaking her head, Bonnie added, ¡°Yvette, not everyone in Dungo Vige knows how to raise poisonous insects. Only the women do.


    ¡°Over the years, the conditions for raising poisonous insects have deteriorated, so sessful breeding has be rare. But now the vigers, including some of the men, look so strange.


    ¡°Even if they re feeding their blood to poisonous insects, it shouldn¡¯t affect them like this. Yvette, could it be possible that they re actually sick!


    Wette lowered her gaze for a moment, then replied in a chilling tone, ¡°No, they¡¯re not sick. They¡¯re simply suffering from severe blood loss.


    Every man here carries a strong scent of poisonous insects. It¡¯s been at least a year now. If this goes on, they won¡¯t survive another year.¡±


    Bonnie gasped. ¡°Yvette, will they really die? I was herest summer, and everyone in Dungo Vige seemed perfectly fine back then. How could things have changed so drastically in just one year?


    They all know men shouldn¡¯t try raising poisonous insects with their own blood, so why would they suddenly take such a risk? There must be some hidden secret behind this.¡±


    Yvette nced at Bonnie, raising an eyebrow. ¡®Seems Bonnie¡¯s gotten sharper. Strange events rarely ur without a reason. she wondered.


    Yvette asked, ¡°Do you know Sheldon?¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s expression immediately soured, her disdain evident. ¡°Yvette, Sheldon is a disgusting bastard. He¡¯s been a pervert since he was young. Before he was even of age, he got a girl from Dungo Vige pregnant and then abandoned her.


    ¡°The poor girl died in childbirth, along with the baby, and no one ever held him ountable. Why are you bringing him up, Wette?¡±


    Yvette replied casually, ¡°I see. He brought me into Dungo Vige.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s jaw nearly dropped. ¡°Yvette, what did you say? You came here with Sheldon?¡±


    Yvette nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bonnie felt so touched she was on the verge of tears. ¡®Yvette took such a huge risk just to help me,¡® she wondered.


    Seeing Bonnie about to tear up again, Yvette rubbed her temples and said calmly, ¡°No crying.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s tears stopped right in their tracks. ¡®Yvette is absolutely the queen of ruining a moment,¡® she thought.


    Bonnie knew she couldn¡¯t afford to be weak now. Yvette had taken a huge risk to help her, and Bonnie was determined not to be a burden.


    Yvette asked, ¡°What kind of person is Holden?¡±


    Bonnie thought for a moment. ¡°Yvette, Holden is extremely selfish and controlling, ruthless too. Everyone in the vige is afraid of him, and I think he¡¯s hiding a lot of secrets.


    ¡°Something strange happened when I came back. I visited Holden¡¯s house, and I saw himing out of his study. But I¡¯d just checked that study, and no one was in there. It was like he¡¯d appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    Yvette set down her cup, her face expressionless, and her gaze deep and icy. ¡°There¡¯s something off about his house.¡±


    Bonnie nodded. ¡°Something off? Do you think Holden has a secret room or something? You know, like in those TV shows¡­ how else would he just appear out of thin air?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s brow lowered slightly. ¡°His residence has a strange aura about it, and theyout is unusual. There¡¯s definitely a secret room there, but it¡¯s well¨Cconcealed and will take time to locate.¡±


    Bonnie was shocked thurt her wild guess actually hit the mark. Just as she was about to say something more, Yvette¡¯s gaze turned sharply toward the window. She murmured, ¡°Someone¡¯s Comming. We have two minutes?


    Bonnie instantly mmed up as she wondered. Who could being at a time like this? If they find Yvette here, we¡¯re doomed


    Yvette whispered, ¡°For the next three days, stay inside, eat on time, and keep up your strength.¡±


    Bonnic nodded quickly. ¡°I understand, Yvette.¡±

 Chapter 414

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie was sweating nervously, her face pale as she clutched her cup. Yvette raised an eyebrow, holding her own cup with a calm demeanor. ¡°No need to be nervous,¡± she said lightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®How could I possibly not be nervous at a time like this? If Sheldon finds out Yvette¡¯s in here, it¡¯ll be a disaster!¡® Bonnie was so rattled that she¡¯d forgotten Yvette had entered the vige with Sheldon.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Outside, Sheldon¡¯s face darkened as he heard someone else¡¯s voice from within. He yelled, ¡°Bonnie, is there s your room? Open up right now, or I¡¯ll break down the door!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He bellowed again. ¡°Open up! Who¡¯s in there with you? Hurry up! If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯m calling for backup.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the next moment, the door swung open from the inside, and Yvette stood there. Sheldon¡¯s hand froze mid¨Cair as he saw her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You¡­¡± He stammered, ¡°How is it you? What are you doing here? His eyes filled with a terrifying suspicion.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Why is Yvette in Bonnie¡¯s room? Why did she follow me to Dungo Vige?¡® he thought, starting to doubt Yvette¡¯s intentions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette took a few casual steps forward, one hand in her pocket, her expressionzy and unbothered. ¡°I got lost,¡± she drawled, ncing over at Bonnie. ¡°Saw her banging on the door and came in to check it out.¡±</font></font>Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon let out a coldugh. ¡°Ms. Zeller, cut the nonsense. This room is guarded outside. There¡¯s no way you could¡¯ve evene close, much less entered. Who are you, really? What¡¯s your purpose in Dungo Vige?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at himzily, her delicate features cold and indifferent. ¡°No one was here, and the door wasn¡¯t locked.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon¡¯s face showed clear disbelief as he turned toward Bonnie, who stood frozen in shock. ¡°Do you know her?¡± he demanded.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Although Bonnie¡¯s heart was racing, her body reacted faster than her mind. She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°She barged in, and I was just about to throw her out when you knocked. Who is she? Is she another girl you tricked intoing here?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon, seeing the anger in Bonnie¡¯s eyes and how she wasn¡¯t avoiding his gaze, began to believe that they truly didn¡¯t know each other. But even so, he still felt a twinge of doubt and nced uneasily at Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">To cover his own insecurity, Sheldon raised his voice, snapping. Bonnie, what nonsense are you talking about? Tricked? Don¡¯t be ridiculous and stop using me!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie shot a quick nce at Yvette and felt a sudden surge of courage. ¡®With Yvette here, I¡¯m not scared at all, she thought, putting her hands on her hips and shouting back at him, her voice twice as loud as his.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When it came to shouting, Bonnie had never lost.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She continued, ¡°Sheldon, am I wrong? You¡¯re banging on the door like a mad dog, and now that it¡¯s open, you¡¯re saying all this weird stuff to her! I told you I don¡¯t know her, and you don¡¯t believe me?</font></font>


    ¡°Then why are you even asking? Just take this woman and leave. I don¡¯t want to see either of you! Stay if you want, but don¡¯t cry when Holden finds out and scolds you!¡±


    Sheldon was stunned. He¡¯d never seen Bonnie act like this. ¡®Bonnie is so naive. All she¡¯s ever done is study. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s this good at acting, he thought.


    He nced again at Yyette, who looked calm andposed, showing no signs of guilt or unease. His suspicions mostly faded, though one question still nagged at him.


    ¡®Where was the guard at the door? How did Yvette even get inside?¡® he wondered.


    Just then, a man in distinctive clothing came rushing over. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, what are you doing here?¡±


    Sheldon froze as he noticed the man¡¯s trousers were still unfastened. Without a second thought, he pped him and scolded him. ¡°Where were you? Didn¡¯t lock the door? You didn¡¯t even know someone came in?¡±


    The guard¡¯s face turned red with panic as he quickly tried to exin, ¡°Mr. Jacobs, I¡¯m sorry! I had an upset went to the restroom. I¡¯m so sorry. It won¡¯t happen again, Mr. Jacobs!¡±


    mach and just


    Suddenly, a foul smell began wafting from the guard, and Sheldon grimaced, taking a couple of steps ba¡­ disgust. He waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Get away from me, now.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face flushed, and he looked a bit resentful. ¡®It¡¯s not like I wanted to have stomach problems! What else could I do? And now I¡¯m getting pped out of nowhere. This is so unfair,¡® he thought, clutching his stomach as he hurried off.


    After the guard ran off, the unpleasant smell finally dissipated. All of Sheldon¡¯s doubts disappeared. He now realized he hadpletely misunderstood Yvette.


    Maybe Yvette had genuinely entered Bonnie¡¯s room out of curiosity. After all, when someone banged on a door and shouted frantically, it was hard to just ignore them.


    ¡®It¡¯s all Bonnie¡¯s fault, stirring up this nonsense and creating such a huge misunderstanding. Now I have to figure out how to exin this to Yvette,¡® Sheldon thought to himself.


    Putting on a smile, he turned to Yvette with a sheepish expression. ¡°Ms. Zeller, I sincerely apologize. This entire situation was my mistake. I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Throughout the ordeal, Yvette had maintained an impressively calm demeanor, remaining entirely unruffled. Bonnie¡¯s hands, however, were mmy with sweat. She thought Yvette was absolutely amazing.


    Yvette¡¯s nerves were unbelievably strong. Bonnie couldn¡¯t help but admire her. There was no way the guard suddenly got an upset stomach for no reason. Bonnie was convinced Yvette had something to do with it.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, a faint, almost mocking smile ying at her lips as her eyes shed with cold, steely resolve. Her voice was chillingly detached. ¡°Since it seems Dungo Vige isn¡¯t exactly weing to outsiders, I¡¯ll be on my way, then.¡±


    Sheldon felt a sudden wave of panic. ¡®Yvette is a rare beauty. I can¡¯t just let her leave!¡® He quickly ran through his options as he wondered.


    Noticing Yvette¡¯s apparent interest in Bonnie, Sheldon bit his lip and ventured. ¡°Ms. Zeller, it seems you¡¯ve taken a liking to Bonnie.¡±


    Yvette nced over at Bonnie with indifference, shrugging slightly. ¡°She¡¯s alright. Cute enough, and chatting with her isn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s heart leaped with joy. ¡®Oh my god, Yvette just called me cute¡­ I¡¯m thrilled!¡®


    Everyone in Dungo Vige knew Bonnie was timid, so Sheldon felt certain she wouldn¡¯t say too much.


    Why not keep her here with Bonnie for now? Tomorrow, once I control Yvette with poisonous insects, she¡¯ll be mine to toy with however I please, he thought smugly. ¡®It¡¯s only a day. Two women could not possibly stir up, right?¡±


    Sheldon said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, a guest is always wee in Dungo Vige. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d be unweing. Since you enjoy chatting with Bonnie, feel free toe by anytime. She¡¯s the one getting married in three days.¡±


    Yvette gave a slight nod. ¡°Oh? So, it¡¯s her.¡±


    Sheldon, noticing her genuinely surprised expression, chuckled ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her, Ms. Zeller.¡±


    Bonnie looked over at Yvette as she wondered, ¡®Wow, Yvette¡¯s acting skills are incredible! Anyone watching would genuinely think we don¡¯t know each other.


    ¡®Sheldon is always paranoid, yet Yvette only said a few words, and he¡¯s already agreeing to let here see me? She¡¯s remarkable.¡®


    Bonnie cleared her throat and, adopting a haughty expression, said disdainfully, ¡°Don¡¯t bring this woman round to see me. I have no interest in chatting.¡±


    Sheldon snorted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you want. Ms. Zeller is my honored guest, and you¡¯d better shone respect.¡±


    Bonnie pretended to be annoyed, turning away and refusing to look at either of them.


    Sheldon then said warmly to Yvette, ¡°Ms. Zeller, let¡¯s go. Bonnie¡¯s throwing a tantrum again. Let¡¯s leave her to her antics.¡±


    Yvette gave a slight nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once Yvette and Sheldon left, Bonnie finally turned stiffly around, cold sweat streaming down her face.


    If Sheldon had stayed any longer, Bonnie wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up the act..

 Chapter 415

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the Jacobs residence, Sheldon walked Yvette to her door, trying to think of a reason to follow her inside.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But before he could speak, Yvette shut the door right in his face,pletely cutting him off. Sheldon clenched his back teeth so hard he nearly cracked them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This ungrateful woman¡­ she¡¯s already followed me all the way to Dungo Vige, so what¡¯s she still putting on airs for? Let¡¯s see if she¡¯s still so cold tomorrow after I hit her with that binding love spell, he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Trying to mask his frustration, Sheldon said cheerfully, ¡°Well, Ms. Zeller, get a good night¡¯s rest. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll treat you to some Dungo Vige specialties.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon waited a while, and there was no response from inside. He knew she¡¯d heard him, but he had no choice but to leave and head down to the basement to vent his desires on the women there.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the dead of night, when every household in the vige had turned off their lights and people were sound asleep, Yvette opened her eyes, instantly alert, her gaze sharp.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She got up, dressed, pulled on a baseball cap to shield half her face, and slipped out the door. Just as she reached the courtyard of the residence, a patrol team passed by.</font></font>Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Swiftly, Yvette slipped behind a pir, merging seamlessly with the shadows. In the darkness, a faintly cold smile yed on her lips.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wondered, ¡®A vige chief¡¯s residence has this many well¨Ctrained guards? These people don¡¯t seem like ordinary vigers from Dungo Vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Each one carries a deadly aura. It¡¯s likely they¡¯ve all taken more than one life. The Jacobs family is¡­ interesting!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once the patrol moved on, Yvette stepped out from behind the pir, her destination set Holden¡¯s study.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the study, lights burned brightly. Yvette walked to the blind spot by the window, her gaze sharpening. Inside, Holden was on the phone, his expression grave as he listened to the man on the other end.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Mr. Miller, I¡¯ve already sent you three groups. If this continues and they trace anything back to me, I¡¯ll be in serious danger.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man on the other end replied, and Holden¡¯s expression lightened considerably, though he insisted on tripling his price.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After hanging up, Holden¡¯s face grew dark again. The people from South East Aploth were demanding more and more, and he was barely keeping up with the supply. His only option was to elerate the cultivation of new poisonous insects.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, the poption in Dungo Vige was limited, and most of the blood had already been taken. If he kept this up, everyone in the vige would be at risk of dying, which would certainly raise suspicions.</font></font>


    After a long moment, Holden stood, walked to his desk, and shifted an inconspicuous book gently to the left. The next second, the bookshelf moved aside automatically, revealing a hidden passage. Holden nced back at the doorway, then stepped inside.


    Once he entered, the bookshelf closed behind him. From outside, Yvette observed the entire scene clearly. She hadn¡¯t expected Bonnie¡¯s hunch to be so urate.


    There really was a secret underground chamber in Holden¡¯s study. ¡®What connection could the Dungo Vige chief possibly have with someone in South East Aploth?¡® Yvette wondered.


    Yvette pulled her cap down a bit, memorizing the position of the book Holden had shifted, and then turned to leave. Along the way, she dodged two more patrol teams before making it back to her room undetected.


    Upon entering. Yvette sensed a familiar presence in the room. Without a hint of surprise, she walked over to the table and took a seat, pouring herself a cup of coffee.


    Her deep¨Cset eyes were partially obscured by her longshes. She removed her cap, letting her long hair cascade down, revealing a face of striking beauty under the soft light.


    Her slender wrist rested casually as she lifted the cup to her lips, faint, almost teasing smile ying on her mouth as she sipped her coffee.


    Then, from the shadows, a man¡¯s sigh broke the silence. ¡°nning to leave me waiting here all night?¡± he said.


    Yvette lifted her gazezily and saw the man emerge from behind the wardrobe. ¡°I thought you liked hiding back there,¡± she casually.


    Jeremiah, dressed all in ck, came forward. Since they¡¯d been together, he had worn nearly the same color every day. His voice, low and maic, seemed to pull at her in the quiet of the night.


    ¡°I only like you,¡± Jeremiah said.


    Yvette had long since gotten used to Jeremiah¡¯s constant flow of sweet talk. He had perfected the art of pretending to be a fool while hiding his true strength, and Yvette knew she couldn¡¯t afford to show any weakness.


    Taking her time, Yvette poured another cup of coffee. Jeremiah walked over and effortlessly scooped her up, cing her on hisp, then brought the coffee to her lips.


    ¡°Find out anything?¡± asked Jeremiah.


    Nestled in Jeremiah¡¯s embrace, Yvette appeared small and delicate. She casually swung her feet and slowly spoke. ¡°The vige chief, Holden, has something going on. There¡¯s a secret room in this residence, right in Holden¡¯s study.


    ¡°As for what¡¯s inside, I guess we¡¯ll have to go down and see for ourselves. There¡¯s something dark being hidden in Dungo Vige. It¡¯s definitely not something good.¡±


    Jeremiah idly traced circles on Yvette¡¯s soft fingers. His voice was low as he responded. ¡°Come with me. Tomorrow night, let¡¯se back and find out what Holden¡¯s hiding.¡±


    Yvette shook her head. ¡°No, tomorrow I have something to discuss with Bonnie tomorrow.¡±


    Jeremiah was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Yvette to meet Bonnie so soon after arriving in Dungo Vige. His eyes narrowed, deep and intense.


    Yvette¡¯s refusal was final. When she said she wasn¡¯t going, there was no changing her mind. ¡°Alright, tomorrow night I¡¯lle back. Once we figure out what¡¯s going on in Dungo Vige we¡¯ll take Bonnie with us and leave,¡± he said.


    Yvette nodded. ¡°Okay. You should go now.¡± Without hesitation, she slipped from hisp and stood up.


    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, lips pursed, standing up with her. He spoke casually. ¡°What if I leave now and get caught by the patrol? What should I do? I¡¯m a little scared.¡±


    Jeremiah spoke the words with an air of nonchnce. ¡°I¡¯m really scared¡­¡±


    Yvette stroked her chin thoughtfully, her striking face and clear, wild eyes conveying a mischievous gleam. She patted his shoulder confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they catch you, I¡¯ll definitelye to your rescue.¡±


    Jeremiah paused for a moment, then asked helplessly, ¡°Last question, who did youe to Dungo Vige with? A man or a woman?¡±


    Yvette lifted her chin. ¡°A man. It¡¯s Holden¡¯s son, Sheldon.¡±


    Jeremiah smirked at her words, but the smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. His cold, mockingugh sent a chill down her spine. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± With that, he turned and left.


    Yvette watched him leave. ¡®Is lie angry? What would an angry man do?¡® she wondered.


    In the early hours of the morning, at the Jacobs residence, a furious shout from the east side of the house startled everyone at home. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ll kill you! Bastard!¡±


    Then came Sheldon¡¯s heart¨Cwrenching cries. One by one, the lights in the Jacobs residence flickered on, except for Yvette¡¯s room, which remained dark.


    The entire night, the sounds of Sheldon¡¯s shouting and cursing echoed from the east side of the house. The cries continued relentlessly, hour after hour, growing louder as the night wore on, until morning.


    It was a sleepless night for the Jacobs family, except for Yvette, who slept soundly until dawn.


    The next day, the Jacobs family servants gathered together, whispering about what had happened the night before.


    ¡°Did you hear Sheldon screamst night? What on earth happened? It sounded terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard it too. I saw Mr. Jacobs go into Sheldon¡¯s yard, and he didn¡¯te out until the early hours of the morning.¡±


    ¡°No, I saw something too. Someone carried out several basins of blood from Sheldon¡¯s room. It was so horrifying.¡±


    ¡°Something serious must have happened. Dr. Hansen camest night. If it weren¡¯t a big deal, Dr. Hansen wouldn¡¯t havee.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I saw it¡­ I saw Sheldon¡¯s lower body was covered in blood.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. How could his lower body be covered in blood? Unless¡­¡±

 Chapter 416

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The servants immediately scattered when they heard that. They didn¡¯t dare stick around to hear it. Holden¡¯s temper was well¨Cknown to be explosive. Gideon, who had led Yvette in, quickly walked out of the east room, holding an elegant box in his hands.</font></font>N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He made his way to the hall, carefully opening a hiddenpartment in the wall, and cing the box inside with a dark expression. There could be no mistake with the contents of this box.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Last night, some bastard had somehow broken into Sheldon¡¯s room. The residence had over a hundred patrols, yet not one person noticed a thing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">one.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">intruder had broken into the east room and severed Sheldon¡¯s cock, leaving behind a note that simply read: [Such a tiny</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Soren had already examined Sheldon¡¯s condition. It was hopeless. Sheldon¡¯s cock had been severed, meaning he would never be able to have a normal sex life again, and the future of the Jacobs family had been utterly destroyed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon had passed out from the pain and hadn¡¯t woken up yet.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden was furious. Ever since he found out that Sheldon¡¯s cock couldn¡¯t be reattached, he had locked himself in his study, refusing toe out. They had scoured Dungo Vige overnight, but not a trace of the culprit had been found.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon sighed as he stared at the box, his eyes filled with frustration. ¡®Neither Sheldon nor Mr. Jacobs can have children. The Jacobs family¡¯s bloodline is finished.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, in her room, Yvette overheard the servants gossiping quietly by the door. She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. Her gaze deepened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah is kind of cute when he¡¯s being petty. His work is thorough. Not bad¡­ she wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With the Jacobs family in chaos, everyone was focused on Sheldon¡¯s condition. The servants knew that Yvette had been brought by Sheldon, so they didn¡¯t darement on hering and going.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The guard watching Bonnie had already been told by Sheldon not to stop Yvette. So, Yvette walked right in through the front door without any trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Bonnie heard the door creak open, she immediately sat up on her bed. Since Yvette had arrived the day before, Bonnie had visibly brightened up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice, who hade to bring food today, noticed this but didn¡¯t think much of it. She just assumed that Bonnie had finallye to terms with things and was feeling better.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Last night, Bonnie had eaten much more than usual. She needed to regain her strength so she could leave Dungo Vige with Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette enter, Bonnie eagerly greeted her. ¡°Hey, Yvette, you¡¯re here!¡± The guard outside leaned in close to the door, hoping to overhear.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette walked over to the table and sat down, giving Bonnie a small nod. She then dipped her finger into the water in the cup and wrote on the table. [Uprian.]</font></font>


    Bonnie immediately understood. She switched to speaking in Uprian, and the two of them conversed in anguage that the guard could not understand.


    He could tell it was Uprian but couldn¡¯t follow what they were saying. Deciding it wasn¡¯t worth eavesdropping, he shrugged and went off to rx elsewhere, figuring that since she was Sheldon¡¯s woman, she wouldn¡¯t do anything inappropriate.


    When the footsteps faded, Yyette spoke in a cool, detached tone I¡¯ve found Holden¡¯s secret chamber. I¡¯ll go check it out with Jeremiah tonight.¡±


    Bonnie nodded, her excitement barely contained. ¡°I knew it, Yvette. I knew there had to be a secret room in Holden¡¯s house. I wasn¡¯t wrong!¡±


    Yvette lowered her eyes slightly, her voice calm and steady, ¡°Does Dungo Vige have any business dealings with South East Aploth?¡±


    Bonnie blinked in confusion, then shook her head. ¡°Yvette, not that I know of. Dungo Vige is so small. Most people here have never left Clusia. There¡¯s no reason for Dungo Vige to have business dealings with South East Aploth.¡±


    Yvette, still holding her cup, nced at Bonnie, her eyes calm and distant. After a moment, she spoke in a low voice. ¡°Get


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll find a way to get you out of here.¡±


    A day was enough for Yvette to uncover the secrets hidden in Dungo Vige. Bonnie immediately nodded. ¡°I understand, Yvette.¡±


    After a pause, Bonnie scratched her head and awkwardly added, ¡°Yvette, can I bring someone with me when I leave? My sister, Janice is the one I¡¯ve always depended on since we were kids.


    ¡°I really want to take her with me. But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her be a burden to you.¡±


    Yvette nced at her indifferently. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Meanwhile, Janice, holding the phone number Bonnie had given her, hesitated for a long time without dialing. After thinking it over, she tucked the note back into her pocket.


    Janice had realized that now wasn¡¯t the right time to make the call. ¡®If I call him, he will find out that Bonnie is getting married. What if something unexpected happens then?¡® she wondered.


    Janice put the note away and started walking home. On her way, in the northwest direction of Dungo Vige, she happened to run into Yvette, who had juste from Bonnie¡¯s ce.


    Janice knew that Sheldon had brought back a beautiful woman, and the news had spread throughout Dungo Vige. Even those who never left their homes knew about it. Janice considered herself the most beautiful woman in Dungo Vige.


    Janice had thought the vigers were exaggerating, that Sheldon¡¯s woman was beautiful, but certainly not more beautiful than she was. But to Janice¡¯s surprise, it was true. Sheldon really had brought back such a stunning woman.


    Jealousy red up inside Janice, and her expression turned disdainful. ¡®No matter how beautiful she is, what use is it to be with Sheldon? She¡¯s just a ything. Sheldon would never marry her,¡® she wondered.


    Janice deliberately stepped toward the center of the road, nning to bump into Yvette in the next few steps. She aimed for Yvette¡¯s shoulder, a malicious smile spreading across her face.


    But the next second, things didn¡¯t go as Janice had imagined. Just as she was about to bump into Yvette, she was inexplicably knocked back and sent flying.


    Before Janice even had time to react, she was already lying on the ground in a disheveled heap. Shey sprawled, a look of astonishment on her face, utterly confused.


    ¡®What just happened? I was supposed to bump into her, so how did I end up falling down?¡® Janice wondered.


    Of course, Janice had no idea that Yvette was an expert ancient warrior and that anyone trying to approach her had no chance at all.


    Yvette stood looking at Janice, her gaze falling on her face. With her hands in her pockets, her cold, emotionless eyes sent a chilling wave through the air.


    Her voice was indifferent, carrying an undeniable air of intimidation as she casually spoke. ¡°You wanted to bump into me?¡±

 Chapter 417

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Janice woke up, she found herself already back home, carried there by passing vigers. Enraged, she was ready to confront Yvette, but as soon as she reached the entrance of the Jacobs residence, she encountered Soren, whose expression was anything but friendly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice was about to greet him when a single look from Soren made her falter. Trembling, she lowered her head and dared not speak.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Only after Soren had passed did she look up again. She nced at the Jacobs residence, where people were constantlying and going. After some thought, she decided to head home instead.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">made up her mind to wait until Sheldon no longer cared about Yvette, then she would find a way to deal with her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The entire day, there were peopleing and going from the east room, and it wasn¡¯t until dusk that things finally quieted down. Finally, after an angry shout from Sheldon, the east room wentpletely silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At 10 p.m., the moon hung high in the sky, and Dungo Vige was eerily silent. Every house had turned off its lights, leaving no glimmer of light in sight.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The door to Yvette¡¯s room was ajar, and the cold wind whistled, making the door creak eerily in the dark, sending a chill through the night.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat in the yard, propping her chin upzily, stifling a yawn with a faint look in her eyes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next moment, her gaze shifted to the wall not far away, where she heard some movement. Then, voices from a few people reached her ears.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Among them, Andrew¡¯s voice was notably louder than the rest. ¡°Charles, can you lift the wall.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">your shoulder a bit higher? I can¡¯t reach</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°No, higher still. Emmett, move a little to the side. That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the way! Emmett¡¯s the smart one. Charles, you¡¯re too slow.¡± Andrew instructed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¡¯m up here! Hey guys, hurry up. I¡¯m waiting for you guys on top!¡± Andrew stood on the wall, hands on his hips, looking quite pleased with himself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Below the wall, Jeremiah, Emmett, and Charles exchanged helpless looks. If Andrew hadn¡¯t insisted on tagging along, forcing them to take him, they would never have brought him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah gave Andrew a cold, indifferent look and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Move over.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew immediately stepped aside. Then, to his astonishment, Jeremiah, Charles, and Emmett each used the wall to climb up in turn. In the blink of an eye, the three of them were standing beside Andrew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew rubbed his eyes in disbelief. ¡®What the fuck¡­ What did I just see? Are they stunt performers? How did they even get up here?¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before he could fully process this, Jeremiah and Charles jumped down from the wall into the yard.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew turned to Emmett. ¡°Emmett, Jeremiah and Charles have already gone down.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett calmly nodded. ¡°Yeah, close your eyes. Count to three, then open them.¡±</font></font>


    Without question, Andrew immediately closed his eyes. He knew Emmett wouldn¡¯t deceive him, though he wasn¡¯t sure what closing his eyes was for.


    Just then, he felt Emmett grab his hand, and before he could count to three, he opened his eyes again to find himself already


    in the yard, having been moved from the wall.


    In the middle of the yard stood Yvette, dressed in all ck, her head tilted slightly, her brow raised, and her eyeszily sweepin


    over the group. Finally, her gazended on Andrew.


    Yvette paused, then pointed at his outfit. ¡°Why is he wearing all white?¡±


    ¡®Does Andrew think he¡¯s not noticeable enough in the dark? Is he trying to be a target? Which idiot wears white clothes to sneak around someone¡¯s house at night?¡® she thought to herself.


    Jeremiah stepped forward, his imposing presence making everyone step back in caution. As he approached Yve slowly. ¡°He thinks it looks cool.¡±


    he spoke


    proudly lifted his chin. ¡°Yvette, do you like my outfit? It¡¯s custom¨Cmade. I¡¯m going to wear it in front of Bonnieter. Wait and watch me make her fall for me.¡±


    Andrew was incredibly confident that his attire would make any woman fall for him. Next to him, Charles and Emmett exchanged a nce, their eyes twitching slightly.


    Yvette looked at Andrew who was excited, raised an eyebrow, and pressed her lips together. ¡°It¡¯s nice. Just stay away from meter.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Andrew shook his head firmly. ¡®What is she talking about? Being near Yvette gives me so much confidence. With her by my side, nothing is impossible,¡¯ he thought.


    Charles, Jeremiah, and Emmett were all dressed in ck.


    Charles spoke up. ¡°Yvette, how are we proceeding? Jeremiah has prepared the clothing to prevent poisonous insects from burrowing into our skin.


    ¡°Emmett and I already did some reconnaissance. There are three patrol teams, and the shift change just happened, so this is the most rxed moment.¡±


    Yvette replied coldly, ¡°Jeremiah, you, and I will go directly to Holden¡¯s study to find the secret room. Emmett will stay outside for backup.


    ¡°As for Andrew, two choices. If you change clothes, follow Emmett. If you don¡¯t, stay inside the house and wait for us to


    In the end, Andrew changed into a ck outfit. Emmett had already prepared it, and it fit Andrew perfectly. Emmett knew that Yvette wouldn¡¯t tolerate Andrew¡¯s antics.


    It was clear that only Yvette could manage Andrew, as a single sentence from her made him change clothes without question.


    At 11 p.m. sharp, Yvette, Jeremiah, and Charles seized the opportunity during the shift change to enter Holden¡¯s study Holden had just left to visit Sheldon in the east room.


    Following the position of the book Holden had moved yesterday, Yvette gently shifted it to the left. The next moment, the bookshelf split open in the middle, revealing a long dark passage.


    The darkness stretched out ahead. Yvette and Jeremiah exchanged a brief nce, their eyes shing. Jeremiah whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Charles followed closely behind, and the three of them entered the dark passage. The bookshelf automatically closed, and everything returned to normal.


    Jeremiah switched on the prepared shlight, instantly illuminating the dark, long tunnel. With the faint light, they walked for five minutes before encountering an old door, its surface adorned with intricate patterns that gave it an imposing


    presence.


    looked


    Yvette adjusted her hat, looked at the ancient door, and nodded slightly. In her usual cold tone, she said, ¡°Behind this door should be Holden¡¯s secret. The smell is heavy, and there are plenty of poisonous insects inside.¡±


    The smell inside was suffocating, unbearable to breathe.


    Jeremiah nodded, his face grave. In a low voice, he said, ¡°There must be at least a hundred poisonous insects in there.¡± Charles nced at Jeremiah, his gaze deepening. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Jeremiah was more than just a general.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, speaking indifferently. ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    Charies stepped forward. ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, let me handle this.¡±


    cing his hand on the door, Charles exerted only a slight pressure, and the door creaked open.


    The moment the door opened, the overwhelming stench hit them like a wave, stinging their eyes and making it hard to breathe. When Yvette, Jeremiah, and Charles looked inside, their expressions darkened.


    Behind the door was a room about 850 square yards in size, filled with at least a thousandrge jars. Each jar wasrge enough to hold a full¨Cgrown man.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Every other jar was empty but filled with blood, already spoiled and putrid, emitting a foul odor.


    In the center of a row of three massive jars, heads poked out from the tops of each one. Only the heads were exposed, their bodies shoved entirely into the jars.


    The heads, with wide¨Copen eyes, were clearly alive but seemed to be under some kind of control. Their eyes were lifeless, devoid of any spark.


    Various poisonous insects, colorful and crawling, infested their skulls. Surrounding them were venomous snakes, their tongues flicking in and out as they hissed.


    Even Charles, who had seen countless gruesome scenes, felt a wave of difort wash over him.


    ¡®What in the world is going on here?¡® they all wondered.

 Chapter 418

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Looking around, the secret room was filled with rows of jars, containing at least a hundred people. Charles spoke in a low voice. ¡°Yvette, these people are kept in jars?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Surrounded by poisonous insects and venomous snakes, and they¡¯re still alive? How is that even possible?¡± This was truly an unbelievable situation!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette took a few steps forward, ncing over the scene. She furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°They can no longer be considered alive. They¡¯re merely bodies now, sustaining poisonous insects with their flesh and using their blood to nourish the parasites. It¡¯s nothing but a shell.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Je</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Aploth.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">spoke without changing his expression. ¡°This method of breeding poisonous insects first appeared in South East</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles¡¯s face grew serious. The method was so cruel. These people weren¡¯t dead, yet they lived in this horrific environment, having their blood drained, with poisonous insects crawling into their bodies. It would be better if they were dead.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles said, ¡°Yvette, for Holden to secretly imprison over a hundred people in the basement without anyone noticing, this is no simple matter.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Over a hundred people had gone missing, and yet the authorities hadn¡¯t noticed. Holden must have some sort of protection. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way he could have gotten away with it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah clearly realized this as well. His brows furrowed, and his gaze turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll have people investigate this.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, hands in her pockets, a fierce expression on her face, kept her eyes calm and steady. She ignored the poisonous insects around her and moved forward.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah immediately grabbed her hand, shaking his head with a serious expression. He spoke in a low voice. ¡°No.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up at him, pulling her cold, slender hand away. ¡°They can¡¯t harm me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah frowned and tightened his grip. ¡°What do you mean they can¡¯t harm you? Listen to me. Stay close. If you want to do something, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked into Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, raised an eyebrow, and said, word by word, ¡°My blood is the poison to these poisonous insects. If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll show you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles was stunned. ¡®Yvette¡¯s blood is poison to the poisonous insects? What¡¯s going on here?¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah pursed his lips, remaining silent, and his expression dark. After a long pause, he finally released her hand. ¡°They can¡¯t get close to you, right?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette paused, nodding obediently. She spoke slowly. ¡°They can¡¯t.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Good.¡± The next second, he picked Yvette up, tightening his hold on her. In a low voice, he murmured by her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you out. Just let me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nestled into Jeremiah¡¯s arms, looked up, and smiled slightly, rubbing against him. She appeared innocent and obedient. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiah lowered his gaze, looking at Yvette with a soft expression. He couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart soften. ¡°Okay.¡± Charles, following behind them, couldn¡¯t even put into words how he felt at that moment.


    ¡®Can¡¯t they be a little more mindful of the situation?¡® Charles thought. ¡°They¡¯re calmly showing affection in such a disgusting ce? Oh my god. Only big shots can make this look so effortless. Look at all the poisonous insects around them. Amazing¡­


    ¡®Can¡¯t you notice me while you¡¯re showing off your affection? Yvette isn¡¯t afraid of the poisonous insects, but I am!¡® Charles wondered as he roared inwardly.


    Jeremiah, carrying Yvette, kept his eyes on her. Without changing his expression, he took the first step.


    Charles felt a sudden jolt in his heart. If these poisonous insects weren¡¯t afraid of Yvette, Jeremiah¡¯s life was in danger here.


    ¡®How much courage does it take to make that first step? These two really trust each other unconditionally,¡® Charles thought.


    The next second, Jeremiah¡¯s right footnded firmly among the poisonous insects. To Charles¡¯s disbelief, all the poisonous insects instantly scattered in every direction.


    They fled as if they had encountered their natural enemy. The people inside the jars suddenly opened their eyes, as though they had been startled, and began wriggling uncontrobly.


    Charles said, ¡°Yvette, they¡¯re moving.¡±


    Jeremiah paused and calmly responded. ¡°It¡¯s just an involuntary body tremor.¡±


    Yvette patted Jeremiah¡¯s shoulder and jumped out of his arms. She nced around at the jars, where eerie sounds wereing from, and said in a calm, unhurried tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The real treasures are inside.¡±


    Charles nodded. He felt that the treasures Yvette referred to were certainly not the same as what he had in mind.


    The three of them passed through the jars and reached the farthest end. There, a small door appeared before them. Compared to therge doors outside, this one seemed rather ordinary, evencking a lock.


    Yvette stepped forward. The scent of poisonous insects growing stronger seeped through the crack in the door.


    Her voice was cool and detached as she spoke. ¡°The people outside are just the hosts for the poisonous insects. What¡¯s inside is where the real poisonous insects are.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were cold and deep as he stared at the door, his gaze darkening. He stepped forward and pushed it open.


    When the door creaked open, the foul, decaying stench from outside was reced by a refreshing fragrance that filled the air. Beyond the doory apletely different world.


    Inside a small room were dozens of exquisite wooden boxes. Just the craftsmanship of the boxes suggested their high value, so one could imagine the worth of what was inside.


    Charles looked at Yvette and asked, ¡°Yvette, is this where the poisonous insects you mentioned are?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Yvette nodded. A cold glint shed in her eyes, and her voice grew colder. ¡°Yes,¡± she said nothing further.


    The poisonous insects here were likely bred by sacrificing at least a thousand lives.


    Yvette approached, crouched down, and slowly opened one of the boxes. Inside, a plump, golden¨Ccolored insect with vivid, sharp eyes was clumsily wriggling around.


    It looked rather cute at first nce. However, this was a poisonous insect that fed on blood and could only survive after countless battles.


    Charles stared at the insect in the box, stunned. ¡°This is a poisonous insect? This chubby little thing is the poisonous insect everyone fears? This is ridiculous,¡® he wondered.


    Charles picked up another box and was about to open it when Jeremiah stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Startled, Charles lost his grip, and the box fell, dropping the poisonous insect onto the ground.


    To his shock, the golden insect suddenly took flight, its tiny wings fluttering as it darted straight toward him. This poisonous insect was even more golden than the previous one, with its wings glowing faintly as it sped toward him.


    Charles took two quick steps back, his face full of shock. The insect was faster. In the blink of an eye, it was almost on him, about to burrow into his skin.


    In a split second, Yvette stepped in front of Charles.


    Jeremiah¡¯s face darkened as he immediately reached for his gun


    The poisonous insect froze midair, its golden eyes locking on Yvette, and it stopped in its tracks.


    Jeremiah saw this, his eyes narrowing as he held back from shooting, staying ready for it.


    Yvette raised her eyes to meet the flying poisonous insect. Her beautiful, cold eyes narrowed slightly.


    This poisonous insect had developed intelligence. It was a rare one indeed. Generally, these types didn¡¯t mix with ordinary poisonous insects. Either no one had realized it was intelligent yet, or it was too rare to be noticed.


    The insect suddenly moved again. It circled Yvette twice, pping its wings as if excited.


    Charles was stunned. ¡®So this poisonous insect distinguishes between people? Does it only like good¨Clooking ones?¡® he wondered.


    It turned out that Charles¡¯s assumption was correct. The poisonous insect seemed to be attracted to beautiful people. After circling Yvette for two or three rounds, the insect flew directly to her hand.


    Yvette¡¯s clear, bright eyes fixed on the insect, and then she did something unexpected. Slowly, she extended her hand and opened her palm.


    In the next moment, the poisonous insect flew into her hand,nding on it as if it had decided to rest. It nced at Jeremiah and Charles before lying downfortably in her palm.


    It rolled over and squinted its eyes, enjoying the moment.

 Chapter 419

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles pointed at the poisonous insect in Yvette¡¯s hand, disbelief written all over his face. ¡°Yvette, it¡¯s fixated on you¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, her clear eyes lifting to meet his. She spoke slowly, ¡°Maybe. It probably thinks I look pretty</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles was momentarily speechless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah stepped forward, noticing the poisonous insect in Yvente¡¯s palm. He furrowed his brow. ¡°Could it have any effect on your body?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette picked up a box and ced the poisonous insect inside, sealing it. The other poisonous insects in the nearby boxes, which had been restless moments ago, instantly grew quiet. The one she had released earlier was now huddled in a corner, trembling.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette spoke again. ¡°No, it¡¯s developed intelligence.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles felt as though he had stepped into an unfamiliar world today. Yvette had just mentioned a poisonous insect developing intelligence. ¡®How many strange and mysterious things are still hidden in this world?¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The world was vast, and nothing seemed too bizarre to exist. Today, Charles had witnessed something truly eye¨Copening. Every time he was with Yvette, he seemed to encounter one strange event after another..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised by Yvette¡¯s words. His expression remained calm and unaffected.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, a faint voice drifted in from outside. ¡°Help me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yvette, aren¡¯t these all puppets? How is it that someone is speaking?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette exchanged a nce with Jeremiah. He murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Stepping outside the small hut, they found arge jar nearby. A woman, Winnie, suddenly emerged from it. Her face was a sickly pale white, yetpared to the others, her eyes held a flicker of rity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment Winnie saw Yvette and the others, she excitedly tried to reach out but then remembered her hands were bound and couldn¡¯t move. She hadn¡¯t had water for several days, and her voice was hoarse.</font></font>Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her face was scarred and disfigured from being bitten by poisonous insects. ¡°Please save me. I beg you. Please help me,¡± she cried.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles rushed forward, smashing the jar to free Winnie. Her lower body waspletely rotted, oozing pus, a disgusting sight.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at her with an expressionless face. She pulled a piece of candy from her pocket and ced it to the side. Winnie would not survive long after leaving the jar.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The candy would only temporarily ease the spread of the toxins in her body and alleviate the pain, nothing more.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Winnie grabbed the candy and gulped it down without even chewing, desperate for the relief it promised. Once she had eaten the candy, a warmth spread through her body, and her breathing became slightly easier.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah observed her, his gaze deepening. ¡°The candy in Yvette¡¯s hand is indeed extraordinary,¡¯ he thought.</font></font>


    Charles, watching Winnie, asked, ¡°How did you end up in the jar? What happened?¡±


    Winnie, enduring the pain in her body, spoke in broken Clusian, recounting how she had been tricked intoing to Dungo Vige.


    She began. ¡°I¡¯m not from Dungo Vige. Ie from a small town in South East Aploth. A few years ago, a group of people came to our town.


    ¡°They said they could offer good jobs, with sries far higher than what we could earn at home, more than ten times what we made. Almost everyone in the town signed up.


    ¡°At first, we didn¡¯t believe them, but after a while, those who left would send money home regrly. Over time, we began to trust them, and everyone wanted to leave and work with them.¡±


    Winnie paused, regret flooding her heart. If only they hadn¡¯t been so easily deceived, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this terrible situation, transformed into something unrecognizable.


    She wiped her tears and continued, ¡°But after that, those people never came back. We didn¡¯t suspect anything until half a year ago when I was chosen toe here.


    ¡°At first, I worked as a servant at the Jacobs residence. A month ago, Sheldon¡­ he¡­ he raped me. Then I was drugged. When I woke up, I found myself inside this jar. Holden and Sheldon are both scum.


    ¡°Everyone who came with me has already lost consciousness and turned into hosts for poisonous insects. Since Sheldon still finds me appealing and is obsessed with my body, he keeps me here secretly, hiding it from Holden.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until a few days ago when I angered him, that he threw me into this jar with the poisonous insects. If it weren¡¯t for your arrival, I probably would have be just like them in a few days. Thanks¡­ thanks so much.¡±


    As Winnie finished speaking, her head began to feel increasingly heavy. She sensed that her time was running out.


    In the dim silence of the secret room, Yvette looked at Winnie¡¯s trembling form, pressing lightly at the corner of her eye


    Yvette spoke calmly. ¡°I have a way to keep you alive, but I can¡¯t restore your looks or heal the damage to your body. You¡¯ll have less than ten years left to live, and during that time, pain will be your constantpanion.¡±


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, his gaze cold and prating. Charles was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected that even with Winnie¡¯s serious condition, Yvette might still be able to save her


    Hearing this, Winnie nodded excitedly. She could hardly believe what she¡¯d just heard.


    ¡°Miss, I¡­ I¡­ ten years, even three years¡­ I¡¯ll take it. I want to go home and see my parents. I don¡¯t want to die here,¡± Winnie said.


    Yvette lowered her gaze, taking out the ornate box holding the poisonous insect. She opened it and, with a serious tone, addressed it inside. ¡°Wake up. It¡¯s time for you to get to work.¡±


    Charles was utterly bewildered. ¡°Yvette, who¡­ who are you talking to? Who¡¯s supposed to work?¡±


    Jeremiah looked intently at the poisonous insect in the box, a thoughtful expression deepening in his eyes.


    Charles nced into the box and saw the insect. He was incredulous. ¡°Wait, Yvette, you¡¯re saying it¡­ it can heal?¡±


    The poisonous insect moved, stretched its tiny wings, and then shot Charles a look of pure disdain.


    Charles rubbed his eyes. ¡®What the heck? Did that big, fleshy insect just give me a look of contempt? This world¡¯s he thought.


    The poisonous insect then flew out of the box. Yvette pointed to Winnie lying on the ground. ¡°Go on.¡±


    gone mad,


    The insect flew around Winnie, sniffing her scent with a hint of disgust. It tried to turn and fly back, but Yvette¡¯s steely gaze made it change course, and it reluctantly went back to Winnie.


    Reluctantly, it settled onto her, and Winnie froze, not daring to move an inch.


    Half an hourter, the poisonous insect¡¯s belly had swollen significantly, while Winnie¡¯s face grew visibly healthier. Finally, Yvette said, ¡°Come back.¡±


    As if it understood, the poisonous insect immediately pped its little wings, flew back to the box, and flopped down, belly up.


    Charles, who had watched everything from start to finish, had gone from initial shock toplete numbness. His heart had settled into an unshakable calm.


    Winnie¡¯s face became gradually rosy, strength returning to her body. After the insect flew away, she was able to support herself against the wall and stand.


    Ovee with joy, Winnie bowed to Yvette. ¡°Thank you, Miss. I promise to repay you once I leave.¡±


    Yvette sidestepped her, still looking rxed and indifferent. ¡°No need. Go and do what you want to do.¡±


    Meanwhile, Holden exited Sheldon¡¯s room, his face dark, gripping the note Jeremiah had left behind yesterday.


    The words on that note stabbed painfully at Holden. Despite his rage, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tear it up. It was his only clue.


    No matter how much hatred he felt, Holden was determined to hunt this person down and tear them to pieces.

 Chapter 420

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden was heading toward his study when Gideon rushed over looking flustered. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, something¡¯s happened.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden stopped in his tracks, his face darkening as he shouted. ¡°What¡¯s all this noise? I told you to take the person to the secret room. Why are you here?¡±</font></font>Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon, visibly shaken, replied, ¡°Mr. Jacobs, someone tampered with the bookshelf in the study. Someone might have discovered our secret.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Holden¡¯s expression changed dramatically. He snarled. ¡°What did you say?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon, nervous, continued, ¡°Mr. Jacobs, someone entered the study. I¡¯ve already stationed guards at the door. As soon as theye out, our people will capture them. There¡¯s no escape.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden¡¯s expression eased slightly at this. First, Sheldon was attacked yesterday, losing his cock, and now, someone had broken into Holden¡¯s study.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There hadn¡¯t been any outsiders in Dungo Vigetely, so it was clear that the Jacobs family was targeted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Where did things go wrong?¡® Holden couldn¡¯t figure it out, but this wasn¡¯t the time for reflection. ¡®I¡¯m going to find out exactly who dared to break into my secret room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Whoever it is, they won¡¯t leave Dungo Vige alive. If my secrets get out, everything will be over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">By the time Holden and Gideon reached the study entrance, all of the Jacobs family guards had assembled, each armed with various cold weapons. Holden¡¯s face was grim.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Entering the study, Holden approached the bookshelf, where he immediately saw that the switch book had been moved. Rage surged within him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden turned to Gideon and asked, ¡°Has there been any outsider in Dungo Vige recently?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon immediately thought of Yvette but quickly dismissed the idea.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®She¡¯s just a youngdy. There¡¯s no way she could break into Mr. Jacobs¡¯s secret room. Any woman who saw what was inside would be scared badly. It can¡¯t be the girl Sheldon brought back stirring up trouble.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon shook his head. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, there haven¡¯t been any strangers in Dungo Vige recently, except for the woman Sheldon brought back. But she¡¯s very quiet, rarely leaves her quarters, and mostly stays in her little courtyard.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden couldn¡¯t believe that someone capable of finding the secret room and harming Sheldon could be a mere woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He waved Gideon over, gritting his teeth. ¡°Prepare the torches. As soon as the intruders emerge, I want everyone who¡¯s dared to enter the secret room burned to ashes.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gideon nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Jacobs. I¡¯ll handle it right away. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll escape. Rest assured.¡± With that, Gideon turned and skillfully led a group of guards from the courtyard.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the yard, under the sparse moonlight, the entire Jacobs residence soon lit up brightly. Holden¡¯s loyal guards waited on standby outside the study¡¯s courtyard.</font></font>


    Holden stood in the center of the yard, silent, his gaze fixed intently on the study door, lost in thought.


    In the secret room, Winnie, now healed by the poisonous insect, trembled as she followed Yvette, Jeremiah, and Charles.


    At the entrance of the secret room, Yvette looked inside, her brows knitting at the sight of the barely alive people crammed intorge jars. A fierce, icy aura radiated from her, and her gaze was chilling.


    Seeing her reaction, Charles stepped forward. ¡°Yvette, these people are living in misery beyond belief. Let¡¯s put an end to it for them.¡±


    Winnie looked at the people in the jars and thought of herself, a look of sorrow and anger crossing her face. She muttered bitterly, ¡°Miss, they would rather die than live like this.


    ¡°Mr. Jameson is right. At this point, death is a mercy for them.¡±


    Yvette turned, nodding in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremiah stood beside her, reaching out to hold her right hand, his face calm.


    Upon hearing this, Charles immediately took out a time¨Cactivated bomb he had prepared. Just one of these new bombs was enough to level the entire secret room.


    The noise would surely alert Holden, the leader of Dungo Vige. But that was perfect. After all the innocent lives he¡¯d taken, Holden¡¯s end couldn¡¯te soon enough.


    Charles carefully ced the bomb, then closed the door to the secret room and returned to Yvette and Jeremiah.


    With a serious expression, he said, ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, in half an hour, the bomb will go off right on time.¡±


    Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets, expressionless, and nodded slightly. In a low voice, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They¡¯d arrived as a group of three, and they left as a group of four.


    Passing through the same tunnel they¡¯d used to enter, Charles was just about to push open the door when Yvette and Jeremiah spoke in unison, stopping him. ¡°Hold it. Someone¡¯s there.¡± Their perfect synchronicity was enough to make Charles uneasy.


    Winnie, rescued yet shivering, huddled close, ncing nervously between Yvette and Jeremiah as they exchanged a look and paused.


    Yvette¡¯s lips curved slightly, her voice indifferent. ¡°Feel like a fight?¡±


    Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Want to make it a contest?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head, a loose strand of her long, gleaming hair falling to one side. She replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Raising her brows with a casual air, she added, ¡°The Jacobs family guards are all outside.¡±


    Jeremiah chuckled lightly. ¡°Plenty of them, too.¡±


    Watching them calmly betting on the situation, Charles felt his eye twitch. ¡®Betting here, of all ces? Only Yvette and Mr. Chavez would do something like this,¡® he wondered.


    Being around the big shot, anything could happen, and everything was possible. Judging by what these two were saying, it seemed like the people outside had already found them.


    ¡°Those poor souls outside have no idea what they¡¯re in for. If Yvette¡¯s getting involved personally¡­ Just the thought of it made Charles¡¯s skin crawl. Holden¡¯s fate would be worse than death.


    Winnie, following along with the three, stood frozen at Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s words.


    Meanwhile, Holden had been waiting in the courtyard for over half an hour, his patience wearing thin. Anxiety gnawed at him, especially about the poisonous insects in the hidden room.


    He¡¯d secured an offer of 7 million from South East Aploth for that batch of insects. If anything went wrong, it would all go up in smoke.


    Finally, the bookshelf door opened once again. Holden watched the people stepping out of the study with a gaze as sharp and venomous as a poisoned dagger.


    Beside him, Gideon¡¯s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Yvette and he pointed a trembling finger at her, unable to believe what he was seeing. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, she¡¯s the woman Sheldon brought back a couple of days ago!¡±


    At this, Holden turned, ring at Yvette with a fury that bordered on bloodlust. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Yvette spared him a nce, her gaze as icy as it was empty. The suffocating aura she exuded made Holden instinctively take a step back.


    Realizing this, he immediately grew enraged and shouted. ¡°Who are you people, and why have you broken into the Jacobs residence? Leave that woman behind. She¡¯s a maid of the Jacobs family!¡±


    At the sight of Holden, Winnie reflexively cowered behind Charles, trembling uncontrobly. Jeremiah stepped forward, his eyes shing with cold menace.


    As Holden got a closer look at Jeremiah, he froze. The darkness made it hard to recognize him at first. And now, seeing him clearly, Holden was stunned.


    ¡®It¡¯s that general?¡® Holden thought, suddenly panicked as he recalled the officer who¡¯d once pursued fugitives through Dungo Vige, staying overnight there.


    ¡®If the authorities find out what I¡¯ve done, everything will be ruined. No! I can¡¯t let that happen. Today¡¯s matter can¡¯t get out,¡® he wondered.


    Gritting his teeth, Holden growled. ¡°Since you know what¡¯s in the study, you¡¯re leaving your lives behind.¡±

 Chapter 421

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette curled her lips, her gaze fierce and wild as she looked at the men rushing at her, wielding all kinds of cold weapons. Her tone to Jeremiah was light and slow. ¡°The game has begun.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A hulking man charged straight at Yvette. Holden wore a sinister smile, clearly pleased with what he assumed was the obvious oue, a burly man against a young woman.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, the very next moment, Yvette moved so swiftly that no one even saw how she made her move. By the time Holden and the others in the distance realized what had happened, the brute was already under Yvette¡¯s boot.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a resounding snap, she mercilessly broke his leg underfoot Yvette¡¯s lips curled into a cold, wicked smile as she looked down at the man, her voice chilling. ¡°You thought I¡¯d be easy to handle?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man cried out, spitting obscenities. ¡°You¡­ bitch¡­¡± But before he could finish, Jeremiah, having just taken down another opponent, caught what the man was saying. A glint of icy rage sparked in his eyes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He turned, took a single stride, and delivered a brutal kick that shattered the man¡¯s cock, leaving his testicles crushed. The horrifying sight made everyone freeze, feeling an involuntary chill in their lower bodies.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After flooring one of his own opponents, Charles turned and raised a brow. ¡®Jeremiah¡¯s picking up this trick now? No surprise, being Yvonne¡¯s man, he¡¯s just as ruthless,¡¯ he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden screamed madly. ¡°Get them! Kill them all! Whoever kills them, I¡¯ll give an extra 150 thousand dors next month!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With this incentive, the guards went berserk, charging at Yvette and Jeremiah in waves. Charles faced far fewer opponents than Yvette and Jeremiah. Evidently, these people knew who the main threats were.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Most of them were fixated on Yvette and Jeremiah, turning the scene into utter chaos.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette kicked the man at her feet aside, grabbed a swinging club aimed at her, and sent her attacker flying back with a powerful kick. With a thud, he crashed into three or four others.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As more men appeared, she wielded the club she¡¯d just taken, swinging it at the nearest attacker. The man spun halfway around from the impact, coughing up blood before copsing to the ground.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Another man lunged at her, but Yvette jabbed him in the stomach with the club, following up with a kick that sent him sprawling backward. He hit the ground with a loud crash.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eventually, Yvette discarded the club altogether and began fighting the remaining men barehanded. Despite theirrge, intimidating builds, they fell almost helplessly under her blows.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was equally relentless. In no time, the courtyard was littered with fallen men, groaning in agony. Only Holden and Gideon remained standing on the other side, watching in shock</font></font>


    Yvette retracted her left leg, sending yet another man flying. Her expression was impassive, effortlessly kicking away a grown man as though it were nothing.


    Bang! Crash!


    Finally, thest guard from the Jacobs family was flung by Jeremiah,nding right in a cactus patch with a panicked scream before passing out.


    Charles and Winnie watched from the side, Winnie¡¯s mouth hanging open the entire time. She¡¯d never seen a woman like Yvette before. She felt a newfound admiration. ¡®So there really are women who can be this strong, Winnie thought, feeling in awe.


    Charles, meanwhile, had hardly gotten a chance to fight after his initial few hits. Yvonne would kick, Jeremiah would punch, and they coordinated seamlessly.


    Left with nothing to do, Charles was so bored he was nearly plucking the flowers out of a nearby pot to keep himself awake.


    Checking his watch, Charles looked at Yvette and Jeremiah standing in the courtyard. ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, it¡¯s time.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Yvette and Jeremiah exchanged a nce before moving back toward the entrance. Charles and Winnie followed them to the door, leaving Holden and his men bewildered, clueless as to what this meant.


    In the vast darkness, all of Dungo Vige was jolted awake by an earth¨Cshaking explosion. One by one, lights flickered on in every home, and the once¨Cquiet vige burst into life.


    ¡°What happened? That was so loud! It seemed toe from Holden¡¯s residence.¡±


    A pale¨Cfaced man got out of bed, dressed quickly, and reassured his wife. ¡°I¡¯ll go check. You stay here and keep sleeping.¡±


    Across the vige, people hurried to get dressed, murmuring quietly to each other. Hearing the noise, Bonnie¡¯s eyes shot open. She could guess that Yvette must have made her move.


    She quickly dressed, carefully cracked the door open, and peered through to see the guard at the door still fast asleep. Holding her breath, she gently shut the door and made her way quietly toward Holden¡¯s residence.


    Before long, vigers had gathered outside Holden¡¯s house. However, no one dared to enter. Everyone in Dungo Vige knew Holden hated it when anyone barged in unannounced. They could only wait outside, casting anxious nces inside.


    Seeing the crowd and the ensuing chaos, Bonnie slipped inside through the front entrance.


    In the study, just as Yvette and the others retreated to the doorway, a deafening explosion sounded. In an instant, tiles flew off the roof, and windows burst open.


    A wave of heat sted the people in the courtyard, scattering them in all directions. Holden and Gideon were knocked to the ground, covered in dust and debris. Gideony unconscious


    Holden and the others sprawled on the ground stared in shock at the copsed room, then at Yvette and her group standing a safe distance away.


    Holden scrambled to his feet, frantically shouting, ¡°Quick, find it. Everyone, search for the box!¡±


    The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning mixed with a foul odor, and ck smoke nketed the sky above Dungo Vige. Holden¡¯s face was ashen, realizing everything was lost.


    Nearly ten years of painstaking work cultivating his poisonous insects had been destroyed in an instant.


    His expression twisted in despair as he yelled furiously at Yvette and herpanions. ¡°Give me back my poisonous insects! Those were my life¡¯s work, you thieves! You¡¯ll all die miserable deaths!¡±


    Charles could hardly believe Holden¡¯s shamelessness. ¡®He actually has the gall to call those poisonous inseets his hard- earned work?¡® Charles thought, shaking his head. ¡®Those insects were bred at the cost of countless lives. What a monster!¡®


    Hands in her pockets, Yvette strolled calmly over to Holden. She looked down at him with a faintly raised brow, ignoring his venomous re. Grabbing him by the neck, she forced him to the ground, mming his forehead hard against it.


    Blood spurted from Holden¡¯s head, covering his face in red. He touched his forehead in disbelief. ¡°You¡­you actually dared to hit me¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Yvette pressed his head down again, mming it harder. Blood poured out, covering Holden¡¯s face like a mask.


    Yvette released her grip and, after meticulously wiping her hand looked down at him with piercing eyes and asked in a measured tone, ¡°Tell me.


    ¡°What do you think it feels like to have the heart eaten away bit by bit by those insects you raised?¡±


    With an angel¡¯s face and a devil¡¯s ruthlessness, Yvette embodied both beauty and terror in Holden¡¯s eyes.


    He flinched involuntarily at her words but sneered. ¡°So what if you know about poisonous insects? Don¡¯t try to scare me. Generations of Dungo Vige have bred these insects. They¡¯d never obey a stranger like you.¡±

 Chapter 422

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles watched Holden¡¯s arrogant demeanor, thinking to himself, ¡®He really doesn¡¯t regret anything until the very end.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He¡¯d just seen firsthand how that plump poisonous insect listened so intently to Yvette¡¯s words. If that insect could talk, it would probably be fawning over her like there¡¯s no tomorrow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, Andrew and Emmett rushed in from the outer courtyard, having heard the explosions. Emmett took in the mess in the courtyard and the bodies on the ground, frowning until he saw Yvette and Jeremiah standing unharmed, which visibly eased his expression.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett stepped forward. ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, you both made it out. There¡¯s a crowd of vigers outside, but they haven¡¯t tried toe in. They¡¯re just peering in from a distance.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew, scrunching his nose in disgust, wondered, ¡°This rotten smell is enough to knock someone out. You¡¯d think a cesspool had exploded here.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew said, ¡°Yvette, Mr. Chavez, what¡¯s happening here? The smell is unbearable!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded, his expression cold and intense, his voice carrying an icy edge. ¡°Holden built a secret chamber in his home where he uses the bodies of abducted people to breed poisonous insects.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett immediately understood. ¡®So, there really are people who breed poisonous insects this way. It¡¯s revolting and vicious beyond imagination,¡® he thought to himself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew, envisioning the whole process of raising poisonous insects this way, felt his breakfast threatening toe back up. ¡°Jeremiah, this guy is the so¨Ccalled chief of Dungo Vige? And he¡¯s responsible for all this?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden held his chin up, a dark glint in his eyes, still speaking defiantly. ¡°This is Dungo Vige. If anything happens to me, the vigers here won¡¯t let you off so easily.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew, fed up, kicked Holden. ¡®This bastard dares to act so arrogantly aftermitting such heinous acts? He thinks he¡¯s the president or something,¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as Andrew was about to kick him again, Emmett pulled him back. ¡°Keep calm. Jeremiah and Yvette are here. They won¡¯t let this scum get away.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew backed off but muttered viciously, ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, make sure this piece of trash gets what he deserves.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her gaze, and right in front of Holden, she pulled a small ornate box from her pocket. Holden¡¯s eyes widened in terror the moment he saw it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His hand trembled as he reached out. ¡°What are you doing with that box? You¡­ you opened it?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Holden thought all the poisonous insects had been destroyed in the explosion. He hadn¡¯t expected even one to survive. Yvette, expressionless, casually brushed some dust off her sleeve</font></font>


    Looking down at Holden on the ground, she gave him a slow, chilling smile. Her refined features appeared mysterious amidst the smoky courtyard, her eyes glinting with a fierce edge. Then, in full view of everyone, she calmly opened the box.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Out flew the small poisonous insect, which had just gorged itself on Winnie¡¯s flesh. Its previously bulging stomach had now shrunk as it digested the meal with impressive speed.


    Charles blinked in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected this little insect to have such a voracious appetite and quick metabolism.


    The moment the poisonous insect flew out, Holden¡¯s eyes lit up. Despite its tiny size, Holden knew that with it under his control, it could drain the blood of everyone here in no time.


    Then Holden noticed the golden markings on the insect¡¯s body, and he froze. ¡°This¡­ this is the poisonous insect king?¡±


    He stared in disbelief at the floating poisonous insect. This was the legendary poisonous insect king that generations in Dungo Vige had attempted to create. Somehow, he had seeded.


    Suddenly, Holden burst into a chilling, maniacalugh, filling the courtyard with an eerie feeling. Pointing at Yvette, he sneered. ¡°You¡¯re finished, you bitch! I¡¯ve crafted the poisonous insect king, and today, you¡¯ll all die right here.¡±


    With that, he pulled a small flute from his coat and, in front of everyone, began to y. One minute passed, then two, then five¡­


    Andrew, watching Holden y louder and louder, scratched his ear. ¡°Is this guy stupid? He¡¯s been at it for five minutes now. Does he really think he sounds good? He¡¯s torturing my ears.¡±


    Emmett watched Holden¡¯s flute ying with a grim expression, observing his shift from smug confidence to frantic desperation. He surmised that this flute must have some special ability, likely to control the poisonous insect king.


    But he wondered why the insect circling was around Yvette. Besides, it even seemed to act shy around her. This odd behavior left Emmett feeling somewhat baffled.


    Jeremiah, meanwhile, watched the scene with an impassive face, though his fingers tightened slightly. Another rival? And this time, it¡¯s an insect?¡® he thought.


    Finally, as everyone began to reach their breaking point with Holden¡¯s incessant flute¨Cying, Yvette made her move. She looked up at the poisonous insect hovering in midair and said calmly, ¡°Eat him.¡±


    The poisonous insect gave its wings a couple of quick flutters before abruptly spinning and darting straight toward Holden.


    Seeing the insect hurtling toward him, Holden screamed. ¡°No! Don¡¯te near me! I¡¯m the one who raised you. Kill them, and I¡¯ll feed you with all the fresh blood you could ever want.¡±


    The insect king paused midair, its wings quivering furiously. Sweat poured down Holden¡¯s face, dripping along his temples. He assumed the insect king understood him and exhaled a shaky sigh of relief.


    Emmett, Charles, and Andrew all tensed, readying themselves for what mighte next. ¡®What if the insect king turns on Yvette instead?¡® they wondered.


    The poisonous insect king pped its wings and turned toward Yvette, fixing its gaze on her. Yvette stood therezily, her eyes narrowed, a cool indifference in her gaze, with a touch of wildness lurking beneath her calm exterior.


    ¡°You want to die?¡± Yvette¡¯s voice was cold and unyielding.


    At her words, the insect king shivered in midair. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, it spun back toward Holden, plunging into his skin within the blink of an eye and following his veins straight to his heart.


    Holden clutched his chest, looking up at Yvette in disbelief. ¡°You, you can control the poisonous insect king? How is that possible? What kind of power are you using?¡±


    With her hands casually tucked into her pockets, Yvette looked serene, her delicate features almost radiantly beautiful, her gaze sharp, with a faint air of mischief in her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t control it. It just developed intelligence and knows it¡¯ll die if it¡¯s disobedient.¡±


    Holden shook his head repeatedly, visibly shaken. ¡°No way, absolutely no way. How could the poisonous insect king fear you?¡±


    Charles couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene from earlier, where Yvette¡¯s mere presence had sent a swarm of poisonous insects fleeing in terror. He gave a slight grimace. If Holden had witnessed that, he wouldn¡¯t be making such incredulous statements now.


    In the next moment, Holden¡¯s strength gave out, and he copsed, writhing on the ground in pain. His cries for help grew weaker and weaker until they ceased altogether. His body curled up, face pale as death, breathless, and just like that, he was gone.


    Emmett was about to step forward to check when Holden¡¯s body suddenly shriveled as if drained in an instant, leaving only skin and bones.


    This gruesome sight stunned Bonnie, who had just managed to sneak in through the gate. She gasped in horror. ¡°Yvette!¡±


    Upon hearing Bonnie¡¯s voice, Andrew immediately turned around. Spotting her, he rushed over, his face lighting up. ¡°Bonnie, are you alright?¡±


    Bonnie, seeing Andrew, ran straight into his arms, clutching him tightly. ¡°You¡¯re finally here¡­ I was afraid I¡¯d never see you again.¡±

 Chapter 423

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew gently ruffled Bonnie¡¯s hair, his voice uncharacteristically tender. ¡°You¡¯re the woman I have my eyes on. How could I possibly let you marry someone else?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Bonnie¡¯s face flushed bright red, and she buried her head in Andrew¡¯s chest. Andrew held her close, frowning slightly as he whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie looked up. ¡°I miss the food from the cafeteria.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew gave her an indulgent look and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go back, and I¡¯ll make sure you get your fill.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The others were rather unfazed by the couple¡¯s open disy of affection. The two walked hand¨Cin¨Chand over to Yvette, Jeremiah, and the others. When Bonnie saw Yvette, she tried to pull her hand away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew shed a roguish grin and refused to let go, making Bonnie¡¯s face turn even redder. Embarrassed, Bonnie nodded to the group and said, ¡°Hi, Yvette, Jeremiah.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, the poisonous insect king that had been inside Holden¡¯s body suddenly flew out andnded on Yvette¡¯s shoulder. It shook its wings, almost like it was showing off, looking quite pleased with itself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie, catching sight of the poisonous insect king on Yvette¡¯s shoulder, was so shocked that she stammered, ¡°Oh my gosh, Yvette, that¡¯s the poisonous insect king! Where did you find it?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone turned to look at Bonnie. Andrew, puzzled, asked, ¡°You know about this poisonous insect king? What exactly is it?¡± Emmett and Charles were curious as well. It seemed like Bonnie had a good deal of knowledge about the poisonous insect king.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie took a closer look before daring to speak. ¡°For hundreds of years, Dungo Vige has taken pride in raising poisonous insects.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Anyone who sessfully raises poisonous insects gains a higher status in the vige. But poisonous insects aren¡¯t easy to cultivate. Generally, lower¨Cgrade poisonous insects aremon.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°This one, however, is a high¨Cgrade poisonous insect, and in the past hundred years, Dungo Vige has only produced two of them. Then there¡¯s the one that exists only in legend, the poisonous insect king. We¡¯ve only ever seen it in books.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°No one has ever sessfully created one. So, I¡¯m not entirely sure, but the golden poisonous insect on Yvette¡¯s shoulder, from its appearance and markings, closely resembles the poisonous insect king described in the books.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At this point, Bonnie couldn¡¯t help but swallow. She felt it was almost unbelievable to witness such a legendary poisonous insect in her lifetime.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew looked at her in astonishment, pointing at the poisonous insect king on Yvette¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re saying this chubby little insect is the poisonous insect king? Isn¡¯t that a bit far¨Cfetched?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At that moment, the poisonous insect king on Yvette¡¯s shoulder suddenly fluttered its wings and aggressively flew toward Andrew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Come back,¡± Yvettemanded sternly.</font></font>


    Halfway to Andrew, the poisonous insect king halted at Yvette¡¯s voice, sulkily turning back tond on her shoulder, where itypletely dejected, flipping onto its back and even closing its eyes.


    Bonnie, who¡¯d been watching nervously, finally rxed and red at Andrew. ¡°Don¡¯t talk carelessly! If you anger it, it could cost you your life in a matter of seconds.¡±


    Noticing how the poisonous insect king seemed fearful of Yvette Bonnie twitched slightly. The books were right. An intelligent poisonous insect king had the intellect of a five- or six¨Cyear¨Cold child.


    Andrew, recalling Holden¡¯s death, felt a hint of fear himself.


    Emmett urged. ¡°Go on, Bonnie.¡±


    Bonnie nced at Yvette, and after seeing her nod, she continued. ¡°The poisonous insect king is a legendary creature, and I only know about it from ancient books.


    ¡°The poisonous insect king grows stronger over time, born in environments saturated with toxins. If the poisonous insect king develops intelligence, its mind will be like that of a young child. Andrew¡¯s words just now really angered it.


    ¡°If Yvette hadn¡¯t stopped it, Andrew would¡¯ve been done for. Poisonous insects, in general, can be used for good or ill, depending entirely on their master¡¯s intentions. This is especially true for the poisonous insect king.


    ¡°ording to legend, the poisonous insect king can not only kill but also heal. However, I don¡¯t know exactly how it heals. None of the ancient texts exin that.¡±¨C


    Bonnie paused, then added, ¡°Well, with the way the poisonous insect king listens to Yvette, it¡¯s likely that it¡¯s already acknowledged her as its master.


    ¡°Once a poisonous insect king chooses a master, it won¡¯t ever leave that person¡¯s side unless it or the master dies.¡±


    Bonnie was the only one in Dungo Vige with ess to all the ancient texts, so her knowledge of the subject was extensive. But her understanding of poisonous insect cultivation was purely theoretical, as she had no experience actually raising any.


    Emmett and Charles both looked serious. From Bonnie¡¯s exnation, it sounded like this poisonous insect king was firmly attached to Yvette.


    Charles said gravely, ¡°Yvette, keeping it with you is too dangerous. Perhaps it would be best to¡­¡±


    Emmett nodded in agreement. ¡°Yvette, something like this is highly unpredictable. I agree with Charles. It shouldn¡¯t stay.¡± With Yvette¡¯s already formidable skills, she didn¡¯t really need the poisonous insect king for support.


    Bonnie wanted to speak up for the poisonous insect king, but she held back. As precious as it was, it couldn¡¯tpare to Yvette. If something happened because she insisted on keeping it near Yvette, she¡¯d feel guilty for the rest of her life.


    Looking at the poisonous insect king, a creature Dungo Vige had hoped for over a century to see, Bonnie nodded reluctantly. ¡°Yvette, Mr. Chavez and the others are right.


    ¡°Everything I know about poisonous insectses from the ancient texts passed down by our ancestors. Keeping it with you constantly is indeed dangerous.¡±


    Jeremiah remained silent, watching Yvette closely. He understood her well enough to know that getting rid of this poisonous insect king wasn¡¯t likely an option.


    Yvette lifted her gaze and nced coolly at the group. Her beautiful face held a hint of icy indifference.


    Raising an eyebrow with casual defiance, she tilted her head slightly toward the poisonous insect king, which was sulking on her shoulder, and spoke to itzily. ¡°Get up. Show your loyalty.¡±


    The four of them looked on in stunned confusion.


    They didn¡¯t expect that Yvette was telling an insect to dere its loyalty. Even if it was intelligent, it was still an insect. ¡®How could it possibly show loyalty? They couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing as they wondered.


    Jeremiah rubbed his temples, thinking, ¡®Yvette¡¯s at it again. Only she woulde up with something like making the poisonous insect king show loyalty.¡®


    Just as Andrew was about to say something, the poisonous insect king took off from Yvette¡¯s shoulder. It flew a circle around every one, then hovered in front of Yvette, pping its wings and wiggling its backside.


    Charles, Emmett, Andrew, and Bonnie were utterly shocked. It was downright surreal to watch a chubby, fleshly insect that had just drained a grown man dry now wriggling its rear end in front of them was almost too much to take in.


    Only Jeremiah seemed unfazed, calmly observing the scene.


    After about two minutes, the poisonous insect king pped its wings and returned to Yvette¡¯s shoulder, resuming its previous position lying t.


    The group was left speechless, staring in stunned silence.


    After a long pause, Andrew stammered. ¡°Bon, are you sure that the poisonous insect king described in the Dungo Vige¡¯s ancient texts is¡­ this little chubby insect that was just wriggling around?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Emmett and Charles also looked at Bonnie. They honestly had their doubts as well.


    Bonnie nodded vigorously, staring at the obedient poisonous insect king resting on Yvette¡¯s shoulder, still in shock.


    ¡®What kind of person was Yvette to have even the poisonous insect king listening to her so obediently? Bonnie wondered.


    Bonnie recalled something her grandmother had once said. The process of a poisonous insect king epting a master was grueling and could nearly cost the master their life.


    Now Bonnie was starting to wonder if her grandmother had been exaggerating.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 424

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah addressed Bonnie who was confused. ¡°What does the poisonous insect king usually eat? Human blood?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, Charles, and Andrew immediately grew tense. Although it seemed harmless and even cute, they all knew exactly how it had been raised on human blood.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie shook her head. ¡°Jeremiah, the poisonous insect king is different from other low¨Clevel poisonous insects. It doesn¡¯t need human blood to survive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°ording to ancient records left in Dungo Vige, once the poisonous insect king has fully matured, it can feed on ordinary tree leaves or dew.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Of course, if the poisonous insect king falls into the wrong hands and is constantly fed human blood, over time, it will turn bad.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°At that point, it will need human blood every day. But since it hasn¡¯t chosen a master yet, what it eats depends entirely on Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone rxed upon hearing this. Yvette tilted her head slightly, behaving quite obediently, and looked at Jeremiah who looked cold</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I want to keep it,¡± said Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah stepped forward, casually ncing at the poisonous insect king perched on Yvette¡¯s shoulder. The insect seemed to flinch as if startled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Only Yvette and Jeremiah noticed the small movement. Yvette spoke lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t scare it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now it was Jeremiah¡¯s turn to feel a little wronged. His face remained stern, but his eyes held a touch of usation. ¡°I didn¡¯t scare it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew, Charles, Emmett, and Bonnie fell into an awkward silence. ¡®Did we just hear something we weren¡¯t supposed to? Is Jeremiah going to silence us? Was he just acting cute?¡® they wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her gaze, her delicate fingers gently picking up the poisonous insect king from her shoulder and returning it to its box.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She smiled, her lips curling mischievously. Her bright eyes locked onto Jeremiah as she spoke nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s your own. aura that¡¯s too strong.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her words made Jeremiah¡¯s heart soar, and his expression softened instantly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think it¡¯s my fault. I won¡¯t me it.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett stood there, stunned. ¡®Wait¡­ Is this really the legendary cold¨Cblooded General? First, he gets jealous of a poisonous insect. And now, after just one sentence from Yvette, he¡¯s smiling shyly?¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles found it perfectly normal. In this world, there was nothing Yvette couldn¡¯t handle, and it wasn¡¯t just limited to people. Even a newly awakened poisonous insect king had to obey her, so what was there to be surprised about with Jeremiah?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The group exchanged nces, and after a silent conversation through their eyes, Emmett was pushed forward.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett spoke up. ¡°Jeremiah, what do we do now? Holden is dead, and the vigers are still outside. Samantha and the police are out there. Should we send someone to prevent a riot?</font></font>


    Bonnie immediately stepped forward. ¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, can you give me a chance? I¡¯ll find out why they were feeding the poisonous insects with blood. If the people of Dungo Vige really did something terrible, you can handle it however you see fit.¡±


    Yvette nodded, her tone indifferent. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded as well. The vigers of Dungo Vige knew fill well that men weren¡¯t supposed to raise poisonous insects, yet they were feeding them human blood. That was certainly suspicious.


    Bonnie rushed out upon hearing this, and Andrew quickly followed. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    At the entrance of the Jacobs residence, the vigers had gathered. Seeing the ck smoke rising from the study above, they were hesitant to enter but didn¡¯t dare leave either.


    When Bonnie came out, almost all the vigers had gathered at the door. As soon as they saw Bonnie with a stranger, the crowd became even more restless.


    Janice was among the crowd. Upon seeing the man beside Bonnie, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°This man is the same one in the photo Bonnie showed me. He really came to save her. Why? Why does Bonnie get so lucky?¡® she wondered.


    Janice suspected something must have happened at the Jacobs residence. ¡®Could it be because of this man?¡® Janice thought. Janice concealed the jealousy in her eyes and hid within the crowd, watching the two of them. Bonnie stood at the door, Andrew beside her.


    Bonnie raised her voice and called out to the crowd. ¡°Hey, everyone, please be quiet!¡±


    Her voice immediately silenced the crowd, with only a few people still whispering among themselves. Bonnie¡¯s expression turned serious as she addressed them all. ¡°Holden is dead.¡±


    Janice¡¯s words froze everyone in ce, too shocked to believe it. After a long pause, someone finally spoke.


    ¡°What did you say? Bon, you said Holden¡¯s dead? He¡¯s really dead?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. How could Holden die? He can¡¯t die! What will we do if he¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we won¡¯t survive this. It¡¯s over. Everything¡¯s over.¡±


    The vigers¡® overwhelming sense of despair sent chills through the air. Bonnie furrowed her brows, her suspicion confirmed. From the very first day she returned to Dungo Vige, she had sensed it.


    These vigers hadn¡¯t willingly fed blood to the poisonous insects. They seemed to be coerced into doing so. There had to be a reason behind it.


    ¡®Just as I thought,¡® Bonnie mused. She continued, ¡°Everyone, you know that the poison arts in Dungo Vige are passed down to women. So what exactly did Holden do?


    ¡°Do you know Holden built a poison chamber in his home, where he raised the poisonous insects using people he trafficked? Human trafficking is a grave crime, and it¡¯s illegal in Clusia.¡±


    Upon hearing Bonnie¡¯s words, the vigers fell silent, too ashamed to speak. This scene struck Bonnie hard. She took a step back, visibly shaken.


    Andrew immediately stepped forward to support her, his expression full of concern. The truth was, for Holden to have kept -such arge operation hidden in the basement, there was no way the vigers weren¡¯t aware of it. They were all aplices.


    Finally, an elderly man with a cane stood up. He was a respected figure in Dungo Vige. Bonnie¡¯s face lit up with emotion as she saw him.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rafferty, you¡¯re here too. What¡¯s going on? Why did the vigers end up like this?¡± asked Bonnie.


    Rafferty sighed and looked at the vigers, who all kept their heads down. ¡°Bon, the vigers never intended to feed blood to the poisonous insects, but Holden made us a deal.


    ¡°He promised that if we gave him our blood every month to feed the insects, he¡¯d pay each of us 3,000 dors.¡±


    Andrew froze for a moment upon hearing this, and then a feeling of bitter irony washed over him.


    So, these vigers had been willing to give up their blood to help Holden raise poisonous insects, all for just 3,000 dors a month? It was incredibly foolish.


    Bonnie hadn¡¯t expected it all to boil down to money. She looked at the vigers with disappointment. Each of them would rather sell their blood for that money than go out and find a legitimate job.


    Bonnie lowered her head for a long while. It seemed like she had made up her mind. For the first time, she raised her voice firmly in front of the vigers.


    She began. ¡°Everyone, Holdenmitted a crime. He trafficked people, used human blood to raise poisonous insects, and caused the deaths of many people. The police already know about this. You all helped him cover up his crimes, and that makes you all guilty too.¡±


    She paused, then added, ¡°When the police arrive, I hope you¡¯ll all confess and show remorse, so you can receive a lighter sentence.¡±


    Bonnie turned to Andrew and said, ¡°Let Jeremiah¡¯s people in.¡±


    Andrew saw how downcast Bonnie was and knew she was struggling inside. He spoke gently. ¡°Alright.¡± He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, softly saying, ¡°I will be with you.¡±

 Chapter 425

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie¡¯s words caused an uproar, and everyone red at her with anger. Even Rafferty, who had just spoken up, looked at her disapprovingly, his eyes full of usation.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Bonnie, are you out of your mind? Calling the police? Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re one of us in Dungo Vige. Your duty is to protect Dungo Vige!¡± he roared.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yeah, how could you call the cops? You¡¯re so malicious! Can¡¯t we decide for ourselves what to do with our blood?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If we want to sell our blood to raise poisonous insects for money, what¡¯s that got to do with you? Calling the police will get us killed!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Bon, please, make them leave. Tell the police to go away!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You bitch, Dungo Vige is your home. Are you going to destroy the very ce where you grew up?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Bonnie¡­¡± The voices of usation were deafening.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suddenly, a stone was thrown from the crowd, aiming straight for Bonnie¡¯s head. The next moment, a gunshot rang out, and the stone fell to the ground.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The bullet had gone straight through the stone, hitting a man in the leg. The man copsed to the ground in pain, and Janice, who had seen the shooter, shuddered in fear.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">How could it be her?¡® she wondered. Janice immediately thought of the woman Bonnie had mentioned countless times, Yvette. Her mind exploded with realization. ¡®Yvette. That¡¯s her.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It had to be the woman Bonnie kept talking about. Janice was so frightened that she froze, not knowing what to do. Terrified that Yvette and her group might spot her, she quickly covered her face and slipped away in the chaos.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The man on the ground cried out in agony. Bonnie snapped back to reality and looked up to see Yvette, Jeremiah, Emmett, Charles, and Andrew, who had just gone inside to make a call to Samantha, walking out from the inner courtyard.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie turned her gaze back to the bleeding man on the ground and instantly recognized him. It was Xavian Jacobs, Holden¡¯s nephew, the man from Dungo Vige who had been pressuring her to marry him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie gasped. ¡°You¡­ Xavian!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vigers nearby rushed to help Xavian, lifting him up while using Bonnie.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Bonnie, how could you bring outsiders into Dungo Vige? Xavian is your fianc¨¦! How dare you have someone shoot him! You¡¯re out of your mind!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yeah, Xavian is your fianc¨¦. How could you let this happen to him?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, Jeremiah, and the others reached the doorway. The crowd fell silent once Yvette appeared. Some of the vigers had known her since the first day she arrived.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When they saw the gun in Yvette¡¯s hand, the vigers froze in shock. Andrew hurried to Bonnie¡¯s side, anxiety written all over his face. ¡°Are you alright? Did you get hurt?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie shook her head. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry.¡±</font></font>


    Yvette¡¯s gaze swept across the room, her eyes turning cold. She raised an eyebrow, speaking in a calm, measured tone. ¡°I fired the shot. If anyone has a problem with that, keep it to yourself.¡±


    Seeing the gun in Yvette¡¯s hand, the vigers fell silent, too afraid to speak. Xavian pointed at Yvette, his face twisted with rage. ¡°You bitch, who are you? How dare you shoot me? You must have killed Uncle Holden!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, another bullet shot through Xavian¡¯s hand. The gruesome scene left the vigers stunned into silence.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly. Jeremiah calmly put his gun away a wicked grin curling on his lips. ¡°Keep barking, and you¡¯re dead.¡±


    Xavian now understood that the man and woman before him were not to be trifled with. With no other outlet for his anger, he vented it all on Bonnie.


    He roared. ¡°Bonnie, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e! How could you bring outsiders to attack people from Dungo Vige? What¡¯s legal and what¡¯s not? We don¡¯t understand, so stop trying to fool us.


    ¡°Even if the police are here, we won¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve studied outside and met some people, you can act like you are superior. You¡¯re nothing but a bookworm. Who would want you but me? Stop dreaming!¡±


    Xavian smirked maliciously at Bonnie, gritting his teeth in pain. The next second, another bullet pierced his groin, and Xavian howled in agony, the sound chilling to the bone.


    The crowd waspletely stunned. Just moments ago, neither the man nor the woman had fired a shot, so where did the bullete from? Everyone turned around in confusion.


    Yvettezily lifted her eyelids, standing slightly askew, her gaze directed into the distance. Samantha was walking toward them, nked by a group of police officers. It was Samantha who had fired the bullet earlier.


    Emmett nced at Xavian, who had been shot third times, and could only mutter, ¡°Serves him right.¡± Samantha was fiercely protective of her brother. Although she often teased Andrew, anyone who spoke ill of him would find themselves in trouble.


    A couple of years ago, a rich second¨Cgeneration heir from Betrico had called Andrew a worthless rich kid. When Samantha found out, she didn¡¯t hesitate. Sheunched a direct attack on the family¡¯s business empire.


    In just three days, she managed to bankrupt the entire family. After that, no one in Betrico dared speak ill of Andrew again.


    Bonnie was someone Andrew epted as family, and that made her Samantha¡¯s future family too. Xavian had brought this upon himself, choosing to provoke Samantha at the worst possible time.


    Samantha, dressed in ck leather pants and a sleek ck outfit looked incredibly cool. She holstered her gun, stepped through the crowd, and walked up to Yvette and the others. In a low voice, she greeted. ¡°Hey, Yvette, Jeremiah.¡±


    The police surged forward, quickly subduing the vigers. They all hung their heads, finally realizing the gravity of the situation when they saw the police.


    Samantha turned to look at Xavian, still lying on the ground. She walked toward him, the click of her boots echoing with every step. Her expression was icy and captivating.


    In full view of everyone, she aimed her gun directly at Xavian¡¯s wrist and fired another shot without hesitation.


    ¡°Someone like you, a loser, thinks he¡¯s worthy of Andrew¡¯s girlfriend? You don¡¯t deserve her.¡± She mocked.


    With both of Xavian¡¯s hands destroyed, he immediately passed out from the pain. Samantha addressed the police. ¡°Take him away. Don¡¯t be gentle with him.¡±


    At this moment, Samantha exuded the aura of a ruthless bandit. Bonnie stared at Samantha, who shared some resemnce to Andrew, widened her eyes, and seemed a bit naive.


    Samantha walked over to Bonnie¡¯s side. Bonnie, appearing somewhat clueless, just stood there, silent, looking a bit scared as she gazed at Samantha.


    Charles and Emmett looked at Samantha and exchanged looks. She was just protecting them a moment ago, and now she¡¯s giving that look? Women sure are unpredictable,¡® they wondered


    Bonnie lifted her head to look at Samantha, instinctively stepping closer to Yvette. Andrew quickly moved to her side. ¡°Samantha, don¡¯t scare Bonnie.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha looked at Andrew protecting Bonnic, and a twinge of sadness crossed her face. ¡®He¡¯s already thinking about protecting his girlfriend¡­¡® she wondered.


    Yvette shoved her hands in her pockets, ncing at Bonnie and then at Samantha, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Bonnie, this is Samantha, Andrew¡¯s sister.¡±


    Bonnie smiled and nodded with grace. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Bonnie.¡±


    Samantha was momentarily taken aback by Bonnie¡¯s straightforwardness. ¡®Bonnie¡¯s way more interesting than I thought. She wasn¡¯t even scared when she saw me shoot,¡® she wondered.


    Samantha deliberately hardened her expression, trying to look tough. ¡°So, you¡¯re Bonnie, Andrew¡¯s girlfriend? I fired the shot. What do you think about that?¡±


    Bonnie nodded, her gaze serious as she looked at Samantha. ¡°Samantha, you looked cool firing that shot, but you¡¯re just a little bit less impressive than Yvette.¡±


    Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at the moon. ¡®Oh my god, someone please help me. Bonnie, you could lie just a little here. Do you have to be this honest?¡® he thought.

 Chapter 426

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked at Bonnie¡¯s serious expression and suddenlyughed. Bonnie was actually quite cute. Samantha then nced at Andrew. ¡®Hey¡­ Andrew¡¯s so dumb. I wonder if his kid will be as dumb as he is, she thought to herself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew noticed Samantha¡¯s strange nce at him and then heard her sigh. He touched his face in confusion and asked, ¡°Samantha, is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha didn¡¯t have time to respond to him. Instead, she reached out and pinched Bonnie¡¯s cheek. The soft feel of her skin was too tempting, so Samantha pinched it a couple more times, Bonnie¡¯s face turned red.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing this, Andrew quickly stepped forward and pulled Bonnie into his arms. Samantha chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright, what¡¯s the big deal? I was just pinching her cheek. Do you have to overreact, Andrew?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew didn¡¯t want to expose her behavior. Samantha had always enjoyed ying with beautiful, cute girls. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Samantha had a boyfriend now, Andrew might have suspected that she liked girls.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At that moment, Rafferty, who had just stood up, hobbled toward them with his cane. Yvette gave him a quick nce and saw his hesitant look. ¡°What is it?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah turned to look at Rafferty, exuding an air of nobility and grace. Rafferty was intimidated by their presence, and even his hand holding the cane trembled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Charles, and the others also turned to Rafferty. Bonnie immediately stepped forward to support him, and two policemen followed behind him, stepping aside to make way. ¡°Rafferty, you¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Sorry. The vigers made a mistake. I¡­¡± Rafferty sighed deeply, his eyes clouded, and the bitterness on his face was impossible to hide.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He continued, ¡°Bonnie, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You¡¯re right. The vigers have grown used to getting things without working for them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°For money, they even turned a blind eye to Holden¡¯s terrible deeds. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have yed dumb, letting Holden do whatever he wanted just to keep things peaceful for a while.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°We all have to face the consequences of our wrongdoings. It¡¯s not your fault. Leave Dungo Vige and live your own life. Forget about the identity that¡¯s tied you down for so long.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie¡¯s eyes welled with tears as she listened, wiping them away. ¡°Rafferty, I¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rafferty waved his hand gently, lovingly patting her head, stopping her from speaking. Samantha, Andrew, Charles, and Emmett watched in silence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A single wrong decision had ruined a vige. This centuries¨Cold vige had been destroyed just like that. Rafferty shakily lifted his head and looked at Yvette. He could see that this woman was the heart of the group, the one who called the shots. Rafferty spoke. ¡°Miss, hello. I want to tell you what I know. Whether you choose to investigate further is up to you.¡±</font></font>


    Upon hearing this, everyone grew curious. ¡®What is it that Rafferty feels the need to tell Yvette specifically?¡® they wondered.


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her expression calm. Her brows lifted slightly as she spokezily, ¡°Do you know who Holden made the deal with?¡±


    Charles immediately recalled something Holden had said. The man Holden had dealt with was a man named Mr. Miller from South East Aploth.


    Samantha and Andrew were unaware of the details, both extremely curious. Rafferty froze for a moment, gave a bitter smile, and then nodded.


    He began. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re right What I want to tell you is about the man Holden made deals with. He came to our Dungo Vige once.¡±


    Bonnie quickly asked, ¡°Rafferty, are you saying Holden traded poisonous insects with people outside?¡± Rafferty¡¯s eyes turned red.


    He continued, ¡°I overheard their conversation once. Mr. Miller mentioned that he had connections in Clusia and could send people into Dungo Vige to cultivate poisonous insects. Holden would then send the insects back to South East Aploth through special channels. Their trade has been going on for seven or eight years. Holden¡¯s poisonous insects aren¡¯t high- grade, but they can control people¡¯s minds. Mr. Miller seems to want to use these insects to control people and do some business in South East Aploth. That¡¯s all I know. You all don¡¯t seem like ordinary people, so if you want to investigate, go ahead.¡±


    After finishing his words, Rafferty looked at Bonnie and said, ¡°Take care of yourself, Bonnie.¡±


    The two policemen saw this and stepped forward, handcuffing Rafferty before taking him away. From a distance, a police officer, around his forties, walked over and bowed to Jeremiah.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Chavez, all the vigers have been apprehended. Please let me know if you have any further instructions. I¡¯ll take care of it immediately,¡± he said.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes half¨Clidded, his presence as cold as an iceke, weighed down on the officer, who was struggling to breathe under the pressure and didn¡¯t even dare lift his head.


    This was the youngest General in Clusia, and he was handling a major case in such a remote vige.


    Jeremiah remained expressionless. ¡°The people of Dungo Vige will be dealt with ording to thew. The case will be reported, and someone will be assigned to handle it.¡±


    The officer quickly nodded. He was supposed to handle this case, but there was no way he could deal with it alone. He¡¯d be more than happy to hand it over.


    After the officer led everyone away, the only ones left in Dungo Vige were Yvette and the others. Bonnie gazed at the empty vige, her sorrow unable to be hidden from her eyes.


    Samantha looked at Yvette and asked, ¡°Yvette, about Mr. Miller that Rafferty mentioned, should we investigate? Do you think we should head to South East Aploth?¡±


    Samantha was eager, her face filled with excitement. This trip to Dungo Vige showed her a lot of unusual things.


    It was far more interesting than staying in Betrico, where life was dull. She could easily leave the business in Betrico for a year or two without a problem.


    Samantha decided that for this year, she would stay with Yvette. She had a strong feeling that this year would be filled with excitement. Charles and Emmett didn¡¯t care. Wherever Yvette and Jeremiah went, they¡¯d follow.


    Yvette, with her hands in her pockets, her gaze deep, and her lips slightly pursed, replied casually, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Even if Yvette didn¡¯t want to pursue it, Jeremiah would. Illegal activities were never tolerated in Clusia. Anyone who daremit such heinous acts within its borders would face legal consequences.


    Anyone who offended Clusia, no matter how far they ran, would be punished.


    Jeremiah nodded, turned his head slightly, his eyes clear, and spoke in a low voice. ¡°You go back to Seacrity first. Once I find out which Clusian Mr. Miller is working with, we¡¯ll head to South East Aploth.¡±


    Yvette nodded indifferently. Bonnie suddenly pped her forehead.


    She nervously said, ¡°Yvette, Sheldon wasn¡¯t among those taken away. If he¡¯s run, that¡¯s bad. He must know everything


    Holden¡¯s been doing.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained unchanged when he heard Sheldon¡¯s name. He raised an eyebrow and replied in a light tone, ¡°He won¡¯t escape. He¡¯s in the east yard.¡±


    Yvette tilted her head and noticed the casual look on Jeremiah¡¯s face as if nothing had happened. Her eyes held a hint of amusement.


    Sheldon definitely wouldn¡¯t escape. By now, even mould be difficult for him. Knowing Jeremiah¡¯s methods, Yvette could tell Sheldon was likely already finished.


    Charles twitched his lips, then nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sheldon won¡¯t escape¡­¡± He nced at Jeremiah, who seemed unbothered, and said nothing.


    Charles silentlyined in his mind as he wondered, ¡®Clearly, this could have been solved with one quick strike. Yet Jeremiah gave Sheldon three cuts before finally dealing with his cock. If no one knew better, they¡¯d think Jeremiah¡¯s methods werecking. He¡¯s so ruthless.¡¯


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 427

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the east yard of the Jacobs residence, Sheldony in bed, hearing the explosions outside. Panic gripped him, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had no feeling in his lower half and could only scream in desperation. He yelled for what felt like an eternity, but not a single maid came to his aid.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Furious, Sheldon grabbed the vase from the bedside and threw it to the floor, shattering it into pieces.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally, the door creaked open. Sheldon¡¯s heart lifted, and he looked up, only to have his expression instantly darken when he saw who had entered. It was Janice, who had just run out of the crowd outside.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice pushed the door open and walked toward the bed. Sheldon red at her, seeing her cautious demeanor, and snapped. ¡°What are you doing here? Who let you in? What¡¯s going on outside?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice studied Sheldon. He genuinely seemed to know nothing, so she took a few steps forward, her voice barely above a whisper, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not getting up? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s happening outside?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon red at Janice. If he could move, he would have pped her. ¡®Janicees all the way here in the middle of the night just to ask me these stupid questions?¡® he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He shot her a look of contempt and growled. ¡°Spit it out. What¡¯s happening outside?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">away. If he had Janice confirmed that Sheldon truly had no idea his father had died and that the vigers had been taken known, he would not be so calm. It was also clear that something had happened to Sheldon¡¯s legs, and he couldn¡¯t move.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A sinister smile slowly crept across Janice¡¯s face as an idea took root in her mind. She had already made an enemy of Yvette, and simply leaving with them wouldn¡¯t do.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But since Yvette was willing to risking to Dungo Vige for Bonnie, it meant she cared a lot about Bonnie.</font></font>? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t hold back. Bonnie¡¯s the softest¨Chearted one¡­ Janice thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sheldon, startled by Janice¡¯s smile, barked. ¡°What are you doing now?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice fixed her gaze on Sheldon, her eyes deep like a phantom in the night. With malice in her voice, she said, ¡°Sheldon, the Jacobs family is finished.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Your father is dead, and the entire Dungo Vige has been taken by the police. I guess you¡¯re too injured to move, huh?¡± Sheldon felt a shiver run down his spine at the crazed look in Janice¡¯s eyes. Summoning all his strength, he shouted at her. ¡°Janice, stop making stuff up! Not a word of what you¡¯re saying is true. Who could¡¯ve killed my father?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Deep down, Sheldon was also uncertain. ¡®If nothing happened to Dad, why hasn¡¯t anyonee to check on me after all this time?¡® Fear began to seep into him as he wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice sneered. ¡°Sheldon, if you weren¡¯t injured and could move you¡¯d havee down and pped me by now. Looks like you¡¯re seriously hurt.</font></font>


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s really about time, you bastard. You raped me when I was still a minor, and now it¡¯s time for you to pay.¡±


    Sheldon, propped up on his elbows, cursed at her. ¡°Janice, you seduced me first! Besides, after I slept with you, didn¡¯t you ask me for 300 dors? Now you¡¯re saying all this?¡±


    At that moment, Bonnie¡¯s voice called out from outside the door. ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, is Sheldon here?¡±


    Janice¡¯s heart hardened, and she pulled out a knife she had prepared earlier. She shouted, ¡°Help!¡± before charging toward


    Sheldon and stabbing him directly in the heart.


    Blood sttered across Janice¡¯s face. Sheldon gasped out. ¡°You¡­ but only managed one word before he died.


    Janice¡¯s twisted smile grew wider as she heard footsteps approaching the door. She quickly discarded the knife and copsed onto the floor, clutching herself in feigned terror. ¡°Help! Help! Don¡¯te in!¡±


    Bonnie, hearing Janice¡¯s screams, rushed to push open the door. Yvette, Jeremiah, and Samantha followed close behind.


    Bonnie froze when she saw the scene inside. She cried out in rm and hurried to Janice¡¯s side. ¡°Janice, what¡¯s wrong? What happened? Sheldon¡¯s dead!¡±


    Janice, still trembling in fear, clung to Bonnie tightly. ¡°I¡­ Sheldon tried to hit me. I just grabbed something in self¨Cdefense, but he identally stabbed himself. It has nothing to do with me! Please, you have to believe me, Bon.¡±


    As Janice spoke, she kept an eye on Yvette and the others, gauging their reactions. When she saw Jeremiah, who was even more handsome and charismatic than Andrew, her eyes lit up


    But when she noticed Yvette¡¯s face, there was a momentary flicker of unease. She quickly lowered her head.


    Yvette¡¯s gazended on the knife in Sheldon¡¯s chest for a moment before she casually looked over at Janice, who was crying pitifully. Her eyes were cold with a chilling resolve,


    Jeremiah stepped forward, taking her hand and speaking in a low, steady voice. ¡°Given the depth of the knife wound, this wasn¡¯t an ident. It was intentional.¡±


    Wette pressed her lips together, arching an eyebrow. She turned her head, a faint, cold smile tugging at the corners of her lips as her eyes locked onto Janice. She said nothing.


    Andrew had already heard from Bonnie about her older sister and their close bond, how the two had grown up together. He stepped forward and said, ¡°Janice, Sheldon is a person who deserved to die. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Janice¡¯s heart skipped when Andrew spoke to her directly. She quickly tried to mask her joy, pretending to be modest and shy as she nodded toward him.


    ¡°Sir, thank you. You must be Andrew, the friend Bonnie talks about. Thank you for taking care of her. I¡¯m sure Bonnie must have caused you quite a bit of trouble,¡± Janice said.


    Bonnie didn¡¯t think much of it. Janice still didn¡¯t know that Bonnie and Andrew were dating, so it made sense that she¡¯d say this.


    Andrew paused, feeling something off about her words. ¡®Why does this sound so strange?¡® he thought to himself. Out of politeness, he responded. ¡°I¡¯m happy to take care of Bonnie. We¡¯re actually in a rtionship now.¡±


    Janice¡¯s face instantly became gloomy. ¡®How could this be? Just a few days ago, Bonnie told me they were just friends. She really did lie to me,¡® she wondered.


    Trying to cover her unease, Janice forced a smile, her expression one of feigned contentment.


    ¡°Mr. Mitchell, Bonnie is lucky to have you as her boyfriend,¡± she said, pausing before continuing, ¡°But¡­ Bonnie, have you resolved things with Xavian yet? I could go and have that engagement annulled if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Janice acted as if she was entirely concerned for Bonnie Bonnie shook her head, touched. ¡°No, Janice, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± She then recounted what had just happened to Janice,


    Janice tried to look genuinely shocked after hearing Bonnie¡¯s words. She sighed. ¡°Holden really did something so heinous¡­. It¡¯s truly awful. Bonnie, I had no idea.¡±


    Bonnie, believing Janice wasn¡¯t involved in anything malicious, reassured her. ¡°I believe you, Janice.¡±


    Janice, pleased with Bonnie¡¯s trust, thought smugly to herself, ¡°This fool has always been like this. She believes everything I say


    Emmett, watching the scene unfold, spoke coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s leave here for now. We can discuss thingster.¡±


    Janice, ncing at Yvette near the door, feigned surprise, pointing at her in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    Bonnie asked, ¡°Janice, do you know Yvette? Have you two met before?¡±


    Samantha, Andrew, Charles, and Emmett all turned their gaze to Yvette, exchanging confused looks. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Janice and Yvette have met?¡® they wondered.

 Chapter 428

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Afraid that Yvette would speak first about what happened that day, Janice quickly forced an awkward smile and said softly to the group, ¡°There was a bit of a misunderstanding between me and Ms. Zeller here.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I thought she was someone Sheldon brought home. Sheldon treated Bon so badly, so I figured I¡¯d vent my frustration a little on her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice kept her head down, looking genuinely remorseful. Bonnie, hearing this, instantly suspected Janice had done something wrong. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing that if it hadn¡¯t been for her, Janice probably wouldn¡¯t have shed with Yvette in the first ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvette. Janice was in the wrong,¡± Bonnie said apologetically. Janice froze, feeling even more disdain for Bonnie.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Xavian was right. Bonnie¡¯s always been a coward, the kind of girl who only knows how to study. And she calls Yvette her friend? If they¡¯re friends, why humiliate herself by apologizing so grovelingly?¡® Janice wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie turned to Janice, her tone firm. ¡°Janice, apologize to Yvette.¡± Janice cursed Bonnie a hundred times in her mind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had hoped ying the victim would let her slip through, but Bonnie actually had the nerve to make her apologize in front of everyone. It was infuriating.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Swallowing her resentment, Janice feigned an air of great grievance and muttered meekly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Zeller. I shouldn¡¯t have acted like that.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, with her hands in her pockets, fixed a calm, prating gaze on Janice. After a moment, she said nothing, simply turned around and walked away. Jeremiah followed closely behind her, with Emmett and Charles quickly tagging along.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha leaned casually against the doorframe, watching Janice with one leg bent. She noticed Janice¡¯s dissatisfaction, knowing full well that Janice¡¯s act wouldn¡¯t fool any of them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette was letting this go purely out of consideration for Bonnie. Otherwise, Janice¡¯s fate would¡¯ve been much worse, and that was obvious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Somehow, Yvette had taken a liking to Bonnie, and Bonnie had a lot of support. Samantha let out a cold scoff and turned to Andrew. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The car¡¯s waiting just outside Dungo Vige.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie helped Janice to her feet. ¡°Come on, Janice. Let¡¯s leave Dungo Vige.¡± But as Janice looked at Andrew¡¯s retreating figure, she suddenly stumbled, copsing heavily back down as her ankle quickly swelled and reddened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Bon. My ankle really hurts. I can¡¯t walk. Maybe you should go ahead without me.¡± Bonnie shook her head immediately. ¡°Janice, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll carry you. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d leave you here by yourself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew stood off to the side in silence. At first, he thought he could tolerate Janice since she was Bonnie¡¯s sister. But now, learning Janice¡¯d managed to offend Yvette, he wasn¡¯t so sure.</font></font>


    Yvette had a strong personality. She wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to bother anyone unless provoked first. That meant Janice must¡¯ve started it.From N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew decided it would be wise to keep his distance from Janice. If Bonnie weren¡¯t here, he¡¯d have left with Yvette and Jeremiah by now.


    When Bonnie offered to carry Janice, Andrew finally spoke, but his tone was noticeably less friendly than before. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll find a cart to push you in.¡±


    Bonnie looked at Andrew, clearly grateful. ¡°You¡¯re smart. There should be something we can use in the yard.¡± Janice felt a of frustration. ¡®Is Andrew clueless? Here¡¯s a chance to get close to me, and he¡¯s just giving it up,¡® she thought.


    Janice didn¡¯t believe any man could be so genuinely loyal. It had to be the wrong time for him to show his real interest. Outside, Samantha heard voices from inside the house and paused, then turned back in with a sharp tone.


    Her tone was cold. ¡°Ms. Sanders, I¡¯m strong enough to help you walk. Is that okay?¡± Janice nced at Samantha¡¯s cold expression and, reluctantly, nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Samantha told Bonnie and Andrew, ¡°You two go on ahead. I¡¯ll help her from behind.¡± Andrew quickly shot Samantha a grateful look. At this point, he was more than d Samantha was stepping in. He had no desire to push Janice around.


    At the entrance to Dungo Vige, three Jeeps were parked on the cobblestone road. Yvette, Jeremiah, Emmett, and Charles had arrived first.


    Charles nced back but didn¡¯t see any sign of Andrew and the others. He asked Yvette in a low voice, ¡°What did Janice do to offend you?¡±


    Yvette lifted her gaze slightly, her eyes clear and bright as she replied in a rxed, offhand tone, ¡°Ran into her on the road. She tried to bump into me, so I kicked her and knocked her out cold.¡±


    Emmett had just taken a sip of water when he sputtered it out inughter. Hearing Yvette say that was somehow hrious. It sounded so effortlessing from her.


    Janice was practically asking for trouble, and she probably didn¡¯t evene close to touching Yvette¡¯s coat hem.


    Jeremiah¡¯s lips quirked into a faint smile, knowing without question that Yvette would never end up on the losing side. Anyone messing with her was just in unlucky. Yvette paused for a second, then added, almost indifferently, ¡°I kicked her lightly. She¡¯s just too fragile.¡±


    Charles wanted tough but held it back, barely containing himself. Back in the day, even the top three underground fighters in Mysonna couldn¡¯t withstand a kick from Yvette, let alone Janice.


    After all, Yvette was someone who could send a ck bear flying with one strike in the colosseum.


    Yvette had a serious misconception about her own strength. Jeremiah took off his jacket and walked over to Yvette, his gaze softening as he leaned down. With his long, slender fingers, he buttoned the coat for her one button at a time.


    Emmett and Charles, in unspoken agreement, turned away at the same time, bracing against the cold wind by wrapping their coats tightly around themselves. Yvette looked like a child in Jeremiah¡¯s oversized coat as if she were ying dress¨Cup


    She looked up, her face barely visible under therge cor, and tilted her head a little, saying slowly and obediently, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± Since birth, she¡¯d had an unusual constitution, with heightened senses but little sensitivity to temperature.


    Emmett and Charles exchanged a nce as they stood with their backs to Jeremiah and Yvette. ¡®Yvette¡¯s as unromantic as ever. Poor Jeremiah¡­ he really has his work cut out for him with this rtionship,¡® they wondered.


    Jeremiah was used to it by now. He looked at her, a faint smile in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m warm.¡± Yvette nced at him, noticing he was only wearing a shirt under his coat.


    ¡®It¡¯s this cold, and he¡¯s warm? Could he being down with something?¡® she wondered.


    Looking seriously at Jeremiah, she said, ¡°Let me check up on you. If you feel too warm in this weather, it could be a symptom of illness.¡± Jeremiah rubbed the corner of his eye, watching her clear, bright gaze, pure to the core.


    With a slight chuckle, he obediently extended his hand. After checking it for a minute, Yvette withdrew her fingers and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡±


    Jeremiah had known he was fine all along, but he nodded anyway, ying along. ¡°I don¡¯t feel warm anymore.¡± Their banter left Emmett and Charles both sighing. Can these two ever learn how to date like normal people?¡® they wondered.


    They made such a unique couple. Neither would be suitable for anyone else.


    The group got into the Jeeps. Yvette and Jeremiah took the first one, while Emmett and Charles climbed into the second. No one wanted to share a ride with Janice who had managed to offend Yvette.


    By the time Samantha and Bonnie had taken turns helping Janice to the vige entrance, Jeremiah had already spotted them and stepped on the gas, speeding off into the night until their car was lost in the darkness.


    Watching the Jeep drive away, Janice¡¯s expression darkened. She chose to ignore that Jeremiah was the one driving. ¡®Yvette is just too much! I already apologized, yet she still refuses to forgive me. She¡¯s so arrogant, Janice thought to herself bitterly.

 Chapter 429

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When they reached the car, Samantha immediately let go of Janice¡¯s hand, climbed into Emmett and Charles¡¯s car, and swiftly shut the door.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The car started in an instant, leaving only Andrew, who looked dejected, Janice, who was struggling to hide her resentment, and Bonnie who was confused standing at the entrance to Dungo Vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew turned around and said weakly, ¡°Get in the car. Let¡¯s follow Jeremiah¡¯s car to the airport.¡± Hearing this, Janice couldn¡¯t contain her excitement.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had only ever seen big airnes on TV, and now she was finally leaving Dungo Vige to board one herself. She swore to herself that, no matter the cost, she would rise above her humble beginnings.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, Andrew managed to rush Bonnie and Janice to the airport just in time to meet up with Jeremiah and the others.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Janice took in the sight of the ne before her, her eyes sparkled. She had overheard someone mention that this was Jeremiah¡¯s private jet.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®How much must this thing have cost?¡® she thought. ¡®Bonnie is ridiculously lucky to have met such wealthy people.¡¯ Janice knew from Bonnie that Jeremiah was Yvette¡¯s boyfriend and that the two of them had a strong rtionship.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Though her jealousy was intense, Yvette¡¯s earlier kick had left asting impression on Janice, one that made her too wary to even think of provoking Jeremiah.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Instead, she set her sights on Andrew. She and Bonnie were born only a day apart, but while Bonnie was Dungo Vige¡¯s revered guardian goddess, Janice had to carefully navigate her way around people just to survive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice resolved to win Andrew over. She was determined to climb to the top. Once on the ne, Yvette and Jeremiah settled into the backmost seats, drawing the curtains for privacy. Emmett, Charles, and Samantha took their usual seats.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew led Bonnie to sit beside them, while Janice took a seat by herself. As she settled in, Janice sat rigidly, too nervous to look around openly, though her eyes couldn¡¯t help but dart from one luxurious detail to another.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She had never dreamed of flying in a private jet. The luxurious life seemed to be beckoning her closer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling a bit heady, Janice mimicked Samantha by ordering an orange juice, pretending to drink it while eavesdropping on the group¡¯s conversation. Emmett casually flipped through a financial newspaper. The stock market had been turbulent recently, and many people had lost fortunes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha took a sip of her orange juice and nced at Emmett¡¯s newspaper. ¡°So, you¡¯ve started investingtely? The first thing you do is open the financial section.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett gave a slight nod, setting down his paper with a casual air. ¡°I¡¯ve put in 70 million, just ying around to kill some time.¡±</font></font>


    Charles looked over at him and said, ¡°I sold off my stocks a couple of days ago. The market¡¯s too unstable right now.¡± Samantha, half¨Cjoking, asked, ¡°Made quite a profit, I bet? If you¡¯ve got a good way to make money, why not share it with me?¡± Charles shot her a nce. ¡°Could you maybe leave some opportunities for the rest of us?¡±


    Samanthaughed brightly, yawning and stretching her fingers nonchntly. ¡°That¡¯s where you don¡¯t get it. No one thinks they have too much money except for fools.¡±


    Andrew chimed in, echoing Samantha¡¯s sentiment. ¡°Dad always old us, ¡®Only a fool turns down easy money.¡± As their conversation grew lively, Janice suddenly chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re all so amazing.¡±


    Her face was full of admiration, hoping to get close by ttering them in her usual way. But what she didn¡¯t realize was that this group despised such ttery, especially from someone with ulterior motives like Janice. The atmosphere immediately turned cold.


    After Janice spoke, nobody responded. Conversation ceased entirely as each person turned back to their own activity. Seeing their indifference, Janice felt a chill. She couldn¡¯t understand why they treated her with such disdain.


    After all, Bonnie was from Dungo Vige, just like her. In Janice¡¯s mind, she surpassed Bonnie in every way, looks, figure, and intelligence.


    Yet she had just witnessed Yvette discreetly slip Bonnie a piece of candy, and despite Yvette¡¯s expressionless face, Janice could sense the closeness between them.


    And then Samantha, who had been cold toward Janice, had offered to order something for Bonnie. Even Charles and Emmett treated Janice and Bonnie entirely differently.


    Andrew, who had been polite to Janice earlier, was now distinctly cold toward her. ¡®Is it all because of Yvette?¡® she wondered.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Seeing Janice near tears, Bonnie hurried over tofort her. In truth, Bonnie wasn¡¯t sure what to say. She understood that Yvette¡¯s tolerance of Janice¡¯s antics was already a small miracle.


    Bonnie looked at Janice with her usual innocent expression and asked, ¡°Janice, is there anything else you¡¯d like to eat?¡± Janice was speechless.


    Bonnie had been a foodie since they were kids. ¡®Is she seriously asking me what I want to eat right now? Total blockhead, Janice thought.


    She knew that if she wanted to stay close to this group, Bonnie was her only option.


    Suppressing her irritation, Janice put on a pleasant tone and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, Bon. Do you think everyone doesn¡¯t like me? I know I¡¯ve messed up.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to target Ms. Zeller¡­ I was standing up for you. But it seems like she hasn¡¯t forgiven me, and your friends don¡¯t want me around, either.¡±


    Bonnie sighed. ¡°Janice, don¡¯t overthink it. Yvette is a really, really kind person. If she still had a grudge, she wouldn¡¯t have let you on the ne. So don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go with you to apologize to Yvette when there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    Janice¡¯s head was spinning as she wondered, ¡®Has Bonnie been brainwashed by Yvette? She isn¡¯t even siding with me Resigned, Janice forced herself to nod. ¡°Alright.¡±


    In the private cabin, Yvette was resting with her eyes closed when suddenly, a familiar figure leaned over her, bringing quiet, familiar scent. Jeremiah nted a gentle kiss, watching hershes tremble slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    Yvette¡¯s sharp, defined features made her look wless, and Jeremiah¡¯s deep gaze lingered on her, his eyes unfathomably intense. As Yvette opened her eyes, the smile in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes deepened. A small grin spread across his face, the corners of his eyes softening withughter.


    Yvette¡¯s fingers clenched, her voice low. ¡°ying tricks? So childish.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded calmly, his gaze clear, free from any trace of mischief. ¡°Kissing my girlfriend doesn¡¯t count as a trick.¡± Yvette raised an eyebrow, giving him a sidelong smile. The brightness in her expression shone with a captivating warmth, like flowers blooming in spring. Their mingling breaths filled the air with a subtle, sweet fragrance.


    Jeremiah sighed softly, holding her hand, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°We¡¯ll be apart for a while again soon.¡±


    Propping her chin on her hand, Yvette hooked his finger with her own, her tone leisurely. ¡°Try not to miss me too much.¡±


    Jeremiah paused, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. ¡°What if I


    Yvette pondered his words with surprising seriousness. ¡°I¡¯ll all


    Jeremiah¡¯sughter spilled out from his chest, his gaze fixed o


    Outside, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha all heard Jeremiah¡¯s ustomed to the easyughter that came from him wheneve


    Only Janice sat there, staring at the closed cabin door. She cou she could tell just how happy he was at that moment.


    ¡®What makes Yvette worthy of his love? Just because of her pre


    Jeremiah paused, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. ¡°What if I can¡¯t?¡±


    Yvette pondered his words with surprising seriousness. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯sughter spilled out from his chest, his gaze fixed on her rosy lips. ¡°I¡¯ll take a little interest in advance, then.¡±


    Outside, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha all heard Jeremiah¡¯sughter, but none of them reacted. They were well ustomed to the easyughter that came from him whenever he was with Yvette.


    Only Janice sat there, staring at the closed cabin door. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but from the sound of Jeremiah¡¯sughter, she could tell just how happy he was at that moment.


    ¡®What makes Yvette worthy of his love? Just because of her pretty face?¡® she wondered.

 Chapter 430

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They reached Seacrity, and Emmett and Samantha still hadn¡¯t spoken a single word to Janice. Janice, however, seemed unbothered by their silence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the ne, Janice monopolized Bonnie¡¯s attention, chatting constop about trivial topics, seemingly to keep her from returning to Andrew¡¯s side.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah dropped Yvette¡¯s group off at Seacrity before heading back to Betrico to handle the situation in Dungo Vige. The threat of Mr. Miller¡¯s backing in Clusia was a lingering danger that had to be eliminated, or more innocent people would suffer in the future.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Seacrity, Andrew, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha returned to a vi Jeremiah owned there, while Yvette and Bonnie headed back to Argrol University, with Janice tagging along.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As they approached the main gates of Argrol University, Janice nced at the stylishly dressed studentsing and going and couldn¡¯t hold back her envy. She muttered, ¡°This ce is huge. Must be full of rich people, right?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie, not paying full attention, only caught the first part of herment. She replied casually, ¡°Janice, this is just one of our campuses.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°We actually have three others, but this one in the city is the biggest. We can pretty much get everything we need here on campus.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonne was just sharing information honestly, but to Janice, it sounded like Bonnie was unting her privilege of studying in such a prestigious ce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Here was Bonnie, thriving at Argrol University, surrounded by influential people, while Janice had to work hard just to get by. ¡®This world is so unfair,¡® she thought bitterly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice¡¯s resentment had twisted her perspective. She had failed to prioritize her studies, which led to poor grades and, eventually, losing her opportunity to attend school outside her vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now she was stuck in Dungo Vige, depending on men for a living, yet she med everything on Bonnie.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette cast a cold, indifferent nce at Janice, whose head was slightly lowered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The truth of Janice¡¯s character was something Bonnie would have to see for herself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Yvette and Bonnie stepped onto the campus grounds of Argrol University, curious students started gathering around, and soon enough, fresh photos of them appeared on the university forum.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the photos, Yvette was captured in profile, her intense, deep eyes and wless features once again creating a stir. Predictably, the forum of Argrol University was aze with excitement.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Yvette walked through campus, people constantly approached to congratte her, students, staff, men and women of all</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">ages.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Congrattions, Ms. Zeller! Goddess, you¡¯re incredible! You¡¯re the idol we all look up to! Yvette, we¡¯ll always support you!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The reason for the buzz was clear. The results of the physics department¡¯s exams had just been posted yesterday, and they had shocked everyone.</font></font>


    In the entire history of Argrol University, no student in the physics department had ever scored a perfect score in every section. But yesterday, faculty and students alike witnessed history, the first¨Cever perfect¨Cscore achiever in the physics department¡¯s century¨Clong record. ¡°Yvette.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s exam papers had even been posted on the campus bulletin board, and word had spread far beyond Argrol


    University. Neighboring schools had heard about it too.


    Other universities could only look on with envy. Everyone wanted talent like Yvette.


    Another young man, handsome but clearly nervous, came up to Yvette, his face flushed. ¡°Yvette, congrattions! You¡¯ve made history again at Argrol University. I¡¯m determined to learn from you.¡±


    After blurting this out, he dashed away, while the people around looked on in admiration. Just talking to Yvette took a lot of courage.


    Janice nced at Yvette, jealousy brimming in her eyes. ¡°These students must have too much free time. Why are they so obsessed with Yvette? She is just a girl, she thought bitterly.


    Bonnie, also surprised, wondered, ¡®What kind of remarkable feat did Yvette pull off while I wasn¡¯t around?¡®N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Ignoring the stares around them, Bonnie turned to Yvette and asked, ¡°Yvette, do you know what all this is about?¡±


    As she spoke, they passed by the crowded bulletin board, where students were gathered, excitedly discussing something.


    Among the crowd was Jahn, who looked proudly at Yvette¡¯s name at the top of the rankings.


    ¡°That¡¯s my Goddess!¡® he thought. ¡®No wonder she didn¡¯t care when Tobias assigned her extra work. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to do it. She probably just thought it was beneath her level.


    This time, Yvette gave everyone a big surprise with her exam results. In their eyes, she was undeniably a genius.


    Ever since Yvette rescued John from Victor on the basketball court, he had quietly supported her from behind the scenes In fact, he managed Yvette¡¯s entire fan club at Argrol University.


    Noticing Yvette and Bonnie standing not too far away, John eagerly called out. ¡°Hi, Yvette, Bonnie, you¡¯re back!¡±


    His shout silenced the previously lively crowd. Most of the onlookers were from the physics department, naturally more familiar with Yvette than students from other departments.


    There were also students from the physics department who had been at Sky Nimbus that day, witnessing firsthand as Yvette and Daniel ced an outrageous 100 million¨Cdor bet, ultimately driving Daniel to the brink of fury.


    People crowded around to greet Yvette, pressing forward so eagerly that Janice was soon pushed aside.


    ¡°Goddess, you¡¯re back! You¡¯re amazing! How did you manage a perfect score? You¡¯re the first student in the history of the physics department to get a perfect score!¡± John marveled.


    It was the kind of achievement that defied envy. The others gazed at Yvette with admiration, hoping she might share her secret to sess.


    Seeing their hopeful, admiring faces, Yvette¡¯s expression remainedposed, her voice as cool as ever.


    Calmly nodding, she arched an eyebrow and said casually, ¡°The exam wasn¡¯t hard.¡±


    There was a momentary pause where she held back from saying the rest. ¡®It was actually quite easy! Hearing her remark, everyone¡¯s eyes twitched with envy and admiration.


    -If these professors knew that all their painstakingly crafted exam questions were merely not hard in Yvette¡¯s eyes, they¡¯d be furious beyond belief.


    Yvette was only speaking the truth. Whether others believed her was up to them. For her, there was no such thing as a difficult problem, only problems she chose to solve and those she didn¡¯t care to.


    If anyone else had made such ament, the physics department students would¡¯ve brushed it off as pure arrogance.


    Buting from Yvette, they believed it without question. After all, she was the one who had beaten the world champions. There was nothing wrong with what she said.


    Janice, who had been pushed to the side, looked on with resentment as Yvette enjoyed the crowd¡¯s adoration. Her left hand clenched into a fist, and her gaze turned icy with venomous jealousy.


    ¡°The so¨Ccalled first in the physics department? Acting all high and mighty, I refuse to believe anyone is just born gifted and can effortlessly score well. Who are they kidding?¡® she thought. These students must be brainwashed, believing whatever Yvette says.


    Standing nearby, Bonnie finally pieced it together. Yvette had aced the exam, ranking first. If Yvette said the test wasn¡¯t difficult, then it must have been challenging for most people.


    Bonnie understood that Yvette¡¯s typical workload was likely much tougher than this exam. Such a difficulty level would naturally feel overwhelming for ordinary people, something Bonnie had long realized.


    Bonnie knew ordinary students like herself could never match the level of a true genius.


    Janice, unwilling to be ignored, nced at Yvette, who was basking in the attention, and spoke in a soft, feeble voice. ¡°Bon, where¡¯s your dorm? My foot hurts a bit.¡±

 Chapter 431

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie had forgotten Janice was still there and quickly stepped out from the crowd. She walked over to Janice, and the attention shifted toward her. Janice looked innocent, drawing the eyes of a few male students nearby.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing that she¡¯d seeded in attracting attention, Janice shed a sweet smile at the onlookers, relishing the admiration.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie said with a shy smile, ¡°Janice, my dorm is just up ahead. I¡¯ll take you there to rest for a bit, andter, I¡¯ll help you find a ce to stay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, Yvette¡¯s phone buzzed. She nced at it. It was from Simon, asking her toe to his office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie walked back to Yvette. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯ll take Janice to my dorm first, then find her a ceter. I¡¯ll meet you and Jeremiah afterward.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette put her phone away and nodded casually. ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">John, hearing that Janice was Bonnie¡¯s sister and noticing her bandaged foot, eagerly offered to help her to the girls¡® dorm.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice assumed John was interested in her. She looked at his simple clothes and secretly sneered. ¡°This guy¡¯s clothes are way too in, she thought, though she kept a sweet smile on her face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Thank you,¡± she said to John, whose cheeks flushed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had no idea that his well¨Cintentioned gesture would nearlynd him in hot water. If he¡¯d known, he would never have volunteered.</font></font>From N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After the three left, Yvette nodded briefly to the onlookers before heading to Simon¡¯s office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the office, Yvette knocked and entered to find the usual spread of snacks on Simon¡¯s desk, though this time, there was a broader selection and even a fresh cup of milkshake, clearly just delivered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon was on the phone, and he gestured for Yvette to take a seat. She settled herself on the sofa, pulled out her phone, and opened a bag of snacks, munching contentedly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon, noticing her at ease, chuckled and continued his call.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, a text arrived from Eagle King. [Boss, any nstely? I¡¯m bored out of my mind. Flying Fish just got back home, and said he¡¯s going to try acting and make some extra cash to blow. I¡¯m practically turning to stone over here.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette bit into chips, then typed back: [I¡¯m heading to South East Aploth in Golden Triangle in a few days. You¡¯re wee to join if you¡¯re interested.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Within a minute, Eagle King replied: [Boss, I¡¯m definitely interested. Count me in. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve been to Voraxia. Wonder if our old friends there are still around.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze deepened as she read the message, fingers pausing mid¨Ctyping, and her expression thoughtful. After a moment, she put her phone away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Simon ended his call and sat down across from her on the sofa. This day¡¯s got my head spinning with all the work.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Since the incident with Patrick, the director¡¯s position at Argrol University had been vacant, leaving Simon to handle every aspect of university affairs.</font></font>


    Patrick¡¯s mess had kept Simon swamped until now, so as soon as he heard Yvette was back, he texted her right away. She was always busy, and catching her was no easy task.


    Yvette pushed the freshly made coffee toward him and said politely, ¡°Mr. Sundend, here¡¯s some coffee.¡±


    Simon, delighted, epted it gratefully. ¡°So, did everything go shoothly while you were away?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and nodded, her tone light and unhurried. ¡°Yes, all done. She came back with us


    Simon nodded. After some small talk, he steered the conversation toward Patrick.


    Simon looked grave. ¡°The verdict on Patrick¡¯s case is out. It was handed down a few days ago. Amy was acquitted, and Patrick got fifteen years. By the time he¡¯s out, he¡¯ll likely be a broken man.¡±


    Yvette leaned back and nodded, her voice cool. ¡°Has Amy returned to school?¡±


    Simon sighed. What Amy had endured at the hands of her advisor was something hard to heal from


    He began. ¡°No, she took a leave of absence, but the school will hold her spot indefinitely. Only she can work through the wounds, both mental and physical, on her own.


    ¡°We can¡¯t help. I¡¯ll make sure someone visits regrly to offer her whatever help we can.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes darkened as she held her milkshake, her gaze sharp and steady. Slowly, she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 70 million.¡±


    Simon¡¯s hand trembled slightly, spilling half his coffee not because of the 70 million, but because he had no idea why Yvette would give him that amount out of nowhere. ¡®Is she just so wealthy that she¡¯s got money to burn? Simon thought, amused.


    It seemed usible. Yvette¡¯s wealth likely surpassed what she could reasonably spend.


    Yvette continued, her tone calm and measured, ¡°Use the 70 million to establish a foundation under Argrol University¡¯s name, dedicated to helping women like Amy who¡¯ve been raped. You can handle the details, Mr. Sundend.¡±


    Simon was stunned. He¡¯d considered a hundred different reasons she might have for giving him 70 million, but the thought of her wanting to establish a foundation never crossed his mind.


    ¡®Well¡­ He was speechless, watching Yvette sip her milkshake with quietposure. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice somber. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±


    Yvette always acted more than she spoke. Though she seemed indifferent and detached, her heart waspassionate and full of empathy.


    Simon lowered his gaze, feeling an unexpected pang of sadness. In recent years, the teaching profession had somehow be one of the least trusted.


    Cases of teachers harassing or raping students were rminglymon. If not for Patrick¡¯s situation, Simon would never have believed such an ugly yet kind monster was working so close by.


    It was toote, even with Patrick in prison. The scars he¡¯d left on Amy would never fade. Amy was both unfortunate and fortunate, fortunate to have met people like Yvette.


    But in other corners of the world, many young women were still caught in the clutches of abusers, too afraid to speak out. Meanwhile, outside the girls¡® dormitory, John dropped off Bonnie and Janice, practically making a run for it. He couldn¡¯t be med, though. Janice had practically clung to him the entire way.


    Too shy to say anything about it, he was just d to have fulfilled his duty, and he left the instant he could.


    Janice, mistaking his reaction for shyness, felt utterly confident in herself. Once inside the dorm and alone with Bonnie, Janice dropped the act and started ordering Bonnie around, pouting. ¡°Bon, my foot hurts. Could you get me some water?¡±


    Bonnie nodded agreeably. ¡°Alright, Janice, just wait here. I¡¯ll grab a basin and bring you some.¡±


    When Bonnie came back with the basin of water and opened the door, she found Janice fiddling with something on the desk.


    ¡°Janice, what are you doing?¡± she asked, Janice looked at the skincare bottle in her hand with distaste and ced it back on the desk with a grimace.


    ¡°Bon, is this really what you use for your skincare? This stuff is so cheap, and it¡¯s not even a real brand. Won¡¯t it be bad for your skin?¡± she asked.


    Bonnie set down the basin in front of Janice with some effort, wiping her brow as she answered cheerfully, ¡°Janice, I¡¯ve always used it, and it works just fine. It won¡¯t hurt your skin. Don¡¯t worry! Go on and wash up.¡±

 Chapter 432

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice curled her lip, disgusted as she ced the lotion she was holding on the table, and muttered, ¡°Bon, I¡¯m not saying this to be harsh, but that Andrew looks like he¡¯s loaded.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She continued. ¡°If you¡¯re out of money, why don¡¯t you ask him for some? He wouldn¡¯t be stingy enough to not give you a little, would he?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice said this just to test how far Bonnie¡¯s rtionship with Andrew had progressed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie looked at Janice and suddenly felt that there was something unfamiliar about her. But then she thought maybe Janice was just casually asking.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Janice, just because I¡¯m dating Andrew doesn¡¯t mean I have to spend his money. I have a schrship for school, and I also work part¨Ctime to earn my living expenses. It¡¯s enough for my daily needs.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie¡¯s satisfied look made Janice extremely annoyed, ¡®What an idiot! Attending such a top school and not trying to find a wealthy man to rely on, just burying herself in books and even working part¨Ctime ¨C is this really living?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice knew Bonnie wasn¡¯t lying. When Bonnie went to get some water, Janice had already sneaked a look into her wardrobe. It¡¯s full of cheap clothes from street stalls, not a single designer piece, and her makeup collection is just embarrassingly basic.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice just couldn¡¯t get it, ¡®Yvette, Andrew, and Jeremiah even have private jets¨Cthey must be loaded. Has Bonnie lost her mind? Choosing to live such a tough life instead, she¡¯s absolutely crazy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She was deep in her thoughts, ¡®How can I ever afford a mansion and a luxury car by relying on myself? If I have friends like that, I¡¯d certainly take advantage of them.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice watched Bonnie packing without any intention of helping</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Originally, Janice thought she could connect with Yvette and her crew through Bonnie, but that¡¯s clearly not happening now However, she¡¯s really fallen deeply in love with Andrew and doesn¡¯t want to give up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®Even if Bonnie married into a wealthy family, it would be pointless. With her simple mind, how could she handle the scheming and drama of high society?¡® Janice thought, ¡®I would be more suited for that life!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the evening, Bonnie finished tidying up the dorm, leaving it spotless. She was so exhausted that her back ached and she could barely straighten up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice, on the other hand, was lying on the bed, sleepingfortably. It wasn¡¯t until Bonnie brought back dinner that she finally woke up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie specially went to the cafeteria and packed four dishes and a soup, bringing them back in a thermal container.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice looked at the food in the container, wrinkled her nose in disgust, and put her chopsticks down. ¡°Bon, is this really the food from your cafeteria?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie nodded as she put on her coat. ¡°Well, Janice, you should try it, it¡¯s really delicious. You eat first, I need to go Yvette for a bit. I might be a littleteing back.¡±</font></font>


    As soon as she heard the name Yvette, Bonnie¡¯s sister¡¯s expression changed immediately.


    She looked at Bonnie and said with a sneer and a sarcastic tone, Bon, I¡¯m just saying, be cautious around that Ms. Zeller. She clearly isn¡¯t an ordinary person. Be careful, or you might get tricked without realizing it.¡±


    Bonnie stopped, turned around, and for the first time, looked at Janice with a scrutinizing gaze.


    After a brief silence, Bonnie¡¯s face became serious and her voice firm. ¡°Janice, stop saying things like that. Yvette isn¡¯t the person you¡¯re describing. You may not know her well, but it¡¯s wrong to defame her.¡±


    It was the first time Janice had seen Bonnie act like this, and she froze, stunned. Just as she was about to say something, Bonnie opened the door without hesitation and left.


    Janice suddenly felt a huge wave of panic, as if something important was about to leave her.


    At Jeremiah¡¯s vi, Yvette, Samantha, and Charles were cooking steak. The table was filled with a variety of dishes. Andrew picked up a piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and sighed, looking all despondent.


    Emmett poured some juice and looked at the distracted Andrew. ¡°Why the sigh? Doesn¡¯t the steak taste good?¡±


    Everyone else at the table also turned to Andrew, while Yvette, eyes lowered, was texting Jeremiah. She looked up and casually said, ¡°Bonnie will be here in five minutes.¡±


    As soon as Andrew heard this, he perked up instantly. Without his girlfriend, even the steak didn¡¯t taste as good. Andrew eximed happily, ¡°Look at Yvette, she always knows what I¡¯m thinking, a true expert!¡±


    At this point, Andrew cidn¡¯t help but tter Yvette, something he practically had ingrained in his bones.


    Emmett was speechless, while Charles just shook his head.


    Samantha looked at Andrew with disdain. ¡°Sorry everyone, it¡¯s his first time being in a rtionship, so please bear with him.¡±


    As soon as those words were spoken, the doorbell rang. Andrew quickly went to open the door, and as soon as he saw Bonnie, he instantly perked up.


    ¡°Bon, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Bonnie forced a smile. On her way here, she had been thinking about Janice¡¯s words, feeling down.


    After the two came in, Bonnie first greeted Yvette, then nodded to everyone else in turn. ¡°Hi Yvette. Hi Samantha.¡±


    Yvette put away her phone, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Bonnie, her beautiful eyes maintaining their usual coolness. ¡°Yeah, have a seat.¡±


    Samantha eagerly pulled Bonnie over to the seat next to her, calling her ¡°little sister¨Cinw¡± at every turn. By the end of the meal, Bonnie was blushing, her face consistently rosy.


    Andrew could only grit his teeth on the side, watching Samantha and Bonnie interact so closely. ¡®Seriously, his rival is his sister?¡® he wondered.


    After they finished their steak, the group yed a few rounds of Werewolf. By the fifth round, Andrew refused to y any longer, because Yvette identified the werewolf correctly every single time just made the game boring to him.


    On the balcony, Bonnie looked at the moon with a heavy heart. Grandma was gone, and now it was just her and Janice. Yet, she felt like the sister who had loved and cared for her all these years had changed.


    She changed so much that Bonnie barely recognized her. ¡®Am I just overthinking?¡® she wondered.


    Yvette walked over to Bonnie with the warm milk Andrew had specially prepared for her. She looked at Bonnie with a nk expression and said casually, ¡°Andrew warmed this up for you.¡±


    Bonnie took the milk and drank it quietly. Yvette didn¡¯t hurry away; she sat down on the rocking chair, rocking back and forth in a rxed manner.


    After a moment, Bonnie ced the empty cup on the table. She looked down and softly asked, ¡°Yvette, do you think people really change?¡±


    Yvette half¨Cclosed her brows, her cold eyes ncing at Bonnie. Her dark gaze was tinged with a trace of malice.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    With azy, nonchnt tone, she said, ¡°The human heart is the most unreliable thing in this world. People change, or maybe they never changed at all. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re only seeing it clearly now.¡±


    Bonnie was taken aback, and it was a while before she spoke again. ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re right.¡±


    The next day, news surfaced that Argrol University, in coboration with Seacrity¡¯s government and with $70 million from an anonymous investor, had established a Women¡¯s Protection Association.


    The identity of the mysterious person sparked countless spections, but no matter how much the reporters pressed, Simon refused to reveal any details about them. In the end, the public could only let it go without any answers.


    However, this incident sparked a societal discussion on sexual assault against women. Relevant authorities began to pay attention to the issue and promptly enacted rtedws, which, to some extent, helped protect women¡¯s personal safety.

 Chapter 433

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the following days, Janice came and went at odd hours, and her wardrobe hadpletely changed. She now wore branded clothes, and her bags went from a few thousand to tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand. She wore heavy makeup every day.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie watched all of this with her eyes wide open.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the middle of the night, Janice came in smelling of alcohol. As soon as she turned on the lights, she saw Bonnie sitting on a chair, which startled her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°What are you doing, Bon, up in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? You look like a ghost.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The clothes Janice was wearing were different from the ones she went out in earlier. She had obviously changed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie said, ¡°Janice, what have you been doingtely? Didn¡¯t you promise me that you¡¯d seriously look for a job? What are you doing now?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For a moment, Janice¡¯s expression was awkward, then she became embarrassed and angry. She snapped at Bonnie, ¡°Bon, I¡¯m your older sister. How dare you question me like this?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie looked at the unfamiliar Janice in front of her and said weakly, ¡°Janice, stop dodging the question. Are you in a rtionship?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Recently, Janice had been living quitefortably. She used a few subtle tactics totch onto a wealthy second¨Cgeneration heir from the finance department at Argrol University.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Although the man had a girlfriend, he promised to break up with her and give Janice a legitimate status. Now, everything she wore and used came from this man¡¯s money.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">To Janice, Bonnie no longer had any value. She no longer wanted to maintain the facade of their sisterhood.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice sneered. ¡°Bon, stop with that worried expression. I don¡¯t care in the slightest. To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve found myself a rich guy. He¡¯s willing to spend money on me, buying bags and clothes, and now I¡¯m living the life I¡¯ve always wanted.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie watched Janice, now so arrogant and full of herself, with a heavy heart. She knew Yvette was right¨Cpeople do change. Janice was no longer the older sister she once knew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Janice, do you realize you¡¯re being the other woman? That guy is a known yer at our college and already has a fianc¨¦e who¡¯s a perfect match for him. He¡¯s not going to marry you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janiceughed dismissively while fiddling with her nails, and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware of his fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s not even as good- looking as me. Robert will dump her eventually, and I don¡¯t care!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie felt a chill in her heart, ¡®Is Janice really knowingly choosing to be the other woman?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice looked at the devastated Bonnie and, since things were already tense, decided to escte itpletely.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice said, ¡°Bon, we¡¯ve been sisters, so don¡¯t me me for not warning you. A man like Andrew, who only earns a few thousand a month, isn¡¯t worth it.¡±</font></font>


    She continued. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, I¡¯ll have Robert introduce you to a rich guy. Why work so hard? Isn¡¯t it better to make money while lying down?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Janice originally intended to target Andrew, but the next day, when she followed Bonnie to find him, she discovered that he wasn¡¯t a wealthy heir at all¨Che was just an ordinary worker. Andrew was a librarian.


    No matter how handsome he was, his aura instantly faded. She had already known that Bonnie, that fool, would never be able to find a good marr


    Bonnie suddenly felt a wave of nausea..She couldn¡¯t bear to look at Janice anymore.


    Janice didn¡¯t care. She ignored Bonnie¡¯s reaction, packed her things, and looked at Bonnie before leaving.


    ¡°Bon, people from our little vige have always treated you and me differently. You were the saint, while I was like your servant. Even Grandma favored you. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been jealous of you since we were kids, even hated you.¡±


    She paused and then continued. ¡°When we were little, I even thought about drowning you. Now, it¡¯s alle to this. I¡¯ve endured it for so long, but from today on, I¡¯m no longer your sister. Let¡¯s just be strangers.¡±


    With that, she left Bonnie¡¯s room without a second thought, leaving Bonnie standing there in shock. It turned out that when she was five, Bonnie was really pushed into the river by Janice. If it weren¡¯t for the vigers passing by, she would have drowned.


    The next day at the Argrol University cafeteria.


    Yvette, Bonnie, and Charles had just finished getting their meals when they ran into Janice and her group.


    She arrived with that rich kid, Robert, and a few others. Among them, Janice was the only girl hanging onto Robert¡¯s arm. Janice leaned into Robert, her smile charming and cute. In just a few days, she had be the ultimate trendsetter.


    Janice froze for a moment when she saw Bonnie and Yvette, then acted as if nothing had happened and walked over casually.


    After sitting down, Bonnie took a bite of a rib and forced a smile. ¡°Yvette, you should try this, it¡¯s really tasty.¡±


    Yvette lifted her eyes and sat casually, saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like smiling, then don¡¯t.¡±


    Charles slowly ate the food on his te and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s silly to get upset over someone who isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    Bonnie was startled for a moment.


    As soon as Yvette entered the cafeteria, everyone around recognized her instantly. With a face like that, staying low¨Ckey was impossible.


    However, the students at Argrol University were very taciturn. Due to Yvette¡¯s powerful presence, no one dared to approach. They could only silently observe from a distance.


    Janice noticed Robert and his friends deliberately avoiding the numerous seats near Yvette, choosing to sit farther away instead. She couldn¡¯t understand why they did that.


    Janice tidied her hair and cautiously asked Robert, ¡°Robert, there are so many seats over there. Why didn¡¯t you sit there?¡±


    Robert thought Janice was just curious.


    He whispered, ¡°At Argrol University, wherever there¡¯s a Goddess, everyone just naturally leaves that seat empty.¡± Janice¡¯s face went rigid, her pupils contracted, and her breath caught slightly. She stared steadily at Yvette ahead.


    ¡®Goddess? Are you referring to this Yvette? No way. Absolutely impossible, she thought.


    Robert didn¡¯t notice Janice¡¯s bewildered expression. ¡°See? That¡¯s the girl over there, the most beautiful one. Her name¡¯s Yvette. Don¡¯t you keep up with the news?¡±


    Janice definitely wasn¡¯t going to admit that she was from a small, isted town in Cloud Province, out of touch with thetest updates. She could only nod firmly. ¡°Oh, I do watch it, every day, of course.¡±


    Seeing Janice im to watch the news every day, Robert didn¡¯t press further. ¡®Anyone who had been following the news recently should know about that international event, right? What¡¯s there to be surprised about?¡¯ he thought.


    Robert looked at Yvette and the other two with a sense of admiration and said, ¡°It¡¯s not just the goddess who¡¯s amazing. Look at the two people beside her. One is Charles, who was promoted to assistant by thew professor shortly after transferring here.¡±


    He continued. ¡°The other is Bonnie. She seems ordinary, but she¡¯s outstanding¨Cshe gets schrships every year and is one of the top students who¡¯s been rmended for graduate school by the university.¡±


    Everyone at the table was lively and animated, each offering their own thoughts about those three people.


    ¡°If the Goddess could just smile at me once, I¡¯d die happy, really


    ¡°Stop daydreaming, man. I wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about the Goddess. But if I could just talk with Bonnie, that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t agree with that? But let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves; we¡¯re not that fortunate. I wonder how many days the Goddess will stay at the school this time.¡±


    ¡°If the Goddess decided to stay on campus, I¡¯d definitely be at the cafeteria every day.¡±


    Off to the side, Janice felt tense while listening to their conversation, forcing a strained smile.

 Chapter 434

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Two dayster, Bonnie and Yvette ran into Janice at an upscale mall where Bonnie worked part¨Ctime. Janice was strolling around with a middle¨Caged man who had a bit of a belly and was balding. The two of them seemed close.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie stared at Janice, who was all dressed up, then quickly looked away. She turned to Yvette, who was seated on the couch, and said, ¡°Give me a minute, Yve. My shift just ended, and I¡¯ll go change. Then we can meet up with Andrew.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, loungingfortably with her legs crossed, looked up. Her eyes sparkled faintly as she spoke, her voice calm and smooth, ¡°Sure.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie smiled and was just about to leave when Janice¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Hey, you, the salesperson! Bring that outfit over here. I want to try it on.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Janice¡¯s voice, Bonnie let out a sigh. She thought, ¡®Life has a way of throwing people you didn¡¯t want to see right in your path, while those you missed stay just out of reach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette didn¡¯t move from her seat, watching Janice approach with a cool expression as if she were aplete stranger. It was only when Janice came closer that she noticed Yvette behind Bonnie and gasped. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie turned around to stare at Janice who looked utterly shocked. She worked hard to conceal the bitterness inside, keeping a polite smile as she said softly, ¡°Hello. Let me know which outfit you like, and I¡¯ll bring it over for you</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Janice noticed Bonnie¡¯s uniform, she immediately understood that Bonnie was working part¨Ctime there. Her initial surprise quickly turned into disdain as she scoffed. To her, Bonnie¡¯s refusal to use any ¡°connections¡± meant she would stay low on the socialdder forever.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette¡¯s indifferent expression, Janice felt a surge of anger. She couldn¡¯t understand why anyone admired Yvette so much at Argrol University. Yvette was just a ¡°top student with a pretty face. She thought, ¡®What is all the fuss about?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Realizing Jeremiah wasn¡¯t around, Janice started scheming again. She was with her new sugar daddy, who had taken a particr interest in her. He had been generous and even had ties to the underground world¨Cmore than enough to handle someone like Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her sponsor even had a private jet. She thought, ¡®Sure, Jeremiah might have some money, but my man is nothing to scoff at I¡¯m gonna pay Yvette back for that kick in Dungo Vige!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised her head, her brow furrowing slightly as a chill settled over her expression. Her eyes, cold and deep like ake, gave Janice a single frosty nce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">That look made Janice¡¯s grip on her bag so tight that she nearly tore it. She bit her lips. It was that same dismissive look that made her feel as insignificant as an insect in front of Yvette.</font></font>


    With a huff, Janice threw herself onto the couch directly across from Yvette. Then, just to show off, she called the chubby man over, acting overly affectionate and addressing him as ¡°darling¡± at every turn.


    When the man, Ben Murphy, waddled over and caught sight of Yvette, his eyes lit up. Although he was speaking to Janice, he couldn¡¯t stop sneaking nces at Yvette.


    ¡°Anything you like?¡± Ben said to Janice, ¡°Whatever you want, I¡¯ll get it for you. Money is not an issue. I¡¯ll buy you a vi next time.


    Janice froze, surprised by his sudden generosity. He hadn¡¯t been thisvish yesterday. However, seeing the way his gaze kept drifting toward Yvette, a wave of panic hit her. Yvette wasn¡¯t doing anything but sitting there, yet she still managed to steal all the attention.From N?velDrama.Org.


    Janice leaned in closer to the man, deliberately brushing her breast against his. Sure enough, his attention shifted back to her. She pouted and said, ¡°I want this girl to serve me, babe.¡±


    Bonnie nced down at her watch. Her shift was officially over. Taking a deep breath, she responded calmly, ¡°Excuse me, Miss, Sir, but my shift has ended. Another girl will assist you shortly.¡±


    Hearing how Bonnie addressed her, Janice¡¯s expression flickered with unease, but she quickly masked it with anger. She thought, ¡®How dare Bonnie cut me off like this?¡®


    Janice fumed, ¡°I don¡¯t care if your shift is over. I¡¯m demanding that you help me, or I¡¯ll file aint.¡±


    Ben dug into his ck bag, pulled out a thick wad of cash, and tossed it onto the table. He sneered, ¡°You need to learn some respect. If I say you¡¯re staying, you¡¯re staying. Serve us well, and this tip is all yours.¡±


    Seeing Ben back her up, Janice became even bolder. She figured that Yvette was silently watching because she was intimidated. She thought that Bonnie must finally see Yvette¡¯s true colors¨Cshe wasn¡¯t as impressive as she seemed.


    Bonnie couldn¡¯t believe Janice had stooped this low, but this was the final straw. Without losing herposure, she looked at Janice and replied calmly, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Ben¡¯s face twisted with irritation at Bonnie¡¯s indifferent attitude. He had made his fortune in real estate during a lucky boom, bing a nouveau riche who was used to people catering to him.


    Now, seeing a mere salesgirl act like she didn¡¯t care, he shot up from the couch, raising his hand to p her.


    Janice watched eagerly, hoping the p wouldnd hard. Bonnie deserved it in her eyes, and after Bonnie, she nned to deal with Yvette too¨Cneither of them would get away.


    However, just as Ben raised his hand, he was suddenly sent sprawling to the floor with a fierce kick. He hit the ground hard, smashing his lips and losing a front tooth. Groaning in pain, he clutched his mouth, wailing loudly.


    Janice froze, a chill running through her as the scene struck an eerie familiarity. This was just like what had happened to her in Dungo Vige a few days ago when she had been knocked to the ground. Her body shook at the memory.


    Ben red up at her, furious. ¡°What are you looking at? Get over here and help me up!¡±


    Janice quickly rushed forward to help Ben up, feigning concern. Are you alright, babe?¡±


    Ben, whose speech was slurred by the missing tooth, red at her in frustration. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m missing my tooth¡­ It¡¯s gone!¡±


    Putting on a sympathetic face, Janice cooed, ¡°Oh, babe, does it hurt? I saw it all. It was that woman, Yvette, who kicked you. She¡¯s the one to me! You can¡¯t let her get away with it!¡±


    Ben shot a furious look at Yvette, his pride wounded as much as his lips. He thought, ¡®Is she trained in boxing or something? How could she kick that hard?¡¯


    Seething, Ben shouted, ¡°How dare you kick me? I know people in high ces, and I won¡¯t let you go easily. Have you ever heard of the Chambers family? Top dogs in Seacrity. I know the head of the family and trust me, you¡¯re finished.¡±


    Bonnie¡¯s face showed a flicker of surprise and amusement when Ben mentioned the Chambers family. She thought, The Chambers family? Is he stupid? Did he even realize he was saying this in front of the daughter of Mr. Chambers?

 Chapter 435

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie nced over at Yvette, feeling sorry for Ben. She thought, ¡®Why did he mention the Chambers family? If Mr. Chambers truly knew this guy, well, he might piss Yve off!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly as her intense gaze settled on Ben and Janice. Suddenly, a sly smile crept onto her face. ¡°You¡¯re saying you know Zachary Chambers, right And that he has your back, huh?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben was caught off guard when Yvette mentioned Zachary, momentarily stunned. However, he quickly regained hisposure and nodded, trying to look confident.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯ve got a little bit of sense, knowing Seacrity¡¯s top family and Mr. Chambers. Yeah, that¡¯s exactly who I talking about. He and I are close.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If I call him, he¡¯ll definitely send someone to teach you a lesson. So, I¡¯d suggest you apologize and hang out with me for a few days, and maybe I¡¯ll consider letting you go.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben¡¯s eyes roamed over Yvette, clearly more focused on her looks than on his threat. Sure, Janice was attractive, butpared to Yvette, she was just nobody. If he got to choose one between them, he would definitely pick Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice had no idea what was going through Ben¡¯s mind. She thought he was genuinely standing up for her Although she didn¡¯t know much about this ¡°Mr. Chambers¡°, she could gather from Ben¡¯s tone that he must be a powerful and wealthy figure.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Feeling smug, Janice turned to Yvette and sneered, ¡°My man and Mr. Chambers are as close as family. Offending us means offending him. If you don¡¯t listen to us, we¡¯ll kick you out of Seacrity.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie watched the two of them put on their little show and try to threaten Yvette, feeling disgusted.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She thought, ¡®Do they have any clue about the rtionship between the almighty Zachary they were talking about and Yve? And yet, here they were, boasting like fools. What a joke.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Watching Janice¡¯s arrogant look, Bonnie knew there was no going back to their sisterhood.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, unfazed by their threat, sat down on the couch with a calm aura in her sharp gaze. Crossing one leg over the other, she casually yed with her phone, exuding fearless confidence. She looked every bit the boss, with an air of defiance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at the two in front of her, her eyes gleaming with a hint of malice, and she gave a casual smile. ¡°Since you know Zachary, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Call him over. The head of Seacrity¡¯s first family must be impressive, right?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben froze. He thought, ¡®Is she out of her mind?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He did want to call Zachary over, but he had only sat at the same table with him a couple of times. Their rtionship was nothing more than ordinary.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had never expected anyone to believe that the Chambers family would actuallye to his aid. He had said it just to intimidate Yvette, but now, he wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.</font></font>


    After a long pause, Ben stammered, but no words came out. Even Janice noticed something was off.


    She immediately pulled Ben aside, whispering urgently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, babe? Yvette is challenging you. Hurry up and call Mr. Chambers to back us up, or we¡¯ll just be theughingstock. Please, call him now!¡±


    Ben couldn¡¯t tell her the truth without embarrassing himself, and the truth was, he had no way of actually bringing Zachary here. As he was caught in this awkward situation, suddenly, Yvette¡¯s phone rang.


    Ben couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief as the phone rang, and their eyes instantly focused on Yvette¡¯s phone. She sead ¡°Zachary¡± and answered the call without showing any signs of surprise


    ¡°Where are you, Yvette Are youing home to have dinner with me?¡± Zachary¡¯s voice came through the phone, warm and familiar.


    Yvette raised her eyes, ncing at Ben opposite her. With a faint lift of her eyebrows, she calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m at Starlight za.¡±


    Before she could even finish, Zachary¡¯s excited voice came through. ¡°Starlight za? What a coincidence! I¡¯m here inspecting the stores too. Which floor are you on? I¡¯lle up in a few minutes.¡±


    Starlight za was part of the Chambers Group¡¯s holdings, and Zachary had unexpectedlye by to check on the business, never expecting to run into Yvette here.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression indifferent. ¡°Fifth floor


    Zachary immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in about 15 minutes.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    After a brief pause, Yvette ended the call. Bonnie, who had overheard the conversation, wasn¡¯t sure at first and asked cautiously, ¡°Was that Mr. Chambers, Yve?¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly and pursed her lips. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing that, Ben and Janice, who had been eavesdropping, immediately tensed. Janice¡¯s expression quickly shifted from smug to incredulous as she let out a sharpugh, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    She said, ¡°Wait, Bonnie, you¡¯re not talking about Zachary, the head of the Chambers family, are you? That¡¯s impossible! Don¡¯t think you and Yvette can just muddle through and get away with this. Yvette broke my babe¡¯s teeth, and we won¡¯t let her go.¡±


    Bonnie was taken aback for a moment but then nodded seriously, saying, ¡°Yes, the person who called is the head of the Chambers family, Mr. Zachary Chambers. He¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Ben¡¯s loudugh cut her off. ¡°You two little girls have no idea who Zachary is, do you? He¡¯s a prominent figure in Seacrity, someone you could never just casually call or meet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can fool me with a phone call. If you refuse to apologize, neither of you are leaving. Get down on your knees and apologize now!¡±


    Janice chimed in, agreeing with Ben, ¡°Exactly, Yvette¡¯s surname is Zeller and Zachary¡¯s surname is Chambers. Come on, at least educate yourself before you lie. This is just ridiculous!¡±


    Yvette slowly stood up from the couch, her eyes scanning her watch. Zachary would be here in about ten minutes¨Cjust enough time. She turned her head toward Bonnie and whispered, ¡°Close the door.¡±


    Bonnie nced at Janice and Ben, knowing all too well that crossing Yvette came with consequences. No one was exempt, not even her sister.


    Bonnie quickly walked over to the counter, pulled out a smart key from the drawer, and used it to remotely lock the door, cutting off the view from the outside. Now, only the four of them were left inside the store.


    Janice and Ben froze when they saw the door close, confused. They thought, ¡®Why is she shutting the door?¡®


    Janice, feeling suddenly panicked, shouted, ¡°What are you doing, Yvette? Open the door now!¡±


    Ben, clutching his mouth where Yvette had kicked him earlier, was clearly shaken. His legs were still throbbing from the blow, and he couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression sly and dangerous. Her gaze was sharp, and her voice was cold as she slowly said, ¡°Why did we shut the door? To lock you in, of course. It¡¯s time for you to face the consequences.¡±


    Janice and Ben stiffened, thinking, ¡®Lock us in? Oh no, this is going to be serious.


    Janice quickly took a step back and hid behind Ben, her face filled with fear. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    Ben, however, wasn¡¯t about to let Janice hide behind him. He roughly pulled her out from behind.

 Chapter 436

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ten minutester, Janice and Ben stood there, rubbing their swollen faces, ncing at each other with nothing but resentment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie stood aside, observing the two of them¨CJanice and Ben¨Cwho had been pping each other moments ago. Her gaze drifted to the silver gun on the table, and she let out a sigh.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just ten minutes ago, after the door was closed, Yvette had done nothing to physically intervene. Janice and Ben, seeing Yvette pull out the gun, were so terrified they lost allposure</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They had med each other until they finally started fighting. Throughout it all, Yvette had simply sat on the couch, not saying a word. And now, here they were, reduced to this pathetic state.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice had it worse. After all, Ben, being a man, had the advantage in physical strength. Janice had been beaten badly, her screams piercing the air in a tragic, shrill cry.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally, the two stopped. Ben, with a wounded face, spat on the ground and pointed at Janice, saying to Yvette, ¡°She¡¯s the one who started all this and dragged me into this mess.</font></font>N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I was just fooled by her. If you¡¯re angry, take it out on her. I¡¯m innocent in all of this.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben trembled as he saw the gun on the table, his fear palpable. He understood that he had crossed a line he should never have crossed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After years of navigating through society, he knew all too well what it meant when a woman could casually pull out a gun¨Che had just kicked a ho¡¯s nest.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice, lying on the floor, slowly raised her head. Her face was bruised and battered, every inch of her body in pain. Her eyes locked onto Yvette who was sitting calmly on the couch, resembling a demon.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Janice¡¯s chest rose and fell with everybored breath, her eyes wide with seething anger, tears of hatred pooling in them. ¡°From the moment Iid eyes on you, Yvette, I hated you.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Why is even my only sister on your side and all I have left is this old man to help me get what I want? It¡¯s not fair! If I were you, I would be a thousand times better than you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette had beauty granted by heaven and a rich boyfriend like Jeremiah, and everything was handed to her effortlessly. Unlike her, Janice had to struggle and manipte a man as old as her father to survive.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even Bonnie, for Yvette¡¯s sake, would easily cast aside their years of sisterhood, never even allowing Janice to speak ill of</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her head slightly, her gaze turning piercing as she nced at Janice. Her eyes were as sharp as ice, chilling and emotionless. She leaned back against the couch, her profile distant and indifferent, and her expression devoid of any warmth.</font></font>


    It was this very indifference and unreachable aura around Yvette that stung Janice deeply, Yvette seemed so untouchable, almost divine as if everyone else were beneath her. Her presence made Janice realize just how insignificant and small she truly was.


    Bonnie stepped forward, observing Janice¡¯s expression, and at this very moment, she finally moved on.


    With calm rity, Bonnie said, ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m talking to you as your family. You alwaysin about why things are the way they are. The truth is, you¡¯re not Yvette, and you never will be.


    ¡°Even if you somehow became like her, you would still be walking the same path you¡¯re on now¨Cusing your body to get everything you want through men. You¡¯ve turned Yvette into some imagined enemy, just to find a way to justify your


    feelings of inadequacy


    Janice froze, stunned by Bonnie¡¯s words. She thought, ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. Yvette is the one to me. Why did someone like her have to exist, showing me just how pitiful I am inparison?


    This is probably what they mean by an unexpected failure. Even if an exceptional person does nothing at all, just standing there will make others jealous.


    Janice covered her ears and screamed frantically, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Bonnie, you¡¯re such a fool. Stop talking! It¡¯s all Yvette¡¯s fault. You¡¯re my sister, not hers!¡±


    Ben, processing what Janice had just said, paused in confusion. He thought, ¡®She¡¯s insane. Why had I ever gotten involved with her? She deliberately came to cause trouble for her own sister, making a scene in her store. What a madwoman.


    Bonnie stood there, watching Janice stubbornly cling to her delusions. She said in a low and firm voice, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve never really seen you for who you are.¡±


    Janice sneered with madness in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. When you were five, I wanted to drown you. Too bad that the hunter saved you.


    ¡°Afterward, I burned down his house while he was out hunting. His pregnant wife died in the fire. He paid the price for his meddling.¡±


    Janice¡¯s words came out lightly, as though she were proud of them. To her, if that hunter hadn¡¯t interfered, Bonnie would have died long ago, and she would have been her grandmother¡¯s only granddaughter.


    Bonnie stared in disbelief at Janice, her eyes wide with shock as she processed her words.


    She had been too young to remember the fire that had ravaged their vige, but now she realized that it was because of Janice that the hunter¡¯s family had suffered. The realization hit her like a p in the face.


    Bonnie¡¯s lips trembled with rage as she red at Janice, who was still smiling with a twisted sense of satisfaction. Bonnie¡¯s voice rose in fury. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re hopeless.¡±


    Ben, who had never imagined that he had gotten involved with a murderer, turned pale. Fear overtook him, and he instinctively shrank away, not daring to utter a single word.


    Yvette, who had been sitting on the couch, stood up slowly and walked over to Janice with an air of calm indifference. She looked down at her, her eyes cold. She thought, ¡®Humans are inherently good, but some people are born evil.


    Yvette crouched down beside Janice. Without warning, she mmed Janice¡¯s head against the ground again and again, exuding an eerie, cold aura. Each strike was like a death sentence, and the room echoed with the sickening sound of Janice¡¯s skull hitting the tiles.


    Janice didn¡¯t expect Yvette to act so quickly. Before she could react, her mind grew increasingly fuzzy, and all that echoed through the clothing store were the repeated sounds of her head hitting the floor.


    It wasn¡¯t until Janice¡¯s head became a bloody mess that Yvette finally released her grip.


    Bonnie looked down at Janice who was lying on the floor with weak breaths and said nothing. Instead, he pulled gloves out of her pocket, walked up to Yvette, and said, ¡°Take this, Yve.¡±


    Yvette nced at Bonnie for a moment before taking the gloves from her. With a calm grace, she began to wipe her hands clean slowly as if nothing had happened.


    Ben, terrified and trembling, had long since retreated to the corner of the room, unable to do anything but watch in horror.


    His eyes were wide, fixed on the bloodied and bruised figure of Janice and then to Yvette, who stood as still and unbothered as a statue. He was so scared he couldn¡¯t even breathe normally, afraid that the slightest misstep would provoke Yvette¡¯s wrath.


    Yvette¡¯s gaze flickered toward Ben, her expression as cold as ice. Ben¡¯s knees buckled in¨Cfear, and before she could even speak, he copsed to the floor, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Please, Ms. Zeller, I swear I didn¡¯t see anything!


    ¡°I¡¯m not even close to Janice. She came to me at the bar yesterday, and I was just out of my mind. Please, don¡¯t hurt me. I swear, if I had known she was a murderer, I would¡¯ve never gone near her!¡±


    As Ben knelt and begged for mercy, his tears flowed freely, making him more pitiful.

 Chapter 437

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette ignored Ben¡¯s frantic pleas. With a slight tilt of her head, she turned to Bonnie and calmly said, ¡°Open the door.¡± Bonnie nodded, taking the key out of her pocket. With a swift motion, she unlocked the door, and it creaked open.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Ben saw the door open, he scrambled to escape, his fear making him move with panic. He didn¡¯t want to stay any longer in this terrifying ce because he felt that Yvette was more dangerous than anyone he had ever encountered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, as Ben reached the doorway, he bumped into Zachary Lucas, and a group of bodyguards. The bodyguards instantly went on alert when they saw someone rushing toward Zachary, and one of them delivered a punch, knocking Ben to the ground.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben scrambled to his feet, and upon seeing Zachary, he thought he had found a savior. ¡°Help, Mr. Chambers. There are two murderers in there! You need to call the police!¡± he cried out.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Unexpectedly, Zachary ignored Ben, his gaze sliding past him andnding on Yvette. His eyes flickered with a glint of recognition.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben, too consumed by fear, failed to notice the excitement in Zachary¡¯s eyes. He kept shouting for help.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without a word, Zachary stepped around Ben and walked toward Yvette, entirely ignoring both Ben¡¯s frantic cries and the severely injured Janice on the floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas looked at Janice lying on the ground, frowning. He thought, ¡®It seemed that Ms. Zeller did it. What did she do to provoke her to such an extent? It must have been something serious. Otherwise, Ms. Zeller wouldn¡¯t have been so ruthless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zachary walked over to Yvette and Bonnie, a smile tugging at his lips. ¡°What brings you to Starlight za, Yvette? Is there something you¡¯re into? Everything here belongs to us, so if you like anything, we can have it delivered to you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas barely held back a sigh. It seemed that Zachary was so excited to see Yvette that he couldn¡¯t even notice the woman lying on the ground.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Stepping forward, Lucas lowered his voice and asked, ¡°How should we handle the woman on the floor and the man who seems out of his mind, Ms. Zeller?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was only then that Zachary seemed to notice Janice, but he didn¡¯t show much surprise. After all, Yvette¡¯s actions were always so normal to him. There was nothing worth making a fuss over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, with her hands in her pockets, answered casually, ¡°The one on the floor should be sent to the police station. Zane will know what to do. As for this man, do whatever you want with him.¡± Her words sealed the fate of both.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucas nodded respectfully. ¡°Understood, Ms. Zeller. I¡¯ll handle it immediately.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Ben froze in shock when he heard Lucas address Yvette as ¡°Ms. Zeller¡°. His eyes widened, his lips trembling, unable to form any words.</font></font>


    He thought, ¡®It seems that Zachary¡¯s butler has great respect for this woman. Wait, she must be the long¨Clost daughter of the Chambers family.¡¯


    Some rumors among the elite of Seacrity shed through Ben¡¯s mind. It was said that in memory of his first wife, Zachary had his returned daughter take her mother¡¯s surname. Ben hadn¡¯t believed the stories, but now, it seemed that they were true.


    Looking at the smiling Zachary and the expressionless Yvette, Ben lowered his head.


    The Chambers family¡¯s bodyguards stepped forward, swiftly taking both Janice and Ben away, and sending them off to wherever they belonged.


    Yvette turned to Bonite and said softly, ¡°Go change. Andrew is waiting outside.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Bonnie, watching Janice being carried away, snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words. She nodded quickly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right back, Yve. You can chat with Mr. Chambers for a while.¡± She gave a polite bow to Zachary, acting sweet.


    Zachary had seen Bonnie before, but this time, noticing the way Yvette interacted with her, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.


    Honestly, the personalities of Bonnie and Yvette seemedpletely different, so their friendship was certainly surprising to Zachary. However, no one could be sure where human connections came from.


    Zachary couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This girl doesn¡¯t seem like someone who could be your friend.¡±


    Yvette casually squeezed her fingers, raising an eyebrow with a calm expression, her gaze gentle but her tone still cool. ¡°She¡¯s stronger and more decisive than you might think.¡±


    After all, someone raised to be the special woman of a centuries¨Cold vige wouldn¡¯t have an ordinary temperament.


    Yvette hadn¡¯t overly involved herself in Janice¡¯s matter because she wanted Bonnie to see the people around her clearly. How she chose to handle it was entirely up to her.


    Lucas, now a devoted fan of Yvette, was confident in her judgment. He thought that if she said someone was good, he was undoubtedly good.


    Lucas was reminded of Zoe. He thought, ¡®Ms. Zeller is so good at reading people. Who would have expected that someone with Zoe¡¯s physical limitations would be talented in design and finance? In a short time, Zoe had brought immense profit to the Chambers Group.


    ¡®If Ms. Zeller hadn¡¯t seen her potential, Zoe would have been overlooked. That would have been a huge loss for the Chambers Group. If things kept progressing this way, Zoe would undoubtedly be one of the best employees there.


    Zachary knew that Yvette was nning


    to go out for a meal, and he insisted on tagging along with them.


    Yvette couldn¡¯t resist his request. With a sigh, she reluctantly agreed.


    Fortunately, the meal turned out to be quite enjoyable. With Andrew, who was good at cheering people up, even someone as serious as Zachary was amused.


    The two of them hit it off so well that Zachary even decided to adopt Andrew as his godson, a proposal Andrew eagerly epted.


    He thought, ¡®Who wouldn¡¯t want a rich father? Come on, he¡¯s the head of the most prominent family in Seacrity. Not to mention, he is also the future father¨Cinw of Jeremiah as well as Yvette¡¯s real father.¡®


    Lucas observed Zachary and Andrew drink, thinking, ¡®How could someone with such close ties to Jeremiah be poor? But what if Andrew¡¯s father didn¡¯t approve of this godfather arrangement? That could cause some trouble.¡®


    The next day, however, when Tim heard about the situation, he only said one thing. ¡°Andrew must¡¯ve stepped in some serious luck with this one.¡±


    This really was pure luck. Given his wealth, Zachary would be considered a royal member in ancient times. Whoever got to be his godson was lucky.


    Of course, Zachary was unaware of just how distinguished he had be, and it was likely that his future standing would only grow more prestigious.


    The next day, Zane called Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, the file on Janice was urgently transferred from Normisst night. I¡¯ve had a look, and besides the hunter case you mentioned, she¡¯s also linked to an incident in her vige where someone was tortured to death.


    ¡°ording to the testimony of a viger arrested from Dungo Vige, he saw her and Sheldon beating a girl, andter, the girl drowned.


    ¡°This case still needs more time to verify, but rest assured, Ms. Zeller, I will personally handle it. If Janice is truly responsible for the girl¡¯s death, she will face the full force of thew.¡±


    Zane had rushed to the police station as soon as he received Yvette¡¯s call yesterday. As soon as she returned to Seacrity, he had plenty of work to do, but honestly, he didn¡¯t mind it at all.


    After all, ever since he became a police officer, his goal had been to serve the country. He wasn¡¯t here to just sit idly by.

 Chapter 438

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said politely, ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Chappell.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Zane chuckled softly, knowing exactly who he was speaking to. He wasn¡¯t about to ept any thanks. ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is part of my job. It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They exchanged a few more words. Zane informed Yvette that Janice had woken up in the hospital and had been demanding to see Bonnie, insisting she wouldn¡¯t cooperate otherwise.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, Janice couldn¡¯t keep up her stubborn act for long. After all, she told the truth herself, and there were witnesses. Plus, they had sent people to Normis overnight to gather evidence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If something had happened, there would be a trace of it. Thew never misses a detail, and no one could escape its reach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette hung up the phone and turned her gaze toward Bonnie, who was savoring her pork ribs. She raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Janice wants to see you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie paused for a moment, finishing thest piece of rib. She nodded calmly, her voice soft but resolute. ¡°I will go, Yve. It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s expression remained indifferent as she replied, ¡°Alright. Let Andrew go with you. I¡¯ll wait for you toe home. There will be a huge dinner.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie paused, a little confused. She thought, ¡®A huge dinner? Who¡¯s making it? Emmett, Charles, Andrew, and Samantha- none of them can cook, right?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette pursed her lips, casually replying, ¡°Jeremiah will be back soon. He¡¯s cooking.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now Bonnie understood. It was Jeremiah who was making dinner. If it weren¡¯t for Yvette, there was no way she would get to eat a meal cooked by him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It wasn¡¯t just Bonnie. When Emmett and the others heard that Jeremiah wasing back to cook, they were all excited. They were shocked and couldn¡¯t believe he would do such a thing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie put down her fork, grinning as she scratched her head, looking adorably clueless. ¡°If Jeremiah is cooking, I¡¯m definitelying back on time. This kind of chance probably won¡¯te around again in my lifetime.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded, her finger tracing the rim of her cup. She casually took a piece of orange and popped it in her mouth, saying, ¡°Fine.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Meanwhile, in the hospital, Janice was wrapped in bandages, her face disfigured. She had already realized the gravity of her situation¨Cpolice were stationed outside her room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She hadn¡¯t expected that her impulsive words wouldnd her straight in jail. She couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette¡¯s single statement had led to her being brought to the police station. She wondered, ¡®What is she exactly?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even now, in her current situation, Janice still didn¡¯t think she was wrong. She insisted that it was everyone else¡¯s fault, never hers.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Janice stared out the window, lost in thought, Bonnie and Andrew had already arrived at the hospital entrance. Zane had warned them in advance, so the police outside didn¡¯t stop them.</font></font>


    Andrew grabbed Bonnie¡¯s hand and gently patted her on the head. ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯ll be right outside,¡± he said softly. Bonnie nodded, reassuring him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We need to clear this up one way or another.¡± She then pushed the door open.


    As the door creaked open, Janice stiffened, turning her head. When she saw Bonnie enter, her eyes darkened with malice.


    Bonnie closed the door behind her and walked over to the bedside, sitting down calmly at the foot of the bed.


    Janice¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°How dare you show up here, Bonnie? Why didn¡¯t you stop Yvette when she called the police? You¡¯ve ruined me, do you know that?¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Bonnie hid the bitter smile in her eyes as she looked up at Janice There was no longer any turbulence in her heart when facing her so¨Ccalled sister.


    She said, ¡°Janice, do you think Grandma was unfair to you because I was born special while you were born a day earlier? You thought if you had been bornter, you would be the special one and Grandma would have treated you differently, right?¡±


    Janice¡¯s face twisted in fury as she red at Bonnie, gritting her teeth. ¡°Yes! Because I was born before you, I have to be just an ordinary person while you get to be the special one.


    ¡°What makes you so special? You¡¯re nothing but a disaster, and Mom died giving birth to you!¡±


    Janice¡¯s words cut into Bonnie like a sharp sword. She wanted to see Bonnie break down and to see her despair. She wanted to take her down with her.


    However, Janice was wrong. Bonnie just stared at her calmly, far too calm for what she had expected.


    Janice couldn¡¯t believe it. She screamed in a frenzy, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you crying? Don¡¯t you love to cry? You killed Mom! You should be suffering for that. You should be the one to despair!¡±


    Bonnie remained calm. If she had heard those words in the past, she might have crumbled, but after being with Yvette for so long she had learned to build a strong heart to face any kind of hurt. She had to strive to be stronger.


    Those words were no longer thest straw that could break her. Instead, they just helped her see Janice for who she truly was.


    Bonnie locked eyes with Janice and said slowly, ¡°You haven¡¯t read Grandma¡¯s will, have you?¡±


    Her tone was certain. Janice froze for a moment and sneered, ¡°What¡¯s so special about her will? It¡¯s probably just more of her useless talk about us sisters supporting each other. What¡¯s the point of reading it? I hate you, and I hate Grandma more.¡±


    Bonnie remained calm as she walked forward and pped Janice, putting every ounce of strength into it.


    The p sent Janice reeling, her head spinning as she held her face in shock. ¡°You¡­ How dare you hit me?¡±


    Bonnie sat back down in her chair, her tone as indifferent as ever ¡°Grandma said in her will that you¡¯re not my real sister.¡±


    Janice¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯ve gone too far with your lies, Bonnie. How could you say I¡¯m not your real sister? Do you really think I¡¯ll believe such nonsense?¡±


    Bonnie didn¡¯t bother with Janice¡¯s outrage and continued speaking calmly, unfazed. ¡°You¡¯re not my sister. You were found by Grandma in an old well.


    ¡°You know the vige rules, don¡¯t you? You were our neighbor¡¯s daughter, and because you were a girl, they followed the custom and threw you into the well. Grandma found you just before you breathed yourst.


    ¡°It just so happened that Mom was about to give birth around that time, so Grandma, being kind¨Chearted, lied and said you and I were twins to bring you back.


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for my fortunate timing, I would have been the one to die instead. Now, do you still think Grandma was unfair?¡±


    Janice shook her head violently, clutching it as if she were being driven mad. Her voice was hoarse as she screamed, ¡°That¡¯s not true! You¡¯re lying. I don¡¯t believe a word of it! Bonnie, you liar!¡±


    Andrew heard Janice¡¯s cries and immediately sensed something was wrong. He rushed in and saw Bonnie standing calmly while Janice was on the bed, clutching her head, looking utterly had. He thought, ¡®What on earth had happened?¡®


    Bonnie looked at Janice with a cold expression. ¡°You say Grandma was unfair, but every meal you ate was made by her to your tastes. She stayed upte to make you new clothes.


    ¡°ording to the vige rules, you shouldn¡¯t even have had the right to go to school. Grandma begged Holden, using my special status to secure your ce. She gave you everything you wanted since your childhood.¡±


    Janice¡¯s mind seemed to cloud over, the pain in her head growing worse. Her vision was filled with the kind, elderly face of her grandma who had raised her.


    Finally, Janice broke down in tears, covering her ears, but Bonnie merely gave her a cold nce. Without hesitation, she turned around and walked away.


    She felt sorry for her grandma that she had raised such an ungrateful brat.

 Chapter 439

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the entrance of the hospital, Andrew gently held Bonnie and aid in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bonnie. Yvette is still waiting for us at home.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment Bonnie stepped outside, her eyes turned red. She tried to hold back her tears, forcing a huge smile on her face. Her voice was filled with confusion, and she appeared fragile, like a lost deer. ¡°I don¡¯t have a home anymore, Andrew.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She lost her grandma and sister, and she couldn¡¯t return to Dungo Vige either.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s heart tightened as he looked at Bonnic, cing her hand over his chest. ¡°You still have me, Bonnie. You have Yvette, Jeremiah, and Emmett. You¡¯ll never be alone.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bonnie felt the warmthing from Andrew¡¯s chest, so warm it made her feelforted. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re right. I still have Yve.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. He knew that in Bonnie¡¯s heart, Yvette definitely came first. It was going to be a long road, but his goal was to be a little closer to her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, Andrew didn¡¯t think he could ever surpass Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the living room of the vi, Emmett, Samantha, and Charles sat on one side of the circr couch. They nced toward the kitchen where Jeremiah was cooking, feeling a bit stunned that Jeremiah had turned into a house husband.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, with her legs crossed, held a bag of chips and was munching happily while watching Jeremiah cook. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I really can¡¯t believe that one day Jeremiah would actually cook for Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett set down hisptop, adjusted his sses, and said in a serious tone, ¡°To be honest, I never dared dream of this scene, not even in my dreams.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles, hearing this, also put down his anatomy book. Earlier, when he saw Jeremiah walking in with a bag of groceries and Yvette, he had been taken aback. However, he felt that if the meal was for Yvette, then it made sense.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Braydon is also a dominating figure in his own right, a man who kills without hesitation. Yet, in front of Yvette, he is as humble as could be, never daring to speak out of turn or risk angering her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®If Yvette asked Braydon to cook, he would probably do as he was told. There¡¯s nothing in the world that Yvette can¡¯t do.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The doorbell rang, and Emmett stood up to open it. It was Andrew and Bonnie returning. Bonnie had pulled herself together and was back to her usual carefree self.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as they entered the house, they saw the group sitting in the living room, all facing the kitchen. Andrew said, ¡°Samantha, Charles, what are you two staring at so intently?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Five minutester, they were all seated neatly in a row on the couch¨CSamantha, Andrew, Bonnie, Charles, and Emmett- each of them staring at the kitchen in perfect unison.</font></font>


    Bonnie rested her chin in her hands and sighed with admiration. ¡°No wonder they say men look handsome when they cook.¡± Andrew shifted slightly to block Bonnie¡¯s view, clearing his throat. ¡°Hey, my cooking skills aren¡¯t bad.¡±


    The other three exchanged awkward nces. They didn¡¯t bother to call him out on it. After all, thest time he tried grilling skewers at Sknd, they came outpletely burnt. And yet, he was boasting about his cooking skills.


    Bonnie rolled her eyes, clearly not buying it. She thought, ¡®Does he think I¡¯m stupid? The most unlikely thing in the v that he can cook.


    Yvette came down the stairs in a casual outfit, and as soon as the five of them saw her, they all turned their attention to her in perfect sync


    Yvette ignored the curious gazes and walked straight to the couch, sitting down with her legs crossed and her wrists rxed by her sides. She took a sip of the coffee, Jeremiah brought it back from Betrico, and it tasted good.


    She lifted her eyes to nce at them, her cold gaze softening slightly into a subtle, almost teasing smile. Her voice was casual as she asked, ¡°Would you like to y games?¡±


    The others froze for a moment. They thought, ¡®Why is Yvette suddenly bringing it up out of nowhere?


    Samantha said, ¡°Jeremiah is still in the kitchen, Yvette. ying games while he¡¯s working doesn¡¯t seem appropriate?


    She looked hesitant, but deep down, she thought it would be fun However, she wasn¡¯t bold enough to voice that opinion out loud, especially since she still had hopes of making it back to Berrico peacefully,


    Andrew¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of a game. He quickly chimed in, ¡°I¡¯m in! I¡¯m definitely up for it!¡±


    Therefore, the four yers ended up being Yvette, Andrew, Charles, and Emmett, while Samantha and Bonnie sat back as spectators.


    Halfway through, Jeremiah came out of the kitchen and saw the game underway. He nced at Yvette and, in his usual calm tone, simply said,.¡°Wish you good luck.¡±


    Half an hourter, Andrew looked at his cards with an expression of utter despair. He nced at the cards on the table before he resignedly put down his hand. With a sigh, he said, ¡°I¡¯m done with this round, Yvette. I give up.¡±


    Yvette put her cards down and raised an eyebrow, her sharp features disying a faint smirk. ¡°Give me the money right now.¡±


    Andrew was speechless. He gritted his teeth and transferred the money. He not only lost at Uno but also never won when ying card games. Out of twenty¨Ceight rounds, he lost twenty¨Cseven, and the only one was a tie. He felt frustrated.


    Emmett and Charles shrugged,ying down their cards. They had both had a feeling about how this would turn out. Trying/ to win money off Yvette was impossible.


    In the end, they tallied up their losses. Andrew lost 300 thousand dors. Emmett lost 70,000 dors, and Charles lost 100 thousand dors. Samantha patted Andrew on the shoulder, offering him a brief moment of sympathy.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice called out from the kitchen. ¡°The food is ready. Come here.¡±


    They quickly got up to serve the dishes. When the table was finally set with dishes that smelled and looked absolutely delicious, everyone froze in awe.


    They had seen fancy food before, but the presentation was wless. They thought, ¡®Did Jeremiah learn this from some top- tier five¨Cstar chef? Even the ting is done to perfection.


    Yvette sat back on her chair, her hand resting casually on the table, her sleeve pushing up slightly to reveal her delicate wrist. She surveyed the dishes, all of which were her favorites, so she raised her eyebrows with satisfaction.


    Andrew swallowed hard when he saw the fried chicken wings, buffalo wings, salmon sd, mushroom pasta, steak, grilled meat,mb stew, and shrimp. Although none of these dishes were fancy, the homemade style made them even more tempting.


    Everyone at the table stared at Yvette, silently urging, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating yet?


    Yvette smiled, leisurely picking up a piece of buffalo wings. She chewed slowly, savoring the tender texture. Then she nodded toward them and said, ¡°It tastes good.¡±


    Andrew was the second to start eating. This was his first time tasting food made by Jeremiah, and after a bite of the fried chicken wings, he was left speechless.


    He thought, ¡®Oh my goodness, I¡¯m actually eating food made by Jeremiah, and it tastes so deliciouFrom N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha and the others quickly followed suit, each taking a bite, unable to stop themselves.


    Jeremiah sat next to Yvette, casually peeling shrimp with elegant precision, cing the peeled shrimp onto a clean te.


    Yvette turned her head and picked up a piece of meat for him, speaking softly, ¡°The money I just won from them is enough to buy the food you made.¡±


    Andrew almost choked at her words. Suddenly, the meat in his mouth didn¡¯t taste so good anymore.


    However, the next moment, with tears in his cyes, Andrew took another big bite. He thought, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how expensive it is. I just can¡¯t resist how delicious this meal is!¡®


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 440

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After the meal, they sat together. Samantha asked, ¡°Jeremiah, have you found out who is protecting Holden, the vige head of Dungo Vige?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone looked at Jeremiah. He had his arms around Yvette, who was busy doing the final test for the game. If all went well, the game developed by FastPulse Technologies would beunched next month. Lucy had been pushing for updates every day.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked up, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. His demeanor was full of elegance as he replied in a low voice, ¡°The person cooperating with South East Aploth is a deputy director from Normis Customs, who has already been dismissed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°ording to his statement, Mr. Miller, a Clusian, is the person behind this. They¡¯ve never met in person, onlymunicated through coded phone signals.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew handed a peeled apple to Bonnie. ¡°Jeremiah, can we find out more about Mr. Miller? South East Aploth is arge area, and only knowing that he¡¯s a man isn¡¯t much to go on. Where do we even start?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Andrew¡¯s point was valid, and Emmett, with a serious expression added, ¡°Mr. Miller might very well be an alias, Jeremiah.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In these covert dealings, it wasmon for a person to go by several names.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said, ¡°There¡¯s no one in the South East Aploth underworld known as Mr. Miller. The phone number linked to domestic contacts has been confirmed as an overseas virtual number.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles remained silent, his eyes thoughtful as he nced at Yvette. He suddenly said, ¡°What do you think, Yvette?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette put away her phone, turning her head slightly. Her delicate eyebrows lifted slightly, and hershes lowered, hiding the emotions in her eyes, but a yful air lingered in her gaze.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She said, ¡°Voraxia, being an ungoverned region, is the world¡¯srgest drug production and trafficking hub. It¡¯s also home to the most famous drug dealer, and itsplex, ever¨Cchanging geography makes it a difficult ce to control.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°There are over three thousand scattered viges, and Interpol has once joined forces with the governments of three local countries tounch crackdowns. Each major drug dealer in the area typicallymands a small army¨Cranging from a hundred to over a thousand men.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The entire region is involved in the drug trade, so Mr. Miller must need arge number of poisonous insects to control his subordinates. There¡¯s only one way of doing this¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah seamlessly took over, his voice low and steady. ¡°Mr. Miller is a major drug dealer from Voraxia, and he uses poisonous insects to train his trusted followers.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised her eyes, her gaze sharp like the stars, emitting a cold light that cut through the sky. Her voice was chilling ¡°Didn¡¯t you already guess this?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah fixed his gaze on Yvette and his eyes shimmered faintly a fleeting smile passing through his eyes.</font></font>


    there ourselves.¡± He gently squeezed her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve already had people look into it. There¡¯s only one drug dealer surnamed Miller in Voraxia, but it is a woman, not a man. To get the full picture, we¡¯ll likely have to go


    Emmett suddenly said, ¡°Yvette¡¯s words just reminded me of something from three years ago. It¡¯s said that the king of Voraxia, the most famous drug dealer, Hadley Robinson, was killed by Interpol.¡±


    A few months ago, he and Jeremiah had met Yvette in Kransbay Back then, he thought it would be a long shot for Yveue to marry Jeremiah. Looking back now, though, he realized how wrong he was. Yvette and Jeremiah were truly a perfect match.


    Charles¡¯s gaze grew darker at the mention of Voraxia. He had been there several times, apanying Braydon to meet some of the local drug dealers


    Andrew raised his eyebrows and curiously looked at Yvette who was lounging on the couch, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you part of Interpol, Yvette? Did you participate in the crackdown on Vorax? Was the king of Voraxia hard to capture?¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and even Bonnie who was too surprised to eat apples, turned their attention to Yvette, intrigued by her response.


    If it weren¡¯t for Andrew¡¯s reminder, they would have forgotten that Yvette was an agent of Interpol. However, it was hard to remember when she kept switching between countless identities


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, her eyes as clear as water and her expression remained calm. With a subtle raise of her eyebrows and a slight smile, she casually remarked, ¡°I¡¯ve been there. It wasn¡¯t hard to catch Hadley. Actually, I killed him.¡±


    The room fell into dead silence as soon as the words left her lips Bonnie, who had been holding an apple, suddenly dropped it without realizing it, her mind momentarily nk. She couldn¡¯tprehend how powerful Yvette truly was,


    She thought, ¡®Not only is she part of Interpol but she had also taken down the king of Voraxia, a scary man. And now Yvette is casually iming that he killed him¡­Oh my, I¡¯m shocked.¡¯


    Andrew, sitting next to Bonnie, was also stunned. He never imagined that a casual question would lead to such a surprise. He could already feel another momenting where he had to bow down to Yvette.


    Charles and Emmett exchanged nces before picking up their cups of tea and taking a sip, masking the stirrings in their hearts. They thought, ¡®Killing Hadley? Come on, he¡¯s the king of Voraxia, whose underlings were said tomand armies of thousands.


    ¡®It was a feat that seemed beyond belief¨Cunless it came from Yvette. Anyone else saying such a thing would sound like a madman.¡®


    Hearing that, Samantha stopped eating chips. She thought, ¡®How could the gap between people be so vast? Yvette was storming through Voraxia, taking down its king when she was eighteen, but what was I doing?


    ¡®Well, I, at that age, have been trying to make a name for myself in business. However, inparison to Yvette, it felt like nothing¡®


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes gleamed with admiration as he observed Yvette. His long brows, sharp and defined highlighted his deep¨Cset eyes, while his thin lips, soft yet serene, curled into a faint smile.


    He thought, ¡®She just turned eighteen three years ago, yet she had already killed Hadley. That¡¯s insane.


    Yvette, sensing the weight of their reactions, said in a calm tone. For this trip to Voraxia, Charles and Emmett will apany us.¡±


    At these words, the rest three of the group immediately protested in unison. ¡°We¡¯re going too.¡±


    Bonnie, Samantha, and Andrew all shook their heads vigorously in protest. Samantha quickly swallowed the chips and looked at Yvette, her eyes wide with determination. ¡°I¡¯m going with you on this trip.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Taekwondo ck belt, and I¡¯m pretty good with guns too. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be a burden. Please, let me go, Yvette. I really want to learn from you.¡±


    She sped her hands together and blinked her eyes yfully, her face filled with a mix of pleading and excitement.


    Bonnie chimed in, ¡°I want to go too, Yve. After all, it¡¯s rted to Dungo Vige, and I¡¯m a part of it. Please let me join you.¡± Andrew added, ¡°Yvette, wherever Bonnie goes, I¡¯ll go. Please let use with you.¡±


    Yvettezily raised her head, her gaze cold and distant. Her voice, calm but firm, broke the silence. ¡°Samantha can go with us, but Andrew and Bonnie stay.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded in agreement. He looked at Andrew and Bonne who seemed ready to protest and said with quiet finality. ¡°You two stay in Seacrity. It¡¯s decided.¡±


    Andrew and Bonnie exchanged nces, then sighed. Since both vette and Jeremiah had made up their minds, there was nothing they could do.


    In the end, the group heading to Voraxia was Yvette, Jeremiah, Samantha, Charles, and Emmett. They were scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    They returned to their bedrooms in the vi after their discussion. As Samantha passed by Andrew on her way to her room, she whispered something in his ear, and it cheered him up instantly.


    Bonnie, who had been standing nearby, saw only Andrew¡¯s reaction. She blinked in confusion, wondering what had just happened between them.

 Chapter 441

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette stepped out of the bathroom, and Jeremiah, who had been sitting in a chair on the phone, immediately focused his gaze on her as she appeared.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Yvette reached for a towel to dry her hair, Jeremiah stretched out his hand from behind her, taking the towel from her grasp.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah wrapped his arms around her waist, his thin and neatly ironed white shirt casually unbuttoned at the cor, outlining his tall figure. His legs were long and straight beneath him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He sighed softly and said, ¡°Let me do it for you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned to face him, raising an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with yful irreverence. ¡°Okay.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah ran his fingers through her soft hair. As his gaze identally fell on the small scar on her left little finger, he paused for a moment. His voice turned serious as he asked, ¡°How did you get this scar?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head slightly, tugging at his cor as she tilted her head back with moist eyes. Unconcerned, she replied, ¡°When I was seven, they threw me into a Colosseum. A wolf bit me, but I chopped off its head with my own hands.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s hand, holding the towel, suddenly tightened, and a flicker of anger shed in his eyes. ¡°Which colosseum? Who did this to you?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette inhaled softly and her voice remained as cool and calm as ever. ¡°I killed the person and burned the colosseum.¡± Jeremiah¡¯s murderous intent gradually subsided as he stared at Yvette. His eyes filled with affection. He reached out, pulled her by the back of her neck, intertwined his fingers in her hair, and kissed her deeply. His broad, solid frame enveloped herpletely.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the dark, he kissed Yvette to try to warm up her cold lips. Having nowhere to retreat, she lifted her gaze to meet his and leaned in to kiss him back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. He picked her up and pressed her against the column behind them. Then he bent down again, iming her lips in another fierce kiss. Their lips met, breaths mingled, eyes closed in the shared moment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the middle of the night, Jeremiah suddenly woke up. Looking down at Yvette in his arms, he ced a soft kiss on her temple, holding her tightly. His expression was filled withplexity.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He couldn¡¯t help wondering how much danger she had faced throughout her life to reach where she was today. He couldn¡¯t bear to think about it because the thought alone made his heart ache.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, Yvette returned to school with Andrew and Bonnie. Andrew went to the library for his shift, and Bonnie headed to ss.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette went directly to Simon¡¯s office. Simon, sittingfortably in his chair, had be ustomed to Yvette¡¯sid¨Cback demeanor. Her request for time off didn¡¯t faze him much. After all, it had been a challenge just to get her back for a test.</font></font>


    Simon asked, ¡°How long do you n on taking off this time? Is it okay to ask where you¡¯re headed?¡±


    Simon¡¯s inquiry wasn¡¯t to pry into Yvette¡¯s personal business. He was just showing his care for her. After all, James from Betrico called him regrly to ask about Yvette¡¯s whereabouts. It wouldn¡¯t do for him to bepletely in the dark.


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her fine eyebrows arched slightly as she replied coolly, ¡°I¡¯m heading to Voraxia, but I¡¯m.not sure when.¡±


    Simon spat out his tea, spraying it all over the table as he began coughing uncontrobly.


    Simon stared at Yvette disbelief. ¡°What did you say? Are you going to Voraxia? You, a girl, going there? It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Yvette nced at Simon, her tone indifferent as she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be going with Jeremiali.


    Simon froze. He thought, ¡®Is this the point? The problem isn¡¯t that you¡¯re going with Jeremiah, but that you¡¯re heading to one of the most dangerous areas in the world. You could die there.


    Simon shook his head disapprovingly, his tone earnest. ¡°Even if you¡¯re going with Jeremiah, it¡¯s still dangerous, Yvette. Can¡¯t you reconsider? What could be so important that you need to go to such a ce?¡±


    Yvette responded slowly to Simon who looked worried, ¡°It¡¯s about a case, Mr. Sundend, and I have to go.


    Simon looked at Yvette in silence, then let out a resigned sigh. He knew her well enough to understand that there was no stopping her. He thought that if James learned that, he would probably be worried about Yvette.


    As Yvette prepared to leave, she added, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone in Betrico.¡±


    Simon paused for a moment before nodding. That was exactly what he was thinking.


    Simon escorted Yvette to the school gate, and along the way, they encountered many students who greeted them warmly.


    Simon¡¯s approachable nature was well¨Cknown on campus, which made the students treat him with great respect. As soon as they saw Yvette with him, they were even more excited, eagerlying up to greet her one by one.


    Simon nced at Yvette, noticing that her presence seemed to be drawing more attention than his. Usually, it wasn¡¯t this lively around him.


    At the school gate, Simon couldn¡¯t help but keep giving Yvette reminders, urging her to be cautious and stay safe.


    Yvette stood quietly, listening attentively to Simon¡¯s advice without a hint of impatience. It wasn¡¯t until Jeremiah arrived to pick her up that Simon finally stopped talking.


    With a polite smile, Yvette said, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Sundend.¡±


    Simon waved his hand, watching her get into the car. It wasn¡¯t until the car had driven far away that he turned to leave.


    He thought, ¡®Yvette is no ordinary person. How could a ce like Argrol University hold her back?¡® He had a feeling that the trip to Voraxia might be the catalyst for her to do something truly earth¨Cshattering.


    Once Yvette got into the car, she noticed Jeremiah sitting in the backseat and asked casually, ¡°What are we having for dinner today?¡±


    Jeremiah gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, a hint amusement flickering in his eyes.


    Emmett, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn¡¯t help but get excited. After all, the meals that Jeremiah made were absolutely delicious.


    Turning to Emmett, Jeremiah instantly resumed his usual cold demeanor and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the supermarket.¡±


    Emmett immediately pressed the elerator, speeding towards the supermarket, his eagerness palpable.


    Emmett and Jeremiah were greeted warmly by the vegetable vendors as soon as they stepped into the supermarket. Jeremiah looked at the bags of vegetables in his hands, noticing that they had received more than they had actually bought. What was even more ridiculous was that one of the vendors asked if Jeremiah had a girlfriend and whether he would be interested in bing a son¨Cinw. She said that if he was interested, she would even buy him a vi.


    Emmett was stunned, thinking, ¡®Are the vendors so rich these days?¡® He suddenly recalled a saying that had circted internationally¨Cit wasn¡¯t capitalists who took down Walos Street but rather, the middle¨Caged women from Clusia.


    Now, Emmett finally understood what that saying meant. He thought, ¡®Look at Jeremiah! Those women are offering him a vi just to try to make him their son¨Cinw. When would I ever get such a good opportunity? I wish I was as handsome av him!¡®


    As Emmett went back to the vi and carried the bags of vegetables inside, he bumped into Samantha, who wasing down the stairs.


    Samantha¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when she saw the vegetables in Emmett¡¯s hands. After all, Jeremiah¡¯s cooking was so amazing, and it was better than a five¨Cstar chef¡¯s.


    In a sh, Samantha ran down the stairs. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Emmett? Is Jeremiah cooking again?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what she saw.


    Emmett nodded. ¡°Yeah, Yvette asked Jeremiah to cook again tonight.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha happily nodded. She had known all along that following Yvette meant enjoying a feast every day.

 Chapter 442

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next day, Yvette, Jeremiali, and the others boarded their private jet and flew directly to Taos, Fhongsoly. As soon as they stepped out of the airport, their appearance immediately drew crowd, making them the absolute center of attention.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Not far from the airport, Eagle King was wearing blue slippers, shorts, and a green tank top. He had a cigarette in his mouth, but when he saw Yvettee out, his eyes lit up. He tossed the garette away and ran over. ¡°Hey, Boss!¡±</font></font>Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha watched as Eagle King sprinted over and took off his sunsses. ¡®Yvette mentioned on the ne that a friend woulde to pick them up. It can¡¯t be this rugged guy, right?¡® Samantha thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Eagle King reached them, he didn¡¯t waste any time and gave Yvette a big hug. ¡°Boss, you finally made it. I was about to start growing grass waiting for you,¡± he said with a broad grin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King had arrived the day before. When Jeremiah saw Eagle King¡¯s actions, his gaze deepened, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King suddenly felt a faint aura of killing intent and turned his head to nce at Jeremiah, sizing him up. Then he turned back to Yvette and said, ¡°Boss, is this your man? He¡¯s pretty handsome.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, the cold aura around Jeremiah dissipated. Yvette raised an eyebrow, her eyes still retaining her usual dangerous edge, but her expression remained indifferent. Her voice was cool and clear. ¡°This is Jeremiah, my man. Over there are Emmett, Charles, and Samantha.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Jeremiah.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As a killer, Eagle King was most sensitive to the perception of killing intent. He knew that Yvette wouldn¡¯t choose someone who waspletely useless. If he hadn¡¯t ttered her just now, he might have gotten a beating. It was too close.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®But a real man knows when to bend and when to stand firm,¡¯ Eagle King thought. He smiled and said to Jeremiah, ¡°Jeremiah, nice to meet you.¡± Then he turned to greet Emmett and the others,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Hey there, I¡¯m Eagle King. I¡¯ve been with the boss for many years. The boss¡¯s friends are my friends.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett looked at Eagle King and felt a sense of familiarity as if he had seen him somewhere before. Charles¡¯s face froze when he heard Eagle King¡¯s name. He thought, ¡®Eagle King? The second¨Cranked killer on ck Gold. Is it just a coincidence?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®But what about Flying Fish? Could it really be a coincidence that both names match those of the second and third¨Cranked killers?¡® Charles fell silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, however, was quite enthusiastic. ¡°Eagle King, your tattoos are really cool.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle Kingughed heartily. ¡°Samantha, you sure have an eye for detail.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha¡¯s lips twitched. She thought, ¡®Why call my name? Can¡¯t he just call me a beautifuldy? What kind of era is he living in?¡¯</font></font>


    Yvette nced at the chatty Eagle King and said coolly, ¡°To the hotel.¡± She knew if she didn¡¯t stop him, this talkative guy could chat all night.


    Eagle King quickly took the ck backpack from Yvette and said cheerfully, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Boss. The hotel is already booked, and I guarantee you be satisfied.¡±


    Jeremiah noticed Eagle King taking the ck backpack from Yvette, and Yvette handed it over naturally. This confirmed that the two had a very close rtionship.


    If they hadn¡¯t gone through life and death together, Yvette, with her temperament, would never have given up her bag so easily. Emmett, Charles, and Samantha also noticed this and exchanged a knowing nce


    Eagle King was more than just a friend to Yvette; he could be tred. In the car, Eagle King drove, Emmett sat in the passenger seat, and Yvette and Jeremiah were in the back, along with Samantha and Charles.


    Fhongsoly wasn¡¯t a bustling city; most of the roads were still dirt and uneven. The bumpy ride made Samantha feel almost nauseous. On both sides of the road, various vendors set up their stalls. Due to the climate, most people here had darker skin.


    While driving, Eagle King grumbled, ¡°Voraxia hasn¡¯t been peacefultely. There are riots every few days. Yesterday, there was a gunfight on this road, and many people died. The government spent the whole night collecting bodies.


    Samantha, trying to suppress her nausea, asked curiously, ¡°Eagle King, are they fighting over territory?¡±


    Eagle King shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s one reason, but it¡¯s also about the shares of drugs and weapons. Every drug lord in this area wants a bigger piece of the pic. How do they divide it?


    ¡°People here don¡¯t negotiate civilly; they settle things with their fists. The one with the stronger fist gets more say and arger share.¡±


    Thew of the jungle was vividly demonstrated in Voraxia. Emmett turned his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s behind the recent unrest? From what I know, this isn¡¯t the time when the drug lords usually fight over territory.


    Eagle King¡¯s hand paused on the steering wheel as he nced at Samantha. ¡°Emmett, you did your homework. You¡¯re right; this isn¡¯t the time when the drug lords usually fight over territory in Voraxia.


    ¡°Howeyer, a major drug lord has emerged in the past two years. Her people arepletely loyal to her, so her territory has expanded rapidly. Recently, she¡¯s been the one stirring up trouble, disrupting life here.¡±


    Samantha listened with wide eyes. Yvette watched the passersby on the road, propping her chin up with her hand. Her fair face showed no emotion as she raised her eyes and said casually, ¡°Does this person go by thest name Miller?¡±


    Eagle King nodded; his face full of surprise. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re a genius! How did you know she goes by Miller? The locals call her Ms. Miller. She¡¯s a female drug lord.


    ¡°Honestly, for a woman to establish herself and gain such power in Voraxia, regardless of her methods, she¡¯s quite impressive.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes flickered. He thought, ¡®It seems the Mr. Miller we¡¯re looking for is likely this Ms. Miller.¡®


    Charles added, ¡°We came here specifically for Ms. Miller. She might be the person we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Eagle King¡¯s interest was piqued. He knew they weren¡¯t here for a vacation in this godforsaken ce. They were after Ms. Miller. But it seemed they already had some information.


    In Voraxia, if Yvette said a word, even ghosts would kneel to listen. Eagle King stole a nce at Yvette, who had her eyes lowered, and his thoughts raced. Even now, the boss was keeping her cards close to her chest.


    ¡®If we went straight to that man, wouldn¡¯t Ms. Miller or anyone else have toe forward obediently?¡® Eagle King thought. He didn¡¯t dare speak up. If the boss wanted to y it her way, he didn¡¯t want to ruin her fun.


    Eagle King nodded. ¡°I have some information on Ms. Miller. Once we get to the hotel, you can take a look and see if she¡¯s the person you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    They arrived at thergest hotel in Fhongsoly. Although it was called thergest, it was far from being a true five¨Cstar hotel.


    Eagle King said, ¡°The rooms are all booked. Five presidential suites. Conditions here are a bit tough, but this is the best we have.¡±


    Samantha looked at the hotel¡¯s sign and thought, ¡®Well, it certainly has its own ethnic charm, but it¡¯s pretty run¨Cdown. It¡¯s hard to imagine what the worst hotels here must be like.¡®


    Fortunately, once they entered their rooms, they found the interiors much better. All the necessary facilities were there, and the space was decent. After unpacking their luggage, they gathered in Yvette¡¯s room.


    Emmett, Charles, and Samantha saw the various Clusian snacks on the table and knew exactly who they were for. Eagle King picked up a freshly washed apple and took a bite. Samantha said ¡°Eagle King, you¡¯re quite thoughtful. These Clusian snacks are all Yvette¡¯s favorites.¡±

 Chapter 443

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King shook his head. He had arrived early and had already raten his fill, so he was quite full Samantha, these snacks weren¡¯t bought by me. Jeremiah went out and bought them just ow</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha understood immediately upon hearing that Jeremiah had bought the snacks. ¡®Showing affection is definitely Jeremiah¡¯s forte, she thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King watched Yvette cating and Jeremiah pouring her juice, letting out a couple of ¡°tsk¡± sounds. Even the toughest men soften up in front of the boss. The man who can win Yvette heart must have some serious skills. he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After dinner, the group gathered around. It was gettingte, and Yvette was nestled on the sofa with Jeremiah serving as her personal human pillow. Except for the asional curious nce from Eagle King, the others were quite calm, having seen worse.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, Charles, and Samantha each held a detailed dossier on the major drug lords in Voraxia. The information was so thorough that it left Charles and the others impressed. Eagle King didn¡¯t seem like the type to be so meticulous.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King, noticing their skeptical looks, felt frustrated but couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°These dossiers cost me 1.5 million dors on ck Gold. How could they not be detailed?¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles put down the dossier. ¡°So, there are three major drug lords in Voraxia, controlling the majority of the drug market. Ms. Miller emerged four years ago and became a powerful drug lord in just a few short years.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett nced at the section on Ms. Miller¡¯s hobbies and personality, his mouth twitching slightly, and his face showed a hint of surprise. ¡®Prefers women?¡® Samantha asked, ¡°Are you sure about her hobbies?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">To be honest, Eagle King hadn¡¯t thoroughly read the dossier when he received it; he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the details of the drug lords. Hearing Emmett¡¯s question, he picked up the dossier and took a closer look, finally understanding why Emmett was asking.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King was certain that all the information in the dossier was urate. No one would dare lie to him unless they wanted to die.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. The information is spot¨Con. She prefers women, beautiful women.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Everyone fell silent. They had never encountered anything like this before. They had imagined ten thousand scenarios, but they hadn¡¯t expected Ms. Miller to have such unusual preferences. This was going to be difficult.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her eyes, her delicate eyebrows arching slightly. She lightly traced the rim of her coffee cup and said nonchntly, ¡°Interesting.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s hand tightened around her waist. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that his rival had reached a level beyond human, bing a bug. His breath was warm as he whispered, ¡°Do you find her interesting? Or do I?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯tpare everyone to yourself.¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiahughed. Yvette always managed to leave him speechless with just one sentence.


    Samantha lowered her head and reviewed the dossier from beginning to end, making sure she hadn¡¯t missed anything. Puzzled, she asked, ¡°Eagle King, the dossier has photos of the other three major drug lords, but why is there no photo of Ms. Miller?¡±


    Eagle King exined, ¡°Samantha, Ms. Miller rarely shows her face. Whenever she does, she wears a mask. So, only her closest confidants have seen her true appearance.¡±


    Samantha was troubled. They knew it was a woman, but now they faced another challenge; knowing it was a woman but not knowing what she looked like. It felt like they had taken a step forward but were still stuck in the same ce.


    Eagle King, noticing the expressions on their faces, paused and continued, ¡°Actually, I heard from a local friend that Ms. Miller goes to Cobalt Blue Bar on this street every Thursday.


    ¡°But this is just a rumor. Eighty percent of it is hearsay, and twenty percent is credible. Who knows?¡±


    Yvette, lounging on the sofa, leaned backzily, a hint of defiance in her eyes. She said slowly. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Cobalt Blue Bar the day after tomorrow.¡± The others nodded in agreement.


    Since it was a rumor, there had to be some basis for it. Whether it was true or not, they would only know by going there. Thus, they decided to visit the bar the day after tomorrow. They chatted a bit more and then dispersed.


    Eagle King, seeing everyone leave, lingered and didn¡¯t move. Jeremiah, noticing this, knew the two had something to discuss. He said to Yvette, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡±


    Yvette yed with the game in her hands, nced at Eagle King and then said to Jeremiah, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    After Jeremiah left the room, Eagle King hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°Boss, since you¡¯re investigating Ms. Miller, if you ask that man for help, it will be solved in no time.


    ¡°Last time during our vacation in South East Aploth, he was still thinking about you, wondering why you didn¡¯t visit him. He¡¯s be quite formidable now, a little wolf pup who has his people under tight control.


    Yvette didn¡¯t stop ying the game. Just as Eagle King finished speaking, shepleted a level. She put down the game, pursed her lips, and her gaze fell on Eagle King. She tilted her head, her eyes dark and intense.


    Eagle King quickly strain his posture, sitting as rigidly as a schoolboy. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Yvette talking a lot; he was


    terrified of her staring at him without saying a word. It was bone¨Cchilling, making it hard to breathe.


    Yvette averted her gaze, her clear eyes cold and distant. She said nonchntly, ¡°No need. He has his own path and doesn¡¯t need to be involved in this.¡±


    Eagle King understood immediately that asking that man for help was out of the question.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, looking at Eagle King seriously. ¡°Hmm Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    Eagle King shook his head wildly. ¡®No way,¡® he thought. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t trust anyone in this world, I wouldn¡¯t doubt the boss It¡¯s just that I think there might be a shortcut.


    ¡®If the boss doesn¡¯t want to take it, then fine. They¡¯re just minor drug lords; it¡¯ll just take a bit more effort.¡¯


    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t scare me like that. If I can¡¯t trust you, who can I trust Let¡¯s do it your way. I haven¡¯t taken a job in a year, and I¡¯m gettingzy. It¡¯ll be good to stretch my legs a bit,¡± Eagle King said.


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°You can go now. Have hime in.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Eagle King¡¯s heart sank. ¡°The boss clearly favored her man over her friends, he thought.


    Jeremiah re¨Centered the room and saw Yvette propped up on her elbow, swinging her feet. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Wanna take a shower together?¡±


    Yvette stretched out her hand, nced at him, raised an eyebrow and curled the corner of her lip. ¡°Carry me.¡± Jeremiah, dressed in a restrained casual outfit, strode over with long strides. In the next moment, he scooped her up. Looking at thepliant Yvette in his arms, Jeremiah¡¯s eyebrows curved upward, and he smiled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t begter,¡± he whispered.


    Yvette looked at him, her smile challenging. ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re tiredter.¡±


    In the middle of the night, a gunshot shattered the night tranquility, jolting everyone awake. Yvette and Jeremiah woke up simultaneously, exchanged a nce, and quickly got dressed and turned on the lights illuminating the room.


    Yvette walked to the window. Below the hotel, heavy vehicles line up¨Cabout ten of them¨Cand people were continuously streaming out, all wearing ck masks and carrying heavy firearms.


    Yvette, seeing the scene below, didn¡¯t panic at all. She raised an eyebrow and said with interest, ¡°Looks like we won¡¯t be getting any sleep tonight.¡±


    Jeremiah put on his jacket and walked over to the window.

 Chapter 444

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said gravely, ¡°They¡¯re organized and disciplined, all armed with heavy machine guns.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression indifferent. Just as Jeremiah finished speaking, the doorbell rang, followed by urgent knocking.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Jeremiah, Yvette, something¡¯s wrong.¡± Jeremiah opened the dog to find Emmett, Charles, and a clearly groggy Samantha. Eagle King emerged from the adjacent room, carrying tworge ck suitcases, his face stern.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett said solemnly, ¡°Jeremiah, something¡¯s wrong. The lobby is in chaos. Those masked men in ck will reach the fifth floor in less than ten minutes.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King added, ¡°These are likely members of the notorious local gangs, the ck Shadows and Crimson des. They survive by robbing ces. This hotel is the best in the area, and anyone staying here has money. They n to make a big score tonight.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah remained calm, whispering to the group at the door, ¡°Come in, let¡¯s talk inside. Once inside, Yvette sat on the sofa, legs crossed, looking quite rxed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said nonchntly, ¡°take a seat.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If not for the chaos downstairs, Emmett would have thought nothing was happening, given Yvette¡¯s calm demeanor. Samantha yawned, finally waking up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha had a feeling this trip to Voraxia wouldn¡¯t be peaceful, but encountering such a thrilling robbery right away was overwhelming. But with Yvette and Jeremiah around, she felt incredibly safe.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha asked, ¡°Just a robbery?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King shook his head. ¡°No way, Samantha. In Voraxia, there are no legal restrictions. Robbery, kidnapping, and murder happen all the time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Every time she heard such things, Samantha felt immensely grateful to be born in Clusia.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze fell on the two ck suitcases Eagle King carried. She said calmly, ¡°Everything ready?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, Charles, and Samantha didn¡¯t understand what she meant. ¡®What was ready?¡® they wondered. Only Jeremiah, looking at the ck suitcases, knew what was inside, his eyes revealing understanding.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King ced the two suitcases on the table and opened them. Both cases were filled with thetest weapons Eldoria, a superpower in arms manufacturing, surpassing even those from Mysonna</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">from</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement when they saw the sniper rifles. Emmett carefully picked up one of the rifles, his eyes wide with disbelief, gently caressing it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Wow, this is the NTW¨C20 sniper rifle, thetest model from Eldoria. It¡¯s a long¨Crange anti¨Cmaterial rifle, with a total length of 6 feet, weighing 80 pounds, and a 20mm caliber.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It has powerful firepower and unique features from Southtoria. The initial velocity can reach 2362.2 feet/s, and if loaded with high¨Cexplosive rounds, it can attack targets within about 2 miles, such as cars, nes, or helicopters,¡± Emmett said, his voice filled with awe.</font></font>


    Charles also picked up a rifle, examining it closely, his expression serious.


    ¡°The Croatian RT20, a 20mmrge¨Ccaliber sniper rifle with a maximum effective range of 1.9 miles. It can destroy protected targets within its range Theifle is 5 feet long and weighs 50 pounds.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is also a new release from Eldoria this year. Everyone in the underworld gang of Mysonna is vying to get their hands on the first batch. It¡¯s highly sought after,¡± Charles exined, his tone grave.


    The two exchanged a nce. Each of the seven sniper rifles her was thetest model from Eldoria, not yet on the market or even avable on the ck market.


    They wondered, ¡®How did Eagle King manage to get his hands on these? Who is he really?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark, intense gaze never left Yvette. Samantha noticed how agitated Emmett and Charles were, their excitement was almost palpable. While she didn¡¯t fully understand the technical jargon, she could tell these guns were incredibly valuable.


    Samantha turned to Eagle King with a grin. ¡°Eagle King, you¡¯re something else. Getting your hands on these rare gems? You¡¯re a real pro!¡±


    Eagle King, seated on the sofa, took a sip of water. He nearly choked on it, quickly waving his hand and stealing a nce at Yvette¡¯s expression. Seeing her indifferent and unconcerned, he finally spoke, ¡°Samantha, I don¡¯t have that kind of pull.¡±


    Samanthaughed, ¡°Eagle King, don¡¯t be modest. If not you, then who else could it be?¡±


    Eagle King, addressing the curious group seriously, said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get these. Yvette did. I only found out after seeing them myself.¡± Honestly, he could get some of these weapons, but aplete set of thetest models was nearly impossible.


    Even if they were avable on the market, the price would be astronomical. The real kicker was that these were gifts from the leader of ck Shadows in Eldoria, given to Yvette for free.


    All eyes swiveled to Yvette, who was lounging on the sofa in a simple pair of jeans and a ck T¨Cshirt, her hair still slightly disheveled from sleep, adding to her allure.


    They thought, ¡®Eagle King said these were from Yvette. So, Yvette had that much clout in Eldoria? It wasn¡¯t just clout; it was more like having a face thatmanded respect beyond measure.¡¯


    Eagle King, noticing their stunned expressions, paused before adding, ¡°And they¡¯re free, unlimited.¡± The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension almost suffocating.


    After a moment, Samantha couldn¡¯t hold back her shock. ¡°Free? Do you mean what I think you mean?¡±


    Emmett and Charles were at a loss for words to describe their feelings. Emmett had been getting stabbed in the butt with little knives this time, but it sure opened his eyes.


    Emmett now understood that there¡¯s always someone better out there. But it should be that there¡¯s always someone better, and someone as amazing as Yvette. He thought, ¡®She¡¯s freaking awesome.


    Charles felt the same way. He knew Yvette wasn¡¯t ordinary, but he never imagined her influence and connections had reached Eldoria, a country known for its battle frenzy.


    Jeremiah stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, his legs¨Cnearly six feet¨Cslightly bent. His gaze was intense. Watching the others¡® reactions, Eagle King realized he had made the right call by speaking up. It wasn¡¯t just him who found it thrilling.


    Yvette lifted her striking face and spoke, her voice cool and detached. ¡°Are you going to waste time on trivial matters?¡±


    Her nonchnt tone made Emmett, Charles, and Samantha feel like they were overreacting. Only Yvette could dismiss something like this as a minor detail.


    The three of them smiled bitterly. Eagle King picked up his water ss, took a sip, and lowered his eyes. He thought, ¡®Let the shock pass. This was just the beginning. He had been through countless life¨Cand¨Cdeath situations with Yvette over the years.


    He sometimes couldn¡¯t fathom all the skills and hidden identiti on everything, Yvette would surprise him with something new,


    The most infuriating thing was that, to Yvette, all of this was just


    Jeremiah looked at the stunned group, pinched the corner of his isn¡¯t the time to stare. Pick a gun that feels right. Since they¡¯ve co


    He delivered the harshest words in the calmest tone.


    He sometimes couldn¡¯t fathom all the skills and hidden identities Yvette possessed. Every time he thought he had a handle on everything, Yvette would surprise him with something new, leaving him speechless.


    The most infuriating thing was that, to Yvette, all of this was just a bunch of ¡®trivial matters.


    Jeremiah looked at the stunned group, pinched the corner of his eye, and whispered, ¡°In two minutes, they¡¯ll be here. This isn¡¯t the time to stare. Pick a gun that feels right. Since they¡¯vee, let¡¯s make sure they all stay.¡±


    He delivered the harshest words in the calmest tone.


    He sometimes couldn¡¯t fathom all the skills and hidden identities Yvette possessed. Every time he thought he had a handle on everything, Yvette would surprise him with something new, leaving him speechless.


    The most infuriating thing was that, to Yvette, all of this was just a bunch of ¡®trivial matters!


    Jeremiah looked at the stunned group, pinched the corner of his eye, and whispered, ¡°In two minutes, they¡¯ll be here. This isn¡¯t the time to stare. Pick a gun that feels right. Since they¡¯vee, let¡¯s make sure they all stay.¡±


    He delivered the harshest words in the calmest tone.

 Chapter 445

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually picked up a baseball cap from the sofa and stood up. She wore a ck T¨Cshirt, blue jeans, and a familiar pair of canvas shoes. The cap covered most of her face, leaving only her sharp jawline exposed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She nced indifferently at the sniper rifles on the table, picked up the one closest to her, and chambered a round in one fluid motion. Her movements were clean, and precise, and exuded a cool confidence.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah also walked over and chose a rifle. Emmett, Charles, and Samantha, realizing this wasn¡¯t a time for shock, each selected a suitable sniper rifle. Eagle King had already made his choice.</font></font>C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, though experienced with guns at the club, had never handled a sniper rifle before and was practically buzzing with excitement.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at Samantha¡¯s excited face and said in a cool, clear voice, ¡°The recoil on a sniper rifle is much stronger than a handgun. Be careful.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yvette, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha knew she wasn¡¯t the main force; her goal was simply not to hold the others back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once everyone was ready, Emmett opened the door. The next second, they heard chaotic footsteps and criesing from the hallway.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette and Jeremiah led the way, with Emmett and Charles on either side, and Eagle King close to Samantha.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For Charles, who had grown up in the underworld, Emmett, who had been to battlefields with Jeremiah, and Eagle King, who lived on the edge of life and death daily, this scene was nothing out of the ordinary.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the corridor on the fifth floor, people were crouching on the ground, hugging their heads and trembling.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Some tried to plead for mercy, but as soon as they opened their mouths, they were shot dead by the ck¨Cd men. Seeing this, the others dared not speak a word.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The entire hotel had fallen. Each floor was littered with the bodies of those who had tried to resist¨Cmen and women, old and young. On every floor, a dozen ck¨Cd men guarded the area, searching each room for valuables.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the fifth floor, the ck¨Cd men saw Yvette and the others emerge and immediately approached with a menacing air. Yvette and Jeremiah exchanged a nce and smiled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The ck¨Cd men, approaching with aggressive intent, saw the sniper rifles in the group¡¯s hands and shouted to theirpanions in the localnguage, ¡°They have guns, be on guard!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the next second, a bullet pierced the ck¨Cd man¡¯s body, and he fell to the ground, eyes wide open in shock. The bullet had been fired by Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha watched Yvette shoot; her eyes filled with admiration. She thought, ¡®This is what it means to be ruthless and efficient. One shot, one kill. So cool!</font></font>


    The other ck¨Cd men immediately opened fire on Yvette, Jeremiah and the group. Yvette held the sniper rifle with a stoic expression, firing at the advancing ck¨Cd men. Every shot hit its mark.


    Jeremiah, watching the advancing men, took out one after another with precise shots. Soon, all twenty¨Codd ck¨Cd men on the fifth¨Cfloory dead at the hands of Yvette and Jeremiah.


    Samantha, standing behind them, was dumbfounded. She thought, ¡®What happened to fighting together? I¡¯m just lying here and winning. This feels more like a ¡®game¡® for Yvette and Jeremiah.


    Emmett and Charles shared the same feeling. The two of them had only managed to kill two people, while the rest were taken down by Yvette and Jeremiah.


    Only Eagle King seemed at ease. He was already very used to it. There is nothing to be surprised about with just a few dozen people.


    To Yvette, even a hundred or more were just small fry, mere practice targets. His job was simply to protect Samantha from behind. Suddenly, Yvette¡¯s eyes narrowed, and at the same time, Jeremiah quickly turned around, though Yvette was faster.


    Yvette raised her sniper rifle, aiming at the ck¨Cd man who had just appeared at the top of the stairs. She lightly pulled the trigger, a defiant smile curling the corners of her mouth, with a hint of mischief.


    The ck¨Cd man hadn¡¯t expected that the moment he appeared, a bullet as swift as a meteor would be waiting for him. A blood hole instantly appeared on his forehead, and he crumpled to the ground.


    This scene shocked all the ordinary people on the fifth floor. Some, seeing the bodies scattered on the ground, let out shrill screams, as if they had been severely traumatized. The entire floor echoed with their piercing cries.


    Yvette watched the panicked crowd, her brow furrowing, and her eyes clear and deep. ¡°Shut up,¡± she said softly, but the words immediately silenced the boiling crowd.


    Everyone trembled as they looked at Yvette. They had all seen her, like a goddess of death, take down each ck¨Cd man with a single, precise headshot.


    Several of the ck¨Cd men had died gruesome deaths, yet this girl hadn¡¯t even flinched, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Yvette didn¡¯t realize that the people looking at her were even more terrified than they were of the ck¨Cd men. It was truly frightening.


    The corridor was now filled with a heavy scent of blood. Jeremiah watched Yvette, who was radiating a cold aura, his gaze deep. He squeezed her hand and then barked at the terrified crowd, ¡°Back to your rooms.¡±


    The crowd scrambled to their rooms, closing the doors tightly. Yvette turned her head, her eyes cold and her voice indifferent. ¡°Emmett, fourth floor. Eagle King, take Samantha to the third floor. Charles, second floor. Jeremiah and I will go to the first floor.¡±


    Compared to the other floors, the first floor was the most dangerous ce. The leader of the Crimson des and most of the ck¨Cd men were there.


    Emmett nodded. ¡°Got it, Yvette. Once I clean up the fourth floor, I¡¯ll join you on the first floor.¡±


    Charles also nodded. ¡°I understood, Yvette.¡±


    Eagle King was still wearing his loose shorts, tank top, and most notably, his blue flip¨Cflops. Anyone who didn¡¯t know him might think he was just a renter. His appearance was decidedly unconventional.


    Seeing a hint of worry in Samantha¡¯s eyes, Yvette said firmly, ¡°Eagle King may dress a bit oddly, but his skills are nothing to worry about.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s lips twitched. She thought, ¡®While I wanted to believe in Eagle King, his outfit really didn¡¯t give me much confidence¡®


    Eagle King¡¯s heart broke. He felt so wronged. ¡°The boss just doesn¡¯t appreciate fashion. This outfit is from thetest fashion week, and these flip¨Cflops are one of only three pairs in the world. How can they be ugly?¡® he thought.


    Eagle King fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Samantha, patting his own chest. ¡°Samantha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not bragging, but these punks, one by one, won¡¯t stand a chance. Follow me, and you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    To lighten the mood, he rattled off a quick rhyme. ¡°Samantha fly high, Eagle King will be right by your side.¡±


    Emmett couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She thought, ¡®Eagle King was nothing but a living, breathingedian. Where does Yvette find all these quirky friends?¡®


    Emmett said, ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, I¡¯m heading down,¡± and turned to leave.


    Charles, with a stern face, said, ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, I¡¯m going down too,¡± and followed suit.


    Now, Charles wished more than ever that the second¨Cranked assassin had the same name as Eagle King by coincidence. If the second¨Cranked assassin was anything like Eagle King, he would really need to reevaluate his life.


    Eagle King watched the two as they walked away and scoffed. ¡°These two must not have girlfriends; they don¡¯t have a sense of humor at all, he thought. Just as Eagle King was about to say something to Yvette, Jeremiah interrupted, ¡°Let¡¯s go down too.¡±


    Yvette nodded slightly, her brows furrowed with a cold expression, not even sparing a nce at Eagle King. Yvette and Jeremiah walked away as well. Samantha stood there, looking at Eagle King. She thought, ¡®Oh God. I want to leave too.

 Chapter 446

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the ground floor, the sudden bloodbath at the hotel by the Crimson des was due to a reliable tip that a Southtoria tycoon, carrying pink diamonds worth 100 million dors, would be staying at the hotel today.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">A man in camouge clothing stood there, with three scars on his left cheek, looking menacing. There were roughly fifty people on the first floor, and apart from those who went upstairs to clear the building, the rest of the Crimson des were gathered downstairs.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The burly men surrounded the hostages, while on the other side were severalrge ck bags, filled with valuables and stacks of cash looted from the hostages.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The scar¨Cfaced man, Charlie Deja, held a machine gun and sprayed bullets at the captives kneeling on the hotel floor. He watched as one by one; the defenseless people fell to the ground. Hisughter echoed through the room, spittle flying everywhere.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just then, Bob Jefferson, another man in camouge ran over and whispered something in Charlie¡¯s ear. Charlie¡¯s face turned dark and menacing, and he casually shot a man who tried to escape.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The other hostages were terrified, huddled together with their heads in their hands. Men and women alike were likembs waiting to be ughtered, helpless and pitiful.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charlie growled. ¡°Why the hell aren¡¯t the people from the fifth floor down yet? Get up there and check it out, don¡¯t waste any time.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bob nodded immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll go up right away, Mr. Deja.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bob yelled to the people behind him, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go up and see if these bastards are cking off.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He led a dozen men and just pressed the elevator button when a voice, cold and chilling, echoed in their ears. It sent shivers down their spines. ¡°What a lively scene.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Time seemed to freeze as everyone stood still, searching for the source of the voice. They could hear it but couldn¡¯t see anyone. Charlie tensed up and immediately raised his gun. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s messing with us? Show yourself!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bob quickly returned to Charlie¡¯s side from the stairwell. ¡°Mr. Deja, what¡¯s going on?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charlie spat and pped Bob. ¡°You ask me? How the hell should I know? Go find whoever it is!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as he finished speaking, the voice came again, much clearer this time. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charlie imm¨¦diately looked up. When he saw a woman sitting on the railing of the second floor, he was taken aback. The same went for everyone else; they all stared dumbfounded at the second floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat on the railing, her long legs dangling and swinging back and forth. Her hands were propped up, and she wore a carefree smile, her eyes exuding a hint of mischief. Her brown, deep eyes were cold and serious, giving off a chilly vibe.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her stunningly beautiful face, though seemingly rxed and casual, carried an air of supreme confidence.</font></font>


    The starlight from the window behind Yvette¡¯s illuminated her face, making her look distant and mysterious, like a divine being descended from heaven, impossible to look at directly or disrespect, inspiring awe and fear.


    The scarred man stared at Yvette; his eyes wide with disbelief. ¡°A fairy? Are you really a fairy?¡± He quickly snapped back to reality, fixing his gaze on her with a lewd grin..


    Charlie asked, ¡°Who are you? Another guest at this hotel? Since you¡¯re a beauty, how about youe with me? I promise you¡¯ll eat and drink like a queen.


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m pretty good in bed too. You¡¯ll feel like you¡¯ve reached heaven if you¡¯re with me.¡± His buddies from the Crimson des burst intoughter around him.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Deja! You¡¯ve snagged a real stunner! You¡¯re one lucky guy!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Deja is so impressive! This woman is a real gem! She looks like she¡¯s from Clusia.¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, her longshes casting shadows over her eyes. When she finally looked up, her eyes glinted like icy des, and a smirk curled at the corner of her lips, cold enough to chill the air around them.


    With a frosty demeanor, Yvette replied, ¡°Go with you? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Charlie blinked, momentarily taken aback. ¡°What do you mean, no? Babe, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from around Golden Triangle. Go ask anyone who I am¨CI¡¯m Mr. Deja of the Crimson des.


    ¡°Follow me, and I guarantee you won¡¯t regret it. If you have a boyfriend, I¡¯ll take care of him, no problem.¡±


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting to the man emerging from the shadows. A yful smile danced on her lips as she asked, ¡°He¡¯s going to take care of you.¡±


    Just then, Jeremiah stepped out, having just dealt with some troublemakers hiding in the stairwell. He spotted Yvette perched on the railing, overhearing Charlie¡¯s crude remarks.


    His eyes darkened, brows furrowing as he assessed the situation. His gaze was deep and unreadable, yet it shimmered with a soft light as he looked at her. ¡°You¡¯d let him take care of me?¡±


    Yvette stayed silent. Charlie stared at the sudden appearance of Jeremiah. rm bells rang in his head. He could handle ten women without breaking a sweat, but a man like Jeremiah, who looked like he had depths that were hard to fathom, made him uneasy.


    Charlie aimed his gun at Jeremiah, but Jeremiah didn¡¯t even nce his way. His eyes were locked on Yvette, filled with a warmth he rarely showed.


    Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s intense gaze at each other infuriated Charlie. Just as he was about to say something, Yvette turned her head. Her beautiful eyes were cold as they fell on the gun in Charlie¡¯s hand.


    With a hint of crimson at the corners of her eyes, she said softly ¡°You think you can point a gun at my man?¡±


    Jeremiah, who was closest to her, felt a smile tug at his lips at her words. In the next moment, before anyone could react, Yvette pulled out a sleek silver gun from her bag and fired with precision.


    Cold sweat instantly dripped down Charlie¡¯s face. He never expected this woman to be armed. By the time he tried to turn his gun around, Yvette¡¯s bullet had already pierced through his chest.


    The bullet went straight through, hitting a vital spot. Blood gushed out, sttering everywhere, even hitting one of the hostages in the face. The hostage fainted from shock.


    Bob couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He rushed to help Charlie, shouting, ¡°Mr. Deja! Mr. Deja, you-¡±


    With hisst ounce of strength, Charlie pointed a trembling finger at Yvette, blood spilling from his mouth as he gasped. ¡°She¡­ revenge¡­¡±


    Before Charlie could finish, he took hisst breath, copsing in Bob¡¯s arms. Panic set in for Bob. He thought, ¡®If Charlie died here, how would he exin it to Norbert Granger? He would definitely kill me.


    He dropped Charlie¡¯s lifeless body and red up at Yvette on the second floor. He shouted to the Crimson des members, ¡°Go! Shoot them! Kill that couple!¡±


    Seeing Charlie down, the hostages began to scatter, turning the first floor into chaos. Bob didn¡¯t have time to worry about them. He thought, ¡®If I didn¡¯t bring back the woman who shot Charlie, I wouldn¡¯t survive either.


    As he turned, he suddenly clutched his chest, eyes wide with shock. Blood poured from a small hole in his chest, and he copsed to the ground.


    Bob looked up at the tall, imposing figure standing by the elevator, dressed oddly yet exuding an aura of power. He fell to the ground, lifeless. The once¨Cboisterous crowd fell silent on

 Chapter 447

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King stepped out of the elevator, surveying the stunned crowd. He blew on the barrel of his gun and struck a pose that looked cool, but to Samantha, it seemed ridiculous.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°What¡¯s wrong? No one¡¯s pping? Come on, give a round of apuse for handsome me.¡± Eagle King called out to the people on the first floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a long pause, no one moved. Even the remaining thirty or so members of the Crimson des stood frozen in ce,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With Charlie and Bob dead, they were at a loss for what to do. The atmosphere was awkward, and no one dared to make a sound. Eagle King thought for a moment and turned to Samantha. ¡°Hey, Samantha, am I not handsome?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At that moment, Eagle King was more concerned about theck of apuse. Samantha beamed a big, genuine smile and replied, ¡°Eagle King, you¡¯re the most handsome in the universe.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles had just finished dealing with the situation upstairs and arrived on the first floor. They took in the scene and then looked up at Yvette and Jeremiah, realizing that Yvette and Jeremiah had already taken action.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Their arrival shattered the silence on the first floor. On the second floor, Yvette watched Eagle King and Samantha, along with Emmett and Charles, clowning around below. Leaning against the railing, she casually said, ¡°Just kill them all, and leave only one alive.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Upon hearing this, Eagle King immediately dropped his yful demeanor. Armed with dual guns, he fired multiple rounds at the Crimson des members. Without Charlie, they were nothing but a scattered mess.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles quickly joined the fray, turning the gunfight into a one¨Csided ughter. Even Samantha took down two members of the Crimson des.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In less than ten minutes, only one of the Crimson des members remained, kneeling on the ground. Emmett aimed his gun at the man¡¯s head, waiting for Yvette to give the order.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked up, her gaze meeting Yvette¡¯s cold, expressionless face as she stood on the upper floor with her hands in her pockets. Yvette¡¯s eyes were as icy and piercing as a winter night, distant and aloof like the faint starlight of an autumn evening.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha knew this was the real Yvette. In her world, killing was just another day at the office.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The hostages on the first floor had thought they were doomed, but to their surprise, they were saved.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Thank you, Miss! You saved us!¡± one of them eximed.</font></font>N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Miss, you¡¯re our savior. Without you, we¡¯d be dead for sure,¡± another added.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Thank you!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Thank you, Miss!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The room buzzed with gratitude in variousnguages¨CUprian, Frixyia, Dermonian, Thairian, and even a bit of Saracian- making it a cacophony of voices that could give anyone a headache.</font></font>


    Yvette frowned her bright eyes calm and unperturbed as she looked at the diverse crowd. ¡°Disperse,¡± she said calmly. Even those who didn¡¯t understand Clusian could guess her meaning from her expression.


    Five minutester, the hotel lobby was empty except for Yvette¡¯s group and the kneeling man from the Crimson des. Jeremiah tilted his head, his narrow eyes sharp and cold. ¡°Do you want to wipe them all out?¡± he asked.


    Yvette¡¯s deep blue eyes flickered, her delicate brows slightly raised. ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the next second, Yvette and Jeremiah leaped down from the over seven¨Cfoot¨Chigh floor,nding steadily. The Crimson des¡® man, who had been sneaking nces, was terrified.


    Emmett spoke up, ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, what should we do with this guy? Do you have other ns?¡±


    ¡®Yvette must have a special n. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have left a Crimson des member alive,¡® Emmett thought.


    Yvette walked up to the kneeling man, hands still in her pockets, her toe tapping the ground nonchntly. ¡°Where¡¯s the Crimson des¡® headquarters? Is your boss there?¡±


    The man fiercely shook his head, gritting his teeth, refusing to speak. Yvette tilted her head and nced at Eagle King. In an instant, Eagle King stepped up to the man, producing a dagger from somewhere.


    He plunged it into the man¡¯s thigh without hesitation. The yful demeanor he had just moments ago was gone, reced by a cold; merciless killer. The Crimson des man screamed in agony, clutching his leg as he howled in pain.


    ¡°Answer my boss¡¯s question,¡± Eagle King said, his voice hard. ¡°Answer, and you live. Refuse, and I¡¯ll carve you up piece by piece.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s lips twitched She thought, ¡®Eagle King is ruthless truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Emmett and Charles remained unmoved.


    The dagger in Eagle King¡¯s hand glinted menacingly, breaking the man¡¯s resolve in an instant. ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s just three streets away, vi number 667. Mr. Granger is there,¡± the man stammered.


    Eagle King sheathed his dagger, smiled satisfactorily at the man, and patted his shoulder as if they were old friends. ¡°If you¡¯d said so earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all this.¡±


    He walked over to Yvette and immediately switched his expression. ¡°Boss, shall we


    go now?¡±


    Among the group, Eagle King was the second to guess Yvette¡¯s intentions. Yvette had a habit¨Cwhenever on a mission and encountering gangs like the Crimson des whomitted heinous crimes, she would always take the opportunity to rid such evils, never leaving a trace.


    Emmett and Charles also caught on, understanding Yvette¡¯s n. If they didn¡¯t eliminate the root cause today after killing so many Crimson des members, the gang wouldn¡¯t let them off easily. It was better to strike first and destroy the Crimson des.


    Samantha tentatively asked, ¡°Yvette, you want to take the Crimson des down?¡±


    ¡®This day is really testing my nerves, but it is indeed thrilling,¡® Samantha thought.


    Yvette lifted her gaze, giving a brief, indifferent look at the others. Her voice was cool and detached. ¡°Let¡¯s take while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    Jeremiah gazed lovingly at Yvette. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. We should take care of it while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    care of it


    Thus, the group decided unanimously to head straight to the Crimson des¡¯s headquarters and deal with them.


    That night passed, and it was destined to be a night of terror in Ehongsoly. Early in the morning, all the major drug lords and various factions in Voraxia received a shocking piece of news.


    The Crimson des¡¯s Charlie was killed in a hotel, along with all his men.


    The Crimson des¡¯s leader Norbert and their headquarters were wiped out by mysterious assants. The leader was shot dead, not even having time to dress, and none of the over three Hundred people at the headquarters survived.


    The police in Thongsoly police station mobilized in full force, causing panic throughout the city. The power dynamics in Voraxia had stabilized.


    The Crimson des had been tyrannizing this area for years, bing a significant local power. It was unimaginable that they could be wiped out overnight, with no survivors.


    To aplish such a major feat silently spoke volumes about how terrifying the perpetrator must be. Local powers had all sent people to investigate the matter.


    In Voraxia, the police station was just a figurehead. They merely collected the bodies of the Crimson des as per routine and then left it alone. In this ce, human life is the cheapestmodity, and the police never invite trouble upon themselves.


    At the hotel, the manager, Quinn Reese, stood outside Yvette¡¯s room, two people pushing a breakfast cart behind him. The cart wasden with a variety of local specialties and Clusian snacks, clearly prepared with care.


    Quinn stood there, hesitantly raising his hand to knock, only to drop it again, repeating this action several times.

 Chapter 448

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After nearly half an hour of hesitation, Quinn finally knocked on Yvette¡¯s door. As one of the few who survived yesterday¡¯s ordeal, he truly feared that if Yvette inside was in a bad mood, his efforts today would be for nothing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He couldn¡¯t forget the image of Yvette standing on the second floor, expressionless, watching the massacre of the Crimson des.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When the door opened, Yvette saw the three people outside, trembling, and the cart behind them. She lifted her eyelids slightly and spoke in a cold, clear voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t order any food. This must be a mistake.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn immediately bowed deeply, speaking in broken Clusian, ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is aplimentary gift from the hotel.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow and said coolly, ¡°Come in,¡± then turned and walked back inside. Quinn quickly instructed the servers to push the cart in and followed nervously. Despite.being the owner of the hotel, he felt extremely anxious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Especially after learning this morning that the ruthless Crimson des had beenpletely eliminated overnight, his shock deepened. ¨C</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He couldn¡¯t imagine who else but Yvette in front of him and her people could have done this. What was most frightening was that they were just a few individuals who had wiped out over a hundred Crimson des.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, Yvette still looked somewhat groggy from sleep. The two servers respectfully ced the breakfast on the table and then exited the room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing his employees leave, Quinn immediately turned to Yvette and bowed ny degrees. ¡°Ms. Zeller, thank you and your friends for saving the lives of the hotel guests and me yesterday</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s face remained indifferent as she looked at the anxious Quinn, speaking slowly, ¡°It was just a coincidence.¡± Hearing this, the manager became even more respectful toward Yvette. He hadn¡¯te just to deliver breakfast.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">All the forces in Voraxia were investigating who had eliminated the Crimson des. He didn¡¯t want to invite trouble, so he needed to rify his position to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn said solemnly, ¡°Ms. Zeller, apart from expressing my gratitude, I also want to assure you that the hotel will not leak any information about what happened yesterday. However, if a guest leaks the news, we really can¡¯t stop them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette listened to Quinn¡¯s words and ced her fingers on the armrest, tapping rhythmically. She lowered her gaze and remained silent.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette¡¯s eyes, Quinn broke into a cold sweat. Just as he grew increasingly anxious, Yvette finally spoke, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn froze, staring at Yvette with a stunned expression. He wondered, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter?¡® He spected about Yvette¡¯s identity. ¡®Could anyone other than Ms. Zeller and her people have wiped out the Crimson des overnight?</font></font>


    ¡®And to speak so casually and dismissively while all the forces in Voraxia were chasing down her trail¨Cshe truly impressed me, he wondered.


    This is Vorax¨ªa, a world dominated by men. ¡®Who on earth is this woman?¡® Quinn wondered. He didn¡¯t dare to specte but could only think about it in his mind.


    Quinn¡¯s face lit up with relief upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words, a smile spreading across his face. He had been worried all night long over this matter.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, this is a special selection of Clusian snacks prepared just for you by our hotel. I hope you like them. Your stay here, along with your friends, will bepletely free of charge.


    ¡°Stay as long as you wish. Enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, just let me know,¡± Quinn said.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Quinn, who had been frowning earlier, now wore a radiant smile. He truly feared that this big shot might get angry and blow up their hotel in a heartbeat.


    Yvette nodded slightly, loungingzily on the sofa, and yawned. In a deep voice, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Quinn was taken aback by Yvette¡¯s simple ¡®thank you!


    He hadn¡¯t expected such an approachable demeanor from a big shot. He felt truly honored. He waved his hands hurriedly. ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Just as Quinn opened the door to leave, he saw Eagle King, wearing a pair of big slippers, about to enter. His hair was a mess, clearly just waking up, and hadn¡¯t even had time tob it.


    Quinn nodded nervously at Eagle King and then fled. He remembered that this man had killed most of the Crimson des members just because of Yvette¡¯s words.


    Eagle King watched Quinn run far away. ¡®Am I really some kind of monster? Why did he run?¡® he wondered.


    Eagle King pushed the door open casually and looked at Yvette sitting on the sofa. ¡°Yvette, what did the hotel ownere for? Anything important?¡±


    Yvette propped her chin up with one hand, extended her slender, fair fingers, and pointed to the breakfast on the table. Her voice was hoarse. ¡°Here to deliver free breakfast.¡±


    Eagle King nced at the table full of breakfast items, then plopped down on the sofa, pursing his lips. He thought, ¡°This hotel owner sure knows how to tter, personally bringing free breakfast for the boss.


    ¡®Howe I never got such treatment after staying here for so many days? Everythinges when the boss arrives.¡¯


    Yvette arched her delicate eyebrows, tilted her head slightly, and spoke softly, ¡°If you want to eat, go ahead.¡±


    Eagle King chuckled; his entire demeanor bing utterly fawning. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re the best.¡± After saying that, he got up and walked to the chair beside the dining table, starting to eat the breakfast Quinn had prepared. As he ate, he mused,


    ¡°Delicious.¡±


    These Clusian specialties weren¡¯t listed on the hotel menu. It was obvious that they were specially prepared for the boss. ¡®Indeed, wherever the boss goes, people flock to please him. Why don¡¯t I get such treatment?¡® Eagle King thought.


    Eagle King took a bite of the bread. He turned to Yvette on the sofa. ¡°Boss,e over and eat too.¡±


    Yvette shook her head, nced at the time on her phone, and lowered her eyes, yawning. ¡°No thanks, I have something else to eat.¡±


    As Yvette and Eagle King were talking, Jeremiah walked in with the breakfast he had bought. Seeing Eagle King inside and the various snacks on the table, Jeremiah raised an eyebrow and scanned the room, understanding the situation instantly.


    He knew these snacks must have been sent by Quinn, as the others didn¡¯t seem like early risers who would go out to buy breakfast.


    Jeremiah walked over and said in a deep voice, ¡°A Clusian couple from the northeast runs an orange juice and fried dough. I happened to meet them while doing my morning exercise. Do you want to try?¡±


    At the dining table, Eagle King looked at the snacks in front of him and suddenly lost his appetite.


    He thought, ¡®No wonder Yvette didn¡¯t eat the hotel¡¯s free breakfast. It turns out Jeremiah had gone out to buy it himself. Now that¡¯s what dedication looks like!


    When they returned from the Crimson desst night, it was around three or four in the morning. After sleeping for just a few hours, Jeremiah went out to buy breakfast for Yvette, iming it was a coincidence. How could that be?¡® Eagle King thought.


    He had walked this street before; there were no Clusian couple from the northeast running a breakfast stand. He must have scoured several streets to find it.


    Another day of envying someone else¡¯s love. Eagle King bit into arge bun fiercely, thinking it was good enough to have free breakfast.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 449

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was almost noon when Emmett, Charles, and Samantha all woke up, got ready, and headed to Yvette¡¯s room. Samantha looked at the table full of delicious food, even including duck confit. This hotel really went all out.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King tore off arge chicken leg, his posture quite rugged, and waved at Samantha as she came in. ¡°Hey, Samantha,e on over. This is the only chicken leg left, it¡¯s yours.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha smiled and walked over, sitting down. She picked up the chicken leg and took a bite. It was soft and tender, the chicken well¨Cseasoned. She said, ¡°Thank you very much, Eagle King.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles were sipping ck coffee, their eyes on the spread of food. When the hotel delivered the meal earlier, they specifically asked for Yvette¡¯s opinion. From today on, their three meals a day would be prepared by a specially hired Clusian chef.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett said, ¡°Jeremiah, I took a walk around town earlier. In Fhongsoly, even the trash collectors are talking about yesterday¡¯s incident with The Crimson des being wiped out.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles nodded his voice deep. ¡°I logged into the underworld¡¯s internal website. Everyone is specting which force struck in Voraxia. However, the area has always been chaotic, so the attention isn¡¯t too high.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha swallowed her chicken leg and took a sip of orange juice. Curiously, she asked Charles, ¡°What kind of internal website do you have in the underworld? Sounds interesting.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles nced at Yvette and hesitated. The website was casually set up by Yvette to train the killers from the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers of the Goodman family. Nobody knew it would grow so muchter, eventually bing an underground website for the underworld in Mysonna.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even hackers had attacked the site before, but all attempts failed. Charles looked at Samantha, who was full of curiosity. They were all in this together, and Yvette probably wouldn¡¯t mind him sharing this story.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles cleared his throat. ¡°This website was casually set up by Yvette seven years ago for convenience.¡± Emmett¡¯s hand holding the ck coffee trembled involuntarily.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles and Jeremiah knew about the website, but he never imagined it was created by Yvette. He wondered, ¡®How old was Yvette seven years ago? Why could a minor aplish such a monumental feat? That was something to ponder.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha was equally shocked. She looked at Yvette, who was sitting on the sofa. ¡®Was Yvette human or a god?¡® she wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King¡¯s mental fortitude was pretty good; he was already used to it. The top¨Cranked killer infiltrating the Interpol. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t ept now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, in a boss¨Clike posture. Her eyes were half¨Cclosed, exuding azy charm. Noticing everyone¡¯s gazes, she said nonchntly, ¡°Is that website still in use?¡±</font></font>


    Charles nodded, swallowing hard. ¡°Did you forget about the website, Yvette?¡± He genuinely believed Yvette could pull off something like this.


    Yvette¡¯s expression was indifferent. Propping her chin, she leaned backzily, almost rebellious. ¡°I forgot it.¡±


    The expressions on Samantha, Charles, and Emmett¡¯s faces were surprisingly consist¨¦nt. They thought, ¡®Indeed, Yvette was amazing. She forgot it!¡®


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes held a faint smile as he turned to look at Yvette. Your skills are pretty good.¡±


    He thought, Being able to create a website that even world¨Css hackers couldn¡¯t breach seven years ago. Her hacking skills must have reached the pinnacle. Yvette was truly blessed by fate


    Yvette lifted her chin slightly, her longshes casting shadows over her clear, captivating eyes. Her voice was indifferent. ¡°Which aspect of the skills?¡±


    The room was quiet. Suddenly, Samantha stood up abruptly. As an experienced person, she felt the conversation was moving too fast, and it was time to leave.


    She thought, ¡®Whatever happened next, Jeremiah and Yvette probably didn¡¯t want anyone else to see or hear. Samantha said, ¡°Yvette, Jeremiah, my little Cuttic is calling me. I¡¯ll take off.¡± With that, she got up and left.


    Emmett and Charles also rose in perfect sync, without a word, They saw Eagle King still enjoying his chicken leg. They exchanged a nce and each grabbed one of Eagle King¡¯s arms.


    Eagle King, suddenly hoisted up, looked bewildered at Emmett and Charles on either side. Emmett said to Eagle King, Come on, you¡¯re full.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not,¡± Eagle King protested. His objection was in vain as he was forcefully carried out of the room by two people. The door mmed shut.


    Jeremiah stared at Yvette in silence for a few seconds before getting up, walking over to pick up the prepared warm milk, and returning to hand it to her. ¡°Drink more, replenish your strength,¡± he said.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, then put the milk back in Jeremiah¡¯s hands, her eyes carrying a hint of defiance. She spoke slowly, ¡°No need, my stamina is pretty good.¡±


    Jeremiah looked into her eyes, slowly spreading a smile that could turn heads, then scooped Yvette up from the sofa with ease, His voice was slightly husky, his breath brushing against Yvette¡¯s ear as he murmured, ¡°My stamina is pretty good too.¡±


    At nine o¡¯clock at night, after eleven hours had passed, Jeremiah took Yvette to the bathroom to clean up, dried her hair, and then ordered a meal. Yvette rubbed her right hand, thinking, ¡®Jeremiah is really getting out of hand!


    In the next room, Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and Eagle King were ying poker. Samantha nced at the clock on the wall; it was already past nine. She shifted her shoulders.


    They had been ying for almost eleven hours, and the door to the next room still hadn¡¯t opened. Jeremiah¡¯s stamina was really freaking amazing.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Samantha wondered, ¡®How my adorable Yvette was doing. She must be exhausted by now. But it was also possible that Jeremiah was the one who was exhausted. Being Jeremiah¡¯s woman was really tough.¡®


    Eagle King gave a sly smile and said to the three of them, ¡°Hey, do you think Jeremiah is on something?¡±


    Emmett didn¡¯t change his expression and shook his head. ¡°No need. The military has professional tests, and Jeremiah is always first every year. His endurance and stamina are the best.¡±


    Eagle King looked at the serious Emmett and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Bro, I was just kidding. Didn¡¯t tell Jeremiah it was me who said it.¡±


    Emmett shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on your exact words, Eagle King. You asked if Jeremiah was on something?¡± Charles looked at his cards and casually yed a two of diamonds.


    ¡°Win.¡±


    ¡°Win.


    ¡°Win.¡±


    Three wins at once. Emmett, Samantha, and Eagle King said in unison, ¡°Pay up.¡±


    Charles pulled out a check from his pocket, a 3 million dors check. 10 million dors gone in one hand. As the three of them were settling the ounts, a voice from the hallway outside the door interrupted them.


    The four of them exchanged nces, eximing inwardly, they thought, ¡®Oh my god. Jeremiah and Sister Yvette are finally done. These two have crazy stamina.


    The next day, in the dining area on the third floor of the hotel, the guests had changed. Those who had stayed at the hotel either died or were injured, and the rest left on the second day.


    The new guests hadn¡¯t seen Yvette, Jeremiah and the others. When they appeared, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to them. All the eyes in the dining area focused on the group.


    The moment Yvette went to the dining area, Quinn received the news. He quickly set aside his work and hurried to the dining area, feeling nervous.


    He wondered, ¡®Could it be that Ms. Zeller didn¡¯t like the food prepared by the hotel¡¯s chef? That¡¯s why they came down?¡±

 Chapter 450

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Quinn entered the dining area, he immediately saw Yvett. It was impossible not to notice them; their presence was so striking Moreover, the eyes of nearly everyone in the room were fixed on the table where she was sitting.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn quickly walked to Yvette¡¯s table and respectfully said, ¡°Ms Zeller, why did you and your friends suddenlye down? Is there something wrong with the food the hotel prepared for you?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If anything is unsatisfactory, please let us know, and we will rectify it immediately to ensure your satisfaction.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Quinn¡¯s attitude, the surrounding guests were somewhat shocked. After all, as the only five¨Cstar hotel in Fhongsoly, how could Quinn not have connections? Yet, he showed such respect to a girl?¡® they thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her gaze, ignoring the curious and probing looks from those around her. She looked at the anxious and fearful hotel manager and spoke in a cool, slow tone, ¡°Nothing is unsatisfactory.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King joked, ¡°Quinn, why are you shaking? We¡¯re all very down¨Cto¨Cearth people¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn was at a loss for words upon hearing this. ¡®Down¨Cto¨Cearth? They must have some misunderstanding about themselves,¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Quinn finally felt relieved when he saw that Yvette wasn¡¯t displeased. He then turned around and instructed his staff to serve Yvette and her group immediately.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thus, under the watchful eyes of dozens of people in the dining area, Yvette, Jeremiah, and the others finished their sumptuous breakfast without batting an eyelid.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As night fell, the famous Cobalt Blue Bar in Fhongsoly was just starting to get lively. People trickled in one after another, entering this ce known locally as the ¡®Paradise of Desire¡®. Here as long as you had money, you could indulge yourself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The decor of Cobalt Blue Bar resembled a disco from the 1980s in Clusia, not particrly fashionable, but it was already the best bar in Fhongsoly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At a VIP booth, Yvette sat in a ck outfit, wearing a cap that covered her cold, piercing eyes. She crossed her legs, and her fair, slender fingers gently tapped the armrest.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the table was a ss of orange juice, which was what Jeremiah and the others had insisted on¨Cshe could only drink orange juice, not alcohol.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched the men and women writhing on the dance floor a smile curling at the corner of her lips. Her eyes were cold, and she exuded an air of rebellious nonchnce, her posture rxed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the bar, a mboyantly dressed woman had been eyeing Yvette for a while. The woman had yed at Cobalt Blue for years and had never seen such a beautiful girl before¨Cshe was simply a rare gem.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®If I could get this girl and present her to her boss, she would surely receive a reward,¡® she thought.</font></font>


    The masked woman mixed a drink and walked gracefully toward Yvette, sitting down at her booth and cing the drink in front of Yvette.


    In a deliberately high¨Cpitched voice, she said, ¡°Hey, are you alone? I¡¯m Lucille Poole, I¡¯ve been watching you for a while. Is something bothering you? If you don¡¯t mind, you can talk to me


    Lucille put on an understanding act, trying to hook Yvette with her eyes. She didn¡¯t notice that a few equally outstanding men and women were also nearby¨CJeremiah, Eagle King, Samantha, Charles, and Emmett.


    Jeremiah gave off a vibe that warned people to stay away, especially when he saw Lucille sit next to Yvette and push a drink toward her.


    His eyes instantly became sharp, like a predator¡¯s, making everyone feel a chill. The next moment, the ss in Jeremiah¡¯s hand shattered with a ¡®bang, scattering fragments on the floor.


    Samantha stared at the broken ss in shock. ¡®Oh my god, Jeremiah is terrifying, she thought.


    Emmett, Charles, and Eagle King quietly turned their heads, knowing that a jealous Jeremiah was not to be provoked.


    They could only pray that Yvette would tone it down and not go too far, or they suspected Jeremiah would twist the head off Lucille in front of her in a second.From N?velDrama.Org.


    At the booth, Yvette looked at the woman who approached her, her stunningly cold face showing a slight smile. Her longshes drooped, making it hard to guess what she was thinking.


    She lightly pressed her forehead with her slender hand, leaning back in a casual, rebellious pose, her lips curled in a cold, mocking smile. ¡°Lucille?¡± Just this word made Lucille shiver.


    She became even more attentive to Yvette. ¡°Hello, beauty, sitting here alone in the bar. This is Voraxia, very dangerous. Why don¡¯t we be friends?¡±


    Lucille guessed that Yvere must be feeling down about something, sitting here alone. Such a strong¨Clooking girl must have a fragile heart, making her the perfect target.


    Yvette suddenly smiled and said softly to Lucille, whose eyes were shining with interest, ¡°Dangerous? I think I¡¯m more dangerous.¡±


    Lucille paused, then covered her mouth and chuckled, looking seductively at Yvette. ¡°Beauty, you really know how to joke.¡±


    Yvette leaned back, adopting a boss¨Clike posture, a hint of mockery on her face, exuding a rebellious aura, quite serious. ¡°I never joke, especially with strangers.¡±


    Lucille didn¡¯t get angry at all; instead, she became even more determined to win Yvette over. She moved closer to Yvette and whispered, ¡°Beauty, it¡¯s not exciting here. How about going somewhere more thrilling? It¡¯ll be a hundred times better than this bar.¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by what Lucille had said. Her eyes finally showed some reaction. Seeing this, Lucille grew even more excited. ¡°Beauty, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t trick you. You¡¯re not scared, are you?¡±


    After a moment, Yvette nodded and said to Lucille, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lucille¡¯s face lit up with joy when she heard Yvette agree, her happiness evident in her eyes. ¡°Beauty, I don¡¯t know your name yet.¡±


    Yvette nced at her, her gaze cold and indifferent. ¡°Yvette,¡± she said casually.


    Lucille looked at Yvette. Although this girl was quiet, there was no denying her stunning looks and figure. Lucille could already imagine herself being favored by the boss, her excitement making her hands tremble slightly.


    Yvette stood up, and Lucille immediately followed suit. As they passed by Jeremiah¡¯s table, Yvette paused and turned back. She nced at Jeremiah with a less¨Cthan¨Cpleasant expression and four people whose bodies were tense. Her eyes narrowed, then slowly formed a smile. ¡°Pretty handsome.¡±


    The icy aura surrounding Jeremiah vanished in an instant. He stared at Yvette, his gaze deep and dark. Lucille saw Jeremiah and his group, wondering, ¡®What was going on at Cobalt Blue today? So many attractive men and women had shown up all at once.


    Her eyes fell on Samantha, pausing for a moment. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Yvette in front of me, the boss might have taken a liking to this girl,¡® she thought.


    Lucille, fearing something might go wrong, urged Yvette to leave quickly. ¡°Come on, or the ce will close soon.¡± After


    Yvette and Lucille left Cobalt Blue Bar, Samantha, Eagle King,


    Sure enough, it only took one word from Yvette topletely stroked his chin, looking at Yvette¡¯s retreating back. He wonde this time¡­


    Yvette and Lucille left Cobalt Blue Bar, Samantha, Eagle King, Emmett, and Charles all looked at Jeremiah.


    Sure enough, it only took one word from Yvette topletely turn around the furious mood of Jeremiah. Eagle King stroked his chin, looking at Yvette¡¯s retreating back. He wondered which unlucky sap was going to volunteer for a beating this time.

 Chapter 451

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha asked, ¡°Jeremiah, we should hurry and follow them. That woman doesn¡¯t look good. The way she looked at Yvette. it was like she wanted to eat her. She¡¯s definitely a pervert. What Yvette identally gets ambushed by that woman?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles and Eagle King remained calm. Having followed Yvette for years, they knew better than anyone. No one can touch Yvette unless she allows it. Whatever bad intentions this woman has, she¡¯ll likely end up hurting herself..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, while believing in Yvette¡¯s abilities, still shared Samantha¡¯s concerns. He nodded and added, ¡°Jeremiah, I think Samantha is right. We should follow them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah sat there, his eyes cold and his face expressionless. Despite hearing their words, he showed no intention of moving. Emmett and Samantha looked at Jeremiah, puzzled, ¡®Why isn¡¯t Jeremiah worried at all? This is highly unusual.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King quickly calmed Emmett and Samantha down, ncing at Jeremiah. ¡®Could it be that he also knows the secret signal between the boss and me, which is why he¡¯s so calm? Eagle King thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King exined, ¡°Just now, the boss¡¯s right finger moved three times lightly. It¡¯s our secret signal. She doesn¡¯t want us to follow.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, Charles, and Samantha looked at Eagle King, feeling a bit jealous. Yvette actually has a secret signal with Eagle King. Eagle King nced at Jeremiah, curious. ¡°Jeremiah, do you also know the secret signal between the boss and me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The other three were also curious. They wondered, ¡®Could it be that Yvette gave the same secret signal to both Jeremiah and Eagle King?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah put down his wine ss, his gaze deep and his face expressionless as he scanned the group. In a low voice, he said, ¡°She neverpliments me on my looks during normal times.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was clear that Yvette was just trying to reassure him, and he waspletely taken in by it. Despite his concern, he wouldn¡¯t go against Yvette¡¯s wishes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For some reason, the four¨CEagle King, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha¨Ccould sense a hint of grievance in Jeremiah¡¯s tone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the car, Lucille drove a regr sedan, turning to look at Yvette in the back seat. She asked carefully, ¡°Yvette, what brings you to Voraxia? Are you here for tourism?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her head, fiddling with her phone. Her gaze turned deep, like a cold pond when she saw the message from Jeremiah. Upon hearing Lucille¡¯s probing words, she raised an eyebrow and replied expressionlessly, ¡°Got dumped by my boyfriend.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah was speechless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just those few words made Lucille, who was driving, instantly imagine a beautiful woman being hurt by a man and ending up utterly disheartened. She felt more at ease, especially since there had been some mysterious forces appearing in Fhongsoly over the past two days.</font></font>


    They had wiped out the Crimson des overnight without a whisper, so she still needed to be cautious. ¡®But what could a pretty girl like Yvette stir up?¡® she thought. She didn¡¯t believe a woman could take down an entire gang¨Cthat would be absurd.


    The car drove southeast for nearly an hour before finally stopping in front of a vi. By then, Lucille knew they were in the boss¡¯s territory. Even if Yvette wanted to back out now, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. She¡¯d have to behave.


    Two burly men stood guard at the entrance of the vi, one on each side, looking menacing. Lucille led Yvette to the door and whispered something to the man on the right. He kept ncing at Yvette.


    Yvette, hands in her pockets, had a delicate and beautiful face, with a cool and detached demeanor, She paid no attention to the man¡¯s scrutiny, which made him wary.


    But after Larcille¡¯s persistent persuasion and the promise of a few days ofpanionship, the man finally relented and let


    them in


    Seeing the man give the go¨Cahead, Lucille quickly gestured to Yvette. Yvette followed Lucille into the vi at a leisurely pace.


    As soon as they entered, Lucille saw the figure standing in the center of the room and immediately knelt down, sping her hands together and bowing to the ground. ¡°Boss.¡±


    In the opulent living room, a tall woman slowly turned around. She wore a mask on her right cheek, revealing only the left side, which was burned and scarred.


    The left side of her face was terrifying, covered in worm¨Clike scars that twisted and turned, making anyone who looked at it feel nauseous.


    When Yvette saw the woman, her gaze remained unchanged. She simply nced at her and then, to the woman¡¯s and Lucille¡¯s surprise, walked over to the sofa and sat down, crossing her long legs.


    Her face showed no emotion, and her eyes were half¨Clidded as she spoke in a t tone, ¡°Orange juice, thanks. The moment the masked woman saw Yvette, she was taken aback.


    She had expected this woman to be terrified and run away or faint upon seeing her, but instead, Yvette waspletely calm -too calm.


    The masked woman stared at Yvette, a smile curling at the corners of her lips, her eyes gleaming. She instructed the servant. Go, get this beautifuldy a ss of orange juice.¡±


    The servant bowed and said softly, ¡°Boss, do you need anything extra?¡±


    The woman paused, her smile deepening. Then she told the servant, ¡°No need,¡± indicating that she didn¡¯t n to add anything.


    In the living room, the masked woman ignored Lucille, who was still kneeling on the floor. She sat down opposite Yvette, deliberately showing her disfigured face. ¡°Beauty, aren¡¯t you afraid of my face? You¡¯re the only one who stays so calm.¡±


    Yvette crossed her ankles, her dark eyes devoid of warmth, a hint of ruthlessness in her smile as she stared at the masked woman¡¯s half¨Cdisfigured face.


    She pulled at the corner of her lip and spoke in a calm tone, word by word, ¡°Fire burn, ten years, at least three failed stic surgeries.¡±


    The masked woman froze. She thought, ¡°This girl was spot on, even knowing about the three failed surgeries.¡® She said sinisterly, ¡°Are you a doctor? A stic surgeon? What do you think of my face?¡±


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her delicate features slightly lifted. ¡°It¡¯s quite nice.¡±


    The masked woman was stunned, and even Lucille, kneeling on the floor, trembled in fear. Everyone knew the boss hated suchments. Yvette was the first to call her face ¡®nice¡®Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucille, fearing Yvette would implicate her, quickly said nervously, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Quickly apologize to the boss, hurry up.¡±


    The masked woman stared at Yvette; her eyes unmoving. Yvette shifted her gaze, her beautiful eyes showing no fear. ¡®Was she trying to outdo me in ruthlessness?¡® the masked woman thought.


    After a moment, the masked boss suddenly burst intoughter and fixed her intense gaze on Yvette. ¡°You¡¯re Yvette? You¡¯re a very interesting woman. I admire you. If you¡¯re willing, stay with me. I¡¯ll make you the best, standing where no one else can reach.¡±


    Yvettezily lifted her gaze and leaned back, and her eyes glinted with mischief. Her eyes narrowed, focusing for a few seconds, then her lips curved into a yful smirk. ¡°Hello, Ms. Miller

 Chapter 452

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory was taken aback, her expression immediately turning cold as she looked at Yvette with caution. ¡®No one in Vorazia knew her true identity except for a few close confidants. How could this Yvette know?¡® she wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory had climbed to where she was today through sheer willpower. If she hadn¡¯t been careful, she would have been devoured in this man¨Ceating Golden Triangle long ago.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory stared at Yvette with a sinister look. ¡°How did you know my identity?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Sitting on the sofa, arms crossed, Yvette watched Rory calmly. She curled her toes, still maintaining her indifferent demeanor, her beautiful almond eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°I guessed. Do you believe me?¡± she replied slowly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory immediately pulled out a dark pistol from her pocket, aiming it at Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She shouted, ¡°Do you think I believe you? Do you take me for a fool? Who sent you here? Best tell me the truth, or I¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s no ce for you to hide within ten miles of here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the enraged Rory Yvette remained unperturbed. She simply curled her lips, her wless face exuding a casual air. In a blink, Yvette extended her slender, fair fingers, and the next moment, the gun in Rory¡¯s hand was in Yvette¡¯s possession.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucille, kneeling on the ground, was stunned by the sight. So fast, she couldn¡¯t even see how Yvette managed to snatch the gun.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory was equally shocked. Just as she was about to call for help, Yvette twirled the gun in her hand and then tossed it onto the sofa without a second nce.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s words were abruptly cut off. Yvette had taken her gun but then casually discarded it. ¡®What was she nning?¡± she wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory took two cautious steps back, her eyes fixed on Yvette, filled with confusion. In terms of presence, Rory¡¯s aura had beenpletely overshadowed by Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You¡¯re here for what exactly? Speak inly. You dared toe alone to my territory, saying it wasn¡¯t intentional?¡± Rory demanded.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette flicked her eyelids, leaning back in a boss¨Clike posture. Despite being on Rory¡¯s turf, it felt like this ce belonged solely to Yvette at this moment..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s eyes were icy, her beautiful features cold and aloof. ¡°I came to your territory? Wasn¡¯t it one of your women who brought me here?¡± she responded slowly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s gaze immediately fell on Lucille, who trembled upon seeing Rory¡¯s eyes on her. She hurriedly exined, ¡°No. It was me. Boss, I really didn¡¯t mean to.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I just thought she was so beautiful and wanted to bring her to you. I didn¡¯t know who she was or why she¡¯s so¨Cso good at fighting.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lucille was also stunned after seeing Yvette¡¯s disy. She thought, ¡®How could I have known that Yvette was so skilled and daring enough to act so recklessly in front of the boss? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have done such a foolish thing.¡®</font></font>


    Rory nced at Yvette, then at the gun on the sofa. She felt a bit more rxed. ¡®If Yvette was truly sent by the enemy, I would have acted when she took the gun from me.


    ¡®Since she didn¡¯t, it suggested she might not be an enemy,¡® Rory thought. Already impressed by Yvette, Rory now had a favorable impression of her and was willing to believe that Yvette wasn¡¯t sent by the enemy.


    ¡®But how did she know who I am?¡® she wondered. That was still a mystery. To set an example, Rory ordered the guards outside to drag Laucille away and feed her to the dogs outside.


    After saying this, Rory stared intently at Yvette, trying to find some trace of fear or a slip¨Cup in her expression. Unfortunately, she was disappointed; Yvette remained as expressionless as ever. This only made Rory more uncertain.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucille, hearing this, copsed on the ground, frantically begging, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry, I really just wanted to bring Yvette to you. Please let me off this time, I beg you.


    ¡°I¡¯ve served you for so many years, I deserve some credit. I¡¯ve found so many women for you. You¨C


    She was cut off mid¨Csentence by Rory. ¡°Shut up, take her away.¡±


    The guards who entered immediately covered Lucille¡¯s mouth and dragged her out. A few minutester, a scream echoed, followed byplete silence outside.


    Yvette lifted her gaze, and flicked her eyelids, her nted eyes both alluring and defiant. She picked up the orange juice a servant had just brought and took a sip, showing no sign of caution.


    Rory was taken aback but quickly regained herposure, sitting down. ¡°You really guessed? Cuessed that I am Ms. Miller?¡±


    Yvette nodded calmly, a sly smile on her face. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re quite famous in Voraxia.¡±


    Rory¡¯s mood improved instantly. Yvette¡¯s words hit a soft spot. As a woman who had risen to her current position in Voraxia through her own efforts, it was partly for money and partly for status and reputation.


    Though feeling somewhat ted, Rory maintained a bit of rationality. She continued, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯re smart, and I like you. Since you stumbled upon the fact that I am Ms. Miller, you must have heard a rumor.


    ¡°Those who have seen my true face can only be my close associates. If you don¡¯t agree to stay by my side, I won¡¯t let you leave this vi alive. Outside, it¡¯s all my people. Escaping is impossible.¡±


    Yvette propped her head up, legs crossed, raised an eyebrow, and smiled lightly. ¡°Impossible? I love challenging the impossible.¡±


    Rory¡¯s anger red at these words. Just as she was about to speak Yvette calmly added, ¡°I¡¯m from Clusia.¡±


    Rory paused, wondering if Yvette was changing the subject. Treating Yvette as prey, Rory nodded patiently, ¡°I know. I have a quarter Clusian blood.¡±


    Yvette said, ¡°Ie from Dungo Vige, and Holden is my uncle¡± Rory was thoroughly stunned.


    The matter with Holden was her deepest secret, known to no one, not even her closest confidants. Most of her people were controlled by the poisonous insects provided by Holden, though they believed it was just some drug. It was her biggest secret.


    Yvette was from Dungo Vige and rted to Holden. Rory stared at Yvette. ¡°You say you¡¯re Holden¡¯s niece. What proof do you have? Should I just believe you?


    ¡°Even if you are Holden¡¯s niece, what does that have to do with me? Did youe to Vorax¨ªa specifically to find me?¡± Rory had too many questions. ¡®Yvette was too mysterious,¡® she thought

 Chapter 453

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette dangled her feet idly, slightly squinting her eyes as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Her voice was cool andposed. ¡°Poisonous insects.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just those two words sent Rory into a panic. She now fully believed that Yvette was indeed Holden¡¯s niece. If this wasn¡¯ting from one of Holden¡¯s closest people, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have said anything about it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Of course, Rory had no clue that Holden was already in deep trouble and had spilled everything. She hadn¡¯t been in touch with him recently, which led her to miss this crucial information</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s expression softened considerably when she looked at Yvette. ¡°Has your uncle lost his mind? Didn¡¯t I tell him not to send anyone to find me? I¡¯m not ready for the shipment yet. I¡¯ll contact him in three days to send them over.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The quality of thest batch was great, and I was satisfied.¡± Having epted Yvette¡¯s identity, Rory spoke freely, no longer holding back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette rested her hand on the armrest with a slight smirk, her eyes as calm and deep as a dark pool, hard to read.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She responded, ¡°My uncle wants me to personally deliver this batch back. Things are getting tight, and he doesn¡¯t trust anyone else. That¡¯s why I had toe myself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory felt more convinced of her im to being Holden¡¯s niece. Holden was both suspicious and timid, and this was exactly how he would act and speak.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a disdainfulugh, Rory replied, ¡°Your uncle is way too paranoid. The vicemissioner at the Customs in Clusia has been taking my bribes for years. What could possibly go wrong?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°But since you¡¯re here, I can hand over the people to you in three days. Just this once, though. Next time, I hope your uncle doesn¡¯t try to overstep. If he does, he¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette narrowed her eyes slightly, her brows raised, exuding an air of effortless indifference. She sensed Rory still had prisoners hidden away and intended to send them to Dungo Vige for her own purposes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory observed Yvette¡¯s delicate corbone and pretty face. There was an innate pride about Yvette, a quality that set her apart from other women. It made Rory a bit uneasy. She couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette took a sip of the fresh orange juice on the table and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory responded, ¡°What¡¯s so great about men? Don¡¯t you think women understand women better?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory touched her exposed cheek, thinking if it weren¡¯t for men, her face wouldn¡¯t be like it was now. She stared closely at Yvette, eager to see her reaction.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, surprisingly in agreement, nodded. ¡°Men aren¡¯t that great, but mine is pretty amazing.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her words made Yvette seem like a lovestruck fool. Furious, Rory threw her cup to the floor.</font></font>


    Yvette responded with a yful smile, one withyers of meaning. Rory was momentarily dazzled by it but quickly hardened her expression again.


    After a pause, Rorymanded, ¡°Take Ms. Zeller to the guest room on the second floor to rest.¡±


    Immediately, someone entered and bowed slightly to Yvette. ¡°Ms. Zeller, this way, please.¡±


    The maid looked like a local but spoke wless Clusian. Yvette stood up slowly, not sparing Rory a nce, and followed the maid out.


    Rory watched Yvette walk away, feeling a heavy silence settle in Just as Yvette reached the door, Rory called out, ¡°Stay in the vi for these three days, and I¡¯ll take you somewhere in three days.¡±


    Yvette paused for a moment, her back to Rory, before curling her lips into a sly grin. Her gaze was thoughtful.


    After Yvette left, Rory pulled out her phone, still feeling uneasy. She needed to double¨Ccheck. After dialing Holden¡¯s number, she heard his voice on the other end asking, ¡°Why are you just contacting me? Are the people ready? Did the person I sent arrive?¡±


    Rory sighed, her heart finally at ease. Yvette¡¯s identity seemed to be legit after all.


    Just as she was about to ask Holden why he had taken matters into his own hands, he abruptly hung up. Rory figured it was just a signal issue or something important came up, not sensing anything strange at all.


    Meanwhile, Jeremiah¡¯s phone rang, causing the other four to instantly fall silent. He stepped over to the window to take the call.


    A serious voice came through the line. ¡°Mr. Chavez, just as you suspected, Ms. Miller has indeed contacted Holden again.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure they have no idea you had the tech team synthesize Holden¡¯s voice. With just a few clicks on aputer, it can perfectly mimic him, and they didn¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes narrowed, a chilly aura surrounding him. After hanging up, he nced at the text from Yvette that had juste in a few minutes ago: [Get ready.]Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah knew Yvette must have gotten wind of Rory Miller or was likely close to her and her circle.


    Emmett, Samantha, Charles, and Eagle King exchanged nces, sensing the tension in the air after Jeremiah ended the call. Emmett broke the silence first. ¡°Mr. Chavez, what does it mean that Yvette¡¯s message was to get ready?¡±


    Jeremiah frowned, his tone low, ¡°She¡¯s found out about Ms. Miller.¡±


    The others were taken aback, wondering, ¡®Wasn¡¯t Yvette just with a woman? What a coincidence that she¡¯d pick up on Ms. Miller¡¯s activities!¡®


    Samantha asked, ¡°Mr. Chavez, since Yvette knows about Ms. Miller now, what should we do?¡±


    Jeremiah shoved his hands in his pockets, his voice steady. ¡°I¡¯m going out tomorrow. You all stay at the hotel and wait for updates.¡±


    The group nodded in agreement. With both Jeremiah and Yvette on the case, they would simply await further instructions from the two.


    On the couch, Emmett suddenly looked up at Eagle King, sizing him up. He remembered where he had seen Eagle King before.


    It was in Kransbay, months ago, when he and Jeremiah were in Manchernia chasing down Caleb. They had crossed paths in a hotel, where they briefly shed using internal energy. Neither could gain the upper hand.


    He thought, ¡®What are the odds? Eagle King is Yvette¡¯s friend. It all clicked; Yvette was also at that hotel.


    Emmett then saje to Eagle King, ¡°We¡¯ve met before, back in Kransbay, at a hotel.¡±


    Eagle King looked Emmett over. Hearing thetter jogged his memory. They had brushed shoulders and exchanged a few moves back then¨Cwasn¡¯t that too ridiculous?


    He couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you! No wonder you looked familiar. We crossed paths back then.


    Emmett nodded, acknowledging the peculiar twist of fate.


    Samantha and Charles exchanged puzzled looks, wondering, ¡®I


    Emmett continued, ¡°Were you there with Yvette then?¡±


    Emmett nodded, acknowledging the peculiar twist of fate.


    Samantha and Charles exchanged puzzled looks, wondering, ¡®Have Eagle King and Emmett really met before?


    Emmett continued, ¡°Were you there with Yvette then?¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 454

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King nodded. ¡°Yeah, I was with Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah slowly turned away from the window, his gaze intense as he stared at Eagle King. He said in a low voice, ¡°Did she kill Caleb?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett froze, suddenly piecing things together. There was a possibility behind Jeremiah¡¯s words that he hadn¡¯t considered before. He shot a look at Eagle King, whispering, ¡°No way¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Emmett knew Jeremiah wouldn¡¯t speak like that without a reason. If Yvette really did take out Caleb, that was quite a twist. ¡®Could things be that coincidental? Do such events really align like that in real life?¡® he thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah had targets, and Yvette seemed to have already eliminated one for him. The way Caleb had died was still haunting; it was brutal¨Cthere wasn¡¯t a single good part left on his body.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King looked at Jeremiah and gulped, reluctantly nodding. He thought, ¡®Sorry, Yvette, but right now, my own survival mattered more. If I kept quiet about this, Mr. Chavez might end me here and now!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Mr. Chavez,¡± Eagle King replied, ¡°Caleb Kerton was the jerk who kidnapped my girlfriend. Yvette got furious and wiped out the Kerton family.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett stared at Eagle King, his lips twitching. ¡®Is he really saying this so casually? Now I¡¯ve grasped how dangerous Yvette can be when she gets angry¡­ he said to himself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just thinking about how Caleb must¡¯ve suffered in hisst moments was enough. Caleb¡¯s family wasn¡¯t just a few people they were a whole n.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Emmett and Jeremiah arrived that day, it was like a scene from a horror movie, with bodies everywhere. Yvette must¡¯ve taken out thousands of the Kerton family all by herself.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha and Charles exchanged nces, noticing Emmett¡¯s unease. They sensed the situation was far from simple, knowing Yvette probably did something unbelievable again.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, curiosity tinged in her voice, asked Emmett, ¡°Stop ying games! Who is this Caleb Kerton, anyway?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett¡¯s expression turned serious as he replied, ¡°Caleb is a notorious drug lord from Voraxia. Most of his power was based in Kachin. He¡¯d been ruling there for decades.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°We went after him for a case and tracked him down to Manchernia. We ran into Yvette in Kransbay and had no idea she was the one who took him out.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He paused and then continued, ¡°We were supposed to take care of him that day, but when we got there, the entire Kerton family was already dead, and it was nothing short of gruesome.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha gasped, thinking, ¡®One girl taking on an entire drug family? In their territory? Epic!¡® A chill ran down her spine at how incredible that was.</font></font>Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah turned calmly, looking out the window, his eyes deep in thought. He had guessed it was Yvette who did it because when he had entered Caleb¡¯s room, he noticed a faint scent of sweetness in the air.</font></font>


    It was a smell that belonged to her, and Eagle King¡¯s words confirmed that his hunch was spot on.


    The next morning at the vi, Rory sat at the dining table, waiting for the servants to bring Yvette over for breakfast. She had dressed up extra nice today, having put some effort into her hair.


    ****


    One of the servants walked¨Cin, shaking a bit, and bent over to Rory. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Ms. Zeller said she doesn¡¯t want breakfast.


    The servant knew Rory¡¯s temper all too well. If things didn¡¯t go her way, they¡¯d end up dealing with her pets when she got mad. She had seen some servants hurled straight into the snake bit, with no trace left behind.


    As expected, when Rory heard Yvette wasn¡¯ting to eat, she immediately threw her knife and fork to the ground, her eyes sharp. ¡°Did you guys upset her?¡±


    The servant hurriedly knelt down, trembling all over, ¡°Ma¡¯am, we would never dare to upset your guest! We really didn¡¯t mean to!¡± She was too frightened to lift her head.


    After a moment, Rory put away her fierce expression and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself.¡±


    The servant scrambled to her feet, shock written all over her face. She thought, ¡°The woman named Yvette is the first person Ms. Miller personally goes to invite. Who is she?


    ¡®The vi often hosts big shots, but Ms. Miller has never treated anyone with this much importance before!


    As Rory reached the door, she ran into Yvette. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Is the food not to your taste? What do you like to eat? I can have the staff whip something up.¡±


    Yvette, with her hands in her pockets and her bright eyes devoid of warmth, replied coolly, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten.¡± Seeing Yvette¡¯s icy demeanor only fueled Rory¡¯s frustration. ¡°Already eaten? Well,e with me to a special ce.¡± Yvette raised an eyebrow, herzy air only adding to her overwhelming presence. ¡°Where to?¡±


    Rory nced at her. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to check out the underground auction here in Fhongsoly. Bet you haven¡¯t seen anything like it before.¡±


    In Rory¡¯s mind, Holden¡¯s niece surely hadn¡¯t experienced anything extraordinary, especially not a huge underground auction like this.


    Yvette¡¯s profound gaze flickered slightly. She nodded, her voice as cold as ever. ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    With Yvette¡¯s agreement, Rory decided not to say anything else. If Yvette realized her own power, she¡¯d be more than willing to stick around.


    At 1 PM, Rory set off with Yvette and a whole convoy of five or six cars to the biggest underground auction in Kachin.


    Although it was called an underground auction, it was pretty much out in the open. Not only could items be auctioned, but people and rare beasts could be auctioned as well.


    There was always something unexpected up for bids. Once, a rich guy from Mysonna even auctioned off his family members just to get cash for drugs.


    In the car, Rory nced over at Yvette, who was busy fiddling with her phone. Feeling a bit annoyed, she said, ¡°You¡¯re Holden¡¯s niece and from Dungo Vige, right? You should know how to make poisonous insects¡±


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, sending a text to Jeremiah about where she was headed. Then she looked distant, cold expression, arching her finely shaped brow. ¡°Nope.


    up with a


    Rory was taken aback ¡®How could she not know how to make poisonous insects?¡® she wondered.


    Before she could respond, Yvette¡¯s stunning face slowly broke into a dangerous, enchanting smile. She said seriously, ¡°But I got lucky¨CI found a ¡®poisonous insect king¡±


    Rory scoffed, ¡°Yvette, do you seriously expect me to believe that


    ¡°I¡¯ve done business with your uncle for years. I know a thing or two about ¡®poisonous insects, and a ¡®poisonous insect King is just a myth. Your uncle said no one can actually produce one. Why are you trying to fool me?¡±


    Yvette smirked lightly, calm and collected. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s up to you?


    Rory was getting close to losing her temper with Yvette¡¯s attitude Is she seriously treating me like an idiot?¡¯ she thought. Fearing more of their back¨Cand¨Cforth would give her an aneury, Rory just fell silent.

 Chapter 455

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Rory stepped out of the car at the underground auction venue in Fhongsoly, a staff member rushed over, bowing and scraping with a fake smile. ¡°Ms. Miller, you¡¯re here. We¡¯ve prepared a VIP room for you on the second floor¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory didn¡¯t even spare him a nce, her tone icy. ¡°Lead the way The staff member was used to Rory¡¯s attitude and didn¡¯t bat an eye.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the second floor, Yvette and Rory walked through the VIP corridor, bypassing the crowd, and entered Room 201. The underground auction venue in Kransbay was specially designed for such events.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">From the VIP room on the second floor, they had a clear view of everyone and everything on the first floor, including the items on disy. If anyone wanted to ce a bid, there were attendants stationed at each of the VIP room doors to help out.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Once one ced their bid, the attendant would call it out for them, ensuring both safety and privacy for the VIP guests. After all, only important people could ess the VIP rooms on the second floor.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the room, Yvette stood at the window, hands in her pockets, gazing down at the bustling hall below that could amodate thousands.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The crowd was a mix of all kinds of people, each holding a special paddle to bid. Underneath the disy stands, plenty of round tables and chairs awaited higher¨Ctier bidders,plete with seat numbers.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory picked up a ss of red wine, took a sip, and wrinkled her nose. ¡°This brand again? Same old wine, nothing new</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned around, casually taking a seat with her chin resting on the table, pursing her lips as if she had no interest in replying to Rory.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory huffed, ¡°Yvette, your uncle struggles every year to pull in a few million from our business deals. He¡¯ll never experience, a life like this. If he attended the auction, he wouldn¡¯t even get a seat on the first floor with his wealth. This is reality.</font></font>ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You¡¯re going nowhere if you head back to Dungo Vige. Why not consider teaming up with me? I can elevate your status Soon, even your uncle will have to look up to you. Isn¡¯t this the life you want?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s intense gaze bore into Yvette, trying to persuade her to stay.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette crossed her legs, expressionless at first, but then tilted her head slightly, a ghost of a smile curling her lips. Her eyes sparkled with an alluring light as she replied casually, ¡°You really know how to paint a pretty picture.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s grip tightened around her wine ss, trying to suppress her growing frustration. She kept telling herself, ¡®Don¡¯t get angry¡­ Calm down¡­¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette remained unfazed, continuing to y her game while Rory simmered in silence, left with no outlet for her feelings. She ended up downing ss after ss of red wine.</font></font>


    Half an hourter, the underground auction began. A morous woman emerged from the side of the stage, strutting confidently. The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles.


    Most of the people here weren¡¯t engaged in serious business. The underground auction had a more rxed atmospherepared to formal auction houses.


    The morous woman, used to such scenes, shed a seductive smile and tossed her hair, exuding charm. ¡°Alright, everyone, I know you¡¯re familiar with the rules of the underground auction. For the new folks, just a quick reminder: we only recognize cash, not names. The highest bidder wins. Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    The audience could hardly contain their excitement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ve been waiting forever!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, bring out the good stuff! I¡¯ve got cash ready!¡±


    ¡°Marina, what¡¯s up for grabs first? Last year it was a fifty¨Ccarat pink diamond. It¡¯d better not be just jewelry this time!¡±


    On stage, Marina observed the restless crowd below, her eyes filled with a hint of disdain. Then, she nced up toward the second floor, and her expression changed entirely.


    The people on the first floor were never the real targets of the underground auction; it was the guests on the second floor who truly mattered.


    Marina smiled and spoke into the mic. ¡°Alright, everyone, don¡¯t rush. Our first auction item today is a magnificent beast brought in from a mysterious donor in Southtoria: a lion.¡±


    With a swift p, a group of burly men walked out, carrying arge cage. When the crowd on the first floor saw the sleeping lion inside, their eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°No way, am I seeing this right? That¡¯s a lion! Who in the world sent this thing for auction?¡±


    ¡°Who would even bid on a lion? What are they thinking at this underground auction house?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t knock it! Just because you¡¯re not interested doesn¡¯t mean the esteemed guests on the second floor won¡¯t ce a bid.¡±


    Marina¡¯s voice boomed over the microphone. ¡°The starting bid for the lion is 300 thousand dors.¡±


    On the second floor, Rory and Yvette stood by the window, watching the lion clearly sedated. Rory remarked, ¡°I bet that young mogul will love this.¡±


    Yvette, hands in her pockets and a slight intensity in her gaze, raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know a kid at home who loves animals like that too.¡±


    Rory shrugged it off, thinking Yvette was referring to a younger rtive. After all, what kid wouldn¡¯t be fascinated by such a cool animal?


    In the end, the lion was sessfully bid on by someone in Room 201 on the second floor. The auction continued


    effortlessly, featuring everything from porcin and jewelry to rare herbs and potions. The variety was endless; they had it all.


    At the disy stage, Marina watched the crowd with a mysterious smile. She knew thest item on the auction block would cause quite a stir. Truth be told, if she had the money, she would keep this gorgeous treasure for herself.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± she called out, ¡°for our final auction item, I know you¡¯re all aware that thest item at our underground auctions is always unique and precious. I am announcing that the starting bid for this final item is 30 million dors.¡±


    Gasps erupted throughout the venue. Everyone wondered, ¡®What could this item possibly be with such a high starting bid?¡® On the second floor, Rory was momentarily stunned, thinking, A starting bid of 30 million dors? The underground auction must have discovered something truly incredible to set that price.¡® Now even she felt a spark of interest, eager to see what it was.


    Marina let the suspense build and then shot a nce down at the staff. In the next moment, a cage covered with a ck cloth was hoisted up. No one could see inside.


    Marina surveyed the eager expressions around her before confidently walking over to the cage. With a sharp tug, she ripped off the ck cloth.


    As the cloth fell away, a solid gold cage standing ten feet tall came into view. The crowd on both floors gaped at whaty inside.


    Silence enveloped the room. Everyone was frozen, no sounds breaking the awe. But in their eyes were reflections of amazement and frenzy.

 Chapter 456

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Inside the cage, a man about six feet two inches tall slowly opened his eyes. His features were nearly perfect. d in a tight- fitting ck outfit, his physique was on full disy, while his golden hair shone softly under the lights.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His delicate face radiated a striking coolness, and his clear, bright eyes were filled with an intense, fiery rage. The earrings he wore emitted a faint blue glow, and his deep¨Cset eyes had a wild untamed look.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As he tried to move, he realized his hands were shackled with chains. Looking down at the stunned crowd below him, he felt a wave of disgust wash over him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as everyone was in awe of the man¡¯s beauty, he shocked them with his words. ¡°What the hell? You pests, shut your eyes! If you dare to keep staring, I swear I¡¯ll gouge them out! Hurry up and free me!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The people in the underground auction were taken aback. No one expected a man who looked like Apollo to speak so arrogantly and crudely.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Marina watched the man in the cage, her lips twitching in irritation. Clearly, his bravado shattered the mysterious image he initially had in her mind</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This guy was so different from what his looks suggested. He had been sent here after being drugged into unconsciousness.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As he gazed around, he probably realized the situation he was in ¡®What the hell¡­ I¡¯m being treated like some auction item? I used to be a VIP at underground auctions!¡® he raged inwardly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Not seeing any familiar faces, he knew he was far from Mysonna Looking down at the crowd, he said ominously, ¡°Let me tell you, anyone who bids on me, I¡¯ll make sure their entire family pays.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His words ignited anger among the auction staff. How dare an auction item speak so boldly! Many in the crowd had unique tastes, and after the cloth was removed, they were already eager. Who wouldn¡¯t want a man like him?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Worried he would say something even crazier, Marina quickly signaled to one of the attendants. The attendant understood, the cue and rushed over to cover the man¡¯s mouth.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Unable to speak, he could only shoot fiery res at everyone below him. Unbeknownst to him, this only piqued the curiosity of some in the crowd.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Marina announced, ¡°Bidding can begin. The starting bid is 30 million dors. This exceptional man is truly a rare find.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as she finished, the auction participants began feverishly bidding. The excitement was palpable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I¡¯ll bid 37 million dors!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°40 million dors!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°43 million dors!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the second floor, Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets, gazing down at the man in the cage. Her eyes seemed like bottomless pits, and a chilling smirk yed across her lips, shrouding her in mystery.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Rory noticed Yvette¡¯s expression, she assumed Yvette was taken in by the man too. After all, even she felt a stir of interest upon catching a glimpse of him.</font></font>


    But then she remembered the scar on her face, and the infatuation in her expression vanished in an instant. Beautiful men could be better liars and deserved the worst punishment.


    Rory scoffed, ¡°Yvette, have you fallen for this guy? He¡¯s just another pretty face. What¡¯s so special about him?¡±


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her delicate brows arched in amusement. Then, to Rory¡¯s surprise, she pressed the bidding button. Momentster, an attendant at the entrance called out, ¡°100 million dors!¡±


    Rory¡¯s face turned red with anger as she yelled, ¡°Are you out of your mind? 100 million dors for a guy? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not spending that kind of cash. You figure it out! You think 100 million grows on trees?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe Yvette had the guts to make such a bold move and bid 100 million dors without consulting anyone.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Even if Yvette had money, there was no way she¡¯d be a fool to throw down that much. Unless Yvette was begging on her knees, Rory wasn¡¯t budging.


    Completely unfazed, Yvette nodded slowly. ¡°100 million dors is like pocket change to me.¡±


    Rory was stunned, thinking, ¡®Is Yvette really that crazy? What did she mean by pocket change? Who on earth would think that 100 million dors is just like pocket change? It¡¯s utterly ridiculous.


    On the first floor, when Yvette called out the bid for 100 million dors, the room fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°No way! Someone actually bid 100 million dors?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s from a VIP on the second floor. No big deal.¡±


    ¡°But seriously, even if he¡¯s drop¨Cdead gorgeous, 100 million dors? I thought 85 million dors was already over the top.. Who is this big spender throwing money around like this?¡±


    ¡°Man, you¡¯ve got a point. 100 million dors would get you rare diamonds or gold collectibles, but a man? Come on!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because you don¡¯t get it. There are lonely richdies on the second floor, and they¡¯re a different breed. We¡¯re just here for the entertainment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    Marina, standing at the front, hadn¡¯t seen thising either. They estimated the man¡¯s value at around 70 million dors, so this was way beyond their expectations. They were about to score big.


    The man in the cage was struggling hard, his face flushed. ¡®Am I really only worth 100 million dors? Seriously, who do they think they are looking down on?¡® he snarled to himself.


    Suddenly, a spark of realization hit him. He stopped struggling, thinking that once he was free, he¡¯de back and burn this underground auction to the ground.


    Just as Marina was about to bring down the gavel, a deep man¡¯s voice interrupted, ¡°135 million dors.¡±


    Marina¡¯s hand froze in the air, shock written all over her face. It wasn¡¯t just her; everyone in the underground auction was stunned, frozen in ce as they turned to see who had made that insane bid.


    A man? Some gazes shifted to a more dubious look. What could a man possibly want with another man at that price? It wasn¡¯t hard to guess.


    A guy wearing a ghost mask stood tall, his intense gaze fixed on the second floor.


    Marina regained herposure, surprised to discover such a big yer lurking on the first floor.


    A bid of 135 million made her hand tremble slightly as she stared at the man in the ghost mask.


    He exerted a mesmerizing aura just by standing there. Although she couldn¡¯t see the face behind the mask, based on her experience, this masked man was probably just as intriguing as the one in the cage.


    The man in the cage couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from the ghost¨Cmasked man, his eyes sharp as des.


    Marina quickly looked up at the second floor; everyone¡¯s eyes w second floor raise their bids?¡® everyone wondered.


    Yvette cast her eyes down at the man in the ghost mask, pinchin dancing in her expression.


    When Rory saw that Yvette turned quiet after someone had bid swooped in to save you with that 135 million. I wonder if that m at another guy.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 457

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Downstairs, Marina and the others noticed the silence from the second floor. It was clear that the people up there weren¡¯t going to raise the bid anymore.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a decisive bang of her gavel, Marina announced that the ran in the cage had been sold for 135 million to the guy in the ghost mask.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The masked man casually tossed a 135¨Cmillion¨Cdor check on the table and took the cage along with the man inside.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">On the second floor, Yvette watched the figure of the man fade into the distance, her gaze deepening. Just from his back, she could tell how furious he was. He seemed hard to settle down.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory, itching to throw in a sarcasticment, hesitated as Yvette turned to her. There was an edge of irritation about her, a cold aura that made Rory swallow her words.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said, ¡°I¡¯ve got things to do. I¡¯m out.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory didn¡¯t have the right to tell Yvette where to go. She could only hold back her frustration, her expression darkening. ¡°Yvette, Voraxia isn¡¯t Dungo Vige. If you get into trouble or mess with the wrong people, no one will save you.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without even bothering to nce back, Yvette turned and left, leaving Rory standing there, eyes burning with anger as she watched Yvette walk away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She thought, ¡®How clueless could she be? Does she really think she can just get away with anything? Once this batch is shipped back to the vige, I¡¯ll make sure Holden hands Yvette over to me, and then I¡¯ll make her pay¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the hotel, Jeremiah sat on the couch, nked by Emmett, Samantha, and Eagle King, all staring in shock at the man locked in the cage. ¡®What just happened? Mr. Chavez went out and came back with such a stunning guy? What is going on? they wondered.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles had stepped out to handle something, and if he were here, he would¡¯ve recognized the man in the cage.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was none other than Joe Yoder, the famous scion of Mysonna¡¯s underground world and the only heir of the Yoder family, who was equally powerful as the Goodman family.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe stared in disbelief at Jeremiah as thetter took off the mask Seriously? This guy¡¯s even better looking than me?¡® he thought. And the three bystanders, he had already categorized them as well: beauty, schr, and beast.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After spending years in the underworld, Joe had seen all sorts of people, and while these three gave off no malicious vibes, it was still unsettling. He nodded toward the towel gagging his mouth, signaling that he wanted it removed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha turned to Jeremiah, ¡°Mr. Chavez, where did you find such a handsome boy? Shouldn¡¯t we loosen his bindings? He looks like he has something to say.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King studied Joe closely, feeling he looked a bit familiar. But thest time he saw the guy he recognized, the guy was over fifty.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He wondered, ¡®Is this a case of youthful rejuvenation? Unlikely¨Cno way could someone look this good after turning back time.¡¯</font></font>


    Jeremiah lounge on the couch, his eyes icy and sharp, radiating a sense of authority.


    Watching Joe struggle, an inscrutable glimmer flickered in his gaze, sending an unexpected chill through the air. ¡®100 million dors? This manseems worth quite a bit to Yvette. Ha.. he snorted inwardly.


    Having worked for Jeremiah for years, Emmett knew by the look in his eyes that he was genuinely angry.


    After a long moment, Jeremiah ordered, ¡°Let him go.¡±


    Emmett quickly moved to unseal the cage, removing the cuffs from Joe¡¯s wrists and the cloth from his mouth.


    As soon as Joe was free, he instantly lunged at Emmett, ready tounch a surprise attack.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    But it was clear¨Cthe heir to the Joe family wasn¡¯t exactly trained in ambush tactics, In the next moment, he found himself pinned to the ground by Emmett.


    Samantha looked at the guy pinned to the ground and raised an eyebrow. Does this dude seriously think he can pull off a sneak attack? He¡¯s all looks and no brains!¡® she thought.


    Emmett kept his grip tight on Joe, his eyes sharp as he said coldly, ¡°Just behave.¡±


    Joe quickly assessed the situation and decided to cooperate. ¡°Hey, dude, can you let me go? I mean, look at me¨CI¡¯m just a harmless pretty boy. No need to hold me down this tight, right?


    Eagle King nearly spat out his beer when he heard Joe speak. ¡®Seriously, does this guy really think he¡¯s some kind of hotshot? So annoying!¡® heined in his head.


    Jeremiah nced at Emmett, who rxed his hold but never took his eyes off Joe.


    Rubbing his wrists, Joe casually plopped down on the floor like he owned the ce.


    He looked at Jeremiah and said, ¡°You spent 135 million on me, right? No worries; I¡¯m not here to waste your money. Just send me back to Mysonna, and I¡¯ll give you 160 million dors in return.¡±


    It was clear to Joe that Jeremiah had zero interest in him. In his life, people had always wanted something from him because of his looks. Those intentions were easy to see.


    But this guy? He seemed genuinely hostile. Joe couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡®Why did he drop so much money on someone he doesn¡¯t like? Is he trying to extort something from my grandpa? wondered Joe.


    Samantha, Emmett, and Eagle King exchanged nces. This guy was getting auctioned off, yet he was bragging about having 160 million? Something was definitely off.


    Jeremiah leaned back, arms at the armrests, his gaze boring into Joe. ¡°Your name.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Joe replied honestly, ¡°Joe Yoder.¡±


    Just as Joe finished introducing himself, the door swung open. Yvette stood there, eyeing everyone in the room. When her gazended on Joe sitting on the floor. She paused for a moment.


    Hearing the door, Joe turned around. In a sh, he leaped to his feet and dashed toward Yvette.


    ¡°Watch out, Yvette!¡± shouted the other people present.


    Joe reached Yvette, tears in his eyes. Unexpectedly, in front of Samantha and the others, he squatted down and wrapped his arms around Yvette¡¯s legs, sobbing uncontrobly.


    He whimpered, ¡°Yve, what are you doing here? Oh has been for me.


    y gosh, it must be divine intervention! You have no idea how rough this


    ¡°Those people were only feeding me one meal a day, shooting me up with sedatives, dragging me to some awful underground auction!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they thought I was worth 135 million dors. That¡¯s ridiculous! 135 million couldn¡¯t even buy a hair off my head!¡±


    Joe was so emotional that hepletely forgot to wonder why Yvette was there in the first ce.


    Standing up, he quickly switched gears. He turned towards Jeremiah, Samantha, and Eagle King and sneered with all the arrogance he could muster, ¡°Ha! My friend Yvette is here!


    ¡°You can still apologize while it¡¯s not toote. I¡¯m a pretty generous guy, and I¡¯ll forgive you. Otherwise, if Yvette goes on a rampage, you¡¯ll be doomed.¡±


    Joe¡¯s boldness left Samantha, Eagle King, and Emmett speechless. It was obvious that Joe and Yvette had a pretty close rtionship.


    They couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®Why is Yvette surrounded by such a bizarre crowd? This Joe guy clearly has some loose screws.

 Chapter 458

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe grinned as he called out to Jeremiah and Samantha, then quickly darted back behind Yvette, looking as smug as he could be. With Yvette, his powerhouse, by his side, he thought he could just rx and trust her with everything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He looked up at Yvette with an exaggeratedly sweet smile, tugging on her sleeve a little. ¡°Yve, they¡¯re not the ones who tried to kidnap me, so maybe take it easy on them, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe thought he was being reasonable enough. He decided that once he got back to Mysonna, he would make sure the people responsible and the underground auction house had nowhere left to hide.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, he admitted that he did owe a bit to the guy on the couch who had kind of saved his life.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah, sitting on the couch, squinted at Joe¡¯s hand on Yvette¡¯s sleeve, a sneer forming on his lips.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette leaned casually by the doorway, casting a nce at Joe¡¯s self¨Csatisfied expression. She cracked her knuckles, saying nothing. She thought, ¡°This guy never gets tired of tugging on my sleeve¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah said in a low and firm voice, ¡°Take your hand off her, or I¡¯ll cut it off.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe¡¯s reflexes kicked in before his brain did¨Che immediately let go and took a step back. Then, realizing how embarrassing that looked, he opened his mouth to try to say something defiant. However, seeing the gleam in Jeremiah¡¯s eyes, he shut up.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe felt a chill as he realized that Jeremiah looked dead serious about that threat.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, leaning against the wall with one knee bent, cleared her throat. ¡°Uh, maybe we should all just sit down and talk, It feels like there¡¯s a bit of a misunderstanding here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette turned to Joe who looked slightly hurt after Jeremiah¡¯s warning. ¡°Let go and get in there.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally, Joe started piecing things together. He thought, ¡®If I was actually in trouble, Yve wouldn¡¯t be so calm¨Cshe¡¯d be ready to fight anyone messing with me. So¡­ Why has she shown up here so suddenly?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe looked around the room and pointed a finger at the people inside, nervously turning to Yvette. ¡°You¡­ Do you know these guys?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette gave a slight nod. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re my friends.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe¡¯s face fell. Here he had been, strutting around and showing off, only to find out these people were actually Yvette¡¯s friends. That was embarrassing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, Joe quickly straightened his clothes and smoothed his hair, then shed a big grin at Jeremiah, Samantha, Eagle King, and Emmett.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Well, this was just a misunderstanding, right? Since you¡¯re friends of Yve¡¯s, we¡¯re all on the same team. I was just joking around. Violence isn¡¯t really my thing, so let¡¯s just forget about it, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King scoffed and went back to drinking his beer. Samantha and Emmett exchanged nodded politely to him and gave a self¨Cintroduction, but Jeremiah just sat on the couch with a nk face.</font></font>


    Feeling a little uneasy, Joe edged closer to Yvette, clueless that he would regret that move in about half an hour.


    Yvette strolled over to the couch, took a seat, and nced at the very proper¨Clooking Jeremiah. With a slight smile, she met his intense gaze and said, ¡°Upset?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s dark eyes held hers as he replied, unhurried, ¡°Is he worth 100 million dors? Then what about me?¡±


    With a smirk, Yvette crossed her legs and tossed her hair back with a glint of amusement in her eyes. ¡°Priceless.¡±


    In an instant, the coldness around Jeremiah vanished. He gave her fingertips a gentle squeeze. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m good now.¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, and Eagle King felt speechless.


    Meanwhile, Joe stared at Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s intertwined fingers, stunned. He rubbed his eyes, then looked again as if he had just stumbled upon some shocking revtion. He thought, ¡°What on earth is going on between them?¡±


    Joe raised a shaky hand, pointing at Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s interlocked fingers, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. ¡°You¡­ Yve, are you¡­¡°.


    Jeremiah nced at the shocked Joe, then smoothly pulled Yvette closer with an arm around her shoulder, suggesting he step back.


    Joe stumbled back a step, looking utterly crushed. He thought, ¡®Does Yve have a boyfriend? Oh, that hurts.


    Yvette nced up, rubbing her temples before turning to look at the long, slender fingers resting on her shoulder. She suddenly saw the na?ve side of him.


    With a steady voice, Yvette said, ¡°Jeremiah, this is Joe. He¡¯s Carl Yoder¡¯s grandson.¡±


    As soon as Carl¡¯s name was mentioned, both Samantha and Emmett looked taken aback. Samantha studied Joe carefully. She thought, ¡®Sure, he does resemble Carl a bit, but the resemnce ends there. His demeanor is worlds apart from Carl¡¯s.


    Emmett couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you serious, Yvette? Is he really Carl¡¯s grandson?¡±


    Their reaction was understandable, and even Jeremiah, sitting on the couch, raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes.


    Carl was well¨Cknown in certain circles. He was one of the earliest immigrants to Mysonna and had carved out a prominent name in business at a time when Clusia was still struggling to gain a foothold in the global economy.


    At an early time, he became a leading figure for the Clusianmunity there, a legend in his own right.


    For years, the Yoder family had been a legendary presence in Mysonna, representing the highest echelon among the Clusianmunity.


    Back in the 1970s, Carl had gone abroad three times and managed to reim several invaluable national relics that had been looted by foreign forces.


    He paid an enormous sum to retrieve them andter donated these artifacts back to Clusia. These treasures were still disyed in the Betrico National Museum.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Emmett and Samantha were stunned that the boy, standing before them with such an easygoing air, really was the grandson. of Carl, a figure of such renown.


    Feeling the weight of their stares, Joe straightened up defensively. ¡°What¡¯s with all the looks? I¡¯m not worse than my grandpa.¡±


    Emmett couldn¡¯t hold back augh. ¡°Are you sure? Just look at Mr. Yoder¡¯s elegance and charm¨Cyou¡¯re miles away from that.¡±


    Joe wanted to protest, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to counter that.


    Meanwhile, the Eagle King, upon hearing Carl¡¯s name, looked at Joe with a bit of surprise. No wonder Joe¡¯s face had seemed vaguely familiar. It turned out that he really was Carl¡¯s grandson


    Actually, Eagle King had a history with Carl. Back in his early days, he had even taken on a contract to assassinate him. Fresh into the field and far from as skilled as he was now, he had taken any job that came his way.


    Over his long career as an assassin, there was only one time he had ever been caught¨Cduring a failed attempt to take down Carl. After capturing him, Carl, adhering to the usual protocol, ltd subjected him to some brutal questioning.


    As a professional assassin, loyalty to his client was paramount, and he had refused to reveal the person who had ordered the hit, holding tight to his code.


    Later, Carl came to the dungeon and proposed a deal. He asked Eagle King for a favor, with the promise that if he agreed, he would be released. Knowing which side his bread was buttered on, Eagle King took the offer, and they worked together.


    True to his word, Carl set him free, and in return, he managed to retrieve a crucial document for Carl. In the end, though, he knew he still owed Carl a favor¨Che had intentionally let him go.


    And now, here he was in Fhongsoly, running into Carl¡¯s grandson Joe. On top of that, Joe was connected to Yvette, which surprised him.

 Chapter 459

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised her eyebrows, looking at the clearly battered Joe. ¡°Who sold you out to the underground auction house?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe¡¯s frustration red as he gulped down water from the table and vented, ¡°It was the Storm Wind! After you gave me that file, my grandpa cracked down on them. However, they wised up¨Ctheir lousy leader ended up allying with Damian..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Yve, you probably haven¡¯t heard it, but Damian made a public deration in Mysonna¡¯s underworld gang that he has cut ties with Braydon. Who knows what¡¯s going on between them? Now, Mysonna¡¯s underworld is in chaos, with factions choosing sides.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Grandpa wants to avoid getting involved in their personal feud, and the Yoder family has already made its stance clear. However, those Goodman psychos won¡¯t leave me alone¨Cthey¡¯ve been tailing me nonstop.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°I let my guard down, and sure enough, Damian managed to ambush me. Next thing I knew, I woke up at this lousy underground auction house.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe paused, his expression turning fierce, a stark contrast to his usualid¨Cback demeanor. ¡°Once I get back to Mysonna, Storm Wind won¡¯t get away with this. I¡¯ll make sure they pay, and my grandpa won¡¯t let Damian off easy.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe spoke with confidence. After all, in Mysonna, if Carl were enraged, even Damian would have to tread carefully¨Cwhich was why Joe had let his guard down and let Storm Wind get in. If it weren¡¯t for Yvette and Jeremiah, he would have been missing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her gaze, her expression partly shaded, chin raised as she spoke slowly, ¡°Storm Wind going after you might not have been Damian¡¯s orders. What does Mr. Yoder say about the Goodman family¡¯s moves?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, his eyes sharp and thoughtful.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe paused before responding, ¡°Yvette, before I was ambushed, Grandpa did warn me that Damian was always scheming. Braydon is his favorite grandson, so there¡¯s no way he would genuinely cut him off. However, we just can¡¯t figure out why he¡¯s putting on this show.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest as a mocking smile tugged at her lips. ¡°He wants to unify Mysonna¡¯s underworld gang as a foundation for Braydon¡¯s rise.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Braydon¡¯s name, Jeremiah paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Damian¡¯s announcement is just a test¨Cto see who¡¯s truly loyal to Braydon and who¡¯s fickle. When he¡¯s done, only the most reliable people will be left by Braydon¡¯s side. Clever move.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe¡¯s mind¡¯clicked into ce as he listened to Yvette and Jeremiah. He thought, ¡®If Yvette was right, then Damian had really yed a long game. He was using the entire Mysonna underworld gang to help Braydon. What a ruthless move.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Those who allied with Damian would eventually be eliminated by Braydon. Most of these people would never even realize they were pawns in Damian¡¯s game. What a big n!¡®</font></font>


    Samantha was a bit lost, trying to wrap her head around all this talk about the Mysonna underworld gang. She thought, ¡®How many people does Yvette know?


    ¡®And now, a grandson of Carl? Who is going to show up next¨Cmaybe the president of Mysonna or even a king from another country? Everything seems possible in this circle.¡®


    Samantha didn¡¯t even want to think about how vast Yvette¡¯swork was.


    Suddenly, Joe said, ¡°Yvette do you know Charles? It seems like he¡¯s being hunted by Braydon. I¡¯ve had people try to track him down but found nothing. His trail is like it¡¯s been wiped clean. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t save Charles.¡±


    Joe lowered his head, guilt evident on his face. After all, Charles was someone Yvette had personally mentored, and if something had happened to him, she would have been devastated.


    Just then, a man¡¯s voice suddenly echoed from the doorway. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Joe spun around in disbelief, staring at the man standing at the door. It was Charles! His body stiffened as he turned back to nce at Yvette, who was sitting on the couch, chin propped up, lookingpletely nonchnt.


    Joe thought, ¡®What the hell¡­ Why is Charles here? Wait, that means he¡¯s working with Yvette! No wonder I couldn¡¯t find him. no matter how many top hackers I hired. It was all Yvette¡¯s doing


    Charles walked in and ced the milkshake on the table. ¡°Jeremiah asked me to get you a strawberry milkshake, Yvette.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He then turned to look at Joe, who was still frozen in ce. He thought, ¡®What is he doing here, and why is he dressed like that? Normally, he would step out in shy outfits, but today he looked so¡­ ¡°Dark¡°:


    Joe immediately stepped forward and gave Charles a big hug. Charles looked down at him, stepping back with a look of distaste, wondering, ¡®What was with all this heavy perfume?¡®


    Joe grinned and said, ¡°If had known you were with Yvette, I wouldn¡¯t have had to waste so much time looking for you, bro.


    ¡°I thought you were dead, killed by that ruthless Braydon, left to rot somewhere. I lost sleep because of this and even went to the wild mountains to find you!¡±


    Charles gritted his teeth, looking at Joe, who was acting all theatrical. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to thank you, right? I¡¯m still alive, bro.¡± Joe awkwardly wiped away the tears that hadn¡¯t even fallen, being such a drama queen. ¡°Yvette, some people from the Goodman family¡¯s Seventy¨CTwo Chambers are starting to get dissatisfied with Braydon.¡±


    Charles¡® face darkened. After leaving Mysonna, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the Goodman family or the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers. ¡°The Seventy¨CTwo Chambers is currently led by Carson. He¡¯s always been adept at navigating both sides, so there¡¯s no way he would mess up.¡±


    Joe plopped down on the couch, took a bite of an apple, and casually said, ¡°The Seventy¨CTwo Chambers was originally trained by Yvette. They didn¡¯t take any move because you were there, but now that Braydon¡¯s going after you, it¡¯s no surprise they areining.¡±


    Joe thought everyone in the room already knew that Yvette had once been the instructor of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers.


    However, as soon as the words left his mouth, the room fell silent. That was when he realized he might have said something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Charles looked at Joe who was holding the apple, feeling speechless.


    Emmett stammered, ¡°What? Is Yvette the instructor for the Goodman family¡¯s Seventy¨CTwo Chambers? Isn¡¯t the instructor Deadlock?¡±


    The apple core in Eagle King¡¯s hand fell to the ground. He thought, ¡®What? Is Yvette Deadlock?¡®


    Deadlock was a legendary figure in the underworld gang¨Cfamous for being a ruthless instructor who trained the Goodman family¡¯s Seventy¨CTwo Chambers into an elite force that dominated Mysonna.


    She had once led them to wipe out three local gangs in a single night,ying the foundation for the Goodmans¡® power. In fact, the Goodman family¡¯s rise could be attributed to Deadlock and the elite forces she trained.


    The Seventy¨CTwo Chambers consisted of about one hundred of the finest fighters, each with their specialties. What made them even more terrifying was the fact that all their skills were taught by Deadlock herself.


    People of Seventy¨CTwo Chambers only trusted Yvette, and now, Joe was saying that Deadlock was actually Yvette, which surprised everyone in the room.


    Emmett felt like his brain was starting to shut down from sheer


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 460

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah tilted his head, ncing at Yvette, whose expression was indifferent. A cold smile shed in his dark eyes. ¡°When are you going to the military? Help me train some new recruits!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette slightly lifted her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of defiance and mischief. She casually replied, ¡°It will cost you a lot.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette wasn¡¯t bragging. When Damian had asked her to train the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers for the Goodman family, the gold bars he gave her could fill an entire room, but she had turned him down.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, Damian had no choice but to offer her a life debt in exchange, and that was when Yvette agreed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah gently squeezed her hand, his long fingers tapping on her palm, his breath warm and tingling against her skin. ¡°You just said I¡¯m priceless, so I¡¯ll give myself to you to pay for it</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette was already ustomed to Jeremiah¡¯s jokes. Her gaze deepened, her voice cool andmanding. ¡°You belong to me in the first ce.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, who was the only one here unfamiliar with the Goodman family and the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers, could tell from their expressions that it must be some formidable force. From Joe¡¯s words, it seemed that the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers was personally trained by Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha hesitantly asked, ¡°Can I ask what exactly the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers is?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett secretly nced at Yvette who was sitting on the couch and cleared his throat softly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°The Goodman family is the leader of the underworld gangs in Mysonna, the undisputed king, and the Seventy- Two Chambers is the ultimate trump card that solidified the Goodman family¡¯s dominance in the underworld.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The Seventy¨CTwo Chambers has about a hundred members, all feared across Mysonna. And their instructor¡­¡± Emmett paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°The instructor of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers is Yvette, known in the underworld as ¡®Deadlock.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°It¡¯s said that anyone trained by her will reach the peak of physical ability. Of course, not many survive her training¨Conly about one in a thousand. This is why the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers can sweep through the underworld gang of Mysonna.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No matter how much Emmett tried to hide his shock, his slightly trembling voice betrayed his inner turmoil. He thought, ¡®If, as Joe said, the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers is under Yvette¡¯smand, it means that she can take them away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡®With the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers under Yvette¡¯s control and her own strength, it would only be a matter of time before she could dominate the underworld of Mysonna.¡® Emmett became excited, surprised by Yvette¡¯s real strength.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Seventy¨CTwo Chambers had appeared seven years ago when Yvette was just a teenager. The most frightening part was that this young girl, in her teens, had been capable of training such a fearsome force.</font></font>


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t impossible for Yvette, who had already created the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers seven years ago, to train an even stronger team now.


    Eagle King nced at Charles and suddenly asked, ¡°You are the General Master of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers as well as the most outstanding subordinate of the Goodman family leader Braydon, right?¡±


    Based on what Joe had said earlier, Yvette¡¯s identity, and the rumors from the underworld in Mysonna, Charles¡¯s role was now clear to everyone.


    Charles¡¯s expression darkened as he met Eagle King¡¯s knowing gaze. He hadn¡¯t expected him to be the first to guess who he was.


    Charles nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Emmett turned his lead in shock and looked at Charles. He thought, ¡®Damn, I never knew Charles had such a background.


    ¡°The General Master of the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers is seen as the king of the underworld in Mysonna¨Che has been following the Goodman family for years, and his reputation is well¨Cknown.¡¯


    All this time, Charles had been quietly by everyone¡¯s side, and no one had ever suspected his true identity.


    Samantha swallowed hard, surprised that Yvette was the underworld instructor known as Deadlock and that Charles was the General Master of the underworld gangs.


    Joe realized he had misspoken. After staying silent for a while, however, he saw everyone discussing it, so he perked up again. ¡°I told you we¡¯re all on the same side, so there¡¯s no need to be so surprised. Whatever Yve does is normal, right?¡±


    Jeremiah nced at Joe with a stern look and said in a low voice ¡°Yve?¡±


    Joe immediately mimed zipping his lips, looking utterly pitiful as he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve been calling her that for seven years.¡±


    Yvette stood up, narrowing her eyes slightly as she calmly addressed Joe, ¡°Go call your grandfather and have him take you home.¡±


    Joe nodded eagerly, his face filled with an ingratiating smile. ¡°Can you help me? Can you just make a call to Grandpa for me? If he finds out I¡¯ve been targeted by the Storm Wind, he¡¯ll probably beat me.¡±


    Yvette lowered her gaze, showing no reaction to Joe¡¯s pleading. ¡°Do it yourself.¡±


    Reluctantly, Joe picked up the phone on the table, his head hanging in defeat. He knew he was in for a scolding.


    Samantha and Emmett exchanged nces, both with mixed feelings as they looked at Yvette. Learning that Yvette was also Deadlock was just too overwhelming.


    Eagle King looked at the two of them with a knowing expression, thinking, ¡®If they only knew that Yvette was also the number one killer on the ck Gold Rankings, they¡¯d probably be even more shocked!


    Eagle King said, ¡°I truly respect you, boss. Seriously, are you even human?¡±


    Yvette turned her head to look at Eagle King, raising an eyebrow A faint, teasing smile curled at the corner of her lips as she slowly responded, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Eagle King froze and quickly took two steps back. ¡°Oh, sorry. I got too carried away and didn¡¯t mean to say that. I mean¡­¡±


    Samantha smiled slyly. ¡°Eagle King meant to say that you¡¯re not human, Yvette.¡±


    Emmett, keeping his calm, added, ¡°We did hear Eagle King say that you¡¯re not human, Yvette.¡±


    Eagle King trembled and pointed at Samantha and Emmett. ¡°What the hell? You two are kicking me while I¡¯m down, huh? You guys really have no shame.¡±


    Laughter filled the room. Outside, Joe was listening to his grandpa¡¯s furious shouting on the phone. ¡°How could you be so careless, letting the Storm Wind scheme against you?


    ¡°Where are you now? What have they done to you? Are you safe? How did I end up with such a stupid grandson after all my years of wisdom?¡±


    Joe scratched his ear. ¡°Please stop shouting, Grandpa. I know I messed up. You have no idea what kind of life I¡¯ve been livingtely. The Storm Wind sold me to Voraxia.¡±


    Carl sounded surprised. ¡°What? Voraxia?¡±


    Joe worried that Carl might get too worked up and suffer a heart attack, so he quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Storm Wind never imagined this, but I actually turned my misfortune into a blessing.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t believe who I ran into in Voraxia. I met Yve! She saved me, and now I¡¯m with her. You can rest easy now.¡±


    Carl, Joe¡¯s grandfather, grew visibly more anxious at the mention of Yvette¡¯s name. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you ran into Yve, right? You are a lucky one. Alright, tell me exactly what happened.¡±


    Joe then quickly recounted everything that had happened over the past few days, including what had just urred, to Carl.


    Finally, Carl responded, his tone resolute, ¡°Give me the address. Voraxia is no safe ce, but as long as you¡¯re with Yvette, you should be fine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow. Before my people get there, stay close to Yvette and don¡¯t leave her side, understand?¡±

 Chapter 461

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe hung up the phone, knowing that if Carl found out he was with Yvette, he would definitely feel at ease.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After they left, Yvette finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Jeremiah standing by the window. His tall, imposing figure cast a sense of unapproachable aloofness, even from behind.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Yvette¡¯s footsteps, Jeremiah turned around, casually grabbing a towel and looking down at her. His eyes, deep and unreadable, flickered with an emotion that was hard to exin.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The droplets of water traced down Yvette¡¯s fair neck, glistening in the light. Her skin, smooth and soft, shimmered with a tempting glow.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked away to avoid eye contact and slowly wiped Yvette¡¯s wet hair with the towel. His eyes never left her as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Why did you agree to help Damian train the Seventy¨CTwo Chambers?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah wasn¡¯t curious about Yvette¡¯s connection to Deadlock. What really intrigued him was how Damian had convinced her to train such a fierce team.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lifted her gaze, looking calm. She looked at Jeremiah¡¯s handsome face and said in a cold voice, ¡°It¡¯s a debt of gratitude. He saved my life years ago.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was the only time Yvette had lost control of the toxins in her body, going into a frenzy. It was Damian who had saved her life. An eye for an eye, and a favor for a favor. That had always been her belief.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s grip tightened suddenly. He thought, ¡®A debt of gratitude? She made it sound so simple, but the truth must be far moreplicated.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There was no need to ask further. Without saying a word, Jeremiah pulled Yvette into his arms, holding her waist tightly, and at that moment, his silence spoke louder than anything.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Nestled in Jeremiah¡¯s embrace, Yvette felt a warmth she had never known before. From the moment she was born until now, his arms were the only ce that had ever felt like home.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next afternoon, many men in ck entered the hotel and went straight to the floor where Yvette and her people were staying. A door opened from the inside, and the leading man, along with the others, bowed their heads respectfully, greeting, ¡°Mr. Yoder.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so quick.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">An hourter, the hotel was cleared out. The only people left inside were Yvette, Jeremiah, and their people.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The door opened again, and Joe came out, dressed in a custom¨Cmade ck suit and polished shoes. His entire demeanor had shifted from yesterday¡¯s casualness to one of cold, calcted authority, and the ck¨Cd men from before followed him in.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and the Eagle King watched Joe¡¯splete transformation. It was true that clothes made the man, but as soon as Joe spoke, they all realized that, despite his polished appearance, he was still the same guy as before.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Joe said, ¡°Your charming boy is back, Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiah handed a ss of water to Yvette, ncing at Joe with a raised eyebrow. Feeling his gaze, Joe felt timid again.


    Just then, an elegant middle¨Caged man named Felix stepped out from behind Joe, bypassing the others and walking straight up to Yvette.


    He bowed and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ms. Zeller. I apologize for the trouble with Mr. Yoder¡¯s situation. Mr. Carl Yoder asked me to thank you and said that if youe to Mysonna next time, pay a visit to the Yoder family.¡±


    Felix looked very humble. After all, this was someone who had served Carl for years, and even who never shown such reverence.


    facing Damian, he had


    Yvette took a sip of the water, her fingers lightly grasping the edge of the ss. Her expression remained indifferent, and her gaze was as cold as ever. Hearing his words, she simply nodded and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Just that one word seemed to satisfy Felix to no end. After all, it was hard to get her to say yes.


    Samantha, Emmett, and the Eagle King couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the situation. They thought, ¡°This guy is representing Carl, yet look at Yvette¡¯s attitude. Did she just dismiss someone with one word without pissing him off?¡®


    Felix pped his hands, and immediately, a ck¨Cd bodyguard stepped forward, carrying a ck box. The man smiled faintly, showing politeness toward Jeremiah, though it was clear that he wasn¡¯t as deferential as he had been to Yvette.


    He thought, ¡°The grandson of the old general from Clusia is indeed no ordinary person.


    ¡°Thank you for helping Mr. Yoder yesterday, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez.¡± Felix said, ¡°Mr. Carl Yoder is extremely grateful. This box contains a gift for you and Ms. Zeller, wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.¡±


    Samantha cast a nce at Felix, not surprised at all. She thought. He had been working for Carl long enough to know how to deliver a message with finesse.


    ¡®As for the blessing and gift, Jeremiah is unlikely to turn it down. If it were just a simple gift, he probably wouldn¡¯t have even spared it a second nce.


    Jeremiah understood the unspoken message from Carl. He raised an eyebrow with his gaze fixed on the ck box and replied with a calm nod, ¡°Tell Mr. Carl Yoder that I appreciate it.¡±


    Emmett stepped forward to take the gift. Felix then instructed the bodyguards to hand over the prepared gifts for Samantha, Charles, Emmett, and the Eagle King.


    Turning back to Yvette and Jeremiah, Felix said again, ¡°Ms. Zeller, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez. Mr. Carl Yoder is eagerly awaiting your visit to Mysonna. He hopes to personally thank you both one day.¡±


    After finishing his words, Felix turned to Joe. ¡°We should be leaving now, Mr. Yoder.¡±


    Joe, hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but pout. He regretted not waiting longer before reaching out to his family. He stepped forward to say to Yvette, ¡°Yve¡­ I mean, Yvette, next time you¡¯re in Mysonna, you have to contact me.¡±


    Yvette shed him a small smile. ¡°I will. Go home now.¡±


    Joe nodded at Samantha, Charles, and the others before following Felix out.


    Samantha looked down at the beautifully wrapped gift box she had just received from Felix. She opened it in front of the others. Emmett, the Eagle King, and Charles did the same with their gifts.


    As Samantha opened her box, a diamond ne gleamed brightly. She picked it up, examining it before ncing at the others. ¡°Oh my goodness, only Carl would give away a 15¨Cmillion¨Cdor diamond piece like it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Emmett opened his box to reveal a snuff bottle. Judging by its condition and craftsmanship, its value was easily in the same range as the ne¨Caround 15 million dors.


    The gift for Charles was an antique gun from thest century, a rare collector¡¯s item worth a fortune.


    The Eagle King, however, found a simple note in his box. It read only a sentence, ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s gaze darkened as she observed the gifts in everyone¡¯s hands.


    Charles said in a low voice, ¡°In just one


    ¡°ght, Carl managed to dig up everyone¡¯s background and preferences. His strength is no joke.¡±


    The gifts were meticulously selected ording to their tastes. The diamond ne, the gun, the antique¨Ceach one aligned perfectly with the recipients¡® personalities, except for the Eagle King¡¯s gift, which left him a little puzzled.


    Samantha, curiosity piqued, stared at the gifts on the table, especially the ones for Yvette and Jeremiah. ¡°What do you think Carl has chosen for you two?¡±


    Emmett, Charles, and the Eagle King put down their gifts, their eyes shifting to the box on the table. They thought that if Carl had such an eye for luxury with them, surely he would have something special in store for Yvette and Jeremiah.


    Without a word, Jeremiah picked up the box, peeling off the wrapping. Inside was a in old box.


    When opened, it revealed matched gemstones shaped like a dragon and a phoenix. The quality was decent, but their value- at most, around 25 million dors.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    They exchanged confused nces, thinking, ¡®Carl¡¯s gift for the couple is quite unexpected, especially given his usual ir for extravagance.


    Just then, Jeremiah¡¯s phone, which had been lying on the table, rang. He nced at the caller ID and saw that it was a call from Jase. Seeing this, he frowned.

 Chapter 462

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah picked it up, and after a brief moment, Jase¡¯s serious velce came through the speaker. ¡°What have you and Yvette been up to this time?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s gaze darkened. It seemed a little too coincidental that Jase¡¯s call came right after Joe had just left.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Jeremiah could respond, Jase continued, ¡°Yvette is with you, right? Hand her the phone. Wait, never mind, just put it on speaker.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah hesitated for a moment before switching the phone to speaker mode. The next second, Jase¡¯s booming voice filled the room, sounding much more cheerful than before. ¡°Yvette, my dear, you must be tired.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The unexpected warmth in Jase¡¯s tone caused Samantha and Emmett to exchange a nce. They thought, ¡®What happened to make him so pleased? He was usually stern and serious, rarely showing any sign of happiness. This is so weird.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, her eyes dark and contemtive as she asked coolly, ¡°What did Carl do?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There was a brief pause on the phone before Jase continued, ¡°Carl contacted someone in Betrico this morning. He said that he¡¯s willing to donate three of the national treasure¨Cgrade bronze artifacts to Clusia¨Cno strings attached.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°The value of these artifacts is immeasurable. More importantly, with Carl¡¯s influence among the Clusianmunity, this will certainly bring more attention to the issue of our lost treasures.¡±</font></font>All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jase seemed a bit stirred as he spoke. When Clusia was invaded, many of its treasures were plundered by foreign forces. These items ended up in museums abroad, where they were unted as the spoils of conquest.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Each artifact lost overseas was a sign of the humiliation Clusia endured. They had been fighting to retrieve these lost treasures and reim what rightfully belonged to their ancestors.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a pause, Jase continued, ¡°Carl spoke to Clifford about it, and he said the donation of these bronze artifacts is a gift for you and Jeremiah. He also specifically requested that the Clusian government allow Jeremiah to personally escort the national treasures back home.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Normally, decisions about such matters would fall to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but in this case, the honor of escorting the treasures would go to Jeremiah, which exined a lot.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">If Carl hadn¡¯t specified it, this opportunity would have sparked fiercepetition. Now, with his request, there was no room for dispute.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and the Eagle King were all stunned. They thought, ¡®No wonder Carl only gave Yvette and Jeremiah matched gemstones¨Cthey were just the prelude. The real gift is actually this precious chance.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Carl¡¯s request for Jeremiah to escort the national treasures back to Clusia was a move to put him front and center on the world stage.</font></font>


    As the youngest general in Clusia, this opportunity would undoubtedly pave the way for his future promotions. It was indeed a weighty gift.


    Jeremiah remained calm, his expression unchanged. There was no shift in his eyes at all despite Jase¡¯s words.


    Yvette barely lifted her gaze, her look as indifferent as ever. Her gaze was as cold as always, and her voice was neither hurried nor slow. ¡°When?¡±


    Jase replied, ¡°In about two weeks. The exact date is still being finalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Carl, but once it¡¯s decided, the orders will be issued immediately for Jeremiah to personally escort the artifacts back to Clusia.¡±


    In Betrico, Jase leaned on his cane and looked out the window, his gaze deep and distant. ¡°On behalf of Clusia, thank you, Weite


    Carl¡¯s message was clear. If it hadn¡¯t been for Yvette, he would never have donated those bronze artifacts.


    Jase could never have predicted that Yvette was acquainted with Carl. She always surprised him. To have Carl donate such invaluable items was no longer just a matter of honor. It was something far deeper.


    Yvette said, ¡°I did nothing. It was Jeremiah who saved Carl¡¯s graulson, Joe. He¡¯s the one escorting them and he deserves that.¡±


    A smile spread across Jeremiah¡¯s face in an instant. Hearing that Jase also smiled with satisfaction, thinking, ¡®Although Yvette is a quiet one, she¡¯s very smart.¡±


    The news that Carl had personally appointed Jeremiah spread quickly, and soon the upper ss of Betrico began to gossip.


    People were saying that Jeremiah must have used some sort of dirty tricks to secure the role. The situation called for an exnation, and it turned out that the truth was his saving Carl¡¯s grandson.


    Jase reassured them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how to handle the rumors here.¡±


    When the call ended, Samantha eximed, ¡°Carl truly is impressive. He handles everything so carefully, step by step, leaving no room for criticism.¡±


    Emmett agreed, ¡°He¡¯s certainly smart.¡±


    Eagle King, holding the note that said ¡°settled¡°, grunted, ¡°Not bad, I guess.¡±


    Charles set down the gift in his hand and said softly, ¡°If Carl hadn¡¯t voluntarily left the underworld gang in Mysonna, Damian might never have taken the throne. In terms of vision, strategy, and the number of supporters, he was no match for Carl.¡±


    Yvette stood up, hands in her pockets, and nced at them as she said, ¡°Once we are done here, head straight to Mysonna.¡±


    They nodded in agreement. Yvette pulled on a cap, covering most of her face, her delicate features subtly shifting with a slight raise of her eyebrows. ¡°Wait for my message the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and the Eagle King were all aware of Rory¡¯s situation and were simply waiting for his next move in Mysonna.


    Meanwhile, in a vi, Rory sat gloomily on the couch, her exposed half¨Cface twisted under the harsh light, making her appear even more terrifying.


    She looked up at the clock on the wall and found that it was already noon. She thought, ¡®Very well. Yvette was gone for an entire day. She¡¯s probably off having fun with someone.


    ¡®I thought she was different, but it turned out she was shameless. And Holden, who hung up on me at once. What could he possibly be busy with? If it weren¡¯t for his ability to control poisonous insects, I would never have worked with him.


    Just then, one of her subordinates entered, holding a red box. Kneeling before her, he respectfully said, ¡°Boss, the item you requested is here.¡±


    Rory¡¯s eyes turned cold as she gazed at the box. Every month, she endured excruciating pain¨Cif it weren¡¯t for her husband, she wouldn¡¯t have sunk this low.


    After the man left, she opened the box. Inside, a poisonous insecty still. Rory donned a special pair of gloves, picked up the creature, and ced it on the burned side of her left cheek. The next second, she let out a miserable roar.


    The servants who were cleaning continued with their work as if oblivious to the sound.


    Half an hourter. Roty put the insect back into the box, her denying face healing as fresh scabs formed, leaving her skin looking much better.


    In the afternoon, the moment Yvette returned, someone immediately reported it to Rory.


    Fuming, Rory stormed into Yvette¡¯s room. She found Yvette abit to change her clothes. When her gaze fell on Yvette¡¯s slender waist, her eyes turned wicked.


    But before she could act. Yvette calmly lowered her hand that was reaching for her clothes, turned around, and met her gaze. Her eyes were dark, cold, and full of malice.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 463

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, Yvette pulled out a silver gun. Rory panicked, dying to dodge, but the bullet was faster. It grazed her right arm and embedded itself into the wall.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory clutched her wounded arm, staring in disbelief at the gun Yvette¡¯s hand. When her eyes met Yvette¡¯s cold gaze, she trembled. ¡°You¡­ How could you have a gun? How dare you shoot me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette walked over to the bed, calmly putting on her jacket. Her iw was clenched, and her expression was icy. Then she said in a threatening voice. ¡°Remember to knock next time, or you¡¯ll die.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory gritted her teeth, ring at Yvette with a vicious look. Her eyes were filled with malice like a snake preparing to strike.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a long pause, Rory suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Very well I never thought the useless Holden could have a niece like you. I won¡¯t forget this, Yvette.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After delivering her threat, Rory turned and walked toward the door. She nced at the wall where the bullet had lodged, pausing for a moment. The bullet was embedded deep in the wall, which suggested that Yvette was good at it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After Rory left, Yvette finished changing her clothes and picked up her phone, which had several messages. She nced at it an unfamiliar number, but the tone was familiar, and she knew exactly who it was. itfan</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Why didn¡¯t you contact me when you came to Voraxia?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Did you forget about me, Yvette?]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I want to see you.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[Can you text me back? I¡¯ve been managing things down here just the way you told me to.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">[I miss you so much, Yvette.]</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette squinted slightly, staring at her phone. Her expression was nonchnt as she pinched the corner of her eye. After a moment, she put the phone down, clearly with no intention of responding.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory immediately summoned a doctor when she came home. Her trusted aide watched as the doctor carefully bandaged her wound, holding his breath.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He thought, ¡®Who did this to Boss?¡® Once the doctor finished, he hesitated and said, ¡°The wound shouldn¡¯t get wet for now. Luckily, it¡¯s just a graze, no damage to your bones, but it was close. The person who shot you has extraordinary skill.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bank tese Trepare for the event the day after tomorrow. By then, I want Yvetteer</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory stared at her bandaged arm in silence, exuding a suffocating aura of resentment. After a long pause, she said coldly,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For the past few days, Rory didn¡¯t show up, while Yvette continued her routine of going early in the morning and returningte at night.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The people Rory sent to follow Yvette had lost track halfway through and gave up. It wasn¡¯t until the agreed¨Cupon day that Yvette walked in, and Rory, still feeling the sharp pain from h¨¦r wound, red at her with eyes filled with hatred.</font></font>


    Yvette, dressed in ck from head to toe, strolled leisurely to the couch with her hands in her pockets. With a calm expression, she poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.


    Her calm demeanor only served to enrage Rory¡¯s subordinates, who red at her with reddened eyes.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    One man, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward, pointing at Yvette and scolding, ¡°How dare you act so arrogantly you are?¡± in front of our boss? Do you even know where Rory didn¡¯t speak because she wanted to put Yvette in her ce vette was the most arrogant woman the hard ever seen. Sadly, the truth was, there was no one who could truly control Vrene in this world.


    Wette nced at the sinister than with a raised eyebrow, camally crossing her legs. A half¨Csmirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she toyed with the teacup.


    The man, thinking he had intimidated Yvette, was abour to say something smug when she didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. She casually tossed the teacup, and with an uncanny precision, hit the man square on the head.


    He yelled in pain, and the others, seeing this, quickly drew their guns, aiming them at Yvette. She surveyed them coolly, not a hint of panic in her demeanor. Calmly, she leaned back and raised her eyebrows.


    Rory continued to stare at Yvette, but in her eyes, there was no sign of fear or distress.


    The standoffsted for a few moments until Yvette spoke. ¡°Put down your guns.¡±


    Suppressing her anger, Rory said, ¡°There are ny¨Cnine people this time¨Cforty men and fifty¨Cnine women. I¡¯m taking you to them, and then I¡¯ll send you to the dock.


    ¡°Tell your uncle that if the quality of this batch doesn¡¯t meet our standards, we won¡¯t be working together anymore.¡±


    The ¡°batch Rory referred to was the poisonous insects. She needed a more advanced breed to control her people. That was why the people they had abducted had all been subjected to thorough medical examinations.


    Yvette gave a slight nod, her tone tinged with casual indifference ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rory waved her hand, and a group of people quickly piled into the cars, with Yvette taking a seat in another car. There were five Jeeps and threerge trucks heading toward a secluded vige.


    After a two¨Chour drive, the roads began to narrow, the trees grew denser, and signs of civilization disappeared. Finally, they stopped at the entrance of a deste vige. A group of men in camouge uniforms were patrolling the area, walking back and forth.


    Yvette casually sent a text message to Jeremiah, propping her chin on her hand as she watched Rory step out of the car and begin speaking with the men in camouge.


    From their lip movements, Yvette could tell that Rory was asking about the status of the people, and the man responded that one person had died, leaving ny¨Ceight others.


    Hearing about the death, Rory pped the man across the face. The man, flustered, kept apologizing and begging for mercy.


    Rory nced back at Yvette¡¯s car, then winked at the driver. Without hesitation, the driver got out of the car and opened the door, signaling for Yvette to get out.


    With a nonchnt flick of her hand, Yvette brushed off the dust from her clothes and leisurely stepped out of the car. Rory said, ¡°Stay close. There are wild beasts in this area. If anything happens, don¡¯t expect anyone toe to your rescue.¡± The man who had been struck by Yvette¡¯s cup earlier stared at her, a dark thought brewing in his mind.


    Rory led Yvette toward a dpidated house. Before they even got close, the air was filled with harsh, agonized screams of pain.


    Yvette¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the house ahead, her expression cold and unreadable. There was an air of detachment around her.


    Rorymanded her men to open the door. As the door creaked open, what greeted them was a grim sight¨Cmen and women locked in cramped cages, their bodies covered in crisscrossingsh marks and bite wounds.


    Sunlight poured in, casting an eerie glow over the faces of the prisoners. Their faces were pale, and there was no hint of energy left in them, only a deep, suffocating despair. Some were so badly beaten that their flesh had rotted.


    Rory stared at the scene, her fury rising as she realized how badly these people had been mistreated before even reaching Dungo Vige. In a fit of rage, she roared, ¡°What happened to these people?¡±

 Chapter 464

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The camouged man trembled as he stepped forward, trying to exin to Rory. ¡°Boss, they wouldn¡¯t obey. They¡¯ve caused to escape. If we don¡¯t take harsh trouble several times in the past few days, and there¡¯s one woman encouraging se measures, they won¡¯t stay obedient.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory stared at the wounds on the people in the cages. It was obvious that some of the injuries were not from whips. She thought that they must have tried to take advantage of the women here and that their lust clouded their judgment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory wasn¡¯t sorry for them. She was mad about the fact that these people had been so severely injured, their bodies no longer perfect vessels for the poisonous insects.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She turned to one of her trusted subordinates. ¡°Forget it. Take them to the truck.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as the camouged man thought he had escaped punishment and began to feel smug, a gunshot rang out, cutting through the air.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory, her subordinates, and the prisoners who seemed to have lost all life turned their gazes to the hole in the camouged man¡¯s chest.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The next second, his eyes went wide, and he fell to the ground, stiff as a board. Yvette stood there, a silver gun gleaming in her hand.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s eyes were as dark as the night. She nced at the fallen man, her gaze almost unreadable.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vige was eerily quiet. The dead body of the camouged man seemed to jolt everyone back to reality, stirring fear in the air. One of the women in the cage stared at Yvette, her eyes gleaming with renewed hope.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory finally snapped, her anger reaching its peak. ¡°Who gave you the right to kill, Yvette? They are my people. You really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression cold and indifferent. Shezily looked at the angry Rory and gave a sly smile. ¡°Really? Teach me then.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory froze for a moment at Yvette¡¯s calm demeanor. Then, gritting her teeth, she turned sharply to her two trusted subordinates and barked, ¡°Kill her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">No sooner had she spoken than gunshots rang out from outside apanied by the sound of frantic shouting. Rory¡¯s face darkened, and she immediately rushed to the door, flinging it open.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah, Eagle King, Charles, Emmett, and Samantha had already breached the vige¡¯s defenses a hundred of her men had been silently and</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Within half an hour, more than two¨Cthirds of Rory¡¯s people were dead. Over a h swiftly taken down by Jeremiah and his team.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s gaze hardened as she observed the group of neers, her eyes locking onto the advanced firearms they carried. She thought angrily, ¡®Who are these people? Why do they all carry such high¨Ctech guns?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In Voraxia, the hardest thing to deal with wasn¡¯t drugs¨Cit was weapons. After the death of the former king of Voraxia, Hadley, After the death of the former king of Voraxia, Hadley, Rodney took over the territory.</font></font>


    It wasn¡¯t clear how Rodney had connected with Eldoria, but his long¨Cterm dealings with them allowed him ess to the world¡¯s most advanced weaponry. With that power, he became the new ruler of Voraxia, and no one dared to challenge him.


    Rory¡¯s voice grew cold as she looked at Jeremiah and his team. ¡°Who are you? Do you know where you are? How dare you barge into my territory?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah, dressed entirely in ck, didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he nced at Yvette who was leaning casually against the door and shed a slight smile.


    Rory followed his gaze, her eyes falling on Yvette, whose face wore a smirk that oozed nonchnce. A sharp realization struck her, and her heart skipped a beat.


    In that instant, everything clicked. She realized that these people like Yvette, were all from Clusia, which meant they were on the same side as her.


    Rory¡¯s confidence began to falter, her stance defensive. She red fiercely at Yvette. ¡°It¡¯s you, right? They¡¯re your people. right, Yvette? What do you want? Does your uncle know about this? He won¡¯t let you get away with this.¡±


    Samantha¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she teased, ¡°When did you get an uncle, Yvette?¡°


    Yvette, leaning against the door with a rxed posture, raised an eyebrow and casually replied, ¡°I never have one?


    Rory froze, disbelief shing across her face. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Isn¡¯t Holden your¡­¡±


    She stopped mid¨Csentence as a sudden realization struck her. In that moment, everything clicked. She realized that Yvette had been pretending to be Holden¡¯s niece from the beginning, all to trick her into bringing her here.


    Yvette put her hands into her pockets as she lifted her gaze. She said indifferently, ¡°Holden¡¯s secret breeding of poisonous insects in Dango Vige was exposed, and he¡¯s been sentenced to death. insects


    ¡°The deputymissioner at the customs office you bribed has already been dismissed and punished. Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s acted like she was talking about a trivial matter. However, to Rory, it hit like a thunderp. She thought, ¡®No wonder Wette knew about the poisonous insects. Holden must have betrayed me.¡®


    The realization twisted something in Rory¡¯s eyes. She was filled with pure fury as she red at Yvette. ¡°You¡¯re smart, Yvette. You¡¯ve fooled me, but you know what? Even if I die, I¡¯ll drag you down with me.¡±


    With that, she snatched a gun from one of her confidants and fired directly at Yvette. The bullet flew at lightning speed toward her, but Yvette swiftly bent down, dodging the bullet that whizzed past. The battle escted into a fierce gunfight once again.


    When Rory fired her gun, Jeremiah¡¯s eyes turned cold. He nced at her with the calm detachment of a corpse before quickly pulling the trigger. Rory, in a desperate move, pulled one of her subordinates in front of her to block the bullet.


    Before Rory could react, another bullet from Yvette¡¯s gunshot straight into her left leg.


    Yvette and Jeremiah¡¯s cooperation was seamless. They gave Rory no chance to recover, and this time, no one was left to shield her from the iing bullets.


    Seeing the situation, Charles, Eagle King, Emmett, and Samantha immediately opened fire, unleashing a deadly barrage. The dozen people still with Rory couldn¡¯t hold up against their assault.


    Five minutester, Rory¡¯s entire team had been wiped out. She was the only one left, her left leg pierced by Yvette¡¯s bullet, unable to move.


    Rory red at Yvette, her expression venomous. ¡°I admit that I underestimated you, Yvette, but you won¡¯t have a good end for this.¡±


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, then calmly addressed Eagle King, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha. ¡°They are inside the house.¡±


    As soon as they entered the room, Samantha couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and hurriedly turned to the side to vomit. The stench of decay inside was overwhelming, almost unbearable.


    Emmett, Eagle King, and Charles each took a gun and unlocked the cages. When the prisoners saw their freedom, they rushed out in a frantic scramble.


    Some had been locked in too long, and their limbs had grown stiff, but even those who could only crawl did so with all their remaining strength, desperately dragging themselves out of the ages.


    Outside, Yvette nced at Jeremiah, then slowly walked over to Rory, towering over her. She reached out and removed the mask from her face.


    Half of Rory¡¯s face remained wless, and from that half, it was clear that she had once been a stunning beauty. It was now twisted.


    Rory hurriedly covered the perfect half of her face, not worried about the disfigured side but terrified of exposing the side of her face that had remained untouched. ¡°I will kill you, Yvette.

 Chapter 465

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory gave a sinister smile, then pulled a small bottle out of her jacket and twisted off the cap. The next second, a poisonous insect, almost identical to the one they had seen in Dungo Vige, flew out of the bottle.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She spoke to the insect coldly, ¡°Go, suck this woman¡¯s blood dry</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As if it understood, the insect pped its wings and flew toward Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah watched the insect, his gaze deepening without a hint of panic.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The events in Dungo Vige were still fresh in his mind, and although he didn¡¯t know why Yvette wasn¡¯t afraid of the insect, he was certain that whatever it was, it posed no threat to her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as Rory thought Yvette would be drained dry by the insect, something unexpected happened.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It flew right in front of Yvette and beat its wings desperately. After several circles around her, it suddenly plummeted from the air andnded hard on the ground. Ity motionless, its tiny eyes wide open.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The scene left Rory utterly stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. ¡°How¡­ How is this possible? Why didn¡¯t it drain your blood? This can¡¯t be true.¡± dfain</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory lookedpletely shaken, her mind in a daze. It wasn¡¯t just her¨Ceveryone who had been locked up and hade rushing out behind her was frozen in ce, staring in shock at the scene.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just a few days ago, this very insect had drained the blood of an adult man right in front of them. They had all seen it with their own eyes¨Cthe man had been reduced to nothing but skin and bones in less than five minutes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, her eyes cool and aldof. She nced at the insect ying dead on the ground, rubbing her forehead and feeling speechless.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The insect was acting so terrified because it was the poisonous insect king Yvette had brought back from Dungo Vige.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lately, it had been quietly living in a small transparent bottle she Yvette with her, and now that it was the poisonous insect king, who didn¡¯t need to eat much.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yesterday, Yvette had casually fed it some junk food and it had devoured it with delight. It seemed that no one could resist the temptation of junk food.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette had kept those men and insects for one simple reason¨Cthey were easy to take care of.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette ignored Rory. Her gaze swept over the dozens of people who had just escaped. Each one looked utterly unrecognizable, their appearances twisted and unsettling.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette said indifferently, ¡°These are the people who sold you here. Now, you can do whatever you want with them.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The men and women who had been released stood frozen, numb to the core. Hearing her words, no one moved.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles, Eagle King, Emmett, and Samantha stepped up to stand by Yvette and Jeremiah.</font></font>Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Eagle King nced at the horrible face of Rory and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Rory is a pure demon. Even if these people survive, the damage to their bodies is irreversible. They won¡¯t live long.¡±


    Rory had sent countless batches of people to Dungo Vige. There were probably thousands who had died there.


    Suddenly, Rory burst into a wildugh. However, as sheughed, she began to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why a beautiful girl like me turned into someone so hideous, someone who can kill without blinking an eye, Yvette?¡±


    Rory knew she couldn¡¯tescape. She had epted her fate, but she would never admit she was wrong.


    Yvette lifted her gaze and kicked the ¡°dead¡± insect lying beside her. An imperceptible smile curved at the corner of her lips. I¡¯m not curious at all.¡±


    Samantha couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. She thought, ¡®Honestly, sometimes Yvette¡¯s words can be pretty harsh, but she doesn¡¯t even seem to realize it. Every time, she managed to make her enemies furious without even trying


    Emmett, Eagle King, and Charles exchanged a nce, thinking, Yep, this is the Yvette we know¨Ctough, concise, and always intimidating.


    Sure enough, hearing Yvette¡¯s words, Rory¡¯s face turned bright red, and her eyes became bloodshot. She insisted on telling Yvette the truth because she knew if she didn¡¯t speak now, she might never get another chance.


    Wiping away her tears with force, Rory hissed, ¡°Ten years ago, I was just a naive girl. I fell in love with a man who told me he would take me away and give me a better life.


    ¡°I believed him. To be with him, I left my parents and followed him to Voraxia, foolishly thinking he would give me happiness and make me the happiest woman alive.¡±


    Hearing that. Samantha sneered. She stared at Rory, unsure of what to say. She thought, ¡®It¡¯s the same tired old story. What kind of person who truly loved you would ask you to abandon your family and run away to live an illegitimate life?


    ¡®Honestly, someone should stop girls from watching so many dramas.


    Yvette¡¯s expression remained neutral as Rory got lost in her memories with her face twisted in anger. Yet, Yvette remained indifferent.


    Rory didn¡¯t care about the reactions around her and kept speaking. ¡°After we came to Voraxia, he started working hard. For a while, I thought I was living my dream. However, he starteding homete, always smelling of another woman¡¯s perfume.


    ¡°I knew he must be having an affair. I followed him and found out he was with the woman of a gang leader. I thought if I just tolerated it and pretended I didn¡¯t know, he¡¯de back to me.¡±


    At this point, Rory¡¯s voice suddenly became frantic, her hands wing at the ground. ¡°But then, he got addicted to gambling. In the end, he lost everything. To pay off his debts, he sold me to a big drug dealer here.


    ¡°I resisted, but as a powerless woman without my phone and unable to contact my family, I had no choice. He beat me hard. To survive, I agreed and became the mistress of the local drug dealer, a woman who everyone could abuse.¡±


    Neither Yvette nor Samantha could empathize with Rory¡¯s experiences. Although both were women, they knew that from the moment Rory had chosen to run away with the man and leave her parents, everything that followed was karma.


    Rory sat up, her eyes fixed on Yvette, trying to find even a hint of sympathy in her gaze. Unfortunately, she was met with disappointment.


    Rory continued, ¡°You can probably imagine, in Voraxia where human lives are worthless, women have no rights at all. Eventually, I managed to stand out among many women and became the fixed mistress of the drug dealer.¡±


    Emmett, Eagle King, and the others looked at Rory who was losing her sanity. They thought, ¡®Stand out? More like she probably used countless underhanded methods.¡®


    Rory touched her scarred face, her voice trembling as she spoke ¡°I slowly gained power. Once I had it, the first thing I did was capture him. I sliced the flesh from his body piece by piece and fed it to the dogs.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I knew I would never go back.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 466

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King nced at Rory who was losing herposure and clicked his tongue. He thought, ¡®If it weren¡¯t for her trafficking people and using live humans to raise poisonous insects, she could have been an inspiring one!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette squinted slightly. Her hair fell across her forehead, partially veiling her cool gaze. She said calmly, ¡°The moment you decided to leave with a man, you should¡¯ve been ready to take consequences for your choices.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°When he started staying out all night and you discovered he was cheating, you should¡¯ve left him without hesitation instead of pretending everything was fine. The suffering you endure today is the consequence of your own decisions.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory red at Yvette, furious. She had expected her to empathize with her and acknowledge that her downfall wasn¡¯t her fault but the men¡¯s.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Instead, Yvette¡¯sck of sympathy struck her like a de. To Rory, Yvette was nothing more than an animal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°You¡¯re heartless!¡± Rory shrieked at Yvette, her voice trembling with bitterness. ¡°Do you even know what love is? That man manipted me, broke me down, and made me fall in love with him. I gave up everything for love.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Rory could say another word, Jeremiah shot, and the bullet pierced her right arm. ¡°How dare you call her an animal?¡± Jeremiah¡¯s voice was cold and dripping with killing intent, leaving everyone shivering on edge.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett¡¯s lips twitched. He thought, ¡®Seriously, who gave Rory the nerve to call Yvette an animal right in front of Jeremiah? She¡¯s making things worse.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King had been ready to move, but Jeremiah acted faster. Now, his gaze toward Rory was filled with killing intent because he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to be so rude to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles shared the sentiment. His expression darkened as he stared at Rory. Just uttering the words ¡°animal¡± was enough to seal her fate.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha red at Rory as she stepped in to defend Yvette. ¡°What gives you the right to call her that? You let your obsession with love lead you to a tragic end. It¡¯s entirely your own doing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Comining and ming others won¡¯t change anything. If you had just had a little courage and left him the moment you found out he was cheating, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this mess.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory looked at the group, all genuinely standing up for Yvette, and a surge of jealousy mingled with a flicker of admiration rose in her chest. She thought that if she had had people like this by her side, things would have turned out differently.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Clutching her wounded arm, Rory started pouring out everything she had kept buried all these years. It was the first time she had ever voiced these feelings in front of anyone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She said, ¡°I used to be very proud of my face, but after I got pregnant with the drug dealer¡¯s child, I couldn¡¯t satisfy him anymore, and he started ignoring me and found another lover.</font></font>


    ¡°When that woman gained power, she pushed me down the stairs when I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Imiscarried¨Cmy son, already formed, was lost. That woman, relying on her newfound position, faced no consequences. After that, I swore I¡¯d make them pay.¡±


    Rory¡¯s eyes were wild with madness. ¡°I slept with his subordinates to bribe them. When he found out, he set me on fire and tried to burn me alive. I barely escaped, but I was left scarred and turned into the monster I am now.


    ¡°Luckily, I met Holden. That¡¯s when I learned about poisonous insects¨Chow they could control people¡¯s minds. We struck a deal. I used the insects he gave me, and that¡¯s how I rose to where I am today and became the so¨Ccalled Ms. Miller.¡±


    By the time she finished telling her story, tears were streaming down her face.


    Yvette stepped forward, the sunlight catching her features and casting a glow around her. Rory stared at her, lost in her stunning beauty.


    Yvette¡¯s deep gaze locked with hers, and then she said indifferently, ¡°All your misfortune? It was never caused by others. It was always your own doing. One wrong step led to another: Do you know how each of those poisonous insects you used was created?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Rory shook her head slowly. ¡°All Holden told me was that a human was used as a vessel for them and that the insects need human blood to survive, I don¡¯t know anything more.¡±


    Yvette kicked a small stone by her foot, her gaze falling on Rory without the slightest hint of warmth.


    She said, ¡°Humans are used as vessels. They¡¯re ced in arge jar, filled with dozens of the most venomous and toxic creatures. The insects slowly eat away at the person¡¯s internal organs and skull. At first, the person doesn¡¯t die.¡±


    With every word Yvette spoke, Rory¡¯s face grew paler. She had never imagined the process of creating the insects to be so horrifying. Yet, even if she had known, she was certain she would still choose to work with Holden.


    To survive and reach the pinnacle of power, she had to sacrifice everyone. There was a struggle in her eyes but not a trace of regret.


    Rory met Yvette¡¯s gaze calmly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. What¡¯s done is done, Yvette. I wasn¡¯t as lucky as you. Is that man with the gun your boyfriend?¡± she asked, pointing toward Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Rory¡¯s. His entire demeanor was chilling, a stark warning to anyone watching.


    Seeing his reaction, Rory burst into crazyughter. ¡°This man loves you now, Yvette, but who can be sure about the future? ¡°One day, he might deceive you, betray you, and push you to the edge just like I was. And if you ever find yourself in my shoes, you¡¯d make the same choices as I did. You would¨Cmark my words.¡±


    Rory repeated herst sentence as if trying to convince herself.


    Yvette lifted her gaze slightly, her deep eyes showing no emotion. Her voice was as cold and steady as ever. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t¡±


    Rory sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. You¡¯ve never faced such a moment. When that dayes, you¡¯ll know you are just being na?ve now.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s next words, delivered with indifference, shattered Rory¡¯sposure entirely. ¡°If he betrays me, there will be only one oue for him¨Cdeath.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand tightened briefly around Yvette¡¯s fingers as a slight smile curved his lips. His icy gaze bore down on Rory. ¡°I swear on my life¨Cnever will I betray her. If I do, I¡¯ll end myself.¡±


    He turned his head slightly toward Yvette, his expression softening. ¡°There would be no need for you to make a move. Just tell me how you¡¯d want it done.¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s solemn vow struck a nerve with everyone present. For no apparent reason, they all felt he was showing off. Samantha looked over at Eagle King with a wry smile. ¡°Look at Jeremiah¡¯s devotion. I¡¯m a little jealous now.¡±


    Eagle King, chewing on a piece of grass with a roguish air, smirked. ¡°Trust me, if Yvette did it herself, Jeremiah would die tragically.¡±


    Emmett cast a nce at them, his tone calm. ¡°Watch your words


    Meanwhile, Rory stood there, stunned. She gazed at Yvette and Jeremiah, unable to speak for a long moment. Finally, she broke down in an instant and murmured softly, ¡°All my life, I longed for love, but in the end, I lost everything.¡±

 Chapter 467

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory turned to look at the people she had trafficked and tortured, their humanity stripped away. For the first time, a flicker of regret crossed her face.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Perhaps Yvette was right¨Cone wrong step led to another, and life offered no second chances. If she could go back, she wouldn¡¯t have run off with that man.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She would have stayed with her parents, married someone who truly loved her, and lived a quiet life. Instead, she had ended up a fugitive, dying far from home without even a final farewell to her family.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory looked at Yvette, and from her pocket, she pulled out a pistol and aimed it at herself, looking calm. She had gone through a lot over the past ten years and it drained her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">She called out at Yvette, ¡°Remember my name¨Cmy real name. I am Rory Miller. She didn¡¯t want to leave this world without a single soul knowing who she truly was.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With a faint smile, she pulled the trigger. The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed through the air, and Rory copsed to the ground, her wide¨Copen eyes staring at the sky.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The sky was a brilliant blue, just like it had been on the day she left home all those years ago, but now, there was no going back.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rory¡¯s eyes fluttered shut as her life ended in Voraxia, the ce that had destroyed her utterly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha let out a soft sigh as she gazed at Rory¡¯s body. ¡°Madly in love, and yet she paid the steepest price for it. She¡¯s a pitiful person, but also a hateful one.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Suddenly, amotion broke out in the crowd. A young girl, dressed in tattered clothes, burst forward with a dagger in her hand. Without hesitation, she lunged at Rory¡¯s body.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The de descended again and again until Rory¡¯s corpse was an unrecognizable mess of blood. Only then did the girl release her grip on the dagger and copse to the ground, her eyes glinting with satisfaction.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Her brutal act stunned everyone except Yvette and her people. Yvette looked at the girl, who looked around fifteen. Although her face still bore traces of innocence, the scars scattered across her small frame told a story of unimaginable suffering.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The girl stood with the bloodied dagger in hand and walked over to Yvette. She knelt before lifting her gaze. Her young eyes brimmed with determination. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised her eyebrows, her expression remaining calm and indifferent. Her cold gaze settled on the girl¡¯s resolute face. ¡°No need,¡± she replied nonchntly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The girl wiped the blood off her face and stood up. ¡°Your name is Yvette, right? I¡¯ll remember it. One day, I¡¯ll repay you.¡± Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the glow of the setting sun, the small figure seemed to carry immense energy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched the girl¡¯s retreating. For a fleeting moment, it was as though she was looking at her younger self.</font></font>Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Jeremiah stepped forward, his tone thoughtful. ¡°That girl is brave and decisive. She¡¯s going to achieve great things in the future.¡±


    To aplish great things requires neither age nor trivial concerns. At such a young age, she had acted with precision and ferocity. What was even more remarkable was her sense of gratitude.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, her delicate brows carrying a hint of nonchnce. ¡°The girl is pretty cool.¡±


    Emmett, Samantha, Charles and the Eagle King all nodded in agreement. The girl¡¯sposure and intelligence were indeed extraordinary for someone her age.


    Yvette turned away, her gaze falling on the corpse on the ground and the trembling men and women huddled nearby. Her eyes darkened as she spoke softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jeremiah gently squeezed her hand. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel.¡±


    As they prepared to leave, one of the trembling captives stepped forward. ¡°Wait! Could you¡­ Could you take us with you? We¡¯ve got nowhere to go after being trafficked here. We don¡¯t know this ce. Please help us out and take us away from here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please! You look like good people and wealthy ones too. Surely you¡¯ll help us.¡±


    ¡°We were tricked intoing here to work. If it¡¯s possible, could you help us find jobs? It shouldn¡¯t be hard for someone like you, right?¡±


    ¡°Please, young masters anddies!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll die soon if you leave us here.¡±


    Samantha was speechless upon hearing this. She thought, ¡®After all the effort we have put into rescuing these people, now we are expected to provide food, shelter, and jobs, huh? These people certainly know how to y the guilt card


    Eagle King sneered at their words. He wasn¡¯t surprised at all that some people were beyond pity. After years of being a killer, he had seen all kinds of people, including those who acted politely but stabbed you in the back when you weren¡¯t noticing.


    Charles, too, shared the sentiment. He thought that greed was the most treacherous thing. If they truly helped these people, all they would get in return was resentment. Those people would never be satisfied.


    Yvette¡¯s lips curled into a wicked smile, her voice cold and without a trace of emotion. ¡°Go die then.¡±


    She turned and got into the car, with Jeremiah following closely behind. Emmett and the others quickly followed suit, climbing into the car as well.


    Seeing that Yvette was truly going to ignore them, the group of people immediately turned hostile.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cruel. If you were going to do this, you should¡¯ve just left us to die!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You gave us hope, then left us like this. You¡¯re not genuine at all.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You and Rory are the same people.¡±


    The crowd continued to hurl usations, shouting louder than thest.


    Inside the car, Yvette rested her chin in her hand, barely sparing them a nce. Jeremiah pulled out his gun and, with a swift motion, fired a shot into the air.


    The sharp gunshot echoed, causing the crowd to fall silent.


    Emmett revved the engine, and the car sped away, leaving the remote vige behind.


    Jeremiah holstered his gun, lifting his chin with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner?¡±


    Emmett couldn¡¯t help but twitch his mouth in disbelief. He thought, ¡®Come on, after what happened in the vige, Jeremiah is still thinking about what Yvette might want to eat.¡®


    Yvette casually yed with Jeremiah¡¯s long fingers, meeting his gaze for a brief moment before responding. ¡°I want to eat you.¡±


    Emmett¡¯s hands trembled slightly, almost losing control of the steering wheel, narrowly missing therge tree at the side of the road. Thankfully, he regained control just in time. As he settled his nerves, he saw Jeremiah¡¯s sharp gaze in the rearview mirror.


    Emmett panicked, thinking, ¡®Oh no¡­ Is Jeremiah seriously going to make me jump out of the car now? I really didn¡¯t want to hear it, but with the way things were going, I couldn¡¯t pretend not to


    Emmett forced a smile.


    Jeremiah withdrew his gaze and gently pinched Yvette¡¯s face, his eyes intense and his breath warm against her ear, making her shiver. ¡°When we get back, I¡¯ll let you. You can eat as much as you want. I don¡¯t mind if you keep eating me.


    Yvette shifted slightly, the tips of her ears faintly pink, but herposure was rock solid¨Cshe wasn¡¯t going to admit defeat.


    With a calm smile, Yvette replied, ¡°I won¡¯t take responsibility if I break you.¡±


    The next second, Emmett jerked the steering wheel again, almost losing control once more, but he managed to save it and muttered, ¡°I swear I¡¯m not doing this on purpose, Jeremiah.¡± He thought it was Jeremiah to me.


    Hearing that, Jeremiahughed softly.

 Chapter 468

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett nced over at Jeremiah, his heart racing when he saw his smile. He had spent years working with Jeremiah and what really made him uneasy was when Jeremiah smiled.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah casually yed with Yvette¡¯s hand and then looked up at Emmett who was driving. His voice was low and serious. ¡°Pull over.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett immediately patted his chest, thinking, ¡°Thank God, he just telling me to pull over, not jump out of the car. Honestly, if I kept eavesdropping, I would probably be sent to Atria!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett quickly mmed on the brakes and put on a fake smile ¡°You¡¯re in charge, Jeremiah.¡± Without missing a beat, he opened the door.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Behind them, Charles saw the car in front pull over to the side of the road and immediately did the same. Samantha rolled down the window and saw Emmett getting out. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Why did Emmett suddenly stop? Did something happen?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King calmly wiped his gun as if it were his prized possession. It was a new model and its firepower was insane. Eldoria was probably going to make a killing off these weapons.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Unlike Yvette, who had the pull to just get things handed to her, Eagle King wasn¡¯t so lucky. He had to work for his connections, and there were limits to what he could secure.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King turned to Samantha. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Yvette here, nothing bad is gonna happen.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">By the time they finished talking, Emmett had already gotten into their car, and the car in front started up again, heading down the road.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles started his car and asked, ¡°What happened? Why did you get out?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett looked awkward. ¡°Jeremiah and Yvette are being all lovey¨Cdovey, and I just can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± he said, his tone carrying a hint of grievance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha chuckled. It was the first time she had seen Emmett like this. Watching Yvette and Jeremiah with their public disys of affection must have been enough to make anyone feel a little sick to their stomach.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles hadn¡¯t expected that, and his face reddened slightly. He hadn¡¯t realized Yvette could be so intense about romance. Eagle King put away his gun, observing their reactions with a nonchnt grin. ¡°Rx.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Back at the hotel, the manager Quinn immediately approached them with a deep bow and a respectful tone. ¡°Ms. Zeller, your friends have reserved the entire hotel for a week and provided us with a check for 330 thousand dors.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Please take it back. If you find it too noisy, we won¡¯t ept any other guests while you¡¯re here, but please take the cheek back.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn spoke with deep respect. He had already consulted Mysonna headquarters that morning, and they had made it clear that someone like Yvette must be respected. They had instructed him to do everything he could to meet her needs and leave a good impression.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn handed the check over with both hands, bowing deeply.</font></font>


    Yvette and Jeremiah exchanged a nce and raised an eyebrow. With an indifferent expression, she casually replied, ¡°You can keep the check. We won¡¯t stay long, and you¡¯re free to take other guests.¡±


    Quinn nced at Yvette¡¯s expression and saw no signs of hesitation. Only then did he finally rx. He thought that someone like her definitely wouldn¡¯t like small talk and surely wouldn¡¯t care about a check worth 330 thousand dors.


    Quinn was even more humble. ¡°Alright, Ms. Zeller, we will ept this check. To ensure your peace and privacy, we will not be epting any other guests. The entire hotel will be at your service.


    Yvette casually slid her hands into her pockets, her posture rxed and easy. She gave Quinn a brief look, then replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Quinn immediately stepped aside, watching as Yvette and her friends entered the elevator. The doorman, who was still new and clueless, leaned in and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reese, who exactly is this Ms. Zeller? Why are you so respectful toward her?¡±


    The doorman was new and knew nothing. The doorman who had been there before him had died on the night the Crimson des carried out the robbery.


    Quinn¡¯s eyes darkened, and he sighed deeply. Looking at the naive doorman, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is, but trust me, she¡¯s someone neither you nor I can afford to cross.¡±


    Once they had settled in, the servants quickly delivered a meticulously prepared feast. The entire hotel was now at the service of Yvette and her friends, and there were eighteen dishes in total, each made with the finest ingredients.


    Samantha casually scooped up some caviar and immediately knew it had been airlifted in.


    Charles looked over at Yvette and asked, ¡°Everything¡¯s wrapped up here. Are we heading back to Myso?na tomorrow?¡±


    Yvette was lounging on the couch, chin resting in one hand as she fiddled with her phone, replying to Lucy¡¯s messages. FastPulse Technologies had already decided to name their new game The Rise. The globalunch event was scheduled for the 15th of next month, and it would be held at the Hignd Hotel in Mysonna. If everything went well, Yvette would be there too.


    Remembering her promise to Ss to help out at theb for a week and train an intern, Yvette rubbed her forehead.


    Lucy: [Boss, are you really not making an appearance?]


    Lucy: [At leaste to theunch event and witness it for yourself.]


    Far away in Betrico, Lucy stared at her phone, praying Yvette would change her mind and take pity on her poor employee showing up at the event in person.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette tapped on the screen with her slender fingers, sending Lucy a simple reply: [We¡¯ll talk about it then.]


    Yvette looked up at Charles and nodded. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡±


    Eagle King, who had been quietly watching the flurry of messages on his phone, nced back at Yvette. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty.


    Yvette gave Eagle King a cold nce. Seeing him quickly avert his eyes, she casually rested her hand on the armrest and said slowly, ¡°Are you hiding something?¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and even Jeremiah who had just stepped in all turned to look at Eagle King.


    Eagle King, already feeling guilty, immediately started rambling, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think¡­ I swear, it¡¯s that boy¡¯s fault! He kept trying to get information out of me, bombarding me with messages, and I wasn¡¯t trying to spill anything!


    ¡°You know how clever that kid is. He¡¯s got a thousand tricks up his sleeve. I identally let something slip, and the next thing I knew, I told him the name of our hotel. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, I swear!¡±


    Eagle King¡¯s exnation left everyone stunned. They thought, ¡®What the heck was he even talking about? And who was this boy he kept mentioning?¡®


    Jeremiah calmly walked over to the couch and handed Yvette her milkshake. As he gently squeezed her fingers, he asked in a

 Chapter 469

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn waited anxiously, but the leader still hadn¡¯t gotten out of the car. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, growing more and more puzzled until suddenly, amanding yet youtiful voice rang out: ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn froze in ce, his eyes widening in shock.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the room, Yvette watched Eagle King who was clearly uneasy and the curious looks from Charles, Samantha, and Emmett. She casually rubbed her fingers, tilted her head, and nced at Jeremiah. ¡°I¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before she could finish her sentence, the doorbell rang. Eagle King, ncing toward the door, couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°No way¡­ How could he be so fast?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He immediately shook his head, trying to reassure himself. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He¡¯s not some kind of god. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s here already.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King¡¯s flustered reaction only made Charles, Samantha, and Emmett more intrigued. Who exactly was this person who could make Eagle King so rattled? Whoever it was, he didn¡¯t seem like someone to mess with.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette sat on the couch, propping her chin in her hand, her gaze deepening as she looked toward the door.</font></font>Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha stood up and walked over to open it. As soon as the door swung open, Quinn, trembling and pale¨Cfaced, stood there in front of her. Samantha peeked out but didn¡¯t see anyone else.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In a polite tone, she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± After all, Quinn had alreadye by just half an hour ago when they brought the meal.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing Samantha¡¯s question, Quinn froze for a moment. His body stiffened, and he forced a smile that looked painful. Stumbling over his words, he managed to get out, ¡°Well¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before he could finish, someone suddenly interrupted from behind him. ¡°Excuse me,dy, is Yvette here?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha immediately felt a chill run down her spine. She took several quick steps back, shocked. ¡°What the hell? Who¡¯s speaking?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles noticed Samantha¡¯s sudden movement. They quickly stood up and moved toward the door. Eagle King¡¯s face instantly darkened when he heard the voice. He thought, ¡®How the hell did this brat get here so fast?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at Eagle King with a faint smile on her face. Eagle King could only beg for mercy with his eyes, but it didn¡¯t help much.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn, trembling, took several unsteady steps back. Behind him, a boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, suddenly appeared.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With soft ck hair neatly styled, his round face lit up with a bright smile, his eyes sparkling as he shed a set of white teeth. His skin was smooth and tender, his cheeks round and chubby making him look impossibly cute.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The corner of his lips curled into a radiant grin, and a small mole near his eye looked quite pretty. His long eyshes fluttered as he blinked, looking every bit the mischievous troublemaker.</font></font>


    The boy, despite being only in his early teens, was dressed in a dark suit and shiny leather shoes, looking every bit the part of a grown man. Yet, surprisingly, the outfit didn¡¯t seem out of ce on him.


    The moment he appeared, his little ¡°mature¡± look instantly melted Samantha¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and asked, ¡°Hey kid, are you looking for Yvette? Who are you?¡±


    As soon as Samantha heard him mention Yvette, she knew he was as childish as he appeared. After all, this was Voraxia. It seemed totally illogical for such a young boy to show up alone at the hotel, especially to find Yvette.


    And when Samantha thought back to Eagle King¡¯s reaction and is cryptic words, her heart skipped a beat. She thought, ¡®Could this kid be the one Eagle King was talking about?¡®


    The boy looked at Emmett and Charles as they stepped closer, then turned to Samantha with an innocent smile. ¡°I¡¯m Yvette¡¯s friend. Can you let me in?¡±


    Emmett, who had just walked up, narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you a friend of Yvette¡¯s?¡±


    Charles, taking in the boy¡¯s appearance, couldn¡¯t help but stare. The kid was delicate and well¨Csculpted, looking every bit like a doll. He was undeniably cute, but the im that he was Yvettes friend didn¡¯t quite add up.


    It wasn¡¯t just Charles who was skeptical; even Samantha and Emmett felt the same way. They thought, ¡®Why did Yvette have so many friends? Did she start making friends just after she was born?¡®


    The boy looked at Emmett and nodded seriously, his voice soft and youthful. ¡°Yeah, Yvette is my best friend. I need to see her.¡±


    Charles, his eyes dropping to the boy¡¯s waist, didn¡¯t say a word.


    The boy saw the three adults fall silent and quickly lost his patience. He thought, ¡®Are they stopping me from seeing Yvette? Anyone who stands in my way should be eliminated.¡® His eyes shed with cold fury.


    Emmett and Charles immediately felt the change in the atmosphere. They both instinctively grabbed Samantha, stepping back with their eyes fixed on the boy.


    Just as the tension thickened, Yvette¡¯s calm voice rang out from the room. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    In an instant, the boy¡¯s killing intent vanished, his expression shifting to one ofplete innocence. He ignored Emmett, Charles, and Samantha¡¯s suspicious gazes and eagerly walked past them, heading straight into the room.


    Samantha watched the boy¡¯s back, her curiosity piqued. ¡°I¡¯m really curious. How does Yvette make friends? Even a kid like this is so cool.¡±


    Charles¡¯s voice was low and serious. ¡°This kid isn¡¯t just cool. His background is way deeper than we thought.¡±


    Emmett nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll find out exactly who he is once we go in.¡±


    As soon as the boy entered the room and saw Yvette sitting on the couch, his eyes instantly lit up. He straightened his suit jacket, adjusting it to look more presentable, trying to appear like a professional even at his young age.


    Eagle King sat off to the side, casually biting into an apple. He thought, ¡°This little brat just loves to put on a show.¡®


    Yvette, sitting with her legs crossed, watched as the boy adjusted his clothes, looking every bit like a little adult. As the boy rushed toward her, she remained still with her usual coldposure in her eyes.


    Without hesitation, the boy ran straight to Yvette, throwing his arms around her leg. He shot a quick nce at Jeremiah before using his little bottom to nudge Jeremiah¡¯s leg out of the way.


    Jeremiah, leaning back on the couch, watched the boy¡¯s smug face. His gaze lowered, taking in his long legs that had nowhere to rest. He thought that this kid needed to be taught a lesson.


    The boy pretended to wipe tears from his eyes, thenunched into his performance. ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you contacted me in so long? Have you forgotten about me? How could you do this to me? But don¡¯t worry, look at me¨CI¡¯m all grown up now.


    ¡°I can feed myself, make money, and everything. Please don¡¯t ignore me anymore, I miss you so much. Remember, I¡¯m the one you promised to love the most. How could you nevere to see me?¡±


    At this point, the boy¡¯s voice actually quivered as if he was genuinely feeling wronged. Tears began to roll down his cheeks, making him look pitiful and adorable.


    Eagle King nearly choked on his apple. He thought, ¡®Damn it. I knew this little brat had no good intentions.


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles stood frozen, unable to process what the boy had just said.


    Emmett couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°What did this kid just say?¡±


    Samantha swallowed nervously. ¡°Did he just call Yvette¡­ What?


    Charles nodded slowly, still in shock. ¡°He called Yvette ¡®Mom.¡±


    Even saying those two words felt strange to Charles. He never imagined that one day, some random kid would pop up out of nowhere and call Yvette his mom.


    The three of them didn¡¯t immediately look at Yvette, but at Jeremiah, who remained silent as he watched the boy cling to Yvette¡¯s leg.


    The boy seemed to shrink back in fear when he noticed Jeremiah staring. He looked up at him, his expression pitiful. ¡°Are you Mom¡¯s boyfriend?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you don¡¯t like me, I can stay out of your way. I just want you to let Mome back and see me. That would make me so happy.¡±


    Jeremiah observed the boy¡¯s smug expression and the little glimmer of triumph in his eyes. He slowly curled his lips into a faint smile, thinking, ¡®Is this kid ying pranks on me?¡®

 Chapter 470

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced at the smug little boy with a smirk and said, ¡°Getting a son out of nowhere¨Cpretty nice, huh?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The moment he said that, the boy couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He snapped, ¡°What the hell? Don¡¯t call me your son! I¡¯m not your kid!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette, lounging casually with her chin resting on her hand, looked at the boy with a bored expression. ¡°Are you done?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The boy instantly deted. His attitude vanished, and he hung his head, looking totally exhausted and defeated.</font></font>Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After a few moments, faint sobs echoed through the room. The boy¡¯s shoulders shook as he tried to hold back tears, and it was so pitiful that Samantha couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. ¡°Hey, kid, don¡¯t cry. We can talk.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles stood nearby, indifferent. They didn¡¯t see the boy as just a random kid. In a ce like Voraxia, kids his age were already knee¨Cdeep in drug dealing and killing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King watched the boy who was sobbing quietly. He scoffed and tossed the apple he was holding aside. He thought, ¡°This little brat¡¯s acting skills have definitely leveled up. He knows how to work that innocent little face to fool people.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It wasn¡¯t the first time he had fallen for it, though. Back in the day, as the second¨Cranked assassin in the world, he was outwitted by a kid. If that ever got out, his reputation would have beenpletely destroyed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The boy looked up, his big eyes staring at Samantha as she tried tofort him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cry. I just felt so excited to see Yvette. It has nothing to do with this gentleman. Please don¡¯t misunderstand him.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then, with a sweet look, he turned to Jeremiah and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t feel bad, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s gaze darkened as he locked eyes with the boy.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The boy¡¯s innocent eyes were glinting with an almost mischievous sparkle.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°What the hell, Rodney? Can you talk like a normal person? Stop pretending!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney paused for a moment. Then, with a serious nod, he stood up and dusted himself off. Turning to Jeremiah, he said coldly, ¡°Would you mind moving over? Thanks.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Without waiting for a reply, Rodney squeezed past Jeremiah, taking his ce between Yvette and Jeremiah as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He sat straight¨Cbacked, all proper like an adult.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, Samantha, and Charles exchanged nces. They heard Eagle King call the boy ¡°Rodney¡°. They thought, ¡®It sounds so familiar like we¡¯ve heard it somewhere before.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney turned to Yvette who had been quiet the whole time and said timidly, ¡°I didn¡¯t listen to you and came over to find you. Are you mad at me? Please don¡¯t ignore me, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head slightly, leaning back with her usualzy demeanor. Her eyes half¨Clidded, her voice calm and indifferent. ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡±</font></font>


    The moment Rodney heard that, his face lit up, and he nodded eagerly. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be mad at me, Yvette. After all, I¡¯m the cutest kid in the world, right? I know you love me the most.¡±


    Thest part was clearly aimed at someone else. Rodney cast a smug nce at Jeremiah, but when he saw his expressionless face, he huffed inwardly. He thought, ¡®What about that, old man


    Rodney then turned to introduce himself. ¡°Hi, everyone, I¡¯m Rodney, the best friend and also the best little brother of Yvette.¡±


    That was something Rodney had crowned himself with.


    Rodney continued, his tone almost mischievous. ¡°I bet you¡¯re all wondering how Yvette and I met, right?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s hand, resting on the armrest of the couch, stilled for moment. Rodney crossed his arms and began to recount the story.


    He said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pretty simple tale. When I first met Yvette, it was love at first sight. She came out of nowhere and saved me from a dire situation.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m still young, but I¡¯m a thoughtful man. When I grow up, I¡¯m definitely going to marry Yvette.¡±


    The group was leftpletely dumbfounded by Rodney¡¯s words. Everyone except Jeremiah, who remained impassively seated on the couch, and Eagle King, who already knew the truth, reacted withplete shock.


    Yvette reached over and patted Rodney¡¯s perfectly styled hair, shaking her head. ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    Samantha, still in a daze, stepped forward and looked at Yvette and Rodney¡¯s yful interaction. ¡°Uh, Yvette¡­ Who is this kid?¡± She knew that his calling Yvette ¡°Mom¡± was obviously a joke, but she was curious about who he really was.


    Jeremiah stayed silent, staring at Rodney¡¯s face for a full minute.


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, ncing at Rodney who was waiting obediently for her to introduce him. With a slow voice, she said, ¡°Rodney is thergest arms supplier in Voraxia right now and the new King of Voraxia.¡±


    Before anyone could fully process that, Eagle King dropped another bombshell that nearly left them all speechless. ¡°The man Yvette personally killed, Hadley, was this little boy¡¯s father.


    Eagle King¡¯s words hit like thunder,pletely stunning Emmett. Charles, and Samantha. They thought, ¡®What? No wonder the name ¡°Rodney¡± sounded so familiar. Hadley? Rodney? It turned out that this kid was the son of Hadley, the former King of Voraxia.¡®


    Emmett, Charles, and Samantha exchanged looks, their faces reflecting a mixture of confusion and disbelief. They thought/ ¡®Shouldn¡¯t Yvette and Rodney be enemies? Why on earth were they acting so friendly with each other now?¡®


    Jeremiah, his expression as calm and impassive as ever, lowered his gaze slightly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look anything like his father. Rodney paused for a moment, taken aback by thement. Then, he slowly looked up at Jeremiah. His eyes narrowed with a dangerous gleam, and his voice, mature for someone his age, slipped out. ¡°Do you know my father?¡±


    Jeremiah¡¯s gaze remained steady, his tone indifferent. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯ve only met him once.¡±


    Jeremiah remembered his first mission in Voraxia a decade ago when he had briefly crossed paths with Hadley. He thought that there was no way that man, with his rough and cold features, could have fathered this boy.


    Rodney¡¯s expression softened slightly when he heard Jeremiah¡¯s reply, and the hostility in his eyes slowly faded. He straightened up, slipping back into his usual sweet and innocent demeanor.


    Emmett, Charles, and Samantha werepletely confused by what they were hearing. Emmett asked, ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡±


    Eagle King stepped forward and pointed at Rodney sitting on the couch. ¡°It¡¯s simple. He¡¯s the result of Hadley, that disgusting man, forcing a foreign actress to have a child. Hadley kept her around by feeding her drugs,¡± he exined.


    Rodney, sitting on the couch, showed no reaction to the statement. He just stared at Yvette with a pitiful look, not bothered at all by the conversation.


    Eagle King continued, ¡°It¡¯s a mess. The woman got pregnant and gave birth to Rodney. Because of drugs, he was born frail. He barely survived, but Hadley never cared for him.


    ¡°He was always hungry and¨Ccold, abused by Hadley. It¡¯s a miracle this kid even made it this far.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rodney immediately retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not a miracle, Mr. Eagle King. It¡¯s all because of my own effort. I survived because I was waiting for Yvette.¡±


    Eagle King was speechless. He thought, ¡®Who taught him those cheesy talks?¡±

 Chapter 471

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King continued, ¡°Yvette came to Voraxia three years ago. I thought it was because Hadley had crossed her and that¡¯s why she killed him. Who knew she was actually an Interpol officer?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">There was a touch of grievance in Eagle King¡¯s voice as if he still couldn¡¯t quite believe it himself. A tough guy like him, looking so pitiful¨Cit was honestly a bit amusing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney, sitting on the couch, nced at him. ¡°That expression works for me, Mr. Eagle King, but on you? It¡¯s just terrifying.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King was pissed by his words.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Charles, and Emmett were starting to piece things together. From what Eagle King was saying, Rodney didn¡¯t seem to care about Hadley. That was why he had no obligation to seek revenge.</font></font>Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">However, there was still one thing that didn¡¯t sit right with them. They thought, ¡®Even if Rodney didn¡¯t seek revenge, he still shouldn¡¯t be so close with Yvette, right?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Eagle King sighed again and recounted the story. ¡°Hadley wanted to sell Rodney to a local criminal in Voraxia. This man had a notorious reputation for torturing kids.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°If Rodney had been handed over to him¡­ Well, you can imagine how bad it would¡¯ve gotten, but you probably guessed it. Yvette saved him and then killed Hadley.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Hearing this, Samantha was enraged. She red at Rodney who looked so delicate. ¡°Hadley was absolute trash. How could he use his son to curry favor with others? He got what he deserved.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney lifted his gaze when he heard Samantha¡¯s words, his voice calm. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If it weren¡¯t for Hadley, I wouldn¡¯t have met Yvette. I ended that asshole myself.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney spoke so calmly as if it were just another insignificant thing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked at Rodney, whose expression remained unfazed. Listening to him mention Yvette constantly, she sighed She thought, ¡®No wonder this kid didn¡¯t hold any grudge against Yvette. If she hadn¡¯t killed Hadley, he might have been long dead by now.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Charles were also moved by what they heard. They thought, ¡®If Rodney hadn¡¯t met Yvette, he probably would¡¯ve ended up dead. No wonder he treats Yvette so nicely. They¡¯re not enemies but family.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nced at Rodney, who was swinging his legs on the couch, his small stature still not reaching the floor. He turned his body slightly, his gaze sharp and cold. ¡°Are you the new King of Voraxia?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney stiffened at thement, casting an annoyed nce at Jeremiah. He thought, ¡®Yvette¡¯s boyfriend is always so sly¡­ He is so lucky to have her.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King snorted, ¡°The reason Rodney became the new King of Voraxia is because the biggest gang in Eldoria provides him with the most advanced weapons every year at the lowest market price. In a ce like Voraxia, power is everything.¡±</font></font>


    Emmett, Charles, and Samantha didn¡¯t need Eagle King to borate further. They all knew Voraxia was a brutal ce. There was no way a ten¨Cyear¨Cold child possibly rise to be its ruler.


    When Hadley died his territory was bound to be contested by many, and a kid like Rodney couldn¡¯t just step in and take control without some help.


    Eagle King looked at Rodney who appeared so innocent and said ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this kid. Weapons alone won¡¯t get him far. He may seem harmless on the outside, but he¡¯s ruthless. He strikes hard and without hesitation.¡±


    Eagle King couldn¡¯t help but think back to those days. Supported by Eldoria¡¯s weapons, the ten¨Cyear¨Cold Rodney had, within a year, won the hearts of the local people, suppressed his enemies with force, and, thanks to arge influx of money, solidified his position.


    For another six months, he hadpletely wiped out anyone who opposed him, officially bing the new King of Voraxia.


    Charles suddenly had a thought. A ten¨Cyear¨Cold kid didn¡¯t have much money, let alone connections to the biggest gang in Eldoria, How could Rodney have possibly¡­


    Charles turned toward Yvette, who was lounging on the couch, r expression unreadable as she casually crossed her legs. He thought, ¡®Could it be Yvette? If she helped Rodney, then everything would make perfect sense!


    Clearly, Emmett and Samantha had reached the same conclusion. Samantha swallowed nervously, almost bracing herself for the bombshell she was about to hear. She sat down on the couch, stammering, ¡°So, the Eldoria gang¡­ Are they the ones who provided us with the weapons?¡±


    Eagle King nced at Yvette, knowing there was no need for secrecy among friends.


    He nodded. ¡°Who else could it be? Honestly, I don¡¯t know what made her take a liking to this little boy, but she¡¯s been trying everything to help him.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for her, how would Eldoria have been willing to provide Rodney with weapons at such a low cost every year?¡± Eldoria was a major weapons powerhouse, recognized worldwide. A ce like Voraxia wouldn¡¯t even register on their radar without Yvette¡¯s involvement, let alone receiving thetest weapons.


    It was all thanks to Yvette, and Rodney owed his rise entirely to her.


    After hearing all this, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha all had a clearer understanding.


    Samantha looked at Yvette with newfound respect, thinking, ¡®If anyone was truly impressive here, it was Yvette. She had personally helped a ten¨Cyear¨Cold kid rise to the top of Voraxia. That¡¯s a story even the biggest braggarts couldn¡¯t top! ¡®If Rodney hadn¡¯t shown up, Yvette probably wouldn¡¯t have said a word about it. That¡¯s a lot to process.


    Samantha was taken aback for a moment, then she sighed and said, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that one day I would actually meet the King of Voraxia? And the craziest part is that he¡¯s just a kid, barely in his teens. This is insane.¡±


    Samantha felt like the best decision she ever made was sticking by Yvette. This wasn¡¯t just about broadening her horizons anymore; it was far more than that.


    Emmett nodded in agreement. He started thinking about Jeremiah¡¯s other identity. He thought, ¡®What would Yvette think when Jeremiah¡¯s true identity is revealed?¡® He found himself oddly curious about it.


    Rodney smiled sweetly at them, his eyes calm as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m not the King of Voraxia. Yvette is. I¡¯ll do whatever she says, even if it means dying.¡±


    Yvettezily lifted her gaze and gave a half¨Csmile. ¡°You should stop watching soap operas.¡±


    Rodney pouted, his tone sincere. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Yvette. If you had stayed, the King of Voraxia would¡¯ve been you. People would have followed you more easily.¡±


    The story only Yvette and Rodney knew was that back then, the followers of Hadley had no respect for Rodney. When he announced he was no longer dealing drugs, they rebelled. It was Yvette who visited every single one of them to talk to them.


    By the next day, half of the rebels had disappeared, and those who showed up for the meeting eagerly nodded their agreement to Rodney¡¯s decision.


    As for why so many had disappeared, all those who survived knew it well.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 472

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze was cold and mischievous, her eyes falling on Rodney as her voice came out soft and slow. ¡°What¡¯s meant to be yours will always be yours.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney swung his legs, blinked, and said obediently, ¡°What¡¯s mine is also yours, Yvette. We¡¯re family.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney then turned his head to examine Jeremiah, letting out a haughty hum. ¡°Man, I don¡¯t think you are the right one for Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°How about this? Can we make a deal? You can be Yvette¡¯s knight for now and protect her. Once I grow up, I¡¯ll marry Yvette, and then you can retire.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney said it so seriously that everyone in this room knew exactly what he was thinking. However, he looked unfazed.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha stared at Rodney, astonished by how serious he seemed. She thought, ¡®How dare a teenage kid say this to Jeremiah? It was ridiculous. Jeremiah now has a new rival, and this one isn¡¯t even of legal age! Man, Yvette¡¯s charm was on another level!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice as he spoke with a casual tone ¡°Really? Haven¡¯t you heard? Things rarely go as you expect.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King let out augh, followed by Emmett and Charles who paused for a moment beforeughing as well. They thought, ¡®How could Jeremiah be so cruel to a little boy? He just shattered his fantasies about romance.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney caught the meaning of Jeremiah¡¯s words, pouting and jumping into Yvette¡¯s arms, looking utterly wronged. ¡°He is really bad. How could he curse me? He¡¯s just jealous of how handsome I am.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King watched as Rodney acted spoiled in Yvette¡¯s embrace and shook his head in disgust. He thought, ¡°This little boy might act all sweet in front of Yvette, but when it came to others, he was a devil, killing without a second thought.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King sighed and said, ¡°Enough, Rodney. You¡¯re the king of Voraxia. Do you really need to act like this? Can you at least consider your status?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before Rodney could say anything, Jeremiah suddenly grabbed the cor of his shirt, hoisting him up. Rodney¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as his legs dangled in midair.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Struggling with all his might but unable to break free, Rodney could only shoot a re at Jeremiah, shouting, ¡°Hey, let me down! I¡¯m the king of Voraxia!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah smirked, ncing down at Rodney dangling from his grip. In a deep voice, he remarked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention being the king of Voraxia when you were acting all spoiled?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney grumbled, ¡°You¡¯re just jealous that I can act cute with Yvette. You¡¯re just a jealous old man! Yvette, save me!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette observed the scene¨CRodney kicking his legs helplessly in midair¨Cand rubbed her forehead, her gaze dark and serious. She said, ¡°Old man? Is that what you call him?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney froze at her words. This time, it wasn¡¯t an act. He genuinely felt wronged.</font></font>


    Samantha, Charles, Emmett, and even Eagle King who had been watching for fun could all feel the tension. Rodney¡¯s tears started falling. Sensing this, Jeremiah loosened his grip, releasing him.


    Standing there, Rodney radiated an overwhelming sense of loneliness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvette. I won¡¯t call him old man again. Please, don¡¯t be mad.¡±


    Yvette stood up and walked over to him. She looked down at Rodney with a nk face, saying coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that tears are the most useless thing in this world?


    ¡°Crying is a sign of weakness. No matter the reason, never try to use tears to solve your problems.


    Rodney quickly wiped away his tears upon hearing Yvette¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve never cried in front of others. I only cry when¡­.


    Yvette looked up with the usualzy expression in her eyes, yet her silence made Rodney shut up.


    Rodney lowered his head and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yvette. I remember you told me never to cry in front of others. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Rodney quicklyposed himself, his tears vanishing as if they had never existed. Samantha, Charles, and Emmett stood in stunned silence, all surprised at how swiftly he regained hisposure. They thought, ¡®This kid is good at acting, man!N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Samantha still felt that it was a little unreal. She said, ¡°How could such a child be the king of Voraxia?


    ¡°He should be in school, sitting in a ssroom, and living a carefree life. Instead, he¡¯s here, living in a ruthless world where he doesn¡¯t even have the right to cry.¡±


    Charles remained calm. He turned to Samantha and said, ¡°Without Yvette, Rodney wouldn¡¯t be here. Voraxia is a ce where only the strong survive. Yvette is right. Tears don¡¯t solve anything.¡°.


    Eagle King nced at Samantha and the others, shaking his head. ¡°You might think Rodney¡¯s crying in front of Yvette is surprising, but you don¡¯t know that three years ago, he was killing hundreds of people every day.


    ¡°His methods were brutal, but it¡¯s not his fault. In this ce, there¡¯s no family tradition. It¡¯s all about strength. If he didn¡¯t kill, others would kill him. No one cares if he¡¯s a child.¡±


    People couldn¡¯t choose where they came from. Some were born noble, while others were destined to walk a path full of difficulties. However, no matter the circumstances, the ultimate goal was to survive.


    Yvette patted Rodney on the head. Rodney, looking up at her with hope in his eyes, asked, ¡°Can youe home with me for a couple of days? Don¡¯t you want to see how I¡¯ve been managing my ce?¡±


    Yvette nced down at Rodney who was practically beaming with excitement and, after a long pause, nodded. ¡°Alright, just two days.¡±


    Hearing this, Rodney was overjoyed. ¡°Hooray! Two more days with Yvette!¡±


    Yvette turned to Jeremiah, who was lounging on the couch. She raised an eyebrow, and he subtly shifted his gaze to her, replying casually, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Downstairs in the hotel lobby, Quinn stood trembling, his legs aching from the strain. Despite the exhaustion, he remained rooted to the spot, staring at the elevator door with eager anticipation.


    Quinn had never imagined that Yvette and her friends were acquainted with Rodney. In Voraxia, he was known by everyone. He was even more famous than his father, the former king of Voraxia, Hadley.


    At the age of ten, Rodney had wiped out six gang leaders in one night, instantly rising to fame. Age was never a consideration in Voraxia¨Chere, power spoke louder than anything.


    Rodney was indeed a legend. It wasn¡¯t clear what methods he used to forge a partnership with Eldoria, but he had be thergest arms dealer in Voraxia, ruling it with an iron fist.


    Anyone who wanted arms had to go through him, meaning he controlled the lifeblood of countless drug dealers and criminals. Without a doubt, he was the king of Voraxia, and his power was unrivaled, especially with a formidable army at hismand.


    In short, Rodney held absolute authority in Voraxia. Quinn was d about how he had treated Yvette and her people.


    After all, Rodney was not like the insignificant member of Crimson des. He was the kind of person whose words alone could shake the entire region.

 Chapter 473

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Finally, just as Quinn was about to give up and copse from nervousness, the elevator door finally slid open. Yvette and Jeremiah, leading the group, stepped out of the elevator.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn wiped the sweat off his forehead and immediately approached. ¡°Ms. Zeller¡­</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Rodney, the quiet and obedient young man following Yvette.</font></font>Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">To his shock, Rodney was not walking beside or ahead of her, but following behind her. This was highly unusual. It meant Rodney ced Yvette at the forefront. This was serious.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn¡¯s heart raced as he quickly bowed deeply, his voice shaking slightly.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at the sweating Quinn and said, ¡°We¡¯ll leave our luggage in the room for now, and we¡¯ll pick it up in two days.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn nodded eagerly, ¡°Sure, Ms. Zeller. We¡¯ll make sure your belongings are well taken care of. That floor won¡¯t be assigned to any other guests for now. You can rest easy.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Quinn made up his mind to guard the second floor even if it meant no sleep for him. If anything happened to Yvette¡¯s luggage, he feared Rodney might blow up the hotel into oblivion</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the entrance of the hotel, a line of more than a dozen ck cars was parked in an orderly fashion. The crowd that had gathered earlier had been cleared out, and now the entire street was empty, save for Rodney¡¯s people.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha looked at the street which was now devoid of life, thinking, ¡®It was bustling just a moment ago, and now it¡¯spletely quiet.¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King was wearing bright red shorts, green flip¨Cflops, and a flowered shirt with his chest muscles faintly visible. He surveyed the street and said, ¡°Rodney has learned to make an entrance now, huh?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles stood still, eyes locked on Rodney who was following behind Yvette. He thought, ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Yvette¡¯s help and his own strength, he would probably have been dead a hundred times!</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Charles suddenly wondered, ¡®How many people has Yvette saved? This time, it was the king of Voraxia. Who will it be next time?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Rodney stepped out of the hotel, two bodyguards in ck suits, their muscles bulging and guns drawn, immediately approached him. They bowed deeply and respectfully addressed him as ¡°Mr. Robinson¡°, then nked him on either side, taking up a protective stance.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Rodney stepped out of the room on the second floor, he seemed like a different person. His face had turned serious, and with a ruthless demeanor that didn¡¯t match his age, he nced at the bodyguards and said, ¡°Go home now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then, turning to Yvette, his expression softened into a smile. ¡°The people you saved are still in the vige, Yvette. They talk about you all the time. Let¡¯s head back now.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette lowered her gaze, noticing the slight unease and ingratiation in Rodney¡¯s eyes. With a casual tone, she said, ¡°Alright.¡±</font></font>


    The group split into two cars. Yvette, Jeremiah, and Rodney were in one car, while Samantha, Charles, Emmett, and Eagle King were in another.


    Once inside the car, Eagle King looked at the modified ck car. ¡°This is no joke. I bet the modifications alone cost a fortune. The cost of these upgrades probably exceeds the price of the car itself.¡±


    Emmett and Charles could tell immediately. The entire car had been restructured using space¨Cgrade materials, and when they did the math, they realized the modifications were indeed more expensive than the car itself.


    Samantha didn¡¯t know much about cars, but she could tell by the materials that they were expensive. She sighed.


    ¡°Sometimes, I really feel like Yvette is some kind of goddess. She can do anything, effortlessly changing someone¡¯s fate.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just about changing fate¨Cit was more like defying the odds. For Rodney, meeting Yvette was the greatest stroke of luck in his life.


    Emmett and Charles nodded seriously, fully agreeing with her statement. As someone who had personally been trained by Yvette, Charles understood just how deep this went.


    Eagle King, lounging with his legs crossed, had on his ringly right green flip¨Cflops. It was impossible to ignore. He looked at Charles, Samantha, and Emmett, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t make such a fuss. Yvette always surprises you. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    They thought, ¡®What else could we do? Yvette is just so powerful


    Rodney sat in the passenger seat, visibly frustrated as he nced at Yvette and Jeremiah in the back. His gaze lingered on Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah, unhurried, peeled an orange and held it up to Yvette¡¯s mouth. She naturally opened her mouth to take it, her gaze still fixed on her phone, not bothering to look up.


    This scene made Rodney furious.


    Jeremiah raised his head and nced at Rodney in the front seat, a smirk ying on his lips. He waved the orange in his hand and said in a low voice, ¡°Would you like one?¡±


    Rodney turned around in a huff, closing himself offpletely. He muttered, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s too sour.¡±


    Jeremiah watched Rodney sulk, his smile fading slightly.


    After three hours of driving, they arrived at the entrance of a training ground¨CRodney¡¯s base. The grand gate stood before them, guarded by rows of fully armed soldiers in camouge, standing at attention with guns in hand.


    Once the car stopped, they got out. Rodney nodded indifferently at the soldiers around them. Immediately, the soldiers stood at attention, holding their rifles, and bowed deeply.


    Some of the soldiers froze for a moment when they saw Yvette. Though they tried to hide their excitement, it was clear from their expressions.


    Rodney turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, Yvette.¡±


    Yvette nodded, and they walked into the camp. It was only after they entered that Samantha, Charles, and Emmett realized that while the camp looked modest from the outside, it was actually a whole different world on the inside.


    They noticed that all the buildings were made of red bricks with distinctive designs. The red walls,bined with flowing water and artificial mountains, gave the ce an elegant feel. It was carefully decorated.


    They also passed several women in in clothes and children ying. This didn¡¯t feel like a military base at all. It felt more like a paradise. From the faces of the women and children, it was clear they were genuinely happy, not pretending.


    This scene left the group in awe. It was nothing like what they had expected.


    Jeremiah, walking alongside Yvette, looked around and felt a bit surprised. This definitely didn¡¯t look like Voraxia at all. If they hadn¡¯t been told, they might have thought they had stepped into a random vige in Clusia. There was no war but happiness.


    Eagle King casually pulled a de of grass from the ground and chewed on it, ncing at the astonished expressions of the group. ¡°Rodney may be ruthless, but he¡¯s not the kind of person who kills indiscriminately or does anything to seize power. ¡°The people here are either the soldiers¡® families, those who voluntarily followed him, or people who¡¯ve suffered great misfortunes. As long as they don¡¯t betray him, he lets them live under his protection.


    ¡°Yvette helped him out back then, both with money and connections, because she saw some goodness in the kid. Otherwise, why would she have gone to such lengths to help him?¡±


    Charles and Emmett nodded. Regardless of whether this was a tactic for gaining loyalty or a mix of methods, the fact remained that the people here seemed to be living better lives than elsewhere. They were undoubtedly happier.


    Samantha looked at the smiling children by the road, her thoughts running deep. If she hadn¡¯te here, she would never have realized that a ce in the notorious Golden Triangle, famous for its drug trade and chaos, could have a hidden sanctuary.

 Chapter 474

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney¡¯s house stood right in the heart of the base¨Ca grand, traditional courtyard with a touch of local ethnic ir. The threeyer design exuded an air of elegance and authority..</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As the group stepped into thepound, it was clear that securly was tight. Soldiers stood guard at regr intervals.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the living room, Yvette took a seat on the main couch. Beside her sat Jeremiah, followed by Emmett, Samantha, and Charles. Eagle King, as casual as ever, sprawledzily across the other end of the couch.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney poured a ss of juice, cing it carefully on the table in front of Yvette. ¡°Kash took a team out. There¡¯s been some trouble out there, and he¡¯s handling it. He should be back soon. he knew you were here, he¡¯d be thrilled.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They could tell from Rodney¡¯s excitement that this ¡°Kash¡± wasn¡¯t an ordinary figure. No doubt, it was another perso§Û connected to Yvette.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Charles, and Emmett instinctively turned their gazes toward Eagle King, who had seemingly be their unofficial guide and source of insider information.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King popped open a beer from the table, nonchntly taking a sip before addressing their unspoken curiosity. ¡°Kash is insane when ites to physical strength. He¡¯s the one Rodney trusts the most.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°They grew up together, but listen here, this guy is downright ruthless and he never blinks when he kills. Once he sets his mind on something, you¡¯d better not stand in his way. I¡¯m telling you, keep your distance when he¡¯s around.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When Eagle King said that, the group immediately understood. They thought, ¡®Crazy physical strength? Probably another formidable figure.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King took another big gulp of his beer, savoring the refreshing buzz. He looked at Yvette and said, ¡°Kash fears nothing but Yvette. If she tells him to do something, he¡¯ll never refuse.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette rested her chin on one hand, her left hand casually draped over the armrest of the couch. Her slender right hand held a ss, her expression calm. Without a word, she peeled an orange at her own pace and handed a piece to Jeremiah.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney watched Yvette¡¯s gesture, his mood visibly souring. He thought bitterly, ¡®One day, I¡¯ll make Yvette realize that I¡¯m the best. She¡¯s just blinded by Jeremiah now.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney muttered under his breath, ¡°Damn it, Jeremiah!¡¯</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His voice wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but in a room full of people with sharp ears, it was impossible to miss.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett decided to act as though he hadn¡¯t heard anything, while Samantha paused for a second before doing the same. They weren¡¯t about to get caught in the crossfire.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They thought, ¡®Rodney is just a kid. Jeremiah may not be able to deal with a kid, but he can do it to us.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah, unfazed, leisurely ate the orange Yvette had peeled for him. He smiled slightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s very sweet.¡±</font></font>


    Yvette nced at the two people nking her¨Cone aposed man, the other an eager boy¨Cand rubbed her forehead. -Samantha took a sip of water before asking curiously, ¡°Yvette, how did you manage to bring Kash under control?¡±


    Hearing Samantha¡¯s question, Rodney swung his legs innocently, his expression pure and yful. ¡°Kash was an orphan. When my father found him, he was living in the forest. His behavior was just like a wolf¡¯s because he was literally raised by werewolves.


    ¡°My father saw his savagery and used him to deal with anyone who refused to obey.¡±


    Emmett, Charles, and Samantha were taken aback. They though A child raised by werewolves? Moments like these always reminded them just how strange the world could be.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rodney shuffled closer to Yvette. He thought his actions had gone unnoticed, but Jeremiah had already noticed it, watching his antics with quiet amusement.


    Yvette tilted her head, looking down at Rodney, who was a little shorter than her. Noticing his sneaky maneuver, she smirked faintly but said nothing, simply finding his little schemes amusing.


    Straightening up, Rodney continued, ¡°Kash grew up with me. He¡¯s three years older, but after he was brought out of the forest, I was the one who taught him how to cat properly, how to dress, and everything.¡±


    Speaking of which, Rodney looked rather proud of himself.


    Eagle King, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. Sure, Rodney had taken good care of Kash¨Cthey had practically grown up relying on each other¨Cbut to say Rodney didn¡¯t benefit from Kash¡¯s abilities would be unrealistic.


    Kash¡¯sbat skills were nothing short of extraordinary. Even in a hand¨Cto¨Chand fight without using any internal energy, people¡¯s chances of winning were slim.


    Kash was born with a wolf¡¯s ferocity, and Rodney¡¯s years of ruling had been supported significantly by Kash¡¯s loyalty.


    From assassinations to shielding Rodney from countless attempts on his life, Kash had been the unyielding shield. The scars on his body were too numerous to count. If not for his remarkable resilience, he would have been long gone.


    Eagle King downed the rest of his beer in one gulp before smirking. ¡°As for how Yvette managed to bring Kash under her control, maybe you should just ask her directly.¡±


    He still remembered Yvette¡¯s method of taming Kash was nothing short of gruesome.


    Rodney turned to Yvette as well, clearly not intending to spill the details himself.


    Yvette, however, remained calm. Taking a sip of water, her expression stayed indifferent. Leaning backzily against the couch, her cold eyes swept over the room.


    With a casual tone, she said, ¡°The first time, I broke his ribs. The second time, I hung him from a tree for seven days and nights. The third time, I personally sent him to the ICU.¡±


    Eagle King winced at the memory of Kash¡¯s battered state back then. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how much Yvette¡¯s temper had mellowed over the years.


    Yvette¡¯s tone was light, but her words struck like a hammer. Emmett, Charles, and Samantha all felt a rush of adrenaline as they listened. Yet deep down, they knew one thing for certain¨CYvette would never act so harshly without a reason.


    Rodney immediately jumped to Yvette¡¯s defense. ¡°This wasn¡¯t Yvette¡¯s fault. Kash was raised by wolves and his wild instincts are part of his nature. If Yvette hadn¡¯tpletely subdued him, he would¡¯ve fought her to the death.


    ¡°Besides, Yvette¡¯s medical skills are incredible. She treated Kash all three times he was injured, and there¡¯s not a single scar or lingering issue.¡±


    Rodney¡¯s flustered exnation softened Jeremiah¡¯s gaze toward him slightly.


    Yvette lowered her head, her expression unreadable. What no one knew was that those three treatments had unlocked Kash¡¯s potential, pushing his already extraordinary physique to its absolute peak.


    From then on, Kash had be a true master. That was also why he was loyal to her. More importantly, in his mind, Yvette had be his alpha¨Chis absolute leader, much like the head wolf of his old pack.


    Samantha stared at Yvette with wide¨Ceyed admiration. ¡°Wow, my admiration for Yvette grew. If someone doesn¡¯t submit, she doesn¡¯t just make theirrobey¨Cshe beats them and makes them loyal.¡±


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, his expression thoughtful as he mulled over everything he had just heard.


    While they were talking, a rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance.


    A man stepped in, shirtless, wearing only loose ck shorts that hung low on his hips. His bronzed skin gleamed under the sunlight, entuating the twelve¨Cpack abs. His thick brows and sharp eyes exuded an untamed energy.


    The moment he saw Yvette sitting at the center of the couch, he became excited. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, closing the distance between them. Then, just seven feet away, he dropped to his knees, straight¨Cbacked, without a word.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 475

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The scene len Emmett, Samantha, and Charles, who were forming on the couch,pletely dumbfounded. They thought, What is going on? A maning in and kneeling right away way too much, isn¡¯t it?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney and Eagle King, however, didn¡¯t so much as blink. They were clearly used to this</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">For Kash, seeing Yvette meant one thing he had to kneel. It didn¡¯t matter where they were, what time it was, or when w around. He said that it was the highest form of respect his pack could show to a king they recognized</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s gaze moved from Kash to Yvette. His eyes were intente, full of thought. He thought. There is always something extraordinary about her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvene, with one leg crossed over the other, looked at Kash without any visible emotion. Her chin shifted slightly, her half- lidded eyes cold and detached. Suddenly, she said coldly, ¡°Get up</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before standing, Kash pressed his head to the floor with onest firm bow. Despite being among humans for years, he hadn¡¯t let go of his instincts or traditions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°Ms. Zeller,¡± Kash said with his voice trembling slightly with excitement, ¡°you¡¯ve finally returned.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kash¡¯s expression was enough to shock Samantha. She was so surprised that she sprayed the water she had just swallowed all over Charles¡¯s face. Charles turned to her with a deadpan expression, calmly pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his suit clean.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King straightened in his seat, clearly sensing it was his turn to y the role of the spokesperson.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Well, Kash calls Yvette ¡®Ms. Zeller¡® because she oversees a private army here. When Kash isn¡¯t guarding Rodney, he spends most of his time leading training sessions for that unit.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She always told herself to stay calm, but every time something like this came up, itpletely shattered herposure. She thought, ¡®A private army? Is that even real?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. ¡°Are you saying Yvette has her private army here in Voraxia?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Voraxia was a notorious no¨Cman¡¯snd, where every major drug dealer or criminal had their armed forces. However, the idea of Yvette having an army still shocked him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney nodded eagerly as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ¡°That¡¯s right, Samantha. Didn¡¯t you know? Yvette has her own army!¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kash, meanwhile, scanned the room, and when his sharp gazended on Jeremiah, his expression hardened. His body tensed immediately, shifting into high alert. He squinted at Jeremiah, his stance brimming with hostility. He thought, What a dangerous man¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at Kash, her tone light and indifferent. ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The brief words were enough to instantly dissipate the hostility radiating from Kash. After all, the queen¡¯s friends should be respected.</font></font>


    Jeremiah cast a faint nce at Kash, his expression deep and unreadable. Kash, shirtless, stood tall and imposing, his muscr build exuding a suffocating sense of dominance.


    Being raised by wolves, Kash never saw anything wrong about hisck of clothing, and over time, his subordinates had grown used to it.


    Eagle King sneaked a peek at his own abs and couldn¡¯t help but thought, ¡®Damn it. When can I have such abs?¡±


    20.06 Tue, Dec


    Yvene shifted her gate hardly in Rodney, who was covering his rooms as if trying to stifleughter Flee tour was far, almost bored. It¡¯s not worth mentioning:


    Eagle King cleared his throat, thinking. Not worth mentioning


    Votre trying to drew them crazy with thatment? If


    theer criminals in Voraxis heard this, they¡¯d be so familiated they¡¯d probably hang their heads against a wall


    Charles, usually the quiet observer, suddenly spoke up this time How many people are in your army, Yvetter


    Yvette¡¯s expression remained cool, with a faint air of irreverence Just two thousand


    Charles blinked, taken aback. In Voraxia, 190 thousand soldiers didn¡¯t sound like much. Samanthaehaled in relief, parting her chest. She thought. Oh man, I thought she was gonna say ra million


    Emmett, too, was relieved to hear a number that wasn¡¯t as terrifying


    Kash¡¯s gaze remained cold as he studied the group sitting on the couch. Eagle King paused, deciding it might be better not to borate. The two thousand soldiers Yvette mentioned likely weren¡¯t the same two thousand normal people they were imagining.


    This wasn¡¯t a mere collection of bodies to bulk up Yvette¡¯s forces. Every one of those soldiers was a force to be reckoned with.


    Other criminal factions relied on sheer numbers, but even one of Yvette¡¯s men could probably take on several from another gang. Eagle King knew that from experience.


    He thought, ¡®Well, they¡¯ll all find out for themselves tomorrow.


    Jeremiah ced his hand gently over Yvette¡¯s, and at that moment, Kash and Rodney¡¯s expressions shifted¨Cone grew fierce. while the other was unmistakably filled with jealousy.


    Suddenly, there was amotion at the door, a chaotic mor of footsteps. Unlike the perfectly synchronized steps from earlier, these sounded uncoordinated andckluster. ¡°Mr. Robinson, Kash. The traitor has been captured. What should we do with him now?¡±


    At the mention of the traitor, Rodney immediately sat up straight, his eyes glowing with a chilling light, so unsettling that it sent a shiver down anyone¡¯s spine. ¡°Bring him in.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Three soldiers marched in, escorting a disheveled man. The man, barely holding himself together, spotted Rodney and tried to break free from their grip, stumbling and crawling toward him.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even take a single step before Kash, who had walked past the couch, kicked him hard in the ribs. There was a sickening crack, and the man attempted to scream in pain, but Kash swiftly shut him up by covering his mouth.


    Rodney¡¯s eyes were cold and his voice wasced with venom. ¡°Did you think I really went to Tower Vige? selling me out and running off with your mistress was going to work?¡±


    The disheveled man¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he began shaking his head frantically in denial.


    Did you think


    However, Rodney didn¡¯t even give him a chance to speak. Without a hint of emotion, he turned to Kash and said, ¡°Take him away. Stuff him in a sack, drag him through the streets, and kill him.¡±


    When Rodney said ¡°Kill him¡°, it wasn¡¯t some quick, merciful death. It meant putting the man in a sack, binding his limbs, covering his mouth, and beating him senseless with a stick¨Cno sounds could escape him.


    Afterward, the body would be tossed into a dog pit for the animals to tear apart, leaving absolutely nothing but bones. Kash nodded expressionlessly. ¡°Understood.¡± He nced at Yvette before dragging the terrified man out of the living room. The man struggled violently but failed to escape. The fate of a traitor was always sealed. If he had truly seeded in his betrayal and if Rodney had fallen into the enemy¡¯s hands, his en would be far worse than it was now.


    Rodney turned to Yvette and his demeanor changedpletely. He shed a sweet, almost childlike smile, his voice dripping with false innocence as he cooed, ¡°Yvette, you must be exhausted from the journey. I¡¯ve already arranged a room for you. Please go rest.¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, and Charles were surprised by his swift change in attitude.


    Yvette gave a small nod and murmured, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Rodney stepped closer, positioning himself between Jeah and Yvette, then looked up at Jeremiah, his big eyes wide and innocent. He said with a yful grin, ¡°Let me show you to your room, Mr. Chavez.¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, Eagle King, and Charles exchanged amused nces. Samantha turned to the others, a little incredulous, ¡°Why do all of Jeremiah¡¯s rivals have such strange personalities?


    Emmett shook his head, resigned. To be honest, he had lost count of how many people had tried to steal Yvette away Jeremiah.

 Chapter 476

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah looked down at the innocent¨Clooking Rodney, his eyes glowing with a faint displeasure. He said in a low, ¡°Okay¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney smiled obediently at Jeremiah ¡°Please, Mr. Chavez, this way.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney turned to the others and said, ¡°Samantha, Emmett, your rooms are on the second floor, just like Yvette¡¯s. I¡¯ll take Mr. Chavez to his room first. His is a bit farther.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney¡¯s arrangement of Jeremiah¡¯s room so far from Yvette¡¯s left no room for doubt about his intentions.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah walked over to Yvette, his eyes softening with a gentle tenderness as he gazed at her. He raised an eyebrow with at charming smile and said in a low voice, ¡°Wait for me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette casually slipped her hands into her pockets, her posture rxed. A yful smile danced at the corner of her lips as she looked at him, saying nothing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King muttered as he watched Jeremiah and Rodney leave, ¡°Rodney must be up to no good again.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Emmett, and Charles all nodded in agreement, feeling a bit sorry for Jeremiah in his ongoing battle of wits with Rodney. They all had the feeling that if Jeremiah wanted to win Yvette¡¯s heart, it would definitely not be an easy feat.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette tilted her head slightly, yawning. She looked at them and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll head upstairs. You all make yourselves at home.¡± With that, she went upstairs, leaving them alone.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah and Rodney walked side by side, but Jeremiah was walking faster than Rodney. Thetter struggled to keep up,</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">falling behind a couple of steps without realizing it.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Looking at Jeremiah ahead of him, Rodney¡¯s face darkened. He thought, ¡®Damn, this guy is definitely doing this on purpose. He thinks I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to, huh?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah, hearing Rodney muttering behind him, paused and turned his head with a subtle smile curling at the corners of his lips. ¡°Why did you stop?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney froze for a moment, realizing that Jeremiah had caught onto his little struggle. He thought, ¡®He is simply too cunning, pretending to be oblivious when he knew full well that couldn¡¯t keep up.¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney took a deep breath and forced a smile, ying innocent. ¡°Nothing. I just suddenly remembered some little stories about me and Yvette and got a bit distracted.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s eyes darkened, feeling a little pissed as he stared at Rodney¡¯s innocent yet slightly defiant face. His expression remained unreadable, his voice cold and indifferent as he responded, ¡°Oh? What kind of stories?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney, fully aware of what he was doing, decided to stop walking. He perched himself on the nearby railing and fixed his innocent eyes on Jeremiah. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Yvette once helped me with a medicinal bath to cure my natural weakness.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">¡°And, well, she insisted I take itpletely naked. I still get a little embarrassed thinking about it.¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiah¡¯s smile quickly faded, his gaze sharpening like a bottomless abyss. The calm, almost chilling depths of his stare seemed to freeze the air around him.


    Rodney knew exactly what he was doing¨Cprovoking Jeremiah. If he could just get the man to snap, even better if he ended up hurt. That way, Yvette would surely turn her back on him.


    Rodney continued to smirk, his eyes dancing with defiance, daring Jeremiah to do something.


    Jeremiah lowered his gaze. When he finally looked up, his expression remained cool, almost dismissive. ¡°What¡¯s good about a child¡¯s underdeveloped body?¡±


    Rodney blinked, caught off guard for a moment. His cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. Without thinking, he leaped from the railing and charged at Jeremiah, full of righteous fury.


    Jeremiah¡¯s eyes shed briefly, but he made no move to dodge. He stood perfectly still, awaiting Rodney¡¯s approach.


    The next second, Rodney run into Jeremiah. He didn¡¯t expect his surprise attack to seed so easily. For a moment, he was left stunned and dumbfounded as Jeremiah smiled and simply copsed to the ground.


    It happened so fast that Rodney was left standing there, wide¨Ceyed. This wasn¡¯t how he had imagined it at all. He thought. ¡®How could he be so weak? No way¡­ Why would Yvette fall in love with a weak man?


    Panic surged through Rodney as he rushed to Jeremiah¡¯s side. He felt frightened when he felt the weakened pulse beneath his fingers.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He thought, ¡®One can fake fainting, but the breath can¡¯t be faked. Why does he look like he¡¯s on the verge of death?


    If it were anyone else, Rodney wouldn¡¯t care, no matter how many of them died. However, Jeremiah was Yvette¡¯s boyfriend, and if something happened to him because of him, it would be a serious matter.


    Just as Rodney was starting to panic and about to call for help, he heard Emmett¡¯s voice from a distance. ¡°Jeremiah Without a second thought, he quickly shouted back, ¡°We are over here!¡±


    Within two minutes, Emmett arrived, feeling stunned when he saw Jeremiah lying motionless on the ground. He nced at Rodney who was still kneeling anxiously by Jeremiah¡¯s side and asked, ¡°What happened? Why is his breathing so weak? What happened to him?¡±


    Rodney had to recount what had just happened. Being too nervous, he naturally didn¡¯t notice the unnatural look on Emmett¡¯s face when he heard these words.


    Emmett lowered his head and pretended to be worried, but deep down, he was at a loss for words. He nced at Jeremiah lying unconscious¡± on the floor and couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Poor Rodney. He has no idea what is going on.


    Rodney, of course, had no clue that if anything really happened to Jeremiah, Emmett wouldn¡¯t have time to listen to him ramble on about all this nonsense.


    After hearing Rodney¡¯s words, Emmett¡¯s expression turned grave as he spoke to him, ¡°We need to get Jeremiah to Yvette¡¯s ce right away. If we wait any longer, it¡¯ll be toote.¡±


    Rodney hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. There was no way they could keep Jeremiah¡¯s condition from Yvette at this point. His n had backfired.


    Earlier, he had moved all the guards along this route, so now, if something happened to Jeremiah, he wouldn¡¯t have anyone to vouch for him and exin it to Yvette.


    Emmett helped Jeremiah up, turning to Rodney and saying, ¡°Hurry up and help me.¡±


    Rodney quickly moved forward, using his frail shoulder to support Jeremiah. As Jeremiah leaned against him, Rodney felt a chill emanating from his body, sending a wave of fear through him. He thought, ¡®Was he already dead? Why is his body so cold?¡®


    On the second floor, Yvette had just stepped out of the shower and changed into a new tracksuit. She was about to pick up the phone on the table when there was a knock at the door.


    Yvette turned and walked to the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw Rodney covered in sweat, with the unconscious Jeremiah in his arms, and Emmett, his face full of worry.


    Before she could say anything, the door to the next room opened. Charles, Eagle King, and Samantha had all heard the hurried knocking and came out.


    Samantha, who had just changed into her pajamas and was nning to rest, had no intention of staying in bed after hearing the knocking. She rushed out to see Jeremiah unconscious, and immediately all the drowsiness vanished from her. ¡°What?


    Did Jeremiah pass out?¡±

 Chapter 477

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette kept her eyes half¨Clowered as she stared at the three people in front of her, her gaze settling on Jeremiah. Her sharp eyes narrowed, the chill deepening in her gaze.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing Yvette like this, Rodney immediately stiffened. He knew this was the sign of her anger. Yvette didn¡¯t lose her temper easily, so Rodney could tell Jeremiah mattered to her.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett rubbed his nose awkwardly, Jeremiah had pulled this stunt, but he really hoped Yvette wouldn¡¯t actually be mad because if she was, Jeremiah would suffer.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette watched Emmett¡¯s subtle gesture, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes were as dark as the night. ¡°Come in¡± she said, turning on her heel and heading toward the room.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Seeing how distant Yvette was, Emmett¡¯s anxiety grew. He thought, ¡®Could she have figured something out? That shouldn¡¯t be possible. Even the world¡¯s top doctors wouldn¡¯t be able to notice anything without feeling Jeremiah¡¯s pulse, right?</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett and Rodney hurriedly helped Jeremiah onto the bed, then stood obediently to one side. Yvette sat down on the chair, her expression indifferent as she ced her hand on Jeremiah¡¯s wrist to feel his pulse. It was weak, indeed the pulse of someone dying.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha, Charles, and Eagle King also stepped forward, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of Jeremiah lying on the bed, all clearly shocked.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King changed into a pair of blue shorts, his usual casual demeanor reced by a rare seriousness as he looked at the barely conscious Jeremiah on the bed. ¡°What happened in thest half hour? Rodney, how did this happen to Jeremiah? Samantha¡¯s face was equally solemn. She knew that if something really happened to Jeremiah, it would be a disaster.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney raised his head, his gaze shifting between the people in front of him and Yvette who was still checking Jeremiah¡¯s pulse with a neutral expression.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He anxiously exined, ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know how he ended up like this. I just bumped into him, and he fainted! I didn¡¯t do anything else. I had no idea Mr. Chavez was so fragile. If I had, I would¡¯ve been more careful,¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney was frustrated as he spoke. After all, no one would have guessed that someone who looked as tough as Jeremiah turned out to be so weak.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It wasn¡¯t just Rodney¨CCharles, Eagle King, and Samantha were all equally shocked. If what Rodney said was true, that he merely bumped into Jeremiah and he copsed, that would be ridiculous.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett, overhearing Rodney¡¯s description of Jeremiah, was dumbfounded. He thought, ¡®Fragile? I couldn¡¯t imagine that anyone would describe Jeremiah that way.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King and the others still weren¡¯t fully convinced by Rodney¡¯s exnation. Between the fact that Jeremiah had copsed from a mere bump and the possibility that Rodney was lying, they were more inclined to believe that Rodney was hiding something.</font></font>


    Eagle King knew how much Jeremiah meant to Yvette. With a serious tone, he stared at Rodney and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to lie. What exactly did you do? Tell us the truth.¡±


    Rodney immediately shook his head, his expression desperate. I¡¯m telling the truth! I swear, if I¡¯m lying, may Yvette never speak to me again for the rest of my life.¡±


    Seeing Rodney swear on Yvette, Eagle King was sure that he wasn¡¯t lying, but the situation was still bizarre. From the moment he first met Jeremiah, he knew his ancientbat power was profound. He couldn¡¯t possibly pass out from a simple bump.


    Eagle King was also confused, wondering what exactly had gone wrong.


    Charles, still eyeing Jeremiah¡¯s unconscious form, turned to Emmett and asked, ¡°Did he pass out as soon as you got there?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Samantha and Eagle King also looked at Emmett, who suddenly felt the weight of their gazes. Reluctantly, he nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah, when I arrived, Jeremiah had already passed out¡±


    Samantha kept staring at Emmett¡¯s face. She thought, ¡®There is something off about this. Why is Emmett so calm? Shouldn¡¯t he be more shaken up?¡®


    Yvette looked at Jeremiah on the bed with a faint smile, her eyes carrying a trace of yful indifference.


    Samantha stepped forward and, in a soft voice, asked, ¡°How is Jeremiah now, Yvette? How did he suddenly copse just from a bump from Rodney?¡±


    Samantha¡¯s question mirrored what everyone was thinking. Yvettezily lifted her gaze, her face remained cold andposed. Then she casually replied, ¡°His pulse is weak. You guys can leave now. I need to administer acupuncture.¡±


    Samantha, Eagle King, Charles, and Rodney all nodded. Emmett, feeling a bit awkward, said, ¡°Thank you for this, Yvette.¡± Yvette¡¯s eyes were half¨Cclosed as she fixed her gaze on Emmett, though there was a deeper meaning in her eyes. She said softly, ¡°Thank YOU.¡±


    Emmett froze, his heart sinking. He thought, ¡®What did that even mean? Come on, this has nothing to do with me.¡¯


    As they began to leave, Rodney hesitated, then turned back halfway. He approached the bed where Jeremiahy and said in a guilty voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Chavez. As long as you can wake up, I swear I won¡¯t fight with you for Yvette anymore.¡±


    Rodney¡¯s voice cracked slightly as he turned to look at Yvette. He rubbed his fingers and his eyes were red. ¡°Yvette, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Yvette reached out and gently patted Rodney on his head. ¡°You know my medical skills are good. He won¡¯t die.¡±


    As soon as Rodney heard this, his face lit up with joy. ¡°I knew it, Yvette. I knew you could save Mr. Chavez!¡±


    After they left the room, Yvette walked over to Jeremiah and stared at his handsome face. After a long silence, she leaned down, her lips almost brushing his ear as she spoke in a sultry tone, ¡°Keep pretending if you want.¡±


    Outside the room, Eagle King eyed Rodney up and down, sizing him up. ¡°I never would have guessed you had this much power, kid. Did you really knock out Jeremiah with just a bump?


    Charles and Samantha also turned to look at Rodney. They thought. The kid has a bright future ahead of him. Imagine telling people he knocked out the great Jeremiah with a single bump. That is a story that willst a lifetime!¡®


    Rodney pouted and quickly defended himself, looking innocent. I didn¡¯t use any force. It¡¯s just that Mr. Chavez is too weak.¡±


    Emmett, overhearing this, sighed deeply. He thought, Jeremiah really went to great lengths for Yvette. Now, I¡¯m afraid the phrase ¡®fragile¡® is going to stick with him forever.


    Rodney shot Eagle King a re before storming off, throwing a parting eye roll in his direction.


    Eagle King just chuckled indifferently, knowing that he was probably off¨Csulking somewhere.


    After Rodney left, the corridor was left with only Eagle King, Samantha, Emmett, and Charles. Emmett also seemed ready to leave, but just as he turned, Samantha called out from behind. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Emmett turned around with a deliberately stern face, clearing his throat. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just heading back to my room. I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±


    Samantha, Eagle King, and¨CCharles exchanged knowing nce:


    Meanwhile, Rodney stormed into the courtyard, looking utterly returned from outside. Kash immediately squinted. ¡°What hap


    Rodney nced over his shoulder at Yvette¡¯s room on the secon lost my girl.¡±


    Kash paused for a moment, then replied bluntly, ¡°She never be


    Rodney blinked, his eyes wide in surprise, then stared at Kash i


    Kash scratched the back of his head, not knowing What he said


    Samantha, Eagle King, and Charles exchanged knowing nces, then moved forward, slowly closing in around him.


    Meanwhile, Rodney stormed into the courtyard, looking utterly defeated. He looked at Kash with a grievance, who had just. returned from outside. Kash immediately squinted. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Rodney nced over his shoulder at Yvette¡¯s room on the second floor, his voice muffled with defeat. ¡°Kash, I might have lost my girl.¡±


    Kash paused for a moment, then replied bluntly, ¡°She never belonged to you.¡±


    Rodney blinked, his eyes wide in surprise, then stared at Kash in disbelief, feeling upset.


    Kash scratched the back of his head, not knowing What he said wrong.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 478

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as Yvette¡¯s words fell, Jeremiah immediately opened his eyes.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette leaned in, her expression casual, while Jeremiah raised his eyes with a flicker of amusement in them.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He lifted his hand and pinched Yvette¡¯s chin gently, his breath warm against her face. His eyes, calm and profound like a deep pool, met hers as his low voice echoed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you even worried about me?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette licked her lips, a smirk curling on her face. She suddenly tilted Jeremiah¡¯s chin up, kissing him fiercely until his lips bled slightly. Pulling away, she stared at him with a mischievous grin. ¡°Next time, you won¡¯t be able to get away with this.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah chuckled, the sound resonating deep in his chest. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll pull this trick every day.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette squeezed her fingers, ring at him with exasperation. She felt that he was doing better at arguing.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah saw that Yvette was getting upset, so he quickly sat up. He knew that if she really got angry, it would be hard to calm her down. As for him, he was full of energy, showing no sign of weakness.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah lifted the nket, wrapping his arms around Yvette¡¯s waist from behind with his chin resting on her shoulder. Yvette tilted her head slightly and asked, ¡°What method did you use? Your pulse was weak, almost imperceptible.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah stroked her waist, his voice casual as he replied, ¡°When I was younger, I went to Watwoz once. My grandfather¡¯s friend is the master there, and he taught me a technique¨Ca method that can make someone appear to be ¡®dead¡® temporarily.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nodded slightly, not feeling surprised. She had already guessed as much. Traditional Clusian boxing was profound, and there were indeed many masters with hidden skills. Some ancient techniques had been lost to time, so the existence of something like this wasn¡¯t too unexpected.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah suddenly lowered his voice and whispered to Yvette, ¡°Have I been a good husband?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette nced at him with a smirk as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded seriously, his eyes intense and yful, his voice oozing with charm. ¡°I followed those rules. I always obey my wife¡¯smands, and wherever she goes, I follow and listen to her.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette raised an eyebrow, a spark of amusement in her eyes. ¡°And?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah¡¯s hand, which had been resting on her waist, began to move slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve always indulged your spending and understood you. I¡¯ve always tolerated your bad temper and didn¡¯t fight back when you hit me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah had learned about those rules from his close friend Andrew, who was a bit of an inte expert. ording to Andrew, if a man mastered these rules, his girlfriend would never leave him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s gaze shifted to Jeremiah¡¯s hand, her lips curving up slightly as she teased, ¡°What are you doing with your hands? Do you want me to cut them off?¡±</font></font>


    Jeremiah froze for a moment before deliberately sliding his hand further up her waist. Yvette¡¯s eyes sparkled with mischief as she grinned, clearly enjoying the yful tension. In the next instant, she shifted her position, riding on Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah¡¯s expression stiffened, and then he adjusted, lifting her slightly to find a morefortable position.


    *****


    At one o¡¯clock in the morning, as the night deepened, Jeremiah pulled Yvette closer, wrapping his arms around her. He reached for the ss of warm water, handing it to her. ¡°Do you have any other ns on your trip to Mysonna this time?¡±


    Yvette took a slow sip from the ss, her voice slightly husky as the water soothed her throat. She was wearing a loose white shirt, and from Jeremiah¡¯s point, everything was in full view. His throat tightened slightly, and his gaze deepened.


    Yvette got off Jeremiah and stared at him. ¡°It takes time.¡±


    Just then, Yvette¡¯s phone rang. She casually picked it up without turning away from Jeremiah. Jeremiah nced at her phone screen and noticed it was a message from Sienna.


    Sienna: [Your design won an award, and the dean wants to present it to you personally. She said she¡¯d missed you for years and would love to see you, Should I set it up for you?]This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Yvette paused, twirling the phone between her fingers as she read the message. She raised her eyebrows and texted back, [Sure.]


    Not a minuteter, another message came in from Sienna.


    Sienna: [You finally said yes! Does that mean you¡¯re willing to show up? The fashion world is eagerly waiting to see the face behind Vibe. I¡¯m so excited.]


    The excitement in Sienna¡¯s message was almost tangible, and it was clear how much she had hoped Yvette would reveal herself to the public.


    Jeremiah¡¯s voice broke through the moment. ¡°Did you win an award?¡±


    Yvette put the phone down, her expression calm. It was as if the award didn¡¯t hold much weight for her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just a small award. Convenient timing though, since I¡¯ll be in Mysonnal I¡¯ll also be visiting a teacher there.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded. He was aware that Yvette was the mastermind behind Vibe, but to hear her brush off the award as ¡°just a small one¡± seemed a bit too humble.


    Meanwhile, in Mysonna, Sienna was practically bouncing on her bed with excitement when she saw Yvette¡¯s response. However, someone said in a low voice behind her, ¡°Come back to bed.¡±


    Sienna nced at the man lying on the bed and pouted. She thought, ¡®Did I find myself a boyfriend or a babysitter?¡®


    Sienna grumbled under her breath, though she knew better than to protest too much. With a reluctant sigh, she climbed back into bed and gave him a yful kick.


    That kick, however, had no effect. The man didn¡¯t flinch. Unfortunately, Sienna¡¯s little toe almost felt like it had broken.


    The man looked at Sienna who was pouting and smiled softly, his gaze brimming with unwavering tenderness.


    Back in Voraxia, early in the morning, Rodney was once again outside Yvette¡¯s door, pacing back and forth and looking around.


    Finally, the door opened, and out stepped Jeremiah, dressed in a white casual outfit, looking fresh and energized. When he saw Rodney standing there, he cleared his throat a couple of times. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Hearing his cough, Rodney immediately darted over, his eyes scanning up and down. Seeing that Jeremiah seemed to be in decent shape, he finally let out a sigh of relief. At least now, Yvette wouldn¡¯t be mad at him.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you yesterday, Mr. Chavez,¡± Rodney blurted, his voice full of regret.


    Jeremiah observed Rodney, noticing how, just the day before, he had been ruthless and decisive in dealing with traitors, but in front of Yvette, he was just a teenage boy. He knew that his apology seemed to be more for Yvette¡¯s sake than his own.


    With a quiet nod, Jeremiah¡¯s expression remained neutral, but his voice was calm and reassuring, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve always been in poor health. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Rodney blinked in surprise, his heart swelling with unexpected gratitude. He thought Jeremiah was going to pick on him, but he actually reassured him.


    Rodney¡¯s guilt grew stronger. Seeing how caring Jeremiah was made him realize that his feelings for Yvette shoulde to an end..He had no choice but to let go and wish them well.


    Rodney seemed toe to a resolute decision. He looked up at eremiah and said, ¡°Mr. Chavez, I won¡¯t fight you for Yvette anymore, but if you ever mistreat her, I will fight you for her.


    ¡°You might be sick and weak, but I¡¯m still stronger than you. You won¡¯t be able to defeat me.¡±

 Chapter 479

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah hid the smile in his eyes as he lifted his gaze to Rodney ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. You know, there are a lot of people who like Yvette, and I¡­¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah trailed off, his words leaving an open¨Cended hint. Hisment, though vague, was enough to stir Rodney¡¯s protective instincts. He pped his chest with a dramatic flourish, as though ready to face anything that came their way.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Chavez. You¡¯re my friend. If any of those guys start bothering Yvette, just let me know. I¡¯ll take care of them. I¡¯ll make it clean and simple, and no one will ever know.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After saying this, Rodney waved his hand for Jeremiah to lean down. He whispered fiercely into his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Chavez. I¡¯m an expert at making people disappear.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah nodded, his gaze softening for a moment as he looked at Rodney, his gratitude clear. ¡°I really appreciate it.¡± Rodney kicked his legs, beaming proudly. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Mr. Chavez. Don¡¯t hesitate to call me, okay?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the living room, at the dinner table, Emmett, Charles, Samantha, and Eagle King watched as Rodney chatted andughed with Jeremiah.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha rested her chin on her hand, looking a bit puzzled. She nced at the others and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? How did Jeremiah and Rodney go from barely knowing each other to this close in just one night?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">It wasn¡¯t just Samantha; even Emmett, Eagle King, and Charles werepletely baffled. Just yesterday, these two were at each other¡¯s throats, and now, they were acting like father and son. This was so strange.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The four of them barely touched their breakfast, too caught up in staring at Jeremiah and Rodney. Jeremiah handed Rodney a croissant, then carefully spread some strawberry jam on it before passing it to him.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Rodney took it with a smile, looking at Jeremiah with a charming grin. ¡°Thank you so much, Jeremiah,¡± he said, then picked up a piece of fried egg and ced it on Jeremiah¡¯s te.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Emmett¡¯s fork ttered to the table, looking surprised. He thought, ¡®Jeremiah and Rodney actually looked like father and son. Why? Wasn¡¯t it just yesterday these two were practically at war with each other? What the heck happened?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The four of them were left specting, their curiosity eating them alive. They thought, ¡®What kind of trick had Jeremiah pulled on Rodney? Why did he address him differently? Yesterday, it was ¡°Mr. Chavez¡± and now it¡¯s ¡°Jeremiah¡°. What happened exactly?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity any longer. He stared at Jeremiah and Rodney, asking bluntly, ¡°So, can someone please exin what¡¯s going on here?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Under the curious gaze of the four, Rodney sat up straight like an adult. He put down his fork and, in the most innocent voice, said, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing strange about it.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already be Jeremiah¡¯s friend. Jeremiah is in poor health, so I¡¯m here to take care of him. You guys don¡¯t need to make a big deal out of it.¡±


    Jeremiah tilted his head, giving Rodney a very cooperative cough, putting on an almost convincing ¡°fragile¡± act. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Emmett watched Jeremiah with wide eyes, his hand shaking as he picked up his milk and took a sip. The image of the all- powerful Jeremiah in his mind hadpletely shattered.


    Samantha couldn¡¯t help but give Jeremiah a thumbs¨Cup. She was impressed, thinking, ¡®Just look at Rodney¨Cyesterday he wanted to slice Jeremiah into pieces, and now he¡¯s already protecting him. The power of a good strategy, huh? Jeremiah¡¯s tricks worked.


    Samantha¡¯s thoughts briefly drifted to her younger brother Andrew. She thought that if only he could learn something from Jeremiah. However, Andrew seemed to grow only in size, not in intelligence.


    Charles quietly observed Jeremiah and Rodney, his gaze steady. He just wanted to know whether Yvette knew how sly Jeremiah was.


    When Eagle King heard Rodney call him in such a rude tone, he lost interest in how Jeremiah had worked his magic anymore. He just wanted to figure out why Rodney appeared so respectful to Jeremiah, Emmett, and Charles while being so rude to him.


    Eagle King shot a nce at Jeremiah, wondering if he should start copying him and pretending to be weak.


    The next second, Eagle King turned to Rodney, his voice dripping with grievance. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little unfair to treat me differently, Rodney?¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, and Charles immediately turned to look at Eagle King. They thought, ¡®What is he doing? Is today the day everyone ying weak?¡±


    Eagle King, feeling the pressure of their gazes, awkwardly scratched his nose. ¡°What are you staring at?¡±


    Rodney stared at the pouting Eagle King for a moment, then, without hesitation, responded in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m more drawn to good¨Clooking guys, like Jeremiah, Emmett, and Charles, but I keep my distance from less charming guys, like you.¡±


    Samantha, Emmett, and even Charles couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter. They thought, ¡®Rodney¡¯s honesty can hurt people. No wonder he¡¯s close to Yvette¨Che knows exactly how to hit where it hurts.


    Eagle King, fuming with rage, felt his face burn. He thought, ¡®That was harsh. What did he mean by calling me less charming? Does he have topare me to Jeremiah?¡®


    However, Rodney wasn¡¯t done. ¡°And the biggest problem with you isn¡¯t even your looks.¡± Hearing that, Eagle King felt his wounded pride shatterpletely.


    Eagle King¡¯s eyes were practically zing with fury. He thought, ¡°What else is Rodney going to say?


    Rodney sized up Eagle King, put down his croissant, and said, ¡°Your biggest problem is your sense of fashion. Haven¡¯t you ever heard the saying ¡®Red and green should never be seen, except in the washing machine¡®?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Eagle King, agreeing with Rodney. Eagle King¡¯s outfit¨Cred vest, green shorts, and blue slippers- was basically a walking fashion disaster.


    Samantha was struggling to keep it together, nearly dying ofughter. This was too much. She felt that Rodneyedic genius in the making, and he wasn¡¯t even trying.


    Rodney turned to Jeremiah with a proud look. Jeremiah gave him a pat on the shoulder, nced at Eagle King who looked like he might explode at any second, and nodded with full approval. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±


    Eagle King was ready to take out all his frustration on Rodney when he heard Jeremiah¡¯s words. However, after hearing Jeremiah, he waspletely deted. He knew he couldn¡¯t mess with Jeremiah, so he resigned himself to quietly eating the oatmeal.


    Yvette came downstairs from the second floor. The moment she appeared, Eagle King let out a roar. ¡°Help, Yvette! Someone is picking on me!¡±


    Eagle King¡¯s voice was so dramatic that it seemed like it could lift the roof off. It could be seen that he was deeply wronged.


    Yvette paused, then casually walked over to the table and sat down. Eagle King, seeing his ally arrive, immediately dropped his gloom and shot a smug look at Rodney. Then, when turning back to Yvette, his expression shiftedpletely. ¡°Yvette¡­¡±


    Yvette casually scratched her ear and looked at Eagle King with mild indifference. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

 Chapter 480

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Eagle King reached out, wanting to point at Jeremiah, but just as he extended his finger, Jeremiah gave him a calm, indifferent nce. His finger suddenly veered and ended up pointing at Rodney instead.</font></font>Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Eagle Kingined, ¡°Boss, that little brat Rodney dared to call me ugly. I could handle being called ugly, but then he insulted my fashion sense. You know I¡¯m at the forefront of trends, the fashion darling. This blows my pride. Boss, you have to support me.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Eagle King¡¯s usation left everyone else speechless. They thought, ¡°The fashion darling? That¡¯s a bold im. Who in their right mind calls this peculiar get¨Cup fashionable?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha took a sip of her coffee and decided to say something in defense of the Eagle King, ¡°Actually, Eagle King¡¯s outfit does have an artistic ir.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Herment was more artistic than the Eagle King¡¯s style. Even Emmett, Charles, and Jeremiah, who was slicing sausage, paused for a moment. Their eyes clearly showed, ¡°Seriously? Doesn¡¯t lying bother your conscience?¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Samantha calmily exchanged silent nces with the others. She appeared to genuinely appreciate the Eagle King¡¯s fashion sense, which moved him deeply.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King said, ¡°Samantha, you¡¯ve got an eye for fashion.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The way Eagle King said it made Samantha¡¯s eye twitch. She thought, ¡®Is it toote to take back her words?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette looked at the slightly downcast Eagle King and calmly picked up the orange juice Jeremiah had poured for her. She lowered her eyes, rxed her posture, and slowly smiled, speaking in a soft and gentle voice, ¡°Your outfit is just perfect. Fashion is about standing out, and you¡¯re the brightest star in the crowd. Don¡¯t mind what the kid said. They¡¯re too young to understand.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yvette¡¯s words immediately lifted the Eagle King¡¯s spirits, making him feel like he was on top of the world. It didn¡¯t matter if a million people said he looked bad. As long as Yvette said he did, it must be true. He trusted her sense of style more than anyone else¡¯s.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Eagle King nced at the people around the table, feeling proud and satisfied after Yvette¡¯s affirmation, shaking off the earlier disappointment.</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Eagle King said, ¡°Listen to what Yvette just said. That¡¯s what I call a realpliment. Want to know what dressing well means? What is refined taste? Look at me, folks.¡±</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The expressions on the faces around the table were a bit difficult to describe as they looked at Yvette, sitting there with her chin resting on her hand. Emmett, Samantha, and Charles all pondered the same question, ¡®Is Yvette the boss of Vibe?¡®</font></font>


    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jeremiah turned his head, took a napkin to wipe his mouth, and said seriously, ¡°I think your style is very tasteful as well.¡±</font></font>


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles exchanged a look and took a sip of their coffee at the same time..Well, it seemed Jeremiah¡¯s position changed quickly. This was a perfect example of someone going along with their partner¡¯s views, clearly showing that he¡¯d got a love¨Cstruck mind.


    Rodney swung his little legs and sneaked a nce at Eagle King, his eyes showing a bit of inner conflict. In the end, he decided to go against his better judgment and said to Eagle King ¡°Eagle King, Yvette was right. I suddenly think your outfit today looks great. The colors match perfectly. I was just joking before, so please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±


    Rodney¡¯s abrupt change in attitude left Eagle King speechless. It seemed he was just being used. If Yvette hadn¡¯t praised him, Jeremiah and Rodney probably wouldn¡¯t haveplimented him at all.


    He was a stepping stone for Jeremiah and Rodney, trying to win Yvette¡¯s favor. He¡¯d worn out. It should end here.


    Eagle King chuckled with arrogance and said, ¡°Rodney, since you can admit your mistakes and recognize your aesthetic shorings, I¡¯ll be generous and forgive you this time.¡±


    Eagle King¡¯s skill in teasing kids was on full disy. But Rodney didn¡¯t pay him any attention. He blinked his big eyes at Yvette and said, ¡°Yvette, how about it? My sense of style is just like yours, right?¡±


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles looked at Eagle King. He was a pitiful guy. One praised him because Jeremiah was eager to show his love to Yvette, and the other for trying to show his style matched Yvette¡¯s. Hearing this, the Eagle King once again fell silent.


    Rodney turned to Eagle King, intending to console him, but what came out was a shocker, ¡°Eagle King, don¡¯t be upset. Even though you¡¯re not good¨Clooking, you¡¯re kind. Besides, no matter what, Flying Fish will never look down on you. Keep your confidence up.¡±


    Eagle King lifted his head and gave a slight smile. Well, his confidence waspletely gone.


    Then, with a roar, the Eagle King made the living room floor shake. ¡°Rodney, get over here. What do you mean by saying I¡¯m ugly but kind?¡±


    Seeing the situation was turning bad, Rodney thought it was now or never to escape. He said to Jeremiah beside him, ¡°Jeremiah, cover for me. I¡¯m going to make a run for it. Good luck, I believe you can take on Eagle King.¡±


    Jeremiah nodded. Rodney then politely told Yvette, ¡°Yvette, take your time eating. See youter.¡± With that, he turned and dashed out.


    Eagle King called out, ¡°Rodney, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Hearing this, Rodney sped up, moving his little legs even faster.


    Eagle King got up and said to the others at the table, ¡°Take your time eating. I have to go and teach that little brat a lesson.¡± With that, he stormed off after Rodney.


    Yvette leisurely ate her bread without any intention of stopping the Eagle King, while Jeremiah calmly drank his coffee.


    Emmettmented, ¡°Hey, Yvette, is the Eagle King going to be okay with Rodney?¡± Judging by how mad Eagle King looked, he was definitely going to get a spanking today.


    Jeremiah ced the sliced sausage in front of Yvette and asked softly, ¡°Do you want an apple?¡±


    Yvette nced at him and nodded slightly. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Having finished breakfast, Jeremiah picked up a big, red apple and started peeling it. Yvette tilted her head to look at Emmett, Samantha, and Charles, smirked slightly, and said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Kash is outside. The Eagle King can¡¯t catch Rodney. And even if he did, he¡¯d have to let him go.¡±


    While Samantha, Charles, and Emmett were still a bit doubtful, they heard the Eagle King indeed yelling in the yard.


    Eagle King shouted, ¡°Darn it, Kash, are you serious? I didn¡¯t hit him. Did you really have to go that far?


    ¡°Hey, Kash, if you keep this up, I¡¯m not gonna hold back.


    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re too ruthless, taking over all three routes. You¡¯ve really picked up some nasty tricks from that rascal, Rodney.¡±


    Kash¡¯s cold voice came through, ¡°Who are you calling a rascal?¡±


    What followed was the sound of fists and feet shing, mixed with Randy cheering, ¡°Kash, quick, hit him there. Eagle King, look, there¡¯s something strange flying over there.


    ¡°Kash, go for it. Go for it. You¡¯re the best, give it your all!¡±


    At the dining table, Samantha, Emmett, and Charles could hear themotion outside and the Eagle King¡¯s shouts, indicating just how intense the fight was. They all looked toward Yvette, who was calm andposed. Just as Yvette had said, with Kash on their side, the Eagle King stood no chance against Rodney today.


    Emmett asked curiously, ¡°Yvette, the Eagle King¡¯s ancientbat power isn¡¯tmon. Is Kash really so strong that he can beat the Eagle King?¡±


    Hearing Emmett¡¯s question, Samantha also got curious. ¡°Yeah, Yvette, the Eagle King is supposed to be really strong. So, who is actually stronger, him or Kash?¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 481

    ?


    Yvette narrowed her dark eyes a bit, lifting her eyelids, her eyes as clear as water and bright as stars. She said inly, "Kash will win."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, Jeremiah finished peeling an apple and ced the whole peel on the table. Emmett nced at it, marveling at how Jeremiah, who never used to peel apples, had be so proficient at it for Yvette. The apple peel looked like a piece of art, truly fitting his skill.


    Jeremiah handed the peeled apple to Yvette and nced at Samantha, Charles, and Emmett. "Even though the Eagle King is powerful in ancientbat power when ites to pure physical strength and stamina, Kash is much better. In a bare- handed fight, without using inner energy, the Eagle King is bound to lose."


    Samantha continued, "What if the Eagle King uses his ancientbat power?"


    Yvette took a bite of the apple, crossed her legs, and stretchedfortably. She casually said, "It''s evenly matched, but the Eagle King has a slight advantage."


    Ancientbat techniques had always been quite mysterious and were almost lost to time, with very few practitioners. The ancientbat techniques focused on calming the mind and concentrating energy, simr to the inner strength practiced by ancient people. The stronger the ancientbat power became, the deeper the internal strength was.


    To train in ancientbat techniques, many were disqualified from the start due to their physique. Furthermore, the more advanced techniques were hidden within busy city sects or passed down in families that had guarded them for centuries. Only a few individuals had the privilege to learn these skills, and such knowledge was rarely shared outside.


    Jeremiah was sent at a young age by Jase to the Watwoz to train for five years, inheriting generations of dedication and top-level ancientbat techniques.


    Emmett was adopted by the Chavez family from a young age, primarily because his one-in-a-million physique made him an ideal candidate for practicing ancientbat power. As a result, Jase and Jeremiah sent him to train in these skills.


    Eagle King had an incredible stroke of luck. As a child, he begged alongside an old beggar, who turned out to be an ancientbat expert, imparting ancientbat techniques to him, shaping the Eagle King everyone knew today.


    In today''s age of modern weaponry, with missiles, rockets, bombs, and machine guns having so much power, ancientbat power might seem less important. However, those who had truly practiced understood its true value.


    Compared to regr people, those who practice ancientbat power could easily live twenty years longer than the average person. They were generally healthy, with their organs sustained by their ancientbat breathing techniques, making them even less likely to suffer from any major illnesses.


    Moreover, without weapons, someone skilled in ancientbat power could take on hundreds or even thousands of opponents. For experts like Yvette and Jeremiah, facing ten thousand people was not out of the question.


    Jeremiah turned to Yvette and asked a question he had long been curious about, "Who taught you your ancientbat techniques?" Yvette''s strength in ancientbat power was profound, typically achievable only through training from an old family or prestigious sect.


    Charles, Emmett, and Samantha unconsciously sat up straighter. Sitting there, they looked like employees waiting for their boss, Yvette, to start the meeting, always feeling she might drop another jaw-dropping bombshell.


    Yvette turned her head and nced at Jeremiah. Her eyes, as dark as a cold, met his gaze, clear like crystal and shining with soft starlight, profound and mysterious,


    Her voice remained cool and steady as always. "It''s something natural. I''ve been able to sense the ancientbat power


    1/3


    within me since I was three.".


    3


    68%


    This was why Yvette had been using candy all these years to suppress the energy within her. She was naturally born with a very strong ancientbat power.


    When she was younger, she didn''t know how to control it, which led to a few wild days each month. But as she grew up, she gradually started developing her way of managing it.


    By a twist of fate, she met Ss and learned to make potions. She began using these potions to suppress her deep ancientbat power and mixed them into vani toffees.


    Everyone was eager to learn about ancientbat power. Some of them even practiced for their entire lives but never reached the highest level. However, Yvette was born with it and spent each day trying to keep it under control.


    Yvette knew that her ancientbat power was likely connected to Lilian. Lilian seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Despite all her efforts over the years, she could not find a single trace of her.


    Back then, Lilian gave birth to her and left her at an orphanage, leaving only a letter exining her origins before disappearingpletely. It was as if this person never existed in the world at all.


    ''What kind of person can disappear sopletely that not even bones can be found?'' Yvette lowered her gaze, a cold glimmer appeared in her eyes, an imprable heaviness.


    When they returned from Mysonna, they should visit the director of the biologyb, Rashad, in Betrico. Yvette mentioned it casually, but Emmett, Samantha, and Charles were too shocked to say a word.


    They knew they shouldn''t have asked. Asking would just show the difference between Yvette and others.


    Charles was all right since he grew up in Mysonna and had only heard about ancientbat power but didn''t know much about them. But even he knew that the idea of being born with such mystical power was just a myth.


    Every day, they would ask in their hearts, ''Is Yvette even human


    Emmett trembled as he picked up a ss of water and took a couple of sips. He needed to calm down.


    After following Jeremiah at Watwoz for so many years, the phrase most often heard was someone praising Jeremiah''s extraordinary talent. They said his five years of training could match twenty years of others, making him an ancientbat genius.


    Now when Yvette imed she was born with ancientbat power, anyone else would be skeptical, but if Yvette said it, he couldn''t help but believe her.


    It was also Emmett''s first time admitting someone could be born with ancientbat power. He was convinced that, in this lifetime, Yvette might be the only special case he would ever meet.


    Samantha slowly and painfully turned her body. In families like theirs, they would start special tests from the age of two to see if they were suitable for practicing ancientbat power.


    If they were deemed suitable, they would use all their connections to send them for training by prominent families. Both she and Andrew had undergone the tests, and the results were clear. Neither of them was fit for it. She ended up learning taekwondo, while Andrew gave uppletely.


    By now, Samantha''s feelings toward Yvette had gone beyond simple admiration. She wanted to invite her home every day and almost worship her. She decided that when she got pregnant she would stick by Yvette''s side for twelve hours a day.


    At the very least, just being around Yvette might let her absorb some of her mystical energy, and maybe her next generation could pick up some ancientbat power techniques.


    Jeremiah stared at Yvette. His eyebrows rose attractively, and his gaze was deep, as profound as the night.


    2/3


    3/3


    3


    Unlike Emmett and the others, Jeremiah immediately thought of Yvette''s mother when he heard her speak. Lilian mysteriously vanished without a


    trace.


    68%


    After meeting Yvette, he tried to use his connections to locate the missing person. At least he could give Yvette some closure, whether she was alive or not. But all that effort yielded no clue.


    If Yvette was born with such strong ancientbat power, it could only mean that her mother was truly incredible.

 Chapter 482

    ?


    Just as Emmett, Samantha, and Charles were trying to process the fact that Yvette''s ancientbat power was innate, the Eagle King came in with Kash and Rodney. The Eagle King held his spine, almost kicked to the point of fracturing by Kash, his eyes full ofint.


    Kash didn''t have any honor in ancientbat. Now he''d even learned tounch sneak attacks, targeting his rear. Kash had a bloody mark at the corner of his eye, and deep scratches on his bare arms. Out of the three, only Rodney came out unscathed, showing how intense the fight was.


    Eagle King stuck out his butt without any hesitation, showing the footprint to everyone. "Boss, Kash is too cruel. He ambushed me and kicked me in the butt. That force of his... It hurts so badly. I thought I''d die."


    Kash looked at Yvette with a nk expression. "Ms. Zeller, I didn''t ambush him. It was all above board. It was Eagle King who scratched me like a girl because he couldn''t beat me."


    Saying this, he imitated the Eagle King and raised his injured arm. Kash wasining, yet he was so deadpan that everyone at the table couldn''t help but burst intoughter. Seeing Kash''s serious face as he said those things was undeniably funny.


    Rodney dashed over to Yvette. "Yvette, I swear it was Eagle King who started it first. He couldn''t beat Kash, so he went for sneak attacks. That''s so uncool. When I grow up, I definitely won''t be like him."


    Yvette patted Rodney''s head. Looking at the two people who wouldn''t give in to each other, she said calmly, "Stop it."


    Kash suddenly went down on one knee in front of Yvette. This sudden act caught everyone''s attention at the dining table, There was no need to kneel.


    Samantha watched as Kash knelt, showing off his more defined abs, and quickly turned her gaze. Seeing too much of that might just give her a nosebleed. Samantha pulled out her phone and sent a message to Zion, who was far away in Berrico.


    Samantha: [I want an eight-pack stomach.]


    In a short while, she received a reply from Zion: [Sure, I''ll hit the gym right away and be ready for your inspection when you get back.] Samantha looked at the message Zion sent her and smiled with satisfaction. Men should act this way. An obedient man was the most charming. Kash, kneeling on one knee, shouted to Yvette, "Boss, the team is ready."


    Yvette stood up slowly, half-closing her eyes, her voice cool and clear. "Let''s go."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    After having breakfast, they all got into the car and went to the military base. The base, which housed a two-thousand- person army, wasn''t far from Rodney''s protective barrier.


    If someone wanted to challenge Rodney, these two thousand people were the first line of defense This was one reason Rodney had stayed safe for so many years. Taking the same route back, they traveled for half an hour before reaching a rainforest entrance, where they got out of the car.


    Yvette was wearing camouge and military boots, exuding a spirited aura. Her dark, mysterious eyes and smooth, fair face added a stern air, with sharpness contained in her gaze.


    Jeremiah stood beside her, his presence as strong as ever. His well-defined features and proud, distant demeanor radiated amanding aura, standing alone yet exuding an air of defiance


    The two stood together, their aura equally matched,plementing each other. They were a perfect thatch. Behind them were Emmett, Charles, Samantha, and Kash, along with Rodney and the Eagle King, all dressed in camouge. All of them


    1/3


    |||


    <


    were handsome men, beautiful women, and a cute little boy.


    68%


    As Emmett looked at the rainforest in front of him, memories came rushing back to when he ventured into the Mysonna jungles a few months ago to find Jeremiah. The image of Yvette killing the giant snake was vivid in his mind as if it happened only yesterday.


    Thinking back, it was an unforgettable moment in his life. At that moment, Yvette seemed like a deity standing between heaven and earth, so majestic that no one dared to look at her directly.


    Kash stepped forward. "Ms. Zeller, please follow me."


    Kash led the way, with the group following him into the jungle. They headed east for about twenty minutes before the path gradually widened before them. Aplete base came into view with a grand gate and two rows of guards, ten in total, five on each side, all equipped with thetest model guns.


    Each wore a serious expression, dressed in neatly tailored ck uniforms, specially made. Surviving in this rainforest was hazardous, as even a single poisonous insect could be deadly.-


    The guards at the gate, upon seeing Kash and Yvette approaching, immediately came forward, barely containing their excitement. "Boss, Kash, nice to see you."


    All ten soldiers'' eyes were on Yvette. Three years ago, Yvette saved their whole vige and had Kash train them, funding the creation of this sanctuary where they could rebuild their homes. Only now did she finally appear before them.


    Each of the ten guards here had been saved by Yvette herself back then. They allowed her a lot. Seeing Yvette now, they were practically buzzing with excitement. Even Emmett, Samantha, and the Eagle King, Charles, who were standing behind her, could feel the men''s enthusiasm.


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly, looking at the ten soldiers in front of her. Her eyes were deep, and her expression was calm. She spoke in a cool and clear voice, "It''s been a long time."


    The men all nodded eagerly, speaking over one another. "Boss, it''s been a long time."


    "Boss, it''s been a long time."


    With Yvette and Jeremiah leading, the group made their way into the base with a grand entrance. Once inside, Emmett and the others were wide- eyed with amazement.


    Observing the base''s construction, it was quite impressive to have built such a facility in the rainforest. Originally, they thought it was just a simple base, but it turned out to be a hidden marvel packed with technology. There was facial recognition too. One had to pass through three verification steps to enter, with thest being a retina scan. All the roads inside were concrete, with only robots moving along them, which wasn''t surprising in other ces.


    But this was a rainforest. As for electricity, water, and the inte, they couldn''t figure out where all of those came from. Just maintaining these basic infrastructures must have cost a fortune. Now, this rainforest base seemed more advanced than the one Rodney had.


    They wondered, ''Is living in the rainforest so easy now? It seemed much more rxed than life outside. With this in mind, the group was filled with curiosity.


    Samantha tugged at the Eagle King. "Hey, Eagle King, have you been to this base before? It''s so impressive."


    The Eagle King, with his hands in his pockets, casually waved to the curious Samantha. ¡°Samantha, there''s nothing to be surprised about. This entire rainforest is privately owned by Yvette, and it''s officially approved by the government. It''s not very big or dangerous. The boss chose this spot for her people because it was ideal, and she even designed the base''s blueprints herself. As for stuff like power andmunication, it''s not thatplicated. We use satellite systems here, and there''s a deep river behind the base for water. The electricity setup was redesigned by Yvette herself, but I don''t know the details. You''ll have to ask Yvette about that."


    2/3


    After hearing this, Samantha, Emmett, and Charles found that all their questions were answered. Wow, Yvette managed the entire base construction on her own.


    0

 Chapter 483

    ?


    ??? ? 3, 68%[


    As the group entered the core of the base, they were astonished once more. Unlike the high-tech perimeter, the interior was a vast and primitive area that could amodate thousands of people.


    In contrast to the exterior, the core region of the base had a raw and natural feel. Towering trees intertwined to form a dense canopy, mingling with various rainforest nts. There wasn''t a trace of human design. A whole wall of weapons lined the


    area.


    Samantha was amazed. Even though she knew little about firearms, she could easily see that the guns were different models. This meant that this wall alone had at least hundreds of types of guns.


    The weaponry here was probably more extensive than what Yvette had back at the base. Emmett and Charles looked at the vast and untouched natural area.


    This suggested that when Yvette designed the base, she intentionally left this central area open. The entire base was truly a perfect blend of nature and technology, both inside and out.


    Kash led the group up onto the tform. He bowed slightly, cing his left hand on his chest, and solemnly addressed Yvette, saying, "Ms. Zeller, please review the results of the three years of training."


    Yvette leaned on the railing, overlooking the entire field. Her eyes were deep and shadowed, and their pure blue and white showed no emotion. Jeremiah stood beside her, gazing into the distance with equally deep eyes.


    The next second, drums started ying from afar in the field, getting louder, followed by a dark mass moving toward the tform.


    A grand army of thousands, all in matching ck uniforms, with stern faces, bare-chested and moving forward wi unstoppable momentum. Samantha watched as the army got closer to the field, thinking that the sheer masculinity, even without a word, was almost/ overwhelming. The Eagle King nced at Emmett beside him, while a hint of shock appeared on Charles''s face. It made sense. He couldn''t have been the only one shocked.


    He remembered the first time he experienced the strength of Yvette''s army, and he was even more astonished back then. He initially thought it was just a group of loosely organized militia with basic training, but once they engaged, he realized that each member had their particr skills.


    If Yvette personally led this army out into the world, probably no one in the underground world couldpete with her.


    Charles had the same thoughts as the Eagle King. He looked at the dense crowd of over a thousand people in front of him with aplicated expression.


    He finally understood why Yvette never seemed to take the Seventy-Two Chambers seriously. The aura surrounding this army was undeniable. It would be a breeze to find someone here to form the next Seventy-Two Chambers.


    Standing next to Jeremiah, Emmett whispered, "Mr. Chavez, Yvette''s army, even though it only has two thousand people, could probably take on ten times their number. Even our elite troops would have to be cautious against them, as the result is uncertain."


    Emmett sighed. Jeremiah''s secret soldiers went through rigorous selection and endless tests with the harshest evaluations every year. Anyone who failed was immediately kicked out.


    Ever since Emmett met Yvette while following Jeremiah, he was numbed by shock. He originally thought Jeremiah had


    1/3


    found an ordinary but beautiful woman.


    E


    68%


    At that time, he was worried that Yvette could match up with Jeremiah. But the event after the event broke his expectations.


    Yvette''s revealed identities became more shocking each time, up to this trip to Voraxia. Suddenly, a base and an army of two thousand soldiers appeared right before him.


    Now he finally understood a truth he should have realized long ago. Yvette was all-powerful. When the divine walked among humans, it was only to effortlessly crush ordinary folks like them Humans could never stand shoulder to shoulder with deities.


    Jeremiah stood on the high tform, gazing steadily at Yvette''s silhouette ahead. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his cold and distant expression was like icy water under the sunlight.


    He said, "Yvette has her way of training soldiers. All of them have been pushed to their physical limits."


    Emmett''s eyes lit up at those words. "Mr. Chavez, if Yvette has such skills, we could ask her to help train our army. In two months, armies from all nations will participate in the World Special Forces Competition, and with her help, we will have a better chance."


    The World Special Forces Competition Emmett talked about was an annual event where the top soldiers from each country took part, with both individual and team events. Winners earned medals, but the most important prize wasn''t the medals. It was the country''s honor.


    Jeremiah had participated in thispetition three times already, and each time he came first in the individual category. But after three victories, he was banned from further participation. The official reason was that no one couldpete more than three times.


    This rule obviously targeted Jeremiah, but there was nothing that could be done. Afterward, Clusia continued to send special forces topete, consistently staying among the top ranks but never securing first ce again.


    With a loud shout from Kash, about a thousand people started rearranging their formation. A minuteter, everyone was kneeling on one knee facing Yvette, who was on the high tform.


    The sound from the thousand voices was deafening. "Ms. Zeller, wee back."


    The scene made everyone on the tform feel an overwhelming excitement. Samantha clutched her chest.


    She said, "Oh my goodness. If I didn''t know better, I''d think I was in ancient times. Yvette looks just like a powerful general with a brave army under hermand. It''s absolutely breathtaking."


    Rodney tugged at Samantha''s hand, looking quite proud. "Samantha, isn''t Yvette so cool? Too bad she''s the one I can''t have."


    Samantha, Emmett, Charles, and Eagle King couldn''t hold back theirughter at this. The earlier part was amusing, but thest sentence really took the cake.


    Even Eagle King gave Rodney a pat on the shoulder. Samantha reached out and pinched Rodney''s cheeks.


    Samantha then said, "Rodney, it''s okay. Just remember, besides Mr. Chavez, no one else can have Yvette either."


    Samantha''s words instantly turned the frown on Rodney''s face into a bright smile. "Samantha, you''re right. I think you''re really sweet. Maybe you could wait for me to grow up and be my girlfriend?"


    Rodney''s innocent words brought a wave of relief to the people on the tform. Samantha pretended to think it over for a


    moment.


    She shook her head. "No way, Rodney. I''ve already got a boyfriend."


    Rodney nodded seriously. "Alright, alright. I can''t be the guy whoes between you two, so I just have to wish you and


    2/3


    É«


    your boyfriend the best, Samantha."


    The group was already used to Rodney''s surprising outbursts.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    J


    On the tform, Yvette slightly lowered her dark eyes. Her long straight blond hair flowed down, and her dark eyes showed no emotion as she looked at the impressive crowd of over a thousand people.


    With a nk expression and a calm voice, she said, ¡°It''s been a while."


    Those words made nearly two thousand people present fall silent instantly. All eyes turned to Yvette, their gazes intense and


    eager.


    At that moment, a tall and rugged man stepped out from the front lines, his build matching that of the Eagle King.


    Seeing him stand out, the Eagle King cursed, "Damn it!"


    Back in the day, this guy almost ruined the Eagle King''s happiness with a strong kick. However, the Eagle King admitted he was too careless then.


    0

 Chapter 484

    ?


    The burly man, known as Charlie, was the second-inmand here, right after Kash. Years ago, after Yvette saved him, it was discovered that


    Charlie had a unique physiquepared to ordinary people. His resilience was a hundred times greater than average, and he hardly felt any pain. So Yvette taught him a special technique that Charlie mastered, developing skills simr to having an imprable body.


    After saying this, Eagle King felt the urge to give Charlie a few kicks, but remembering Charlie''s fortress-like build and imprable muscles, he held back and decided not to.


    Rodney chuckled. "Samantha, Emmett, you probably don''t know about the silly thing Eagle King did back in the day. He insisted on..."


    Before Rodney could finish, Eagle King hugged him from behind and covered his mouth. "It''s fine. It''s fine. Don''t listen to this kid''s nonsense." Eagle King then quietly warned Rodney, "Listen here, kid. If you dare to talk, you''re in big trouble with me."


    Eagle King thought everything was settled after silencing Rodney and finally rxed. But he didn''t ount for someone else. he absolutely didn''t dare to confront.


    Without turning around, Yvette casually said, ¡°Eagle King once underestimated Charlie in a contest and almost got himself in serious trouble." Yvette''s tone remained neutral. Emmett, Samantha, and Charles struggled to hold back theirughter upon hearing this. But out of respect for the Eagle King, they stifled their amusement. The scene was undeniably funny.


    The Eagle King hadn''t expected his secrets to be revealed by Yvette. He could only defend himself, saying, "Back then, it was really an ident. It''s not like it was that serious. The boss is exaggerating."


    Everyone knew that Yvette never exaggerated when she spoke, so the Eagle King''s situation was quite awkward.


    Seeing everyone''s gaze, even the thick-skinned Eagle King couldn''t handle it. Resorting to the old wisdom that retreat was the best strategy, he quickly made his escape.


    On the high tform, Yvette watched Charlie emerge from below. Compared to three years ago, he looked even more imposing.


    Charlie looked at Yvette excitedly and shouted, "Boss, want toe down for a spar?"


    That shout was so loud it scared the birds away from the trees. The people nearby immediately started chanting, "Boss,e down." "Boss, take Charlie down." "Go, boss. Go, boss."


    Charles, Emmett, and Samantha didn''t expect Charlie to challenge Yvette right away. He was bold and brave


    Yvette smirked slightly, her expression remaining unchanged, and her delicate eyebrows showed a casual indifference. Her voice was low and husky, ¡°Alright, but there has to be something at stake."


    At that moment, Jeremiah stepped forward and held Yvette''s hand in front of the three thousand people below.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, not saying anything, just looking at him and raising an eyebrow.


    Jeremiah''s action caused the crowd below to erupt with excitement.


    "What''s going on? Is this guy the boss'' boy toy or something?"


    "The boss let him hold hands, so their rtionship must be special. Otherwise, anyone trying to hold the boss'' hand would be history by now."


    1/3


    t


    3


    "The boss'' new guy is kind of good-looking, right? Can you really trust a handsome man? What if he betrays the boss?"


    62%


    "You have a point. But if this guy dares to betray the boss, the boss won''t let him get away with it. So we wouldn''t even need to do a thing." "You''re right. Who is the boss anyway? If I had known the boss was into guys earlier, I would''ve tried topete for the position. Being the boss'' favorite, I''d have no regrets in this life.


    ¡°Come on, with your looks, you think you can be the boss'' guy? You better forget about it."


    "Just look at the boss'' guy and then look at yourself. Forget about your skills, even in terms of looks and vibe, you''re way off."


    Charlie stared at Jeremiah with a hint of challenge. In their eyes, no one in the world could be worthy of Yvette.


    He thought, ''What kind of skills does this guy have?'' Although he didn''t look weak, one couldn''t tell until there was a fight. Charlie looked at Jeremiah. "Hey, buddy, since you''re the boss'' boyfriend, that makes you our future man of the army. It''s not enough to look good if you want to be with the boss. You''ve got to show some real skills. Are you up foring down and giving it a try?"


    Jeremiah''s eyes were deep and steady, bright yetpletely emotionless. He nodded politely. "Sure."


    The crowd responded together, "Great... Great... Great..." Their voices were thunderous and filled with excitement.


    Jeremiah turned to Yvette. "Wait for me."


    Yvette slid her hands into her pockets, raised her eyelids slightly and a yful light flickered in her eyes. "OK."


    Without hesitation, Jeremiah turned and walked off the stage. His tall and striking silhouette radiated a sense of coldness and sharpness.


    Kash nced at Jeremiah, his eyes showing newfound admiration. A man meant to be a leader needed courage. Without it, he had no better than dead.


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles didn''t expect things to escte to Jeremiah going down to challenge someone in the army. Nheless, none of them were worried.


    After all, it was Jeremiah. He joined the military in his teens, undefeated, and became the youngest major general in Clusia. Varied techniques might work on others, but they were nothingpared to Jeremiah.


    Yvette was even less concerned. She gave Kash a knowing look, and he immediately brought a chair over for her to sit on. Everyone knew Yvette''s habit. If she could sit, she''d never stand. If she could lie down, she''d never sit. Simply put, she waszy.


    Rodney approached Yvette with a worried look. "Yvette, what if Jeremiah ends up losing? Won''t that be embarrassing?" Rodney subconsciously thought Jeremiah''s physique seemed a bit "weak", making a victory against Charlie seem unlikely. Yvette pinched the corner of her eye, her long legs stretching out casually. "He won''t lose. He simply won''t."


    Charlie went up against Jeremiah like an ant trying to topple a huge tree.


    Rodney''s eyes danced with mischief. "Yvette, if Jeremiah ends up losing, you might feel embarrassed. You still have time to consider me instead. I''I wait for you until I''m 18."


    Emmett was standing nearby and couldn''t help but twitch at thement. He thought, ''Wasn''t Rodney just being buddy- buddy with Mr. Chavez earlier? And now he''s openly trying to step in.''


    2/3


    This kid was incredibly smart. Down on the ground, Jeremiah walked up to the packed crowd.


    62%


    Standing at the front was Charlie, who sized up Jeremiah. Despite his rough appearance, he was surprisingly polite when he spoke. "What''s your name?"


    Jeremiah''s expression was indifferent, his deep blue eyes slightly raised, exuding aid-back yet fierce vibe, full of danger.


    Charlie immediately sensed the dangering from Jeremiah and couldn''t help but pay close attention to him.


    ¡°Jeremiah, Charlie said with a slight bow. "Mr. Chavez, our usual custom is to have three challenges. The first round is hand-to-handbat. The second is a shooting match, and the third is a mental mathpetition.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah nodded, indicating he had no objections.


    From the tform, Samantha asked curiously, "I understand the hand-to-handbat and the shooting for the first two rounds, but isn''t having a mental math contest for the third round a bit strange? Do these guys even have someone good at that?¡±


    Ìï

 Chapter 484

    ?


    The burly man, known as Charlie, was the second-inmand here, right after Kash. Years ago, after Yvette saved him, it was discovered that


    Charlie had a unique physiquepared to ordinary people. His resilience was a hundred times greater than average, and he hardly felt any pain. So Yvette taught him a special technique that Charlie mastered, developing skills simr to having an imprable body.


    After saying this, Eagle King felt the urge to give Charlie a few kicks, but remembering Charlie''s fortress-like build and imprable muscles, he held back and decided not to.


    Rodney chuckled. "Samantha, Emmett, you probably don''t know about the silly thing Eagle King did back in the day. He insisted on..."


    Before Rodney could finish, Eagle King hugged him from behind and covered his mouth. "It''s fine. It''s fine. Don''t listen to this kid''s nonsense." Eagle King then quietly warned Rodney, "Listen here, kid. If you dare to talk, you''re in big trouble with me."


    Eagle King thought everything was settled after silencing Rodney and finally rxed. But he didn''t ount for someone else. he absolutely didn''t dare to confront.


    Without turning around, Yvette casually said, ¡°Eagle King once underestimated Charlie in a contest and almost got himself in serious trouble." Yvette''s tone remained neutral. Emmett, Samantha, and Charles struggled to hold back theirughter upon hearing this. But out of respect for the Eagle King, they stifled their amusement. The scene was undeniably funny.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The Eagle King hadn''t expected his secrets to be revealed by Yvette. He could only defend himself, saying, "Back then, it was really an ident. It''s not like it was that serious. The boss is exaggerating."


    Everyone knew that Yvette never exaggerated when she spoke, so the Eagle King''s situation was quite awkward.


    Seeing everyone''s gaze, even the thick-skinned Eagle King couldn''t handle it. Resorting to the old wisdom that retreat was the best strategy, he quickly made his escape.


    On the high tform, Yvette watched Charlie emerge from below. Compared to three years ago, he looked even more imposing.


    Charlie looked at Yvette excitedly and shouted, "Boss, want toe down for a spar?"


    That shout was so loud it scared the birds away from the trees. The people nearby immediately started chanting, "Boss,e down." "Boss, take Charlie down." "Go, boss. Go, boss."


    Charles, Emmett, and Samantha didn''t expect Charlie to challenge Yvette right away. He was bold and brave


    Yvette smirked slightly, her expression remaining unchanged, and her delicate eyebrows showed a casual indifference. Her voice was low and husky, ¡°Alright, but there has to be something at stake."


    At that moment, Jeremiah stepped forward and held Yvette''s hand in front of the three thousand people below.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, not saying anything, just looking at him and raising an eyebrow.


    Jeremiah''s action caused the crowd below to erupt with excitement.


    "What''s going on? Is this guy the boss'' boy toy or something?"


    "The boss let him hold hands, so their rtionship must be special. Otherwise, anyone trying to hold the boss'' hand would be history by now."


    1/3


    t


    3


    "The boss'' new guy is kind of good-looking, right? Can you really trust a handsome man? What if he betrays the boss?"


    62%


    "You have a point. But if this guy dares to betray the boss, the boss won''t let him get away with it. So we wouldn''t even need to do a thing." "You''re right. Who is the boss anyway? If I had known the boss was into guys earlier, I would''ve tried topete for the position. Being the boss'' favorite, I''d have no regrets in this life.


    ¡°Come on, with your looks, you think you can be the boss'' guy? You better forget about it."


    "Just look at the boss'' guy and then look at yourself. Forget about your skills, even in terms of looks and vibe, you''re way off."


    Charlie stared at Jeremiah with a hint of challenge. In their eyes, no one in the world could be worthy of Yvette.


    He thought, ''What kind of skills does this guy have?'' Although he didn''t look weak, one couldn''t tell until there was a fight. Charlie looked at Jeremiah. "Hey, buddy, since you''re the boss'' boyfriend, that makes you our future man of the army. It''s not enough to look good if you want to be with the boss. You''ve got to show some real skills. Are you up foring down and giving it a try?"


    Jeremiah''s eyes were deep and steady, bright yetpletely emotionless. He nodded politely. "Sure."


    The crowd responded together, "Great... Great... Great..." Their voices were thunderous and filled with excitement.


    Jeremiah turned to Yvette. "Wait for me."


    Yvette slid her hands into her pockets, raised her eyelids slightly and a yful light flickered in her eyes. "OK."


    Without hesitation, Jeremiah turned and walked off the stage. His tall and striking silhouette radiated a sense of coldness and sharpness.


    Kash nced at Jeremiah, his eyes showing newfound admiration. A man meant to be a leader needed courage. Without it, he had no better than dead.


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles didn''t expect things to escte to Jeremiah going down to challenge someone in the army. Nheless, none of them were worried.


    After all, it was Jeremiah. He joined the military in his teens, undefeated, and became the youngest major general in Clusia. Varied techniques might work on others, but they were nothingpared to Jeremiah.


    Yvette was even less concerned. She gave Kash a knowing look, and he immediately brought a chair over for her to sit on. Everyone knew Yvette''s habit. If she could sit, she''d never stand. If she could lie down, she''d never sit. Simply put, she waszy.


    Rodney approached Yvette with a worried look. "Yvette, what if Jeremiah ends up losing? Won''t that be embarrassing?" Rodney subconsciously thought Jeremiah''s physique seemed a bit "weak", making a victory against Charlie seem unlikely. Yvette pinched the corner of her eye, her long legs stretching out casually. "He won''t lose. He simply won''t."


    Charlie went up against Jeremiah like an ant trying to topple a huge tree.


    Rodney''s eyes danced with mischief. "Yvette, if Jeremiah ends up losing, you might feel embarrassed. You still have time to consider me instead. I''I wait for you until I''m 18."


    Emmett was standing nearby and couldn''t help but twitch at thement. He thought, ''Wasn''t Rodney just being buddy- buddy with Mr. Chavez earlier? And now he''s openly trying to step in.''


    2/3


    This kid was incredibly smart. Down on the ground, Jeremiah walked up to the packed crowd.


    62%


    Standing at the front was Charlie, who sized up Jeremiah. Despite his rough appearance, he was surprisingly polite when he spoke. "What''s your name?"


    Jeremiah''s expression was indifferent, his deep blue eyes slightly raised, exuding aid-back yet fierce vibe, full of danger.


    Charlie immediately sensed the dangering from Jeremiah and couldn''t help but pay close attention to him.


    ¡°Jeremiah, Charlie said with a slight bow. "Mr. Chavez, our usual custom is to have three challenges. The first round is hand-to-handbat. The second is a shooting match, and the third is a mental mathpetition.


    Jeremiah nodded, indicating he had no objections.


    From the tform, Samantha asked curiously, "I understand the hand-to-handbat and the shooting for the first two rounds, but isn''t having a mental math contest for the third round a bit strange? Do these guys even have someone good at that?¡±


    Ìï


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 485

    ?


    Kash turned around to face Samantha and said, "Out of these two thousand people, nearly a hundred aren''t skilled at fighting. They''re intellectuals with deep expertise in math, physics, biology, and other sciences. They usually study externally and return to the base during summer and winter breks. Yvette once said that relying solely on physical strength isn''t enough in this world. Education is just as important. Neither should be neglected. Continuous learning is essential for progress. To build an unbeatable army, we need to develop well-rounded talents."


    Emmett, Samantha, and Charles were impressed by Yvette''s foresight after hearing these words. They hit the nail on the head. Emmett admired Yyette and remarked, "Isn''t this exactly a well-rounded development? Yvette truly is a remarkable leader


    They all nodded in agreement. That made sense. At that moment, everyone''s attention shifted to Jeremiah and Charlie. For the first round, it was Charlie''s turn. He stepped up shirtless, muscles twitching, and gave off an intimidating vibe.


    Just then. Eagle King, who had been on the run, appeared out of nowhere and shouted, "Mr. Chavez, go for it, take Charlie down." This shout let out three years of pent-up frustration he had been holding back, waiting for Jeremiah to get revenge for him.


    Jeremiah stood in the arena with a sense of aloofness, standing out among the surrounding men. Deep within his dark eyes, a chilling intent stirred. Charlie was the first to charge forward, trying to use his size to gain an advantage.


    Jeremiah stood still, not nning on dodging Watching Charlie charge toward him, he slowly extended his right hand, releasing a powerful force. Suddenly, Charlie saw Jeremiah right in front of him, swiftly lifting his foot to kick Charlie. There was a fierce look in his eyes.


    Charlie didn''t try to dodge the kick, confident he could handle i However, to everyone''s shock, what seemed like a simple kick sent Charlie flying seven feet


    By the time, Charlie realized what had happened, he was already on the ground, utterly shocked. He couldn''t believe Jeremiah had knocked him down with just one kick. But he had to ept it. The evidence was right in front of him. He had lost fair and square, and he wasn''t someone who couldn''t take a loss.


    Standing not far from Charlie, Jeremiah casually brushed the dust off his clothes. His expression was unchanged. He calmly said to Charlie, Thanks for letting me win."


    Charlie patted the footprint on his chest as he got up from the ground. He gave Jeremiah aplex look but then burst intoughter. "Alright, you got me. I admit it. Jeremiah, you''re just as impressive as the boss said. Three years ago, the boss knocked me out with one punch, and now her partner floored me with a kick. I concede I''m impressed."


    Charlie nodded respectfully before stepping back. Then, a handsome young man walked out. He was Tyshawn, the sharpshooter of this area. His aim was wless, never missing a target, with eyes like a hawk that could see clearly even in the dark as if it were daylight


    Tyshawn first nodded slightly toward Yvette on the tform, then looked at Jeremiah. "Mr. Chavez, the rules are simple ina moment, we''ll randomly throw things into the air. You''ll shoot while moving, and whoever hits more wins


    Jeremiah nodded, and they began selecting their guns. At this point, Jeremiah nced up as Yvette, who was lounging casually on the tform, and said, "Let me borrow your gun."


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and without a word, took out her gun and tossed it to Jeremiah. After catching the gun, Jeremiah looked at Tyshawn and then calmly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it over his


    eyes.


    This action left everyone present surprised. He couldn''t hit the target with his eyes covered, Kash asked in confusion, "What''s he up to?"


    Only Yvette on the tform, sitting confidently with her legs crossed and a sly smile on her face, remarked casually, He can pinpoint by sound alone."


    962%


    Emmett nodded proudly from behind. "Yvette is right. Mr. Chavez doesn''t really need to see. He can figure out the position just by sound. He''s been doing this since he was thirteen."


    Emmett looked at Jeremiah on the stage, feeling that Jeremiah seemed to intentionally tone down his skills in front of Yvette. Emmett had no experience of love. And he didn''t quite get it. He wondered, ''Is this a special part of their rtionship? He really couldn''t understand.


    Samantha said, "I''ve heard my dad talk about Mr. Chavez''s skill before, and I''m finally getting to see it for myself."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The people in the audience also understood Jeremiah''s intention and werepletely stunned. All of them couldn''t believe it would work. But Tyshawn remained calm.


    Thepetition officially began, and Charlie emerged from the crowd. He fired a shot into the sky and shouted, "Start" As objects were thrown into the air one after another.


    Jeremiah twitched his ears without taking a step. "Bang, bang, bang... After the intense gunfire, the entire area fell silent.


    They stared in disbelief at Jeremiah''s gun and the various items around, all pierced by bullets. Not a single miss. Every shot was perfectly on target. They all wondered, How urate must one be to have each bullet hole exactly centered? It''s insane. Tyshawn on the other side put down his handgun and quietly said, "I lost." And then he turned back to his team Jeremiah pulled off the scarf in front of his eyes, as calm and collected as at the beginning.


    The next second, the crowd burst into loud apuse. Then, for the third round, a schrly-looking man with sses stepped out from the team.


    He ced aplicated problem he had solved in ten days in front of Jeremiah. "Mr. Chavez, this is a mathematical conjecture. I proved it in ten days. If you can solve it within ten days, you win."¡±


    On the tform, Kash looked at the man with sses and said to the few people beside him, "Yvette rescued him two years


    ago


    and brought him to the base. He''s a math whiz and is now a mentor at the Yoris Institute of Technology. He just came back a few days ago." Emmett, Charles, and Samantha looked at the man below the stage. They thought, ''Where does Yvette find the people she rescues? Now she had brought in a mentor from the Institute of Technology.


    At this age, it was no exaggeration to call him a prodigy. Yvette wasn''t just the leader. Even her team members were at the top in their fields. It didn''t make sense. Well, in Yvette''s world, she was the ultimate authority. The few of them could only console themselves.


    Jeremiah nced at the test questions, looked up, and said casually, ¡°No need, half an hour will be enough. Just wait a bit.¡± The man with sses was shocked. He thought, If Jeremiah couldplete it in half an hour, then who''s the actual genius? Charles turned to Emmett and asked, "Is Mr. Chavez''s specialty rted to math?"


    Emmett nodded, then shook his head, "Mr. Chavez''s major and minor aren''t rted to math, but he started participating in mathpetitions out of boredom in high school. Anyway, he''s never ced second"

 Chapter 486

    ?


    24 62% ¡ì


    The crowd thought it was a stretch when Jeremiah imed he''d solve theplex math problem in thirty minutes. But just twenty minutes in, he put down his pen and calmly announced, "Done"


    The bespectacled young man nearby felt the most significant shock; he could hardly believe his eyes. Even his professor hadn''t solved this problem in under twenty minutes.


    Skeptical, he picked up Jeremiah''spleted sheet, carefully examining each step. With every line he read, his amazement deepened. Jeremiah''s method and approach were utterly different from his own, much clearer and more efficient. If only he had thought of it this way, he wouldn''t have wasted the past ten days on it.


    As a self-proimed math fanatic, the young man''s admiration was written all over his face. The crowd noticed his reaction and leaned in, curious. "Wait, so he really solved it? Is the answer right?


    "I mean, we know this guy is pretty skilled himself. He took ten days to work through this, and Mr. Chavez solved it in twenty minutes. Sounds impossible."


    "Yeah,e on, let us know if it''s right. You''re just standing there


    The an finally nodded, turning to the crowd. "Yes. The answer is correct, the logic is wless, and his a


    young is unique. Even my professor couldn''te up with a solution like this. Mr. Chavez managed it perfectly."


    The crowd burst into exmations of admiration, and their initial doubts swept away. Jeremiah Chavez had gained their respect, and while the crowd buzzed with excitement, he remained as calm andposed as ever.


    The young man stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Jeremiah, admiration practically sparking in his eyes. "Mr. Chavez, would


    be interested in an honorary position as a mentor at our Institute of Technology?"


    you


    Jeremiah''s deep, unreadable eyes gleamed slightly, and he smirked. "How about you consider a position at Betrico University? I think you''d be a better fit there.


    The young man pondered for a moment and then nodded, smiling. "If Mr. Chavez is willing to mentor me, I''d be honored to ept a position at Betrico University."


    ¡°Deal, Jeremiah replied with a slight nod.


    The two men sealed an agreement. Jeremiah''s trip to Voraxia not only left asting impression on everyone at the base but also managed to "recruit a brilliant mathematical mind for Clusia''s Betrico University.


    This led to the math department at Betrico University securing a solid ce in international mathpetitions for the next three years.


    As the crowd cheered, their voices echoed throughout the base, celebrating Jeremiah''s undeniable win.


    Standing on the high tform, Emmett, Charles, and Samantha watched Jeremiah with admiration and pride.


    Samantha said, "No surprise there. Jeremiah doesn''t just win thepetition. He brings a new talent back with him."


    Standing nearby, Rodney''s face lit up with sudden realization. Jeremiah wasn''t just skilled-he was on a whole different level. With that, Rodney realized he''d been thoroughly duped by the friendly uncle'' act.


    As Jeremiah made his way back to the tform, he joined Yvette Standing side by side, the twomanded admiration with theirbined poise and presence, leaving the crowd stunned and speechless.


    62%


    The base was bustling with activity that evening as everyone gathered around a grand feast with all sorts of game hunted from the surrounding jungle.


    The air was thick withughter and warmth as everyone reveled the moment, knowing it would be one of theirst nights. with Yvette before she left the next day.


    Despite the bittersweet mood, everyone made sure to drink andugh heartily. Emmett, the Eagle King, and Samantha quickly blended in. Even Charles was a bit reserved initially, but eventually, he joined the fun with everyone at the base.


    The entire base felt alive, like a festival was in full swing.


    The next day, everyone gathered together to bid Yvette farewell. As Yvette walked toward the Jeep, the base people called out her name, their voices Tull of reverence and admiration.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    "Yvette!"


    "Boss"""


    Yvette paused, standing still for a moment without turning around. Just as when she arrived, she kept herposure, letting the voices of her people fill the air as she climbed into the Jeep and headed out of the jungle.


    To the people here, Yvette was more than a leader. She was the person who had saved their lives, giving them a second chance and binding them together as a family. Each came from different ce and story, yet they all shared a single unwavering belief: Yvette.


    A woman who had changed the course of their lives.


    Just as Yvette, Jeremiah, and Emmett boarded their private jet bound for Mysonna, Braydon was deep in conversation with his grandfather, Damian, at the Goodman estate.


    Damian leaned heavily on his cane, his deeply lined face contorted with barely strained anger. He looked at his grandson, the one he had nurtured all his life, now standing before him with enough power and audacity to turn the tables. But ironically, this oue was precisely what Damian had hoped for.


    With a dark glint in his eye, Damian fixed Braydon with a cold, cynical smile.


    Damian said, "Well, Braydon, you''ve won. I no longer have any cards left to y. Whatever you decide to deal with me is entirely up to you. Braydon''s longshes lowered slightly, hiding the sharp, almost cruel glint in his gaze. His expression tightened as he spoke Braydon asked, "Damian, all these years, you did everything you could to stop me from pursuing Yvette. Was it because you. feared her strength? Worried she might overshadow me and even seize the Goodman family''s power?"


    This conversation was the calmest the two had had in years, though the words were underlined with years of bitterness.


    Standing nearby, Tyson watched with aplex expression. He knew all too well that this sh between Damian and Braydon had everything to do with Yvette. Braydon, it seemed, still didn''t understand Damian''s intentions.


    To Damian, Yvette''s strength was precisely the issue. A woman cannot overshadow the head of the Goodman family. It would be a disgrace to their


    name.


    Damian''s eyes darkened as he assessed Braydon''s icy expression


    "Braydon, I''ve warned you before-you can''t control Yvette. To be frank, no man on this earth can. You need someone gentle, who would stand by your side and support you-not someone who would always overshadow you."


    Æø:62%Çú


    Damian paused, his tone growing more somber. "And tell me, do you really believe Yvette has feelings for you? Braydon, she''s be an obsession, a fixation born from your inability to possess her. It''s be pathological."


    Braydon''s eyes red red, his expression turning deadly, looking like a bloodthirsty predator''s.


    He snarled through clenched teeth. "Damian, I''ll say it onest time. I love Y


    I love her more than anything. From the moment she appeared in my life and pulled me out of that hellhole, she''s been the most important person in my world. This battle between us has cost me enough. But in a way, I should thank you-it gave me the chance to rid myself of every traitor in my


    path"


    Damian sighed, the sound heavy with years of fruitless effort. Despite all his attempts, he had failed to turn Braydon away from Yvette. He knew that Braydon''s obsession would never fade as long as Yvette lived. But he also knew that no one could stop Yvette.


    In a voice that sounded older and wearier than ever, Damian murmured, ¡°I, Damian Goodman, spent decades ruling the underworld, surviving storms that would have destroyed lesser men. But in the end. I''m defeated by my own grandson. It''s fitting. I suppose."


    Braydon''s face remained impassive, unreadable as he rose to his feet. His deep-set eyes held no hint of emotion as he addressed his grandfather.


    "Damian, the Seventy-Two Chambers will personally escort you back to the ind tomorrow. Once you''re there, you''ll be under constant watch, and from then on, you''re forbidden to leave. If you ever try, the entire ind will be blown to pieces,


    and you''ll disappear with it."

 Chapter 487

    ?


    62%


    Damian looked up at Braydon''s cold, expressionless face, and hearing his words, he showed no surprise-it was almost as if he had expected this oue all along. ¡°Braydon, remember this: never let anyone be your weakness. You should have killed me, not sent me back to the ind." Tyson was shocked and immediately knelt to plead for Damian, Mr. Braydon Goodman, Mr. Goodman only spoke out of anger. Once he returns to the ind, I assure you he will no longer stand in your way."


    Braydon looked into Damian''s cold eyes, which held a mix of emotions. After a moment of silence, neither spoke. Braydont turned and walked out the door.


    Tyson turned back to Damian, who looked older than ever, slumped on the sofa, drained of all his former vigor. He spoke quietly, "Mr. Goodman, you should have let Braydon know thating out of the ind wasn''t topete with him but to remove thest obstacles in his path. You didn''t have to let him despise you like this.


    Years ago, when Braydon''s father was still alive, he had treated Braydon with nothing short of cruelty, forcing him to live in a cage, depriving him of food, and subjecting him to conditions meant to break his spirit


    Since being saved by Yvette, Braydon had never been the same; sometimes, his mind still bore the scars, and he would even harm himself in moments of distress. His father''s legacy of abuse had leftsting wounds on Braydon''s heart.


    Damian let out a dry, bitterugh. "You think Braydon doesn''t understand my intentions? He knows everything, But that doesn''t change a thing. He will never forgive me for keeping him away from Yvette. He despises me for it. If he let me live. it''s only because he understood my purpose; otherwise, he''d have killed me already, grandson or not."


    No one knew Braydon better than Damian himself. His grandson had room in his heart for only one person-Yvette-and she was the only one he would ever show mercy toward. For Braydon, everyone else was expendable


    Damian took a slow sip of coffee, then looked at Tyson. ''How is Nathan getting along with the Carter girl?*N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Tyson bowed slightly. "Mr. Goodman, the youngdy from the Carter family, is refined and attentive to Nathan. They''re getting along well. Since Yvette intervenedst time, Nathan has focused on his responsibilities and hasn''t gone after Sienna."


    Hearing this, Damian nodded in satisfaction.


    Yvette, Jeremiah, and Emmett had taken a private jet to Mysonna. Charles had opted out of the trip, preferring to stay back for a while, while Samantha had returned to Betrico for an urgent matter.


    The Eagle King was also heading to Betrico. Flying Fish had recently debuted, and with just one performance, her mesmerizing looks and captivating acting had made her an overnight sensation in the entertainment industry, Chasing her newfound fame and love, the Eagle King had naturally followed Flying Fish to Betrico.


    Once Yvette, Jeremiah, and Emmett disembarked, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris were already waiting at the airport. Despite two months of separation, their friendship was as seamless as ever.


    Frankie, ever the joker, grinned. "Jeremiah, Yvette-long time no see!"


    Bruce, the steady one, couldn''t hide his excitement either. Jeremiah, Yvette, wee back


    Chris was simr, being the least talkative of the three. "Jeremiah Yvette, Emmett."


    Yvette was dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans and wore her usual ck cap, framing her refined features and slightly upturned eyes with a sharp elegance. She still had that same spirited energy the group knew well


    After exchanging greetings, they split into two cars-Yvette, Jeremiah, and Bruce in one, with the rest in another. Ten


    minutes into the drive, Bruce revealed why he''d opted to ride with Yvette and Jeremiah.


    62%


    Bruce said, "Yvette, I''m with Sienna now. She''s a little shy and couldn''t bring herself to tell you. She hopes to have your blessing, though. She''s been busy with the International Fashion Competition in Mysonna, so she couldn''te along to see you. She wanted me to apologize on her behalf Nestledfortably in the back seat, Yvette paused momentarily with her phone in hand, ncing up. She smirked, turned to Jeremiah, who had his arm around her waist and raised an eyebrow.


    "Your guy ran off with my girl. So what do we do about that?" Yvette asked, a hint of yfulness in her tone.


    Jeremiah''s hand tightened around her waist, his deep, intense gaze fixed on her as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Bruce took Sienna, and I''m here for you. Sounds fair, doesn''t it?"


    Yvette put on a slight smile, impressed by his quickeback. Without another word, she returned to her phone, casually remarking. "If Sienna is happy, you''re safe. If she isn''t, then Jeremiah''s in trouble."


    The warning in her tone was direct, almost possessive. Bruce chuckled at Yvette''s statement. Her message was clear-if he ever let Sienna down, the one to suffer wouldn''t just be him but Jeremiah too. Only Yvette could throw both men off bnce with a single line, effortlessly asserting her expectations.


    Jeremiah, realizing he''d been roped into this as well, watched the rxed figure of Yvette nestled beside him. A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes-this girl could be so unapologetically demanding yet so effortlessly charming


    Yvette sensed Jeremiah was smiling and looked up, yfully annoyed. "What are youughing at?"


    Jeremiah squeezed her hand, his expressionposed. "Notughing. Really"


    Yvette didn''t buy it, giving him a skeptical nce before returning to her game.


    Up front, Bruce caught the scene in the rearview mirror, smirking at how much warmer Jeremiah seemed around Yvette.


    In the other car, Emmett had just learned from Frankie that Bruce and Sienna were together. He thought they made a great pair and was surprised. He''d always assumed Bruce would go for a more reserved type. But love worked in unexpected ways.


    After arriving at the vi and settling in, Bruce returned to pick up Sienna. Yvette took a quick look around the ce, noting that everything remained just as it had been.


    After they unpacked and enjoyed a quiet dinner, Yvette curled up on the sofa, surrounded by Emmett, Chris, and Frankie. Suddenly, her phone chimed.


    The others nced over as Yvette picked up her phone to read a text from Joe Yoder, inviting her and Jeremiah to Yoder Manor to discuss arrangements for returning a national treasure to Clusia.


    She shared the message with the group, and Jeremiah responded, "Alright. Tomorrow at noon, then."


    Emmett, the only one aware of the context, was impressed with Joe''s swift response. Meanwhile, Frankie and Chris exchanged nces, intrigued at the mention of the Yoder family but still in the dark about the details.


    Frankie raised an eyebrow. "The Yoder family? Which one? As far as I know, there aren''t many families named Yoder in Mysonna worth mentioning. Yvette, is this Mr. Yoder a friend of yours and Jeremiah''s?"


    Frankie certainly wasn''t naive enough to think that Jeremiah and Yvette would know an obscure Yoder family. Any Yoder family recognized by these two big figures must have some fame.


    Chris thought for a moment and asked somewhat uncertainly, "vette, by any chance, are you talking about Carl Yoder?

 Chapter 488

    ?


    62%


    Frankie sat back on the couch with an incredulous expression. Come on, Yvette, do you know Carl Yoder? That guy''s been off the radar for years! The Mysonna Business Association has been trying to lure him back, but he never even shows his face. He''s practically a legend. Everyone knows he''s pushing eighty by now."


    Emmett raised an eyebrow at Frankie''s confidence, giving him a light cough as a hint. "Don''t be too sure. You never know."


    Chris stayed quiet, watching Yvette peel an orange leisurely, her expression as calm as ever. He''d only asked about Carl Yoder on a whim, though he doubted it could be him. An invitation from a reclusive figure like Carl Yoder seemed like a long shot.


    Yvette popped a piece of the orange in her mouth, finally meeting everyone''s gaze with a faint smile. "It is Carl Yoder.¡±


    Jeremiah sat quietly, showing no emotion on his face. Frankie, without missing a beat, jumped in. ¡°See, I told you, how could it be Joe Shi...


    Jeremiah sat beside her without much reaction, but Frankie was left speechless, only to blurt out, "Wait, hold on-THE Carl Yoder? The one we all know about?"


    Frankie''s reaction was understandable. Carl Yoder was a legend, someone the previous generation admired and respected. For him to invite Yvette and Jeremiah-it was like a bombshell revtion.


    Chris looked equally surprised but handled it more gracefully than Frankie. ¡°Yvette, you know Carl Yoder? He''s been out of the public eye for so long, and they say he''s been recovering from heart problems for years. Most people think his eldest son has taken over his empire."


    Emmett was also curious and recalled how warmly Joe Yoder treated Yvette in Voraxia. They were more than just acquaintances. However, the age gap between Yvette and Carl was too wide to exin their connection easily.


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, meeting Yvette''s gaze. His deep, steady eyes held a hint of question.


    Yvette looked back, her gaze clear as crystal, one brow arched. "Curious?"


    A gentle warmth flickered in Jeremiah''s eyes as he replied, "Everything about you intrigues me."


    Yvette smirked, her tone calm. "Carl Yoder had a case of heart failure, and 1 happened to be around. I just treated it as I


    went


    Yvette''s connection with the Yoder family started with Joe. When Damian discovered him back then, Joe was undercover with the Goodman family''s Seventy-Two Chambers and attempted to use Joe as leverage against Carl Yoder. But with Yvette backing Joe up, Damian had no choice but to back down.


    Later on, Carl''s heart failure took a severe turn, and it was Yvette who saved his life. After recovering, Carl repaid her with a one-billion-dor thank you. To Yvette, it was a simple transactional rtionship-a life saved, I billion earned. Calling ita deep friendship would be a stretch.


    Yvette''s casual tone left Frankie, Emmett, and Chris speechless. Just happened to be around¡± and ¡°treated it on the side"ing from anyone else, that''d sound like a lightning ma, but from Yvette, it somehow felt natural.


    They knew heart failure wasn''t something you "just treat" With the resources the Yoder family had, they''d have tried every possible doctor before reaching out to Yvette, meaning Carl must have been on the brink.


    Chris nodded. ¡°No wonder there were all those rumors about Carl''s declining health a few years back. People thought he was done for. Cuess it was true. And it was you, Yvette, who brought him back."


    Frankie swallowed hard. The idea that Yvette could pull someone from the brink of death-even from heart failure? It was like rescuing someone right from the hands of the reaper. The more he thought about it, the more awe he felt


    .


    621


    Seeing their shock. Emmett figured they might as well get the whole picture. He exined everything that had gone down. at Voraxia, including Carl''s offer to donate three national treasures on the condition that Jeremiah would personally escort


    them back to Clusia


    By the end, Frankie and Chris sat wide-eyed andpletely floored.


    Yvette stretched, letting out a yawn before standing. Tim heading upstairs."


    Jeremiah also stood up, and the two of them went upstairs together, leaving behind Frankie, Chris, and Emmett, who was leisurely sipping red wine. Frankie watched Yvette and Jeremiah''s retreating figures, shaking his head in disbelief. "How do people like that even exist?"


    Emmett almost choked on his wine at the unintended double meaning.


    Frankie quickly waved it off. ''I didn''t mean it that way-it''s like she''s not even human. I''ve never seen a girl like Yvette, who''s practically superhuman. Really, besides Jeremiah, who could ever be a match for her?"


    Chris nodded in agreement. If he hadn''t met Yvette, he might never have believed someone like her existed.


    Just as they were talking, Bruce and Sienna walked in.


    Sienna wore a cropped top and hot pants, her wavy hair cascading down her back in a bold and alluring way Bruce, by contrast, was in a sleek ck suit. The two were pr opposites in style, yet somehow looked perfectly in sync.


    When Sienna stepped inside and didn''t spot Yvette, her previously excited expression fell. ¡°Yve''s resting already?"


    The guys exchanged nces. By now, everyone knew that "Yve" was none other than Yvette. ording to Sienna, Yvette''s casual sketches had spawned ¡°Vibe,¡± the hottest brand in the fashion industry. To everyone else, Yvette was "Vibe''s¡± hidden mastermind.


    Having spent much time at the vi, Sienna was already quitefortable. She headed straight for the sofa and plopped down while Bruce casually took her jacket and hung it nearby.


    Frankie raised a brow. "Hey, you''re always talking about Yvette. Aren''t you worried Bruce might get jealous?"


    Sienna nced over at Bruce and scoffed. "Oh, please. My Bruce isn''t as petty as you are. I told him from the start that Yve is the most important person in my life."


    Bruce could only chuckle. It was true-when they''d started dating. Sienna hadid down her rules: Yvette was non-negotiable. Still, hearing her call him "my Bruce" made it all worthwhile.


    Emmett, Chris, and Frankie shared a look. The air in the living room was thick with that unmistakable scent of romance. For single guys like them, it was torture.


    The three bachelors resigned themselves to stick together, thest line of defense against a world turning sweet and sour


    with love.


    0N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 489

    ?


    The next day, Emmett drove Yvette alone to Yoder Manor after breakfast.


    An urgent matter had called Jeremiah away-something hade up with the First Military District back in Betrico that required his attention. While Jeremiah headed to the airport with Chris driving him, Yvette would go alone to meet with the Yoder family.


    Yoder Manor sat on Mysonna''s eastern edge, a legacy of Carl Yoder''s early sess.


    Like many in his generation, Carl valued the old traditions. Rumor had it that he''d consulted a master, who deemed the location highly promising for the prosperity of future generations. Every tree and stone seemed carefully ced, steeped in intention and respect for tradition


    As Emmett''s car approached the manor''s gates, he noticed a shy sports car parked ahead. Leaning against it, wearing trendy clothes and dark sunsses, was a young man surrounded by uniformed men. The look on his face and the intimidating stance of his entourage suggested trouble.


    Emmett frowned. "Looks like someone''s waiting for us up ahead, Yvette. Doesn''t look friendly."


    Resting in the backseat with her eyes closed, Yvette nced toward the group. "Ignore them."


    Emmett nodded. "Got it, Yvette."


    However, as they drew closer, the young man raised a hand, signaling his men to block the road, stopping their car.


    Emmett nced at the scene, his brows furrowing. Something about this felt deliberate like they''d been waiting here specifically for them. Turning to Yvette, he said, "Looks like this guy was expecting us


    Without a word, Yvette opened the car door and stepped out, her pace unhurried. Emmett quickly turned off the engine and joined her.


    As they stepped forward, the young man, none other than Oliver Yoder-Carl''s grandson-swaggered toward them, backed by arge group of his men, clearly intending to cause trouble.


    Oliver eyed Yvette up and down, a cocky smirk on his face. He dought, "So this is Grandpa''s idea of a potential match? She was way too attractive, nothing like the usual types his grandfather would approve of for a marriage prospect.


    1


    Feigning an aggressive tone, Oliver sneered, "So, you''re Grandpa''s guest today? Here for a little matchmaking? Let me make something clear-I''m not interested. Whatever daydream you''re having about being with me? Forget it. I may not mind your looks, but I''ve already got someone. So take my advice and leave before you embarrass yourself. I don''t hit women, but don''t push me."


    Emmett''s eye twitched. He wondered where this fool hade from, thinking he could say this to Yvette. It was clear this guy had no clue who he was talking to.


    Yvette stared at Oliver and his crew, her expression t and unreadable. Her eyes, cold and slightly narrowed, showed not a hint of warmth. "Your grandpa... Carl Yoder?"


    For a moment, Oliver was caught off guard. She''d just called his grandfather by name-a level of boldness he''d never expected. His shock quickly turned to anger.


    "You... Do you dare say my grandpa''s name? You''ve got a death wish!" Oliver clenched his teeth. "Get her! Let''s bring her to Grandpa and show him what kind of person he''s trying to match me with."


    Yvette raised her eyebrows, her eyes carrying a mischievous glin dark and cold, with a faint smile on her lips.


    1/3


    ?? 62%?


    §±


    Oliver felt a shiver run through him as he met her eyes. Realizing his fear, he quickly masked it with anger. Oliver yelled, "Get her! This woman has no respect for my grandfather. Grab her now!"


    Emmett leaned over and said, "Yvette, why don''t you step back for a moment? I''ll take care of them. You do not need to getN?velDrama.Org ? content.


    involved here."


    Yvette took two steps back, hands in her pockets, granting Emmett the lead.


    As Emmett dispatched Oliver''s men with effortless case, a few made a bold attempt to sneak up on Yvette from behind. Without even looking, Yvette kicked one back precisely, sending him flying several meters.


    Another tried his luck, throwing a punch, but Yvette caught his fist, barely flexing as she tightened her grip until his bones cracked.


    Thest man standing attempted a desperate lunge, only for Yvette to grip his throat and fling him under the car with surprising case..


    Watching Yvette calmly dismantle one attacker after another, Oliver was stunned. He thought, Is Grandpa trying to kill me by setting me up with someone so... lethal? This isn''t matchmaking. It is like being fed to a lion.


    Like his older brother, Joe, Oliver shared the same survival instinct: when the fight wasn''t winnable, it was time to run. Following Joe''s philosophy-live to fight another day-Oliver immediately dashed for the manor to call for backup.


    But before he could make a move, Yvette''s cold voice stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Where do you think you''re going?"


    Without looking back, Oliver gritted his teeth, turning to see Yvette standing there, hands in her pockets, that same unsettling smile on her face. "Fine," he spat, "stay here if you''re so brave. I''ll be back."


    He attempted another sprint, but just as he thought he was home free, a small stone whizzed through the air, striking him in, the right leg. His leg went numb instantly, and he face-nted into the ground hard.


    Having finished handling the rest of Oliver''s men, Emmett returned to Yvette''s side with a calm, "Yvette."


    Halfway up the hill at Yoder Manor, the scene looked like a full-blown ident site. Oliver and his men were sprawled out on the ground, groaning in pain.


    Surprisingly, Oliver, after managing to get back up, pulled an unexpected move. He plopped down on the ground again, ring at Yvette and Emmett. Tears were growing


    Oliver sobbed, "You violent woman! I''m a Yoder-your supposed match, in case you forgot! Couldn''t you be a bit gentler? Can''t you just talk things out? This is a civilized society, not a wrestling match! I was only trying to scare you a bit, and now I might be scarred for life. Just wait-III have Grandpa deal with you!"


    Meanwhile, Joe was approaching the manor, having just bought a top-quality diamond ne to gift Yvett¨¦. But as he reached the entrance, the sight of bodies lying scattered around and Oliver holding his bruised face made Joe''s expression


    darken.


    Joe wondered, ''Who had the guts to bully his family at their doorstep? Unbelievable!"


    As Joe drove closer, he recognized two familiar silhouettes, sending a chill through his heart. He thought, "Wait that stance, that posture...is that Yvette? ''A horrifying possibility dawned on him, making him hit the gas.


    Joe could only hope in his heart that it wasn''t Yvette. If Oliver had managed to annoy Yvette, Joe would have been left with only one very painful choice.


    Pulling up and stepping out of his car, Joe''s heart sank as the two figures turned to face him.


    As soon as Joe stepped out, Oliver spotted him, his face lighting up with relief as if he''d just seen his savior.


    ¾þ¼Ò62%•þ


    Oliver said. ¡°Joe! Finally, you''re here! You have to avenge me! This so-called ''match'' Grandpa set me up with actually dared to hit me. You have to lock her up!"


    0

 Chapter 490

    ?


    Just as Oliver was thinking Joe would finally help him seek justice, Joepletely bypassed hisining brother, practically skipping over to Yvette with the most groveling smile of his life.


    Joe said, "Yvette, you''re here already? I was just about to pick you up! Grandpa is waiting for you inside. Let''s head over."


    Oliver stood there in disbelief, frozen by what he was witnessing. He wondered, ''Is this really my older brother-the guy who never even nced at a woman? Who on earth is this man with that fawning smile?"


    Oliver shouted at Joe, "Joe, what the heck is wrong with you? This woman nearly killed me! Are you out of your mind? Are you even my brother?" Feeling the weight of Yvette''s almost dangerous expression, Joe wished he could kick his oblivious brother right now. He thought. This idiot-can''t he see I''m trying to save him here? And he has the nerve to yell at me?"


    Joe looked up, and the faint smile on Yvette''s face sent a chill down his spine, nearly bringing him to his knees.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    That smile was legendary. In their training days, whenever Yvette had that look, it always meant someone was about to suffer. Joe remembered the first time: twenty recruits thrown into a no-rules fight arena. Only three made it out, and those three spent the next three months recovering.


    Then there was the second trial. One hundred people were tossed into the Amazon rainforest. Ny tapped out before things even got intense, barely escaping with their lives. The ten who remained were in for it, though. Nine didn''t make it back, and the lone survivor who walked out of that rainforest without a scratch? Charles.


    The only reason Charles survived was because he''d endured three months of Yvette''s brutal training beforehand.


    Joe stole a nervous ice at Yvette and, without hesitation, put on the most pained grin and swiftly denied, "Yvette, I swear I don''t know this guy. You believe me, right? Who is this anyway: Going around calling me ''brother? Definitely mistaken me for someone else.


    Emmett watched Joe''s poorly executed fib with raised eyebrows. Joe forgot that they were literally on the path to Yoder Manor and that all thend around here was famously Yoder property.


    Oliver''s face fell, utterly heartbroken. His brother had just denied him in front of this woman.


    Yvette''s gaze flicked over to Joe, her expression both amused and intimidating. With a mischievous smile, she asked. "Your brother? Biological?" Hearing that, Oliver suddenly found a bit of confidence. After all, he and Joe were family. You can''t just break blood ties.


    Standing there with a pout, Oliver grumbled, "He''s my brother, all right? My real brother. He''s Joe Yoder, and I''m Oliver Yoder."


    Emmett nced between the two brothers, noticing the resemnce. "Oh, so you two really are rted huh?"


    That one remark hit Joe like a punch, and he shot a re at Emmett. ''Great, thanks for that Emmett, Joe thought, I''ll remember this.


    Having no other choice, Joe forced a strained smile as he looked over at Yvette. He exined, "Oh, look at that-my memory must be slipping. Now that I think about it, he''s my little brother, sure... but it''s been ages since we''ve really gotten along.


    Oliver''s eyes went wide with disbelief. He thought, Wait a minute... wasn''t I just ying video games with Joe yesterday?"


    He couldn''t help but blurt out, "Joe, you''re lying! Yesterday we were...


    1/3


    ??


    62%


    Joe cut him off with a fierce re. "What? What about yesterday Shut it before I kick you from here to the Manor.


    Seeing his brother''s scowl, Oliver reluctantly mped his mouth shut, looking as hurt as a scolded puppy. Joe was ready to throttle him.


    Joe turned back to Yvette, still shing that sunny grin. "Yvette, really don''t know him that well. Actually, I was considering severing our rtionship altogether. I officially dere that I have nothing to do with his nonsense. If you''d rather not get your hands dirty, I''d be happy to tie him up for you- nice and secure,"


    At that, Oliver''s jaw dropped. His own brother, willing to tie him up just to impress some woman their grandpa had introduced: Everyone''s gone nuts,pletely nuts


    Yvette looked over at Oliver, who was on the verge of tears, and foe, who seemed so eager to please. Her lips quirked up slightly, her cold gaze steady and piercing


    Yvette said, "Oh, well then, go ahead. You tie him up."


    Now, it was Joe''s turn to be stunned. He thought, ''Why couldn''t Yvette stick to the usual way? Isn''t she supposed to say "don''t bother at times like this?''


    Yvette didn''t wait for a response. She turned and returned to the car while Emmett followed with a smirk.


    As Emmett passed Joe, he patted him on the shoulder and said, Tie him tight. Thanks."


    With that, the car pulled away toward Yoder Manor, leaving behind a trail of exhaust and a scene of groaning bodies, while Joe and Oliver stood in stunned silence, processing the absurdity of it all.


    Joe finally snapped out of it. Turning to his stunned little brother, hended a hard kick right on the spot where Oliver had been hit by the rock earlier. Oliver yelped in pain. Joel What are you doing? First, you pretend not to know me in front of that woman, then you say you''d tie me up for her, and now you''re kicking me? Have you lost your mind?"


    Grinding his teeth, Joe red at Oliver. "You absolute moron. You actually dared to mess with Yvette! If you have a death wish, fine-but don''t drag me down with you! I swear, I must have the worst luck in the world to end up with a brother like


    you.


    Oliver watched Joe and muttered defiantly, "Is it really that big of a deal? She''s just some girl Grandpa set me up with, right? Who in Mysonna would ever dare mess with the Yoder family


    Joe looked at his brother''s cocky, clueless face and felt the urge to smack him into next week. ''Does he even hear himself? A blind date?'' Joe thought bitterly. "What kind of cosmic favor would it take to get Yvette on a blind date with this fool?"


    "Oliver," Joe said slowly, restraining himself, "you think Yvette is your blind date? Are you out of your mind? Listen, not in this life, the next, or ever. Even I wouldn''t dare to think that far, but here you are, saying it out loud like it''s even possible"


    Realizing he might have misunderstood the situation, Oliver hesitated. "So... she''s not Grandpa''s choice forme! Then who is she, anyway? What''s got you so scared of her? Sure, she''s good-looking and can throw a punch, so what?"


    Joe could barely contain his frustration, watching Oliver, who still hadn''t grasped the gravity of the situation. He took a long, deep breath. And yet another, willing himself to remember-This is my brother. My flesh and blood. I can''t just.....


    Then, he muttered under his breath, "Or can I? Oh, screw it."

 Chapter 491

    ?


    Joe picked up the rope from the ground. He looked at Oliver and sighed, "Will you crawl over here yourself, or should I tie you up? Quick, make your choice."


    Today, Oliver faced the biggest defeat of his life. Everyone he brought along was wiped out, and now even his doting elder brother wanted to tie him up for that womaning from nowhere. He thought it was unfair.


    Oliver shook his head hard, looking resistant. ¡°Joe, you can''t be serious. That woman already left. I''m your younger brother. Stop kidding around." Joe looked at Oliver with annoyance, knowing there was no way bliver woulde over on his own. He walked up to Oliver and smiled at him. Seeing Joe''s smile, Oliver felt happy again and thought, There''s no way Joe would treat me like that.¡±


    In the next moment, Joe quickly used a grappling move to pin Oliver down and, before Oliver could react, skillfully tied him up securely.


    As he tied Oliver up, he said, "You got yourself into this mess, so deal with it. We''ll be brothers again after today. If you don''t make it through for today, then our bond is over."


    By the time Oliver realized what was happening and tried to fight back, he found himself all tied up by Joe


    Oliver shouted, "Joe, seriously? You really tied me up? Hurry and untie me, or I''ll go tell Grandpa on you."


    Oliver''s ultimate threat was Carl. Every time he mentioned telling Carl on Joe, Joe would always give in, without fail He assumed this time would be the same.


    Unfortunately, Oliver did not know that the biggest surprise of his life woulde so suddenly. Joe gave him a weird look. Out of a bit of brotherly love, Joe decided to warn his clueless younger brother, who might not be around tomorrow.


    Joe said, "Oliver, I advise you not to tell Carl about the silly thingyou did today? Oliver was about to say something, but Joe, simply stuffed a clean handkerchief in his mouth.


    "Alright, now it''s peaceful," thought Joe who pressed the gas pedal.


    Yvette saw the gates of the manor opened when she had just parked at the entrance of the Yoder Manor. Leading the way was an elderly man, followed by the servants in a grand procession.


    The elderly man leading the group was someone Yvette knew, Lucas, Carl''s personal butler. He had been meticulously taking care of Carl for years, especially during Carl''s recovery from illness.


    Lucas'' eyes lit up upon seeing Yvette. He knew that Yvette was the one who had personally lectured Joe and even saved Carl''s life.


    He thought Yvette''s medical skills were truly amazing. He personally saw how she brought Carl back from the death with just a few silver needles. Over the years, after Carl took the medicine she left behind, his health had been great, and his heart had not had any issues again.


    Lucas still felt amazed every time he thought about that back in the day, many renowned doctors were stumped, but Yvette managed to revive Carl using only a few silver needles.


    Lucas approached with the utmost respect and said to Yvette, "M. Zeller, it''s been years since west met. Mr. Yoder is waiting for you in the garden. Please follow me."N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Yvette nodded politely. Emmett walked behind her, marveling at the construction of the Yoder Manor. He thought it truly lived up to being a billion- dor project by Carl.


    Lucas was quiet all the way until they reached the garden e go after you."


    The garden, built against the mountain, featured path pave flowers and trees, which offered a delightful view. The spec white structure surrounded by trees, added a touch of rom:


    Yvette''s gaze settled on the Rothschild''s Orchids at the gard exactly top-grade, but still very rare on the market. Yet, Car


    However, someone unfamiliar with orchids would never be abundance of other nts.


    Lucas watched Yvette closely. When he noticed her gaze fall they''re Rothschild''s Orchids. Mr. Yoder spent 15 million doll these two pots of Rothschild''s Orchids are of average quality


    Emmett was not knowledgeable in this area but was quite an dors, so if the Rothschild''s Orchid was of high quality, it w


    Yvette nodded casually and said. "It''s a soil issue. With the soi Orchids.


    Lucas was surprised. He wondered, "Does Ms. Zeller really kn


    Before Lucas could say more, a strong, authoritative voice sp the soil here isn''t suitable for Rothschild''s Orchids."


    Emmett turned to see an elderly man in a wheelchair. That m white and each wrinkle telling a story of time, and his eyes thi


    Apart from Carl, no one else in the Yoder Manor had such pre foremost figure in Clusian business. Just from his aura alone, I younger days. Upon hearing the voice, Lucas bent down slightly and address


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly, half-closing her eyes, and nod the wheelchair, and lingered for a few seconds.


    Her voice was detached, "It seems like your health is quite good


    years.


    Emmett stood by, feeling a bit nervous. He thought, Yvette''s al her indifference?"


    The next moment, he found out that Carl, who was in the whetughing heartily. Hisughter was full of energy, not at all like


    Carl said, "Ms. Zeller, you sure are straightforward, and I''m reli since I find it bothersome with doctors asking me so many que dly give up everything if I could have a doctor like you with


    Carl was not exaggerating at all. At his level, money kepting his life, it was all over


    Yvette raised her gaze, her eyes cold, giving off an air of arrogan voice, "Even if you gave up everything, you couldn''t afford to hi 21:04 Sat, Dec 21


    262%


    Lucas was quict all the way until they reached the garden entrance, where he spoke again. "Ms. Zeller, Mr. Yoder is inside. Il go after you."


    The garden, built against the mountain, featured path paved with cobblestones. The path was lined with some bonsai with flowers and trees, which offered a delightful view. The specially designed gate at the entrance, with its contrasting red and white structure surrounded by trees, added a touch of romance, clearly showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.


    Yvette''s gaze settled on the Rothschild''s Orchids at the garden crance. There were two pots of Rothschild''s Orchids, not exactly top-grade, but still very rare on the market. Yet, Carl casually ced them at the entrance.


    However, someone unfamiliar with orchids would never be able to spot these two pots of Rothschild''s Orchids among the abundance of other nts. Lucas watched Yvette closely. When he noticed her gaze fall upon the Rothschild''s Orchids, he exined, "Ms. Zeller, they re Rothschild''s Orchids. Mr. Yoder spent 15 million dors to cultivate these from seeds. However, he mentioned that these two pots of Rothschild''s Orchids are of average quality, so he''s nning to part with them sometime soon."


    Emmett was not knowledgeable in this area but was quite amazed by the price of this flower. The seeds alone cost 15 million dors, so if the Rothschild''s Orchid was of high quality, it would probably sell for a fortune.


    Yvette nodded casually and said, "It''s a soil issue. With the soil here, the seeds can''t grow into top-notch Rothschild''s Orchids." - Lucas was surprised. He wondered, "Does Ms. Zeller really know about tending to flowers? Is she informed in this area?" Before Lucas could say more, a strong, authoritative voice spoke up, "I see. I thought it was a temperature issue. It turns out the soil here isn''t suitable for Rothschild''s Orchids."


    Emmett turned to see an elderly man in a wheelchair. That man emanated amanding presence, with his hair fully white and each wrinkle telling a story of time, and his eyes though hazy, were strikingly sharp.


    Apart from Carl, no one else in the Yoder Manor had such presence. Emmett thought this must be the legendary Carl, the foremost figure in Clusian business. Just from his aura alone, Emmett could tell what an impressive figure he was in his younger days.


    Upon hearing the voice, Lucas bent down slightly and addressed him as "Sir" before moving behind the wheelchair.


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly, half-closing her eyes, and nodded faintly. Her cool gaze settled on Carl, who was sittin the wheelchair, and lingered for a few seconds.


    Her voice was detached, "It seems like your health is quite good. It shouldn''t be a problem for you to live another several years."


    in


    Emmett stood by, feeling a bit nervous. He thought, ¡°Yvette''s attitude towards Carl is really too casual; wouldn''t Carl mind her indifference?"


    The next moment, he found out that Carl, who was in the wheelchair, heard Yvette''s words and immediately stood up,ughing heartily. Hisughter was full of energy, not at all like that of an eighty-year-old man.


    Carl said, "Ms. Zeller, you sure are straightforward, and I''m relieved to hear that from you. I might skip this year''s check-up since I find it bothersome with doctors asking me so many questions. When you''re old, who has the patience for that? Id dly give up everything if I could have a doctor like you with me."


    Carl was not exaggerating at all. At his level, money kepting in; if he lost some, he could make more, but once he lost his life, it was all over. Yvette raised her gaze, her eyes cold, giving off an air of arrogance as she raised her eyebrows and spoke in a light and slow voice, "Even if you gave up everything, you couldn''t afford to hire me


    Carl nodded in agreement. "You''re right, Ms. Zeller. I couldn''t i you could check on me every couple of years."


    Carl spoke in such a humble tone. If Emmett had not heard it i


    leader like Carl could be so submissive to Yvette.


    8.62%a


    Carl nodded in agreement. "You''re right, Ms. Zeller, I couldn''t afford to hire you with all the wealth I have. It''s my fortune if you could check on me every couple of years."


    Carl spoke in such a humble tone. If Emmett had not heard it himself, it would be hard for him to believe that a charismatic leader like Carl could be so submissive to Yvette.

 Chapter 492

    ?


    Carl was eighty this year. He went to Mysonna when he was young and single-handedly built the fortune of the Yoder family. Mysonna was known for its intense discrimination against outsiders. Initially, Carl did not start his empire through business; he entered the underworld alone.


    Back then, Mysonna was incredibly chaotic, and people needed strong ability to make a name for themselves there. Carl was renowned as the first legend among Clusian businessmen because he pioneered business ventures for the Clusian in Mysonna, bing the undisputed leader of overseas Clusian.


    To this day, despite the emergence of many outstanding Clusian businesses in Mysonna, Carl and his family''s leading position remained unchallenged Looking at Yvette, Carl could not help but think about how the younger generation rose. Years ago, when Damian uncovered Joe''s true identity, Carl knew Damian''s nature well enough to anticipate he would use Joe as a bargaining chip against the Yoder family. Despite being in Damian''s custody, Joe returned safely and even brought Yvette back with him.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Then Carl found out that the person who shocked the entire underworld in Mysonna, sweeping through and wiping out three top gangs overnight-the legendary instructor of the Seventy-Two Chambers from the Goodman family-was actually the young woman Yvette who had just reached adulthood.


    Throughout his years navigating the underworld, he considered himself well-experienced, but when Yvette stood in front of him, the shock he felt was indescribable.


    Later, when he was critically ill and doctors worldwide were at their wit''s end, Yvette stepped in and saved him. It was said she brought him back from the death with just a few acupuncture needles and a few different prescription medicines.


    For years now, he had been taking the prescription medication vette left behind when she departed. Strictly speaking, the Yoder family owed Yvette two lives.


    Carl thought the debt of saving a life could not be offset by the billion dors from that time, especially considering the recent incident where Joe was framed and sent to the underground auction in Voraxia. He knew that it were not for Yvette, Joe would have definitely suffered.


    Carl had never owed anyone a favor in his life, yet with Yvette, it seemed he could never fully repay her. In hister years. found himself burdened with such a huge obligation. Carl lost in his thoughts.


    In the vast garden, only the sound of the wind rustling the leave interrupted the silence. Yvette stood there with her hands in her pockets, giving off an aura that was both cool and aloof.


    She looked at Carl and said casually, "The past is gone. With 1 billion dors, we''re clear now."


    Carl froze for a moment when he heard that, then he smiled. "Ma Zeller, you''re right. I was being a bit narrow-minded."


    he


    Lucas grasped the situation andmented how big-hearted Yvette was. They all knew Carl''s life could not possibly be valued at just 1 billion dors. Back when Yvette treated Carl''s illness, she did not mention anything about a reward. If it had been anyone else, he would have asked for a hefty sum. After all, the Yoder family wasmitted to repaying the life-saving favor.


    Carl said, "Ms. Zeller, pleasee in and stay with me. If I had heard you were also knowledgeable about nts, I would have had asked for your advice long ago."


    Over the past few years, Carl had been passionate about growing various rare nts. He did not want others to handle them, preferring to do it all himself, but every nt he cared for ended up dying, regardless of how rare it was.


    Carl was particrly stubborn. The more the nts died, the more he tended to them. Over the years he had spent countless money just on seeds.


    1/3


    9.62%


    Yvette nodded. When Emmett watched Carl, who did not have any airs, tagged along with Yvette, asking questions and sincerely seeking guidance, he twitched the corner of his mouth


    Emmett thought. Today I really got my eyes opened. No... Actually, every day with Yvette is an eye-opening day.


    "The well-known Carl, in front of Yvette, looks just like an obedient student before a teacher. Really, who wouldn''t be stunned seeing that?"


    Lucas watched them from afar. Yvette asionally spoke a few words, and Carl would suddenly seem enlightened.


    H


    There was a significant age difference between the two, yet their presence was equally strong. Yvette had a maturity that was rare among her peers, along with the unique rebelliousness of lier age.


    Having such characteristics in Yvette did not seem strange at all in fact, it felt just right.


    While Carl and Yvette were chatting, a servant came in and whispered something to Lucas. Lucas'' expression became more and more peculiar. He turned his head to nce at Emmett, then looked towards Yvette in front. The servant finished speaking and moved aside.


    Lucas looked troubled, sighed, and walked over to Yvette and Carl. Emmett was watching the back of Lucas. He just caught snippets of the names Oliver and Joe mentioned by the servant


    Emment thought, "If there''s no surprise, Joe and Oliver had returned, and Joe probably has told them about what had happened on the hillside. Now it''s about Carl''s reaction.


    "After all, Oliver is his grandson. What will Carl do? Will he me Yvette for being too hard on his precious grandson?" Lucas walked up to Carl, nced at Yvette, and then whispered something in Carl''s car. Yvette stood there, waiting.


    Casually fiddling with a pot of flowers, Yvette paid no attention to what the two people were saying, Carl''s face continued to darken. After finishing speaking, Lucas left.


    Carl looked furious. The atmosphere in the garden suddenly became tense. Emmett immediately felt the tension. Even though Emmett was confident, he still felt somewhat flustered as they were in the Yoder Manor,


    Emmett thought, "Who knows how many hidden cards Carl has If a conflict arises, getting away unscathed might not be that easy."


    Carl looked at Yvette. ¡°Did Oliver upset you? That silly boy has never been very bright. He probably misunderstood my introduction of you as a potential date and did something foolish like blocking your road on the hill."


    Carl was almost driven to anger by his foolish grandson and added, "Honestly, my rtionship with Oliver is pretty average. We don''t see each other much. He should be responsible for his own fault. Ms. Zeller, you can handle him as you see fit, without considering my feelings."


    Emmett finally rxed. He realized he had been overthinking; Carl''s attitude towards Yvette was genuinely sincere.


    Then Emmett wondered, "Why do Carl''s words sound familiar? seems like Joe just said something simr. Truly, Carl and Joe are family.


    They share the same approach. That guy Oliver, who''s being diiked by his elder brother and grandfather, is so pitiful. Criticism from his own grandfather must be truly harsh for him


    Lucas visibly winced when he heard Carl''s words, He thought, "Oh, poor Oliver. Why did you have to provoke Ms. Zeller?" Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression indifferent, and said slowly, "Oliver is quite interesting


    Carl nodded reluctantly, "Whether he''s interesting or not isn''t my concern. You can rest assured, Ms. Zeller. I''ll definitely


    teach that brat a lesson and give you a satisfactory exnation:


    0

 Chapter 493

    ?


    Carl waved at Lucas. "Go and make Oliver kneel until I''m finished talking with Ms. Zeller. Find the sunniest spot to give him a good sunburn. He''s got shit for brains. How can someone his age still act so thoughtlessly?"


    Lucas bent slightly and whispered, "Sir, should we have Oliver carry the rattan on his back? The new rattan was just delivered a few days ago, and he hasn''t used it yet."


    Emmett was extremely shocked to hear that. He thought, "Carl''s punishment is already harsh enough, given that I and Yvette were unharmed and Oliver suffered. Who would''ve thought the seeiningly kind Lucas'' suggestion would be even


    more severe?


    "Must Oliver be punished with the rattan on his back?" Emmett originally thought Carl would not agree to that.


    To everyone''s surprise, Carl seriously considered the idea and told Lucas, "That''s a good idea. Let Oliver carry the rattan on his back. By the way, have Joe join in as well, but he doesn''t need to carry anything on his back"


    Lucas nodded and then left. Seeing that Yvette did not seem to re much, Carl finally felt relieved.


    Carl said. "Ms. Zeller, let''s not talk about Oliver anymore. Please, have a seat and enjoy a cup of coffee while we discuss the three bronze artifacts.¡± Yvette nodded, and the two of them, along with Emmett, went to the garden''s conservatory. In the center was a ssic rosewood table and stools, already set with brewed coffee, a freshly squeezed juice, and an assortment of elegantly crafted desserts. It was obvious that someone learned Yvette''s taste in advance,


    If there were people in this world who knew Yvette so well, Joe must be one of them. Carl and Yvette sat down as Emmett stood behind them. Carl took a sip of coffee and casually nced at Emmett. He lowered his eyes as he remembered how Yvette always used to be a loner. As Joe had said, she never kept anyone close.


    As soon as Emmett walked in, he caught Carl''s attention. Emmett was so young yet had such a strong ancientbat power. Carl thought Yvette sure knew how to find talented people.


    What surprised Carl even more was that Yvette had found a boyfriend who was a major general from Clusia. This major general Jeremiah was no ordinary person; he was the grandson of Jase Chavez, a marshal of Clusia


    Carl had met Jase decades ago, and the impression Jase left on him was unforgettable even today. Carl could imagine how remarkable his grandson Jeremiah would be. Not many people from Carl''s generation were still around today.


    Jase''s contributions to Clusia were known worldwide. Carl wondered if the Chavez family was really okay with Yvette''s past and truly allowed Yvette, a girl with aplex background, to enter their family.


    Carl said, "Ms. Zeller, these three bronze artifacts are all from the Merchanse Dynasty, and I''ve collected them over the years. It has been my longtime wish to donate them to Clusia, and I''m using this opportunity to finally return them to Clusia. Could I ask why Jeremiah isn''t here today?"


    Yvette replied casually, "He has to deal with something in Betrico, he''ll be back as soon as possible."


    Carl waved his hand with a chuckle. "I see, then we might not be able to discuss the rted matters today. It''s a real treat for me that you came to visit me."


    Emmett watched Carl from the side. He thought, "Carl is truly a seasoned veteran; the way he spoke is just so pleasing to the


    Yvette lifted her eyes slightly as the sunlight in the greenhouse up her stunning face and beautiful, brown hair. She raised her lovely eyebrows and said casually, ¡°Emmett will take care of the escorting of the bronze artifacts on behalf of Jeremiah.


    1/3


    Just work with him to arrange everything?


    262%


    Emmett nodded and said to Carl, without any trace of arrogance or obsequiousness, "Mr. Yoder, I''m Emmett. Until Mr. Chavez returns, I''ll discuss all the ns with your men about escorting the bronze artifacts back to our country. Once Mr. Yoder is back. I''ll ry everything to him. You have my word that there won''t be any problems."


    Carl nodded. ¡°Alright. Since you''re with Ms. Zeller, your ability must be top-notch. I''ll have Joe reach out to youter. You both can finalize the details. I''m old so I''ll keep out of it."


    Emmett responded politely. "You honor me, Mr. Yoder. You''re as energetic and impressive as ever."


    In the middle of the courtyard, Oliver was kneeling on the ground. He had more than 50 pounds of rattan on his back. After an hour under the scorching sun, he was drenched in sweat, his face pale, lips cracked, and his hands were shaking uncontrobly.


    Heined, Joe, Grandpa is too harsh on me. Just because identally offended that Yvette, he made me kneel in the sun for so long with heavy rattan on my back. Carl has never pureshed me this harshly before. Who in the world is that Yvette? Why does Carl value her so much?"N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Joe, kneeling beside a much more exhausted Oliver, appeared to be in much better physical condition, with only a slight sheen of sweat on his face. "Who is she? It''s like you''ve got shit for brains. You don''t know who she is, but you dared to offend


    her?"


    After Joe finished berating Oliver, he turned to Lucas supervising them with a pitiful look on his face. "Lucas, it was Oliver who messed up, but Grandpa is being unfair by making both of his kneel. Can you please talk to Grandpa and ask him to let only Oliver kneel?"


    Lucas stood to the side, unmoved by Joe''s appeal. His face remained expressionless as he faced the pleading Joe. "Joe, it might not work to ask for leniency. Mr. Yoder is currently discussing important business with Ms. Zeller. Are you sure you want me to interrupt them?"


    Hearing that, Joe reacted faster than he could think, shaking his head quickly. "Lucas, I was just joking. How could I interrupt Grandpa when he''s talking with Yvette? I''ll kneel here as long as needed. It''s been ages since I''ve enjoyed such a lovely sunbath; it''s actually quite pleasant.¡±


    Joe''s sudden change of attitude left Oliver stunned. Oliver thought, "How could Joe be so scared at just the mention of Yvette''s name, even willing to kneel? It''s really terrifying


    Joe kept a smile for Lucas, but when he turned to Oliver, his tone switched as he threatened, "Listen, brat, if I get sunburned, don''t even think about driving any of my limited edition supercars ever again."


    Oliver''s back was almost bent double from the pressure of the rattan. Knowing he was at fault, he did not dare with Joe, only muttering to himself.


    argue back


    Lucas looked at the two kneeling before him silently, his gaze deep and thoughtful. He thought, "This time, Oliver should learn his lesson. If Ms. Zeller really decides to pursue the matter he''ll be in serious trouble, and maybe even face irreparable"


    consequences,"


    Meanwhile, Yvette, Carl, and Emmett walked out from the garden. As they made their way to the courtyard, they saw Joe and Oliver kneeling in the center.


    Lucas immediately spoke up when he saw them, "Sir, Ms. Zeller


    Upon hearing the voice, Joe was the first to turn around, while Oliver, who was carrying a bundle of rattan, moved a bit slower.

 Chapter 494

    ?


    Even after kneeling for two hours, Joe was still full of energy. He cheerfully greeted them. Grandpa, Yvette, are you done


    talking?" Yvette nodded in response.


    Carl red at Joe with disapproval. Joe rubbed his nose defensively and thought, "It''s not my fault, after all. If Oliver, that silly fool, hadn''t provoked Yvette, none of this would''ve happened. Had I known earlier, I would''ve broken Oliver''s legs to prevent it."


    Carl then looked at Oliver, who was kneeling with a pale face. Oliver Thought about ying the sympathy card with Carl, but before he could speak, Carl sternly interrupted, "Kneel properly. Have you figured out what you did wrong by now! Hurry over here and apologize to Ms. Zeller."


    Even though Oliver was kind of a drama king, he was not so naive that he could not recognize Yvette, the girl he stopped halfway, was not an ordinary person. Despite feeling wronged, seeing Carl clearly angry, he decided it was wise not to confront him right now.


    Oliver hung his head and meekly said to Yvette, "I''m sorry," His voice was as weak as a mosquito''s buzz: people would miss it if they were not paying attention.


    Yvette stood casually with her hands in her pockets, her legs long and straight. With a touch of smile on her mouth, she was radiating an aura of wildness. She looked at Oliver, who was apologizing unwillingly, but had no intention of responding.


    Joe, seeing that, shrunk back to lessen his presence. Meanwhile, Carl, furious with Oliver, felt the urge to smack him. His voice was full of rage. "Oliver, apologize again. If Ms. Zeller don''t forgive you, you''ll be kneeling till sunrise.¡±


    Carl was furious, and the staff stood by, hardly daring to breathe trembling in fear. Oliver was startled by Carl''s stern voice, He knew that Carl was truly angry and would not go back on his word.


    "How can I hold on to kneel with heavy rattan about 50 pounds on my back until tomorrow? Thinking of that, Oliver immediately spoke up loudly, "Ms. Zeller, I shouldn''t have mistaken you for my blind date and shouldn''t have caused you trouble. I was truly wrong.


    After finishing speaking. Oliver kept his head down. He felt truly embarrassed today. Only then did Carl turn to look at Yvette. "Ms. Zeller, Oliver upset you. Feel free to punish him as you like. It''s his fault for being immature, and he deserves! whateveres.


    Yvette noticed the concerned look in Carl''s eyes and raised an eyebrow. Slowly, she said, "It''s fine."


    Joe finally rxed after hearing those words. It seemed like Oliver''s life was spared, and he would not have to kneel with Oliver anymore.


    Carl understood that Yvette was not bothered. He said to Oliver, "Why''don''t you thank Ms. Zeller for being generous enough to forgive you? You can stand up now."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Oliver stood up shakily, his throat so dry that speaking was difficult. Thank you, Ms. Zeller."


    Carl gave a look to Lucas, who then went to help Oliver limp away. Joe dusted off his clothes and stood up as well.


    Joe asked, "Yvette, why isn''t your boyfriend here with you today Yvette lifted her eyes casually and said slowly. "He''s busy."


    Joe nced at Emmett behind her with a sharp gaze. Carl spoke to Joe, "You and Mr. Chavez should set up a time in the next couple of days to discuss the issues about escorting the bronze artifacts back to Clusia. It''s a big task and needs to be thoroughly discussed with care.


    When Joe heard that, he immediately straightened up and became serious. "I understand, Grandpa. Don''t worry. I''ll take care of this.


    1/8


    Å̲˺Å:62%Áþ


    When Yvette left the manor, Carl personally escorted her to the gate with Joe. Joe watched the car drive away and casually said, "Grandpa, those three bronze artifacts are your favorites and you''ve cherished them for half your life. Don''t you feel a bit of loss giving them away like that?"


    Carl nced at him. "If you didn''t let others take advantage of you, would I need to use them as a peace offering? How dare you even bring it up?" Joe pursed his lips and did not expose Carl''s real intention. He thought, ¡°This situation is indeedrgely my fault, plus it was Yvette who came to my


    rescue.


    "Even though Grandpa is in Mysonna, his heart has always been with his homnd, Clusia. If not for being forced by circumstances in the past, how could he willingly leave his home The Yoder family now operates a specialized antique collectionpany to retrieve from other countries or individuals the antiques that Clusia has lost because of its war-torn history.


    "Every year, the Yoder family invests billions into this endeavor, and Grandpa never worries about the expense. When I was a kid, I was curious why he would spend so much money collecting these antiques but never donate or sell them for profit. Later, Grandpa exined that all the family''s collected artifacts were to be donated back to Clusia after his death.


    "When I asked why he didn''t donate during his lifetime, he said he didn''t care for any unnecessary fame. This time, because of Yvette, he decided to bring forward the donation ns.


    "Grandpa often says that fallen leaves return to their roots, meaning no matter where he dies, his ashes must be taken back to his hometown in Clusia."


    In the car, Yvette rested her chin on her hand, looking at the trees rushing past outside, lost in thought with a furrowed brow.


    While driving, Emmett spoke up, "Yvette, it''ll definitely cause a great stir to donate those bronze artifacts back to Clusia, Carl truly lives up to his reputation; he''s indeed a formidable character."


    Yvette''s slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. Heating Emmett''s words, she slightly lifted her eyelids and said calmly, "At twelve, Carl journeyed across the ocean to Mysonna. By fifteen, he joined a local gang, and on his eighteenth birthday, he single-handedly took down two gangs. By twenty, he embarked on his life''s journey as a boss. Before turning forty, he repeatedly escaped death. That year when he was forty marked the beginning of his legend. Carl is brave, cunning. and skilled. He''s a true hero."


    Emmett nodded in agreement. He thought, "His actions today alone speak volumes, though Yvette''s influence yed a p


    as well.


    ¡°If Yvette didn''t have strength, Carl wouldn''t treat her this way. Strength is the ultimate truth-whoever has it holds the power to speak up." When Yvette and Emmett got back to the vi, they just caught Sienna returning from setting up for the fashionpetition in Mysonna. Vibe was entrusted by Hazel, who was both the principal of the top fashion school in Mysonna and thepetition chair, to handle all the VIPs wardrobes for the day. Sierina was too busy these days, and she only managed to sneak back to the vi for a little rest because Yvette hade back.


    The moment Sienna saw Yvette, she pounced on her. Just as she was about to reach Yvette, hands from behind grabbed her by the neck and pulled her back.


    Sienna did not even have to turn around to know whose hands they were. "Hey, Bruce, can you stop treating me like a kid and picking me up like that? It really makes me look weak, you know?"


    Bruce looked at Sienna, who was iling around, and said in a deep voice, "You look weak? I like that."


    When Sienna heard that, her face flushed with embarrassment vette, standing at a distance, looked at them and said nonchntly, "Let''s go inside." É«


    Emmett gave a slight cough surprised at how flirty Bruce was when he was in love.


    0


    SEND G

 Chapter 495

    ?


    íü862%Ãæ


    As the group walked into the vi, they found Frankie lounging on the living room carpet, engrossed in a game with snacks. and drinks scatteredProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    around him. Meanwhile, Chris sat at the bar typing away on hisptop, clearly the busier of the two.


    Frankie immediately put down his game console when he saw Yette walk in. "Yvette, you''re back!"


    Then he noticed Bruce and Sienna. "Oh, Bruce, Siennal Did you woe back with Yvette? Wait-Sienna, weren''t you supposed to be busy with that fashionpetition?


    Yvette sat o


    on the couch and nced at the game on therge TV screen. Emmett brewed a cup of herbal tea, setting it gently before her, then settling onto the sofa himself.


    Sienna cozied up beside Bruce, casting a yful look toward Yvette. "Yvette, tomorrow''s the World Fashion Competition. and Hazel''s been asking about you for ages. You''re really not nning to see her before then? Every time Vibe drops a new collection, she asks me when you''lle out of retirement'' and visit her."


    Yvette held the teacup by its rim, her eyes devoid of emotion as she said. "Tomorrow will do.


    Sienna could only nod. If Yvette had decided on tomorrow, then tomorrow it is. Poor Hazel probably wouldn''t mind waiting one more night. Bruce, who had heard Hazel''s name from Sienna before, looked curious. "So, Hazel''s your teacher, right? Does Yvette''s also one of her students?"


    that mean


    Everyone paused to look at Sienna, who sipped her orange juice before responding. "Hazel is my teacher, yes-but she''s not


    Yveme''s.


    That piqued everyone''s curiosity even more. Sjenna went on, "Hazel is the dean of Mysonna Fashion Academy and the chair of the World Fashion Competition. In the industry, she''s called the ''Fashion Icon. There''s even a saying: if you want to make it big as a designer, just get Hazel''s approval."


    Frankie put down his chips, looking all gossipy, and said, "What does both yes and no'' mean? That''s so contradictory!"


    Sienna finished her juice, ncing cautiously at Yvette, who had her gaze lowered. "Hazel has always said that no one in the fashion world can truly be Yvette''s teacher. Whether it''s her talent, design skills, sensitivity to trends, or vision, Yvette hit her peak in design three years ago.


    Sienna continued, "Hazel taught Yvette for just two months before giving up because, ording to Hazel, there was nothing left to teach. Hazel even called her the most gifted, fastest-learning designer she''d ever met.


    Can you imagine a student so brilliant they drive their teacher to quit? Or a student whose mere existence haunts one of the fashion world''s icons, enough to have her call in now and then, pleading for new designs?


    Sienna had seen it all, right here with Yvette-the same woman who probably wouldn''t blink if the world were ending around her.


    After hearing this, everyone wasn''t all that shocked. Compared the stories they''d already heard, this was just another dazzling addition to Yvette''s impressive resume,


    If Yvette ever went to an interview, they figured her resume would need at least ten pages to fit all her life experiences, achievements, and countless skills.


    Seeing everyone''s gazes, Yvette simply shrugged and said, "Just picked up fashion design casually.


    The next day, the 21st fashionpetition took ce as scheduled. The venue was exciting and filled with stunning, stylish


    1/2


    guests


    62%1


    Even though the top three winners had already been announced, aspiring designers from across the globe arrived early, eager towork andy the groundwork for their future careers


    Every designer there was eager to be noticed-especially if it meant catching the eye of the iconic Hazel. Gaining her favor couldunch an unstoppable rise to the top, a dream shared by every designer and model in the industry.


    The event also attracted celebrities and prominent figures from Various industries, many drawn by Hazel''s legendary reputation.


    Among the well-dressed crowd, Sienna graced the crowd in a royal blue gown with a train, her hair in a high ponytail, smoky eye makeup, and red high heels, projecting a cool and edgy vibe.


    As the chief designer of "Vibe" and Hazel''s prot¨¦g¨¦, Sienna was immediately swarmed by admirers and acquaintances. Used to the spotlight, she handled each interaction with poise.


    By the time she finally got some rest. Sienna''s face felt slightly stiff from smiling. In fashion, reputation mattered, and Sienna had long learned that it paid to be polite even to neers.


    Stepping out onto the balcony, she quickly dialed Yvette''s number. Hearing Yvette''s calm voice put her at ease instantly.


    Knowing Yvette was only five minutes away, Sienna couldn''t wait to go meet her. She headed to the entrance when an executive from a luxury brand she had coborated with stopped her.


    Stuck in conversation, Sienna texted Yvette and told her to head to the main hall on the second floor.


    When Sienna finally managed to break away, she nced at her watch and frowned. The event was only half an hour from officially starting, but Yvette hadn''t arrived at the hall yet.


    Just as she was about to make a call, amotion near the entrance caught her attention. Sienna approached and saw a crowd gathered around a woman with a plunging neckline, clearly trying to draw attention with every move.


    The busty woman, dressed in thetest gown from a designer brand, pouted dramatically and addressed the crowd in a high-pitched voice, "I''m telling you, this girl was in the elevator with me, and right after we got out, my diamond watch was missing! It''s a birthday gift from my dad, worth ten million. She was the only one behind me. Who else could it be?"


    The busty woman then squeezed her chest for emphasis, earning more usations from some of the men in the crowd.


    "Youngdy, you''re too pretty to stoop to this behavior."


    "Looks like she probably spotted that diamond watch the second she saw it and was waiting for her chance."


    "Times are getting worse. Girls these days would rather take shortcuts than work for a living."


    "She''s probably broke and targeting the wealthy. Otherwise, why would she even be here, looking so out of ce? Lcan''t imagine Hazel inviting someone who doesn''t even bother to dress up.¡±


    As Sienna finally got a clear view of the used, her clutch nearly slipped.

 Chapter 496

    ?


    Yvette stood calmly in the center of the crowd, her sharp, icy gaze slicing through the chatter. She nced at the busty woman with an air of authority and said coldly, "You didn''t have the diamond watch on when you entered the elevator."


    The statementnded like a thunderp, silencing some of the murmurs. Just then, Sienna pushed her way through the crowd, her towering heels clicking decisively on the marble floor. The busty woman, who had been the picture of arrogance moments earlier, quickly softened her demeanor.


    Before Sienna could reach Yvette, the busty woman stepped into her path, putting on a sweet, simpering tone. "Oh, Ms. Sterling, thank goodness you''re here! This woman somehow sneaked into the event. We were in the elevator together, and as soon as we got off, my limited-edition diamond watch was missing! It''s worth ten million. I didn''t want to cause a scene at Ms. Winslow''s event, but she refused to admit it. What else could I do? The busty woman hinted that she wasn''t making a fuss out of respect for Hazel. By saying that, she wanted to leave a good impression on Sienna and Hazel.


    Without waiting for Sienna to say anything, the busty woman continued, "Now that you''re here, Ms. Sterling, you''ve got give me an exnation. My diamond watch is worth ten million dors!"


    The mention of the price tag sent a ripple through the crowd. Their scornful remarks came in quick session:


    "Exactly! This girl must have taken it. There''s no other exnation"


    "I mean, we''re all people of status here. None of us would stoop to such lowly acts."


    E DO


    This poor woman is being so kind, trying to handle this quietly for Ms. Winslow''s sake, yet this girl doesn''t even appreciate it. They should call the police right now!"


    ¡°Yeah, just arrest her already! She''s ruined the whole mood of the event."


    Sienna, watching the growing frenzy, clenched her jaw. She thought, Thief? Call the police? Are these people out of their minds?''


    Yvette could have dozens of diamond watches given to her as gifts. Ten million dors meant nothing.


    Of everyone here, no one would dare talk about status in front of Yvette. Sienna was ready to knock some sense into this busty woman. She took a deep breath, looking past the crowd at Yvette.


    Sienna exhaled slowly, realizing Yvette had no intention of revealing her identity as the mastermind behind Vibe-at least not yet.


    Turning her attention back to the user, Sienna''s expression hardened. The sharp lines of her smoky eye makeup entuated her steely


    demeanor, and her towering frame loomed over the other woman, exuding an icy, almost intimidating aura.


    Sienna''s voice dropped to an arctic chill. "Excuse me, ma''am, bur using someone without evidence is nder, not justice. If you genuinely believe a theft urred, call the police immediately rather than stirring up a baseless scene."


    She stepped closer, her cold gaze locking onto the busty woman That being said, I find itughable to suggest my friend would need to steal a watch-especially one worth only ten million. I doubt she''d even bother to look at it."


    Sienna''s words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone. All eyes turned to the calm and unbothered girl in the center of the crowd. No one had imagined that the girl in a tracksuit was Sienna''s friend.


    Without ncing at the busty woman, Sienna turned on her heel and strolled to Yvette. "Yvette, you''re finally here! I''m sorry I didn''te down to meet you earlier. Let''s go someone''s been waiting for you."


    62%


    Yvette''s icy eyes lifted to meet Sienna''s, Sienna knew Yvette wouldn''t be upset about such trivial matters. This entire scene was nothing more than a petty sideshow to Yvette.


    The busty woman noticed the crowd''s sudden silence and Sienna''s apparent deference toward Yvette. Her expression twisted. She''d already used Yvette in front of everyone-if she didn''t see this through, her reputation would be in shambles.


    She''d be aughingstock in the socialite circle if word got out. The busty woman nced at Sienna, fully aware of her prominence in fashion. Still, letting it go so easily was unbearable-after all, it was ten million dors on the line.


    Forcing herself to maintainposure, she addressed Sienna again. "Ms. Sterling, even if this girl is your friend, that doesn''t mean she didn''t steal my diamond watch. You shouldn''t take sides just because you''re close to her. Isn''t that a bit unfair?"


    Sienna turned back to the busty woman with a coldugh, then pulled out her phone and waved it. "If you want justice, it''s simple. I''ll call the police right now. They can handle this. If my friend didn''t take your watch, I''ll ensure you''re prosecuted for defamation. I''m sure everyone here will dly testify on my behalf."


    The crowd gasped. The firm resolve in Sienna''s tone left the busty woman visibly flustered. usations of defamation in Mysonna were no joke, and she didn''t have a shred of evidence the police proved Yvette''s innocence, she''d end up in deep legal trouble.


    Caught between a rock and a hard ce, the busty woman''s gaze darted nervously beforending on Yvette. Clearly, no wealthy person would dress so inly. Surely, this girl was just one of Sienna''s less fortunate acquaintances.


    Her attitude towards Yvette softened just a tad. "Hey you, why are you hiding behind Ms. Sterling? Why don''t you exin yourself if you didn''t take the watch?"


    Hands tucked casually in her pockets, Yvette''s nonchnt smirk sent a shiver down the busty woman''s spine. "And what''s there to exin to a delusional, brainless woman who makes things up as she goes?" Yvette''s words were like a p across the face.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Sienna let out augh. "Delusional and brainless-she couldn''t have put it better herself. The phrase fits the woman perfectly.


    As Siennaughed, the onlookers also began to chuckle, their ridicule echoing through the hall. The busty woman''s face turned crimson, her venomous gaze darting between Yvette and Sienna.


    The busty woman hissed, unable to maintain her falseposure, "Fine, Sienna! You''re Ms. Winslow''s prized student and the head designer of Vibe. But is this how you treat a guest at her party? I''ll be sure to tell Ms. Winslow about this. Mark my words-you haven''t heard thest of me!¡±


    Before anyone could respond, a low, menacing voice cut through the tension like a de. ¡°And who exactly do you n on having thest word with?"


    All eyes turned to the elevator doors as a man stepped out. A faint scar near his brow did nothing to diminish his striking. chiseled features. Instead, it added an air of enigmatic allure.


    He stood tall, his presence exuding a mix of nobility and grace, with an undercurrent of predatory.sharpness in his gaze. Hismanding aura was so intense that even Sienna found herself momentarily frozen.


    The only exception was Yvette, who lifted her gaze toward him with a frown.


    BB

 Chapter 497

    ?


    Chapter 497 62%1


    The man who had just arrived was Braydon, fresh from handling matters within his n. The moment his eyes fell on Yvette, his heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since hest w her-his dearest Yvette.


    In the high society circles of Mysonna, there was hardly anyone who didn''t know Braydon Goodman. As the undisputed leader of the underground world and the reigning ¡°most desirable bachelor¡± among the elite socialites for five consecutive years, Braydon''s face and formidable reputation drove countless women to obsession.


    The busty woman trembled with excitement upon seeing Brayden. But Braydon had no attention to spare for anyone else. In the vast expanse of the main hall, his world narrowed to just one person: Yvelle.


    Without hesitation, he strode toward her. His movement snapped the rest of the crowd out of their daze, and whispers. broke out


    "Is that... Braydon Goodman? Oh my God, I can''t believe it. Why would he show up at an event like this?"


    "Isn''t he known for skipping social functions altogether? What''s he doing here tonight?"


    "Ms. Winslow must have some serious influence to get him here. He hasn''t attended a single public event in almost three years! I think he''s only done one magazine interview in that time


    Watching Braydon approach, Sienna clenched her fists. Seeing hon brought back the shadow of Nathan Goodman-his despicable cousin. This was the same Braydon who had once nearly had her drowned for Nathan''s sake. And now, he boldly showed his face at Hazel''s event.


    Suppressing her anger, Sienna leaned closer to Yvette and muttered, "Yvette, as far as I know, Hazel didn''t invite Braydon. What the hell is he doing here? That bastard''s men nearly drowned me back then.


    Yvette stood there radiating an air of nobility, her calm expression entuated by sharp, upturned eyes


    Braydon made his way to the busty woman. When the woman realized Braydon was standing before her, she hastily adjusted her dress, her eyes alight with excitement. She batted hershes and spoke sweetly, "Mr. Goodman, I''m Ellie, 1..." Before she could finish, Braydon cut her off with an icy voice. "Who is it you said you wouldn''t let off?"


    The words froze the air around them, but Ellie lost in Braydon''s striking looks and powerful aura, failed to notice the sharp edge in his tone.


    Instead, she shot a smug nce at Yvette and Sienna, emboldened by Braydon''s presence. If Mr. Goodman was on her side, Sienna would kiss her


    ass.


    Ellie continued, "Mr. Goodman, here''s what happened: I was in the elevator with that woman. When I got off, Lnoticed my diamond watch was missing. At first, I didn''t want to make a big deal out of it¡ªI just asked her to return it. But she refused!"


    Ellie added a few well-timed tears to her performance. Then Ms. Sterling came along and used her status- to shield her friend, even threatening me with the police and legal charges for defamation. Can you believe it? They''re the ones being unreasonable here."


    Ellie''s words painted her as a poor, bullied victim. No one around dared to speak up.


    Sienna bristled with anger at Ellie''s maniptive tale and was about to step forward to confront her when something unexpected happened. Having listened in silence, Braydon reached out and ced a hand on Ellie''s neck. His expression turned vicious, his eyes glinting with malice. The crowd assumed that Ellie had caught Braydon''s eye and that this was the start of some dramatic "hero rescuing the


    damsel" story. Whispers of envy rippled through the room.


    "This Ellie is so lucky. She''s about to be the woman who tamed Braydon Goodman."


    "After all these years with no women by his side, is Braydon finally breaking the streak tonight?"


    Even Ellie believed this to be the case. Her body shivered slightly under Braydon''s touch, a mix of excitement and anticipation. The envious stares from the crowd only fueled her pride.


    She looked up at Braydon, her tone dripping with sweetness, M Goodman, I...


    62%


    Her words were cut off when Braydon suddenly tightened his grip and, without warning, flung her to the ground. The room fell into stunned silence. No one dared to breathe.


    For a moment, Elliey on the floor, dazed and humiliated. Her confidence shattered, and she looked up at Braydon with wide, fearful eyes,


    His icy, murderous gaze made her shrink into herself, trembling "Mr. Goodman, why... why would you do this to me?"


    It was the question on everyone''s mind. Ellie hadn''t visibly done anything to provoke Braydon-or so they thought. No one thought this was rted to Yvette.


    Only Sienna had a suspicion that Braydon was doing this to stand up for Yvette.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Braydon towered over Ellie, his face dark and menacing as he spoke, "You said she stole your diamond watch worth ten million?"


    Now visibly shaken, Ellie hesitated but felt trapped by her earlier usations. She nodded stiffly. "I... It was just the two of us in the elevator, so I thought..."


    Braydon''s voice was cold. "Five years ago, the three diamond mines in Afria that caused a global sensation-sold off as useless sites only to reveal they were diamond-rich-do you know who the buyer was?"


    A murmur swept through the crowd. This wasn''t just idle gossip Braydon was referring to a real-world scandal that had. rocked international headlines.


    The three "worthless" mines had been sold for just 30 million dors, only to yield diamonds worth billions after excavation The buyer''s identity had always been shrouded in mystery, with rumors pointing to a tycoon in Auroria.


    The crowd felt a jolt in their chests, their thoughts racing as they processed Braydon''s words. Slowly, their gazes shifted to Yvette, standing in the center of it all. Her calm, detached demeanor made her seem untouchable-untouchably powerful.


    If things were really as they imagined, they must have made the biggest joke in the world.


    Ellie''s body stiffened, her eyes widening in disbelief. "N-no... That''s not. Are you saying it''s her? That she''s-?" The rest of her words caught in her throat. The courage to even finish the sentence deserted her.


    Braydon''s tone dripped with contempt. "The buyer is right in front of you. Does it make any sense that someone who owns. three diamond mines worth billions would bother stealing a ten-million-dor watch? What a ridiculous joke."


    Braydon''s words left everyone in shock. Each person who had used Yvette wore a look of embarrassment....


    Ellie sprawled on the floor, feeling like she had been plunged into a frozen abyss. Her body trembled as she realized what foolish mistake she had made.


    Sienna swallowed hard. She thought, ''Wow... Yvette really does own a mine. This is the golden ticket of a lifetime-it makes me want to justy back and enjoy the ride.


    Yvette''s expression remained indifferent,pletely ignoring the stares from the crowd.


    11


    She noticed aptop on the reception desk and walked over at a calm, unhurried pace. Braydon''s gaze followed her every step, his fierce demeanor softening as a rare gentleness flickered in his eyes.

 Chapter 498

    ?


    Dec


    When the crowd learned that Yvette owned diamond mines worth billions, their attitudes shifted instantly. They couldn''t fathom someone with such immense wealth stealing another woman''s diamond watch.


    This is human nature-how people perceive situations often changes depending on whether someone is rich or poor. If Yvette were to im now that she lost a million dors and Ellie stole it, the same crowd wouldn''t hesitate to brand Ellie a thief. Some even began to look at Yvette with a tinge of fear.


    As for Braydon, it was obvious whose side he was taking. Everybody at the scene was wondering about the rtionship between Yvette and Braydon.


    Yvette sat down in front of theptop, her slender, porcin fingers flying across the keyboard with lightning speed. Everyone couldn''t help but marvel at her incredible typing skills.


    As her fingers finally came to rest, Yvette curled her lips into a faint smile. Sienna immediately stepped forward. The moment her eyesnded on the video ying on theptop, she froze and then nced at Yvette, who remainedposed


    in her seat.


    Sienna thought, ''Oh my god... Just how many surprises does Yvette have in store? Isn''t this the kind of skill only a hacker would have?


    Sienna turned theptop toward the crowd, and everyone rushed to see. Except Braydon, who remained still, his intently on Yvette as though he couldn''t look at her enough.


    gaze


    ze fixed


    The video disyed the entire sequence of Ellie entering and exiting the elevator and her sudden usation that Yvette had stolen her diamond watch. It was clear for all to see: Ellie hadn''t been wearing any diamond watch at all. From the moment she stepped into the elevator, she only had a simple bracelet on her wrist.


    The truth was undeniable now. The video pped the faces of everyone who doubted Yvette, especially Ellie, who was utterly speechless on the floor. The crowd, upon seeing the video, quickly turned on Ellie.


    "We''re so sorry, miss. We only doubted you because Ellie misled us. We didn''t mean it!"


    "Exactly! This has nothing to do with us."


    "Yes.


    We only said a few things-certainly not intentionally, me Ellie, she''s truly despicable!"


    "Right. It wasn''t on purpose."


    Yvette barely lifted her eyelids, her expression as calm as ever,pletely indifferent to their attempts at reconciliation. Her apathy unsettled the crowd, yet none dared to speak up.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    With a wave of his hand, Braydon summoned several ck-suited bodyguards who strode in and hauled Ellie to her feet.


    Ellie let out a panicked scream. "What are you doing? Let me go! Please, let me go! I was wrong, Mr. Goodman. Her cries drew everyone''s attention as the ck-suited men dragged her away.


    Silence nketed the room. This was Braydon Goodman, a man known in Mysonpa for his ruthless reputation. No one dared provoke him. Braydon''s lips curled into a chilling smile. "Take her away."


    At hismand, Ellie erupted in desperation, summoning strength from nowhere to shove off the guards and crawl toward Yvette''s feet.


    Ellie''s voice was boarse as she begged. "I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean it. Please ask Mr. Goodman to forgive me. I promise I won''t dare to do it again."


    of


    Ellie continued, "It was a momadness-I shouldn''t have looked down on you. This is all my fault. I''ll kneel and apologize. Just please, help me!" Ellie knew that if Braydon''s men took her away, her fate would be grim. His cruelty was legendary in Mysonna


    Clinging to Sienna''s dress hem, she wailed again. "Ms. Sterling, Im begging you! Please ask your friend to let me go! I''ll never dare offend anyone again, please!"


    Ellie''s pitiful cries echoed through the venue, stirring faint sympathy in some.


    62%


    Yvette, however, looked down at the woman at her feet with an ity gaze. Her tone was cold and deliberate. "If I hadn''t been able to prove my innocence and were just an ordinary person, you wouldn''t be here crying and admitting your mistake."


    Yvette''s words struck like a dagger. The truth was in: if Ellie had used someone powerless, she wouldn''t even consider apologizing. To her, someone without wealth or influence didn''t deserve an apology.


    The crowd watched Ellie''s expression shift from panic to despair Whatever defense she had prepared died in her throat.


    Braydon''s sharp nce signaled his men to act. The guards grabbed Ellie again, and this time, when she resisted, one delivered a brutal p, knocking her unconscious.


    Everyone watched in stunned silence as Ellie was dragged away. Any lingering thoughts of pleading on her behalf evaporated


    Braydon approached Yvette, his excitement barely concealed as he stood before her. In front of everyone, he spoke softly. "It''s been a long time." Yvette''s lips curled with a mix of wildness and disdain. She raised an eyebrow and uttered a single word: "Leave."


    The crowd froze in shock. Their minds raced, and they couldn''t believe someone had just told Braydon Goodman to leave.


    In Mysonna, no one dared speak to Braydon like that. Unless they had a death wish... no, their entire family would have to be tired of living!


    Sienna stood by Yvette''s side, her body tensing as she became acutely aware of the sudden chill from Braydon. Her nerves tightened instantly. This Braydon was unhinged. There was no way he''d simply let Yvette''smand to "leave" slide. Everyone was expecting Braydon to explode in fury.


    Instead, Braydon stared at Yvette, his eyes brimming with sorrow and pain he couldn''t hide.


    Braydon said in a low, almost broken voice, "I don''t want to leave I just want to stay by your side. Why can''t you give me a chance? I don''t need anything. Just being near you is enough for me. Isn''t that okay?"


    His voice was soft, almost inaudible to those standing farther away.


    But Sienna every word clearly. Her eyes widened in shock as she look in the sight of Braydon-aman known for his ruthlessness, someone whose name struck fear into anyone in Mysonna-reduced to this Humble, almost pitiful, his wordsced with a pleading tone.


    Sienna''s mind also wandered to Jeremiah, who had recently returned to Betrico. If it were anyone else, it wouldn''t matter. But this was Braydon- someone who clearly harbored a deep, unrelenting affection for Yvette. Jeremiah better braces himself because Braydon was no ordinary threat.


    Yvette fixed Braydon with an icy stare, her voice steady and deliberate as she spoke, "Braydon, do you remember what I saidst time? If you keep clinging to me-death."

 Chapter 499

    ?


    hapter 499 2¡Á60%


    Braydon''s expression tightened at these words. A dark look passed over his eyes as he lowered his voice, "Yes, but I don''t recall you saying I wasn''t allowed to appear in your presence. I''m simply here to attend the event."


    Yvette remained seated, exuding amanding presence that seemed to suppress even someone as imposing as Braydon Her expression is indifferent as if he weren''t even worth acknowledging


    Though the crowd couldn''t hear exactly what Braydon had said, was obvious that he was humbling himself in front of this woman. This alone was enough to shock the room.


    The infamous kingpin of Mysonna''s underworld, a man feared for his ruthless and unfeeling reputation, was lowering himself for a woman. The rumors of Braydon''s disdain for women had always been widespread, yet here he was, behaving in a way no one could have imagined


    Just as the tension in the room reached a boiling point, another male voice rang out, breaking the silence. It was casual and cocky, carrying a hint of mischief. "Well, looks like I''mte to the party. What''s all the excitement about?¡±


    The crowd instinctively turned toward the elevator. Yvette, however, remainedpletely unmoved, her face devoid of any reaction. Braydon''s brow furrowed slightly. He didn''t turn around and knew who wasing.


    Joe Yoder strolled in, wearing a dark gray suit with the top two buttons undone, teasing a glimpse of his corbone. His presence was as unruly as ever, his demeanor effortlessly rakish


    Unlike Braydon, who rarely appeared at public events, Joe was a regr at high-society gatherings. He was a stark contrast to Braydon-if Braydon was known for his aversion to women, Joe was infamous for his excessive indulgence. His girlfriends came and went faster than the seasons. But no one dared criticize him; after all, he was the next heir to the Yoder family empire.


    The crowd could hardly believe their eyes. They hade to watch a fashionpetition but were now witnessing the rare sight of Mysonna''s two most formidable figures in the same room. And these two weren''t exactly on good termstely.


    The air in the room grew unbearably tense. Onlookers were too frightened to breathe too loudly, let alone utter a word, for fear of being caught in the crossfire.


    Joe ignored the crowd, and his gaze locked onto Yvette as he swaggered toward her.


    Sienna clutched her handbag nervously. She didn''t know Joe personally, but it was clear who he was here for. Based on his reputation, he was making a beeline for Yvette.


    "Dear God... Sienna thought, "This party has turned into a battlefield.


    Between Braydon and Joe, two powerhouses with explosive tempers, things could spiral out of control any second. The room held its breath as Joe stopped directly in front of Braydon. The tension hit its peak.


    Joe shoved one hand into his pocket, smirking with a devil-may-care attitude as he nced at Braydon''s darkened expression. He scoffed and then turned his attention to Yvette. Yvette! If I''d known you''d be here tonight, I''d have shown up sooner. What a shame"


    His deliberate familiarity with Yvette sent ripples of shock through the crowd. Joe then turned back to Braydon, adding fuel to the fire by moving even closer to Yvette, his posture intentionally intimate.


    Yvette remained calm, her expression neutral as joe continued his antics. She didn''t push him away, which only encouraged him further.


    Joe''s actions indeed angered Braydon, and he instantly became menacing, with a chilling rage and brutality.


    Braydon thought bitterly. "Why is it that Joe can stand by her side while even a single word from me seems to disgust her?


    60%±¸


    Joe shrugged nonchntly and said, "Mr. Goodman, you''re here too? I figured you''d be too busy to attend something like this. Funny, I didn''t see a date with you. Oh, wait-how could I forget? You''re famous for not liking women. Or... is it that you prefer men?"


    Joe''s taunt was bold and tant, earning a few horrified nces. Sienna, however, couldn''t suppress a tiny grin. ''Now that''s a good jab, she thought.


    Braydon''s eyes narrowed dangerously. He adjusted his watch with an air of calm that only made his presence more intimidating.


    "Joe, don''t push it." Braydon said coldly. "I see your time in Voracia didn''t teach you any lessons."


    Joe''s easygoing demeanor vanished the moment those words hit him. He stiffened like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Braydon," Joe growled, "mark my words-this isn''t over."


    Turning to the crowd, Joe waved dismissively. "What are you all gawking at? The show''s over. Go back to your drinks or whatever.


    The crowd fled the scene faster than anyone thought possible. The room was empty in moments, save for Yvette, Sienna, Braydon, and Joe. Yvette stood up, her gaze shifting briefly between Joe and Braydon, locked in a silent standoff. Tilting her head slightly, she addressed Sienna in a calm, detached tone. "Let''s go."


    Sienna nodded immediately, relieved. Staying in this suffocating atmosphere a moment longer felt unbearable.


    Yvette walked past Braydon, she paused for a fleeting moment. Braydon''s heart skipped a beat. He thought, ''Is she about to speak to me?" It had been so long since Yvette had initiated a conversation with him.


    Seeing Braydon''s poorly concealed anticipation. Joe let out a mocking scoff.


    Yvette turned her gaze to Braydon, her expression asposed as ever. "Call off the hit on Charles, or I won''t hesitate to bring down the Seventy- Two Chambers."


    That one sentence sent Braydon into a cold abyss. His determination shattered instantly, and his expression grew dark. "Yvette, the Seventy-Two Chambers was your gift to me. I won''t let anyone destroy it. It''s your legacy. Are you really going to ruin it over Charles?"N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    For once, Joe didn''t mock Braydon. He remained silent, knowing full well the extent of Braydon''s obsession with Yvette.


    To Braydon, Seventy-Two Chambers symbolized something far deeper, an unwavering connection to Yvette. Her threat to dismantle it was a direct blow to the core of his existence.


    Sienna felt her mind reel as she processed Braydon''s words. She thought, "Seventy-Two Chambers? The Goodman family''s infamous stronghold? The most feared organization in the underworld? What was Braydon talking about?"


    And now Braydon was saying that Seventy-Two Chambers wasn''t just his-it was Yvette''s creation, her legacy


    A cold, ruthless glint flickered in Yvette''s icy eyes as she retorted, "Legacy? If I didn''t owe your grandfather for saving my life. do you think Seventy- Two Chambers would even exist? Braydon you''ve been lying to yourself all these years, using your own delusions to justify everything. It''s time to wake up."


    Without sparing him another nce, she turned on her heel and left. Sienna followed close behind.


    Joe, who had been observing Braydon''s unravelingposure, finally approached. Gone was his usual yful demeanor; his voice was grave and steady as he spoke. "Braydon, the moment you drugged Yvette to keep her by your side, you lost any right to her affection.


    Braydon''s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Joe, weakly defensling himself. "I know I was wrong. I''ve known it for years. I


    only did it because I loved her so much. Yes, I made a mistake, but I''ve been repenting ever since. Isn''t it enough?"


    His voice shattered as he continued, "Why can''t Yvette give me chance? Why can''t she forgive me, even once? Is one mistake enough to cost me Yvette forever?"


    0

 Chapter 500

    ?


    Joe frowned as he looked at Braydon, who was stubbornly persistent. Braydon''s extreme nature was just who he was, and he was beyond saving


    Joe said, ¡°Honestly, you know very well that back then, Yvette wanted to kill you. It was that shameless old man from your family who begged to save your life, and that''s why she spared you. Otherwise, if Yvette really wanted to kill you, you''d be dead long ago. There''s no way the people around you could have stopped her. Do you think you''re the Underground King now? Don''t be too greedy, Braydon.¡±


    Braydon narrowed his dark eyes. Joe, you have no right to lecture me here. Yvette will surely be mine. Anyone who tries to stop me will be crushed.¡± Joe thought Braydon was utterly unreasonable. "Braydon, stop daydreaming. If Yvette doesn''t want to stay, who on earth can make her stay by their side? I really don''t know where your confidencees from. Oh, by the way, do you know? Yvette''s man is the youngest Major General in Clusta, and he''s annoyingly handsome. His character and temperament are unmatched.


    When Joe talked about temperament and personality, he felt a bit insecure. Mr. Chavez''s temper and character were also quite intimidating. Upon his first encounter with Jeremiah, he sensed that the man had unfathomable depths within him.


    Joe''s words instantly stirred up a fierce intent to kill in Braydon''s eyes. Not long ago, the assassin he sent had been returned from Clusia in less than three days, with every bone in his body shattered. There was also a note with four words written on it. [Return it as it was]Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking of this, Braydon red at Joe with a chilling stare, making Joe''s hair stand on end. Joe thought, "What kind of sinister n is this lunatic plotting this time?


    Joe didn''t say anything and just left, leaving Braydon alone at the entrance of the venue.


    As soon as Yvette and Sienna entered the main hall, all eyes were on them. Most people at the entrance had witnessed the whole incident, and for those who hadn''t, word spread quickly. The participants all knew about it and looked at Yvette with both fear and curiosity.


    wine and


    Yvette and Sienna walked over to the couch in the corner and sat down. A waiter promptly brought over some juice. Remembering that Yvette had to go on stage to receive an awardter, Sienna didn''t take any wine for her.


    After all, it was Yvette''s first appearance at thepetition under the name "Vibe." After today, everyone would know who the owner of Vibe was. It was such an important day, so it was better to skip the alcohol. That was why Sienna specifically chose a ss of orange juice for Yvette.


    She didn''t realize this was a lucky mistake until sheter saw how Yvette was after drinking. She was extremely d she thought twice back then. Yvette lounged on the couch, rxed and confident, her long legs casually bent. Her gaze was sharp as she nced around the room, her eyes deep and intense. Everyone caught by her stare instinctively looked down.


    Yvette took a leisurely sip of her orange juice.


    Sienna sat to her right, wanting to say something but swallowed her words, looking conflicted.


    Yvette gave Sienna a calm nce and leisurely said, "If you''ve got something to say, just go ahead and say it."


    Finally, Sienna could ask her question; she''d been holding it back for ages. "Yvette, did you really train the Seventy-Two Chambers of the Goodman family? Nathan said it''s their biggest trump card!"


    Yvette half-closed her eyes, looked at the curious Sienna, then nced at Joe walking over, and replied indifferently, ¡°Yeah.¡± Just that one word was enough.


    1/3


    Chapter 500.


    OK


    60%Á¿


    Sienna felt she could hardly breathe, and before she could say anything else, Joe came over and sat across from Yvette with a roguish charm. Before starting his rant, he made time to greet Sienna. "Hey there, Siennal


    Sienna nodded graciously. She had known Joe for several years, and he never hesitated to spend on clothes. She hadn''t expected Yvette and Joe to be acquainted; they seemed to get along quite well


    Sometimes she felt the world was really small, but it looked like Joe didn''t know Yvette was the boss behind Vibe.


    Joe continued toin to Yvette after greeting her. "Yvette, I think Braydon''s gone crazy. He says he''ll keep you by his side even if it kills him. I mean, he''s been living in his own world all these years-it''s got to be exhausting."


    Yvette held the rim of the cup, her eyes dark as night, brushing her long hair aside. Her voice was soft and slow, "If the Goodman family doesn''t want to be the Underground King, then let someone else take over."


    Joe was momentarily stunned by her words. He wondered, ''Who else but Yvette could casually suggest a power shift in Mysonna''s underworld?" Yvette raised her eyes to look at Joe, her gaze reserved.


    Joe hesitantly pointed at himself, starting to stutter. "Yvette, you''re not suggesting I do it, are you? Yvette, that''s not something to joke about-I don''t even have the slightest idea about this!"


    Yvette slowly curled one side of her lip. "Oh? Who said four years ago that they would rule the underworld


    day!"


    Joe''s face turned red. He quickly waved his hand. "Yvette, stop teasing me. I was young and reckless back then. Honestly, I''m not made for the underworld. I''m not even a third as ruthless as Braydon, and for that alone, I''vepletely lost. Plus, my grandpa spent decades cleaning up the Joe family, severing ties with the underworld. If I were to drag the Joe family back, my grandpa would be the first to oppose."


    Yvette leaned back a bit. She seemed genuinely considering who should be the new leader of the underground world.


    Sienna sat to the side, feelingplicated. She suddenly wondered if there was a chance that Yvette had another identity. with being the boss of Vibe as the most inconspicuous one. So, all these years, Yvette never intended to reveal the person behind "Vibe.


    While the three were talking, Braydon walked into the hall.


    When he arrived, the women in the hall became all excited. Seeing Braydon in a public setting was rare-opportunities like this just didn''te often. So, even though Braydon wore a cold expression that screamed ''stay away." some women had their eyes on him the moment he walked in.


    Holding their drinks, they went over to say hello. In less than five minutes, six women had been bluntly rejected by Braydon and left the venue, feeling embarrassed.


    Joe stroked his chin. "What''s with Braydon acting all superior? Refusing prettydies-how rude! Plus, don''t these women see? I''m cool and handsome too, aren''t I? Why isn''t anyone approaching me? Could it be that my looks have faded recently?"


    As he spoke, he touched his face again. He thought, ''Nope, still as handsome as


    s ever!


    What Joe didn''t realize was that Yvette and Sienna''s striking looks were too dazzling, and after what happened earlier, no one wanted to be the second Ellie. Even those interested in him didn''t dare to approach and instead looked for someone else.


    Braydon saw Yvette sitting on the couch in the corner, his gaze deepened. Knowing he wasn''t wee, he chose a spot not far from Yvette and sat down.


    From his position, Braydon could clearly see Yvette''s beautiful profile.


    Yvette didn''t even nce at Braydon.

 Chapter 501

    ?


    The banquet proceeded smoothly, with all the guests busy socializing-except in the area where Yvette and Braydon were seated, which was empty. Joe, who had recently taken a liking to a new model, left the booth to flirt.


    As for Sienna, she thought that the area around the sofa was cold enough without the air conditioning. After exchanging a few words with Yvette, she headed backstage at the banquet... If she stayed any longer, the chilly aura from Yvette and Braydon was going to freeze her.


    Yvette sat cross-legged on the couch, at ease and rxed. Her simple and casual sportswear made her the only woman at the banquet not dressed in gowns and high fashion. She was sipping orange juice,pletely out of ce.


    Braydon watched her intently. Before they realized it, half of the banquet had already passed.


    The highlight of the party was about to start-that moment when Ms. Winslow, the godmother of the fashion world, personally presented trophies to the top three winners of the fashionpetition. The winners'' names were already announced yesterday on the World Fashion Competition''s official website, ording to the contest rules.


    Unlike somepetitions that create mystery to gain attention during live announcements, this world-ss fashionpetition was known for its transparency. The designs from both participants and winners had been posted on the website for everyone to admire.


    That was why the World Fashion Competition is recognized as the most authoritative and valuable event in the fashion industry, with Ms. Winslow judging alongside a panel of twenty respected editors and designers.


    Suddenly, there was amotion among the crowd as everyone turned to see Hazel walking in from the entrance. As the acknowledged godmother of fashion, Hazel''s status was unassable.


    In her sixties, she wore a simple, elegant ck dress, her hair neatly styled, with a pearl ne adorning her graceful neck. Every movement exuded elegance. Hazel embodied the saying, "Age never diminishes beauty."


    Even at sixty, she could still be an elegant and charmingdy. Hazel gracefully greeted each guest, her eyes discreetly scanning the venue. With so many people around her, Hazel didn''t notice Yvette sitting on the couch in the corner. Hazel felt a slight sense of disappointment. She thought, ''Didn''t Sienna say that Yvette would attend the awards ceremony in person? Why isn''t she here yet?''


    Sienna came out from backstage and saw Hazel surrounded by people greeting her. She lifted her dress slightly and made her way over. As soon as the guests noticed Siennaing, they immediately stepped aside for her.


    This was Mr. Winslow''s prized student and the lead designer for this year''s world fashionpetition winner, "Vibe." However, the award-winning design wasn''t created by Sienna but by the elusive genius behind Vibe, who once amazed the fashion industry with the "Blossom" series.


    Since "Vibe" was founded, this mysterious owner had never appeared in the fashion world, with each new collection being presented by Sienna. The winning "Nameless" series from thispetition was considered the best design in recent years, and no one questioned its first-ce status. Sienna walked over to Hazel and whispered in her ear, "Ms. Winslow, Yvette has arrived. She subtly motioned towards where Yvette was sitting. Hazel looked past the crowd and finally saw Yvette sitting on the couch in the corner. Her eyes brightened with relief. She thought, Finally, the girl is willing to show up


    Hazel nodded at the people around her, then walked towards Yvette, with Sienna following closely behind. As everyone saw which way Hazel was going, they started whispering again.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    1/3


    "OMG, why is Ms. Winslow going over there? Is it because of that girl from before?"


    "Maybe Ms. Winslow knows that girl. She''s worth billions and owns three mines."


    party "No way, Ms. Winslow really dislikes people who break the rules. Even if this girl owns a mine, she came to the wearing a formal dress. Even if designer Sienna brought her in, Ms. Winslow probably won''t show her any respect."


    without


    ¡°If this girl upsets Ms. Winslow, she can forget about making it in the fashion world. I bet designer Sienna will suffer too.


    "No matter how rich that girl is, if she breaks Ms. Winslow''s rules, Ms. Winslow won''t be friendly to her."


    "Did you guys forget? This girl is under Braydon''s protection."


    Thatment finally silenced the whispers. Everyone present was eager to witness Yvette''s blunder and the subsequent scolding from Hazel. Under everyone''s watchful gaze, Hazel walked over to Yvette. She observed Yvette casually drinking her orange juice and smiled warmly, her voice not sounding aged at all. ¡°Dear Yvette, it''s been so many years, and you''re still as beautiful as ever."


    Hazel opened with such a dazzlingpliment that it stunned everyone around. Even Braydon, sitting nearby, slightly paused at Hazel''s approach. Hazel didn''t know her, but she was a renowned figure in Mysonna''s high society. She had Yoris heritage, and was secretly a princess from the Mysonna count''s family, a fact known by few.


    His grandfather had once mentioned that Hazel had refused the former president''s romantic pursuit in her youth. Rumor had it that this strong-willed woman was not usually this kind!


    Yvette knew Hazel? And her warm demeanor was thought-provoking. Everyone there was clearly shocked and stood still. Yvette lifted her eyes to Hazel, smiled slightly, and said slowly, "Yeah, I think so too."


    Sienna, standing behind, twitched her lips. She thought, ''Only someone like Yvette could get away with saying something like that-if it were anyone else, people would feel an uncontroble urge to punch them.*


    She thought, ''Speaking so openly in front of Ms. Winslow, Yvette would definitely be the first, and quite possibly the only


    one...


    Braydon hesitated with his wine ss, then put it down as if nothing happened. He thought, Yvette has never spoken like this before. She has changed, and is it because of that man named Jeremiah?"


    Hazel heard this andughed. Although time had caught up with her beauty, her every expression still had charm, faintly showing her former glory. With graceful poise, Hazel addressed Yvette. "Dear Yvette, the award ceremony is about to begin. Come sit with me at the front. Please don''t turn me down, or I would be so disappointed


    Everyone there was buzzing with excitement at Hazel''s invitation Envious and jealous eyes were all fixed on Yvette.


    They wondered, ''What on earth has this girl done to deserve an invite from Ms. Winslow? It definitely isn''t about money; Ms. Winslow''s fortune is in the billions.


    Nobody expected Hazel to be acquainted with Yvette, much less act so kindly towards her, considering Hazel''s typically stern manner. Not even Sienna had seen Hazel this tender-hearted before.


    Yvette''s identity puzzled everyone. They wondered, ''What kind of background allows her to receive such attention from both Braydon and Hazel? Yvette stood up with a casual air, her gaze carrying a hint of rebelliousness.


    Casually addressing the gentle Hazel, she remarked, "How could possibly refuse an invitation from such a beauty?"

 Chapter 502

    ?


    Hazel was overjoyed with just those few words. "Dear Yvette, tonight''s party and thepetition will be even more perfect with your presence." Hazel and Yvette walked together to the front row of the party seating.


    The seating at the event was quite selective. Only judges or those with high status, like Sienna, were in the front row. Others with significant influence, like Braydon and Joe, also had prime seating. As Braydon passed by, he unexpectedly stood up.


    Hazel was certainly familiar with Braydon''s face, especially since she had previously interacted with Damian. The Goodman family was well-known in Mysonna, and everyone was aware of their influence. But Hazel wondered why Braydon appeared here. She paused her steps.


    Braydon, with an elegant demeanor, politely greeted Hazel, ¡°Ms. Winslow, I''m Braydon." Normally, with his nature, he wouldn''t have bothered to stand up and greet her if Yvette weren''t standing next to Hazel.


    274


    Hazel had heard about Braydon''s reputation. She caught his look and turned to nce at Yvette, who showed no expression. She thought, ''Is there something going on between these two?''


    Hazel nodded, ¡°Mr. Goodman, your presence truly graces our event. Please feel free to make yourself at home."


    Braydon observed that Yvette didn''t even give him a nce. He then looked at Hazel and said seriously, "I wonder if you would be willing to invite me to join you?"


    Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets. She simply gave Braydon a brief nce, as if he didn''t exist.


    Sienna, standing nearby, rolled her eyes at thement. She thought, ''Braydon really knows how to push his way forward. Given his and the Goodman family''s status, could Ms. Winslow refuse him in front of all these people? What a sly move!


    Just as Sienna anticipated, Hazel paused briefly before smiling and saying, "Of course, Mr. Goodman, please take a seat."


    As Hazel observed Braydon''s real intentions, she couldn''t help but note his keen insight, which far surpassed that of his grandfather.


    Back in the day, Damian was infamous for his yboy ways in Mysonna, always surrounded by women and frequently caught in scandals. However,


    if the young Goodman heir fancied Yvette, it was understandable. Not to mention Yvette''s talents, her looks alone could drive men crazy.


    Sienna stepped forward and whispered, "Ms. Winslow, what''s happening?"


    Snapping back to reality, Hazel asked, "Is Yvette also interested in Braydon Goodman?"


    Sienna shook her head vigorously. "Ms. Winslow, don''t joke like that. There''s no way Yvette would be interested in Braydon. She already has a boyfriend."


    Hazel nodded. She was really curious about the boyfriend Sienna talked about. She wondered, ''What kind of over a girl like Yvette?'' guy could win


    As


    settled into the center seats in the first row, Yvette and Sienna sat together, with Braydon across from them. everyone Hazel took the seat in the middle of the three.


    When Joe came back from chatting with models on the balcony he saw Yvette and the others sitting in the front row. He muttered a curse. He thought, ''What did Braydon do to get a seat next to Yvette?''


    Joe loved being where the action was, so he went to the front row too. He already had an invitation for a front-row seat anyway, but he wouldn''t sit somewhere quiet when there was more going on. That wouldn''t suit his gossip-loving personality at all.


    He politely asked Hazel, "Ms. Winslow, is this seat taken? If not, could I take the liberty of sitting here?"Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    1/3


    Sun,


    5


    5


    Everyone was already trying to process their earlier shock when Joe, the young master from the Joe family, insisted on joining the group. Anyone who had seen the scene at the entrance knew Joe knew Yvette.


    They thought, ''Who is Joe heading directly for? It is pretty obvious.


    ?


    Hazel looked at Joe, who suddenly appeared, and heard his words. Even with her usual grace, she found herself getting a bit of a headache. She wondered, ''What is going on today? These two families had been quietlypeting in Mysonna for years, and now they just have to sit together.'' Hazel nodded with a smile. "Of course, please have a seat, Mr. Yoder."


    Joe cheekily ignored the stares and sat down next to Yvette. "Hey, Yvette."


    Hazel looked at Joe, who was being surprisingly friendly towards Yvette, and eximed, "Joe, you know Yvette?"


    Joe responded, "Of course, Ms. Winslow. Yvette is closer to me than my own sister. If she had wanted to, my grandpa would have already adopted her as his god¡ªgranddaughter, but unfortunately, she didn''t.¡±


    Yvette sat in an incrediblyfortable position with her long legs crossed and her gazezily fixated on her phone. She casually unwrapped a piece of vani toffee and began eating it, her expression a blend of rebellion and mischief.


    Hazel didn''t give much thought to Joe''sst remark. She thought. ''Unwilling? Who wouldn''t want to be Carl Yoder''s god- granddaughter?'' She just assumed Joe was speaking offhandedly and didn''t really mean it.


    Braydon watched as Joe, ever since sitting down, had been diligently attending to Yvette-fetching water, handing over tissues, practically ready to bend down and massage Yvette''s legs like an attentive assistant.


    A menacing glint flickered in Braydon''s eyes, making it seem like he wanted to cut off Joe''s hands. A chilling aura radiated from Braydon, spreading coldness among everyone around.


    Feeling Braydon''s hostile intent towards him, Joe justughed nonchntly. Today, he was determined to make Braydon furious, so he kept being extra attentive, which only added to Braydon''s growing irritation.


    Holding a ss of wine, Hazel observed the overt and subtle tensions between Braydon and Joe with clear understanding, remainingposed. She then nced at Yvette, who sat there with a detached expression, and gently rubbed her temples. Sienna quietly took out her phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to Bruce. On the other end, Bruce saw the picture and immediately forwarded it to Jeremiah. Just like that, aplete chain ofmunication was established.


    Even for Bruce''s sake, she had to side with Mr. Chavez. There was no way she could allow Braydon to sneak in and take advantage.


    At the table sat four people, and two of them were on high alert, keeping Braydon from getting close to Yvette. After Sienna sent her message, she looked up to find the others staring at her.


    She coughed awkwardly. ¡°Um, just taking a selfie, don''t mind me


    Yvette squinted slightly at the phone in Sienna''s hand, raised an eyebrow, paused for a few seconds, and then continued with her own phone. Sienna quickly and guiltily tucked her phone away.


    Everyone''s eyes were glued to the table where Hazel and Yvette sat, wishing they could join them. Besides Yvette, those there were all renowned figures in Mysonna, so everyone was curious about why Yvette was able to sit at the head table with them.


    The award ceremony officially began. Hazel gracefully stepped onto the stage, and the audience erupted into thunderous apuse that went on and


    on.


    Hazel was over sixty, yet she still had that slender figure. Her skin had loosened with age, but her features were still elegant.


    14:50 Sun, Dec 22 GGG.


    78%


    She waved to the audience from the stage. "Wee everyone to the 20th World Fashion Competition! You''ve probably seen the top three winners


    on our website. Now, I''ll be presenting the trophies, bestowing this ultimate honor in the fashion world to our top three winners."


    Hazel was always direct, never wasting words. She got straight to the point: presenting the awards to the


    top three.


    The eagerly awaited moment in the fashion world had finally arrived.

 Chapter 503

    ?


    As Hazel finished speaking, the hall erupted in apuse once more. Everyone turned their attention to the front row, focusing mainly on Sienna. Everyone knew that after a two-year absence, Vibe had returned to the World Fashion Competition and clinched the top prize this year. Next year, the fashion scene would again be Vibe''s to dominate.


    Vibe had always been the rising star, with its sales and market share increasing every year, causing dissatisfaction among many luxury brands. But no one could afford to crack down on Vibe, not only because Vibe''s designs were highly favored, but also because Sienna''s mentor was the fashion icon, Hazel. Moreover, the rumored mastermind behind Vibe had remained out of the public eye for years; they could not risk''offending someone so mysterious.


    Hazel first presented the trophies for third and second ce in order. Finally, it was the moment everyone was eagerly waiting for; Hazel was about to present the first-ce trophy. Her eyes fell on Yvette in the front row. Yvette, with her head lowered, idly yed with her phone, her expression neutral.


    Hazel said, "Everyone, we all know the winner of thispetition: it''s Vibe''s ''Nameless'' design series. Nameless is the best design I''ve seen in years. This series captures ssical aesthetics perfectly, with an aura of mystery unique to Clusia. It amazed me, so Nameless is undoubtedly the rightful champion of this year''s contest. Whether it was me, the judges, or the public votes, Nameless stands out as the top design of the year." Hazel generously praised Vibe and the Nameless series in front of everyone. The heartfeltpliments made it impossible for anyone to feel jealous. Over the years, there had been many fashion designs showing ssical aesthetics, but most were altered too much to fit public tastes, losing the original beauty of the Clusian design in the process.


    The Nameless series was recognized in the fashion world as a genuine representation of ssical aesthetics, so winning thispetition was well- deserved.


    Continuing, Hazel said, "Everyone, there''s been a rumor in the fashion world since Vibe''s founding that except for me and Vibe''s chief designer, Sienna, no one has ever met the owner of Vibe. Many stories have circled about the owner, and I''m sure everyone here is curious about who the owner of Vibe truly is. I can say after years in the fashion industry, she is the most talented and intelligent designer I''ve ever met, and today, she''s here to personally ept this award."


    Hazel''s gaze once morended on the table where Yvette was seated. Everyone else followed her gaze to Yvette''s table as well. The brightest spotlight in the venue was also shining on that table.


    Someone asked, "Who is Ms. Winslow looking at? Could it be Mr. Yoder or Mr. Goodman? Are they into design? I''ve never heard of that."


    A girl sitting in the third row said, "Didn''t Ms. Winslow say before that the boss of Vibe is the most talented and smart person she''s ever met? Maybe Mr. Yoder or Mr. Goodman is such a gifted person?"


    Another guy chimed in, "I think you''re right. People like Mr. Yoder and Mr. Goodman are truly favored by fate. What''s so strange about them being the boss of Vibe?"


    "I think it could very well be Sienna. She might be the real boss behind Vibe, just perhaps staying low-key all this time," said another audience,


    A shy female voice suddenly spoke up, "I think it could also be the girl who sat in the main chair with Ms. Winslow."


    As soon as she said this, everyone nearby looked at the girl, starting to speak in a tone tinged with sarcasm,


    "How could that be? If that girl was the boss of Vibe, how could she dress so inly? Just look at her tracksuit, it''s clearly been worn for a long time." "No matter how pretty she is, she''s just a nouveau riche. So what if she owns a mine, wearing a tracksuit to a ball like this? The boss of Vibe is meant to be a design genius, how could they have such poor taste?"


    The girl who suggested that Yvette might be the boss of Vibe looked embarrassed and went silent.


    "Oh well, our guessing won''t lead anywhere. Let''s wait for Ms. Winslow to reveal the answer."


    3


    Joe sipped his wine, listening to the chatter around him, and rolled his eyes. If he had a talent for design, he would have started a fashionpany a long time ago, instead of spending 80 million every year on clothes.


    78%


    He thought, ''And Braydon being the boss of Vibe? That''s even more ridiculous. This guy is top-notch at crime, not fashion design.''


    Thinking of this, Joe drank his wine all at once and turned to look at Yvette beside him, his eyes lighting up instantly. He thought, ''Oh my... Yvette? No way...


    ''But when ites to being naturally talented in everything, Yvette would definitely rank first; no one dares to say otherwise.


    As everyone chatted and whispered, Yvette looked down at the text from Jeremiah, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.


    #


    Braydon kept his eyes on Yvette. Seeing her faint smile as she looked at her phone, he clenched his ss tightly, his gaze intimidating.


    Yvette put her phone away and looked up at Hazel. Hazel, on stage, slowly lit up with a smile, pointing at Yvette.


    She loudly announced, "Let''s wee the genius of the fashion world, Yvette Zeller, the designer behind the Nameless series that won the world fashionpetition, and the mastermind behind Vibe."Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amidst everyone''s stunned gazes, Yvette, who was sitting, stood up. At that moment, all the lights focused on her...


    Her longshes, like thin silk curtains, cast a shadow. Her eyes were slightly upturned, with a gaze that was cold and detached, emotionless, and depths as dark as night.


    The baggy sports uniform was an old style with no sense of design, as it was the most typical spring school uniform at Argrol University in Seacrity. If not for Yvette''s stunning face wearing it with a carefree ir, one might think she was a street-smart student from another school.


    Yvette calmly walked up to the stage. Hazel gently handed the first-ce trophy to Yvette.


    In a soft voice, "This honor should have always been yours." The words echoed through the microphone for everyone to hear clearly.


    Everyone looked at Yvette on the stage in disbelief. They thought, ''Who said she was just a simple rich upstart? She is clearly the mastermind behind Vibe, the fashion world icon adored by countless designers.


    Braydon, sitting in the front row, looked at Yvette with great focus. He thought, ''Yvette is meant to be at the top, bing the center of attention.'' Joe had guessed Yvette''s role as the boss behind the scenes even before Hazel said anything. He was used to Yvette''s strength,


    else. and he was much calmer than


    everyone


    Sienna looked at the stage, and suddenly her eyes started to water. She had imagined this moment for years. She thought Yvette always deserved the best.


    When she was at her lowest point, Yvette appeared in her life like a ray of light, pulling her out of the mud. Yvette lit up her future path, gave her dreams and hope, and a chance to start anew.

 Chapter 504

    ?


    Chapter 504 ? 85%


    Hazel smiled and handed the microphone to Yvette, making a gesturing motion. Yvette nced at her and then looked down at the silent audience, their faces filled with shock. With a calm expression and cool demeanor, she softly said, "Thank


    you."


    After speaking. Yvette left the stage and sat back in the first row. The whole award eptance took less than a minute, leaving the audiencepletely stunned.


    This was the simplest eptance speech since the fashionpetition started. No fancy words, no emotional tears, just at in Thank you


    Hazel stood at the side of the stage, watching Yvette leave after saying those two words. Though she was aposed person, she could not help but raise an eyebrow. Although she was surprised, there was no discontent on her face.


    Hazel thought, "It''s already something that Yvette stood up in front of everyone today. It''s unrealistic to expect her to say more than a few words. She has never been one to talk much.


    "Usually, winners talk about how they worked hard to learn design and where their inspiration came from. If Yvette were to speak, who knows how many designers there might get annoyed


    "Yvette has only been learning design and tailoring for two months. There''s no hardships she has gone through for it. She can remember all the rted books she has read and all the designs she has seen. People like her are naturally born winners from the start.


    "Fashion design needs ny percent talent and only ten percent effort. I''ve seen many people who work hard without the talent, and they usually don''t make much progress."


    Braydon was the first in the audience to start pping, followed by Sienna and Joe. Gradually, more people recovered from their shock and began pping. Everyone was looking at Yvette as she walked off the stage. It was hard for them to imagine she was the boss behind Vibe.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Some people even spected about Yvette''s age, and when they realized she might have been underage when Vibe was established, they were even more shocked. Plus, Braydon had just said that Yvette owned three diamond mines worth billions in Afria.


    Especially those who just called Yvette a nouveau riche, their faces flushed with embarrassment, and they lowered their heads. They thought, "How could Yvette be a nouveau riche? Clearly, she is the ultimate trendsetter in the fashion world. How could the owner of Vibe be short of gowns and haute couture?


    "Vibe''s exclusive haute couture is something that models and actors dream of borrowing but cannot get their hands on."


    Hazel looked at the audience, all wide-eyed and open-mouthed She knew today''s events had deeply impacted the fashion crowd. The revtion that Yvette was the mastermind behind Vibe was sure to be the top headline in the fashion world


    tomorrow.


    Hazel nced at Yvette in the audience, who was lounging with one leg crossed. Once again, she expressed her admiration for Yvette before designers from around the world, praising her generously.


    In a gentle tone, she said, "Yvette is the owner of Vibe and the most talented designer I''ve ever met. I hope to see her remarkable designs at thepetition next year. I dere thispetition a great sess."


    The apuse thundered once more as the 20th World Fashion Competition officially came to an end. The media outside had already learned that Yvette was the owner of Vibe. As soon Yvette and Sienna exited the venue, a crowd of reporters rushed toward them.


    All the media outlets wanted to be the first to interview Yvette, leaving the second and third-ce winners ignored


    A reporter asked, ¡°Are you the secret owner of Vibe? Ms. Zeller, why did you keep your identity hidden for so many years


    "It''s always been Sienna in the spotlight. Ms. Zeller, do you have ome unspeakable reasons? Also, where did the inspiration for your designe from?"


    The Nameless series has been called the most impressive work in years by fashion icon Hazel. Ms. Zeller, do you think this praise is over the top?" The media in Mysonna were surprised to find that the owner of Vibe was such a young girl from Clusia. Their questions were sharp and obviously had an agenda.


    Braydon stood a little distance away, observing Yvette, who had her hands shoved into her pockets, looking a bit impatient. As he was about to step forward, Joe reached out to stop him.


    Joe, with aid-back attitude, looked at Braydon and said, "Braydon, do you really think Yvette is the type who needs you to y the hero? Wake up. Remember those two years we spent in the Seventy-Two Chambers? For old times'' sake, my advice: don''t embarrass yourself. You just took control of your family''s power; it''s not the best time for you to make headlines."


    Although Joe usually seemed unserious, he was more perceptive than Braydon and hit the nail on the head. Braydon red at Joe fiercely, as if he wanted to beat him.


    Joe was not intimidated at all. The two of them were quietly shing where no one was paying attention.


    When Sienna heard the reporters'' statements, her face turned cold. Having dealt with the media for so many years, she knew these questions were set to trap Yvette.


    She thought, "Today''s media will stop at nothing for attention. If Yvette makes even a small slip-up, the media will seize it and blow it out of proportion."


    Yvette looked at the reporters ahead and held the microphone with a rebellious aura. Her demeanor was cool and aloof, her lips slightly curved in a smirk, yet her eyes held no trace of amusement.


    Yvette casually put her hands in her pockets and told the reporters around her, ¡°Move aside."


    Yvette''s refusal to answer their questions took all the reporters by surprise. These reporters were used to being pushy, never having met such an uncooperative interviewee.


    When they wanted to press on with more questions, Yvette''s deep and cold eyes made them silent. The words they wanted to say were swallowed back under Yvette''s cold gaze.


    Sienna gave a cold huff. She thought, "How could they ask that kind of question in front of Yvette? They''re just asking for trouble. Yvette won''t tolerate them at all."


    Yvette kept walking, and the reporters in her way automatically stepped aside, giving her a clear path to the elevator doors.


    A local gossip reporter, observing Yvette''s wless features and eger to dig up some juicy news, shouted at Yvette''s back. "Ms. Zeller, are you still single? There must be a lot of guys after you, so could you share your standards of choosing a mate?"


    The shout brought silence back to the entrance. Even Braydon and Joe paused.


    Braydon watched Yvette heading toward the elevator. He wanted to follow her, but Joe stubbornly blocked his way, being a real nuisance to him. Yvette paused, turned around, and looked at the reporter who asked the question with a calm demeanor. "My boyfriend is my standard of choosing a mate


    As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened, and tall, striking figure slowly came into view of everyone. Inside the clevator stood a man in a ck suit, with sharp browsangled up and thin lips pursed. His chiseled facial features


    framed piercing blue eyes and seemed almost handcrafied.


    0

 Chapter 505

    ?


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette standing by the elevator doors, and with decisive steps, he walked over and took her hand, gently squeezing her palm. Ignoring everyone else, he said in a low voler, "Let''s go. There''s barbecue and milkshakes ready at


    home


    Yvette tilted her head slightly and nced at Jeremiah, who had evidently rushed back. She smiled and said, "Alright. Let''s


    Standing beside them, Sienna felt herself like the third wheel. She thought, "Yvette and Mr. Chavez, a duo with both strength and beauty, are really a stunning couple admired by all."


    Since Jeremiah''s arrival, the reporters in the distance had been silenced by his strong presence. Jeremiah deliberately released a bit of his intense aura, which was enough to keep the reporters at bay


    At the elevator entrance. Jeremiah nced past everyone to look at Braydon in the distance, his gaze calm and cold.


    The gaze between the two men was charged with a deadly intent, unlike the yful interaction between Braydon and Joe just moments ago. Jeremiah and Braydon''s eyes were filled with a piercing coldness and undeniable hostility.


    Jeremiah casually took back his gaze, tightly holding Yvette''s hand. As Braydon watched their hands together, his eyes shed with a fiery intensity. He signaled to the bodyguards, who then stepped forward to disperse the reporters.


    The reporters were surprised to see Braydon and Joe there. Especially Braydon-he had not attended a party in nearly three


    Braydon''s security team scattered the reporters, who, despite their unwillingness, had no choice but to leave. After all, this was Braydon. They were afraid that they might end up in trouble if they crossed him.


    Once the reporters left, the ce finally became quiet. Joe moved a bit further away, wanting no part of these two men''s rivalry.


    Braydon was disturbingly ruthless, while Jeremiah was powerful and mysteriously unfathomable. Joe thought he was only a poor guy in front of these two and should stay as far away as possible to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.


    Jeremiah only had to stand next to Yvette to secure a win. Braydon walked over with a dark face. His eyes were cold and deep. "Mr. Chavez, I''ve heard so much about you, and it''s great to finally meet you. I really appreciated your gift from before, and I promise to repay it double someday.¡±


    Seeing the three of them together, Sienna and Joe nced at each other and both instinctively stepped back


    Hearing Braydon''s eerie words, Sienna and Joe were both puzzled. They wondered, "When did Mr. Chavez give gifts to Braydon? Aren''t these two supposed to be rivals, fighting fiercely against each other? What''s this all about?"


    Jeremiah''s expression did not change at all as he looked at Braydon casually and said, "Mr. Goodman, that''s good as long as you like it. I''ll make sure to have another gift for you next time.


    Braydon clenched his teeth and thought, "As long as I like it, hub This guy really knows how to make an impression, taking down my best assassin right from the start."


    Braydon stared intensely at Jeremiah as they stood face to face, both exuding a palpable aura of hostility.


    Jeremiah''s eyes were deep and unfathomable. He was right in front of Braydon but seemed beyond reach.


    The cold aura from these two was enough to make


    at her lips, and turned her head to Jeremiah Sienna and Joe shiver. Yvette stood with her hands in her pockets, tugged


    She said slowly, Thungry. Let''s go home.


    Her words "Let''s go home" pierced Braydon''s nerves sharply, turning his gaze exceptionally sinister and cold.


    Chapter 50,5


    He longed for a home just for him and Yvette, but now he could only listen as she spoke about going home with another man right in front of him. Jeremiah gently held Yvette''s hand and looked into her eyes. With a charming smile curling his lips, he spoke softly, "Eat me up. I won''t let you go hungry. Take what you want."


    Yvette smirked with a mischievous glint in her eyes and raised her delicate eyebrows without saying a word,


    Joe waspletely dumbfounded; he could not believe Jeremiah would say something so flirty.


    Joe thought. "What did Mr. Chavez mean by his words? How dared he say things like that? He''s definitely the master of flirting. He''s too bold. I''m nothingpared to him."


    Stenna could not help but be shocked hearing that too. She did not expect Jeremiah to say something like that, and she was practically covered in goosebumps.


    She thought, ¡°Mr. Chavez''s flirty words are so shocking. Is this really how he won over Yvette?"


    Sienna nced at Braydon, whose expression was beyond furious. When Braydon heard Jeremiah''s words, his gaze grew more intense, filled with hostility. His dark eyes were burning with unmistakable rage.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Jeremiah seemed unfazed as he politely said to Braydon, "Goodbye, Mr. Goodman."


    After speaking, Jeremiah took Yvette''s hand and headed into the elevator. Sienna quickly followed, and Joe nced at Braydon before joining them. Braydon''s face was extremely cold as the elevator doors closed, leaving him alone in the vast space.


    He lowered his gaze, his eyes bloodshot, and murmured with a vicious tone. "My dear Yvette, since you will never love me. let''s die together. Even as corpses, we''ll be buried side by side."


    In the business car, Bruce was driving, Sienna sat in the front passenger seat, Joe was in the second row, and Yvette was snuggled in Jeremiah''s arms. Jeremiah basically served as a human pillow to Yvette in the car.


    Yvette squinted her eyes, raised her eyelids slightly, and looked at Jeremiah. She asked slowly. "Did you hurry back?" When Jeremiah just showed up, he gave off a worn-out vibe.


    Sienna, in the passenger seat, felt somewhat guilty hearing that, since she was the one who tipped off Jeremiah. But then she realized that it was not really her fault.


    She had sent the photos to Bruce, not Jeremiah. If Yvette wanted to me someone, it would be Bruce''s problem. Sienna nced at Bruce, who was focused on driving, and felt sorry for him.


    This was what people said, "Lovebirds fly apart when disasteres." She left first when trouble started.


    Jeremiah looked down, ying with Yvette''s slender fingers. His blue eyes were glowing, and the cor of his thin shirt was casually open, revealing his long neck. The lines of his clothes were neatly pressed, emphasizing his straight waist.


    Jeremiah''s waist was slim, and his long legs were slightly bent because the car could not fit them.


    -Jeremiah said in a deep, captivating voice as he leaned close to Yvette, his low and husky tone wrapping her whole being in


    warmth as their heated breaths mingled. "It''ste. I''m worried too many people are interested in my little girl


    Joe pretended to be focused on his phone, but in reality, his ears perked up and tried to catch every word of them.


    When he heard Jeremiah mention "little girl, he responded without even thinking, "Wait Who Who''s the little girl?"


    CH

 Chapter 506

    ?


    Jeremiah gave Joe a deep look, and as soon as Joe realized what he had just said, fear overwhelmed him. Jor wished he could p himself for having such a big mouth. He thought, "Why did I have to interrupt when these two big shots were being so sweet? But honestly, it isn''t all my fault. In my wildest dreams, 1 never imagined a guy would call Yvette little girl. Does Mr. Chavez misunderstand what the little girl means?"


    Bruce, who was driving, exchanged a nce with Sienna. It seemed Joe''s intelligence level was about the same as Frankie''s, Honestly, they had seen bold people before, but never anyone this reckless. They wished good luck for Joe.


    Joe quickly waved his hand, with a sheepish look on his face, and hurrically exined. "Well, Mr. Chavez, when I just heard your say "little girl". I thought these two words were incredible. They sound so prestigious and eye-catching, absolutely fantastic. They''re such sophisticated and elegant words, yet understated. Just hearing these two words is enough to keep me satisfied for three days without meals.


    Joe finished speaking in one breath and finally took a breath. He thought, "Oh, man... As a science student, I have used every ttering word I know today, and it''s all mindless praise-it''s quite a challenge for me


    Bruce and Sienna really did not expect Joe toe up with so much from just two words.


    Yvette, rxing in her chair, lifted her gaze and curled one side of her lips slightly. Her face had a hint of mischief. She looked at Joe and said casually, ¡°Since you love these two words so much, you can go without meals for the next three days."


    Joe was taken aback. "What? Yvette, I mean..."


    Wette noticed Joe''s face stiffen, her eyes deep and amused. She stared at him and clearly said, "You mean what exactly, huh?"


    Jeremiah''s dark eyes were fixed on Joe, and he did not say a word Joe could only nod reluctantly. "I understand, Yvette. I''ll fast for the next three days."


    After saying that, Joe immediately dropped his head, feelingpletely deted. He felt a wave of regret wash over him- this was ssic trouble from speaking too soon.


    In the next day, all fashion magazines and new media in Mysonna were buzzing with the previous day''s world fashionpetition events. The media used a variety of shy headlines to grab people''s attention.


    [The secret boss behind Vibe, the winner of the world fashionpetition, has been revealed.]


    [A young woman in her twenties from Clusia created the legend of Vibe.]Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    [Unexpected incidents at the award ceremony-who is the mysterious man?]


    Early in the morning, Yvette woke up to messages from Bonnic, Samantha, Andrew, Eagle King, Charles, Flying Fish. Zachary, and Simon Bonnie: [Yvette, our school''s forum has exploded. It''s full of videos of you receiving your award at yesterday''spetition. The views have already hit over a million. The principal has reced the top spot on the school''s Wall of Fame with your photo. I miss you so much. When are youing back? It started getting cold in Seacrity yesterday.]


    Samantha: [Yvette, I truly admire your greatness. You''re incredible at the award ceremony. I''m waiting for you toe back to Betrico.] Andrew: [Yvette, you''re the best and the strongest. I can do everything for you] Yvette chuckled at Andrew''s text message.


    need to take care of all my clothes.] Eagle King: [Boss, you''re Vibe''s owner? That''s so cool; from now on, you


    1/3


    Yvette saw a text from an unfamiliar number: [When do you have time? Let''s meet up.]


    She paused for a moment, her gaze deepened, and then she continued scrolling. After she finished reading the messages, she went to the bathroom to freshen up and change into some casual clothes before heading downstairs.


    In the downstairs living room were Frankie, Chris, Bruce, Sienna, Emmett, and Joe, who crashed in the guest room afterst night''s BBQ.


    Jeremiah flew back to Betrico on a private jettest night. There was still unfinished business at the military district that needed his personal attention.


    As soon as Yvette turned up. Frankie eagerly ran over with some newspapers and handed them to her on the sofa. "Yvette, today''s papers are all about you. The headlines are dazzling. Some media are ridiculous, calling you a princess and saying you started Vibe just to experience life. Honestly, they dare write anything


    Bruce put down his coffee and casually poured Sienna a ss of milk. He said, "These days, the media will write anything to get clicks and attention. Emmett and Chris nodded in agreement. It was not just entertainment media; even the trusted outlets were starting to chase


    trends for more attention..


    Joezily yawned, looking obviously half-awake. "How could a princesspare to Yvette? If they''re going to make things up, at least call her a queen. Seriously, they have such little insight. Princesses are for political marriages; queens are the conquerors."


    Thinking of that, Joe took out his phone and called. As soon as the call connected, he said, "Hey, change the headlines on our website about the winner of the world fashionpetition and the boss behind Vibe, and remove any mention of princess" or any other inappropriate words."


    After hanging up, Joe casually sipped his iced Americano, instantly feeling refreshed and awake.


    Everyone


    was looking at Joe. Sienna spoke up, "Mysonna''s Phoenix Entertainment website is owned by the Yoder family."


    If Joe had not made this call, Sienna would have forgotten that thergest entertainment website in Mysonna was under the Yoder family. With Sienna''s exnation, everyone understood immediately.


    Yvette sat on the sofa with her legs crossed and a charming smile on her beautiful face. She looked at the iing o her phone and answered it.


    call on


    As soon as the call connected, Aurora''s gentle voice came through, "Yvette, how have you beentely? Is the climate in Mysonna treating you well? You''ve been away for so long. I really miss you. I watched the award ceremony yesterday. Yvette, you were amazing.


    Just by hearing Aurora''s voice, Yvette could tell how delighted she was and how proud she felt of her.


    Yvette held the phone, listening to Aurora''s voice. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a noble yet rxed glow on her brow. She spoke slowly, "I miss you too."


    In the living room, everyone''s eyes darted towards Yvette after hearing those words. They wondered, "Mr. Chavez is still on the ne at this time. So who is it? Who could make Yvette say she missed him? Ob-my... Yvette at this moment is as gentle as an angel."


    On the other end of the line, Aurora felt relieved upon hearing these words and stayed quiet for quite a while. Yvette did not hang up either; she just held the phone without any urgency.


    After a long pause, Aurora''s voice came back. "Oh my gosh. I''m so excited that you said you missed me. Yvette, you''re so adorable. Im going to faint from happiness."


    At that moment, a familiar man''s voice came through the phone "Aren''t you too grown-up to be jumping around?" Even


    09.04 Mon, Dec 23


    over the phone, Yvette rould catch the hint of jealousy in his voice

 Chapter 507

    ?


    Frankie, Bruce, Joey, Emmett, Chris, and Sienna did not even bother to eat their breakfast. They all gathered around the sofa. Some were


    pretending to read, others acted like they were reading the newspaper, and some were just drinking water Eventually, Jory saw that everything he could use to cover his actions at the table had been taken by the others, to he decided to just pretend to sleep, squinting his eyes and keeping his ears perked up


    Yvette nced around casually, and everyone quickly pretended to be absorbed in their own tasks. She slowly formed a mischievous smile, rested her chin on her hand, and continued on the phone, Tm fine. No need to worry about me. Take care of yourself."


    As soon as she said that, the people around her instantly froze. They exchanged secretive nces and wondered, "Is Mr. Chavez facing another rival in love? Judging by Yvette''s tone, the guy on the other end of the line is very special to her"


    On the other end of the line, Aurora reminded Yvette to take care of herself. Before hanging up, Clifford added, "We''re waiting for you toe home. Without you, no one''s been eating the desserts Cara makes?


    In Betrico, after hanging up, Aurora looked at Clifford, who seemed a bit awkward. She thought, "Clifford is so pretentious. Clearly, he wanted to show he cared for Yvette but ended up using the excuse of no one eating Cara''s desserts. He''s such a


    stubborn man."


    Clifford saw Aurora staring at him and unconsciously touched his nose, then grabbed a book to leave. Aurora watched his retreating figure and said. "You''ve been like this for years. Is it really so hard to say something caring to Yvette? Your excuse about Cara''s desserts is just too weak."


    In response to Aurora''s joking, Clifford pretended to cough. "Who said I cared for her? Why are you taking my casual words so seriously?" After saying that, he hurriedly walked out. He thought, "If I don''t leave now, who knows what kind of scolding Aurora will give me next? But Yvette is really outstanding. I watched the award ceremony video, and she carried herself with such poise, making Clusia proud in front of the foreign media." Meanwhile, in the vi, Yvette, who had just ended the call, was unaware that yesterday''s award ceremony video had already gone viral on Clusia''s video sites.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "Oh my gosh, it really is my Goddess. Yesterday, I thought I was imagining things, but it truly was my Goddess. She''s actually the mastermind behind Vibe."


    "It''s truly astonishing; Yvette''s name has be synonymous with miracles. Recently, she outperformed Ybauns, leaving them embarrassed, and now she''s made a ssh in front of the Mysonna media. My Goddess is just so cool."


    "I''m a fan of Goddess and usually adore Vibe''s clothes. Unfortunately, they''re too pricey for me to afford, but I''ll scrape together whatever I can to buy something for my Goddess this time"


    "Have you all forgotten Goddess'' age? She wasn''t even an adult when she started Vibe. It''s amazing for a teenage girl to create a fashion legend like Vibe."


    "Look at Goddess, then look at myself-I''m really just here to make up the numbers. Hugging my small self. I dere that Goddess is my one and only idol for life."


    Yvette''s bold and free-spirited attitude, along with her defiant stance in front of foreign media, had attracted arge fan base once again. Some people even uncovered the fact that she was the person who defeated the Ybauns, and the recent incident at the coffee shop where she dealt with them had be a hot topic again.


    The name Yvette became a trending topic nationwide once more. This time, even the official national media shared it, officially recognizing her as the Goddess of Clusia. Many people started imitating her style-sportswear, baseball caps, and canvas shoes-starting a new trend.


    It was found out that the outfit Yvette wore while epting her award was sportswear from Argrol University, which led to


    1/3


    85%


    Argrol University''s sportswear bing highly sought after. Yvette''s fashion style quickly caught on and became extremely popr among the youth.


    Emmett and the others saw Yvette hang up the phone and quickly acted casual as they asked, "Yvette, who was that? A friend of yours?" Everyone else perked up their cars.


    Yvette stood up slowly, her longshes slightly lowered to hide the sparkle in her eyes. She let out a soft, slow chuckle and smiled with interest. ¡°Oh, just someone close to me. I have to go.


    After finishing her words, Yvette began to walk away. Emmett called out, "Yvette, do you need a ride?"


    Yvette paused mid-step, without looking back, and replied casually. "No need. You stay and discuss the return of the artifacts with Joe." Emmett knew this was the most important thing right now, so he could only nod. ¡°Alright. If you need anything, just give


    me a call."


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she left gracefully, leaving the few people in the living room staring at each other in surprise.


    Joe lounged casually on the couch, listening to the roar of motorcycles from outside the window. "Well, Emmett, you need to warn your Mr. Chavez to be careful. Yvette''s got plenty of admirers, you know."


    Joe was the type who loved to watch the drama unfold. He thought, "Poor Mr. Chavez. Usually it''s the girlfriend who''s fending off other women, but for him, it''s the opposite.


    "With Yvette''s charm, it''s likely she''ll always have admirers buzzing around. Mr. Chavez really has it tough. Frankie rolled his eyes at Joe''s delight in others'' troubles.


    Frankie said, "Hey, you''re just here for the show, huh? Hurry up and discuss with Emmett, and then step aside."


    Joe shrugged it off. He was just giving honest advice; if they did not want to listen, that was their own problem.


    Meanwhile, Yvette revved her motorcycle as she sped towards the medical research institute on the outskirts. Her appointment with Ss in March was fast approaching, and yesterday Ss had called to see if she coulde by a bit


    earlier.


    Standing at the front of the medical research institute, Ss, looking lively and energetic, was waiting with eight newly recruited interns. Ss kept checking his watch. He thought anxiously. "It''ste. Why hasn''t Yvette shown up yet?" He felt like he had been waiting forever.


    In reality, there were still about ten minutes left until his meeting time with Yvette, but Ss was feeling so anxious that time seemed to drag. The interns behind him could see the impatience in Ss'' eyes.


    A man wearing gold-rimmed sses stepped forward, recognized as the smartest person here-Klein Xander. The interns all looked up to him and usually followed his lead in everything, Klein''s eyes had a deep, thoughtful look as he said, ¡°Mr. Walson, is the person we''re waiting for the medical genius you mentioned, the one who canhelp us develop an enhanced version of the No.7 Toxin?"


    After Klein said that, the interns at the back asked curiously. "Mr. Walson, is this the person you invited to teach us? Which top university in Mysonna did he graduate from?"


    "Mr. Walson, besides you and a few teachers, who else has worked on the No.7 Toxin project? Isn''t this the top secret of ourb?"


    "Mr. Walson, we don''t want anyone else leading us. Who could possibly be better than you? Are we just going to share our experimental results with others?"


    2/3


    Ss frowned. He was annoyed with these proud and defiant interns, but he did not have time to deal with them right now.


    Finally, with a roar in the background, Ss'' eyes changed immediately. He saw Yvette on the motorcycle in the distance and wished he had two more legs to rush over.

 Chapter 507

    ?


    Frankie, Bruce, Joey, Emmett, Chris, and Sienna did not even bother to eat their breakfast. They all gathered around the sofa. Some were


    pretending to read, others acted like they were reading the newspaper, and some were just drinking water Eventually, Jory saw that everything he could use to cover his actions at the table had been taken by the others, to he decided to just pretend to sleep, squinting his eyes and keeping his ears perked up


    Yvette nced around casually, and everyone quickly pretended to be absorbed in their own tasks. She slowly formed a mischievous smile, rested her chin on her hand, and continued on the phone, Tm fine. No need to worry about me. Take care of yourself."


    As soon as she said that, the people around her instantly froze. They exchanged secretive nces and wondered, "Is Mr. Chavez facing another rival in love? Judging by Yvette''s tone, the guy on the other end of the line is very special to her"


    On the other end of the line, Aurora reminded Yvette to take care of herself. Before hanging up, Clifford added, "We''re waiting for you toe home. Without you, no one''s been eating the desserts Cara makes?


    In Betrico, after hanging up, Aurora looked at Clifford, who seemed a bit awkward. She thought, "Clifford is so pretentious. Clearly, he wanted to show he cared for Yvette but ended up using the excuse of no one eating Cara''s desserts. He''s such a


    stubborn man."


    Clifford saw Aurora staring at him and unconsciously touched his nose, then grabbed a book to leave. Aurora watched his retreating figure and said. "You''ve been like this for years. Is it really so hard to say something caring to Yvette? Your excuse about Cara''s desserts is just too weak."


    In response to Aurora''s joking, Clifford pretended to cough. "Who said I cared for her? Why are you taking my casual words so seriously?" After saying that, he hurriedly walked out. He thought, "If I don''t leave now, who knows what kind of scolding Aurora will give me next? But Yvette is really outstanding. I watched the award ceremony video, and she carried herself with such poise, making Clusia proud in front of the foreign media." Meanwhile, in the vi, Yvette, who had just ended the call, was unaware that yesterday''s award ceremony video had already gone viral on Clusia''s video sites.


    "Oh my gosh, it really is my Goddess. Yesterday, I thought I was imagining things, but it truly was my Goddess. She''s actually the mastermind behind Vibe."


    "It''s truly astonishing; Yvette''s name has be synonymous with miracles. Recently, she outperformed Ybauns, leaving them embarrassed, and now she''s made a ssh in front of the Mysonna media. My Goddess is just so cool."


    "I''m a fan of Goddess and usually adore Vibe''s clothes. Unfortunately, they''re too pricey for me to afford, but I''ll scrape together whatever I can to buy something for my Goddess this time"


    "Have you all forgotten Goddess'' age? She wasn''t even an adult when she started Vibe. It''s amazing for a teenage girl to create a fashion legend like Vibe."


    "Look at Goddess, then look at myself-I''m really just here to make up the numbers. Hugging my small self. I dere that Goddess is my one and only idol for life."This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Yvette''s bold and free-spirited attitude, along with her defiant stance in front of foreign media, had attracted arge fan base once again. Some people even uncovered the fact that she was the person who defeated the Ybauns, and the recent incident at the coffee shop where she dealt with them had be a hot topic again.


    The name Yvette became a trending topic nationwide once more. This time, even the official national media shared it, officially recognizing her as the Goddess of Clusia. Many people started imitating her style-sportswear, baseball caps, and canvas shoes-starting a new trend.


    It was found out that the outfit Yvette wore while epting her award was sportswear from Argrol University, which led to


    1/3


    85%


    Argrol University''s sportswear bing highly sought after. Yvette''s fashion style quickly caught on and became extremely popr among the youth.


    Emmett and the others saw Yvette hang up the phone and quickly acted casual as they asked, "Yvette, who was that? A friend of yours?" Everyone else perked up their cars.


    Yvette stood up slowly, her longshes slightly lowered to hide the sparkle in her eyes. She let out a soft, slow chuckle and smiled with interest. ¡°Oh, just someone close to me. I have to go.


    After finishing her words, Yvette began to walk away. Emmett called out, "Yvette, do you need a ride?"


    Yvette paused mid-step, without looking back, and replied casually. "No need. You stay and discuss the return of the artifacts with Joe." Emmett knew this was the most important thing right now, so he could only nod. ¡°Alright. If you need anything, just give


    me a call."


    Yvette nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she left gracefully, leaving the few people in the living room staring at each other in surprise.


    Joe lounged casually on the couch, listening to the roar of motorcycles from outside the window. "Well, Emmett, you need to warn your Mr. Chavez to be careful. Yvette''s got plenty of admirers, you know."


    Joe was the type who loved to watch the drama unfold. He thought, "Poor Mr. Chavez. Usually it''s the girlfriend who''s fending off other women, but for him, it''s the opposite.


    "With Yvette''s charm, it''s likely she''ll always have admirers buzzing around. Mr. Chavez really has it tough. Frankie rolled his eyes at Joe''s delight in others'' troubles.


    Frankie said, "Hey, you''re just here for the show, huh? Hurry up and discuss with Emmett, and then step aside."


    Joe shrugged it off. He was just giving honest advice; if they did not want to listen, that was their own problem.


    Meanwhile, Yvette revved her motorcycle as she sped towards the medical research institute on the outskirts. Her appointment with Ss in March was fast approaching, and yesterday Ss had called to see if she coulde by a bit


    earlier.


    Standing at the front of the medical research institute, Ss, looking lively and energetic, was waiting with eight newly recruited interns. Ss kept checking his watch. He thought anxiously. "It''ste. Why hasn''t Yvette shown up yet?" He felt like he had been waiting forever.


    In reality, there were still about ten minutes left until his meeting time with Yvette, but Ss was feeling so anxious that time seemed to drag. The interns behind him could see the impatience in Ss'' eyes.


    A man wearing gold-rimmed sses stepped forward, recognized as the smartest person here-Klein Xander. The interns all looked up to him and usually followed his lead in everything, Klein''s eyes had a deep, thoughtful look as he said, ¡°Mr. Walson, is the person we''re waiting for the medical genius you mentioned, the one who canhelp us develop an enhanced version of the No.7 Toxin?"


    After Klein said that, the interns at the back asked curiously. "Mr. Walson, is this the person you invited to teach us? Which top university in Mysonna did he graduate from?"


    "Mr. Walson, besides you and a few teachers, who else has worked on the No.7 Toxin project? Isn''t this the top secret of ourb?"


    "Mr. Walson, we don''t want anyone else leading us. Who could possibly be better than you? Are we just going to share our experimental results with others?"


    2/3


    Ss frowned. He was annoyed with these proud and defiant interns, but he did not have time to deal with them right now.


    Finally, with a roar in the background, Ss'' eyes changed immediately. He saw Yvette on the motorcycle in the distance and wished he had two more legs to rush over.

 Chapter 508

    ?


    Yvette rode her motorcycle directly in front of Ss, skillfully drifted to a stop, and parked it firmly. She removed her helmet, letting her long brown hair flutter in the air. Her ck motorcycle suit clung to her shapely figure, cinched at the waist, which made her look delicate.


    Her eyes sparkled with brilliance, and her face was too cold to gaze upon. The eight interns stood frozen in ce, awed by the woman in front of them.


    It was not until Ss stepped forward to say hello that these interns came out of their daze. Ss could hardly conceal his excitement. ¡°Oh dear, you''ve finallye. I''ve been waiting for over two months."


    Yvette took out a hair tie from her pocket and casually tied her hair up. She nced at the cheerful Ss and asked, "What stage are we at with the No. 7 Toxin now?"


    Yvette got straight to the point, asking about what was currently the highest secret in theb. The No.7 Toxin was universally known as the most powerful toxin being developed worldwide. If the project seeded, it would bring huge profits, and those involved in its creation would instantly be the most sought-after figures in the medical field. Nobody would refuse to join in this project.


    These eight interns were selected from prestigious universities after numerous exams and experiments. Due to a traitor in


    admitted to the thest medical experiment, a thorough background and social evaluation were conducted before they were Lab.


    That was not an exaggeration to describe these interns as top talents. So when Yvette spoke up, the interns exchanged looks, appearing somewhat displeased.


    They thought, "Why did we have to ovee so many obstacles to get into theb, only to handle basic data on the No.7 Toxin, meanwhile, a girl riding a heavy motorcycle justes in and asks about top-secret information?"


    The interns initially thought Ss had brought them here so formally to introduce their new mentor. They felt contempt when they saw the young and beautiful Yvette.


    They judged in mind. What could a pretty young woman know about experiments or medicine?" Ss was about to speak when a voice from behind interrupted him. "Mr. Walson, the No. Toxin is ourb''s top secret. I don''t think it''s appropriate to discuss it with outsiders," said one of the interns.


    It was Klein, the first one to speak earlier. He stared at Yvette with a serious face. Although he was momentarily dazzled by Yvette''s beauty and aura, he was the quickest to regain hisposure.


    As a medical student who considered medicine his highest calling in life, he could not stand the idea of sharing their hard-earned experimental data just like that. So, he red at Yvette with noticeable hostility, and the others did the same.


    When Ss heard Klein''s words, he turned with a deep frown. He thought, "Klein, despite being an illegitimate child, is very proud due to his background in a prominent family in Mysonna. He''s indeed the best among the new interns, but that doesn''t justify his disrespectful behavior towards Yvette.


    "It''s normal for a genius like him to be arrogant, so I didn''t restrict him much, but being disrespectful to Yvette is uneptable. After all, without Yvette, there wouldn''t be a medicalb or the groundbreaking No.7 Toxin."


    Ss sternly addressed the eight interns with Klein as the leader. This is Yvette, your mentor for the next month. All information on the No.7 Toxin and top-level ess can be reviewed by Yvette anytime. Do you get it?"Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    At his age, Ss usually would not lose his temper easily unless an experiment was done incorrectly or someone had a bad aptitude, which might earn them a scolding, or else they would be fired. It was the first time for him to be so harsh on them.


    Ss'' words sessfully stirred up dissatisfaction among the interns.


    1/3


    "Mr. Walson, you''re being top hasty. You need to think this through.


    "Yeah, just because she''s good-looking so she can get special treatment?"


    "Mr. Walson, the No.7 Toxin is our most confidential secret. We absolutely can''t just loosen ess like that."


    11


    "Why should she be our mentor anyway? Wee from one of the top ten universities worldwide, and each of us has outperformed numerous others


    to get here. Have her as our mentor? She isn''t even known in the medical field. We won''t ept her as our mentor."


    Ss looked at these clueless interns, fuming with anger. He thought. These unaware rookies in the medical field, do they really think Yvette isn''t famous? That''s ridiculous.


    "If this prodigy wanted to, she could take my president position. These so-called geniuses have no idea that there''s always someone better out there.


    "Yvette''s return to theb is all because of my persistent requests. Otherwise, she wouldn''te to mentor these rookies. They''re truly pushing their luck."


    Yvette stood to the side, her eyes half-closed, showing a cool look. She observed the disgruntled interns in front of her. She spoke leisurely, "Are these the interns you want me to mentor? Are they tough enough? How is their physical fitness?" Ss ignored the eight shocked faces and the slight stiffness in their bodies at Yvette''s words. He carefully considered for a


    moment


    Then he said, "Among these eight, the fittest is Klein. He''s also their leader. If you want to go for someone, start with him Don''t worry. They''ve all signed contracts with the medicalb."


    Ss appeared very much like a ruthless boss at the moment while the eight interns seemed as defenseless asmbs to be ughtered Yvette raised an eyebrow. Without ncing at the eight interns again, she simply walked through the crowd and went inside.


    Yvette''s disregard left these interns angry. They had always been privileged and never treated like this. Yvette''s behavior made them feel themselves like nobodies whose opinions did not matter at all.


    Ss nced at the group and thought, These interns won''t understand what reality means without facing the harshness of the real world "They think they''re the geniuses? Well, over the next month, they''ll see what the real hidden genius looks like."


    Ss immediately caught up with Yvette. Yvette led the way while Ss followed as they entered the medical research institute, leaving the eight interns staring at each other.


    Klein watched Yvette and Ss walk away, his gaze thoughtful. He wondered, "Who is this Yvette? Why does Mr. Walson hold her in such high regard? How does she get the highest ess level in the medicalb?"


    A girl around Klein''s age spoke up from behind, "Klein, who exactly is this Yvette? What qualifies her to be our mentor? Even


    why could she?" you don''t get the highest ess level in theb, s


    "Yeah," another intern added, "It must be a joke to have her as our mentor, We''re not convinced."

 Chapter 509

    ?


    Klein turned around to face the other seven people who were filled with righteous anger.


    He looked at them seriously and said, "No need to hurry. If she has no real skills, she won''t stay long at ourb. Besides, si Mr. Walson promoted her to this position, she must have some exceptional qualities. Let''s just wait and see


    Klein''s words calmed down the seven people, but it was obvious they still felt quite resentful.


    One of them remarked, ¡°Klein is correct. If she proves to be merely an attractive face without genuine abilities, we must stand together to remove her. The field of medicine is sacred and should not bepromised by someone who is visually pleasing but talentless"


    Klem said nothing


    He believed that Ss wouldn''t just pick a girl who knew nothing to teach them. However, he wasn''t sure if this girl truly was qualified as their mentor. Meanwhile, Ss nced at Yvette, who seemed rxed and indifferent. He cleared his throat and said. "Yvette, if you''re nning to teach the interns a lesson, could you ensure your methods don''t identally leave them without an arm or a leg


    Yvette''s indifferent eyes rested on Ss. After thinking for a moment, she asked in a calm voice, "Am I really that violent?"


    Ss couldn''t help but roll his eyes dramatically at that remark.


    He wondered, ''Doesn''t sheck the confidence to im she isn''t violent? I haven''t forgotten the instances of her assaulting people over the past few years


    When the medicalb was first established, it got robbed once. The thief, sent by a rival to steal their research, made the mistake of targeting Yvette. Of all the people to pick, he chose the wrong one.


    After Yvette caught the thief, she quickly and mercilessly broke every bone in his body before sending him back to his employer. In just three days, thatpetitor''s medicalb went under and disappeared from the scene.


    The thief''s pitiful state and Yvette''s calm, mischiefden expression at that time left a vivid impression on everyone who witnessed the scene. Ss continued, "So, do you need me to set you up with a room theb this month? I assure you, the Lab''s conditions are much better now than before."


    As he said this, Ss rubbed his nose.


    The reason the medicalb had grown to this size now was all thanks to Yvette''s continuous financial backing


    The investments in medical equipment were massive and were a constant drain on funds. If Yvette hadn''t transferred money from her ount every month without fail, the medicalb wouldn''t have reached its current size.


    Those students even challenged Yvette, which drove Ss crazy


    Yvette was a generous benefactor. Ss wished to make a sacrifice to Yvette in the hope of securing her long life.


    Yvette lowered her gaze nonchntly, shrugged casually, and turned to Ss, saying, "No thanks, I''llmute."


    Ss nodded in agreement when he heard this. Hemented, That''s great!"


    Then Ss rubbed his hands together, with a slightly awkward and sly look.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Yvette saw Ss''s expression and raised an eyebrow, her demeanor calm and a bit flippant. "Running low on money? she asked.


    Ss chuckled, hisughter highlighting the deep wrinkles at themers of his eyes.


    He said, "Oh, you really do know me well! Yes, I''m short on funds. The enhanced version of No.7 Toxin keeps failing, and the costs for the new intern are significant.


    "The thirty million dors you transferredst time has dwindled down to just about a hundred thousand. Theb is nearly out of resources, so here I am, shamelessly asking you for more


    Yvette stood there, hands in her pockets, watching Ss grinning like a fool. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said yfully. "Can''t keep things going? That''s a shame.


    "Maybe you could sell some of those fancy collections of yours to keep things afloat a little longer."


    Ss showed a bitter look as he repeatedly shook his hands.


    He shouted. "No way! Those treasures are going with me to the grave. Without them, I won''t rest easy in the afterlife. You wouldn''t want me turning in my grave, would you, dear Yvette?"


    To emphasize his refusal, Ss added, "If I can''t rest in peace, I''ll have toe to haunt you at midnight!*


    With her gaze slightly averted, Yvette regarded Ss with an amused expression and spoke softly. Til send you some moneyter so that you can rest in peace.


    Ss felt relieved as he realized his collection was finally safe. Yet, there was something oddly unsettling about those words Yvette said.


    Yvette turned to Ss, who wasgging a step behind, and urged, "Hurry up!"


    Ss quickly caught up with her.


    When Klein led the interns walked into theb lobby, Yvette was loungingfortably on a chair, legs crossed and chin propped up, looking as rxed as if she were at home.


    Ss sat next to Yvette, surrounded by a heap of documents they were both familiar with, stacked up high.


    The sight of this scene left a few interns feeling quite unsettled.


    So far, they had only gotten through about a third of those documents, Klein had managed a bit more, finishing at least half.


    The towering stacks of materials made the interns green with envy


    They didn''t know what made Yvette so special


    Yvette nced at the eight interns and spun her chair with a flick of her toe. She remained calm, with a slight smile.


    Ss just nced up at the students approaching him with a casual look.


    Klein and the others watched Yvette rapidly flip through the documents, page after page, with remarkable speed.


    They doubted how she could possibly process that information so quickly


    Medical jargon, intricate equations, and the minutiae of experiments were allplex and challenging to grasp. Skimming. through them so quickly was likely just a gesture for appearances


    Watching Yvette''s quick reading disappointed Klein, who pondered, ''She does read fast, but what can she actually understand by doing so? 09:04 Mon, Dec 23


    84


    Klein stepped forward and bowed sincerely to Ss, saying, Tm sorry. Mr. Walson. We know we shouldn''t interfere with your decision. I apologize on behalf of my fellows. We were too impulsive. We''re really sorry, Mr. Walson."


    Ss


    put down the papers he was holding and looked at Klein, whose expression seemed genuinely sincere.


    Ss remarked, ¡°You should apologize to Yvette. She''s your mentor, and I''ve gone to great lengths to bring her in to guide you. What you did was very disappointing, you know? If you mean to apologize, apologize to Yvette."


    Although Klein''s expression remained unchanged when he heard this, his hands at his sides suddenly clenched tightly.


    These students had been elites since childhood, so they were unwilling to apologize to a woman with no background or reputation in the medical field.


    The others stayed silent, watching Klein.


    Yvette''s eyes were deep and enigmatic, emitting a mysterious glow akin to the sparkle of starlight.


    Although the atmosphere was depressing, herposure indicated that her mood wasn''t quite affected.


    Yvette noticed Klein''s clenched hands and the defiant faces behind him. She frowned slightly and asked calmly, "Not convinced?"


    0

 Chapter 510

    ?


    Klem''s eyes were fixed on Yvette, and he didn''t answer immediately. The other interns stayed quiet, too. Yvette wasn''t in hurry at all, flipping through her documents quickly, reading ten lines at once.


    The interns were envious as Yvette casually tossed aside the high level documents that they usually couldn''t ess. After a moment. Klein looked at Yvette''s indifferent profile and finally spoke, "Ms. Zeller."


    Hearing this, Ss reprimanded Klein again, ¡°Yvette is your mentor. If you don''t know how to address her properly, you''d better go back to school and relearn your manners."


    Ss embarrassed Klein in front of everyone, making the interns realize how important Yvette was to him. Their expressions became much more solemn.


    After all, no one wanted to be kicked out of Ss''sb-it was Mysonna''s leading medical researchb.


    Medical students who trained in thisb typically went on to be leaders in their field. Expulsion would signify a loss of standing in the medicalmunity. After Ss''s reprimand, Klein''s expression remained unchanged, demonstrating his ability to maintainposure.


    Klein turned calmly to Yvette, who was seated in the chair, and corrected himself, saying, "Professor Zeller, we would appreciate your guidance over the next month Those behind him were taken aback by Klein''s response


    Yvette nced up briefly, continuing to flip through the pages as she cast a quick look at Klein and the interns behind him, who were suppressing their anger. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement.


    TII make sure to teach you earnestly, Yvette said confidently. Her tone made the interns look even more displeased-except for Klein, who stayedpletely calm.


    Ss noticed the defiance in the interns'' eyes and said nothing more. He was aware that for the next month, these interns would have to endure Yvette''s temperament, allowing him some free time to enjoy a cup of coffee and walk his dog.


    Ss spoke to the interns, "Team A, go ahead and redo yesterday''s experiment. Then make the report. Team B, you need to submit the summaries of the previous clinical responses to Professor Zeller. If there''s anything you don''t understand, ask her


    Then Ss turned to Yvette and said. "Ahem, I''m leaving theb to you. I''ve joined a senior dating dance club recently, so I won''t have time to handle them. Just manage them however you see fit. Keep them alive."


    After speaking. Ss promptly left. Having shouldered this responsibility for years, he trusted no one else to handle it except when Yvette was in theb. It was only then that he felt secure.


    After Ss left, the eight interns led by Klein deliberately ignored Yvette''s presence and continued with their tasks. Only Klein remained, staring at Yvette seriously, a stark contrast to his earlier polite demeanor.


    With a slight smirk, he spoke in a cold, indifferent tone, "Professor Zeller, you''d better not overstep our boundaries." This revealed Klein''s true nature; the demeanor he had disyed earlier was nothing more than a facade.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette put down the documents and took her time pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket, meticulously cleaning each of her fingers. She crossed her legs with a somewhat yful and rebellious look, looking up at Klein, who was mature and hypocritical.


    Yvette spoke slowly and clearly, "Klein Xander, aged twenty-two At the age of fourteen, he won first ce in the Mysonna Math Competition, earning him a rmendation to the Mysonna Imperial College of Science.


    "There, he excelled as the top student in the Medicine Department for four consecutive years. It''s worth noting that he is the Xander family''s illegitimate child."


    J:04 Mon, Dec 23


    The words "illegitimate child made Klein''s eyes widen slightly. The information about his academic background was essible online, but hardly anyone knew about his identity as the Xander family''s illegitimate son.


    Klein fixed a sharp gaze on Yvette, asking sternly. "How do you know I''m part of the Xander family? Have you been investigating me?"


    Yvette casually lowered her eyes and looked cool and detached. She remarked, "Just a randorn check; remember to be more discreet if you want to keep your identity hidden. You can leave now."


    Klein was taken aback. Yvette''s indifference made him suspect that he was just being too cautious. It didn''t seem like Yvette despised him because of his identity, but he wasn''t sure.


    Klein didn''t believe it, but he saw no trace of disdain on Yvette''s face. At that moment, his emotions were veryplicated.


    His hidden identity had been exposed just like that, and being an illegitimate child always made him feel ashamed. He had always strived for excellence, believing that being the best was the only way to earn his family''s attention.


    Klem didn''t move for a long time. Yvette squinted slightly at him, with a bit of impatience. Then she looked down at the documents as her fingers flipped through the pages quickly. Suddenly, she asked, "Why are you still here?"


    Klein snapped out of his daze, giving Yvette aplex look before leaving. Yvette was now alone there. At that moment, her phone rang


    She set the files down, took out her phone, and looked at the phone screen. It was Jeremiah. She answered the call and heard Jeremiah''s maic voice.


    He said. "I''ve arrived, just letting you know I''m safe. For some reason, Yvette sensed a hint of sadness in those words.


    She was silent for a moment before she nonchntly replied, "Okay." Meanwhile, Jeremiah stood with the phone in hand. and therge training ground in the military zone was quiet.


    Jeremiah heard her detached and cool voice on the other end of the line. Then he inquired. "Why didn''t you tell me to take care? I''ve not been feeling welltely." He added a slight cough to emphasize his point.


    Upon hearing this, Yvette kept her rxed posture, with a few strands of hair touching her forehead.


    She pressed her lips together, her eyes twinkling with amusement, as she casually replied, "Oh, you''re upset because I told your mom to take care of herself? Alright, I won''t do it next time


    Yvette knew how to handle Jeremiah. While his tone showed a bit of grievance, Yvette''s voice carried a lot more. Shepletely turned the tables on Jeremiah


    When Jeremiah heard Yvette''s pitiful voice on the phone, he felt bit overwhelmed, and he instantly turned nervous. It was the first time Yvette used such a sad tone with him, and even though he knew she was faking it, it got to him.


    Jeremiah was even more surprised that it was Aurora who called yvette this morning. He rubbed his forehead, regretting his jealous words. Jeremiah said awkwardly, "Well, I''m still a bit busy here. I should be done in about a week and head back to Mysonna Emmett and the Yoder family have agreed to officially escort the bronze artifacts back home next Friday"


    Those three bronze artifacts had great significance. After the press conference, to avoid attracting any unwanted attention, Carl quickly arranged for the artifacts to be sent back home, preventing any unforeseen troubles.


    After hanging up. Yvette thought about the embarrassment in Jeremiah''s voice during the call and smiled tenderly


    All afternoon, the interns in the medicalb acted as if Yvette wasn''t there, quietly coborating to pressure her into leaving and making her feel unwee,


    09.05 Mon, Dec.


    After Yvette revealed Klein''s identity, he spent the entire afternoon doing experiments in the room, intentionally avoiding


    her.

 Chapter 511

    ?


    At 5 pm, the people in thebs were ready to finish for the day, feeling even more frustrated seeing Yvette rxing in her chair. They believed that Ss must be out of his mind to make his woman their mentor.


    They thought Yvette hadn''t done a thing all afternoon and didn''t look like she came to do any research at all. It seemed more like she was on vacation, which was truly infuriating.


    However, the interns didn''t dare say anything like they did in the morning, because if Yvetteined to Ss, they would face the consequences.


    As a male intern passed by Yvette, he joked, Professor Zeller''s had quite a leisurely day, unlike us who are reeling with exhaustion, our hands practically mumb from all the experiments. Are you worn out from just sitting there?"


    The male intern, who was admitted to theb with the second-highest score in theirprehensive exam, only slightly behind Klein, was named Kellen Cairns,


    As soon as Kellen said those words, the other interns who were about to leave stopped in their tracks, staring at Yvette in


    Yvettezily yawned, her eyes tinged with a hint of red. She smirked and tilted her head in an utterly nonchnt manner. saying, "Indeed. How about you give me a massage?"


    in the


    Kellen''s temper ignited the moment he heard herment. He felt insulted. As a top student and an emerging star medical field, he was convinced that his hands were not destined for massaging Yvette. To him, she was undermining his dignity.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The people around started to criticize Yvette too, and someone said, "Poor Kellen, he''s just being nice, but she insulted him like that. How could she even be a teacher?"


    Anothermented, "With Mr. Walson backing her, Professor Heller doesn''t even care about us. She can do whatever she wants in the medical world."


    An intern remarked, "Shut up! What if Professor Zeller got her position through her ability? We shouldn''t underestimate her" However, everyone could tell the sarcasm in those words, knowing it was meant ironically.


    Kellen angrily shouted, "Professor Zeller, isn''t that too much? I wouldn''t massage you even if you begged me. As a mentor, how could you insult your student like that?" He sounded righteous and very agitated.


    Yvette raised her eyebrow and casually picked up a medical book from the desk. She suddenly smiled and threw the book in her hand directly into Kellen''s chest.


    Stunned, Kellen stumbled back a couple of steps. Yvette''s action left the others present dumbfounded.


    Momentarily dazed by the hit, Kellen looked from the medical book on the ground back to Yvette with anger zing in his eyes. Yvette twirled the pen in her hand, seemingly bringing it to life as it spun faster and faster


    With a defiant expression, Yvette leaned back in the chair. She asked in an icy tone, "If you don''t want to massage me, why waste my time here?" Kellen''s face flushed red at those words, an just a brute."


    he couldn''t help but retort, "Yvette, you don''t deserve to be our mentor. You''re


    Yvette shrugged indifferently with a yful smile. She pointed the pen in her hand directly at Kellen. For some reason, Kellen felt a chill down his spine, and he instinctively stepped aside.


    Yvette''s long and slender fingers held the pen. The interns had a rather absurd feeling-that at this moment, the pen in Yvette''s hand wasn''t a pen, but a sword, sharp and unstoppable.


    1/3


    Watching them. Yvette took put her phone from her pocket and dialed a number. Ss answered in less than ten seconds


    He said. "Hey, Yvette, what''s up? Are those students acting up again? Like I said, if they don''t cooperate, just put them in their ce.


    "Don''t worry


    about me-just leave them breathing. Paralyzing them is fine if needed; after all, that''s our field of expertise. no big deal, we can handle it


    Since getting to know Yvette. Ss hade to believe that physical punishment was effective for taming unruly individuals and making them obey. If one instance of punishment didn''t suffice, he would simply repeat it untilpliance was achieved.


    Often, he found that straightforward and crude methods were the most sessful.


    Yvette spoke with a lighthearted tone, "Someone told me I''m not fit to be their mentor, and it''s really getting to me. What do you think I should do about it?"


    Kellen, who was standing closest, thought he heard someone shouting on the phone. He immediately recognized the voice as Ss, but surely Ss wouldn''t be so respectful to Yvette.


    Kellen pondered, That''s absolutely impossible. Mr. Walson is a prominent figure in the medical field. Why would he lower himself like that? I must have misheard


    Ss knew exactly what Yvette meant, thinking, "Yvette''s probably thinking about whether to take action or not. Those damn


    interns


    Ss had repeatedly warned them not to provoke Yvette, and now, they made trouble for him.


    Ss said, "Yvette, put your phone on speaker. Take a deep breath. You really need to take a deep breath, and don''t take actions impulsively." Then Yvette pressed the speaker button, and Ss''s frustrated voice filled theb.


    He shouted, "Who? Who''s causing trouble again? Is the workload I''ve given you all too easy? Is that why you''re looking for more to do? Who is it this time?"


    Kellen tensed up and red at Yvette, thinking, ''She really knows how to find protection under someone powerful, doesn''t she? How could just some harsh words get reported to Mr. Walson? This is outrageous!


    What the interns didn''t realize was that Yvette had actually made the call to help them avoid trouble.


    Kellen could only brace himself and carefully exin over the phone, "Mr. Walson, it''s me, Kellen. I had a little misunderstanding with Professor Zeller


    "I was just concerned about her, and I didn''t expect her to be so upset and call you. I''m sorry. I really didn''t mean it.¡± Ss really didn''t want to hear Kellen''s exnation right now. If Yvette got mad, then everyone would be in trouble.


    Kellen thought Ss would definitely be convinced of his exnation and nced smugly at Yvette. He couldn''t believe Ss could be so biased towards Yvette.


    Yvette looked at the smug Kellen with a wicked smile and said to the phone calmly. "Do you believe that he didn''t mean to?" After a brief silence, Ss said in an even angrier voice than before. ¡°Did you not mean it? Kellen, do you think I''m a fool? If you hadn''t been aggressive, how could Yvette have gotten upset


    I seems like you don''t want to stay in thisb anymore. That''s fine. If you don''t think Yvette can supervise you, you even have to pay the penalty for breaking the contract."


    don''t


    Ss took a deep breathrand went on to shout, ¡°And to everyone there, listen carefully because I''m only saying this once. If anyone disrespects Yvette, you''ll be kicked out. Yvette is in charge of the medicalb. Don''t you understand my words?"

 Chapter 512

    ?


    Ss'' words over the phone frustrated the interns. Kellen could hardly keep hisposure.


    After warning the interns, Ss said to Yvette in an extremely gentle tone, "Yvette, if you find any of these people annoying. feel free to let any one of them go. Don''t strain yourself. Make sure to keep your spirits up and enjoy your time there.


    - than


    Ss knew clearly that as long as Yvette was happy, the enhanced version of No.7 Toxin could be developed in no more t half a month.


    Just then, Klein walked out from anotherb. With all the noise outside, it was impossible for him to pretend he hadn''t heard anything. He had heard every single word Ss said.


    He hesitated slightly before he casually walked over. As soon as Klein appeared, all the other interns seemed to be more confident.


    They asked eagerly, "Klein, have you finished your experiment?


    Someone told him, ¡°Klein, Kellen offended Professor Zeller, and Mr. Walson is really angry now."


    Another stated, "Yeah, Kellen just asked a question."


    At this point, none of the interns dared to directly confront Yvette, but their words implied more meaning. Kellen looked at Klein with a sad expression.


    However, Yvette was sittingfortably on the chair, tapping her toes. Her expression remained calm and indifferent. Gazing at the crowd with her bright eyes, she sneered silently.


    Looking at Yvette, Klein walked towards her. The other interns looked at Klein with anticipation, hoping he would stand


    forward. for them. Kellen was particrly hopeful, so excited he could hardly speak as he watched Klein step


    up


    Klein nodded respectfully at Yvette, who was seated, and said politely. "Professor Zeller. I''ve organized the materials that Mr. Walson asked for. Here you are."


    Yvette nced down at the documents that Klein ced on the desk. She replied with a smile, "Okay."


    After speaking, Klein turned to leave, leaving the other interns bewildered by his sudden shift in demeanor.


    This morning, Klein had been irritable as well, so the others were at a loss to understand why he had be so deferential to Yvette in just a few hours.


    Kellen was even more in disbelief, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at Klein. Seeing the others'' expressions. Klein clenched his fists slightly before walking out.


    Unable to hold back, Kellen pleaded for his help and said, "Klein..."


    Klein stopped, faced Kellen, and said sternly, "Kellen, if it was an honest mistake, apologize to Professor Zeller. It''s not worth offending her impulsively."


    Klein''s words made Kellen''s face flush with embarrassment, Seeing the sympathetic looks from those around him, Kellen felt like a fool, but he had clearly heard what Ss had said earlier.


    If Kellen truly refused topromise, Yvette would have no choice but to drive him away. Kellen bit his lip in a show of helplessness, lowered his head, and approached Yvette, his nails almost digging into his skin.


    Kellen said. "Professor Zeller, I''m sorry


    Kellen felt humiliated, and the room fell silent.


    After apologizing, Kellen lifted his head, veins bulging in anger. Yvette casually skimmed through Klein''s documents.


    She probably already knew where the issue with the enhanced version of No.7 Toxiny. Upon hearing Kellen''s apology, she didn''t even look up, remaining expressionless.


    She spoke in a detached tone, ¡°Listen carefully. For the next month, cease dwelling on trivial matters. Should you have any inquiries regarding the enhanced version of No.7 Toxin, do not hesitate to voice them.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "However, if you choose not to ask, that is your prerogative. Just member, I have a short fuse and can be quite dangerous, so I advise you to stay on your best behavior."


    The interns were frozen in ce by her words, wondering, What does she mean by she can be quite dangerous? Is she trying to threaten us?'' The interns thought Yvette was bluffing, so they didn''t take her words seriously. After finishing her words, Yvette stood up and ced the documents she was holding back onto the desk.


    As she started to walk out, she paused briefly beside Klein. Calmly, she remarked. "In Experiment A, the dosage of small molecule proteins was exceeded by two milligrams,"


    Upon hearing this, Klein was shocked. A flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes, and he thought, How could that be possible?"


    Yvette had only given his data a quick nce, yet she identified the small molecule protein dosage issue. Klein pondered. No wonder the experiment hasn''t seeded. Could this really be the reason?


    The interns watched Yvette''s departing figure, which looked proud and arrogant. They didn''t know why she was so confident.


    After Yvette left, the interns remained still. Finally, Klein said, "Since Mr. Walson had her as our mentor, he must have his reasons. Let''s leave theb.


    The interns gazed at Klein, and their demeanor had subtly changed. A tinge of reproach was evident in their eyes, Kellen exhibiting the most pronounced disapproval.


    with


    Kellen lifted his bloodshot eyes and spoke to Klein in an eerie tone, "Klein, we''ve always admired and followed your lead at theb. But you''ve really disappointed us this time.


    "We don''t want Yvette as our mentor, and we refuse to take her guidance. She hasn''t earned our respect


    After finishing his words, Kellen stormed off, leaving the other interns standing there awkwardly. They nced at Klein but said nothing as they each left theb


    Klein lowered his gaze, realizing that Yvette might be more knowledgeable than he had imagined.


    After Fashion Week and the fashionpetition, Sienna had very little left on her agenda and took the opportunity to savor her free time.


    The management systems of Vibe were already well established. If Sienna had to handle everything personally, she would have been exhausted.


    Sienna took a sip of her coffee and looked at Bruce, Chris, and Frankie on the couch, asking, "What do you think Yvette is doing today? She''s being all secretive."


    Joe and Emmett were upstairs talking about how to escort the bronze artifacts back home.


    Bruce put down his newspaper and said, "I have no idea."


    Sienna pouted and said, "Can''t you just take a guess? You''re no fun at all."


    Öæ


    Frankie chuckled and cast a sly nce at Siena and Bruce, saying, ¡°Sienna, trust me, Bruce has always been this dull. If you ever grow tired of him, I promise to find you a rich and handsome alternative."


    Sienna nodded eagerly and replied readily, "Sure, Frankie, my future happiness depends on you."


    Chris nced at Bruce''s face, which was cold and unreadable, but Sienna and Frankie wentpletely unnoticed.


    Chris quietly shuffled in his seat, continuing with his own tasks. Bruce stood up and walked to the other end of the sofa where Frankie was, grabbing him by the neck.


    Frankie, who was chatting enthusiastically, suddenly felt short of breath.


    Frankie asked. "Who is it? Oh, Bruce, what are you doing? We were just joking around, okay? There''s absolutely no one more suited for Sienna than you. You two are perfect together, a match made in heaven."


    As he spoke, he coughed.


    Sienna observed Frankie being abruptly dragged away. Then, catching sight of Bruce''s icy demeanor, she considered making a discreet exit.


    0

 Chapter 513

    ?


    Sienna thought of slipping away while Bruce wasn''t looking. She barely moved when Bruce, still holding onto Frankie, shot her a look. Sienna quickly gave an innocent grin, pretending to brush dust off the sofa


    She murmured, "Well, there''s dust. It''s not clean. I wasn''t trying to escape, just wiping it off. You know I have this thing about cleanliness. Bruce''s eyes shed with a quick hint of amusement that was almost imperceptible.


    Frankie, being dragged by Bruce, shouted loudly, "Sienna, save me! I''m about to be strangled. You can''t just run off like that, Sienna. You need to do something, help!"


    Sienna could only nod reluctantly, twirling her fingers. She cautiously spoke sweetly to Bruce, "How abo first, and we go upstairs for a chat?" you let him go


    Bruce''s gaze fixed on Sienna''s delicate face. Though his expression remained a bit cold, he replied, "Okay, let''s go upstairs."


    Sienna felt a shiver when she saw Bruce''s threatening eyes. Thest time he gave her that look, she felt sore all over for two days. This time, she hoped he would be gentler to her.


    Bruce let go of Frankie and waved for Sienna toe over. Sienna reluctantly dragged her feet to him.


    Then Bruce took her hand and went upstairs without looking back. Frankie, who had just caught his breath, was left there with Chris, who remained calm..


    Frankie rubbed his neck, thinking. Bruce''s really violent. But why don''t they just chat here? What''s the point of going upstairs That''s weird.


    Confused, Frankie looked at Chris sitting on the couch and asked, "What''s up with those two? Do they really need to go upstairs to talk? Damn, is Bruce really going to hurt Sienna?"


    Chris looked away from the analysis on theputer to nce at the not-so-bright Frankie. For the first time, Chris wondered why Jeremiah chose this guy as his follower.


    Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Frankie, you are such a fool." Hearing this, Frankie immediately jumped up from the floor, bursting with indignation.


    He asked, "Chris, that''s unfair! Why did you insult me? I was just worried that Sienna might get beaten..."


    At this point, Frankie suddenly stopped talking when he saw Chris helpless look and realized what was going on. "No way! Are they really going to do that? That''s intense!" eximed Frankie.


    Then he looked upstairs and clicked his tongue twice with a cheeky grin, thinking, ''Poor Sienna. It was clear that Bruce was just using me as bait. Men are really conniving"


    At that moment, Yvette rode her hefty motorcycle to a shop in the downtown area. The establishment was owned by a local couple hailing from Mysonna and was renowned for its delicious burgers.


    In the past, when Yvette grew tired from herb work, she would treat herself to two or three cheeseburgers from this shop. However, it had been three years since herst visit for a burger there.


    At the burger shop''s entrance, Yvette pushed the door open. There wasn''t a single customer inside, just a plumpdy behind the counter, sleeping on it.


    As Yvette entered, the bell above the door rang. The plumpdy woke up rubbing her eyes, looked at Yvette in disbelief, and rubbed her eyes again. Once she was certain it was really Yvene, she stood up excitedly.


    The woman eximed, "Oh dear Yvette, is that you? Oh my gos It''s been three years since youst visited


    K 84%


    Thedy''s excitement was obvious. Yvette looked at her, raised her eyebrow, and softly said, ''Susan, it''s been a long time"


    Susan Jensen quickly approached Yvette but held back from hugging her, knowing she wasn''t fond of close contact


    Susan asked, "Dear Yvette, are you here for a burger today? Oh, hat bad luck, Mike''s gone to the Best Chef Competition He''s not in today. What a pity!


    Susan looked apologetic. Yvette casually bent her long, slender legs and told Susan, "It''s alright. I''lle back tomorrow. III be around for a while." Susan nodded and said, "Oh, dear Yvette, that''s great, looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."


    Just as Susan finished her words, the door opened again. The shop owner, Mike Jensen, returned looking downcast. Seeing Yvette, he was as excited as Susan.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Mike eximed. "Dear Yvette, it''s really you! I can''t believe it''s been three years. You''ve be even more beautiful"


    Mike was an elderly man nearing seventy, with grey hair. His body was slightly hunched from years of working in the kitchen, but his eyes were still bright


    Yvette nodded and said, "Hello, Mike"


    Mike''spliment was sincere. Even though he tried to hide his disappointment, Susan and Yvette could easily see it.


    Susan gently patted Mike''s back and asked, "What happened, dear? Weren''t you supposed to be at the contest? Why are you back so early?" Mike looked at Susan and sighed.


    He said, "I won''t be joining thepetition. Logan Brown, the chairman, has introduced a new rule: participants must be Certified Culinarians. I''ve been in kitchens all my life but never took those exams. They informed me I''m ineligible because I don''t fulfill the criteria"


    Hearing Logan''s name, Yvette smirked. She thought, "That old guy really makes a fuss over nothing for apetition.


    Mike didn''t participate in thepetition to win prizes but to showcase his craftsmanship to a broader audience. However, he didn''t meet the requirements of thepetition,


    Susan gentlyforted Mike, her weathered face radiating kindness.


    She said, "Mike, thepetition rules must have been established for good reasons. Let''s give it another try next time. But hey, Yvette''s here, and it''s been three years since shest enjoyed your burgers"


    Although Mike felt some regret, he wasn''t one toin. As soon as he heard Yvette wanted his burgers, he went straight to the kitchen to cook. Half an hourter, there were three burgers in front of Yvette. They were made with Mike''s special sauce and his freshly baked bread, a taste she wouldn''t find anywhere else.


    This was the only ce across Mysonna where one could experience this taste. Yvette just couldn''t get enough of it. Mike. and Susan watched as Yvette leisurely finished all three burgers


    After that, Yvette wiped her hands and looked up at the two loving faces. She asked, "Do you have some paper and a pen?"


    Susan nodded immediately and went to the counter, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen, and ced them on the table.


    Mike asked, "Dear Yvette, what are you doing?"


    884%


    Yvette nodded slightly, her gaze cool andposed. She wrote two lines on the paper and then folded it up to hand to


    Mike.


    She said gently. "Mike, at thepetition tomorrow, give this note to Logan. After he reads it, he''ll let you participate."


    Mike took the note from Yvette, his hands trembling with excitement.


    He said, "Dear Yvette, maybe we should let it go. I think I shouldn''t participate."


    Mike didn''t know what the rtionship between Yvette and Logan was.


    He was worried that Yvette might have traded something for the chance, which he wouldn''t ept..

 Chapter 514

    ?


    Yvette nced at Mike, who was visibly anxious yet keen to participate in thepetition. He was also concerned about what Yvene might have traded something to secure his spot.


    With a nonchnt smile, she exined. "A few years back, he owed me a favor. Rmending you for thepetition is just him repaying that debt."


    Yvette''s tone was casual, but the debt Logan owed her was not something that could be settled with just a spot in apetition.


    If it weren''t for Yvette''s rescue in the past, Logan would never have risen to be the Culinary Titan; he would have vanished from the culinary scene long ago.


    Mike and Susan watched Yvette walk away. Susan nestled in Mike''s arms and remarked, "Yvette hasn''t changed at all these years"


    Holding Yvette''s note. Mike said with a warm smile, "Yvette may appear to be aloof, but she has a kind heart. I shouldn''t have bothered her. Seeing Mike''s guilty look. Susan gently said, "Dear, as long as you do well in thepetition, you''ll be honoring Yvette''s kindness. Mike nodded, determined to enter thepetition and achieve a good standing.


    After leaving the burger shop, Yvette went straight back to the vi. As soon as she walked in, she saw Frankie loungingzil on the couch, looking totally bored. Chris was sitting nearby, focused on theputer screen.


    When Frankie saw Yvette strolling in leisurely, he jumped up from the couch and immediatelyined. "Yvette, you''re finally back! I was nearly strangled by Bruce just now, but thankfully, my good fortune saved me, or you wouldn''t have seen your cheerful friend again!"


    Yvette settled onto the couch, cast aposed look at Frankie, and teased, "I think you barely made it out alive"


    Chris quietly stood up, poured a ss of orange juice at the counter, and ced it in front of Yvette. She nodded slightly. saying. Thanks"


    Jeremiah always personally attended to Yvette''s needs. In his absence, the others were well-practiced in stepping in, such as preparing orange juice or milk for Yvette before bedtime.


    Chris said, ¡°Right in front of Bruce, Frankie began discussing the idea of setting Sienna up with a wealthy and attractive man, as well as some young, good-looking options. Frankie and Sienna were chatting about it quite enthusiastically. Frankie barely managed to escape the situation."


    Chris paused for a moment, nced awkwardly upstairs, and added, "Sienna went upstairs with Bruce, and it seems like she''s being punished now." Chris uttered those words with a stern expression, which, oddly enough, appeared somewhat amusing,


    Yvette sat on the couch with her eyes down, legs crossed, and holding her ss as she slowly sipped the orange juice. She nced at Frankie and asked, "Is this what you call a lucky escape"


    Frankie knew Sienna was being punished by Bruce alone, so he just gave an awkwardugh.


    "Well, Yvette, Bruce''s got a soft spot for Sienna, but with me, he''s inerciless. Sienna can handle it herself


    Yvette sneered in aid-back way, rubbed her templeszily, and looked over at Chris, who was typing on the keyboard.


    Chris sensed Yvette''s gaze, looked up, and said, "Yvette, is my typing noise bothering you? I''ll go to the study."


    1/3


    09:05 Mon, Dec.


    83%


    Yvette said calmly, "No, you''re not bothering me, What are you working on?" She noticed Chris had been constantly working on hisputer, which interested her


    Frankie smirked and said, "Yvette, Mr. Chavez has handed over the assets here in Mysonna for Chris to manage. He''s been deeply into stockstely and hasn''t decided which ones to buy ye


    "The market''s been pretty shaky recently. One wrong move and Mr. Chavez''s wedding gift money could be lost."


    Frankie was just joking. With Jeremiah''s wealth, he wouldn''t run out of money. Even if he invested everything in the stock market today, the mines in Afria would earn him unlimited profit tomorrow,


    Chris turned hisptop towards Yvette, showing her the stock trend charts on the screen. The stock market was reallyplex, with many hidden dealings involved.


    Purchasing stocks at their lowest prices and selling them at their peak was the key to making money. However, with thousands of stocks avable in the market, this strategy was not straightforward.


    Deciding which stock to purchase, the optimal time to buy, and the right moment to sell all demanded meticulous analysis: and a keen sense of foresight. In essence, the stock market was akin to an open and fair game of chance.


    Yvette nced at the stock market trends chart on theputer screen and then looked away in less than a minute.


    Chris said, "Yvette, Mysonna''s stock market and international markets have been quite unstable recently.


    "Three internationalpanies have dered bankruptcy in quick session, leading to many investors losing everything. This is due to some financial magnates manipting the market from behind the scenes.


    "Independent investors bore the brunt of the losses, while the insiders cashed out at the peak of the stock prices, making a fortune. They sold out just in time, and the market hasn''t recovered for months because of their maniption."


    Therefore, Chris hadn''t made his move yet. He had been analyzing carefully all this time. He wanted to find the most suitable moment to invest, as it seemed those financial magnates might soon start manipting the market again.


    Chris continued, "Yvette, I''m currently optimistic about three stocks: HiYoung Tech, AliGo Investments, and Derimay Finance. These stocks all have potential."


    Yvette crossed her legs and loungedzily on the sofa with a cool expression. She raised an eyebrow slightly, revealing a smart glint in her eyes. She spoke casually. "In two months, insiders will manipte the stock market. HiYoung Tech and AliGo Investments are merely distractions for ordinary investors, you might consider investing in Derimay Finance first."


    Chris was taken aback by Yvette''s words. He asked, "Yvette, are you into stocks too?"


    Frankie eagerly asked, "Yvette, can you just see the problems of these stocks? Is Derimay Finance really worth investing in? How did you figure it out!"


    Yvette stood up, looking down at Chris and Frankie with an indifferent expression. She said calmly. Just a wild guess. I don''t buy stocks.¡±


    Yvette hadn''t been involved in the stock market for a long time, probably about six years. Six years ago, she lost interest because making money was too easy, and it''didn''t provide any challenge.


    Yvette had a characteristic approach to learning: once she grasped a concept, she would quickly lose interest and move on to something new. After saying so. Yvette went upstairs, leaving only Frankie and Chris on the sofa. Frankie smirked at Chris and said, "Yvette said she just guessed and didn''t buy stocks. Do you believe that?


    Chris shook his head and asked earnestly, "Do you believe Yvettes idea of a wild guess aligns with our understanding of the


    term?"


    Chris gazed at theputer screen, contemting Yvette''s advice. Without a moment''s hesitation, he transferred all 6 billion dors from Jeremiah''s ount and invested it in the Denimay Finance stock that Yvette had rmended.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Frankie clicked his tongue. 6 billion dors wasn''t a small amount, but putting it all in Derimay Finance seemed a bit too reckless, which was like a true all-or-nothing gamble.


    After Chris bought the stock, he sent Jeremiah a message. Five minutester, he got a reply from Jeremiah: [If she likes it, just buy it.]


    0

 Chapter 515

    ?


    The next day, when Yvette arrived at the medicalb, all eight interns were already there, in theirb coats, and ready to start the new round of experiments on the No 7 Toxin.


    They were supposed to start after Yvette arrived, but it was evident they couldn''t wait.


    Kellen, who was pressured by Ss to apologize to Yvette yesterday, kept urging everyone not to wait for her. The interns collectively decided to y oblivious, except for Klein, who had already changed into hisb coat and was sitting there


    alone.


    He ignored the other interns'' hunt and didn''t move an inch, waiting for Yvette to show up. The others had no choice but to wait for her as well. Theb had strict rules, and each intern had their own level.


    Without Klein swiping his card, the other interns couldn''t open theb door, so all their talking was pointless. Seeing that Klein was still, Kellen got impatient.


    He said. ¡°Klein, we understand you want to curry favor with Yvette, but you can''t stop us from starting the experiment, can you? We''ve been in theb for quite a while, and can''t you just open the door for us?"


    Kellen was attempting to coerce Klein into surrendering his ess card and joining their side, thereby turning all the interns against him. Klein, adjusting his sses, met this pressure with a steady andposed gaze.


    Klein was well aware of Kellen''s schemes, but he just chose to ignore Kellen. From what Yvette said yesterday. Klein realized that she was definitely not just a pretty face, so it was more advantageous for him to ally with Yvette.


    Klein would naturally side with Yvette, who could dismiss the interns if she became upset with Ss. As an illegitimate child. Klein had managed to endure in the Xander family all these years thanks to his cunning nature.


    Klein didn''t answer Kellen. Instead, he looked towards theb entrance and noticed Yvette approaching from a distance. He lowered his gaze, focusing intently on Kellen and the other interns


    In a calm voice, Klein said, "Yvette is the mentor, and without her, theb door can''t be opened." No sooner had he finished speaking than theb''s automatic door opened, and Yvette walked in, having heard every word Klein said.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette stood there calmly, hands in her pockets, looking at the interns and Klein who had just stood up. With a slight smile. she spoke in a rxed tone. "It''s nine o''clock now. We will start the first round of experiments in an hour."


    Her words immediately caused dissatisfaction among the interns. Someone whispered. "What''s going on? Another hour? She really doesn''t seem to care about the experiment, does she?"


    Another voice chimed in, "Exactly, she should have arrived early, especially since we have an experiment today,


    "How can someone in the medical field be sockadaisical? We''d practically live in theb if we could, and yet here she is, showing up right on time and making us wait for an hour. It''s quite unreasonable."


    "Keep your voice down; she''s Mr. Walson''s favorite. We can''t afford to offend her, reminded someone.


    After yesterday, the interns learned their lesson and didn''t dare to confront Yvette directly. They only whispered quietly. Earlier, Kellen was acting all tough, but as soon as Yvette arrived he went quiet and hid behind the others, looking resentful.


    After Yvette spoke, she headed straight to the lounge, ignoring the reaction of the interns. As she passed Klein, his usually icy


    with?" demeanor warmed up, and he asked Yvette, "Professor Zeller, is here anything I can help you


    Having decided to win Yvette over, Klein knew he should show us sincerity. Yvette smirked slightly, with a hint of nonchnce in her eyes, and replied casually, ¡°No thanks. I''ll just grab some breakfast."


    It was then that the interns noticed the bulge in Yvette''s right pocket. Beforeing here, she had made a stop at the burger


    09.05 Mon, Dec 23


    shop a


    and bought two bargers. Yvette raised an eyebrow and went to the lounge to enjoy her breakfast burgers


    The interns stood in the lobby, fuming as they watched Yvette enter the lounge. As soon as she left, Kellen perked up again.


    He remarked, ¡°Professor Zeller''s actions are outrageous! She brought breakfast into theb to eat. It''s such a breach of decorum; even Mr. Walson wouldn''t stoop to that level-she''s just too uncouth.¡±


    Someone agreed, "Kellen is right. Theb isn''t a breakfast diner How could she bring breakfast in to eat? That just doesn''t followb rules." Anothermented, "So what? Talking about it won''t change anything. Mr. Walson has her back, so what can we do?"


    "Exactly. Whether we can stay in theb depends on Professor Zeller''s mood. Just endure whatever dissatisfaction you have." said someone.


    Klein nced at the group of interns and returned to his desk. He cursed inwardly, What a bunch of fools! Do they genuinely believe that Mr. Walson would hire ayman to teach us


    Yvette finished her burgers, changed into herb coat, put on protective goggles and a proper mask, and thoroughly disinfected herself before stepping out. Led by Klein, the interra were already ready and waiting in the lobby


    Seeing Yvettee out, Klein approached her and said, "Professor Zeller, we are ready to enter Quantum Lab." The Quantum Lab was the highest level among medicalbs. Usually, only Klein and Ss had been there twice, while the others never had the chance.


    Yvette nodded and said. "Alright, let''s go. Even if the interns didn''t like Yvette, they were excited to enter theb.


    It was said that the Quantum Lab used the most advanced and expensive medical equipment in the world. Everything inside was made with space- grade tungsten material, which even bullets couldn''t prate.


    The Quantum Lab was packed with years of experimental data and core research from medicalbs, and it was truly the most important part of the entireb. Yvette led the interns into the elevator and headed straight for the fourth-floor Quantum Lab.


    As soon as they got to the fourth floor, only Yvette and Klein remained expressionless, while the other interns were clearly excited about the Quantum Lab at the far end. Yvette stopped at the Lab entrance.


    Klein nced at Yvette, puzzled by her sudden halt. It then daweed on him that the Quantum Lab needed a special ess card from Ss. In the haste of yesterday, he might have overlooked leaving it for Yvette.


    Klein asked in a serious tone. "Professor Zeller, the Quantum Lab requires an ess card. Mr. Walson is the only one with eye-scan ess. Did he forget to leave it for you?"


    Someone chuckled sarcastically behind them. The interns looked gleefully at Yvette in front. So, it seemed that Yvette didn''t even have an ess card to the Quantum Lab.


    The interns thought. It seems Mr. Walson doesn''t hold Yvette in high esteem. He didn''t even give her an ess card, which is the identity badge in the medicalb."


    A profound silence filled the air as Yvette shifted slightly. She approached the doop. There was a tiny eye-scan device located in the middle of the door.

 Chapter 516

    ?


    83%


    When Yvette stood in front of the eye scanner, the interns were eagerly waiting for her to be embarrassed.


    Then, they heard a mechanical voice announce, "Verification sessful. The mainb door is now opening. Start-upplete." As the mechanical voice concluded, the door in front of them swung open.


    The faces under the masks of the interns, except for Klein, showed various expressions. Kellen, who had justughed at Yvette sarcastically, looked totally awkward.


    He wondered, ''How could this be possible? Yvette just joined us yesterday. When would she have had the time to input her iris data?''


    Once the door opened, Yvette was the first to step inside, with Klein right behind her. The other interns looked at each other before entering as well. Once inside the Quantum Lab, Klein and the other interns immediately became more cautious.


    True to its reputation, the Quantum Lab was filled with the world''s most advanced medical equipment. There were eve some new wireless ultrasound sensors that were so cutting-edge and hadn''t hit the market yet, things they had only seen in magazines.


    Besides, the Quantum Lab was brimming with high-tech and artificial intelligence systems. As Yvette approached theb''s central operating table, she took in the array of reagent bottles, quickly grasping the situation.


    The No.7 Toxin was extremely potent; just one drop could entirely dissolve a person. Theb''s protective suits provided minimal safety and were not effective against the No.7 Toxin. Nobody knew how powerful the enhanced version of the No.7 Toxin could be.


    Currently, the experimental data they hade only fromputer simtions and a few failed experiments. The enhanced No.7 Toxin might be fifty times more powerful than the version they had sessfully developed, making its potential strength unimaginable,


    Klein watched Yvette standing at theb bench and approached her willingly. He said, "Professor Zeller, the No.7 Toxin on the bench is the original version


    "Mr. Walson only left these because the experiments with the enhanced version of the No.7 Toxin have failed three times. The results are always just slightly off.


    "Mr. Walson previously suggested it might be due to a reverse reaction of certainpounds, but we don''t know which ones exactly. We need to conduct more tests to reach a final conclusion."


    Just then, another intern shouted, "Kellen, don''t move!"


    "Oh my God! Watch out, eximed someone as a bottle of chemicals fell to the floor, instantly releasing a noxious smell.


    The next moment, theb''s rm system red with a piercing beep beep beep, leaving the interns bewildered and unsure of what to do. The Quantum Lab was unfamiliar territory for them, as this was their first time inside


    At that moment, they couldn''t identify the type of chemical that had been spilled just by itsmell. Kellen, the one responsible for the incident, stood off to the side, looking pale.


    Seeing this. Yvette stepped forward a few paces and calmly gazed down at the broken vial on the floor.


    Unperturbed, she said, "Activate the automatic disinfection function immediately." Theb''s smart voice system instantly recognized Yvette''smand and activated the automatic cleaning.


    Klein was standing there, his eyes narrowing slightly. The Al in the Quantum Lab could actually recognize Yvette''s voice. From what he knew, the Quantum Lab should only recognize Sins'' voice.


    83%Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Klein realized that Yvette was much more important to Ss that he had imagined. Oncematic disinfection was


    te, the interns finally rxed, each keeping silent with fear.


    Given their skill level, such a mistake shouldn''t have happened, but because they were at the Quantum Lab, they panicked just now.


    Kellen exined to Yvette, "No, I didn''t do it on purpose. I just wanted to pick it up and take a look. It has a safetybel, so it''s not a toxic substance. I...


    No one was defending Kellen this time. Everyone present was among the top medical students, and they all knew that Kellen had made the biggest mistake a medical student could make.


    Skills could be trained, butposure in emergencies and attention to detail were essential qualities for a medical student. In any case. Kellen was mistaken this time.


    Everyone''s eyes were on Kellen, who was now breaking out in cold sweat. Yvette stepped past the interns and walked towards Kellen, making him automatically take two steps back. At that moment, he panicked.


    Yvette walked up to Kellen, her eyes cold and serious, which sent a shiver down the spines of the other interns present.


    The crowd automatically stepped aside, making way for Yvette. Kellen''s anxiety only grew in this situation.


    Yvette lowered her gaze. Her expression tinged with a trace of hostility as she calmly said. ¡°Leave now. You are not toe. back to theb in the future.


    Yvete''s words shocked everyone present, including Kellen. He was astonished that he was being expelled just for making small mistake.


    Kellen was immediately flustered. If he was dismissed from thisb, no otherb would ever take him again. His medical career would be finished. He thought, ''No... That can''t happen. I can''t get fired like this.


    Kellen begged, "Yvette, no, Professor Zeller, I was wrong, I really was wrong! I know I shouldn''t have made such a stupid mistake. I shouldn''t have messed with things.


    "I realize Imitted a major error in medical practice. I''ll be careful next time. Please don''t terminate me. I''m begging you! Please give me another chance! I''ve truly realized my mistake!"


    Having worked with Kellen for six months, the other interns felt sorry for him and began to plead on his behalf.


    Someone said, "Professor Zeller, please give Kellen another chance. It''s our first time in the Quantum Lab, and this ce is sacred to all of us med students. It''s understandable that Kellen got a bit too excited."


    Another remarked, That''s right, Professor Zeller. Kellen just made a small mistake, and it wasn''t even during the experiment, just an idental slip. Your punishment seems too heavy.*


    One intern pleaded, "Professor Zeller, if you dismiss Kellen over this, he won''t have a chance in the medical field anymore. Getting into thisb was really tough for us.


    "Please give Kellen a chance. Everyone makes mistakes. I''m sure you''ve made some yourself. Professor Zeller, so why hold on to this so tightly?" Seeing everyone pleading for him, Kellen felt that if he just humbled himself a bit more, Yvette might not expel him from


    theb.


    Out of the eight interns, only Klein did not speak up for Kellen. Klein stood by watching as Yvette remained silent.


    He wondered. ''Will Yvette really let Kellen off just because of what these people say? Kellen still has not realized what his mistakes are.


    ZON PICT


    83%


    "Making a mistake isn''t the unforgivable part, but failing to handle it properly right away only makes it worse. Plus, he''s been constantly make excuses, iming it was just an ident.


    When did it be eptable to dismiss fatal errors as mere idents? That''s the true absurdity. Moreover, these so-called appeals for mercy are nothing short of ridiculous.


    0

 Chapter 517

    ?


    All the interns were waiting for Yvette to speak. She nced around at the interns with a smirk.


    She stated, "Do you think I shouldn''t make Kellen leave theb because of this mistake? But I have a w where I don''t oftent listen to others."


    Yvette''s words created a tense atmosphere in theb. The interns were astonished that Yvette was seriously considering expelling Kellen without showing any mercy.


    The interns were already opposed to Yvette, and then suddenly, someone called out, "If Professor Zeller insists on forcing Kellen out of theb. I might as well leave now too, because I cant promise I won''t make any mistakes."


    When someone had taken the lead, the other interns immediately echoed. They were certain that Yvette wouldn''t dare fire


    them all.


    Theb had a stringent selection process. If the interns were fired, the experiments couldn''t be conducted.


    Moreover, the development of the enhanced version of the No. 7 Toxin was at a critical stage. Yvette couldn''t get by without the help of the interns. They believed that as long as they stayed united, Yvette wouldpromise and keep Kellen.


    Watching Yvette being threatened by the crowd, Klein said to everyone, "Kellen made a mistake. Professor Zeller is justified in letting him go. You''re just making things worse like this."


    Now, under Kellen''s lead, the other interns gazed at Klein with disappointment. Yvette hooked a chair with her leg and nonchntly took a seat on it. Looking at these united interns trying to intimidate her, Yvetteughed, herughter arrogant and a little mischievous. She said, "Since you all want to leave with Kellen, I''ll grant you your wish. Take care, no need for goodbyes."


    Now the interns who had threatened to leave werepletely shell-shocked, with their faces turning pale in an instant.


    They didn''t really want to leave the medicalb. If they left, their careers would be ruined. They just intended to threaten Yvette but didn''t expect her to agree.


    They wondered, "How could this be?" Yet, Yvette''s words echoed in their cars. They found it hard to believe she had expelled all of them. They concluded that Yvette must have lost her mind


    Klein was just as stunned. He had thought Yvette wouldn''t forgive Kellen but never imagined she''d be so cruel, dismissing all the other interns without any hesitation.


    Even though Ss had said Yvette had the right to fire the interns, Klein wasn''t sure if Ss would really agree on her to expel so many interns all of a sudden.


    If everyone else left, except those out for training or on break, it would just be Klein and Yvette in theb. Achieving the enhanced version of the No.7 Toxin experiment would be nearly impossible.


    Klein believed Yvette was impulsive this time, and the consequences were quite severe.


    The other interns were in a panic. After hearing Yvette''s words, they didn''t dare move, not wanting to actually leave theb. They looked at each other, unsure.


    Kellen, who started the farce, remained silent nervously. He never thought Yvette would be so ruthless and not influenced by their threats at all. Yvette half-closed her eyes,zily leaned back in her chair, and adjusted her position. Her clear, bright eyes showed no emotion as she inquired, "Why are you still here!"


    Hearing this, the dismissed interns felt like their minds were nk.


    One of them demanded, "Yvette, even though Mr. Walson said you could decide whether we stay or leave, all seven of us were recruited by him. He won''t agree you to fire all of us."


    Someone echoed, "Yeah, Yvette, do you really think Mr. Walson meant it? If you fire us all, we''re not just going to let it pass."


    A female intern scoffed arrogantly, "Do you really think we alle from ordinary families? Each of our families is influential in Mysonna, and firing all of us won''t be that easy"


    Someone remarked. "Yvette. If you let this go, we''ll acknowledge you as our mentor and won''t make things difficult for you


    again in the future."


    Another suggested, "Just name your price. Anything that can be fixed with money isn''t a real issue. We can write you a check. and you can act like nothing ever happened today"


    These interns finally thought of using money to deal with Yvette Yvette raised her eyebrow, a hint of rebellious arrogance and defiance in her eyes. For so many years, no one really tried to bribe her. Yvetteughed, showing an easygoing demeanor, as though she was genuinely interested in what they were proposing.


    She asked. "Money?


    The interns assumed Yvette was swayed by the money, feeling a bit disdainful, and thinking, ''After all the lofty rhetoric, she was simply bribed with money. Why the pretense?''


    Kellen felt a sense of self-satisfaction. The arrogant female intern sneered, "Professor Zeller, you''ll only make a few hundred thousand dors a year in a medicalb, but Kellen and I are offering you 3 million dors."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Yvette crossed her legs and leisurely took out her phone from the pocket of her protective suit.


    As soon as Yvette took out her phone, the interns seemed to tense up. Yvette twirled the phone in her hand.


    The atmosphere in theb was oppressively quiet. The interns'' eyes were fixed on the phone in Yvette''s hand.


    As everyone expected, after Yvette turned on the speakerphone, they heard the familiar voice, "You scared off another one of my blind date partners with a call. You better find me a recement dance partner quickly,"


    Hearing Ss'' voice, the interns all shot usatory nces at Yvette. They thought they had solved the problem with money and were confused as to why Yvette called Ss again.


    They pondered whether, without Ss''s plea for Yvette to show mercy, they would have already been knocked unconscious.


    No one would dare threaten Yvette again. Her standing there was Yvette''s way of demonstrating to Ss that she wasn''t as violent as he believed.


    With her eyes lowered, Yvette said to Ss over the phone, "Fire the seven interns except for Klein Handle the contract details."


    Yvette''s tone was purely informational, not asking Ss for his opinion. The people present werepletely astonished by her attitude. They wondered if Yvette even realized who she was talking to.


    Ss on the other end of the line paused for a few seconds before dropping his yful tone. He sternly said. "Except for Klein, the rest of you aren''t needed anymore.


    "Since Yvette says you''re fired, then you''re fired. Theb''s legal team will have the termination contracts ready for you by


    @K 83%.


    tomorrow. You can all leave theb now,"


    Ss'' words sent the seven interns into an immediate spiral of despair. They had not anticipated that Ss would agree to Yvette''s suggestion of firing them without even inquiring about the reason behind it.


    They doubted whether they mattered so little to Ss who could dismiss them without hesitation just because of Yvette. which was utterly ridiculous to them.


    To them, it felt like some kind of dream. They couldn''t figure out how it escted to this point.


    One of the dismissed interns asked, "Mr. Walson, Professor Zeller is blowing things out of proportion. Aren''t you even going to ask her why she fired us?"

 Chapter 518

    ?


    On the other end of the line, Ss chuckled when hearing the question. He knew Yvette all too well. She was definitely not. someone who would pick fights for no reason since she was toozy for that


    Besides, if Yvette really wanted to go after someone, those interns wouldn''t be arguing with him now


    Ss didn''t need any exnation from Yvette. He said bluntly. Tilon''t need to know why. Since Yvette said you''re dismissed. you should leave now, "Go, and 111 tell everyone it was a normal resignation, but if you keep pestering us, you''ll have to bear the consequences"


    Ss was not merely an academic researcher or medical experimenter. His words served as a clear warning to the interns: leave wisely, or face the repercussions.


    The seven interns felt hopeless upon hearing Ss'' words. It sounded like Ss really wanted to fire them all just because of


    Yvette''s decision.


    One of the interns said defiantly, "Mr. Walson, if you fire all of us, there''s no way the enhanced No.7 Toxin experiment can bepleted in a month." Hearing this, Ss suddenlyughed with irony.


    He pondered. Do these interns even realize that the groundbreaking No.7 Toxin, which shocked the international medicalmunity, was actually developed by Yvette alone? The rest of theb experimenters just managed the finishing touches


    For Yvette, developing the enhanced No.7 Toxin was just a matter of time.


    If Yvette hadn''t returned to theb, there might have been concerns about whether the enhanced version could bepleted on time. But now that she was back, the enhanced No Toxin would definitely be finished ahead of schedule.


    These interns were trying to use the No.7 Toxin to threaten Ss, which was a foolish move.


    Ss said, "Since you''ve already been dismissed, you don''t have to worry about the No.7 Toxin anymore."


    The interns'' confidence was crushed instantly. They had nothing to say. It seemed that nothing could threaten Ss,


    Although the seven interns had tried to intimidate Yvette by leveraging their family backgrounds earlier, thebined. influence of their families posed no threat to Ss. His social standing was simply beyond their reach


    Yvette stretched her neck and crossed her legs, speaking leisurely to Ss on the other end


    of the phone. "Alright, then. Bye


    Ss said, ¡°Okay, I''ll take care of their issues. You should just focus on your experiment. We''re not taking any more interns for now; it''s better to have none than to hinder your progress. Le Klein assist you with the enhanced No.7 Toxin experiment."


    After Yvette hung up the phone, the seven interns blushed. Ss words suggested that they were useless and slowing Yvette down, which was truly humiliating.


    They were all top students, the best among their peers, yet Ss words made them feel worthless.


    Yvette put away her phone, her beautiful eyes showing a cold and fierce look. She let out a scoff, her serious eyes were chillingly calm.


    Facing the seven interns who seemned rooted to the spot,


    she said "You can leave


    e now!


    The seven interns lost hope about staying in theb and felt de regret. Just then, Kellen seemed clenched his teeth, and his eyes showed a fierce glint.


    to think of something.


    Ub Mon, Dec 23


    He shouted, "Yvette, since we''re no longer part of theb, I''m golbig to get even for the insult you gave me yesterday."


    Despite being a top student, Kellen suddenly acted like an irrational madman and rushed 4


    other interns watched his actions with glee, eager for chaos.


    at Yvette, aiming to p her. The


    However, the next second, Kellen, who had just been so fierce, was kicked to the ground by Yvette, his arms twisted behind Tris back. Kellen cried out in pain, "Let go of me, you savage....."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Yvette smirked. Tilting slightly forward, she looked at Kellen, whom she had brought to his knees, and said yfully. "Savage?"


    Kellen wanted to speak, but Yvette didn''t give him the chance and tightened her grip slightly. Kellen immediately felt like his arms were about to break, and sweat instantly poured from his forehead, soaking his back.


    Kellen screamed in pain. "Ouch... You...


    The other interns saw Kellen''s arms twisted like that and knew it must be incredibly painful. They stood there, dumbfounded.


    Yvette said coldly, "Are you going to leave on your own, or do I need to help you out?"


    All the seven interns shivered with fear, looking at each other, until one finally moved. One by one, they hung their heads and slowly left theb.


    Yvette kicked Kellen a solid ten feet away, sending him tumbling towards the door. Terrified, he didn''t dare to look back at Yvette as he scrambled to run away.


    Standing beside theb bench, Klein observed the now spacious hboratory, which had emptied in less than two minutes. and couldn''t suppress a twitch of his lips. He marveled at Yvettes remarkable strength.


    He suddenly felt relieved that he hadn''t said more harsh words to Yvette yesterday, otherwise, he''d have brought trouble upon himself. Now, being the only intern remaining was actually an advantage.


    Yvette turned around and looked at Klein, who was lost in thought, and said calmly, "We shall start now."


    Klein looked at theposed Yvette and said, "Alright, Professor Zeller, let''s start with Experiment A and then add the new enzyme to see if there are any new changes."


    Yvette nodded and said, "No need for that. Let''s go straight to Experiment B and shuffle the existing materials for new


    data"


    All afternoon, Yvette and Klein worked in theb, while the seven interns Yvette dismissed could only pack up and leave, despite their reluctance. They all understood there was no alternative. If Ss turned against them, they would undoubtedly be the ones to suffer the negative consequences. At 4 p.m., Yvette and Klein left the Quantum Lab. Yvette walked head, with Klein beside her, a hint of shock on his face. Klein nced at Yvette, hiding the amazement in his eyes. Ss usually oversaw Experiment B himself, with a sess rate just reaching 95%, but Yvette just achieved a 100% sess rate in her experiment.


    It was astonishing. The data seemed simple, but it required the operator to carry out precise calctions every second without making any errors, which was very demanding.


    Klein wondered, Who exactly is Yvette? The medical field has never heard of her. Where did Mr. Walson find her?"


    Yvette returned to the lounge and took off her protective suit and gloves. Just then, Klein also changed and approached


    É«


    09:06 Mon, Dec 23.


    Yvelle.


    ÀM83%•þ


    He said. "Professor Zeller, I apologize for yesterday. Starting today, I''ll give my full support to help youplete the enhanced No.7 Toxin experiment. Please feel free to ask for my help anytime;b workes first."

 Chapter 519

    ?


    Yvette leafed through the documents, betraying no emotion. Lining her gaze to Klein, she said, "Hmm."


    Klein had begun to grasp Yvette''s temperament and recognized the wasn''t one for small talk. So, he didn''t react to her cool demeanor as dramatically as he had the day before


    Yvette''s attitude towards the other interns and her capabilities during experiments had earned Klein''s respect. It made sense for someone of her talent to possess a strong character.


    Noticing Yvette engrossed in the materials, Klein returned to his seat and picked up a medical text on interventional cardiology. As a major in cardiovascr studies, he had worked Mysonna''s premier hospital during his doctoral studies.


    Now, he held a distinguished position there and was often called in to perform surgeries onplex cases.


    Yvette nced at the interventional cardiology book Klein was holding, rolled up her sleeves, and her deep-set eyes glimmered with an enigmatic emotion. She asked, "Your major cardiovascr studies?


    Klein was surprised by Yvette''s initiation of conversation. He raised the book slightly and replied, "Yes, I majored in cardiovascr studies at university and still asionally return to the hospital to perform surgeries."


    As an illegitimate child, Klein faced strict financial constraints from his wealthy family while the legitimate heirs spent extravagantly. His asional returns to the hospital also aimed to earn some supplementary ie.


    He wasn''t the only illegitimate child; had he not been exceptionally capable, he would have been discarded long ago.


    Yvette merely responded with an "Hmm" and seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation. However, Klein seized the chance to engage her further. "Have you ever heard of Quiana? In the realm of cardiovascr studies, she''s considered at


    true monarch."


    Klein remembered Quiana, who had emerged five years ago when Mysonna''s president was diagnosed with a brain tumor. All renowned doctors had been powerless,cking confidence that the surgery could seed.


    Failure would mean the tumor ruptured, and even divine intervention would not suffice. No physician wanted to shoulder


    that risk.


    If the president perished under the knife of a surgeon, it would be untenable in the medicalmunity, with serious consequences for the surgeon involved. No doctor was willing to take on the daunting task.


    The president evenunched a worldwide search for a miracle doctor, offering an astronomical sum for anyone daring enough to perform the surgery. Yet, no physician was willing to ept the challenge.


    Then, Quiana boldly stepped up to perform the president''s brain surgery. The operation was a resounding sess, leaving no residual effects. This single event catapulted Quiana to international fame.


    She became the idol of every medical student specializing in cardiovascr studies, including Klein. The sess of Quiana''s procedure for the president was enshrined in textbooks,


    Upon hearing Klein''s admiration, Yvettezily raised her gaze. With a dismissive air. She remarked, "She''s not as extraordinary as you think; she''s just an ordinary person."


    Klein chuckled softly, undeterred by her words. If Quiana were merely ordinary, then their cohort of medical students might not even qualify as human. That surgery had be legendary in medical history.


    Meanwhile, in the vi, Sienna descended the stairs from the second floor, supporting her waist with a limp while looking remarkably radiant, leaving onlookers with no doubts about what had transpired.


    Shortly after, Bruce appeared from the second floor, looking invigorated and vivacious, entirely free of exhaustion. The


    14


    contrast between their states was striking.


    Frankie hurried to ingratiate himself with Sienna, saying, "Come on, you''ve worked hard; have something to eat


    Sienna shot a re at Frankie. Tm never saving you again."


    Chris, leisurely sipping his coffee, remarked, "You shouldn''t have saved him in the first ce; let him fend for himself


    Sienna lounged on the sofa and nodded vigorously in agreement. "By the way, has Yvette returned yet?"


    Chris set down his coffee. "It seems Yvette is busy in someboratory. I''m not quite sure what she''s up to. Do you know?"


    Sienna shook her head while still leaning on her waist. "No idea Yvette is skilled in so many areas that I truly have no clue about herb assignments.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Bruce observed Sienna''s delicate neck, his gaze deepening. "We''ll find out when Yvette returns."


    Just then, Yvette''s voice echoed from the entrance, "What do you want to ask me?"


    Bruce, Frankie, Sienna, and Chris turned to see Yvette entering and changing her shoes at the doorway. Sienna admired how even her loose, casual attire could not conceal her enviable figure Yvette''s physique has utterly captivated me. I adore it."


    Thebination of her angelic face and devilish figure waspelling. Yet, Sienna was curious how Yvette''s prodigious appetite contrasted her sylph-like form-an unlikely juxtaposition.


    Frankie nodded in agreement with Sienna''spliment. "If only Yvette could spare me half her intelligence-no, wait... even a third would suffice." Chris turned to regard the two with a slight disbelief before wistfullymenting. "If only Yvette could share half her abilities with me."


    Sienna and Frankie looked at Chris, astonished. ''Is Chris truly saying such things?


    Chris, sensing their scrutiny, replied coolly, "Who wouldn''t want Yvette''s talents?"


    Just then, a familiar voice chimed in quietly, "I would like that as well.


    The three turned to Bruce, who shared their sentiments.


    Yvette surveyed the four of them, neatly seated on the sofa with their heads poking forth, and took a seat herself. She gently lifted her chin, asking nonchntly, ¡°Do you four have something to discuss?"


    All four immediately shook their heads, responding in unison, "No."


    Yvette scanned them briefly before producing her phone and engrossing herself in a game.


    The four exchanged nces, and finally, Sienna couldn''t hold back, asking. ¡°Um, Yvette, whichboratory have you been visiting these past few days?"


    Without pausing her game, Yvette said, "Medicalboratory."


    Bruce, Frankie, and the others remembered Emmett mentioning Yvette''s operation on his father after a car ident, attesting to her medical prowess.


    Gaining ess to a medicalboratory, especially one of the most prestigious in Mysonna, was no small feat. They spected about Yvette''s remarkablepetency.


    Frankie cautiously inquired, "Yvette, which medicalboratory are you visiting?"

 Chapter 520

    ?


    Yvette set aside her phone and stated tly. "Ss''s medicalboratory."


    Frankie nodded thoughtfully. "That name sounds oddly familiar doesn''t it? Feels like I''ve heard it somewhere before.¡±


    By the time Yvette mentioned that name, Chris had already searched for it, and a flood of results filled the screen. As Chris scanned the information, his eyes widened in shock. He nced again at Yvette, who sat casually on the sofa.


    Bruce and Sienna remained silent, merely expressing curiosity. They knew little about the metlical field, but the name Ss sounded vaguely familiar.


    Sienna dashed to the bookshelf, rummaging through magazines until she found one. Staring at the cover featuring Ss alongside the interview title, she eximed that he had been named Person of the Century by The Erast month.


    Holding the magazine, Sienna returned to the sofa and showed it to Bruce and Frankie. "See? That name sounds familiar because it''s the same Ss from The Era''s interviewst month!


    The Era typically profiles individuals with remarkable contributions to humanity or legendary figures in business-people most ordinary individuals could never aspire to meet. They publish only twelve covers globally each year. Since its establishment, only a few hundred have graced its pages. Eagerly. Frankie opened the magazine. It was slim yet filled with ounts of Ss''s life, achievements, and an exclusive interview. Initially dismissive, Frankie''s astonishment grew with each page, leaving him so awestruck he felt as though he could swallow an egg whole.


    At the same time, Chris shared the data he had found on hisputer with Bruce and Sienna, their expressions mirroring Frankie''s astonishment. The entire living room fell silent.


    Ten minutester. Frankie was the first to lower the magazine in disbelief. After a deep breath, he urged himself to remain calm andposed.


    He believed there was nothing extraordinary about this for Yvette; it was merely Mysonna''s most esteemed medicalboratory. No need for such agitation.


    Bruce, Chris, and Sienna woreplex expressions as they closed theirputers. Ss''sb wasn''t just anyboratory; it was personally endorsed by the President of Mysonna. Recently they developed the internationally popr No. 7 Toxin.


    Ss''s impressive resume could dazzle anyone.


    Frankie inquired, "Yvette, how long have you been at theboratory?"


    Yvette smiled slightly and replied, "Ten years."


    Frankie asked in disbelief, "Ten years?"


    The realization hit him hard. Yvette was twenty-two this year, meaning she entered Mysonna''s top medicalb at just twelve years old. Such talent in a child was astonishing.


    Bruce and Sienna exchanged nces; given who Yvette was, her exceptional abilities weren''t surprising at all.


    Chris took a sip of coffee. These moments highlighted how Yvete dwarfed ordinary people like them.


    Noticing the varied expressions of the four, Yvette leaned slightly, resting her chin on her hand and asked casually. "Is it strange?"


    In unison, Sienna, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris shook their heads. No, it''s not strange."


    Yvette smirked then ascended the stairs, leaving the four in stunned silence.


    The following day, Yvette spotted Jeremiah seated at the dining table in casual attire.


    Jeremiah asked, "Did you sleep well?"


    Yvette arched an eyebrow as she casually asked, "When did youe back?"


    Jeremiah narrowed his eyes and replied. "At four in the morning


    Yvette nced at the wall clock-it was only eight. It seemsed Jeremiah had only managed four hours of sleep after his arrival.


    Noticing the hint of redness around Jeremiah''s eyes, Yvette''s lips curled slightly. Her cool gaze fell upon him as she instinctively reached for his hand, stating nonchntly, "Let''s head upstairs.


    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, his usually stoic expression softening with the faintest trace of a smile. His deep-set eyes focused on Yvette, and his smile widened, revealing warmth.


    His tone turned yfully suggestive. "Hmm, let''s go upstairs."


    Upon hearing this, Chris, Frankie, Bruce, and Sienna-all of whom had been busy trying to carve out a moment for breakfast-found their sandwiches suddenly lost their appeal. The entire living room was filled with the sweet aroma of budding romance.


    Yvette took Jeremiah''s hand and ascended the stairs.


    Meanwhile, Frankie looked disdainfully at his sandwich. "When will I ever have a sweet romance like Yvette and Jeremiah?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    As a single man for several years, Frankie felt the sting of loneliness most acutely.


    Emmett sipped his coffee leisurely, casting a nce at Frankie. "You won''t find a girlfriend like Yvette; one must possess self-


    awareness.


    Chris nodded in agreement, picking up a piece of bread again. He stated gravely, "In your next life, you still won''t find a girlfriend like Yvette." Frankie shot a disgruntled re at the two, annoyed by their brutal honesty, feeling as though he had been stabbed twice over with each remark. Yvette was a muse, an extraordinary girl who might not emerge again for centuries; just being her son would suffice for Frankie''s contentment, In the room, Jeremiah entered and promptlyy down on the bed. His straight posture radiated a serene aura, while the gentle light danced within his deep, cold eyes.


    The morning sunlight streamed through the window screen, casting a radiant glow up picturesque masterpiece.


    him and rendering him a


    Yvette watched this scene; at that moment, Jeremiah seemed to embody a flower ripe for plucking. A mischievous grin ying on her lips, Yvette remarked, ¡°Are you seducing me?"


    Jeremiah''s deep-set eyes, resembling a bottomless pool, retained theirposure and elegance even in repose. His home attire was slightly unbuttoned at the cor, exposing his corbone and handsome throat. "It is you who desires me, you must learn to control yourself."


    A yful spark danced in Yvette''s eyes, her smile brimming with mischief, akin to a charming rogue. With a swift movement, she rolled up her shirt sleeves and leaned in, entrapping Jeremiah within her embrace. The warmth of her breath caught him off guard.


    Even in this calm moment, Jeremiah''s body tensed instinctively, his heartbeat faltering momentarily.


    0

 Chapter 521

    ?


    A mischievous smile danced at the corners of Yvette''s lips as she leaned closer to Jeremiah. Hershes fluttered, radiating an air of nonchnce, with her eyes sparkling with an irreverent spirit.


    Observing Jeremiah''s calm demeanor, she couldn''t ignore that his taut legs appeared somewhat unusual.


    Yvette fixated on his deep eyes and dered, "Step aside; this is my spot. You should rest over there."


    Jeremiah met Yvette''s gaze momentarily before reluctantly shifting to the adjacent spot, harboring an inexplicable


    resentment.


    This scenario was not what he had expected. As Yvette reclined, she ignored him entirely, slipping into slumber without hesitation.


    Watching her drift off, Jeremiah pinched the bridge of his nose is resignation, Relying on looks to win her over, after all, is not sustainable, and he realized he must seek an alternative.


    Lying down without indulging in her proximity, his gaze lingered longingly. In a surprising turn, Yvette shifted and pulled him into her embrace. A tall man nestled in the arms of a woman sparked no sense of dissonance, yet Jeremiah''s body stiffened slightly in this position.


    Yvette awoke, extending her hand to smooth the furrows on Jeremiah''s brow. "Be good; when you wake up, I''ll feed you well."


    Jeremiah sighed, regarding Yvette''s radiant face, pressing his lips together in thought. He understood the need to convey to her that some words should not be spoken lightly, as they carry significant consequences.


    Throughout the day, no one emerged from Yvette''s room on the second floor. While others in the living room enjoyed lunch and dinner, upstairs remained eerily quiet.


    After coordinating the escort of the national treasures back home, Emmett and Joe swiftly finalized arrangements following Jeremiah''s early arrival the previous day. Tomorrow, the Yoder family would hold a press conference to announce the maller publicly.


    Casting a nce around the living room and then upstairs, Emmett was astonished by Jeremiah''s extraordinary stamina. "Haven''t Jeremiah and Yvettee down yet?"


    Bruce, feeding Sienna, who was enjoying her meal, replied, "No, they haven''t made an appearance."


    Sienna sipped her soda,menting. "Poor Yvette, Jeremiah is something."


    Bruce turned to Sienna slightly, pausing momentarily at her praise of Jeremiah, making a mental note of it.


    Curiosity bubbling within him, Frankie interjected. "This houses soundproofed with the finest materials, it''s nearly. impossible to eavesdrop."


    Chris, witnessing the significant drop in Solstice Innovations'' stock-nearly half evaporating in just two days-sipped his wine with remarkableposure. "Would you risk eavesdropping?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Frankie immediately waved his hands dismissively. "Am Lout of my mind, or just looking to get myself killed? Eavesdropping on Yvette and Jeremiah? I''d prefer a quick death


    Imagining the possibility of being caught eavesdropping, he recalled the moment Yvette had in a giant python in the rainforest, If faced with entity from her, he would wee de hon his own terms..


    Having consumed a substantial meal. Sienna rubbed her stoma and dered, Shouldn''t, we order ntore takeout. Once Yvette emerges, she''ll surely be famished and need to replenisher strength, don''t you think?


    Frankie, Bruce, Emmett, and Chris understood that like Yvette, Sienna had quite the voracious appetite.


    Bruce affectionately ruffled Sienna''s hair and refrained from debunking her assertion. "Yes, let''s order some more." He then. ced his phone in her hands to facilitate the order.


    After Sienna had ordered from eight different ces, Yvette and Jeremiah descended from the second floor, prompting everyone to rise and greet them.


    Yvette and Jeremiah gave them a nod and settled onto the sofa, surveying the disarray of the living room. Jeremiah furrowed his brow.


    Aside from Sienna, the others had nearly forgotten Jeremiah''s debilitating obsession with cleanliness.


    Yvette turned to Jeremiah, saying, "I crave shrimp"


    The others knew of Jeremiah''s pronounced disdain for shrimp; it would be burdensome to expect him to peel them for her.


    As Jeremiah rxed his furrowed brow, the frosty air surrounding him dissipated. This transformation left those present temporarily stunned. Jeremiah said, ¡°Stay seated; I''ll peel them for you"


    Without hesitation, he donned gloves andmenced peeling shrimp, showing no sign of reluctance.


    Emmett and the others hadn''t anticipated Jeremiah would engage in this endeavor today. Truly, the power of love was formidable.


    Following his encounters with Yvette, Jeremiah''spulsive tidiness appeared to vanishpletely.


    As Jeremiah peeled shrimp while Yvette lounged on the sofa, they harmonized perfectly. Soon, Sienna''s takeout began to arrive, and several cans of beer were opened as the group continued their revelry before eventually dispersing


    The next day, Jeremiah escorted Yvette to the entrance of the medicalboratory. Casting a solemn gaze upon the facility, he remarked, "Ss''s medicalboratory is the pinnacle of excellence at Mysonna


    "Ss once lectured at Betrico University, and the president has persistently sought to appoint him as a guest professor, yer he''s resolutely declined- quite a temperamental old man."


    Yvette raised her delicately arched eyebrows and coolly replied, "Indeed, that old man does possess quite the temper.¡±


    Jeremiah said, ''I''lle fetch you in the evening."


    As Yvette stepped out of the car, she unexpectedly encountered Klein, who could only discern a vague outline of Jeremiah inside.


    Feigning slowness, Klein awaited Yvette''s approach before casually asking, "Is that your boyfriend?"


    With her hands casually tucked in her pockets, Yvette ambled ahead, ncing back at Klein as she repliedzily, "Yes? Klein smiled. "I would love the opportunity to meet him; he mu be exceptionally outstanding


    Yvette halted abruptly but didn''t turn around. Noticing her sudden stop, Klein also came to a standstill, puzzled as to why she had paused.

 Chapter 522

    ?


    With her hands tucked into her pockets and her tone icy, Yvette said, "Klein, mind your own business. There''s no need to curry favor with me; what''s yours will rightfully belong to you."


    After that, Yvette walked into theboratory, leaving Klein frozen in ce. For the first time, he felt a puzzling sensation stirring within him.


    Having spent so many years living in others'' shadows, he understood that in a world rife with family strife, one must charm valuable individuals or align with the right faction to find peace.


    Ss had entrusted Yvette with the No. 7 Toxin project, appointing Klein as her assistant. This clearly meant that if the enhanced No. 7 Toxin was sessfully developed, all credit would go to Yvelle.


    It was evident that if Yvette wanted to take all the credit, Ss''s favoritism toward her would remain unchallenged. Once the enhanced No. 7 Toxin achieved sess, those involved would gain significant recognition in the medicalmunity


    Klein knew he couldn''t let this opportunity pass; being included in this research could pave his way into his family and help him achieve his desires. Klein had expected Yvette to selfishly soak up the spotlight, yet surprisingly, she seemed aware of his inner thoughts. Regardless, her words reassured him. If he remained diligent and focused on the experiments, the rewards woulde.


    At one o''clock in the afternoon, the Yoder family, in coboration with Clusia''s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a global press conference streamed online. They announced the return of three national treasures to Clusia the following Monday.


    The conclusion of the conference sent waves of excitement around the world. Carl, the figurehead of Mysonna, voluntarily returning the treasures attracted attention to the lost artifacts,


    Countlessizens in Clusia attentively followed the developments, and as the conference neared its end, online discussions ignited.


    [Is Carl really that impressive? I was shocked to discover his credentials; his donation of national treasures is noble.]This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    [These three treasures have lingered abroad for so long; it''s amazing they ended up in Carl''s hands, destined for their homnd.]


    [Did you see who''s escorting the treasures home? It''s our youngest major general from Clusia, only in his twenties!]


    [I''m so excited! As the treasures return home, they''re going global with this live broadcast. We''ll finally see the general!]


    Within half a day, hundreds of thousands ofments flooded the inte.


    Throughout the week, Jeremiah and Yvette only met in the mornings and evenings, each immersed in their tasks. Emmett, Bruce, Frankie, and Chris also grew increasingly busy, apanying Jeremiah to ensure the treasures'' safe return, an undertaking demanding precision.


    Military and foreign affairs officials from Clusia had arrived in Mysonna five days early to rehearse the escort of the


    treasures.


    Meanwhile, Yvette diligently conducted experiments on the enhanced No. 7 Toxin in theboratory. As the week progressed, the experiments nearedpletion; if the final tests yielded consistent results, the toxin would be deemed sessfully developed


    Klein watched Yvette as she left theb, filled with aplex mix of emotions. In this brief time, he understood the definition of a medical prodigy. He also grasped why Ss had entrusted Yvette with full responibility for the enhanced No. 7 Toxin experiments. It became


    178


    * 88%


    clear why Kellen''s threats had evoked only disdain from Yvette, and why Ss showed no concern-Yvette needed no so-called assistant. She was a veritableb enthusiast, boasting an astounding sess rate in experiments.


    As Klein stood there, cup in hand, captivated by Yvette, she approached a chair where takeout had just arrived. Seated, she quietly began her meal.


    Klein noted her consistently cold, aloof demeanor throughout their week of acquaintance, showing little emotion.


    Sitting down nearby, he said, "Yvette, since today''s experiments have concluded, if tomorrow''s data is consistent, we''ll conclude that the enhanced No. 7 Toxin is stable."


    Stability indicated that sess in developing the enhanced No. 7 Toxin was near. At this moment, Yvette and Klein were the only ones in theb. A week before, Klein could never have imagined achieving breakthroughs so swiftly, attributing it all to Yvette-he was self- that. aware enough to recognize


    However, Klein puzzled over why someone like Yvette remained so obscure in the medical field. It didn''t make sense to him.


    Yvette nced at Klein nonchntly. "Tomorrow, Ss returns; be''ll handle the remaining experiments.


    Klein paused, wondering. ''Did Yvette mean she would withdraw from the uing experiments? How could she relinquish fame and status so easily?


    His expression grewplex. "Yvette, you should continue with the experiments, You know withdrawing now would undermine your hard work." Yvette looked up, calmly finishing her meal. "It''s unnecessary; my name won''t be in the final results."


    With that, she prepared to leave.


    Klein, unable to hold back, called after her, ¡°Yvette, may I ask why?"


    His heart was a mix of conflicting emotions, having strived for recognition, while Yvette seemed ready to forfeit her well-deserved achievements. It was iprehensible.


    Yvette halted, regarding Klein, her elegantly shaped brows raisce as she leisurely rolled up her sleeves.


    Seeing her prepare for action sent a jolt of apprehension through Klein.


    A cool smile curved Yvette''s lips, tinged with indifference. "Because it''s unimportant."


    In that moment, Klein beheld true audacity, feeling insignificant inparison to Yvette.


    He wondered, ''Which medical student can utter "unimportant about such matters? Is it really so easy for her to forsake the highest honors in medicine?''


    Klein could only watch as Yvette waved goodbye and exited theboratory


    He gazed at her gracefully retreating figure, an overwhelming ery surging within him for Yvette''s unrestrained spirit knowing he could never emte her essence.

 Chapter 523

    ?


    On Monday, the day everyone had been waiting for finally arrived-national treasures were set to return home. That evening, the Yoder family invited media representatives from around the world, and all the invitees took their ces at the


    Venue.


    The diplomatic delegation from Clusia was seated in prime positions. Joe chose to forgo his usual mboyant attire and instead wore a formal suit. He embodied sophistication and charm as he engaged with the media.


    The escorting of these national treasures back home reflects Clusia''s deep appreciation for their significance. Their value goes beyond mere physical worth; it carries a deeper meaning for this asion.


    The Yoder family had previously announced Carl''s public appearance at the press conference, which became a highlight for today''s media coverage.


    After a long absence from the spotlight, recent rumors suggested that Carl was gravely ill, prompting the Yoder family to seek esteemed physicians for him.


    This time, the Yoder family chose a five-star hotel under their name for the handover of the treasures. The hotel was transformed with Clusia''s soldiers patrolling a day in advance.


    The treasures had been escorted to the hotel the previous evening by Jeremiah, with the highest level of protection.


    At the hotel entrance, three ck armored military vehicles were lined up. Emmett opened the door, and the first sight was Yvette''s simple yet elegant t shoes, enhancing the delicate beauty of her ankle. Her stunning features radiated an air of unwaveringposure.


    The Yoder family invited several business leaders and notable figures, including Yvette. Joe and Carl wanted her seated in the front row, acknowledging that without her, these treasures might not have returned to Clusia so swiftly.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    However, Yvette insisted on a seat in the back. The Yoder family understood her temperament and respected her wishes.


    Yvette entered the venue and took her ce in thest row. Emmett ascended to the top floor to find Jeremiah. As Yvette surveyed the room filled mostly with media personnel, she noticed the front row upied by attendees and Joe engaged in


    interviews.


    Adjusting her cap, she closed her eyes, seeking a moment of peace.


    At precisely ten o''clock, the live broadcast of the national treasures'' return began, captivating nearly ten million viewers worldwide. In this highly anticipated moment, Carl emerged, leaning on a cane, each step echoing determination and strength.


    Despite his age, Carlmanded an undeniable presence when he appeared, a testament to his past charisma. As he approached the microphone, he addressed the media with gravity, "First, on behalf of the Yoder family, I warmly wee everyone here and those watching online.


    "Today, in everyone''s eyes, the Yoder family will return three national treasures recovered from abroad back to our country. We''ve awaited this day for a long time, and we hope to see even more lost treasurese bone to embrace their mothend.¡±


    As he spoke, a hint of moisture welled in Carl''s eyes. His weathered visage reflected the wisdom of time,


    His efforts were limited; this event was not about personal gain for the Yoder family. Rather, it aligned with national objectives, Carl aspired to raise broader awareness for this noble cause, which represented its true essence.


    When he concluded his speech, a thunderous apuse erupted from the audience, supported by countless online viewers moved by the moment Clusia finally had its voice on the global age, and it was time for the plundered treasures to return home.


    172


    Yvette gradually opened her eyes, gazing at Carl on stage, arching an eyebrow in silence.


    5.87%


    Regaining hisposure, Carl continued, "Next, let us wee Major General Jeremiah, who will personally oversee the return of these treasures.¡± As he spoke, the venue doors swung open, camera shes illuminating the air, and all eyes turned toward the entrance as silence descended Standing at the door in military attire, Jeremiah embodied the essence of a soldier-his brow furrowed, eyes dark like the night. His stature radiated confidence and extraordinary presence. The soldiers nking him mirrored his demeanor, standing tall with resolute expressions.


    Jeremiah stepped further into the hall, his gaze piercing through the bright lights until itnded on Yvette, as if traversing echoes of time and memory. In response to Jeremiah''s unwavering stare, Yvette subtly lifted her brows. Their eyes met briefly, a silent connection, before they looked away. Jeremiah offered a slight smile as he moved to the stage.


    With a beaming smile, Carl gestured for Jeremiah to take centerstage. Jeremiah nodded respectfully and addressed the gathered media and audience, speaking with gravitas, "I am Jeremiah, a soldier of Clusia. First, I thank Carl for the return of these three national treasures.


    "Our nation has been diligently working to recover more treasures-a challenging journey that requires the collective effort of countless Clusians. As long as we unite in purpose, that day will not be far off, and we eagerly anticipate its arrival" Jeremiah''s words resonated, receiving an ovation that echoed throughout the hall. In the back row, Yvette removed her cap, allowing her gaze to settle on Jeremiah, a soft smile gracing her lips. Meanwhile, in Betrico, countless others were captivated by the live broadcast. In a dimly lit room, Jase sat at his desk, gazing out at the swaying trees. The apuse echoed on the screen, reflecting satisfaction, pride, and nostalgia on his face.


    At his age, Jase had witnessed the trials and triumphs of the past decades, watching Clusia rise to prosperity. Some histories fade into memory, yet certain legacies must be preserved and never forgotten.


    The nation hoped this opportunity would awaken the youth''s interest in antique and cultural relics. Like Jase, many from the older generation tuned into this significant broadcast, their hearts filled with myriad reflections.


    Çú

 Chapter 524

    ?


    Chapter 524 87%


    Jeremiah''s words resonated deeply with the Clusia people. After the press conference, online discussions exploded due to his remarks, drawing more attention to the incident of lost artifacts abroad.


    That day. Jeremiah personally escorted three national treasures back to the museum in Betrico, leaving Mysonna behind.


    As night fell, a gathering took ce in the living room. Frankie id gravely, ¡°I dere that today it''s either your demise of mine. In times like these, don''t me me for my ruthlessness; we never tasted defeat during this project."


    Sienna scoffed, her demeanor skeptical. "The oue is yet to be determined; it''s premature to make such sweeping ims."


    Bruce sat beside Sienna, observing her in silence, affection in his gaze. Joe, ncing toward the pair while sipping beer, remarked, "Don''t you both think you''re overestimating yourselves? The undeniable victor today will be me, so consider stepping aside."


    Frankie and Sienna exchanged incredulous nces at Joe. Chris, observing the scene, pointed toward Yvette, who sat in the main seat, silent and poised. "Yvette is still here; doesn''t it sting when you''re proven wrong so often?"


    Emmett nodded, already feeling indifferent after his elimination He remarked quietly, "With Yvette here, do you really believe you can win? Such delusions are fanciful."


    Emmett''s words poured cold water on the bravado of the three. They turned their gazes toward Yvette on the sofa, sharing a knowing look. Sienna suggested they should first eliminate Yvette before battling among themselves. Frankie agreed, stating that failing to oust Yvette would make anypetition among them pointless.


    Joe nodded in understanding, nning to target Yvette and deplete her resources first.


    With their intentions aligned, the trio decided to unify their efforts. Joe grinned mischievously at Yvette. Yvette, after all these years, it''s time for you to taste defeat. Do you realize that evesting victory can be quite lonely?"


    Seated in hermanding position, Yvette casually adjusted her cuff, a smile ying at the corners of her lips. "Oh, is that


    Frankie nodded enthusiastically, as if he''d already achieved victory. ¡°Yvette, Joe is right; you should step down from your pedestal and see how the ordinary live. This exhrating moment is nearly upon us."


    Witnessing Joe and Frankie provoke Yvette, Sienna chose to join in, eager to contribute her own sharp remark. However, as she opened her mouth, Bruce covered it firmly, stifling her words. He told Yvette, "This matter doesn''t concern Sienna,"


    Frustrated, Sienna shot daggers at Bruce through narrowed eyes Bruce leaned in close and whispered, "Do you really believe you can win with these two fools? Those words deted Sienna''s confidence instantly.


    Once Bruce released his grip, Sienna faltered, her cuttingment evaporating. She nced at Joe and Frankie, neither of whom showed much intellect.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Bruce was right; they were all brawn over brains, and she regretted aligning herself with them.


    Yvette, delicately holding a card, cast a calm but piercing gaze at the trio. Her features bore a trace of wild elegance, and her smile implied amusement, showing she thought little of theirbined efforts.


    Jor. Frankie, and hapless Sienna boldly prepared to confront her luce against one


    Onlookers Chris, Emmett, and Bruce felt less optinustic. They couldn''t fathom how Yvette would talte espesially against a trio they saw ascking cleverness


    ue, Dec 24


    Frankie yed a card, instantly reducing Yvette''s chips to a mere third of her original count.


    Hope ignited in their hearts, especially for Frankie, whose chip count soared.


    Joe remarked, "Yvette, if you lose just two more hands, your chips will vanish."


    1987%


    Sienna shared his sentiment, buoyed by their apparent advantage. Frankie, exuberant, boasted, "Yvette, this is my moment


    to shine!!


    Noticing their joy radiating. Yvette propped her chin on her left hand and casually raised an eyebrow. With a flourish, she pushed her cards forward and said, "Let''s continue"


    Bolstered with newfound confidence, Frankie, Sienna, and Joe cagerly reshuffled the deck.


    An hourter, Joe, Frankie, Sienna, and their former bravado had drastically changed; their faces mirrored despair.


    Their grand strategy of a three-on-one assault to dethrone Yvette had unraveled. In that hour, they not only lost their rued chips but now had little left. If Yvette won just one more substantial round, they''d all find themselves in the negative.


    Bruce, a quiet observer, was unfazed by Yvette''s rising power. Without needing to look, he could tell that the most frequent sound in the past hour had been their exasperated sighs. Their acumen couldn''t rival Yvette''s.


    In Bruce''s view, Yvette had merely given the trio a fleeting taste of hope-one they took too seriously. The true master of psychological warfare was undoubtedly Yvette.


    When Frankie lost all his chips, hisposure shattered instantly.


    Yvette revealed her hand, her expression unppable.


    Frankie''s eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized that Yvette''s cards mirrored his from the first round, realizing she had orchestrated the moment with intent. Yvette was employing his own tactics against him.

 Chapter 525

    ?


    87%


    Frankie gazed longingly at Yvette andmented, "Yvette, you are so merciless! I swear, I''ll never y cards again. As he spoke, he pushed hisst chips towards her, having lost everything.


    Yvette reclined with nonchnce, raising her gaze to reply indiferently, "ying cards without using your brain will lead to defeat; relying solely on luck is pointless."


    Frankie fell silent. He wished he could think strategically, but hecked the cleverness Yvette possessed.


    Yvette then turned her attention to the other two, her eyes questioning whether Joe and Sienna wished to continue the


    game.


    Joe and Sienna stared at their meager pile of chips. If they kept ying, they would soon find themselvespletely out of funds.


    Yvette casually sipped her orange juice before rising from her seat. Addressing them slowly, she remarked. "It''s been amusing; maybe next time... Frankie abruptly stood up. "No next time. Yvette. Our game isn''t suited for you, honestly."


    For a rare moment, all three agreed in silence; no one wanted to y with Yvette again. The inevitable oue made the game entirely meaningless.


    Yvette looked at them and shrugged, feeling somewhat rejected. She chose not to speak and retreated upstairs. A solitary genius often walks a lonely path.


    The following morning, Ss returned to theb. Although his vacation wasn''t over, he had cherished those ten days and felt content. Not only had Ss returned, but several senior researchers from theb had also rejoined, bringing new energy to


    the space.


    Klein knocked on Ss''s door, holding thetest experimental report.


    "Enter, Sil¨¢s called out.


    When Klein pushed open the door, he found Ss tending to a potted flower-the only bloom in the entireboratory, which Ss cherished deeply. Ss personally pruned and cared for it; it seemed to be a gift from someone significant.


    Klein adjusted his sses and ced the documents on the desk speaking gravely. "Ss, I''vepiled all of Yvette''s recent data for you. Yvette has resolved the issues with the enhanced No. 7 Toxin entirely."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ss set down the watering can and turned slowly, his restful terys having replenished his spirit. He looked at Klein and gently said, "Just ce it there. The experiment has stabilized, so we can move forward."


    Sitting in his office chair, Ss regarded Klein and asked, "How has this past week been for you?"


    The fact that Yvette hadn''t dismissed Klein indicated her endorsement.


    Klein, his expression a mix of emotions, nodded respectfully and said earnestly, "Ss, Yvette is a genius. I''ve learned so much this past werk." Ss smiled warmly, reading the sincerity in Klein''s eyes. "You''remendable too, otherwise, she wouldn''t have kept you This is an opportunity others can only dream of, you will coborate with her on the remaining experiments for enhances No. 7 Toxin."


    Ss was truly surprised that only Klein remained, he hadn''t expected that everyone else wouldn''t meet expectations. Yet, it was a situation of their own creation.


    10:11 Tue, Dec 24 G GG


    One day. Yvette''s true identity would undoubtedly be revealed, and he hoped the other interns wouldn''t regret their ci


    Klein stood momentarily stunned by Ss''s praise. It was the first time he had ever received suchmendation. He I often sought to build a better rtionship with Ss for better resources, never imagining Yvette would be the one to p him such benefits.


    As as reviewed the data, satisfaction lit up his expression. Yvette''s elliciency was unmatched; her only real w was a tendency towardsziness, Klein quietly waited, and seeing the smile on Ss''s face, he understood just how pleased his superior truly was.


    After reviewing all the data. Ss looked up at Klein and said, "You may go."


    Klein nodded but remained still. Ss, noticing his hesitation, asked, "What is it? Is there something else on your mind?


    After a brief pause, Klein could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Ss, Yvette doesn''t have a degree from a prestigious university, nor is her name known in medical circles. Who exactly is she?"


    Given Klein''s usual caution, he should have refrained from such questions, but curiosity got the better of him. This ques had been on his mind since Yvette arrived.


    Ss''s expression darkened slightly, but he saw no malice in Klein''s eyes. After a moment, he replied. "In this world, many people are indifferent to fame and status; Yvette is one of them. One day, you''ll learn her true identity."


    Ss couldn''t reveal that Yvette graduated with perfect scores after just one year of university; as for fame, it likely meant little to her, possibly less than the value of a hamburger.


    Realizing he could no longer press the matter, Klein left Ss''s office and returned to his desk, lost in thought.


    Adrian, who usually got along with Klein, approached and ced a hand on his shoulder. "What are you daydreaming abo Kleint


    Snapping back to reality, Klein shook his head. "Nothing, Adrian.


    As Adrian turned to leave, Klein stopped him with a serious tone Adrian, do you know Yvette? Ss invited her to mentor us during the break." Upon hearing Yvette''s name, Adrian''s expression shifted dramatically. The usually suave man couldn''t suppress an expletiv in surprise.


    He looked at Klein enviously. "Wow, this big shot has returned. No wonder you''re the only intern left from this batch


    Klein, surprised by Adrian''s reaction, had asked casually; he never expected that Adrian knew Yvette.


    Klein queried, puzzled, "Isn''t this her first time at theb?"


    Adrian shook his head, his demeanor growing mysterious. "What a joke! Yvette used to spend time in theb every year, but she''s been less frequent in recent years. Surely you''ve heard of intum Lab?"


    Klein nodded but he didn''t know why Adrian mentioned Quantum Lab, so he asked, "What about Quantum Lab!"


    Adrian replied, "Quantum Lab was initially established for Yvettes experiments; everything in it was designed by her ording to her specifications. You, my friend, are incredibly fortunate. Among the eight of you, Yvette chose to keep you, your future is limitless"


    Klein was left dumbfounded, his shock evident. No wonder Yver could gain entry with just a nce. "Are you saying Quantum Lab was designed by her and built at her request?


    Adrian nodded eagerly, "Exactly! There''s so much you don''t know just by arriving here. Even Ss shows Yvette the utmost

 Chapter 526

    ?


    Klein hesitated to ask more: Yvette''s identity was far more prestigious than he had imagined.


    Noticing Klein''s stunned silence, Adrian recognized it as a normal reaction, Adrian had felt the same bewilderment when he first started in theb.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Adrian had initially apanied Yvette during her experiment but she soon became unwilling to continue mentoring them, citing ack of time. It was clear to everyone that Yvette thought they were too inept to pursue further guidance.


    Eight years ago, in their twenties, they couldn''t understand how someone younger than them, like Yvette, could surpass. them. The harsh realities of life taught them undeniable lessons about individual disparities.


    Adrianforted Klein, saying, "Don''t overthink it. The fact that you''re one of the eight interns means you made a positive. impression on Yvette.


    ¡°After our cohort of twenty, she didn''t take on anyone else. Just me and another guy remained. Your chance to work with Yvette makes our group envious. As for her identity, you''ll learn in due time."


    Klem nodded appreciatively. Thanks for sharing this with me.


    Now, he dared not specte any further. Suddenly, he recalled Adrian''s mention of eight years ago, and thinking about Yvette''s age back then left him momentarily bbergasted. "Eight years ago?"


    Adrian chuckled at Klein''s realization. "Yep, eight years ago; Yvette was about fifteen. Have you realized what it means to face life''s crushing blows?"


    Klein stood silently, lost in thought for quite a while.


    Mysonna''s nightlife pulsed vibrantly, filled with dazzling lights and excitement, enacting thrilling scenes in numerous shadowy corners.


    Mysonna featured a treacherous mountain road known as "Death Road", favored by underground racing enthusiasts. Each year, many lives were lost to deadly racing idents on this perilous route.


    With steep cliffs and countless twists, a moment of neglect could lead to a fatal plunge, leaving no trace behind. Underground racing became increasingly popr in Mysonna, with astronomical stakes for each race.


    Winning could guarantee lifelong financial security, drawing many to the deadly circuit each year, hoping to strike it rich overnight. Those fortunate enough might even catch the eye of a professional racing team''s coach and embark on a genuine racing


    career.


    Tonight at ten o''clock marked the eagerly awaited monthly racing event, drawing countless underground racers.


    Ever since Oliver got a scolding from his dad, Oliver stayed home but finally ventured out with friends today. A devoted racing fan, Oliver wasn''t quite at the top tier but enjoyed betting and indulging in the thrill-without participating,


    Upon arriving, Oliver became the target of subtle taunts,beled a wealthy dilettante who only joined for the spectacle, Unable to withstand such provocation, he boldly dered his intention topete in tonight''s race.


    This promation sent waves of excitement through the gathered spectators who knew Oliver''s reputation, Recently, the Yoder family had returned to prominence following their contributions to the country''s treasures, basking in newfound prestige.


    The crowd electrified by Oliver''s decision understood that desper Carl''s formidable influence, Oliver was racing voluntarily.


    1/2


    87%1


    In a vi perched mid-mountain along Death Road, Braydon lurked in the shadows, eyes gleaming with a menacing light.


    The vi''s door swung open. One of Braydon''s subordinates cautiously entered the living room, whispering, "Mr. Goodman, Oliver has taken the bait. He''s boldly stated his intention to race today. Our team is ready, and we''ve lured Yvette as well."


    Braydon let out a chillingugh filled with mocking derision.


    He had meticulously orchestrated this scheme to draw Yvette to Death Road so she could understand his feelings today. he couldn''t be with Yvette, he preferred to perish; her indifference was simply intolerable.


    After discreetly assessing Braydon''s demeanor, his subordinate quietly inquired, ¡°Mr. Goodman, do you think Yvette will intervene to save ipetent Oliver?"


    Braydon''s eyes glinted a chilling crimson as he replied, "Yvette will undoubtedly help anyone from the Yoder family." On Death Road, Yvette''s petite car appeared as an anomaly, weaving through the modified racing vehicles. All racers and their morouspanions stood frozen, staring in astonishment at the small car, a hushed silence enveloping the scene. Yvette regarded the vanishing ck sedan in front of her, a wicked smile curling at her lips, eyes gleaming with mischief. With brisk precision, she parked and swung open the door.


    The first sight to capture the crowd''s attention was her long, slender legs, followed by her entire face. The crowd gasped in


    awe.


    "Is she here to race?"


    "Impossible; no woman has ever participated on Death Road."


    "She''s stunning!"


    Yvette raised her gaze, letting her cool, intense eyes scan the gathering. With a slight flutter of hershes, she radiated an icy allure that sent shivers down spines.


    A man with ill intentions leered at Yvette. "Hey, pretty girl, are you racing, or just looking for a lover?"


    His quip sparkedughter from those around, dismissing Yvette entirely. They saw her only as a pretty girl with no real


    threat.


    The surrounding cheerleaders and girlfriends of the racers shot disdainful looks her way, clearly unhappy about such a beautiful rival''s presence. Unfazed, Yvette approached the man, her face expressionless yet filled with disdain. With deliberate calm, she retrieved her gloves from her pocket and put them on.


    Without saying a word, she swiftly struck the man, dislocating he jaw with a resounding crack before he could scream.


    ???


    In the following instant, Yvette unleashed a hard kick to the man right leg. Another crack echoed, and be crumpled to the ground, trying to yell in pain, but only able to moan, his faceported.


    Then, shended another decisive blow to his chest, propelling om several feet backward before he copsed, unconscious.

 Chapter 527

    ?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    In just a minute, Yvette''s bold actions left the spectatorspletely astounded. Several racers stood frozen, as if struck dumb.


    Indifferently. Yvette retracted her leg. In an instant, her fierce demeanor transformed into a rxed air as though nothing had happened. Her brows remained serious, and her eyes cold.


    Seeing her determination, the onlookers stopped their loud discussions.


    At that moment, the organizer of the racing event stepped forward, speaking to Yvette gravely. "Miss, are you here topete or just to cause trouble? If it''s thetter, don''t me us for being unamodating


    Gaming power.


    As he spoke, several strong bodyguards approached, clearly well-trained and exuding


    Yvette disyed a chilling smile. Her gaze held an undercurrent of danger, showing no intention of exining herself.


    Watching Yvette''s demeanor, the organizer''s anger red; it was the first time someone had dared to cause chaos at the racing venue, showing utter disregard for the Goodman family.


    With amanding gesture, the bodyguards surrounded Yvette, while the crowd quickly left the area.


    Yvette casually nced at the insignia on the bodyguards shirts her presence even more intimidating


    Braydon had instructed that capturing Yvette would suffice, but the organizer underestimated her, assuming she was just at woman with some strength.


    In an instant, Yvette lunged, grabbing a bodyguard by the cor. Her right leg struck his abdomen with precision, and she hurled him aside. The seemingly casual toss sent the bodyguard crashing to the ground, eliciting gasps from the crowd who watched, holding


    their breaths.


    Yvette quickly followed up with another kick, fierce and unyielding, leaving the man writhing in pain on the ground.


    The remaining bodyguards soon found themselves dispatched with equal ease, crumpling to the ground as Yvette showcased her skills. With only Yvette standing amidst the astonished spectators, disbelief enveloped the scene. shocking to see a young girl disy suchbat abilities. Brushing dust from her attire, Yvette surveyed the crowd impassively. Her gazended on a familiar face, whose astonishment was clear, and she arched an elegant brow in response.


    It was


    Oliver''s friends, frantic with worry, were acutely aware of his racing abilities. They knew that if something went


    wrong. Carl would not let them off easily.


    Before they could ask for help, a girl in a mini car suddenly appeared,unching a series of one-sided blows that left them dumbfounded.


    Snapping back to reality, they turned to see Oliver gaping in disbelief. His closest friend prodded him, saying, "Oliver, what''s wrong? This girl is impressive, but you don''t need to be so shocked."


    Recovering from his shock, Oliver focused on Yvette, stammering. "I know this girl, I didn''t expect her to be this formidable.


    Yvette''s strength was astonishing had he provoked her, he wouldn''t havee out unscathed. Oliver felt immensely. grateful that fate had spared him.


    Yvette approached the incapacitated organizer, looming over him like a queen surveying her subjects.


    14


    10:11 Tue, Dec 24 G G


    Coldly, she asked, IrOliver participating in today''s race?"


    Oliver, caught off guard that Yvette named him specifically, was taken aback. It was only when he felt everyone''s attention. that he regained hisposure.


    Looking at Yvette''s back, he felt a twinge of fear and weakly murmured, "Tam."


    His responsecked conviction, wrapped in an unsettling sense of trepidation. Although Yvette had only nced at him, he felt profoundly guilty. The organizer addressed Yvette with apparent righteousness, saying, "Oliver ispeting tonight of his own free will. Our rules allow anyone to join voluntarily. Miss, I believe you didn''t mean to cause trouble, let''s forget the incident and kindly take your leave."


    The organizer thought his argument was solid, failing to see the inadequacy of his performance. He remained blissfully unaware of his shorings as he reveled in his perceived achievement of Braydon''s directive.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, her exquisite face devoid of visible emotion. A hint of defiance flickered in her gaze, resolute in her stance, showing no sign of leaving.


    The onlookers were confused, wondering if she intended to continue the confrontation. Yvette slowly burned towards the crowd, her eyes locking onto Oliver''s as she beckoned him with a delicate gesture.


    Oliver, despite his reluctance, found himselfpelled toply and stepped forward. This time, he approached Yvette without the bravado he had shown earlier.


    Now humbled, Oliver walked to Yvette''s side like an obedient schoolboy, scratching his head in confusion. "Ms. Zeller, what do you need from me? I haven''t done anything wrong, have 17"


    Realizing he had never exchanged a word with Yvette, he was puzzled as to why she suddenly mentioned his name.


    Looking at the cautious Oliver before her, Yvette raised an eyebrow. With nonchnce, she replied, "I intend topete ol your behalf tonight."


    As her words echoed, the crowd could no longer contain their astonishment.


    "My goodness, what kind of joke is this girl ying?"


    "I can hardly believe it; this is the Death Road, where no woman has dared topete. She must be insane.


    "She wants to race instead of Oliver? What madness!"


    "The very thought of a woman racing underground ispletely absurd."


    Even the racers were taken aback by Yvette''s deration. Oliver found himself equally stunned, contemting her decision to race in such a dangerouspetition.


    While he had considered racing, Oliver understood the high stakes involved. He had never intended to gamble with his life. Yet here was Yvette, unexpectedly volunteering to take his ce leaving him bewildered.


    ncing around at the murmuring crowd, he leaned closer to Yvette, whispering, "Ms. Zeller, please don''t be impulsive. This is underground racing; there are no rules and no jokes here


    "Do you have any idea how many lives are lost on this road each year? I just aimed to join for fun."


    Unashamed, Oliver shared his intentions, clearly recognizing who stood with him in this precarious moment.


    Yvette''s eyes narrowed slightly as she held a disarmingly innocent smile. Her tone leisurely, she responded, "I said I willpete on your behalf; do you have any objections?"


    2/3

 Chapter 528

    ?


    Oliver shook his head, knowing he couldn''t argue with Yvette''s words. His expression showed rare seriousness; he couldn''t let Yvette take his ce in the race.


    Yvette was particrly important to his grandfather and brother If anything happened to her during the race, Oliver''s life would truly be at stake.


    "Yvette," he said earnestly, "you may not grasp how serious this road is. It''s known as the Death Road'' because countless underground racers lose their lives here each year. Its twisting paths mean one moment of distraction can lead to death."


    Oliver''s words carried heavy truth. He expected Yvette would rethink racing for him after hearing his warning. To his surprise, she gave him an impassive nce and said nonchntly. "I''ll race for you, but the stakes will be mine."


    Frustration surged in Oliver. "Is this really about stakes? Just a mere ten million!"


    Just then, a handsome man dressed in racing gear emerged from the crowd. He smiled at Yvette, wearing a bemused expression and clearly having ulterior motives.


    Oliver furrowed his brow, confused by Benedict''s presence.


    Gasps rippled through the crowd.


    "Wait a minute, is Benedict joining the race? He must be tonight''s mysterious guest!


    This race will be explosive now that Benedict is here."


    "I need to ce bets; with Benedict in this, first ce is undoubtedly his. The others might as well be spectators."


    "But isn''t Benedict already racing professionally? Why is he here


    Benedict took a long drag from his cigarette, casually leaning against it as he did. His rxed demeanor sent excited shrieks through the women around him.


    Used to such attention, Benedict wore an addedyer of arrogance on his handsome face. He had moved from underground racing to im three championships in formalpetitions, and his future gleamed with promise.


    He approached Yvette with mboyant ir. "Beautifuldy, if you want topete for Oliver, I''d be open to that, but let''s raise the stakes: if you lose, you''ll date me for three months"


    Oliver''s indignation erupted, his face twisting with fury as he shouted at Benedict, "You shameless cad! Don''t you have any dignity! Everyone knows you''ve raced this Death Road hundreds of times.


    "Now


    you dare challenge Yvette with such a ridiculous bet? Believe me, I could smash your head in!"


    Benedict, startled by Oliver''s outburst, felt a twinge of unease. While he wasn''t worried about Oliver, he knew better than to underestimate the Yoder family and Joe.


    Oliver quickly turned to Yvette, urging her urgently, "Yvette, you absolutely must not ept his terms."


    Yvette leisurely lifted her eyelids, her deep-set eyes calm,shes lowering as she poked the ground with her toe, showing -casual indifference.


    Benedict pretended to be calm as he tossed his cigarette butt aside, grinning. "Oliver, you know the rules better than anyone. While we don''t want to offend you, I must remind you that if you disregard the rules, your racing days could be numbered."


    Oliver, a passionate racing lover, couldn''t let Yvette face this risk Gritting his teeth, he mustered the courage to shout back, "Don''t threaten mel 1 can quit racing!"


    1/3


    THE


    10:12 Tue, Dec 24 G GG


    Laughter erupted around him. ¡°Oliver, if you can''t handle it, dots all a favor and leave. Don''t embarrass yourself here."


    ¡°Exactly! Oliver, are you scared? The beauty is ready to race for you, and yet you''re holding her back? If you''re worried about her, maybe it''s best you go home."


    "Is your fear so strong you need help from a pretty girl? That mini car she drove hardly screams ''racer-is she here just to meet her end?" "Raising the stakes is part of underground racing; if youck the courage, you should really leave now."


    Benedict feigned a grand, magnanimous demeanor as he addressed Yvette, "If you''re afraid to pete, I suggest you go home in your mini car. This track is for men, and beautiful women should stay in their rightful ces."


    His disdainful remarks towards women didn''t go unnoticed by the crowd. But most present were men who agreed with


    Benedict''s sentiments.


    Yvette, unfazed by Benedict''s arrogance, suddenly break into a smile. Her gaze was deep and unyielding, exuding chilling indifference. I agree. "Let''s raise the stakes even higher: if I win, you''ll run threeps around the track in the nude while shouting, I am a pig!"


    The crowd erupted into joyous uproar.


    "Benedict, ept her challenge! Agree to it! Agree to it!"


    Everyone raised their arms and shouted in delight, electric with anticipation.


    Benedict looked at Yvette, hisughter showing he dismissed her words; he couldn''t believe he could lose to a girl. "Fine, it''s a deal!


    "With so many witnesses, if you beat me, I''ll run nude for threeps shouting, ''I am a pig!'' But if you lose, you''ll be mine for,


    task" three months, and I''ll dictate your every


    So, in front of the gathered crowd, Yvette and Benedict sealed their wager. The winner would be the one to cross the finish line first.


    Oliver stood by Yvette, bewildered and frowning. He couldn''t understand why she would ept such a wager, one that seemed destined for defeat. Benedict swaggered off to prepare for the race, casting ast provocative gaze at Yvette as he left.


    Yvette, however, didn''t even nce his way. Instead, she tilted her head to address the frowning Oliver. "I won''t lose, so wipe that sorrowful expression off your face and bring your racing car to the starting line."


    Sighing, Oliver realized his futility in trying to dissuade her from racing, He conceded, "If you''re determined to race, I''ll sit beside you in the passenger seat. We''ll shoulder the risks together; I can''t let you face them alone."


    Though fear gripped him, Oliver knew that standing by while Yvette raced went against his principles.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing Oliver''s brave facade despite his evident trepidation warmed Yvette''s heart-A yful smile touched her lips as she replied, "If you insist,"


    Oliver felt anxiety twist his face, fervently hoping fate would show mercy and spare him from an untimely demise. The oues of the race were simplified into two stark possibilties: either he or Yvette would meet their end on the ircacherous road, or Yvette would have to endure three months with Benedict


    As for the prospect of Yvette winning against Benedict on this perilous road, Oliver dismissed that notion entirely


    2/3

 Chapter 529

    ?


    Half an hourter, at the starting line, a dazzling and well-designed modified Maserati caught everyone''s eye-a car Oliver had poured substantial resources into transforming.


    Oliver handed Yvette a schematic while she was already in her racing suit. "Yvette, here''s the map of the Death Road circuit.


    "Take a quick look and memorize what you can. I''ll be in the passenger seat guiding you, so if we coordinate well, we should reach the finish line easily.


    Yvette nodded slightly, nced through the track map, and, with just a cursory look,mitted the route to memory. She had a remarkable photographic memory, and momentster, she returned the map to Oliver.


    Oliver blinked in surprise. "Yvette, these routes are quite intricate. Aren''t you going to take another look?"


    Unhurried, Yvette donned her gloves and replied, "No need, I''ve memorized it."


    Oliver felt skeptical. He struggled to believe she could absorbs such aplex map so quickly; after all, the human brain isn''t aputer.


    He merely nodded, deciding not to press her. Hemitted to racing alongside Yvette and would provide navigation from the passenger seat Oliver''s main goal now was toplete the race safely. The stakes could be discussedter he wouldn''t let Yvette herself against Benedict.


    risk


    Benedict, seated in his nearby sports car, was aware that his vehicle had undergone the most professional modifications, and he had participated in countless races. As he observed Yvette, resplendent in her racing suit, his nefarious thoughts intensified.


    Amidst the cheers from the cheerleaders, all the racers and their navigators settled into their vehicles. Yvette, seated in the Maserati, deftly shifted through the gears. The moment the instructor waved the g, all the cars surged forward like arrowy released from a bow,


    The crowd watched in awe as a kaleidoscope of colors burst forth, with the initial straightaway revealing the difference in speed. Most striking were Yvette''s red Maserati and Benedict''s blue Lamborghini, capturing everyone''s attention.


    Within a minute, however, the Lamborghini forged ahead, gaining ground on the Maserati.


    As Yvette drove, news reports yed on the radio, a refreshing contrast to the usual DJ beats in other cars. Oliver, hearing the broadcast and gazing at Yvette''sposed expression, couldn''t help but flinch


    Oliver thought, "It is utterly ridiculous! Which racer listens to the news while racing? If he hadn''t been distracted by the rushingndscape outside, he might have thought they were on leisurely outing.


    Ahead, Benedict cast a dismissive nce at the approaching Marasi, confident that winning this race would be easier than his daily meals. Competing against a girl like Yvette felt like mere formality,cking any real challenge.


    elerating, shifting gears, and speeding up again, Benedict maneuvered around a curve, the Maserati trailing closely behind, maintaining a consistent gap between the two cars.


    Yvette navigated the curves with remarkable ease, her movements fluid and confident. Nonchntly, she retrieved a piece of candy from her pocket, steered the Maserati with one hand,d enjoyed her treat,pletely rxed.


    As Yvette pressed the elerator, the two cars tightened their proximity. But Benedict sull dominated the pace, keeping the Maserati firmly behind him.


    Oliver, feeling less anxious than before, recognized Yvette''s skill handling the car. Yet,pared to Benedier''s


    professional skills, sess still felt improbable. Thankfully, the ride remained steady for now.


    Yvette observed the Lamborghini deliberately blocking the track ahead, a sly smile ying on her lips and mischief sparkling in her eye. She maintained her speed without a hint of urgency.


    86%1


    Unbeknownst to them, the race had surpassed the halfway mark. As they ascended the mountain, the roadcked guardrails. where a single miscalction could lead to disaster.


    While the earlier part had been rtively safe, the more dangerous segment loomed ahead-where the real Death Road began.


    Oliver scrutinized the map, his expression growing graver. He spoke somberly. "Yvette, we''re about to enter a more treacherous section; there''s a major curve ahead-reduce speed, or it''ll be perilous."


    No sooner had he spoken than a car in front misjudged the curve, elerated without braking, and careened off the edge, disappearing from sight. Rather than heed his caution, Yvette inexplicably increased her speed, her demeanor unaffected. She continued to elerate, seemingly oblivious to the recent crash, aiming to conquer the curve at high velocity.


    Oliver held his breath, his heart racing, fingers turning white as he gripped the safety handle inside the car. He watched the imminent curve approach, cold sweat trickling down his face.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Yvette nced at Oliver, her eyes narrowing slightly before she shifted her focus ahead and mmed on the elerator. "Slow down! We''re turning! elerating through that curve could be fatal!" Oliver shouted in desperation.


    Seeing that Yvette had no intention of slowing down, he could only shut his eyes tightly and brace for impact


    Yvettemandeered the Maserati with unwavering confidence, maintaining her eleration as she approached the curve. She deftly maneuvered through it and pulled the handbrake with exhrating precision.


    The car swerved gracefully, her steering spot-on as she merged back onto the track, performing the drift wlessly.


    Navigating that curve tested more than just racing skills; it required exceptional psychological fortitude and experience. The slightest error could lead to the same fate as the car that had just vanished over the cliff.


    After a minute, Oliver dared to slowly open his eyes, relief flooding through him as he beheld the road ahead, ncing in the rearview mirror, he saw the recently conquered curve that had nearly imed his life.


    A wave of terror washed over him; he had genuinely thought he might meet his end there. Thankfully, it had been a false rm, and they had passed unscathed.


    With one hand gripping the steering wheel, Yvette''s expression bore a mix of audacity and irreverence. "I won''t lose, and you won''t die." Oliver felt a bit embarrassed, realizing the foolishness of his earlier anxiety. He hadn''t anticipated Yvette''s remarkable driving skills.


    The average racer would never dare negotiate a curve so recklessly; yet, Yvette handled it effortlessly, revealing her skills were far beyond his initial estimations.


    Ahead, Benedict cast a look in the rearview mirror, partly astonished to see Yvette''s Maserati sessfully tackle the recent curve. His brow furrowed with concern, though he still regarded her with contempt, believing her luck to be mere coincidence.


    Entering the curve at full speed was courting disaster, trying to vertake him in such a way was foolish. Yvette was undeniably stunning, but her reckless behavior seemed suicidal


    10:12 Tue, Dec 24 GGG.


    86%1


    However, the Maserati remained a respectable distance behind him, and as long as Benedict could keep her at bay, he was sure he''d be the ultimate victor.


    Benedict elerated once more. Unlike Yvette''s earlier strategy, he eased up on the throttle as he approached the next bend.


    0

 Chapter 530

    ?


    As the corners approached, Yvette maneuvered her Maserati with incredible speed. Two bends were perilously close, yet she skillfully navigated each one, the two cars closely intertwined in the chase.


    Oliver, initially filled with trepidation, was now engrossed in the unfolding drama. Even though he had doubts about Yvette surpassing Benedict, he felt reassured that the loss wouldn''t be too disheartening.


    He had to admit that Yvette''s driving skills were the best he had seen among girls. Her reckless racing style was undeniably impressive, revealing a fierce tenacity reminiscent of her character.


    The final stretch consisted of relentless sharp turns, marking the climax of the race. In those moments, true endurance would be tested, pushing both man and machine under intense pressure.


    Oliver nced at Yvette''s profile, words caught in his throat. Sensing his hesitation, Yvette briefly turned her focus from the road and said. "If you have something to say, speak up."


    Recovering from his shock, Oliver''splexion still showed some pallor. He questioned whether Yvette was truly human: how could she remainposed and chat during such a dangerous moment, where one misstep could lead to disaster?


    His voice faltered as he stammered, "Even if you lose, I can make sure you won''t have to go with Benedict. Let''s aim for a loss that''s not too embarrassing-safety first."


    With a mischievous smile, Yvette replied, "Oh? What''s the n


    Oliver''s eyes glinted with obvious disdain. ¡°Benedict''s team is looking for investors. Even if we lose, as long as my brother is willing to spend, Benedict will definitely let you off."


    Yvette gave a cold, mocking smile, her gaze sharp and unyielding. She smoothly elerated and shifted gears, casually saying, "Too bad that I don''t want to let him off.


    Oliver was taken aback. Does Yvette truly believe she can beat Benedict?"Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before he could ponder further, another curve loomed ahead. Yvette swiftly pulled the handbrake, the roar of the engine reverberating as they barely grazed the edge of the bend.


    In his Lamborghini, Benedict no longer exuded the confidence be once had. After years of racing, feeling Yvette''s Maserati so closely behind him was rming. It confirmed that Yvette wasn''t just skilled; she was impressive enough to match him.


    At that moment, Benedict began to take Yvette seriously, slightly increasing his speed through the turns.


    On the sunlit mountain road, the two supercars glistened-one red and one blue-tearing through the winding paths in a dazzling disy, drifting around corners. The red Maserati swept through each curve like a whirlwind.


    Dust swirled as high-definition cameras broadcast the spectacr race live, the crowds at the starting line were ecstatic They never imagined a woman could race alongside Benedict like this.


    Anyone familiar with racing could see that Yvette''s Maserati forced Benedict to elerate repeatedly.


    Each car was outfitted with cameras. While the interior dialogues went unheard, the expressions of the drivers and passengers were vividly disyed.


    Yvette remained unfazed, her expression calin. In stark contrast beads of cold sweat glistened on Benedict''s forehead, visibly struggling to keep pace.


    Meanwhile, in the surveince room of the vi, Braydon watched Yvette''s stunning visage on the monitor. His gaze was intense, tenderness lickering beneath a veneer of coll nullesstipss.


    10 12 Tue, Dec 24 GGG.


    Beside him. Billy, who had just arrived with urgent news, kept his head bowed, afraid to breathe. He had no idea what Braydon nned or how far he would go to draw Yvette into his schemes.


    As the leader of the Intelligence Hall within the Seventy-Two Chambers, Billy was one of the few who would choose Braydon over Yvette. For years, he had monitored the Seventy-Two Chambers for Braydon, an undercover sentinel near Charles.


    Billy didn''t dare lift his eyes to meet Yvette''s face on the monitor-a visage that haunted every member of the Seventy-Two Chambers.


    Braydon greedily gazed at Yvette''s image, and as he watched her navigate the treacherous bends, he furrowed his brows. "Did Yvette ever participate in a racing event during a training camp?"


    Billy trembled slightly and replied softly. "Mr. Goodman, Yvette mentioned this to Charles; she did."


    Braydon fixated on the monitor, his eyes aze with intensity, shifting between fury and resignation. "She shares everything with Charles and Joe. From the beginning, I''ve been an outsider


    Billy, hearing this, lowered himself even more, trembling and rendered mute.


    Suddenly, Braydon turned with icy resolve. "Prepare the car."


    Billy nodded. "I have it ready right away, Mr. Goodman."


    In the dimly lit vi, Braydon''s face flickered ominously in the shadows, the scar on his visage giving him an air of seductive danger.


    On the Death Road, the Maserati and Lamborghini had already left all otherpetitors in the dust.


    As they


    y entered the most perilous segment of the mountain road, the next three corners would be crucial. If Yvette''s Maserati couldn''t overtake Benedict''s Lamborghini during this stretch, victory would belong to Benedict.


    The crowd''s cacophony grew louder, lively and intense


    Through his rearview mirror, Benedict spotted Yvette''s car, mentally nning his next move.


    If he maintained his speed, barring any sudden eleration from Yvette, he believed she couldn''t surpass him in the uing bends.


    The next three corners definitely couldn''t be taken at an increased speed. As far as Benedict knew, there wasn''t a single race car driver in the world who could do it.


    He knew all too well that if he faltered on these three critical turns, the consequences could be fatal-an oue from which no driver had ever returned alive.


    Benedict was sure Yvette wouldn''t dare attempt to overtake him He convinced himself that even if she tried, shecked the skill to control her car through such swift turns.


    His confidence swelled; he believed victory was within his grasp


    In the Maserati, Yvette''s gaze was fixed on the Lamborghini ahead. Her expression was serene, devoid of urgency, her lips still curved in a carefree smirk.


    Oliver said, "Yvette, it''s thest three turns now. Benedict is putting pressure on us; overtaking in these turns is impossible,


    We will lose this race."


    Disheartened, Oliver had previously held onto a flicker of hope maybe Yvette could actually win


    Yet, as the two vehicles reached this critical juncture, it became painfully clear to any observer that the oue was already 10:12 Tue, Dec 24 G GG.


    sealed. There seemed to be no struggle left to mount.

 Chapter 531

    ?


    Yvette gazed at the Lamborghini ahead, her long eyshes casting shadows over her enigmatic eyes. With her eyebrows subtly arched, a yful smile graced her lips as she spoke, "Is the oue already determined? I believe humanity can ovee destiny"


    Yvette pressed the elerator fiercely. In the passenger seat, Oliver''s heart somersaulted.


    He thought. This is reckless.... Yvette dares to elerate at a moment like this. Is this truly the end for me? My life might be forfeited today. I''m still a virgin! Couldn''t I at least liave onest chance? Help me!


    Onlookers watched as Yvette''s Maserati surged forward and knew her intentions. She was utterly insane.


    Cheers, screams, and shouts erupted on the Death Road.


    "Oh my God, she''s lost her mind! She''s elerating and challenging the divine; it''s exhrating!"


    "I can hardly breathe; this girl is amazing! I''ve never seen anyone speed through thest three turns like this."


    "I dere this the best underground race I''ve seen in years. It''s a shame this girl might meet her end at the cliff."


    "Oh heavens... Is she drifting? And still elerating? Incredible! Her speed is incredible.


    Just as the crowd buzzed with excitement, Yvette''s Maserati swiftly caught up with Benedict''s Lamborghini in the first turn, executing three elerations.


    The two cars raced side by side, their chassis grinding against each other. Fear crept into Benedict; in that fleeting moment of hesitation, he lost his advantageous position.


    Yvette''s tires grazed the mountain road as she maneuvered around the bend again. In the blink of an eye, the Maserati had overtaken the Lamborghini.


    The positions had switched dramatically. Yvette''s Maserati now led, leaving Benedict behind.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    This unexpected turn of events left the spectators silent, their faces frozen in disbelief.


    Inside the Maserati, Yvette nced at Oliver, who sat wide-eyed Her dark eyes glinted with amusement as she casually arched an eyebrow, "Do you enjoy racing?"


    Yvette seemed to disregard the perceived peril that Oliver and the others had recognized moments before. Instead, she leisurely engaged him in conversation, ignoring the gravity of the situation.


    In truth, Yvette found the turncking in challenge. For her, this so-called death road posed no real threat-just a test of her driving skills and sharp intellect.


    Oliver, with tension etched in his posture, inhaled deeply. It was a bit embarrassing, but reflecting on how Yvette had seen him kneeling at the manor made this moment feel less shamefu


    "I enjoy racing, but I seem tock the talent. I''ve raced before, finishedst twice, and once second tost, simply because thest car had a tire blowout."


    Yvette was taken aback by Oliver''sck of skill; her hand on the steering wheel faltered for a moment before she nodded nonchntly. With a dispassionate demeanor, she replied, "Maybe you should consider a different hobby."


    Oliver''s heart shattered instantly, he had hoped for a bit of constion from Yvette. "Yvette, I know Ick talent, but could you be a tad more diplomatic about it?"


    Unfazed, Yvette continued to elerate, processing Oliver''s words. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she articted, "Racing


    Tue, Dec 2.


    needs not just talent and calction but also physical control. From what I see, youck in all those aspects.


    86%


    "Your analytical skills appear underdeveloped, your physique seems frail, and your control is off. This sport isn''t suited for you; I suggest you skip it.¡± Oliver forced a strained smile. He cravedfort, not brutal truths. Underdeveloped, frail, off... Each descriptor weighed heavily on him. Lowering his gaze, he surrendered to resignation; if things went wrong in the next turn, maybe he could just leap from the car. If death wasing, so be it.


    In the Maserati, Yvette kept chatting with Oliver, while in the Lamborghini, Benedict brooded darkly.


    Now it was Yvette who was pressing ahead, and Benedict had been frightened moments before. By letting the Maserati overtake him, he realized that to speed past her, he''d have to take the same lethal risk-one he didn''t dare to contemte.


    Benedict understood he was facing a skilled opponent, and the pallor settled on his face.


    This realization ensured he wouldn''t surpass Yvette again; his mindset hadpletely copsed.


    Just as everyone thought Yvette had secured victory without needing to push harder in the next turn, she executed a jaw-dropping maneuver that left onlookers in awe.


    The car surged forward once more. This time, her eleration wasn''t aboutpetition but a test of her limits.


    "What is she doing? She''s already won; why take such a dangerous risk in the final turn? So reckless!"


    "Is she challenging her own boundaries? Whoever bet against this girl might end up deeply regretting it!"


    "What good does regret do now? Who would have thought this girl would be so formidable? She''s more imprese than a


    pro driver! When did such a talent emerge in racing?"


    "Her drifting skills around corners are unmatched; few can rival that control. It''s terrifying"


    Inside the car, Oliver felt relief wash over him as Yvette sailed past the final turn. His heart soared at the sight of the finish line, exhration flooding through him.


    He never imagined he''d finish first in a race, especially on a track called the death road.


    That thought electrified him, even if it was thanks to Yvette''s prowess; he still felt a sense of pride.


    Yvette''s Maserati crossed the finish line first, sending the crowd into a frenzy.


    Some scouts from professional teams had already fixed their sights on Yvette, eager to recruit her.


    As Yvette stepped out of the Maserati, her expression remained unperturbed. Oliver, bursting with pride, hopped out of the passenger seat and moved over to her. "Yvette, you were incredible! We won! It''s a miracle; we defeated Benedict, the king of underground racing!"


    Yvette, unhurried, peeled off her gloves. The wind tousled her hair, and her unadorned face held a divine beauty that demanded attention. Tilting her head slightly, she repliednguidly, "Not a miracle, but merely skill."


    Oliver''s triumphant smile faltered. While her statement was undeniably true, it carried an air of arrogance. Truly, Yvette was formidable. 10:12 Tue, Dec 24 GG

 Chapter 532

    ?


    As soon as the words fell, Benedict''s Lamborghini surged past the finish line. After his car came to a halt, it took a while before he finally stepped out of the vehicle.


    A hushed silence enveloped the crowd at the finish line when they noticed Yvette and Oliver disembarking first. It wasn''t until Benedict stepped out that the spectators began to murmur amongst themselves.


    "Now this is exciting! That girl and Benedict had a wager, and Benedict lost-by an entire minute! It''s clear he cracked under pressure in thetter half "Benedict has raced this treacherous road countless times. He probably never thought he would lose to a girl. His pride must


    be shattered."


    ¡°Losing to that girl will surely infuriate his team coach."


    "Benedict''s team is a formidable fifth-ce contender linked to organized crime. That girl could be quite dangerous." The crowd fell silent at this spection.


    As passionate racing fans, they admired those with skill. Today, they respected Yvette for her undeniable talent on the track. Benedict''s expression darkened as he approached Yvette, his earlier arrogance evaporating. "You''ve won."


    It was undeniable; Benedict had, astonishingly, been outdone by a girl.


    News of today''s race would undoubtedly spread, leaving Benedict utterly humiliated. There was no way to conceal it. Admitting her victory hadpletely shattered his pride.


    Oliver, brimming with swagger, turned to Benedict. "Come on, Benedict, do you think we''re just ying around here! Hurry up and take it off for a naked run! There are tons of cameras streaming live. You can''t back out of the bet!"


    Oliver''s words made Benedict''s face darken further, resentment brewing in him towards Oliver''s interference that touched on his reluctance to fulfill the wager. Benedict found himself momentarily speechless.


    Yvette, with her longshes lowered and a cold smile on her lips, regarded Benedict with a glint in her dark eyes.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Strip," shemanded steadily.


    Her bluntness ignited excitement among the onlookers, who began to chant, "Strip, strip, strip!" The crowd was whipped into a frenzy.


    Benedict running naked would lead tomorrow''s headlines in the racing world. Enraged by the crowd''s taunts, Benedict felt like he was on a roasting spit, caught between a rock and a hard ce. With an almost pleading gaze, he turned to Yvette.


    Benedict offered, "If you let today''s incident slide, I''d happily rmend you to my coach. My team was the runner-up tast year. If you join us, you''d enjoy a generous sry."


    Oliver, incredulous, watched as Benedict tried to leverage money to entice Yvette, barely containing his urge to curse. The mere thought that their meager funds could sway her showed a seriousck of understanding.


    Considering Yvette''s racing skills, Joe could very well set up a new team with plenty of funds if she wanted to


    Yvette''s brows furrowed slightly. Her deep-set eyes radiated coolness, and her exquisitely crafted features wore an enigmatic


    Benedict could read her expression-she wasn''t about to let him off easily. His demeanor darkened further, but he kept a facade of nonchnce.


    10:12 Tue, Dec 24 G GG.


    At that moment, a middle-aged man''s voice rang out. "Oh, deardy, I''d like to invite you to join our team."


    The man was slightly winded, perspiration beading on his forehead, and his urgency was clear.


    Benedict was taken aback, stunned into silence as he realized the neer was Gerard.


    Others in attendance recognized Gerard as well, sharing Benedict''s astonishment.


    ¡°Isn''t that Gerard, the head coach of the Wolf Team, currently ranked first in Mysonna? What''s he doing here today?"


    86


    "Gerard''s team has racers ranked among the top ten globally, all meticulously selected and trained under his watchful eye. If he''s noticed this girl, her future is indeed bright."


    "I predict she will be a rising star in the racing world. Maybe she can even secure a spot in the next world championship." "First ce seems unlikely, though; let''s not forget the unparalleled king of racing. Jules-Jules''s position is unassable." The renowned coach, known as the Eagle Eye of racing, approached Yvette with undeniable sophistication, showing little regard for Benedict. Benedict had sought Gerard''s mentorship before but was dismissed due to a perceivedck of potential. His driving skills were barely noticeable, and his mentality would never make him a top-level racer. Gerard had watched the entire race, and while Benedict failed to impress, Yvette captured his attention.


    In her, he saw a rare aura of supremacy reminiscent of long-forgotten champions. If Yvette joined his team, she day pose a challenge to Jules, the reigning champion, and Gerard was determined not to let this talent slip away.


    With utmost


    might one


    Gerard Here''s my card. As the head coach of the Wolf Team, I can the best treatment and an annual sry of 80 million


    guarantee!lesy, Gerard introduced himself. "I am!


    "I assure you, I''ll guide you to be the brightest star in racing"


    Oliver was ecstatic. The Wolf Team was his favorite, a renowned powerhouse. To think that Gerard would extend an Invitation to Yvette was exhrating.


    Benedict''s demeanor crumbledpletely; he felt like a joke-his team was nothingpared to the Wolf Team.


    Yvette extended her delicately manicured hand, epting the card from Gerard. She cast a dispassionate nce at it, nodding without showing any emotion.


    Her nonchnt facade hid an air of arrogance; her half-squinted eyes concealed undisclosed feelings.


    ¡°Thank you, but I must decline, Yvette remarked indifferently.


    Gerard was momentarily stunned. He saw no flicker of interest from Yvette and wondered if perhaps his offer was inadequate.


    Meanwhile, Oliver felt anxious and torn, desperate to intervene but too cautious to speak up. He thought, "Would you even consider me, Gerard? I''d be more than willing to join!


    Gerard gritted his teeth; if he lost Yvette, he knew he would regret it. He resolved to sweeten the deal. "If 80 million is insufficient, I can offer you 100 million annually. Plus, winning the championship will bring even greater rewards. What do you think?"

 Chapter 533

    ?


    86%


    Gerard''s staggering offer of one hundred million caused gasps in the room. Even Benedict, who had faced Gerard before. showed signs of distress. This amount far exceeded what many Emous racecar drivers earned, yet Yvette seemed perfectly line with it.


    As a coach and businessman, Gerard wouldn''t engage in a losing venture. His willingness to propose such a sum showed Yvette''s undeniable worth.


    Yvette frowned, showing hints of impatience as her deep-set gaze met the crowd. Her voice was cold and firm as she dered, "I refuse Gerard recognized her genuine disinterest. He furrowed his brow and fell silent, likely needing time to process this unprecedented rejection. After Yvette''s words, she turned her head toward Benedict. Her expression waspletely devoid of warmth, causing him to instinctively withdraw. Oliver, noticing Benedict''s hesitation, scoffed "Hurry up, or my brother will give you a call"


    Oliver''s insinuation was an outright threat. Benedict maintained a stoic demeanor, but his expression darkened as he gritted


    his teeth.


    In front of the gathered audience, he started removing his clothing piece by piece, beginning with his shirt, revealing a sculpted chest and toned physique. The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts, the atmosphere on Death Road getting wild again.


    Benedict, determined, continued to undress while


    unveil thestyer-just a pair of white under rutinizing yette. His hands hovered over his belt buckle, ready to


    At that moment, Yvette casually pulled a somewhat cold hamburger from her pocket.


    As Oliver saw the hamburger in Yvette''s hand, he grimaced. He wondered, ''Has she neglected to eat all day? She was unfazed during the race, only to get irritated over a lukewarm burger?''


    Benedict, hands still on his belt, paused, taken aback by Yvette''s unexpected action and unsure of her intent.


    Ignoring the astonishment, Yvette leisurely ate the now-cool hamburger, wiping her fingers clean with a tissue afterward.


    Noticing Benedict still resting his hands on his belt, she frowned and said tly, "Continue undressing."


    Benedict, seething with frustration, decided to shed his jeans, leaving him in nothing but his underpants.


    He met Yvette''s gaze provocatively. "What do you think of my physique? Surely it''s superior to any man you''ve


    encountered."


    The crowd began to murmur among themselves. "Benedict''s physique is impressive."


    "I heard rumors he was once sponsored by a wealthy woman for his looks."


    "I''ve heard that too; during tough times, he even sold himself for cash."


    Confident in his physique, Benedict felt liberated, having stripped away hisst bit of dignity.


    Yvette lifted her eyelids and responded with disdain, "Not impressive. Even as a gigolo in Clusia, you''d be ineligible!


    Oliver erupted inughter, soon joined by the spectators roaring with mirth. Benedict''s face darkened with embarrassment 10:13 Tue. Dec 24


    Oliver remembered that just days earlier, he had foolishly confronted Yvette and received a well-deserved thrashing. In fact, he was lucky, since her words could cut even deeper.


    Yvette didn''t spare Benedict a nce as she turned and climbed into her Maserati. Lowering the window, she told Oliver, The car will be returned to the Yoder family by tomorrow."


    The engine roared to life, and she sped away, leaving Oliver in a stupor, battling the urge to ask for a ride.


    As Yvette''s car descended, Braydon''s phone rang in the heavy-duty armored vehicle traversing the mountainside.


    "Mr. Goodman, Yvette is on her way down; she should reach your location in about ten minutes," reported Braydon''s subordinate cautiously,


    Braydon''s eyes glinted with frost as he furrowed his brows, shadowed with intensity. After ending the call, he exited the vehicle and positioned himself in front.


    In just seven minutes, Yvette maneuvered her Maserati at breakneck speed, arriving at Braydon''s location.


    As she turned a corner, she spotted the ck car parked on the hillside, alongside Braydon, who stood waiting. Yvette showed no surprise; her demeanor was unfazed.


    Her longshes cast shadows beneath her sharp gaze, as her lips curled subtly, her cold eyes narrowing into fierce slits. She pressed the elerator.


    The Maserati showed no signs of slowing down, hurtling straight toward Braydon. As it closed in to just 0.2 miles away, it was clear a collision was about to happen.


    Their eyes locked, and electric tension crackled between them. Yvette''s expression soured, filling the air with foreboding. Braydon had to hope she''d swerve away. But in the next heartbeat, Yvette''s car surged forward like an arrow. At the critical moment, Braydon''s driver nudged him aside, positioning himself to shield Braydon.


    As the driver braced for what he thought was his doom, the Maserati stopped just inches away.


    Unfazed, Braydon kept hisposure, focusing on Yvette behind the wheel. His irises zed with chilling intensity, red veins entuating the knife¡ª like scar on his face.


    Emerging from the car, Yvette had changed into a sleek ck ensemble-striking and formidable. Her expression remained unreadable as her piercing gaze scanned Braydon''s face, slicing through the air with lethal precision.


    Braydon adjusted his cor, his voice steady yet grave, "Yvette, did you realize it was my people who lured you here?" Yvette met Braydon''s gaze with an unfeeling re, her wordsnguid and dismissive, "Of course."


    At her response, a softness spread across Braydon''s face, dispelling the darkness that had enveloped him. Only Yvette had the power to bring him peace over the years.


    He asked, "Yvette, can you not give me one more chance? Abandon Jeremiah and choose me, just this once."


    Braydon implored her, sinking into humility. Yvette was his only path to redemption; without her, a life of wealth and fame would mean nothing-This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    His feelings for Yvette ran deep, woven through years of longing In his midnight dreams, only she upied his thoughts.


    Upon hearing Braydon''s plea, Yvette raised an eyebrow, her expression unchanged. "Braydon, do you recall what I said when rescued you all those years ago

 Chapter 534

    ?


    Braydon''s haughty eyes seemed unfocused, filled with dark memories. After a moment lost in thought, he returned to the present, the past tugging at him. He fought to maintain hisposure, lifting his gaze to Yvette, the corners of his eyes stained red.


    In a low, somber tone, Braydon said, "Saving me is just convenient? You want me to forget everything as soon as I escape the cage?"


    Yvette looked at Braydon with a slight frown, her icy gaze piercing through him. Her voice was bone-chilling. "Braydon. I detestplications."


    Those words struck Braydon like a dagger, piercing deep into his heart. He questioned loudly, "After all these years, Yvette, have I just been a nuisance to you? Is there no chance for redemption after that mistake I made?"


    A glint of lethal intent shed in Yvette''s eyes, resolute and unfeeling. "Braydon, draw your weapon. I offer you a chance to Wager your life." The game was simple. Each person takes turns with a revolver loaded with one or more bullets. They spin the cylinder, it, and point the gun at their own head.


    seal


    The one shot retreats, while the one who hesitates loses. Only one emerges victorious, likely at the cost of life. Braydon''s eyes darkened with disbelief as he watched Yvette pull out a silver firearm-from her coat. He recognized it well- the modified weapon she crafted herself, with range and lethality over tenfold that of an ordinary gun.


    Braydon wondered, ''Has Yvette grown to despise me so much that she wants to rid herself of me through this deadly game? Am I truly just a wretched joke?


    Yvette''s demeanor remained unfazed, as if discussing lunch rather than a game of life and death.


    Braydon smirked coldly. "Very well, Yvette. I''ll wager with you if that''s what you want."


    He pulled out a gun from his pocket, both of them standing opposite, guns in hand. He fixed his gaze sharply on Yvette''s weapon. his lips thin in a tense line.


    "I''ll go first," Yvette dered, loading the gun and pointing it at her chest. Braydon''s pupils constricted at the sight.


    In the next moment, he interjected, "Yvette, let me go first."


    With a frown, Yvette fixed her icy gaze on him, answering indifferently, "Suit yourself."


    Braydon aimed the dark muzzle of the gun at his own heart, remaining silent as heavy stillness enveloped him, murderous intent gleaming in his somber eyes. Yvette observed him from a distance, a silent spectator.


    As he gazed into Yvette''s calm, unyielding expression, Braydon realized he had irrevocably lost her today. Despite his rise to power, escaping his grandfather and putting in effort, it was all in vain; he had never truly been in her heart or eyes.


    His finger flinched, ready to pull the trigger, but at thest moment, he relinquishedthe weapon, letting it drop weakly to his side. Despair was clear on his face, the mncholy impossible to hide.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Seeing his capittion, Yvette coldly and slowly withdrew her gun, her expression unchanged. Raising her brows delicately. she said softly, "Since you''ve made your choice, live well I hope we never meet again. With that, she turned and walked to


    her car.


    Braydon stood frozen, watching Yvette drive off in her Maserati le staggered a few steps, as if his feet were nailed to the ground, feeling like a withered tree. Hisplexion was ashen, the pallor of death evident, vitality sectningly drained from him.


    1/2


    10:13 Tue, Dec 24 GGG.


    86


    The first time Braydon felt abandonment was at eight, locked in a dog cage and fed dog food for two years. The second w today: he once believed Yvette would return after sulking for a few years, but now he realized how wrong he was.


    He pondered. Am I loving her the wrong way? Did she bet her life to rid herself of my nuisance? Maybe my existence has been a mistake since I drew breath.


    Inside the car, Yvette gripped the steering wheel tightly as she answered Jeremiah''s call. ¡°Where are you?" Jeremiah''s voice resonated with a maic tone.


    Yvette hesitated slightly, then replied, "On the highway, heading back to the vi. Is everything settled at Betrico?"


    "Yes. We have a dinner tomorrow at nine in Mysonna; would you like to join?" Jeremiah casually asked, knowing well Yvett disdain for such events. "I suppose." Yvette answered slowly. Jeremiah was surprised by her affirmative reply. Yvette pressed the elerator, speedir toward the vi. Upon entering. Yvette noticed Sienna, fuming with anger as she ranted into her phone. She was the only one at home since everyone else had gone out. From her tone, it was clear just how furious she was.


    Sienna demanded, "What on earth is going on with the Xander Group? Didn''t they assure us the new season''s garments would be delivered on time next week? Now they im they can meet the deadline! What are they ying at?"


    Sienna''s face flushed with anger, and spotting Yvette was like finding her anchor. "Enough! If Xander Group wants to jeopardize our agreement, let''s seekpensation as stipted in our contract.


    L


    "No concessions should be made, do you understand?" After hanging up, Sienna''s expression shifted from fury to a wounder poul like a child seekingfort. Yvette, something must be wrong with Xander Group.


    "Our coboration has been smooth for years. They assured us the garments would be delivered on time, yet their representatives just informed us of a problem. If that happens, our market will be severelypromised, leading to significant losses."


    The fashion industry is ever-evolving; failing tounch new collections on time brings serious consequences


    Yvette, now in her slippers and observing Sienna''s mix of anger and distress, approached her and gently patted her head. In a soft tone, Yvette said, "You''re far too grown up to be this upse


    Sienna''s face flushed. In the world, she''s a decisive and capable woman who can hold her own against anyone. But in front of Yvette, she feels like a child, unable to escape her dependence on her.


    Sienna confessed, "Yvette, there must be an issue. The Xander Group must have a valid reason. Their production lines are too numerous for dys to be allowed. We must investigate to uncover the problem."


    Seated on the sofa, Yvette leisurely sipped from a cup of water, her demeanor serene as she asked nonchntly. Who is the chairman of Xander Group?


    É«

 Chapter 539

    ?


    Nina, when her name was called, was scared by Jill''s threatening yes. She had to say something hurtful to Klein. If not, Jill wouldn''t let her off.


    Nina pretended to be delicate and understanding, saying, "Klein, we''ve been broken up for years, and you should get over me and move on. You''re experimenting every day, so it''s difficult for you to meet a girl you like, right?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "If you don''t mind, Jill could introduce you to some girls. He knows a lot of richdies who wouldn''t mind your job. This way, you don''t have to worry about money."


    Nina looked at the charming Klein and then at the unattractive Jill, who had been consumed by alcohol and women.


    She had regretted leaving Klein, but considering that Jill had already secured a spot in Xander Group and owned shares, she strengthened her resolve. After all, she didn''t want to be a poordy.


    Having been with Klein for so many years, Nina knew his weaknesses better than anyone else. She knew exactly what to say to hurt Klein the most. Sure enough, Klein''s face, which had remained calm till now, suddenly changed at Nina''s words, his anger shing in his cold eyes.


    Jill had been closely watching Klein''s reaction and, noticing his change in expression, became even more confident.


    Jill said, "She''s right. After all, we''re brothers. I know plenty of rich women who fancy a handsome face want, I can introduce you to a few." like yours. If you


    Klein looked at Nina and Jill calmly. Just as Klein was about to speak, a chuckle came from theer of the balcony. All three of them simultaneously turned to look in that direction.


    Yvette leaned against the wall, her expression cool, arms crossed as she looked at the three of them. Her eyelids lifted slightly, revealing coldness in her gaze.


    Klein had known Yvette would attend the party, but he hadn''t anticipated her seeing him in such an embarrassing situation. which added to his difort.


    At the moment Jill saw Yvette, he was captivated by her beauty immediately. Nina stared at Yvette with displeasure, and when she saw Jill''s expression, she instantly understood his intentions and felt anxiety.


    Jill quickly spoke up, "Heydy, Are you here all by yourself? Sorry to have bothered you." Even though Jill was apologizing, his face was full of arrogance.


    Yvette smirked slightly and said slowly, "No, you''re not."


    As soon as Yvette said this, Jill became even more rampant. He thought no woman who would frown at him.


    Klein was taken aback, looking at Yvette with confusion. He wondered why Yvette humored him


    Nina''s face grew harder, already thinking of Yvette as a rival who tried to hit on Jill


    Yvette said, "I just heard two shameless dogs barking here. And you two are so damn ugly." Her words immediately wiped the smug smile off Jill''s face, and Nina got even angrier,


    Anyone else might not have had such an impact. But spoken by Yvette, it was powerful. After all, Yvette was the best-looking girl at the party. Vette looked at Jill and Nina. Among the four people there, it was obvious who she meant. The sarcasm made Nina''s face 10:14 Tue, Dec 24 G


    Klein went over to Yvette and greeted her politely. "She''s my mentor, Professor Zeller"


    Jill and Nina werepletely Klein had already achieved the


    highest medical degree in My Klein treating Yvette as a mentor. The b


    They wondered, ''Shouldn''t his mentor be an old man? How could his mentor be such a young woman?"


    Nina was the first to lose herposure because she had never seen Klein treat other women so gently.


    She screamed in jealousy. "Klein, are you kidding? We''re not idiots. She''s so young. How could she be your mentor? You''re


    liar.


    Jill realized what was happening and tried to salvage his pride. "Do you think we''ll believe you just because you say she is your mentor?"


    Klein remained calm,pletely ignoring their shouting


    Yvette tilted her head slightly and smiled as her cool gaze rested on Klein. "Klein, do you know how to deal with viins?"


    Klein''s kind face got unreadable as he nced at Jill and Nina. In a deep voice, he said. "Yes. Fight evil with evil"


    Yvette smiled contently at his words. She closed the door, shrugged, then pulled over an unused chair from the balcony. Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, she leaned back like a heroine.


    Yvette said, "Since you know what to do, then do it."


    Then she pointed at the door, her eyes signaling Klein to begin.


    Klein hesitated for a while before he started untying his tic. He swiftly took off his suit jacket, revealing his upright figure underneath and strong arms, which showed he exercises regrly.


    Jill and Nina werepletely bewildered. Even if they were stupid, they could guess what Klein meant.


    Jill backed away nervously, stammering, "Klein, don''t listen to the bitch. She''s just causing more chaos for fun. This is York''s golden wedding anniversary. If you ruin it, Dad won''t let you get away with it."


    Nina couldn''t believe Klein would hit her at all because Klein used to love her so much.


    Nina looked at Klein tenderly and said, "Klein, how could you be so brutal? Who is she? Why are you listening to her? Did she bewitch you?"


    Yvette sat with her legs crossed, looking rxed as she stared at fill and Nina. She yed with a lock of hair by her temple, her icy gaze spreading chills all around.


    Klein looked at them and said, "I''m not fuck Gael Xander who needs to please Edgar for benefits. Besides, do think he would hit me for you? Even if I beat you to death, he''d remain unaffected."


    you


    really


    Hearing this, fill was terrified. He hid behind Nina, desperately trying to back away, but there was only so much space on the balcony. After a few steps, he reached the railing with nowhere else to go.


    Fifteen minutester, Klein turned around and slowly put on his suit without even ncing at Jill, who was left battered and bruised, with his suit torn and shoe prints and dust all over him


    Meanwhile, Nina stood dazed to the side, hugging herself and shivering, unharmed.


    Klein would not hit women. As for Jill, he unleashed years of per-up resentiment, giving him a harsh beating.


    Jill''s injuries were not just on his body. As a brilliant medical student, Klein knew exactly where to stab to ensure jill wouldn''t die for at least a few hours.


    i


    10 14 Tue Dec 24 G GG.


    BK 85%


    Klein deliberately targeted the most vulnerable parts of Jill''s body. Although Jill was in unbearable pain, even a medical examination could only determine that he had minor injuries.

 Chapter 540

    ?


    Klein adjusted his suit and approached Yvette, saying respectfully. "Professor Yvette, shall we go?" Yvette sat in the chair. resting her chin as she gazed at the distant night scene during the ten minutes Klein had been hitting Jill.


    Regal Tower stood at the center of Mysonna, the tallest hotel there. From the balcony, the breathtaking night scene of Mysonna unfolded. Yvette slowly stood up, nced at Jill, who was beaten beyond recognition and wailing with a swollen face, and then looked at Nina, who was too terrified to lift her head.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, tilted her head, and patted Klein''s shoulder, slowly saying, "Not bad, and keep it up.¡±


    Klein didn''t know whether tough or cry. There was probably no one else in the world who would praise and encourage him after something like this,


    Klein adjusted his gold-rimmed sses. From this moment on, he finally let go of Nina, who betrayed him, and released that fantastic time in his youth.


    Klein said, "You''re an excellent teacher." Klein started to tter Yvette. Klein did this because Yvette had said that fight evil with evil when they were doing experiments in theb alone.


    Klein was deeply impressed by Yvette''s words. It was the first time he was told that there was no need to reason with wicked people because it would be futile.


    Yvette and Klein were chatting as they enjoyed the night, ignoring Jill and Nina crouching in the corner.


    Suddenly, Nina lifted her head and yelled at them frantically, "I won''t let you get away with this." She then dashed toward the hall, her hair in disarray. Klein noticed that Nina had already rushed into the hall and frowned, knowing Nina wanted to report to the banquet host and escte the situation. Turning to Yvette, Klein pretended to be at ease and said, "Professor, if you''re only here to find Gael, I can help you figure out his schedule for tomorrow.


    "For now, you should leave. Nina will exaggerate the situation to York. Let me deal with it. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine."


    No matter what, Yvette shouldn''t be dragged into it. Though Klein said this, he was well aware that the Ramirezs had a high standing in Mysonna, let alone Edgar, who was the vice president of the bank.


    If Nina hyped up this, it would cause quite a stir at the party. Even if Klein knew that he couldn''t afford it, he had no choice but to brace himself and face it.


    Yvette wasn''t anxious at all, shrugging scornfully and raising her delicate eyebrows. She spoke casually. "Let''s go."


    33


    Klein was stunned and blurted out, "Where to go?"


    Yvette walked ahead without looking back, her voice as chilly as ever. "To hear what-Nina will say, and enjoy the show."


    Klein rubbed his temples, watched Yvette stride confidently forward, and then nced back at the unconscious Jill. With no choice, Klein followed Yvette, wondering what to do next.


    Ninu dashed into the hall like a lunaticdy. Her tears streamed the moment she saw the guests. The attendees all stopped their small talk and turned their attention to Nina, who had suddenly burst in from the balcony.


    Nina gritted her teeth. "Help Help! Jill is almost beaten to death As a low actress, Nina knew how to capture everyone''s attention. Sure enough, her words immediately sparked whisper among the guests,


    1/3


    |||


    "Oh, my God. What''s Ms. Parris talking about? Did Jill get beaten up? Who did it? Who dares to make trouble at the Yorks party?"


    "Jill is notorious for being a yboy, just like his Dad. Who knows? Maybe he messed with the wrong woman and got chased here for a beating" "You''re right. Jill is famous as a womanizer. He must have gotten in trouble. But the troublemaker shouldn''t beat him here. or it will not end well. Just wait and see. Things will get more interesting."


    A furious shout suddenly came from the back of the crowd. "Who hit my son? The guests turned and quickly cleared a path for Cael


    Cael, apanied by histest mistress, a college student with a pretty face, approached Nina. He gritted his teeth and demanded, "Who did that? Where is he? I won''t let him go."


    Gael was a proud man. Hitting Jill at York''s party was the equivalent of humiliating Gael. If Nina hadn''t revealed it so publicly, Gael wouldn''t have been so angry.


    Gael had many sons. If one son died, Gael had others. But Jill had pleased Gael over the past two years, often bringing him various beauties. Compared to his other sons, Jill was slightly better, but only slightly.


    Seeing the mistress behind Gael made Nina even angrier. That woman had been fooling around with Jill just a few days ago. But right now, what mattered most to Nina was Klein and Yvette. She was determined to make them both regret it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Nina tearfully recounted what had just happened. By the time she finished, Gael was livid with rage, looking worse than ever before.


    Gael couldn''t believe that the usually kind Klein and a woman would hit Jill. Gael demanded with anger, "How dare Klein hit Jill? Where is he now!" Sienna and Bruce heard Nina mention Professor Zeller and exchanged a look. Sienna tugged Bruce''s sleeve and whispered. ¡°Klein was whom Yvette called yesterday and worked with together. He''s Gael''s illegitimate son. The woman Nina mentioned is probably Yvette."


    Sienna thought, "Wow, I didn''t expect such an interesting thing would happen in such a short time. It sounded violent and intense.


    Bruce nced at Sienna, who suddenly sighed with curiosity, and knew what she was thinking. He gently squeezed her hand and said in a teasing voice, ¡°Gossip girl."


    Feeling indignant, Sienna nced at Bruce and muttered, "You don''t know anything about women. Gossiping is a part of at woman''s life." Their intimate interaction caught Nathan''s attention from a distance, and suddenly, he felt hot anger surge up into his heart. At that moment, a handnded on his shoulder from behind.


    When Nathan turned around with a grim look and saw it was Reba who returned, his expression softened a bit.


    Reba was startled by Nathan''s gaze, and her body tensed. Shewkwardly similed, adjusted her hair, and asked in a gentle voice, "What''s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?"


    No sooner had these words been spoken than Gael, surrounded by the crowd, began yelling again. "Who''s Professor Zeller! Where did this bitche from? How dare she instigate Klein and Jill to fight?"

 Chapter 541

    ?


    Just then, a chilling female voice came from the doorway to the balcony. "What''s up? Are you looking for me?"


    Gael was still ranting, but when he spotted Yvette standing not far away, he was stunned. Everyone else also turned to look at Yvette and Klein. Yvette stood at the door, with the hotel lights casting a glow around her, like a beautiful painting.


    Klein stood calmly next to her, gave a sweeping nce over the guests, and his eyes settled on Gael with a serious expression. Yvette slowly walked in, and Klein followed her closely, watched by everyone.


    He nced at carefree Yvette and suddenly felt at ease. Yvette walked up to Gael without saying a word, which was enough to suppress Gael. Before Yvette spoke, Gael''s confidence had weakened.


    Reba stiffened when she saw Yvette. Her panic surged as she recalled her secret deal with Gael. She had nned to target Sienna, but Reba never expected that the real boss of Vibe wa Yvette.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reba should have realized it earlier because, in Seacrity, Sienna would have Yvette wear an exhibition-level haute couture worth 30 million dors and support Yvette so strongly


    But to deal with Vibe, she had already invested a lot of money. If she gave up now, her hard-earned position as general manager of Arcanum Group would be in danger.


    Seeing Yvette take Gael on directly, she had a quiet rapture, thinking she could get herself out of trouble.


    Yvette was known to everyone in fashion as the real boss of Vibe Gael was stunned by Yvette''s pretty face when he recognized her.


    When Yvette was right in front of him, Cael was guilty of breaking his contract with Vibe, so his attitude wasn''t as tough as


    before.


    Gael said. "M-Ms. Zeller, Nina said you''re pitting my two sons against each other. That''s hical"


    The guests whispered among themselves about Yvette being the real boss of Vibe and knew that Xander Group preferred to pay arge settlement rather than honor their contract with Vibe Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for the drama.


    Yvette flicked her eyes upwards, a roguish smile on her face, and casually said, ¡°hical? I think it''s okay. I love fighting and watching people fight. I was enjoying it just now. Do you have a problem with that?"


    Gael''s face turned sour, and he paused, thinking, Yvette is inflexible. I''m not going to hold it against her, but she continued to provoke me. Why does she have to make things so awkward!


    ''She goes too far. What does it mean to say she''s enjoying it and then ask if I have a problem? That''s insulting Gael was so taken aback by Yvette''s words that he couldn''t reply and could only stand there with a stern look.


    The situation was deadlocked. Sienna gave a thumbs-up, her face filled with admiration. "Yvette is amazing. Her simple sentence pissed Gael off."


    Bruce wrapped an arm around Sienna''s waist and said to her earnestly, "It''s your turn. Go and get back what he owes you." Hearing that, Sienna''s eyes brightened, immediately understanding what Bruce meant. With all the upper ss from Mysonna gathered here, she was determined to make Gael and hispany pay for their broken promises.


    Yvette was an expert in fighting, and Sienna was good at makinga scene. As the banquet hall went silent, Sienna gracefully stepped out from the crowd.


    Sienna walked as she said, "Oh my God, are you the chairman of Xander Group? I''ve been trying to meet with you for a long time. I''m waiting for your exnation, you know?"


    1/2


    2/2


    Sienna''s sudden appearance Joke the silence. She walked over do Yvette, giving her a yful wink


    With just a look, Yvette instantly knew what Sienna was thinking She smirked slightly on one side of her mouth.


    Bruce watched Sienna quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness. He wanted the Sienna to always be the brightest girl and be the best version of herself.


    Sienna''s unexpected appearancepletely caught Gael off gual because Gael remembered there was no one from Vibe on the guest list. He was worried that Siema would make a big difal out of this, but that was exactly what Sienna wanted


    Seeing Gael remain silent. Sienna said with sarcasin, "Have you forgotten everything. Mr. Xander? You broke our contract for no reason. Do you think we''re weak)


    "Well, today is a special day, and my boss is here. Don''t you think you should offer us an exnation? Mr. Xander, I warn you my boss is quite intimidating TM


    Sienna''s tone was half-serious and half-joking. Yvette lifted her gaze to scan the crowd, her knees slightly bent, her eyes cool as she simply said, "Yeah, I''m intimidating, very,"


    Yvette spoke with such an innocent demeanor, and the guests didn''t take it seriously. But Nathan and Reba, silently watching from the crowd, knew perfectly well just how ruthless Yvette could be.


    Nathan let out a coldugh as he nced at the unconcerned crowd and thought, They didn''t know how vicious Yvette is. In fact, she''s no ordinary person at all.''


    Back then, when Yvette was just a teenager, she fought hundreds of ancientbat experts gathered by the Goodman family. Thanks to Yvette''s mercy, they survived but took three years to fully recover.


    As Nathan''s coldughter reached her ears, Reba cautiously asked, "What''s up? Do you know Yvette too?"


    Nathan gave Reba a cold look, a chill forming between his brows. Reba was his future wife, so he needed to give her a heads-up.


    Nathan said, ¡°Remember, Reba, there are some people you should never provoke, and Yvette is one of them. If you annoy her, no one can protect you.


    31


    Although Nathan hated that Yvette had intervened to separate him and Sienna, he was self-aware. If it weren''t for Yvette, his brother wouldn''t have been crazy, isting himself at home for days, not eating or drinking, like a useless man.


    Nathan wished he could kill coldhearted Yvette, but he knew it was impossible. Yvette her. Reba was left standing there, stunned, her heart skipping beat.


    e was so powerful that no one could kill


    Reba wondered, ''Does he know what I did? What does he mean? He''s exaggerating. This isn''t Clusia, but Mysonna, where business tycoons are everywhere. So what if Yvette is the real boss of Vibe? Who is she to deserve Nathan saying these words?

 Chapter 542

    ?


    When Nina heard the guests talking, she was stunned that Yvette was the boss of Vibe. The dress she was wearing was from Vibe. Although it wasn''t custom-made, it was still hard for her to book it


    Nina was so scared and deeply regretful because she worked in the entertainment industry, which is closely connected to the fashion industry.


    She had invested a lot of money in the announcement of wearing a dress designed by Vibe, trying to have more resources. and boost her status. But now, Nina offended Vibe''s owner and thought she ruined everything:


    Gael realized Sienna was prepared, and the only thing Gael could do was make an eye gesture to ask Klein for help. He guessed that since Klein hade with Yvette and had hit Jill, they must had a great rtionship.


    Standing next to Yvette, Klein pretended not to notice Cael''s gate. Instead, he stepped closer to Yvette, showing his position. Gael''s face turned pale upon seeing this.


    Sienna nced at Gael and then surveyed the guests around, many of whom were general managers and business owners.


    The news of Gael''s breach of contract had spread in the business circle. If Vibe didn''t handle this situation with Cael well, otherpanies would shit on Vibe in the future.


    Sienna sternly said. "You broke the contract without any reason. We will pursue fullpensation through legal means. Mr. Xander, be careful.¡± Gael had some offshore funds at his disposal, so he wasn''t worried aboutpensation. He had a shameless look on his face as if saying. "What can you do to me?"


    "I can afford to pay Vibe''spensation, so there''s no need for any concern from you or Ms. Zeller," Gael said without hesitation. He was fearless and arrogant, giving Yvette a malevolent nce.


    The guests were stunned by Gael''s words. They didn''t know why Gael got the courage to fall out with Vibe. Just a while ago, Xander Group was in trouble, and Gael was seeking investments everywhere.


    All eyes turned to Yvette, who had remained silent throughout, maintaining a calm expression. Nathan nced at the boastful Gael and sneered. "He''s digging his own grave. Reba''s face changed slightly, and she tightly clenched her handbag


    Yvette leisurely lifted her eyelids, looking at furious Garl. She asked simply, Do


    I mean, your 100 million dors abroad? you think that''s enough?"


    Gael''s expression suddenly changed, and Reba was so frightened that her bag fell to the ground. Reba quickly squatted down to pick up her bag, and when she finally calmed down and looked up, she saw Nathan''s skeptical eyes.


    Gael tried to deny the whole thing and said, "What are you talking about, Ms. Zeller? You can''t make baseless usations just because you re Vibe''s boss.


    *Even if I breached the contract, I only need to pay 100 million dors. Ms. Zeller, are you short of money? You can''t go too far in demanding money."


    Sienna was stunned by Nathan''s shamelessness, tantly denying everything and even shifting the me. Yvette casually yed with the watch on her wrist, raising an eyebrow, her face showing arrogance. She didn''t hurry to speak.


    Sienna was about to argue back when Yvette stopped her, saying. Two minutes Sienna paused and obediently returned to Yvette''s side. Garl was a little smug, thinking Yvette couldn''t argue with him anymore. Then, the phone in his pocket rang.


    1/3


    Dec 25


    Gael couldn''t answer it on such an asion, so he had to hang up, but it rang repeatedly, drawing everyone''s attention to his pocket.


    Gael answered the phone with a scowl "What''s up? Don''t you know I''m at a party? Can you wait until I''m back at the office?


    On the other end was Gael''s secretary. The guests didn''t know what Cael heard and only saw his face darken even more. After he hung up, his hand shook with anger as he looked at Yvette, who remainedposed.


    Cael was bristling with anger and pointed a shaking finger at Yvette, stammering. "You-you ask Cyril Simpson to help Vibe with thewsuit?"


    Sienna''s


    eyes nearly sparkled with excitement at the mention of Cyril. She always wondered why Yvette could stay calm while Gael was so arrogant, and now she realized Yvette had a n.


    Klein was equally shocked, turning his head to look at Yvette. He thought it was a bold move. After all, Cyril was special, whose fees for a case were exorbitant. Of course, he also didn''t expect Yvette to be the real boss of Vibe.


    It was hard for Klein to imagine Yvette, a businesswoman, getting involved in medical experiments. Perhaps a talented person to excel in any field they got into.


    Cyril Simpson, the hottestwyer, was the lead attorney at thergestw firm in Mysonna, undefeated for four years. Besides, the clients had to book his service six months in advance and follow his strict rulesProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    All the guests were astonished when they heard this name. I can''t believe Vibe asked Cyril to be theirwyer. Xander Group is over, just a month ago, Cyril finished an international business dispute.


    Initially, thepensation was supposed to be only six billion dors, but Cyril made that defendant pay nearly thirty billion dors. His reputation as the legal demon is well-deserved."


    "Usually, Cyril will take a six-month break after each case. Why does he end his vacation so early to take Vibe''s case? Jesus. How did Yvette, a woman from Clusia, manage to pull this off?"


    "Did Cyril actually break his rules just for Vibe? That''s unbelievable. If Vibe did it, I''m afraid that Xander Group won''t get away with just paying 100 million dors"


    Nathan always knew Yvette had something up her sleeve, but he didn''t expect Cyril would help her. He thought, Yvette''s connections are always so peculiar.


    She makes friends regardless of their status, as long as she likes. She''s been strange since she was little, and only Braydon


    could love her.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes, glinting in them. Her voice was steady and cold. "Do you think 100 million dors is enough now?"


    Gael surely knew the oue of taking Cyril to court that 100 million


    anger.


    US Could just be Cyril''s legal fees


    Filled with Gael suddenly started yelling at Klein, paying no heed to all the guests present. "Klein, ungrateful bastard. I''m your father. How dare you team up with an outsider against me? Aren''t you afraid of divine punishment?"


    Klein showed no emotion. He had long since given up on his father. Even if Gael dropped dead in front of him, he wouldn''t even shed a single tear. With a nk expression, Klein said. "Gael Xander, do you want me to show everyone the document severing our ties? Since we ended our rtionship, why are you still saying that? I hope you could have a little dignity."


    Gael clutched his chest, clearly shaken by Klein''s words, and was left without a response. All he could do was repeatedly mutter. "Ungrateful, ungrateful!"


    No one present defended Gael The Xander family didn''t have a good reputation, and most of the business associates only


    10:22 Wed, Dec 25 G GD


    worked with them out of respect for his wife Seraphina,

 Chapter 543

    ?


    0


    Chapter 543TM


    Gael was fuming, and Nina, noticing the situation was turning hail, had already slipped away. The door opened once more, and this time, the few people who entered were even more unexpected.


    Seraphina


    , Gael''s wife, hadn''t been seen in ages. Different from the image of an independent wornan in the past, she appeared worn out and sat in a wheelchair, her weak hands resting at her sides.


    Her former elegance and smile were gone, but her gaze remained sharp, filled with sorrow and intense hatred. Behind her was an older white man pushing her wheelchair and a few blonde and blue-eyed men. All of them came from the Dixon family.


    Beside them stood Jeremiah, dressed in a ck suit with the sleaves of his white shirt casually rolled up, exuding an indescribable charisma. His delicate features and deep eyes added to his striking presence.


    Jeremiah walked over to Yvette, noticing her elegant dress and beautiful features. His eyes softened as he spoke gently, "I brought her here, just as you guessed. Mrs Xander was confined by his husband and was cut off from contact with


    everyone."


    Yvette lowered her eyshes and replied, "Thank you." Then she smirked at Jeremiah''s gaze and asked, "Do I look good?" Jeremiah nodded seriously and said in a mixture tone of gentlemanly and libertine, "Yes, pretty good."


    Yvette replied leisurely, with a calm yet rxed tone, "You can go back and take your time."


    Watching Jeremiah and Yvette being so close, Nathan muttered under his breath, "These two are shameless, unting their affair even here."


    Sienna, standing nearby, finally understood the fact. She thought Gael had locked up his wife, and Yvette had Jeremiah rescue her. That was why Jeremiah arrived sote. Yvette was working with him here.


    ''Cael was truly in trouble. Mr. Dixon was not someone to mess with, especially when his only daughter was treated this way, Yvette''s n was brilliant. The Xander family is about to face a major upheaval!


    From the moment Seraphina appeared, Gael''s face turned pale, trembling with fear. He watched as Seraphina, seated in a wheelchair, was pushed toward him by the old butler of the Dixon family.


    Seraphina looked at her husband, feelingpletely heartbroken. "You''re surprised to see I''m here, right? You imprisoned me and broke my legs. Cael, you''re dead."


    Seraphina felt disgusted to say more, so she beckoned to the man behind her. A blond, blue-eyed man stepped forward and seized Gael, muffling his mouth to prevent any screams.


    Only a few people noticed Gael was injected with a small syringe and then Gael passed out instantly before he could struggle.


    Yvette and Jeremiah exchanged a look. Jeremiah narrowed his eyes and remarked, "Professional


    Yvette picked up a strand of hair with her slender fingers, ying with it as she slowly said, "Assassin."


    Jeremiah squeezed her hand, tilted his head, and a cool smile yed on his lips. "He was specially prepared by Mrs. Xander to punish Gael," Klein stood next to thein and recognized Jeremiah as the man who had brought Yvette to theb that day.


    Honestly, before meeting Jeremiah, Klein really couldn''t imagine what kind of man could be worthy of a strong and mysterious woman like Yvette. Now Klein thought he knew.


    Chapter 343-


    Even if Jeremiah and Yvette didn''t say much, the two standing together had a vibe that fit perfectly, which was what he heard as the perfect couple. Gael was taken away by the Dixon family, Sitting in her wheelchor, Seraphina looked at Yvette and Jeremiah with extreme gentleness


    She said, "Ms. Zeller, Mr. Chavez, I''m aware of what Gael did, and we''ll bear all the consequences. Even a small kindness should be repaid with great gratitude, so if you need me, please let me know. I''ll help in any way I can."


    Yvette gave a slight nod, her voice clear, with no extra emotion her delicate features. "No, thanks." Jeremiah nodded as


    well.


    Seraphina felt a bit helpless seeing they didn''t care. Many people would dream of getting a promise from her father, but these two didn''t want any reward at all, which showed that they really didn''t value the favor she was offering.


    It was then that Seraphina noticed Klein standing next to Yvette Surprised, she blurted out, "What are you doing here?"


    Klein had been sent to the Xander family when he was just a child. To be honest, Seraphina didn''t treat Gael''s illegitimate children poorly but ignored them, which was quite generous for a family of their status,


    Klein nodded politely. "Hello, Ms. Seraphina."


    Seraphina nodded at Klein and thought among all of Gael''s children, Klein was the most outstanding and the one she liked most because he was ambitious yet principled, nothing like Gael


    Seraphina ignored the mocking looks from others, and after a moment, as if making an important decision, she kindly asked Klein, "Would you like to return to the Xander family? If you will,e with me."


    Klein was taken aback, not understanding what Seraphina means at that moment.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, noticing Klein''s confused look. She raised her chin a bit, her voice low andmanding. Do what you want


    Hearing this, Klein looked at Yvette, and a struggle shed in his eyes before they returned to calm with determination. "Fine, I''ll go back with you." Seraphina


    best choice.


    led contently. Since Gael was gone, Xander Group needed a new chairman to take it over, and Klein was the


    Before leaving, Klein suddenly turned to Yvette and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Professor." But he didn''t say that thanks for her presence to change his life.


    Jeremiah looked at Klein. The two men''s eyes met, and Klein''s eyes showed nothing but gratitude.


    After Seraphina and Klein left, the banquet hall was quiet for a moment, but everyone''s eyes remained on Yvette and the unexpectedly appearing Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah had amanding aura that made people afraid to look straight at him. Reba nced at Yvette, feeling anxious as if something was slowly getting out of control. Even though Gael had already been taken away, she couldn''t stop


    the fear.


    Reba tugged at Nathan''s sleeve, pretending to feel dizzy and weak as if she might faint at any moment, and begged. "Nathan, I''m not feeling well. I want to go home. Can you take me home? Please."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nathan looked at Reba impatiently. Her pale face seemed genuine, so he held back from speaking harshly. But his tone remained somewhat cold. ¡°Come on, if you''re not feeling well, whye here? I''ll have the driver take you back."


    Reba felt a bit disappointed, but at this point, it didn''t matter much to her. She just wanted to leave there as soon as possible,

 Chapter 544

    ?


    Just as Reba was nning to quietly leave while everyone''s eyes were on Yvette, she was stopped by a familiar voice. "Reba


    With one word, everyone in the previously silent hall turned their gaze to Nathan and Reba who was trying to sneak


    away.


    Nathan quickly turned to Reba after noticing Yvette''s gaze, hi expression severe. He wondered how Reba upset Wette.


    Reba''s face was rigid as she clutched her bag, almost losing her bnce. Trying to appear calm, she turned around, only to be met with Yvette''s teasing look.


    She knew that Yvette had found out about her using Xander Group against Vibe and thought she must never admit it. Reba could only reassure herself that Yvette wouldn''t have any solid evidence.


    After all, the money for that transaction had gone through at least three transfers, making it hard to trace back to her and Arcanum Group.


    Reba pretended to be confused and smoothed her hair. ¡°What''s wrong, Ms. Zeller? I''m feeling a bit unwell, so if there''s nothing urgent, I''ll leave so as not to disturb you


    Yvette burst intoughter, watching Reba pretend to be weak as if she were about to faint. Yvette''s brows slightly arched, her smile was captivating, and a hint of arrogance shone in her eyes.


    "Reba, you''ve gone through so much trouble to transfer 160 million dors three times to Gael. Don''t you want to exin?" asked Yvette. Jeremiah stood nearby, with an air of elegance and a doting smile in his eyes. He wasn''t surprised that Yvette had figured our who targeted Vibe overnight. Yvette was always highly efficient, just like when she dated him.


    Reba unconsciously took a step back at Yvette''s words. Seeing the skeptical nces from everyone, she quickly steadied herself and stood up straight, her eyes slightly red with grievance, and her voice shook.


    Reba said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we know each other from Seacrity. You use me of setting up Vibe, but where''s your evidence? Everyone in the industry is aware that it was Xander Group who broke the contract. What''s that got to do with me!


    "Yes, Arcanum Group and Vibe arepetitors, but the charge you have given me is too serious. I''m just the general manager of Arcanum Group, and you''re Vibe''s boss, but that doesn''t mean you can nder me as you please."


    Reba''s words were logical and convincing, causing the guests to subconsciously support her.


    One of the guests said, "Yep. Ms. Carter really has no reason to target Vibe. She''s such a kind and well-mannered girl, so there must be some misunderstanding, right?"


    "I agree. She''s Mr. Goodman''s fianc¨¦e. Why would she do such a thing?"


    Nathan looked at Reba with suspicion. In his opinion, Reba was intelligent and wouldn''t do something like this, so he thought Yvette was deliberately creating problems for Reba, making his expression darken.


    Reba knew who her greatest support was at this moment. If yvette intended to go against her, only the Goodman family and Nathan could protect her.


    After speaking, Reba gave Nathan a pitiful look, humbly pleading for him to trust her. She quietly said, "I really don''t know what Yvette is talking about. I don''t hold any grudge against Vibe, so I don''t have to do this.


    "Don''t believe what Yvette says. Our families have always had conflicts, and she''s probably trying to use this chance to get


    1/3


    back at me."


    Nathan didn''t immediately believe Reba and simply remarked, "If you lie to me, it''ll be thest thing you do."


    Jeremiah stood with one hand in his pocket and a chill in his eyes, looking indifferent as he watched Reba try to gain everyone''s sympathy. "Reba, you can''t do it without any trace. Do you really think you can deceive everyone?" asked Sienna.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, the guests stopped whispering and went silent. Nathan didn''t want to go against Yvette, but Reba was his fianc¨¦e. If he didn''t say something for Reba, he would lose h reputation and dignity.


    Grinding his teeth, Nathan finally turned to Yvette and spoke, w Reba''s hopeful gaze on him. "Yvette, Reba is my fianc¨¦e and will be the hostess of the Goodman family. If you have no proof, don''t make up a story."


    If it weren''t for Yvette, Nathan wouldn''t be so polite and would''ve had her out already. But since the person targeting Reba was Yvette, he couldn''t use a harsh tone because he couldn''t afford to offend her, nor did he dare.


    Nathan''s attitude surprised everyone because the Goodman farmly usually didn''t treat their enemies so calmly. Reba was somewhat shocked, with increasing uneasiness in her heart.


    Nathan then turned his attention to the fierce Sienna and said, "Sienna, don''t target Reba just because she''s my You were the one who left me." Sienna wanted to throw up. "Oh, my God, shame on you, Nathan Don''t be gross here.¡±


    Sienna was 50


    fianc¨¦e.


    disgusted by Nathan that she didn''t even want to speak. Seeing his affectionate gaze gave her goosebumps. Yvette casually raised an eyebrow, her gaze downcast, making her emotions hard to read in her clear and bright eyes. "Proof? No problem."


    As soon as the guests heard there was proof, they started gossiping eagerly.


    "Jesus, did you hear that? Vibe''s boss said there''s proof. Wow, things got interesting."


    "If Yvette really brings out the proof, Reba will be done,"


    "If it''s true, Reba''s acting is so good."


    Yvette''s words stunned Reba, making it hard for her to stand, She gripped her bag tightly to conceal her growing fear.


    Nathan''s face suddenly became terrifyingly cold. Right then, Bruce came out from the crowd, looking distinguished and graceful, walking confidently over to Yvette and Jeremiah. Jeremiah, Yvette."


    Handing the briefcase to Yvette, Bruce said, "Yvette, here is the evidence of Reba bribing Gael, along with the detailed financial transactions." After speaking, Bruce stood next to Sienna. Sienna held Bruce''s hand and softly asked, "Is this the folder that Yvette gave you when she got out of the car? Did Yvette really find all the evidence out overnight?"


    Bruce casually put his arm around Sienna''s shoulder and whispered in her ear, ''I bet Yvette didn''t need the whole night." Yvette''s face was nk, her eyes deep. She pulled out the papers from the briefcase and tossed them at Reba.


    The dozens of papers scattered through the air and covered the door in an instant. Guests bent down to read the contents, except for Reba, who stood inotionless, eyes unfocused.


    Nathan nced at the paper and immediately turned to stare at Reba, his eyes filled with simmering anger, sending chills down Reba''s spine.

 Chapter 544

    ?


    Just as Reba was nning to quietly leave while everyone''s eyes were on Yvette, she was stopped by a familiar voice. "Reba


    With one word, everyone in the previously silent hall turned their gaze to Nathan and Reba who was trying to sneak


    away.


    Nathan quickly turned to Reba after noticing Yvette''s gaze, hi expression severe. He wondered how Reba upset Wette.


    Reba''s face was rigid as she clutched her bag, almost losing her bnce. Trying to appear calm, she turned around, only to be met with Yvette''s teasing look.


    She knew that Yvette had found out about her using Xander Group against Vibe and thought she must never admit it. Reba could only reassure herself that Yvette wouldn''t have any solid evidence.


    After all, the money for that transaction had gone through at least three transfers, making it hard to trace back to her and Arcanum Group.


    Reba pretended to be confused and smoothed her hair. ¡°What''s wrong, Ms. Zeller? I''m feeling a bit unwell, so if there''s nothing urgent, I''ll leave so as not to disturb youN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Yvette burst intoughter, watching Reba pretend to be weak as if she were about to faint. Yvette''s brows slightly arched, her smile was captivating, and a hint of arrogance shone in her eyes.


    "Reba, you''ve gone through so much trouble to transfer 160 million dors three times to Gael. Don''t you want to exin?" asked Yvette. Jeremiah stood nearby, with an air of elegance and a doting smile in his eyes. He wasn''t surprised that Yvette had figured our who targeted Vibe overnight. Yvette was always highly efficient, just like when she dated him.


    Reba unconsciously took a step back at Yvette''s words. Seeing the skeptical nces from everyone, she quickly steadied herself and stood up straight, her eyes slightly red with grievance, and her voice shook.


    Reba said, ¡°Ms. Zeller, we know each other from Seacrity. You use me of setting up Vibe, but where''s your evidence? Everyone in the industry is aware that it was Xander Group who broke the contract. What''s that got to do with me!


    "Yes, Arcanum Group and Vibe arepetitors, but the charge you have given me is too serious. I''m just the general manager of Arcanum Group, and you''re Vibe''s boss, but that doesn''t mean you can nder me as you please."


    Reba''s words were logical and convincing, causing the guests to subconsciously support her.


    One of the guests said, "Yep. Ms. Carter really has no reason to target Vibe. She''s such a kind and well-mannered girl, so there must be some misunderstanding, right?"


    "I agree. She''s Mr. Goodman''s fianc¨¦e. Why would she do such a thing?"


    Nathan looked at Reba with suspicion. In his opinion, Reba was intelligent and wouldn''t do something like this, so he thought Yvette was deliberately creating problems for Reba, making his expression darken.


    Reba knew who her greatest support was at this moment. If yvette intended to go against her, only the Goodman family and Nathan could protect her.


    After speaking, Reba gave Nathan a pitiful look, humbly pleading for him to trust her. She quietly said, "I really don''t know what Yvette is talking about. I don''t hold any grudge against Vibe, so I don''t have to do this.


    "Don''t believe what Yvette says. Our families have always had conflicts, and she''s probably trying to use this chance to get


    1/3


    back at me."


    Nathan didn''t immediately believe Reba and simply remarked, "If you lie to me, it''ll be thest thing you do."


    Jeremiah stood with one hand in his pocket and a chill in his eyes, looking indifferent as he watched Reba try to gain everyone''s sympathy. "Reba, you can''t do it without any trace. Do you really think you can deceive everyone?" asked Sienna.


    With that, the guests stopped whispering and went silent. Nathan didn''t want to go against Yvette, but Reba was his fianc¨¦e. If he didn''t say something for Reba, he would lose h reputation and dignity.


    Grinding his teeth, Nathan finally turned to Yvette and spoke, w Reba''s hopeful gaze on him. "Yvette, Reba is my fianc¨¦e and will be the hostess of the Goodman family. If you have no proof, don''t make up a story."


    If it weren''t for Yvette, Nathan wouldn''t be so polite and would''ve had her out already. But since the person targeting Reba was Yvette, he couldn''t use a harsh tone because he couldn''t afford to offend her, nor did he dare.


    Nathan''s attitude surprised everyone because the Goodman farmly usually didn''t treat their enemies so calmly. Reba was somewhat shocked, with increasing uneasiness in her heart.


    Nathan then turned his attention to the fierce Sienna and said, "Sienna, don''t target Reba just because she''s my You were the one who left me." Sienna wanted to throw up. "Oh, my God, shame on you, Nathan Don''t be gross here.¡±


    Sienna was 50


    fianc¨¦e.


    disgusted by Nathan that she didn''t even want to speak. Seeing his affectionate gaze gave her goosebumps. Yvette casually raised an eyebrow, her gaze downcast, making her emotions hard to read in her clear and bright eyes. "Proof? No problem."


    As soon as the guests heard there was proof, they started gossiping eagerly.


    "Jesus, did you hear that? Vibe''s boss said there''s proof. Wow, things got interesting."


    "If Yvette really brings out the proof, Reba will be done,"


    "If it''s true, Reba''s acting is so good."


    Yvette''s words stunned Reba, making it hard for her to stand, She gripped her bag tightly to conceal her growing fear.


    Nathan''s face suddenly became terrifyingly cold. Right then, Bruce came out from the crowd, looking distinguished and graceful, walking confidently over to Yvette and Jeremiah. Jeremiah, Yvette."


    Handing the briefcase to Yvette, Bruce said, "Yvette, here is the evidence of Reba bribing Gael, along with the detailed financial transactions." After speaking, Bruce stood next to Sienna. Sienna held Bruce''s hand and softly asked, "Is this the folder that Yvette gave you when she got out of the car? Did Yvette really find all the evidence out overnight?"


    Bruce casually put his arm around Sienna''s shoulder and whispered in her ear, ''I bet Yvette didn''t need the whole night." Yvette''s face was nk, her eyes deep. She pulled out the papers from the briefcase and tossed them at Reba.


    The dozens of papers scattered through the air and covered the door in an instant. Guests bent down to read the contents, except for Reba, who stood inotionless, eyes unfocused.


    Nathan nced at the paper and immediately turned to stare at Reba, his eyes filled with simmering anger, sending chills down Reba''s spine.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 545

    ?


    device


    Reba cult lenger ride the wrength to argue where before her anything he told he meaningless The reputation she patien-ingly the eyor Arymen''s eber eauty shattered with some casual


    il by Barth


    son


    couldn''t Tver was like a curse to the Carte family. Even after fleeing to and beasing Searrity, they will eldrit en ape her she seemed ball best on destroying them


    The murmuring of the summunding gowns buzzed armond Rebekka, leaving her in a daze Shewtraightened her posture suddenly, not wanting to fumber humiliste herself. There was point in feigning innocence anymore.


    es general manager, thepany will deal with me


    Yverte, I admit that I was behind this incident. As Arcanum ordingly Vibe wants to file awsuit against me, go ahead be waiting for the court sumenons Reberca said.


    As she turned to leave, she nces at Nathan and saw the disguin his eyes This was the man she had gone to great lengthe to please, yet at this moment, all he showed was contempt. He didn''t utter a single word of concern or support


    Little did she know that even if Yvette hadn''t presented the evidence today, Nathan still wouldn''t have dared to defend her. let alone now, when Yvette held undeniable proof


    Hearing the crowd''s murmurs, Nathan couldn''t stand being there anymore. He left after saying, "Handle it yourself, or don''t bothering back" After Nathan''s merciless departure, Reba bit on her lip hard Tears of humiliation streamed down her face. Yvette was indifferent to Nathan''s exit, only ncing at the abandoned Reba impassively. Her tone was cold and detached as she spoke


    "Have Mr. Carter see me within two days. Does he really think the Carter family can escape their past by hiding in Mysonna? Wishful thinking. If I''m after someone, I''ll still dig up their ashest she said.


    Yvette''s words were so bold and arrogant that everyone present was leftpletely stunned. What she said was extremely audacious, yeting from her, it felt perfectly fitting.


    Reba froze before walking off with a cold expression. After the incident with the Smith family, ude had warned her that Yvette wouldn''t let the Carter family off the hook. Sure enough. Yvette found something to use against them.


    Now, Reba just wanted to rush home to report this matter to ude.


    Back in the ballroom, the guests realized there was nothing more to see and dispersed to mingle with others. In a corner. Jeremiah sat with Yvette, Sienna, and Bruce. The four formed their own little space.


    Jeremiah stopped Yvette from picking up the ss of red wine she''d reached out for, and handed her some orange juice instead. He said softly, "Drink this."


    Yvette nced at him, obediently epting the orange juice and sipping it slowly. Her defined fingers rested casually on the


    armrest


    In a low voice, Jeremiah asked, "Is Mrs. Zeller''s situation rted to the Carter family?


    Sienna and Bruce took a sip of their red wine silently. Sienna had known Yvette for quite some time, but she had never heard her mention anything about Lilian


    Yvette blinked slowly, her expression calm. After a pause, she finally replied, "Yes. ude was involved in the incident back then too" With Dennis gone, ude was next, then Rashad in Hetrico. The truth was drawing closer by the minute.


    Yvette lowered her gaze, uncertainty clouding her eyes. ''I wonder what kind of truth I''d uncover from ude about the past? she thought.


    1/3


    As the party began, the kemirers, being the tears, finally made their appearance York Ramirez and Cam Ramirez, along with their son Filgar Ramires, were iminentiately weed wall enthusiasm and admiration by all the quears.


    Everyone in the ballroom, save for Yette and her friends, engedly approached York and Cam. They aimed to form condections, especially with Edgs. As the powerhouse in Mysona, even the slightest fast from him would gready benefit


    them


    Edgar, who was tumrounded by the crowl, noticed someone sing in the corner. His eyes lit up immediately. Afraid of griting the wrong person, he hesitated to approach rashly. He corfully observed them for a long while before confirming really was that big shot.


    Waving off the crowd, Edgas signaled for them to make way and headed straight toward Yvette and her group. Everyone watched as he strode across the room, curiosity sparking in the hearts.


    York and Cam were surprised to see their son hurrying toward the corner. But when they saw who was sitting there, they couldn''t contain their excitement either.


    After exchanging a look and whispered words, they followed Edgar toward the group in the corner. For the party hosts to approach someone, the guests spected that they were going to confront them.


    After all, what happened earlier was still fresh on everyone''s minds. The news would start spreading after the party, so it made sense for the hosts to step in and demand answers now.


    Edgar stood in front of Yvette first. The chattering among the group came to a stop upon seeing him. Sienna was the first to


    and greet him. "Mr. Ramirez, is there anything we can help you with?"


    Though Sienna and Edgar had never interacted directly before, they knew each other through mutual friends, Edgar replied with a gentlemanly smile, "Hello, Ms. Sterling. I''m here to speak to Yvette."


    Edgar''s gazended on Yvette. He seemed determined to see through her. His features were chiseled, with slightly upturned, hazel eyes that looked incredibly gentle.


    Of course, this attitude was reserved only for Yvette. Edgar typically never acted this way. Yvette looked up, her clear, brightN?velDrama.Org content.


    fell him. Her longshes cast shadows over her face.


    eyes


    on


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. Jeremiah honed in on Edgar, wondering if he hade chasing after Yvette.


    Everyone in the ballroom was stunned. How could Vibe''s boss speak to him so rudely?


    This was Edgar Ramirez-the infamous figure every big industry leader sought to tter since hemanded half of Mysonna''s economic lifeblood. Aside from Mysonna''s president, the only one bold enough to act this way in front of him was Yvette.


    Did she even know who this was? Did she realize who she was talking to? Who could withstand the Edgar''s wrath? These questions lingered in everyone''s minds, and nobody dared to make a sound.


    When Edgar heard these words, his expression didn''t falter. Instead, he seemed even more at ease. When he spoke again, his tone was warm and rxed, like a spring breeze.


    "Ms. Zeller, I never imagined you''d attend. Your presence truly brightens up the event. Had I known you wereing. I''d have greeted you personally. Earlier, I heard there was a disagreement between Vibe''s boss and the Arcanum Group''s manager," said Edgar


    "Rest assured, our bank will terminate all business rtions with the Arcanum Group. Any loan applications from them won''t be approved as well. Edgar added.


    Upon hearing what happened earlier and seeing Sienna seated here, Edgar immediately deduced that Yvette was the owner of Vibe. Without hesitation, he came to this decision immediately.


    2/3


    10:23 Wed, Dec 25 G GD.


    What was Arcanum Grouppared to this big shot? If Cyrus and out Yvette was upset, he would definitely be displeased.

 Chapter 546

    ?


    Just as Edgar finished speaking and before anyone could react, the Ramirezs stepped forward. Jeremiah stood up calmly, and they greeted him delightfully, speaking fluently in Clusian. Wee, Jeremiah


    Elgar turned around to see his parents radiating friendly similes Upon looking back at Jeremiah, Edgar noticed that he exuded an aura ofmanding presence, clearly a formidable character.


    It was surprising to know that Jeremiah was an old acquaintance of his parents, and their rtionship seemed quite friendly.


    Jeremiah''s dark, deep eyes revealed a hint of aloofness as he politely nodded to York and Cam. "It''s been a long time. How have you both been recently?"


    The Ramirezs nodded together and said, "Good-how have you been doingtely?"


    Jeremiah''s gaze softened slightly. "Quite well"


    When the Ramirezs saw Jeremiah''s expression, they knew he wasn''t nning to reveal his family background in that setting. They simply smiled and chose not to pursue the topic further.


    Edgar asked softly, ''Dad, who''s this?" With just a mention from the Ramirezs, Edgar immediately knew Jeremiah''s identity. "Mr. Chavez is the one who saved my life back in Spaunia."


    The remark was brief. Edgar was shocked. Years ago, his parents had been kidnapped by pirates in Spaunia, and a Clusian general led a joint operation with soldiers from two other countries to rescue them. It turned out that the person standing before him was Jeremiah.


    What intrigued Edgar was the rtionship between Jeremiah and Yvette. He didn''t dare to specte that they might be involved romantically as it was difficult to imagine what it would be like for a big shot like Yvette to be dating.


    "Besides, if she were dating, would that person from the presidential pce find out?'' Edgar wondered.


    The next moment, Jeremiah seemed to sense Edgar''s thoughts and turned to Yvette with a gentle voice, saying. These are the Ramirezs, the former ambassadors to Clusia."


    Then, he turned to introduce Yvette. "This is my fianc¨¦e, Yvette Zeller."


    Yvette slightly lowered her gaze, her long eyshes gently fluttering, and her bright eyes carried a hint of coldness. Her long hair waszily draped behind her, casual and unrestrained. She nodded at the Ramirezs and greeted them.


    She then shot a displeased nce at Jeremiah. ''He sure said ''fiancee so naturally! She scoffed inwardly.


    Edgar was shocked after hearing Jeremiah introduce Yvette as his fianc¨¦e. Fianc¨¦e? This big shot is already engaged?''


    He was pondering whether he should quickly go out and report that to someone at the presidential pce or not. If that person found out, he would be sure to rush back from abroad immediately.


    Edgar was lost in his own thoughts when he looked up and saw ette raising her eyebrows. Her eyes were cold with a hint of mischief, deep and calm like a frozen pond, with her lips curled into a smile.


    Edgar''s heart skipped a beat as he thought, This big shot''s half-smile is too intimidating. He quickly abandoned the thought of going out to make a call to inform that person.


    Sienna and Bruce stood at the side, observing the atmosphere between the people in front of them. It felt off and strange. but they couldn''t figure out what was strange about it.


    It was normal for Jeremiah to know the Ramirezs, but it was clear that Yvette also knew Edgar. His attitude toward her was very odd. Not only were they acquainted, but there was also a hint of fear and ttery in their conversation.


    Although Yvette was an Interpol officer, Edgar''s status was far from that of an ordinary public official. He was the vice president of Empire Bank and a confidant of the president of Mysonna. Everyone in Mysonna''s elite society knew about.


    that.


    Why was he being so respectful to Yvette? It seemed a bit too unusual. The atmosphere and conversation among them left others at the party confused. Edgar''s attitude was downright shocking.


    Why would the boss of a small business like Vibe be worth such attery from Edgar? He didn''t even mind the entire room of guests as he tantly cklisted Arcanum Group for Vibe''s bossake.


    Once Edgar''s words got out, which bank in Mysonna would dare to support Arcanum Group or offer them loans? What''s most surprising is that Yvette hadn''t said a word, Edgar had brought it up on his own.


    What did that indicate? It implied that Edgar was trying to curry Favor with Yvette. Everyone was confused; a situation that should''ve been about seeking ountability had somehow taken aplete 180-degree turn into that.


    The party resumed with the Ramirezs taking the stage to share some thoughts on marriage. The screen showed a documentary about their lives. Eventually, the party was carried out smoothly and ended sessfully.


    Jeremiah, Yvette, Sienna, and Bruce were already heading back to the mansion. After a brief chat, Jeremiah suggested leaving early and didn''t stay until the party was over,


    Yvette curled up in the car, having already changed out of her ck evening gown into a simple white tee and long jeans. Her long hair was loosely tied back, draping over her shoulders. Her stunningly beautiful eyes were subtly hidden behind a few strands of hair across her forehead, exuding an astonishing beauty.


    Her eyes shimmered, her skin as smooth as clouds. She tilted her head slightly, resting her chin on her hand. Bruce was driving, with Sienna in the passenger seat. It was silent inside the car.


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette''s profile and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Just a moment ago, when Edgar saw Yvette and the others preparing to leave the hall, he had called Yvette aside in front of everyone. No one knew what they had talked about during those ten minutes.


    Anyway, after Edgar had returned, his face visibly showed disappointment. He seemed down as if he had suffered some kind


    f blow, and there was even a hint of lingering aggrievance on his face.


    ofConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Yvette looked at Jeremiah and pondered for a while before speaking again. "He asked if he could be invited to my wedding" Jeremiah''s lips curled slightly as he held her hand, his expression intense. He chuckled softly. "What did you say?"


    Yvette stared at Jeremiah''s face, her tone light and rxed, carrying a hint of indifference. ¡°I said no-we barely know each


    other."


    Bruce, who was driving, and Sienna, in the passenger seat, truly didn''t know how to describe their feelings at that moment. After they had heard that, there was no wonder Edgar had gone out ecstatically, yet returned to the party looking dejected.


    Yvette''s remark could really leave someone speechless. If they were Edgar, their mentality would''ve shattered right then. It was just too embarrassing.


    Jeremiah slightly raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep with a hint of smile. With a smooth and maic voice, he said, "Hmm, you''re right. I''ll go with whatever you say."


    Yvette tilted her head and nced at him. Her eyes flickered slightly. Was he just agreeing with her? Why was he smiling? Was it that funny? Sienna thought for a moment and said, "Um-Yvette, can we be a bit more tactful in the future? After all, Edgar is the vice president of Empire Bank. We should show him a little respect. Just a little.


    10:23 Wed, Dec 25 GG.


    Yvette propped her chin, raised her eyes, and nced casually a Sienna.


    She smirked, and with a nonchnt yet serious tone, she responded to Sienna, "I don''t sugarcoat my words.


    194390%•þ


    10:23 Wed, Dec 25 G GO

 Chapter 547

    ?


    Sienna was at a loss for words. Upon seeing how serious Yvette was, she realized it was probably impossible for her to be tactful. Those wounded by her sharp remarks would have to heat their own pace.


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly and nced at Yvette with a fair smile on his lips. While Yvette gazed out the window, Jeremiah''s eyes were fixed solely on her.


    On the second floor of the mansion, Yvette stepped out of the room after her slower and saw Jeremiah standing on the balcony. His tall, broad back exuded a unique aloofness. He was dressed in a white shirt and ck pants, and the radiant moonlight cast a cool, pale glow over his skin.


    Several cigarette buttsy in the ashtray. Under the flickering light, Jeremiah''s face looked intriguingly mysterious.


    Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, Jeremiah nced back and stubbed out the cigarette he hadn''t finished. His profound, blue eyes gleamed with a brilliance akin to the starlit glow of the night sky. It was the first time he had smoked in front of


    Yvette.


    Slipping off his coat, Jeremiah smiled and said softly, There''s the smell of smoke. Give me a second."


    Before Jeremiah could say another word, Yvette approached. He long legs were subtly outlined beneath the white shirt. His blue eyes instantly lit up and grew more intense.


    Yvette walked straight up to Jeremiah. Her eyes met his as she raised an eyebrow. Her clear, enchanting gaze wasced with an intriguing threat, while the curve of her lips hinted at a frivolous arrogance.


    She nced at the cigarette box on the table, nonchntly picked one up, and lit it in one swift motion.


    Her white shirt was slightly rolled up at the sleeves, with a few buttons undone, revealing her delicate corbones that glowed softly. She held the cigarette with her clean, slender fingers. In the dim light of the night, her bare face was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Jeremiah met her intense gaze, and his eyes flickered slightly. An unspoken emotion surged between them.


    Yvette took a puff, exhaled slowly, and gave a devilish grin. Her charm was irresistible. She asked, "What? Thinking about your ex-girlfriend?" Jeremiah''s lips tugged into a faint smile, and he raised his brows yfully. "No, never. From the very beginning until now, you''re the only one in my life."


    Yvette lifted off her toes slightly, raised her gaze, and reached out to pinch Jeremiah''s chin. There was a faint stubble beneath, but it wasn''t harsh. She spoke slowly and deliberately. Jeremiah, it''s not just until now. Even when you die, there can only be me."


    Jeremiah''s heart skipped a beat. His delicate brows and eyes were full of expression.


    He held onto Yvette''s hand that was pinching his chin. His features were sharp and defined. Under the moonlight, their two figures stood in perfect contrast. His voice, low and steady, wasced with a soft, husky quality. "All right. Only you, even


    until death."


    Jeremiah saw her take a drag and then put the cigarette down. In low voice, he asked, "Can you smoke?"


    Yvette nodded. Her face was cold and pristine, and her eyes were as pure as a child''s. Under the starry night sky, her voice carried a chilling coldness. "Yes, but I don''t like it."


    When she was at Colosseum in Afria, there were three matches every day, with tight schedules for morning, afternoon, and evening. That was when she picked up the habit of smoking. Cigarettes were indeed a good thing.


    1/3


    Jeremiah wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tilted his head. "Let''s sleep"


    Yvette raised an eyebrow, and her lips curled into a mischievousmile. ¡°Hmm-you rest. I''ll do it."


    Jeremiah fixed her with a sharp look. His gaze was intense, like a wolf eyeing its prey. "Okay, you do it.


    Yvette arched her brow and casually remarked, "You''re quite shameless."


    Jeremiah nodded. A rare flecting smile appeared on his usually serious face. With a serious look, he said, "With you, I don''t mind being shameless," Early the next morning, Joe brought Oliver over with gifts. When they arrived, Yvette, Jeremiah, and Bruce were having


    breakfast.


    Without a word, Joe left Oliver, a first-time visitor, in the living room and made his way to the dining table, sitting down wherever he liked..


    "Gosh, so much food! Did you make extra because you knew I haven''t had breakfast? That''s so thoughtful," Joe said as he grabbed a piece of bread and started eating.


    Frankie looked at Joe and pouted. ''Hey-you''re quite shameless Did I say I prepared this for you?"


    Joe casually waved his hand and gave him an unconcerned look.


    Joe quickly finished his bread and started exining his intentions to Yvette, who was sitting across from him. "Yvette, I know what that jerk, Oliver, did. My grandpa has already scolded him as well. That brat is out of his mind, thinking he could race with those skills. If it weren''t for you, he''d probably have lost his life. Thank you for saving him, Yvette."


    After saying that, Joe turned and shouted at Oliver, who was still standing there looking dazed. "Get over here and thank Yvette! You owe your life to her, so don''t even think about pulling something like that again!"


    After the racing incident, Oliver hadpletely submitted to Yvette, so no matter what Joe said to him, he wasn''t angry at all.


    Oliver happily walked up to Yvette''s side and casually pulled out a chair. He smiled brightly,pletely different from the spoiled rich kid she had met before on the hillside of the Yoder Manor. Right then, he seemed more like a boy next door. His hair was also dyed back to its natural color, and he looked extremely well-behaved.


    "Yvette, I dere that from today onward, you''re my boss. I''ll be your most loyalckey. From now on, I''ll do whatever you want me to do!" Oliver said.


    Oliver had resolved to be Yvette''s most loyalckey. Being herckey would also allow him to learn her racing techniques. Oliver wore a smug grin, which made Bruce, Sienna, Emmett, Chris, Frankie, and Joe feel a bit uneasy.


    Sitting casually on the chair, Yvette looked up with a hint of weariness in her eyes and nonchntly remarked, "I don''t takeckeys, and you''re too weak."


    After hearing that, Oliver pouted and moved closer to Yvette.


    At that moment, Jeremiah suddenly stood up and picked up the orange juice on the table. Upon noticing everyone''s gaze, he said slowly to Yvette, I''ll get some water. You go ahead and eat."


    Yvette nodded slightly as she narrowed her beautiful eyes.


    As Jeremiah passed by Oliver, he casually brushed his hand against his chair. The action was barely noticeable.


    In the next second, Oliver''s chair broke apart with a loud crack, and he fell straight to the floor.


    0


    WEU, DEL ZJN?velDrama.Org content.


    5


    1


    With a resounding thud, the floor shook with the impact. One could tell from the sound alone how brutal the fall was.


    90%


    Oliver''s face twisted in pain. He almost let out a yell but suppressed it. As ackey, he wasn''t allowed to show vulnerability. Even if he broke a tooth, he''d swallow the pain down and endure it.


    Jeremiah stopped in his tracks and turned back to help Oliver up. He said in a deep voice, "Be more careful. With that, he headed to the kitchen. Oliver didn''t expect Jeremiah to help him up. "Thank you," he said. He then mumbled to himself, "This chair''s quality is terrible. It needs to be reced."


    The chair suddenly broke for no reason. It was clearly a defective piece.


    Emmett and Bruce exchanged nces. They noticed Oliver''s clueless look. Jeremiah was truly deviously cunning.


    It was obvious to them that Jeremiah had deliberately used his internal energy earlier. Otherwise, the solid wooden chair would never have cracked


    like that.


    The reason was obvious. Oliver had been sitting too close to Yvette just then. Jeremiah was jealous,

 Chapter 548

    ?


    Yvette smirked as she watched Jeremiah from behind. Her gaze hifted to Oliver, who was sprawled on the floor after his fall. "It''s time to rece it."


    Oliver thought he''d just been unlucky with a faulty chair. Natury, he had no idea Frankie had custom-ordered the solid wood chair which was worth a few thousand dors from lugrea


    Joe sat cross-legged, not sparing Oliver a second nce, "How could the Yoder family end up with such a fool who''d continue to be kind to the person who betrayed him?'' he thought.


    After breakfast, everyone moved to the living room. Frankie and Oliver werepletely engrossed in a mobile game, the others quietly enjoyed their coffee.


    while


    Joe set down his coffee cup and hesitated momentarily before deciding to share what he knew. "Yvette, there''s news about Braydon."


    The moment he spoke, Jeremiah shot him a sharp look. Joe instantly regretted bringing it up. Yvelle''sion remained calm as she peeled an orange leisurely. She lifted her gaze. "Hmm?"


    Joe wasn''t aware that Yvette had already crossed paths with Braydon on Dead Street.


    "Yvette, something''s off with Braydon. People are saying he''s been holed up for days without eating or drinking, lookingpletely wrecked. The underworld is stirring, everyone''s itching to grab a piece of his turf," said Joe.


    "Seventy-Two Chambers is keeping things in check for now, but smaller gangs are already causing trouble. If Braydon doesn''te out soon to take charge, the underworld of Mysonra could fall into chaos, Joe added.


    Although the Yoder family had left the underworld, in Mysonna, the lines between legal and illegal dealings were always intertwined. To say they had no influence at all would be unrealistic.


    Joe couldn''t help but wonder, ''How can Braydon, who''s typically ruthless and decisive, suddenly copse like this and shut himself away? Something''s definitely off. Yvette''s the only person who can push Braydon into such despair. His obsession with her has long be an incurable madness.


    Yvette lounged on the couch, popping an orange wedge into her mouth. Her unreadable gaze showed no emotion. She spoke slowly, "It won''t." Jeremiah''s intense gaze fixed on her, a flicker of understanding shing in his deep eyes. His voice, low and certain, cut through the room. "Braydon came to you, didn''t he?"


    The air in the living room seemed to be still as Sienna, Bruce, Emmett, and Chris instinctively quieted their breathing.


    Yvette tilted her head slightly, crossing her long legs, her striking features cold and detached. "Minhm. Dead Street was a trap set by hisckeys to lure me there. If I''m not mistaken, Oliver was also part of their n


    Everyone in the room was aware of the recent racing incident on Death Street. Earlier, Oliver had vividly recounted the events, and just hearing it was enough to imagine how intense and dangerous the see?e had been.


    Emmett frowned and said, "Yvette, what was Braydon trying to achieve by setting this up? What if something had happened to you during the race?" Joe blurted out instinctively, "As if that could happen!"N?velDrama.Org content.


    The confident tone caught everyone''s attention in the living room, and even the two ying games paused.


    Joe felt the pressure of their gazes, which was a bit overwhelming. However, he had his reasons for saying so. However, it was


    clear that nobody aside from him knew just how skilled Yvette was at racing.


    Should I hint at Yvette''s reputation in the racing industry? That the question, thought Joe.


    90%


    Yvette raised her eyebrows, her green eyes narrowing slightly. Her expression remained indifferent, and her voice was soft and slow. "I''ve entered a few races and ced fairly well"


    Hearing this, everyone immediately stopped pressing. They exchanged knowing looks, silently acknowledging they''d already guessed her standing in those races,


    As the conversation continued, the doorbell suddenly rang, Chris, who was closest to the door, got up to open it.


    The door opened, revealing an elderly man and a younger one standing at the entrance. The older man''s piercing gaze contrasted with the deep lines etched across his face. His cloudy eyes hinted at age, and he leaned on a cane, dressed in a


    suit


    The young man was dressed in a formal ck suit. His expression was serious as he gently supported the elderly man with his right hand. "Is Ms. Zeller here?" the young man asked.


    Chris nced at Victor briefly, then said calmly, "Yes. Pleasee in." He then led the way, with the two visitors following him into the living room. Victor immediately spotted Yvette sitting on the couch. It was the second time he had seen her since leaving Seacrity. Her face was still as beautiful and emotionless as ever.


    When he saw Yvette, Victor thought how he''d broken off their engagement months ago for Winona. He''d watched the recent Clusia-Ybau race and learned she was not only the owner of Vibe but also someone with international influence. The current Yvette was beyond his reach.


    Yvette had probably never taken the Carter family seriously from the start. He truly regretted it, as he''d passed off the sham as genuine and let a true treasure slip through his fingers.


    Sienna was stunned, noticing the elderly man and the young man. "Victor Carter?"


    The young man was indeed Victor Carter and the elderly man was ude Carter, who''d never shown himself before. This was also the first time Yvette and ude were meeting face-to-face, and neither spoke first.


    The atmosphere in the room grew tense and cold. Their gazes locked, one defiant and sharp, the other dull, lifeless, and calcting.


    Jeremiah noticed the chilling intensity in ude''s gaze. His expression darkened.


    Finally, it was ude who broke the silence, his voice grating like metal being scraped, "Yvette, from the moment you returned to Seacrity, I knew this day woulde. How could the child of Lilian be ordinary?"


    Yvette remained seated, her unwavering gaze fixed on ude,pletely disregarding Victor standing beside him.


    ude met Yvette''s cold, unyielding gaze, and for a moment, he felt like he''d been cast into an icy abyss.


    Yvette quietly sat there, her eyes lowered, yet her presence radiated an air of superiority like she was above everyone else. Her mere stillness exuded an aura of decisiveness,pelling an involuntary sense of submission


    Yvette spoke slowly, her voiceced with coldness


    nd a hint of malice. "Sit."


    ude hesitated, thinking. ''Despite knowing full well that I was involved in the events from years ago, she''sposed and asking me to sit? She truly has remarkable self-control."


    Victor took the initiative to speak. "Yvette, Reba understands her mistake. We''d like to make amends, We''re offering five times thepensation. Please, show mercy and let this matter and here.


    Yvette''s green eyes narrowed slightly as she rested her hand casually on the couch''s armrest. She smirked. "Twenty times."


    Sienna, hearing this, couldn''t help but want to apud. Twenty mes? That would be at least 1.6 billion dors!'' she thought.


    Victor frowned deeply. Yvette''s demand was harsh. He could only turn to ude for a response.


    ude, unshaken despite the circumstances, tightened his grip on his can¨¦ slightly but kept his expression neutral. "Fine. 1.6 billion dors. The check will be delivered to Vibe tomorrow. We''ll consider this settled."


    Yvette smirked wickedly. "Of course."


    Emmett, Bruce, and the others exchanged nces.


    Overall, Vibe faced no losses this time and even secured a partnership with Skye Group. In the end, Yvette reaped free benefits, sessfully swindling the Carter family out of 1.6 billion dors.

 Chapter 549

    ?


    ude said, ¡°Tell your friends to leave. Don''t you want to know what happened to your mother, Lilian, back then?"Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette''s eyebrows raised slightly. A sudden chill appeared in her eyes, and she narrowed them and said in a low voice. "You guys go first"


    Bruce, Sienna, and Emmett knew the following conversation was not meant for their cars, so they stood up and left.


    Two minutester, only Yvette and Jeremiah-who were sitting on the couch-and Victor-who was standing beside ude -remained in therge living room.


    ude stared at Jeremiah with cloudy eyes. "Is he your boyfriend?


    Yvette pursed her lips and crossed her legs. Her eyes were cold and intimidating, giving off a rebellious vibe. "Fianc¨¦."


    Before Yvette revealed who Jeremiah was, Victor still had a glimmer of hope that the two were not that close. He had not expected Jeremiah to be Yvette''s fianc¨¦ in just a few months. Their rtionship progressed so quickly.


    Jeremiah''s expression remained neutral. His features were sharp and defined, and a slight smile appeared on his thin lips. But, when he looked toward ude and Victor, his eyes became cold and indifferent like eternal ice and snow.


    "Let''s get to the point," he said.


    Yvette rested her chin on her tanned wrist and stared nkly at ude. She leaned back, looking like a boss.


    ude sighed then said, "Back then, Lilian suddenly appeared in Seacrity. She was remarkable, charming, mysterious, brilliant, and intelligent. Every positive adjective in the world could be used to describe her.


    "The moment she got with Zachary, she was destined to be the most dazzling among the city''s elite. You should already know how much Zachary loved her.


    "If he didn''t, he wouldn''t have spent 20 years on such an borate n just to get that small clue from Nellie and take revenge on every Smith family member involved."


    ude did not expect that Zachary would tolerate Nellie for so many years just to avenge Lilian. He underestimated Zachary, thinking that he hadpromised by marrying Nellie and would soon forget Lilian.


    After all, men always forget their old mes after finding new ones. But it turned out to be part of an borate n in which Zachary used himself as bait.


    Yvette''s eyes were cold and distant, and her face expressionless. Sitting next to her, Jeremiah had the same demeanor.


    Yvette nonchntly asked. "How much do you know about the incident in which Dennis handed my mother over to Rashad Pord, the director of Betrico Chemistry Lab, to experiment on


    ude had no intention of hiding anything this time. He paused for a moment after hearing Yvette''s question, then continued. "When Lilian married Zachary, countless young men were heartbroken.


    "The head of the Chambers family at that time-your Grandpa Matthew-strongly opposed it, so Lilian and Zachary secretly registered their marriage. Matthew had no choice but to use Lilian to pressure Zachary into entering Chambers Group


    "It should''ve ended happily; but, unfortunately, an unforeseen incident happened."


    Right now, the only ones who knew the inside story from back then were ude and Rashad-who was far away in Betrico.


    Yvette looked up. Her expression was cold and her voice indifferent. "Continue."


    10:23 Wed, Dec 2:


    Secing Yvette''s calm expression made ude realize she was truly ruthless.


    Victor was stunned at how impressive Yvette''s mother was. No wonder ude insisted on waiting and would not let him cancel the engagement ude sighed and gazed at Yvette. "You''ve been able to feel the immense ancient internal energy in your body since you were little, right?" he asked in a weathered voice.


    ude was sure, if it weren''t for that, Lilian would not have been targeted by Rashad for his experiments.


    Yvette''s beautiful face stayed expressionless, and her green eyes glinted evilly. "Did Rashad also discover internal energy in my mother''s body? ude nodded, his expression darkening. "Yes, Rashad identally discovered at a party that Lilian possessed a powerful ancientbat power. ¡°She knew she had it but didn''t know how to use it. It could rapidly heal any injuries she suffered. That astonishing ability was what sparked Rashad''s interest."


    A murderous look shed across Yvette''s eyes, making them look cold and evil. "So Rashad asked you and the Smith family to work together?" she asked sinisterly.


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette. He noticed her rather gloomy expression and reached out to hold her left hand that was resting


    on the couch.


    ude nced at their joined hands and nodded. "Yes, Rashad approached both me and Dennis. I refused because our families already had an engagement, but Dennis agreed. Rashad used his connections in Betrico to give the Smith family lots of benefits.


    "Although I refused, Rashad dragged me into it anyway. Lilian thought I was involved. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have warned Yulia to stay away from me. When I wanted to exin, Lilian had already been taken by Rashad''s people."


    Jeremiah suddenly spoke up. "Twenty something years ago, Betrico Biology Lab applied for a project; but it was stopped by/ the government for humanitarian concerns. Chronologically, it should be rted to your


    ude was shocked. "You know about the experiment from over 20 years ago?"


    mother."


    He paused, looking at Jeremiah with even more respect. Only people of a certain rank in Betrico could know about this experiment. Jeremiah was definitely more than just a major general.


    ude''s reaction exined everything.


    Victor asked in confusion, ¡°Grandpa, is Mrs. Zeller rted to this experiment?"


    Yvette sat on the couch. The pressure around her dropped, her eyes reddened, and her delicate features emanated coldness


    ude continued, "Lilian was the test subject in the experiment from over 20 years ago. Rashad went to great lengths to understand why she had such an incredible ancientbat power and why her body was so special.


    "The government couldn''t allow such things, so they stopped the experiment and withdrew the funding. Rashad pretended to give up, but secretly continued his research. Dennis funded it, and together they engaged in those government-banned experiments on humans."


    Under Yvette''s increasingly cold gaze, ude''s no longer looked asposed as before. He had yed dumb and did not report the two in order to save himself, and even considered working with them.


    Yvette''s expression was icy; her eyes burst with chilling anger and her lips pursed with ruthlessness. "Did my mother escape on her own?" 10:23 Wed, Dec 25 6


    ude''s hand that was on his cane trembled slightly. "Yes, after lian was taken away, she reappeared looking heavily pregnant. She showed up briefly in Seacrity before disappearing again. Later, I learned that she''d escaped from theb.


    "Rashad went crazy. He was afraid she''d report him, but she did. She vanished immediately. That incident gradually passed. As for what happened afterward, I really don''t know. That''s all I know.


    90%


    He thought the fact that Lilian managed to escape thatb by herself was nothing short of a miracle. But leaving Yvette, a baby, behind and vanishing without doing anything after escaping was very strange.

 Chapter 550

    ?


    After ude and Victor left the mansion, Yvette stood before the floor-to-ceiling window; her long dark hair draped over her shoulders, her eyes gleamed with a mysterious light, the skin on her neck was as delicate as fine porcin, and her expression was indifferent.


    The moment Jeremiah walked in, he saw the sunlight streaming through the window and casting a soft glow on Yvette. She looked almost transparent, as if she might vanish at any moment. He asked, "What do you think of what ude just said?"


    Yvette hummed softly. Her voice was slightly hoarse and her gaze was cold. "70 percent true, 30 percent false"


    Jeremiah nodded, his expression darkening. He thought so too. ude probably painted himself in a better light out of fear that Yvette would retaliate against the Carter family. But that family''s fate was already in her hands.


    Jeremiah said, "ude probably wanted to know why Mrs. Zeller had ancientbat power too, but gave up for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with the marriage agreement they had."


    If Lilian''s ancientbat power was innate, her descendants might have it too. The marriage agreement ude made then was much safer than those so-called human experiments. He talked so sweetly now, that sly old fox.


    Yvette''s expression was cold. She tilted her head, looked at Jeremiah, and squinted slightly. "Rashad and the data from the human experiments back then?"


    Jeremiah did not need to hear the rest. He had already investigated it after discovering Rashad''s involvement.


    Jeremiah put a hand in his pocket. His expression was solemn. Rashad told everyone the data on those human experiments


    had been destroyed, and nothing was kept after the government ban. Therefore, he''s the only one who knows everything about the experiments. "He couldn''t have destroyed the data. It''s still unknown where they''re hidden, but my people are already in theb looking for clues.


    Jeremiah had never mentioned any of this to Yvette, because he knew she would meet Rashad in person one day. So, he had already arranged for someone to enter theb.


    Yvette paused, her gaze lingering. Her long legs under the casual pants she was wearing were unbelievably perfect. With a slight smirk, she changed the topic. "Let''s go out for ate night snack."


    Jeremiah smiled faintly. His gaze was intense, and he looked elegant and noble. "Is this a reward?"


    Yvette Isked and strolled leisurely to Jeremiah. She ced her delicate tanned hand on his broad shoulder, gently patted it, and casually said, "You''re paying."


    Jeremiah looked at Yvette''s graceful, curvy silhouette and smiled.


    The dim and narrow alleys in Mysonna were perfect hiding spots for the city''s seedy underbelly. All around were weathered walls, dim streetlights, unsightly mechanical pipes, flickering neon signs, overturned trash cans, and lurking figures.


    The sound of pouring rain turned the vibrant street into a flowing mirage. The air was filled with a humid smell mixed with car exhaust and dust from the concrete roads.


    The dim lights illuminated the faces of the passers-by-some weary, some sorrowful, some angry, some arrogant, some lively, and others numb and indifferent.


    Mysonna was a paradise for the indulgent wealthy and also a ce where the poor mingled. Just one street separated luxury


    from destitution.N?velDrama.Org content.


    The southern region of Mysonna was also a chaotic area where many small gangs were stationed. Various fights, drug. Chapter 550


    dealing and usage, domestic violence, and human trafficking happened every day.


    A third of the people living there were illegal immigrants from all around the world. They came chasing the dream of getting rich, but did not have a ce to settle down.


    The Mysonnan government had also epted the current state of the region because they were powerless to change it.


    In that region, there was a diner owned by a Gablurgan folk which was quite famous and had attracted many Clusians over the years. It became lively at night.


    All kinds of people patronized it-from tattooed gang members to young hookers. Most of them were Clusians and only a few were foreigners.


    The owner, who was originally from Capston, had been running the diner for nearly 20 years. The diner''s round tables were quite simple, and it was obvious they had been around for some time. The stool legs were pretty wobbly too.


    The diner''s environment was exactly as one would imagine; but the food was genuinely tasty, which was why it had stayed open in this spot for so many years. The vors there were authentic.


    The moment Yvette and Jeremiah sat down, they attracted the attention of everyone passing by and in the restaurant; mainly because their temperaments felt out of ce. Their affluent aura, outstanding appearance, and cool demeanor clearly showed they were not ordinary folks.


    The diner''s menu was simple; it hung on the wall and featured only a dozen dishes-aglio olio, steamed broli, focia, risotto, shrimp ravioli, chicken francese, and other unique local dishes.


    The owner, a man in his fifties, had a simple and honest face. Seeing that Yvette and Jeremiah were Clusians, he spoke pure Clusian. "Sit wherever you like, Sir, Miss. Order whatever you like


    Meeting fellow countrymen in a foreignnd brought an immediate sense of familiarity.


    Yvette sat on a blue stic stool and casually ordered four dishes from the menu on the wall. Meanwhile, Jeremiah calmly pulled out a napkin and carefully wiped down the table.


    The owner nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, sit tight. They''ll be ready soon." Then, he rushed off to the kitchen


    All eyes were on Jeremiah and Yvette-some with ill intentions, some curious, and a few excited and captivated by their presence.


    On the table next to theirs sat a few hookers who had just finished apanying clients. When they saw Jeremiah, their eyes lit up like wolves spotting prey.


    These hookers usually dealt with rough, burly men and had never encountered someone like Jeremiah before. They acted provocatively, coyly ying with their hair and deliberately lifting their skirts up their thighs. Meanwhile, some men couldn''t help but get excited when they saw Yvette''s face.


    The atmosphere in the diner suddenly became unusually lively and charged upon Yvette and Jeremiah''s arrival.


    Yvette sat on the stool, casually andzily ncing around before leisurely picking up a fork. Jeremiah smoothly took it from her and carefully wiped it clean then ced it on the te in front of her.


    Noticing this, the hookers pouted and looked at


    Yvette enviously


    While Yvette and Jeremiah waited for their food, there were five men seated at the table behind them with identical tattoos on their arms and right legs.


    Those tattoos were typically symbols of small gangs from the southern region. To join a gang, the first step was to get a tattoo as proof of allegiance. 10:24 Wed, Dec 25 GG


    90%


    A young blond man who looked barely of age spat on the ground and started cursing without caring how many people were around.


    He said, ¡°Dante, since the Goodman family hasn''t stepped in to rectify the situation in the southern region yet, this is the perfect time for us to expand our territory.


    If we don''t act now, we really won''t have the chance anymore once that persones out."


    A man with purple hair, who looked a few years older than the blond man, chimed in. "Give us the green light, Dante, and we''ll follow you to the end of the world-even if it means facing death.


    "We''re tired of being at the bottom of society. We want to strive for something better.

 Chapter 551

    ?


    The man they called Dante was in his early thirties. His face was unremarkable, but hi were fierce. Compared to the


    others, with their colorful hair and clothing, he clearly stood a c above the rest.


    eyes


    Dante took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a thick smoke ring as he looked at the others around the table. "This isn''t the right time. The Goodman family won''t let the southern region remain in chaos forever.


    "Don''t forget-even if they don''t step in now, the Seventy-Two Chambers aren''t people we can mess with. If we be impatient and try to snatch territories like the others, we might lose our current position. So, we''re not gonna do anything"


    Dante''sckeys had heard the same warning numerous times, and they were clearly running out of patience. How much longer did they have to wait?


    The other gangs were taking advantage of the Goodman family situation to expand their territories, but their leader was too timid and hesitant to make a move.


    Although frustrated, they held their tongues since they were all brought up by Dante. They still looked sullen, and Dante could only reassure them. It was all about who could be more patient. If they behaved and surrendered when the Goodman family dealt with those gangs, perhaps that family would ept their small gang of a few dozen people into their fold.


    That was their true path to sess and Dante''s ultimate goal, not the fleeting gains they see now,


    Yvette and Jeremiah heard Dante and hisckeys conversation word for word, and exchanged knowing nces. Yvette''s gaze was cold. She crossed her leg, and the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.


    "Smart man," Jeremiah remarked.


    Yvette nodded casually. "Mm-hmm, pretty insightful."


    Knowing Braydon''s nature, the day he came out would be the end for those small troublemaking gangs in the southern region. If Dante stayed calm and kept his head down, he might achieve his wish.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Just then, the owner brought out the dishes and ced another side dish on Dante''s table.


    Dante politely thanked him. "Thank you, Mr. Cattaneo."


    The owner, Mario Cattaneo, seemed familiar with Dante. "We should stay out of trouble if we can, Dante," he said earnestly.


    Dante nodded in agreement.


    sorry for Dante Mario practically watched Dante grow up since Dante was young and scraping by collecting trash. He felt and would leave leftovers for him every day. He was Dante''s benefactor and an elder who truly cared for him.


    Dante reassured, "Don''t worry, Mr. Cattaneo, I can keep my cool. I definitely won''t act impulsively this time."


    Lirit''s


    Hearing that finally put Mario''s at ease. "Well then, eat up. Call me if it''s not enough


    No sooner had he said that than the door to the diner opened, and in marched a group of about a dozen men with a different tattoo. These burly men with scowls on their faces were clearly there to cause trouble.


    Mario and Dante''s expression changed when they saw those men and their young Epean leader.


    This


    group was the terrifyingly aggressive Union Gang that had been running rampant and snatching territories in the southern region recently. Chapter 351


    They went around collecting protection fees from businesses. Things would be fine if a business paid, but if it didn''t, these guys would send people to vandalize their ce and drive customers away. They werepletely out of control.


    Recently, many small gangs in the region were taken over by Union Gang. They had even announced their intention to rule the southern region. Since the Goodman family had not intervened yet, the Union Gang members had bepletely reckless


    The gang members swaggered in then grabbed a bunch of empty stools and sat down like they owned the ce. They had a vy of weapons on them.


    Other people in the diner were terrified and tried to leave, but the gang''sckeys blocked the exit and did not allow any of them leave. Only the people at Dante''s table stood ups.


    Jeremiah and Yvette were seated at their table, leisurely eating their food like they were not affected by the tense atmosphere at all.


    Mario knew he could not afford to offend these men, so he lowered his posture and tried to be friendly with the young Epean. "Mr. Willis, are you here to eat? What would you like? I''ll prepare it for you right away."


    The Epean man, Hendrick Willis, pushed Mario away. If Dante hadn''t been quick to catch him, that fifty-something man would have been knocked to the ground.


    Hendrick red at them, his imposing height of nearly six-foot-three greatly intimidating those around him, "Are you Dante? The one in charge of Pentagon Gang? I heard you''re not satisfied with our Union Gang.


    "You think your little gang of just a few dozen members can challenge us? I''ll show you who really runs the southern region Jenight"


    Although Dante''s Pentagon Gang was considered small in the southern region, they operated independently without aligning with any gangs. This made them a thorn in the side of other gangs. Union Gang was clearly aiming for them.


    How could Dante not understand what Union Gang wanted? They deliberately came here to corner them, finding a pretext to use them. But he had never said such things.


    Dante had been in the southern region for years; so, although he knew he was at a disadvantage, he didn''t show it.


    on our


    His expression remained calm in the face of Hendrick''s rudeness. "I never said that. We, Pentagon Gang, stay on our own turf and mind our own business. Don''t push it."


    Dante''sckeys stood up to support him. Both groups were already geared for a fight. It was almost certain that there would be trouble in this diner tonight.


    Mario was at his wit''s end and was unable to help. He had witnessed many fights over the years, but Dante was like a son to him. If something happened to Dante right in front of him, how could he not feel guilty?


    In his desperation, he noticed the couple sitting at another table. Aren''t they a bit too rxed? Do they not see all the other customers huddled in the corner and shaking in fear?'' he thought.


    Those two didn''t even bat an eye and kept eating the food in front of them nonchntly, as if nothing was happening.


    ''Aren''t they worried about getting caught in the crossfire?'' he wondered, as he knew that gangs do not care about bystanders when fighting.


    Before Mario could think more, the Epean swore and Dante grabbed a bottle from the table then smashed it over a Union Gang member''s head.


    Chaos erupted instantly. There was a huge difference in numbers-Union Gang had four or five times more people than Dante''s gang. But Dante and his subordinates were fierce and not inferior at all.


    Chapter 5M


    Umon Gang was not to be rifled with either. They used their numbers to their advantage. Alcohol bottles, chairs, and all sorts of weapons flew everywhere.


    A bloody knife flew directly onto Yvette and Jeremialy''s table, sttering blood onto the steamed broli and making it inedible


    Yvette''s gaze darkened. She calmly put down her fork and looked up. Then, she grabbed a tissue to clean her hands, and slowly stood up from her seat.

 Chapter 552

    ?


    "My food''s ruined" Yvette said as she stood up. All the member of Pentagon Gang and Union Gang stopped immediately, plunging the diner into silence.


    Hendrick, who led Union Gang, arrivedter. Yvette and Jeremiah were facing away from him and his gang, so they naturally didn''t notice the couple, whereas Dante and the members of Pentagon Gang had already been sitting here.


    Dante frowned when he heard Yvette say that. He thought, ''Can''t she see what''s happening? The people of Union Gang won''t let her off just because she''s a woman, She''s really risking her life


    Although Dante was involved with the underworld in the southern region, he still had principles and a kind heart. He shouted at Yvette, "Our two gangs are settling things here, so get out. What''s a woman doing meddling in our business? Leave!"


    Dante intentionally did that to save Yvette. He night not be able to save himself today, but it was worth it if he could save someone else''s life. Mario also hurriedly chimed in, "She''s just a customer. She''s new to the southern region and doesn''t know the rules. Why are you arguing with her?¡± When Hendrick saw Yvette''s face, wickedness filled his eyes as he wondered, "Since when did such a beautiful Clusian woman appear here?'' With a nasty grin, Hendrick stared at Yvette and taunted, ''Do you wanna die, woman? Do you know who we are?" He looked


    Yvette arrogantly, acting all high and mighty.


    Theckeys holding knives and axes behind himughed loudly and echoed him. ¡°Let me tell you, Woman. Mr. Willis is third inmand in Union Gang and the leader''s most valued subordinate. Be sensible and follow our boss, and you''ll live in luxury."


    Hendrick was in cloud nine because of hisckeys praises, as if he already owned the southern region.


    Dante and his men were enraged by the Union Gang''s arrogance and wanted to kill them right then and there.


    The Union Gang members were truly shameless. They had been acting like bandits to quickly expand their territory, disregarding the underworld code of honor.


    They had done all kinds of despicable deeds and had killed dozens of innocent people in the past three days. If they seized control over the southern region, it would really be hell on earth.


    Dante''s eyes filled with murderous intent. Even if he died tonight, he was determined to drag a few of those Union Gang punks down with him.. Before Dante could say anything else, Jeremiah stood up and turned around. Jeremiah''s features were sharp like a sculptor''s masterpiece. His lips were attractive, and his deep blue eyes were as mysterious as a frozen pond in winter. He looked devoid of warmth.


    Hendrick and Dante were instantly on guard. Jeremiah was no ordinary perso


    Jeremiah turned his head to look at Yvette, who appeared calm and indifferent. Then, he casually nced at the two groups of people.


    When his gaze fell on Hendrick and theckey who had just told Yvette to follow Hendrick, his brows furrowed coldly. His expression became even icier, and a murderous look shed across his eyes.


    "Should I?" Jeremiah asked. "You take a break."


    Yvette looked ruthless she, casually replied, "Let''s do this together. Loser pays for the food


    Jeremiah nodded slightly. "Sure.


    No one understood the conversation between the two.


    Hendrick shouted impatiently. "Are you done talking? Someone take this woman back to Union Gang and kill the man."


    Yvette looked up, her eyes infinitely chilly, and a small smile appeared on her lips. She softly said, ¡°I really shouldn''t have wasted my breath on you. I should''ve ended you right then?


    Hendrick was angered by Yvette''s words. How dare she talk to him like that?


    The next moment, twockeys from Union Gang charged at Yvene and Jeremiah.


    Dante wanted to help, but hisckey stopped him. "Dante, it''s beer to be safe than sorry. Let''s go first. Things definitely won''t end well for them if they get caught by Union Gang. We should leave now,"


    Dante nced at the blond guy beside him, and his expression darkened. ¡°Elon, they were just having dinner peacefully. Our fight dragged them into this mess. Then, he broke away, ready to step in and help.


    The next moment, Yvette grabbed the blue stic stool she had been sitting on and threw it at Hendrick. It smashed on his head, and blood immediately flowed out.


    The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present. Even Dante, who was about to help, was stunned.


    Jeremiah promptly kicked away the twockeys who were trying to grab Yvette. His kick was precise and sharp, breaking the two men''s ribs. They fell to the ground wailing.


    Jeremiah stood with both hands in his pockets, looking rxed and indifferent.


    Dante finally understood the situation. This couple were no ordinary people. It was clear from their ruthless attacks that they were trained fighters.


    As for Mario and the other customers, they were dumbfounded by the skills Yvette and Jeremiah disyed. The couple exchanged nces and knowing smiles, and Yvette''s lips curled into a mischievous grin.


    Hendrick clutched his injured head and roared like an enraged lion, "Get them! Kill them both and don''t them live!"


    Dante joined the fight without hesitation. Yvette grabbed ackey who tried to sneak up on her and mmed his head against the wall repeatedly. Only when his blood flowed and his skull was about to crack open did she slowly let go.


    Theckey in her grip copsed to the floor like a rag. Hendrick who was certain of victory, was stunned by the barely noticeable wicked smile on Yvette''s face.


    How could there be a woman in this world who could smile while being so ruthless? Everyone there saw what Yvette did except for Jeremiah, who merely nced over indifferently and continued dealing with the Union Gang members as if nothing unusual happened.


    As for Dante who came forward to help and the few members from Pentagon Gang who were forced to start attacking, they could only stand there dumbfounded. Where the hell did this terrifying female grim reapere from?


    When Dante was distracted, a man from Union Gang swung a knife at his back. The de was about to hit him and would certainly cause serious harm even if it didn''t kill him.


    But, in an instant, theckey who tried to ambush him fell to the ground stiffly with a tiny silver needle stuck between his brows. Yvette slowly nced at Dante who was still somewhat in shock.


    Her delicate eyebrows hung low, and there was a wicked chill in her eyes. Dante was momentarily dazed by her gaze andN?velDrama.Org content.


    Chapter 352-


    quickly snapped back to reality.


    Ten minutester, Yvette and Jeremiah stood amid the crowd with the Union Gang members at their feet.


    Hendrick, whose head was bleeding from being hit with the stoc, was also forced to kneel by Dante and his group. The other customers fled as soon as the door opened.


    Only now did the arrogant Hendrick felt fear. Mario poured a ss of water and handed it to Yvette and Jeremiah while trying to steady his nerves, "Here, have some water."


    He was still shocked recalling what had just happened. These two people single-handedly took down 20 to 30 Union Gang members.


    He had seen plenty of fights in the southern region over the years, but this was the first time he had seen a woman fight so fiercely.

 Chapter 553

    ?


    Yvette took the ss and politely nodded to Mario. "Thank you


    Her gentle demeanor made Mario''s hands tremble, and he quickly waved his hand nervously. "It''s nothing, really," he replied respectfully


    Mario nced at Hendrick who was kneeling on the ground and at Dante and his crew. He sighed. With how things had escted between Dante and Union Gang, it seemed like today would not end well.


    Even if Dante killed Hendrick today, there was no way to hide it. If the people from Union Gang found out, how could they possibly let Dante and his crew go? There was also this mysterious couple.


    Kneeling on the ground, Hendrick threatened Yvette and Jeremiah. "You''d better let me go. If our leader finds out, you''re doomed. Even the Goodman family and the Seventy-Two Chambers don''t dare mess with us. You''re digging your own


    grave.


    Hendrick was terrified, so his only option was to bring up the Goodman family to intimidate them.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were cold and her voice was chilling as she asked, "The Goodman family and even the Seventy-Two Chambers are afraid of you guys? Do they know about this?"


    As she spoke, Jeremiah walked up to Hendrick and casually crushed his hand underfoot.N?velDrama.Org content.


    Hendrick''s fingers were broken one by one, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.


    It sent shivers down Dante and his friends'' spines, and the way they looked at Jeremiah instantly changed.


    Jeremiah calmly returned to Yvette''s side, narrowing his eyes as he said indifferently, "They''re all broken"


    Yvette lifted her gaze and sneered as she looked at Hendrick, who was dripping with cold sweat. "Not bad," she said softly and slowly.


    Dante and the others clearly heard Yvette and Jeremiah''s conversation.


    Hendrick was in excruciating pain. His eyes filled with desperation when he heard them and he began to plead for mercy. "Let me go. I can pretend today never happened. Our Union Gang won''t trouble you. I swear."


    Seeing that threats weren''t working, Hendrick opted for a softer approach, hoping to leave first and seek revengeter.


    Yvette smirked, put her hands her pockets, and tilted her head Hendrick''s words sounded awfully familiar, she had heard them multiple times over the years. They were so clich¨¦d and unoriginal. Did she seem like the type who would believe


    that?


    She raised her delicate brows, looking wild and arrogant like a rebel. "Union Gang? What''s that?"


    Hendrick''s face flushed with anger. Their gang was widely known in the southern region, so what was this woman trying to pull? He did not believe there was anyone in the region who did not know their gang.


    Dante stepped forward when he heard Yvette''s question. Looking at her seriously, he replied, "Sir, Miss, Union Gang is the second most powerful gang in the southern region. They make a living from protection fees, drug dealing, and trafficking


    Women


    "Lately, the entire underworld of Mysonna has been in chaos and Union Gang is trying to expand their territory by stirring up trouble everywhere. These people have no code of honor andmit all sorts of atrocities. Miss, you can''t simply trust what Hendrick says."


    Dante exined the the gang''s background and the chaos in the southern region because he was betting that the man and Chapter 354


    woman in front of himwere not ordinary people.


    Maybe they were people he could never match up to. Maybe these noble and wealthy figures could bring him unexpected gains. Dante was taking a gamble.


    Although he wasn''t sure if he was right or not, life itself was a gamble. If he won, it would be a bright road ahead. If he lost, it would be a plunge into the abyss. Either way, he was game.


    Mario remained silent. Seeing the ambition in Dante''s eyes, he understood what Dante was thinking He nced again at Yvette and Jeremiah as he wondered. ''Are they really people Dante cantch on to?''


    When Hendrick heard Dante, he immediately started cursing, "Tuck yout. You''re setting me up! I''m telling you, even if I die, your Pentagon Gang will always be a bunch of nobodies."


    Dante glowered. He swung around and gave Hendrick a hard p which made the corner of that man''s mouth bleed.


    Yvette watched Dante with interest. His gaze was determined and his ambitions were clear.


    Her delicate face was cold, captivating, fierce, and wild. Looking at Dante, she slowly asked, "Do you want to be the leader of the southern region?" Jeremiah nced at Yvette and understood her intention. He remainedposed. Yvette could do whatever she wanted. If she wanted someone to be in charge of a mere southern region, then so be it.


    Dante was stunned. He looked at Yvette in confusion, wondering what her question meant.


    Everyone who came from the slums and hustled in the underworld wanted to be the leader of the southern region and be an important figure. However, no one had managed to reach that position for years.


    There were many small gangs in the southern region, but none of them had made a name for themselves in the real underworld scene.


    Even when the Goodman family unified the underworld gangs, they only incorporated the legitimate ones and did not care about the unruly and unorganized smaller ones. Because of this, they never intervened in the southern region''s affairs.


    It wasn''t that the Goodman family did not dare deal with Union Gang. The family simply disdained the small gangs in the southern region, which gave Union Gang the opportunity to cause trouble during apse.


    Dante was silent for a few seconds. He did not answer right away; but, when he looked up again, his gaze was even more determined than before. "Yes, Miss, I want to be the leader of the southern region." Dante spoke with utmost seriousness, his words firm and deliberate.


    Yvette casually tucked her hands in her pockets, and a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. Her eyes were exquisite, but there was no warmth in them.


    With a cold voice, she said, "What if I make you the leader of the southern region? What will you do?


    Hendrick, who was kneeling on the ground, looked stunned. He started to wonder if Yvette was crazy.


    He couldn''t help but taunt, "Are you guys daydreaming? A poor kid from the slums wants to be the leader of the southern region? And you and your boyfriend... Stop thinking you''re capable enough to say such things. Dream on!"


    Not only Hendrick, the people from Pentagon Gang thought the same. ''Does this woman really think that being good at fighting automatically makes you the leader of the southern region?"


    Truth be told, bing the leader of the southern region was difficult. Dante realized he was being unrealistic; but since a girl dared to ask, why would he not dare answer?


    Jeremiah tilted his head his blue eyes deep. "He''s very suitable, he said calmly.


    Considering how Dante jumped into the fight without hesitation, it was clear he was a decent person, Yvette nodded in agreement.


    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, she wordlessly pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons at random. A call went through.


    No one knew what to say. Yvette only said, "Come to the souther region, then hung up.


    Not a single word was revealed regarding who wasing there.


    After the call, Yvette turned and sat on the only blue stic stool that was still intact. Jeremiah stood tall and poised beside her in a protective stance.


    In the following moments, Dante seriously answered every question.


    Yvette questioned him about his ns once he became the leader of the southern region.


    ½Ç

 Chapter 554

    ?


    After half an hour, Dante had poured out all his thoughts about the southern region''s underworld gang. Feeling somewhat uneasy after his confession, he realized Yvette was more intimidating than any influential gangster he''d met before since he''d met his fair share of big shots.


    It wasn''t a surface-level hardness but a chilling nonchnce. Yvette seemed like a woman who could end a life with a smile. Dante had never encountered such a person before. He stood there, waiting respectfully for Yvette to speak.


    Yvette sat with her legs crossed, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she flicked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her tone was indifferent as she casually said only two words. Your background."


    Hendrick, kneeling on the ground with a broken hand, spat and neered, ¡°That Dante is nothing but trash. A low-life from the slums. His mother abandoned him at birth, and his drug-addicted father, who also had a mistress, died years ago."


    Hendrick added. ¡°He grew up in a dump and now he thinks he can rule the southern region? What a joke. Who does he think he is?"


    Hendrick''s words pierced Dante''s heart like a knife. Dante''s expression shifted immediately into one of both grimness and embarrassment. His humble beginnings were a constant source of shame he couldn''t escape.


    If it weren''t for his utterly humble beginnings, Pentagon Gang wouldn''t have missed out on their chance to rise.


    Hendrick seemed to have given up now, starting to act recklessly, provocatively staring at Yvette and Jeremiah from a distance.


    The next second, Yvette casually strolled over to Hendrick, hands in pockets, a slight smirk ying on her lips. "Who told you that trash from the slums can''t rule the southern region?" she drawled.


    Yvette''s gaze held Hendrick captive, leaving him speechless. With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling, and a bone-crunching sound filled the air. After a blood-curdling yell, Hendricky motionless, his ribs broken under the forceful impact


    Dante had thought Yvette would dismiss him for being from the slums. But when Yvette stood up for him, Dante felt a sense of relief. His clenched fists loosened gradually. He was determined to prove that his past didn''t dictate his future.


    Jeremiah''s gaze was fixed on Yvette. When he saw her use the ancientbat power, he knew she was angry. Frowning, he wondered, ''What does a girl like her have to do with the slums? Perhaps it has something to do with her past.


    Mario watched as Hendricky motionless and beaten on the ground, having been assaulted by both Yvette and Jeremiah. He was about to say something when he hesitated. "Hendrick is one thing, but what about Union Gang? They''re not to be trifled with, thought Mario.


    Just as Mario had feared, amotion and a bustling noise came from the entrance of the diner. Mario knew things had gone south and immediately tensed up, knowing that Union Gang had likely arrived after finding out what had happened.


    Dante and the Pentagon Gang''s members became extremely alen. Only Hendrick, lying half-dead on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, heard a familiar voice. Like a worthless lump, he suddenly roared, "Save me! Save me! I''m here!" As soon as he finished his plea, he fainted.


    Dante immediately turned to Yvette. With over 1000 gang members against them, a one-on-one fight was impossible. For now, they needed to escape with their lives. Anything else could wait.


    Dante''s face was grim. "Ms. Zeller, let''s leave through the back door. The Union Gang must have arrived. Your men haven''t shown up yet!"


    He added, "Even if they did, with most of the southern region under the Union Gang''s control, I doubt we''d stand a chance. Let''s get out of here first."


    89%


    Dante didn''t get where he was today by brute force alone. If that was all it took, he''d have suffered


    a tragic death.


    Taking off his apron. Mario urged, "Yes, you should all go now. Hendrick has to die. I can cover for you. Just get out of here."


    Dante grabbed Mario''s arm. "Come on, Mr. Cattaneo. Let''s get out of here. I''ll look after you. If the Union Gang sees Hendrick lying here dead, they won''t believe any story you tell. absolutely refuse to leave you here alone."


    As the heavy footsteps came closer, Pentagon Gang members grew more anxious. "We have to go, Dante!" his men urged.


    "Yeah, Mr. Cattaneo, let''s go together. We can''t leave you here alone! It was clear that they all had a deep bond and a strong sense of loyalty. Even in this dire situation, they weren''t willing to abandon Mario.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The tension was at its peak. Yvette''s green eyes, as deep and still as a pond, seemed to pierce through the group. She casually ordered, "Sit down."


    Her voice was so t and cold, it sent a shiver down their spines, Yvette''s two simple words instantly calmed the tense atmosphere.


    Without a second thought, Dante sank into the nearest chair. Mario and the others quickly followed, all sitting up straight as if they were about to attend a formal meeting.


    They exchanged nces. For once, we''re actually on the same page, they thought to themselves.


    Mario felt a bit embarrassed too. It was humiliating to be so taken aback by a young girl, especially at his age.


    Yvette sat down leisurely, then slowly poured herself and Jeremiah a cup of coffee. She kept one cup for herself and pushed the other toward Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah took a sip of his coffee, his expression impassive as always. "Have you made up your mind?"


    Yvette lifted her gaze, twirling the cup in her hand with a mischievous glint in her eye. She gave Dante azy look while twirling her cup. "How about we go with him?" she said coolly.


    The others were leftpletely baffled by the conversation. They seemed to grasp parts of the conversation but couldn''t quite connect the dots


    Dante felt like he''d been possessed too. ''Why am I listening to a woman I''ve only met once? No matter how capable she is, how could she possibly take on a gang as big as Union Gang?'' he wondered..


    For some reason, he believed in Yvette. It was a strange feeling, one he couldn''t quite exin. However, he believed his gut feeling and chose to follow Yvette''s advice, sitting quietly and waiting for Yvette to say something.


    Dante and his men kept their eyes glued to the diner''s entrance. As soon as the door swung open, they were prepared to immediately draw their weapons and fight. However, Yvette and Jeremiah sipped their coffee leisurely, unfazed by the growing threat.


    Just as the door was about to open, Dante and Mario, along with the others, felt their hearts leap into their throats.


    The door, which was supposed to be opened, was suddenly mmed shut forcefully. Immediately after, they heard more footsteps, and the noise outside intensified. However, the footsteps they heard now were noticeably more uniform than before, indicating a high level of discipline.


    Jeremiah quickly realized who Yvette called-she''d summoned the Seventy-Two Chambers of the Goodman family. These were ruthless mercenaries rumored to have ravaged Mysonna''s underworld gang, and they were at Yvette''smand. Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing. "When are you going to train me?" he asked casually, in an earnest manner,


    Yvette put down her water ss and looked at him impassively. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, slowly asking. ¡°Aren''t I training you every night? What, you think my training isn''t intense enough?"


    WELI, DOG 2


    89%1


    A knowing smile graced Jeremiah''s lips as he thought, ''She''d never lost in this regard. After a pause, he said, "I think we could push our training a bit further,"

 Chapter 554

    ?


    After half an hour, Dante had poured out all his thoughts about the southern region''s underworld gang. Feeling somewhat uneasy after his confession, he realized Yvette was more intimidating than any influential gangster he''d met before since he''d met his fair share of big shots.


    It wasn''t a surface-level hardness but a chilling nonchnce. Yvette seemed like a woman who could end a life with a smile. Dante had never encountered such a person before. He stood there, waiting respectfully for Yvette to speak.


    Yvette sat with her legs crossed, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she flicked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her tone was indifferent as she casually said only two words. Your background."


    Hendrick, kneeling on the ground with a broken hand, spat and neered, ¡°That Dante is nothing but trash. A low-life from the slums. His mother abandoned him at birth, and his drug-addicted father, who also had a mistress, died years ago."


    Hendrick added. ¡°He grew up in a dump and now he thinks he can rule the southern region? What a joke. Who does he think he is?"


    Hendrick''s words pierced Dante''s heart like a knife. Dante''s expression shifted immediately into one of both grimness and embarrassment. His humble beginnings were a constant source of shame he couldn''t escape.


    If it weren''t for his utterly humble beginnings, Pentagon Gang wouldn''t have missed out on their chance to rise.


    Hendrick seemed to have given up now, starting to act recklessly, provocatively staring at Yvette and Jeremiah from a distance.


    The next second, Yvette casually strolled over to Hendrick, hands in pockets, a slight smirk ying on her lips. "Who told you that trash from the slums can''t rule the southern region?" she drawled.


    Yvette''s gaze held Hendrick captive, leaving him speechless. With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling, and a bone-crunching sound filled the air. After a blood-curdling yell, Hendricky motionless, his ribs broken under the forceful impact


    Dante had thought Yvette would dismiss him for being from the slums. But when Yvette stood up for him, Dante felt a sense of relief. His clenched fists loosened gradually. He was determined to prove that his past didn''t dictate his future.


    Jeremiah''s gaze was fixed on Yvette. When he saw her use the ancientbat power, he knew she was angry. Frowning, he wondered, ''What does a girl like her have to do with the slums? Perhaps it has something to do with her past.


    Mario watched as Hendricky motionless and beaten on the ground, having been assaulted by both Yvette and Jeremiah. He was about to say something when he hesitated. "Hendrick is one thing, but what about Union Gang? They''re not to be trifled with, thought Mario.


    Just as Mario had feared, amotion and a bustling noise came from the entrance of the diner. Mario knew things had gone south and immediately tensed up, knowing that Union Gang had likely arrived after finding out what had happened.


    Dante and the Pentagon Gang''s members became extremely alen. Only Hendrick, lying half-dead on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, heard a familiar voice. Like a worthless lump, he suddenly roared, "Save me! Save me! I''m here!" As soon as he finished his plea, he fainted.


    Dante immediately turned to Yvette. With over 1000 gang members against them, a one-on-one fight was impossible. For now, they needed to escape with their lives. Anything else could wait.


    Dante''s face was grim. "Ms. Zeller, let''s leave through the back door. The Union Gang must have arrived. Your men haven''t shown up yet!"


    He added, "Even if they did, with most of the southern region under the Union Gang''s control, I doubt we''d stand a chance. Let''s get out of here first."


    89%


    Dante didn''t get where he was today by brute force alone. If that was all it took, he''d have suffered


    a tragic death.


    Taking off his apron. Mario urged, "Yes, you should all go now. Hendrick has to die. I can cover for you. Just get out of here."


    Dante grabbed Mario''s arm. "Come on, Mr. Cattaneo. Let''s get out of here. I''ll look after you. If the Union Gang sees Hendrick lying here dead, they won''t believe any story you tell. absolutely refuse to leave you here alone."


    As the heavy footsteps came closer, Pentagon Gang members grew more anxious. "We have to go, Dante!" his men urged.


    "Yeah, Mr. Cattaneo, let''s go together. We can''t leave you here alone! It was clear that they all had a deep bond and a strong sense of loyalty. Even in this dire situation, they weren''t willing to abandon Mario.


    The tension was at its peak. Yvette''s green eyes, as deep and still as a pond, seemed to pierce through the group. She casually ordered, "Sit down."


    Her voice was so t and cold, it sent a shiver down their spines, Yvette''s two simple words instantly calmed the tense atmosphere.


    Without a second thought, Dante sank into the nearest chair. Mario and the others quickly followed, all sitting up straight as if they were about to attend a formal meeting.


    They exchanged nces. For once, we''re actually on the same page, they thought to themselves.


    Mario felt a bit embarrassed too. It was humiliating to be so taken aback by a young girl, especially at his age.


    Yvette sat down leisurely, then slowly poured herself and Jeremiah a cup of coffee. She kept one cup for herself and pushed the other toward Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah took a sip of his coffee, his expression impassive as always. "Have you made up your mind?"


    Yvette lifted her gaze, twirling the cup in her hand with a mischievous glint in her eye. She gave Dante azy look while twirling her cup. "How about we go with him?" she said coolly.


    The others were leftpletely baffled by the conversation. They seemed to grasp parts of the conversation but couldn''t quite connect the dots


    Dante felt like he''d been possessed too. ''Why am I listening to a woman I''ve only met once? No matter how capable she is, how could she possibly take on a gang as big as Union Gang?'' he wondered..


    For some reason, he believed in Yvette. It was a strange feeling, one he couldn''t quite exin. However, he believed his gut feeling and chose to follow Yvette''s advice, sitting quietly and waiting for Yvette to say something.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Dante and his men kept their eyes glued to the diner''s entrance. As soon as the door swung open, they were prepared to immediately draw their weapons and fight. However, Yvette and Jeremiah sipped their coffee leisurely, unfazed by the growing threat.


    Just as the door was about to open, Dante and Mario, along with the others, felt their hearts leap into their throats.


    The door, which was supposed to be opened, was suddenly mmed shut forcefully. Immediately after, they heard more footsteps, and the noise outside intensified. However, the footsteps they heard now were noticeably more uniform than before, indicating a high level of discipline.


    Jeremiah quickly realized who Yvette called-she''d summoned the Seventy-Two Chambers of the Goodman family. These were ruthless mercenaries rumored to have ravaged Mysonna''s underworld gang, and they were at Yvette''smand. Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing. "When are you going to train me?" he asked casually, in an earnest manner,


    Yvette put down her water ss and looked at him impassively. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, slowly asking. ¡°Aren''t I training you every night? What, you think my training isn''t intense enough?"


    WELI, DOG 2


    89%1


    A knowing smile graced Jeremiah''s lips as he thought, ''She''d never lost in this regard. After a pause, he said, "I think we could push our training a bit further,"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Secrets Of MrS 556

    ?


    Chapter 556 ? 92%


    Dante then felt that following Yvette''s instructions without question wasn''t humiliating at all. If the rumors of the infamous Deadlock returning to the underworld were true, who in Myson''s underworld gang would dare to disobey?


    It turned out that she really could make him the ruler of the southern region. That was no idle remark. Dante''s heart was both anxious and excited. That night might be the night that would transform his impoverished, humble life.


    Upon learning that Yvette was Deadlock, a trace of fear crept into Dante''s heart. Though he tried hard to appear calm, the slight tremor in his hands betrayed his inner tension and unease. After all, it was Deadlock


    As a mere teenager, she had once made countless figures in Mysonna''s underworld tremble in fear, and she had established the formidable Seventy-Two Chambers. Such a legend then sat before him. It was impossible not to feel nervous.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Dead... M-Ms. Zeller, what are your orders?" Dante stammered. He cursed himself internally, ''Why stutter at such a critical moment? How embarrassing!


    Yvette tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her gaze lingering for a few seconds before she looked up. Her expression was neutral, her eyes cast downward, emotionless. Under her gaze, Dante''s palms grew slightly mmy with cold sweat.


    He stood still as if awaiting a judgment of fate. If he was going to heaven or hell, it all hung in the bnce


    The four hall leaders of Seventy-Two Chambers stood on either side, their faces solemn, while everyone else kept their eyes fixed forward, unmoving. Jeremiah sipped lightly from a cup, hu gaze dropping as a glimmer of light shed in his eyes Seventy-Two Chambers lived up to their reputation. The group demeanor is nothing like the underworld. Instead, they resemble a disciplined military unit. Yvette is indeed an extraordinary instructor, he thought..


    Yvette spoke in an indifferent tone. "If you want to be the boss of the southern region, you''ll need to prove your ability. I can give you the opportunity, but whether you can grasp it or not is up to you.


    "If you pass Seventy-Two Chambers'' hellish trials, I can provide you with weapons and funds. If you fail, with Seventy-Two Chambers. The choice is yours."


    your life stays here


    The hall leaders exchanged nces. ''Is Ms. Zeller nning to make this man the ruler of the southern region? If Dante has caught her attention, his future could change overnight, they thought.


    If Yvette wanted Dante to take charge of the southern region, it would be effortless. With one word, Seventy-Two Chambers would clear the obstacles, paving the way for him to be the new overlord.


    In other words, if Yvette was willing, it wouldn''t matter whether it was Dante, born in the slums, or someone random. Any of them could take the position.


    But why should she? If one wanted an opportunity, they must fight for it themself. Opportunities didn''t fall from the sky. If one could seize them, they were theirs; if not, it was one''s fate.


    At present, the choice had fallen into Dante''s hands-something he had never expected. He thought that someone as influential as Yvette wouldn''t care about someone as insignificant as him, that his fate would seem trivial to her.


    Who would have thought that she would ce the decision in hands! For a moment, Dante was utterly stunned.


    Yet, the Seventy-Two Chambers hellish trials were something only a handful of people had ever passed. It was said that Yvette had designed the training and tests to select only the mo elite members back in the day.


    Over the years, aside from the original members personally trained by her, those who managed to pass could be counted on one hand.


    Dante looked into Yvette''s eyes and could see that she genuinely intended for him to make the decision. He lowered his


    1/3


    10:42 Thu, Dec 26 G.


    head and said nothing. Though the diner was crowded, there wasn''t a single sound.


    92%Ãæ


    Mario and the members of Pentagon Gang stood to the side, anxiously waiting, unable to do anything. Yvette watched Dante struggle, her expression calm and indifferent. Sometimes, a person''s destinyy in their own hands.


    After a long pause, Dante raised his head, his gaze resolute, Looking at Yvette, he spoke with firm determination, enunciating each word. "Ms. Zeller, I am willing to undergo the Seventy-Two Chambers hellish trials.


    "Life and death are my destiny. Life is my fortune; death is also my fate. I have no regrets."


    Jeremiah had long anticipated Dante''s choice and was not surprised. Some people were born to carve out their own path, even at the cost of their lives. Otherwise, even if Yvette helped Dante be the ruler of the southern region, he wouldn''t Last long.


    At that moment. Dante shed his earlier nervousness and panic, exuding a trace of the demeanor of someone destined for power. This decision marked the beginning of his journey to bing the ruler of the southern region of Mysonna


    Yvette nodded slightly, her dark eyes sweeping over Dante. Her words were concise. "Go with them. The day you emerge from the Seventy-Two Chambers'' hellish trials will also be the day you be the ruler of the southern region."


    Dante couldn''t hide his excitement upon hearing that. He immediately knelt on the ground and said. "Ms. Zeller, I will never forget your immense kindness. If I survive ande out, my life will belong to you.


    Just say the word, and I will go through hell and high water without hesitation."


    Dante clearly understood that as long as he passed the trials, he could be a true leader. No longer would he be looked down upon as someone from the slums.


    After Dante had stood up, the hall leader of Disciplinary Hall stepped forward respectfully and addressed Yvette. "Ms. Zeller.


    will


    arrange


    for Dante to enter the inner hall for training. There will be no leniency, rest assured. We will take him now," Yvette, sitting with her

 Secrets Of MrS 557

    ?


    91%0


    Jeremiah''s hand, holding the water cup, paused slightly before she nonchntly took another sip. The loyalty of the Seventy-Two Chambers'' members to Yvette was so extreme that it was truly shocking


    Yvette lifted her eyelids and nced at the four hall leaders opposite her. Each of their faces was filled with seriousness and determination. She curled her lips slightly, her eyes remaining unchanged, and asked slowly, "Are you


    The four nodded. Each one was feared throughout the underworld and was then behaving like obedient students in front of Yvette, exuding not a hint of menace.


    Ms. Zeller, we''ve made up our minds, they said in unison.


    Yvette lightly drummed her fingers on the table and leaned backzily. She said, "Stay until the end of the year-this time next year, I''lle and take you home."


    The four were stunned upon hearing that. Did she just say she would take them home? For them, home was wherever Yvette


    They were all orphans. When they met Yvette, they were utterly alone. Although older than her by a few years, they were guided by her in both training and life-a ten-year-old leading a group of older kids to where they stood that day.


    Their fondest memories weren''t of the vibrant nightlife of the underworld but of the two years spent in the training camp. Those years, despite the grueling hardships, were the most meaningful of their lives.


    Yvette was merciless in her training methods, yet those days were filled with purpose.


    Later, the days of sweeping through the underworld under her leadership became equally unforgettable. Despite life-and- death battles, not a single member was lost because, with her around, even death couldn''t im them.


    The four, in unison, shouted with years of tacit understanding, Ms. Zeller, we''ll wait to go home with you!"


    Looking at the excited four, Yvette replied in a low voice, "Go back and tell Braydon that I''ll take you all next year."


    She had no intention of keeping that a secret No one could stop her from taking her people. The four nodded, well aware of her personality. When she said she would take Seventy-Two Chambers, even Braydon would have to agree.


    Going back to notify Braydon was merely a formality. Yvette had always been that assertive.


    Once the Seventy-Two Chambers members had left, Mario immediately entered. Upon seeing Yvette, he lowered his head, no longer his earlier talkative self, but rather nervous and uneasy


    Having been in the southern region for so many years, Mario knew a thing or two. That a figure like Yvette woulde to eat at his diner, behaving so courteously, was something he still found hard to believe.


    Yvette walked unhurriedly toward the door, Jeremiah following beside her. As she passed Mario, she paused, causing his heart to race, unsure whether to look up or noL


    Yvette nced down at the tense Mario and said casually, "Your food tastes very good With that, she and Jeremiah pushed open the door and left Mario broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought she was displeased with him. It turned out she wasplimenting his cooking. Only after they had left did he finally rx.


    Surveying the mess left behind, he sighed. Times were getting tougher, especially with the gang conflicts in the southern region that showed no signs of ending. Ory folks like him ways bore the brunt of it


    As he cleaned up, he noticed something unusual on the table where Yvette had sat. He thought he was seeing things-a slip


    of paper resembling a check; He bent down for a closer look.


    When he realized it was indeed a check, Mario froze. It was a 150 thousand-dor check. A whole year''s backbreaking work wouldn''t even earn him half that. And right then, the sum had appeared out of nowhere.


    As his emotions settled, holding the lightweight check in his hands, Mario sat on the recently cleaned blue chair, deeply moved. There was no need to guess who had left the check,


    That lofty figure, who seemed unreachable, had remembered his struggling diner even after leaving. Mario''s heart swelled with a mixture of gratitude andplexity.


    In the car, Jeremiah was driving while asionally ncing at Yette, who was curled up in the passenger seat engrossed in a game. His lips curled into a smile.


    Yvette had personally written a check for the diner owner. Only he would bother to handle such after-sale issues in the underworld.


    Yvette, half-lowering hershes, casually eliminated another yer in her game. Without lifting her head, she asked in a low voice. "What are you smiling at?"


    Jeremiah, holding the steering wheel with one hand, turned aer leisurely and replied in a deep voice, "I like to smile."


    His words made Yvette pause her game. She looked up, abandoning the game entirely, and nced at Jeremiah. "Men are liars. What else do you like?" she asked slowly.


    Jeremiah, turning the steering wheel again, answered without hesitation. I like you" His expression was earnest, his tone


    sincere.


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand and replied, ¡°That just proves you have good taste.¡±


    Jeremiah was used to her asional bouts of self-adoration. His expression remained calm as he countered, "Then, who do you like?" His question was light as if he didn''t care about the answer.


    Yvette arched her delicate brows, tilted her head, and repliedzily, "I like Coke." Jeremiah''s grip on the steering wheel faltered slightly. ''Who''s Coke now? he wondered. Yvette, after speaking, closed her eyes unhurriedly, a sly smile ying on her lips.


    Back at the mansion, Jeremiah sat on the office sofa, his face illuminated by dim light. His sharp features, prominent nose, and unbuttoned white shirt revealed a pale corbone, exuding an air of abstinence.


    He was still wondering who this Coke was that Yvette had mentioned. Turning his phone in his hand. Jeremiah opened it, found a contactbeled "Eagle King, and made the call.


    In Betrico, Eagle King, dressed in red shorts, a green tank top, and blue slippers, stared at the unfamiliar number, Afier confirming it, he answered cautiously, ¡°Mr. Chavez, what a rare call, What''s the asion?"


    Eagle King wasn''t foolish. Jeremiah wouldn''t call him for idle cha-chat. If he received a call, it was most likely rted to Yvette. He knew his ce well.


    Jeremiah, listening to the water running in the bathroom, asked in a deep voice. "Who''s Coke?"


    Eagle King froze at the question ''Coke? Who''s that? he wondered. He had no idea.


    Jeremiah waited for a few seconds, and when no answer came, he knew Eagle King didn''t know either. He muttered, ¡°Forget it and hung up.


    Eagle King, who was in Betrico''s photo studio, was bewildered. He stared at his phone, utterly perplexed. Then, suddenly


    Çú


    10:43 Thu, Dec 26 G.


    realizing something, he grinned mischievously and opened the group chat app.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The group chat''s name was "Happy Family," with group leaders Eagle King" and "Samantha


    That chat group, created after their return from South East Apleth, included everyone close to Yvette and Jeremiah, Whether they had met or not, they were all friends orrades of the pair. The group buzzed with activity daily, though


    the two remained blissfully unaware.


    The group had a clear rule-to not add Yvette or Jeremiah.


    0

 Secrets Of MrS 558

    ?


    8.91%


    In the Happy Family group chat, nearly everyone was present-Bagle King, Samantha, Andrew, Emmett, Charles, and the rest. Thest ones to join were Rodney and Kash, all the way from Golden Triangle.


    Eagle King was the most active member of the group, but his constant messages were often muted or ignored because he was just too noisy.


    He loved to share tips on health and wellness or motivational quotes, iming the world needed "truth, goodness, and beauty, although others thought his posts were borderline brainwashing.


    If Eagle King hadn''t be the group admin first, he would''ve been kicked out long ago,


    Eagle King immediately posted the question Jeremiah called to ask in the group chat. Then, he sat down, watching Flying Fish shoot a scene nearby, not bothering to check his phone.


    From experience, replies usually took ten minutes at the earliest sometimes up to half an hour. But this time, before Eagle King could even settle into his seat, his phone buzzed incessantly, the flood of notifications almost deafening.


    "What the heck? When did I get this popr?'' he thought. Excited and trembling, Eagle King grabbed his phone to open the group chat,


    The messages had already piled up to dozens. It was overwhelming, and for the first time, Eagle King experienced the chaos of being spammed. The first reply was from Andrew, who responded almost instantly.


    [Wait, Eagle King, are you serious? Jeremiah called you in the middle of the night to ask who Coke is? Who the heck is Coke? I won''t sleep tonight if I don''t find out. Does anyone know? Speak up now!] he texted.


    Bonnie: [You''re so nosy. Be careful, or Jeremiah will fly back from Mysonna just to deal with you. By the way, who''s Coke? Im just asking for a friend.]


    Samantha: [Bon, you''re adorable. Logically speaking, Jeremiah''s Coke must have something to do with Yve. Otherwise, there''s no way he''d call to ask. Emmett, do you know what''s going on?] She tagged Emmett.


    Emmett: [No clue. I just know Jeremiah and Yve went out for ate-night snack tonight. They''re upstairs now. Never heard of this Coke.] Bruce: [Agree with the above]


    Bruce was usually quiet in the group, and it took big news like this to get him to post anything.


    Sienna, lounging in Bruce''s arms, sat up excitedly when she save the group messages, her face full of gossip.


    [I think this Coke is definitely a big deal. Just the name screams drama. Could they be Jeremiah''s new rival in love?] she texted.


    Frankie [This person must be super important if they''ve made Jeremiah feel threatened. I really want to see who this Coke is. Haha, another rival for Jeremiah! Last time, it was Rodney; now it''s Coke. Poor guy.]


    Chris: [Nobody is worthy of being Jeremiah''s rival in love. Hisment was a clear indicator of his die-hard loyalty to Jeremiah,


    In Golden Triangle, Rodney put down his ss of milk and typed a single line: [This so-called Coke dares to be Jeremiah''s rival? If I don''t even rank, who does think he is?]


    Kash, fresh out of the rainforest after training picked up his phone and simply typed: [You''re the boss.]


    The group was in a frenzy, everyone specting wildly, except for one person who hadn''t said a word-Charles. Samantha


    1/3


    finally noticed and tagged him again


    ?? 91%?


    On the other side, Charles had just stepped out of the dissection room. He had been covering for his professor, who was unwell and was swamped withbs projects.


    After thoroughly washing his hands, he nced at his phone, say the multiple mentions, skimmed through the conversation, and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    Calmly, he typed out a single line and sent it: [Coke is the wild ck bear that Yvette kept as a pet at the Seventy-Two Chambers training ground.] Putting his phone aside, Charles picked up his coffee cup and gazed out the window at the bustling campus, moment to rx. taking a


    Little did he know that the moment his message hit the group chat, the previously lively conversation came to an abrupt halt. It turned out all their guesses, all their brainpower, led to this revtion-Coke was just a bear.


    Keeping a wild ck bear as a pet? That was such an Yvette thing to do. It took five minutes of stunned silence before anyone replied.


    Eagle King: [Guys, can we pretend I never brought this up? Someone, please tell Jeremiah who Coke is. I''m going offline- don''t try to contact me anytime soon.]


    Andrew, Samantha, Rodney, and Sienna logged off simultaneously.


    Bonnie: [Uh, am I the only one who thinks Yve keeping a ck bear is super cool!]


    Andrew replied instantly: [Totally! We''re so in sync, Bon.)


    Bonnie logged off immediately.


    In the end, it was Emmett who put down his phone and sent Jeremiah a text message. He couldn''t help but sigh. Since meeting Yve, Jeremiah has certainly encountered a diverse array of rivals!


    The next morning, Yvette and Jeremiah came downstairs after getting ready. Everyone else was already seated at the breakfast table. The moment they appeared, the group collectively put away their phones in one synchronized, efficient


    motion


    Jeremiah and Yvette exchanged a nce before taking their seats at the head of the table. Jeremiah calmly spread strawberry jam on Yvette''s toast. Even such a simple act seemed elegant and pleasing to the eye.


    Yvette leaned backzily in her chair, her gaze sweeping over a few guilty faces. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Are your phones that interesting?" Frankie, Chris, and Sienna shook their heads frantically, especially Frankie, whose head was bobbing like a rattle, clearly guilty.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Yvette took a sip of orange juice and smirked. Jeremiah set the toast in front of her, then tapped bis fingers on the table and asked in his deep voice. "Are your phones that interesting?"


    The couple''s seamless teamwork sent a chill down everyone''s spine. Frankie shook his head even more vigorously,


    "No, not really, Jeremiah


    "Not at all"


    The chat records from yesterday and this morning were still on their phones. They had all taken some schadenfreude in the fact that Jeremiah had called Eagle King in the middle of the night asking who was Coke.


    10:43 Thu, Dec 26 Gto.


    9.91%#


    There was no way they could let the group chat messages get exposed. If Jeremiah found out about the midnight Coke debacle, they would be done for-dead without leaving a trace.


    Yvette dropped the topic, leisurely finishing her toast, while Jeremiah acted as if nothing had happened. The two of them calmly enjoyed their breakfast,


    Sienna and Frankie, being the two who had taken the most pleasure in the situation, exchanged a nce. Their hearts finally settled.


    The two of them had escaped death by a hair''s breadth, miraculously surviving to live another day. They were lucky-truly- lucky.


    After finishing thest bite of her bread, Yvette pulled out a napkin and wiped her hands. Tilting her head slightly toward Jeremiah, she said, "Wait for me for a moment."


    Jeremiah took a sip of coffee, his expression indifferent, eyes slightly lowered, and tonenguid. He responded,


    "Mm."


    0


    10:43 Thu, Dec 26 GG.


    10:43. Thu, ??c 20.GIF


    C

 Secrets Of MrS 559

    ?


    hapter 559


    Yvette nonchntly pulled out an old ck phone. She hadn''t used it in a long time but kept it as a spare. Once it lit up. Sienna and the others nced at the old-fashioned cell phone del swallowed nervously.


    They thought. That phone''s so outdated I bet you can''t find it even secondhand Why''s she still using it? It''s practically an antique However, Yvette then showed them what it meant to use the most outdated phone for the most high-tech tasks.


    Yvette casually fiddled with the ck phone for a few seconds, her hands moving at lightning speed. Everyone watched in awe as the outdated ck phone in Yvette''s hand turned into a dayputer in the blink of an eye.


    Holy shit! Can someone exin this to me? Is tech already this advanced now? What''s with this mini keyboard" I didn''t even blink! What just happened? Is that some magic trick? Frankie thought as he rubbed his eyes.


    Sienna eximed, "Yvette, w-what brand is that? Is it a phone orputer? Even she wanted one-it was simply amazing


    Yvette''s fingers danced on the keyboard, once again showing off her impressive speed. As she typed away, she slowly answered. "It''s a no-name brand. Built it from a couple of old phones-you can''t buy it anywhere,"


    The others stared in silence, thinking. ''Goodness! Is there anything that Yvette can''t do? Lines of code rapidly filled the screen Suddenly, Frankie, Sienna, Bruce, and Chris felt somewhat uneasy. What exactly did she do?


    After a minute, Yvette stopped and looked up, still expressionless Jeremiah was sitting next to her, and his eyes briefly lingered on what was on the screen. He nced at the group opposite him, lowered his gaze, and continued calmly sipping his coffee.


    However, Sienna, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie noticed Jeremiah''s nk expression and knew something was up. They were dying to see what was on the screen, but no one dared to move.


    Yvette propped up her chin while she looked at the phone screen with keen interest. A small, mysterious smile appeared on her lips and her green eyes lit up with mischief. "Happy Family Nice description, too," she casually remarked


    Everyone else realized what Yvette had just done as soon as she spoke. ''Damn it, did Yvette seriously hack into our phones? Isn''t that overkill they thought exasperatedly


    Sienna was the first to react, immediately raising her hands in surrender and saying sincerely, "Yvette, I''ll admit my mistake, but please believe me. I wasn''t the one who sent the messages in the group chat yesterday."


    "Bruce sent them from my phone-I swear I tried to stop him. I told him to keep his nose out of the gossip about Mr. Chavez and you, but he wouldn''t listen!" she added.


    Sienna spoke with conviction. Then, she turned to Bruce with a look urging him to quickly confess.


    Bruce felt Sienna''s gaze boring into him and sighed before setting down his coffee. He looked up at Yvette and Jeremiah and said, "Yvette, Mr. Chavez, Sienna sent the messages."


    Frankie and Chris looked at Bruce in admiration as he spoke. He was always dependable at crucial moments.


    Meanwhile, Sienna was utterly bewildered. What happened to the evesting love and riding off into the sunset together! What about calling each other ''sweetheart? What the hell''s going on? she thought in dismay


    Bruce looked at the dumbfounded Sienna with a slight sanile and a knowing gaze. In a deep voice, he said, "You know what they uy-when disaster strikes, even love can falter


    With no way of bailing herself out, Sienna swallowed her words again as she thought, "Shit. Was this asshole waiting for me? He sure is petty'' She sunk back into her chair dejectedly and sulfed in defeat.


    Yvette looked at Frankle again, her green eyes slightly narrowed, she crossed her legs with an expectant smirk, like some big


    91%


    Frankie almost instinctively dropped to his knees and said, "Uh Yvette, Chris used my phone to send that message. Would you believe that!" Chris stared at Frankie, unimpressed.


    Languidly. Yvette stood up with a smile and raiseil an eyebrow What do you think?"


    Jeremiah got up too. The two of them walked out the door, leaving Frankie and Sienna staring at each other and wondering if they had dodged a bullet.


    Two strangers suddenly joined the Happy Family group chat. Their profile pictures were pitch ck. As the group chat owners, Eagle King and Samantha immediately noticed them.


    Eagle King pinged the two strangers: [Who are you? Who invited you?


    Samantha, who had just finished a regr meeting in Betrico, frowned as she messaged: [No one did, they just appeared out of nowhere. I didn''t even get a notification to approve them. Looks like our group chat has been hacked.]


    Andrew: [Who the fuck has the guts to hack our group chat? I''ll blow them to pieces


    Sienna: Ahem, watch yournguage and keep things civil.]


    Frankie: Think of your life and be careful.)


    Chris: [Watch yourself.]


    Bruce Good luck with that.]


    Andrew was in the library, looking at the perfectly concurring messages on his phone in confusion. What''s going on? Why are they still messing around? The group chat got hacked! he wondered.


    Just as Andrew was about to ask for rification, one of the strangersN?velDrama.Org content rights.


    messaged: [Yvette.]


    Another message quickly followed from the other stranger: [Jeremiah.


    The group chat went dead silent. Over in Betrico, Samantha instantly updated the group chat description to Yvette is the cutest), Jeremiah is the most charming). [Wee, Yvette), and Wee, Jeremiah


    | She also added: [Disimer: Mr. Andrew Mitchell has no rtionship whatsoever with Ms. Samantha Muchell. Any inappropriate remarks made are his sole responsibility


    When the other group members saw the updated description, they all jumped in to shower Yvette and Jeremiah with praise. Firework emojis and stickers of various gifts littered the group chat. It was buzzing with activity.


    Later, Jeremiah dropped Yvette off at the entrance of Ss'' medicalb. Ss had invited Yvette over, saying he had something to discuss, but he was secretive and insisted on a face-to-face meeting


    Jeremiah watched as Yvette got out of the car and entered theb Then, he turned the car around and drove off.


    When Yvette entered theb, she saw Ss standing in the middle of the hall. He was impably dressed and had even styled his hair with wax, looking carefully well-groomed. There was the faint scent of a ssy cologne, much unlike his usual


    Yveite paused for a moment when she saw Ss'' puthit. She put her hands in her pockets and slowly approached hunk, dancing him over while casually asknig. "Aur you interested in someone you met at a blush date for the elderly ag?m?!" Throughout the years, Ss wore that cologne whenever he was love. Naturally, he had an equally extensive romantK?N,


    history.


    Few people wouldn''t be charmed by a sophisticated, wealthy, Mysonna, there were even women 20 or 30 years younger than


    Ss'' youngest girlfriend was 32 years younger than him. Howe no time for dating, she reluctantly ended things.


    Ss lips twitched in response. He asked in annoyance, "Ms. Zel


    Çú


    10 43 Thu, Dec26 GI


    history.


    Few people wouldn''t be charmed by a sophisticated, wealthy, and handsome older gentleman. In a liberal ce like Mysonna, there were even women 20 or 30 years younger than Ss openly wooing him.


    Ss'' youngest girlfriend was 32 years younger than him. However, because Ss spent so much time in theb that he had no time for dating, she reluctantly ended things.


    Ss lips twitched in response. He asked in annoyance, "Ms. Zeller, do I really look that easy to you?"


    10:43 Thu. Dec 266 -

 Secrets Of MrS 560

    ?


    ‡í91%


    91%%a


    Yvette nodded, her eyebrows lifting as she remarked casually, "You behave like an animal when you act without thinking"


    Ss was taken aback. Deep down, he felt a bit guilty about it, considering he had quite a few girlfriends over the years. Seeing Ss act cute at his age was quite off-putting, but he did not seem to realize it. Yvette looked upzily. Her eyes reflected her usual calm demeanor. She exchanged nces with Ss before leaving with both hands shoved inside her pockets.


    He rubbed his nose and switched the topic quickly, saying, "Yvette, I actually have something to tell you today. Can you


    what it is?" guess


    If she stayed any longer, it would be hard for her not to p the wide smile off Ss'' face.


    Seeing Yvette about to leave, Ss quickly tried to stop her. He said pitifully, "Come on! Really? I''m just asking you to guess. Can''t you be more patient with me? Just a little?"


    Yvette stopped in her tracks, letting out a softugh. She pursed her lips and replied straightforwardly; "Nope, so you better spill before I leave." Ss quickly followed up and said, "I''ll tell you, okay? No need to start using bad words now,"


    Ss decided not to beat around the bush anymore, knowing Yvette would definitely leave out of impatience if he did.


    He said, "You previously mentioned that Betrico University wanted to invite me to be an honorary professor. I''ve already contacted them. Once we wrap up the matter with the enhanced No.7 Toxin next month, I''ll head to Betrico University for about a year, at least."


    Clearing his throat, Ss continued, "I want to train more talented people in the medical industry. It''s a long but important journey ahead." Yvette did not show much surprise, only turning her head to stare at Ss with a serious expression. She dragged out her words, saying, "Speak clearly"


    Ss, who had just taken a sip of water, almost choked. He quickly soothed himself and caught his breath.


    Ss mumbled under his breath, "I heard that in Clusia, older folks love doing the square dance. Haven''t I done enough jazz and walizes here? I thought I could try out a different dance style in Clusia,


    Yvette walked leisurely over to a chair. She sat down, leaned back, and crossed one leg over the other. She said yfully, "A new dance style? Are you sure you''re not just looking for a new dance partner?"


    Ss stared at Yvette with a pout. His expression grew increasingly pitiful with her repeated teasing.


    ''Did she have to be that blunt? he thought.


    Ss decided to put aside his pride and admitted frankly, "I feel like my life-long true love is destined to be found in the distant and mysterious Aploth. It''s like God is guiding me there


    With a sincere expression, Ss almost looked like he had received divine guidance


    Yvette narrowed her eyes a little, resting her hand on the chair. Hershes lowered as a mischievous smile shed across her face. She said, "You never believed in God!


    Ss looked as though he might cry, each of Yvette''s words felte a dagger to his heart. If they contiqued this conversation, he might just suffer from a stroke.


    10:43 Thu, Dec 26 G Ito.


    €91%0


    All he could think of now was that the further Yvette was, the better. At the very least, he did not want to see her again this


    year.


    The Golden Exhibit Center in Mysona was known as the oldest andrgest concert hall in Mysonna, It was now used mainly forrge-scale music events.


    Only world-ss musicians and performers could hold their concerts and recitals here. It was considered a sacred venue for everyone in the music industry.


    This year, the Golden Exhibit Center hosted no more than five pianists for recitals. The next recital would feature Elliot Ross, the eldest son of the prestigious Ross family.


    Elliot gained fame at a young age.


    When he was eight years old, he took the music industry by stom with his original piece, ¡°Despaired Soul." He won almost all the major awards that year. This established him as a unique presence in the music industry and cemented his unparalleled status.


    Elliot would receive more than 30 million dors in royalties every year from "Despaired Soul"


    Clyde, Elliot''s assistant, dismissed everyone in the break room, leaving just the two of them. Once alone, Elliot dropped his gentlemanly facade and turned irritable.


    He threw the sheet music at Clyde''s face and shouted angrily, Where''s the new sheet music? Is it still not done? Months have passed! Those useless people can''t even produce a decent piece, even with all the money I spend on them. These are all trash! If this gets published, what will happen to my reputation?


    Clyde had grown used to Elliot''s angry outbursts. Whenever things did not go couldn''t see. Clyde carefully picked up the scattered sheet music from the floor.


    his way, he would lose his mind where others


    Clyde pleaded, "Mr. Ross, please don''t be upset. They''ve said that if you give them a few more months, they''ll definitely produce a piece that will satisfy you. So..."


    Before Clyde could finish speaking, Elliot kicked him to the ground and cursed loudly, "What did you say? Wait? I''ve already waited for so fucking long!"


    He fumed, "If I can''te up with a new piece this year, what will people think of me? All of them are ready to drag me down from the pedestal and rece me. Keep dreaming! They should all go to hell!"


    Clyde appeared humble on the surface, but deep down, he harbored a strong sense of contempt. Ever since Elliot released. the groundbreaking "Despaired Soul'' piece at eight, he hadn''t been able to produce anything as notable.


    The whispers in the music industry had grown louder in recent years. They imed that Elliot was a genius who fell off. He could no longer write good music.


    Having worked with Elliot for many years, Clyde knew that Elliot''s musical talent was not as impressive as the rumors made him out to be.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    It was absolutely impossible for Elliot topose a piece like "Despaired Soul. But if it was giarized, why didn''t anyonee forward to expose it? Why was he handed the ticket to fame Clyde was puzzled to no


    end.


    Elliot was very


    ry secretive about this piece, never bringing it up himself. Whenever he returned from a performance, he would throw a tantrum and smash things like he was possessed.


    Clyde reassured Elliot, replying in a humble tone, "Mr. Ross, please don''t be angry. I will continue to urge them every day


    Right now, the most important thing for you is the reciul in the days. The president of the International Music


    10 43 Thu, Dec26 GIU


    B%91%


    Association will personally attend. Whether or not you can get a high-ranking membership in the association hinges on this recital,¡± he said.


    At this point, Elliot finally calmed down, his expression rxing noticeably. Bing a high-ranking member of the association would silence all the critics. Who would still dare to doubt him and say his inspiration had run dry?


    With his sharp and decisive voice, Elliot said, "Send the invitation card to Derek. Tell him if he doesn''t show up to support me this time, we won''t be bros anymore."


    Clyde nodded, looking a bit troubled. The rtionship between Elliot and Derek had been strained over the years. No one. exactly knew what caused it. Each time they met, it was like oil and water. The rift between them was deep.

 Secrets Of MrS 561

    ?


    That afternoon, Jeremiah renamed to the medicalb to bring the back to the mansion. Inside, Sienna sat on the couch. with a freshly delivered invitation card lying on the table in front of her


    She opened the cant and scanned it just as Voette and Jeremiah walked in Sienna quickly set the card down and greeted them with a smile. "Yvette. Jeremiah, you''re back!


    Yvette nodded and walked over to the couch, her eyes drifting the invitation on the table. The moment she sported the emblem, het gare quickly averted.


    This is an invitation from Elliot, Sienna said, picking up the card. "He had someone deliver it-it''s for his recital at Golden 1xhibit Center in three says" The door opened, and Frankie, Chris, and Bruce stepped in, overhearing Sienna''sst words. Frankie, always blunt, scoffed | swear, every time I walk in, it''s about another fancy event. Don''t these so-called elites ever take a break!"


    Chris, calmly pulling off his shoes, replied, "Your family counts as elite in Quakersville, you know." Frankie paused. momentanly lost for words.


    Bruce walked over, settling next to Sienna. Elliot? The world-renowned musician from that prestigious family known for their music he mused. Having attended concerts and art exhibitions often, Bruce knew a bit about the Ross family.


    jeremiah ced a ss of warm water in front of Yvette and sat down beside her. The temperature''s just night," he said. Yvette nced up, took a sip, and set the ss back on the table,


    Sienna. Bruce. Chris, and Frankie couldn''t help but feel a twinge of envy. It was as if Jeremiah were caring for Yvette like a


    hild


    "Yes. That''s the Ross family" Sienna continued. "This generation has two s


    sons. Not both went into music, though.


    Elliot became a pianist, and Derek went into business. Derek now owns Mysonna''srgest club chain, with locations all over the world. Ours an artist, the other a businessman-both aplished.¡±


    Bruce nodded thoughtfully Ive attended two of Elliot''s performances.


    His famous piece Despaired Soul is undeniably a masterpiece, but honestly. I think the praise is a bit exaggerated. It''s powerful and groundbreaking, but his performancecks soul. It''s paradoxical¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Bruce a sharp ear for music made his critique hit the nail on the head. It was battling how someone could fail to bring their own creation to life


    The pieces Elliot released after "Despaired Soul" paled inparison-it was like night and day. Without being told, it was hard to believe the same person wrote them.


    Sienna nodded in agreement. "You''re right. I went to one of his recitals two years ago, and honestly, it was shsappointing. I also heard a rumor that he invited the president of International Music Association this time-probably hoping to jun


    The


    Meanwhile, Jeremiah carefully peeled an orange for Yvette, neatly arranging the slices on a te. Yvette let out a slow yawn, frowned slightly, and casually said. ¡°Despaired Soul wasn''t written by Elliot


    With that, Wette arood and headed upstairs Jeremiah watched er graceful figure disappear, thinking to himsell, Her connection to the Ross family Seacrity Sky Nimbus It books like another surprise ising


    Siema turned to Bruce, her voice slow as she processed what Yue had said "That Yvette just say that Elliot x most famoses piece, Despaired Soul, was giarized?


    10:43 Thu, Dec 26 GIG.


    Chapter


    561


    891%1


    Bruce nodded without hesitation. He believed Yvettepletely After all, a giarist could never truly capture the depth and essence of a masterpiece like that. He trusted Yvette''s judgment without a second thought.


    No one in the living room questioned what Yvette had said. If Yvette had told them that the world would end tomorrow, they''d have believed her without a doubt. She wasn''t the type to be or make up.


    Cries.


    Sienna raised the invitation again and asked, "So, what should we do with this? Should I just throw it away? I wasn''t nning on going anyway." Frankie chimed in with a shrug. "Yeah, why bother with a recital by someone who giarizes? Toss it."


    Just as Sienna was about to throw the card away, Jeremiah stood up, adjusted his sleeve, nced at the card, and said quietly, "Keep it" He then turned and headed upstairs.


    Sienna froze, holding the card mid-air before setting it back on the table. Bruce, Chris, and Frankie exchanged nces. It was clear Jeremiah had something else in mind.


    In the bedroom, Yvette stepped out of the walk-in closet, now dressed in casual loungewear. Jeremiah leaned against the wall, his posture rxed, yet his gaze sharp.


    You know the Ross family?" he asked. Jeremiah and Yvette had always been direct with each other-no guessing involved Yvette didn''t answer right away. Instead, she walked to the balcony, letting the warm, soothing afternoon sunlight wash over her.


    The air felt soft and fragrant, the faint scent of blooming flowers carried by a gentle breeze that mingled with the rustling of leaves, all beneath the brilliant blue of the sky.


    Jeremiah followed her, handing her a ss of orange juice as he joined her at the railing. He didn''t push for an answer, simply waiting in silence. Yvette nced at him before taking the ss. She epted it, though she couldn''t help thinking she''d rather have something stronger, like wine. Her gaze lowered, and she spoke with a casual tone, showing no emotion "When I was little, I spent a lot of time in the slums. One day, out of boredom, I saw a billboard and decided to audition for fun."


    "Someone from the Ross family recognized my musical talent and offered to train me. I stayed with them for a few years" Her words felt distant, as if she were telling someone else''s story


    At the mention of the slums, Jeremiah turned cold. It was clear that Yvette had lived there before. He knew all too well what life in the slums was like- violent,wless, filled with bloodshed drugs, and human trafficking.


    The thought of Yvette, so young and delicate, surviving in that kind of hell made his chest tighten. Pain flickered in his eyes as he imagined it.


    Yvette noticed the shift in his mood. She lifted her gaze slightly, herexpression unreadable. Her voice, when she spoke, was cold, almost casual, as if recounting a memory that no longer held any weight for her.


    "The slums weren''t that bad." She continued, "The one with the hardest fists makes the rules, I was there because my ancientbat skills were growing, and the fights were more exciting."


    Jeremiah''s tension and murderous aura surrounding him meltes instantly, reced by a mix of amusement and exasperation. He reached for her hand, wrapping his fingers firmly around hers. He knew that Yvette never resorted to pitying herself.


    Only she could talk about brawling in the slums like it was some kind of adrenaline-fueled pastime. Then, why did your leave Jeremiah asked. 10:44 Thu, Dec 26 Go.


    pter 561


    91%


    Yvette turned to him with a serious expression that didn''t match the yful tone in her voice. ¡°Because I beat up too many


    people. They cried and begged me to go"


    0


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 G In


    AK

 Secrets Of MrS 562

    ?


    The next day. Yvette went shopping with Sienna and bought some jewelry. Afterward, the two of them went to a Frixyian restaurant to have lunch.


    Yvette got up to go to the restroom, while Sienna was flipping through the menu, finding the dishes quite appealing.


    The owner of this Frixyian restaurant had invited Sienna many times to try their food. However, Sienna never found the time until today, when she finally had a break and decided to bring Yvette along to give it a try.


    Suddenly, a sharp female voice echoed near Sienna''s car. The diners all turned to look at the woman who had made the noise. Making such a sound in a romantic and elegant restaurant was really inappropriate.


    Sienna felt the voice was aimed at her. When she looked up, she saw a sexy blonde holding a new season Dior bag


    The woman was dressed from head to toe in limited edition items, and Sienna could notpliment her fashion taste. The luxury items were piled together with no clear focus.


    Sienna sat in her chair, watching the angry blonde. She frowned and asked in fluent Uprian, "Miss, do you need something?"


    Seeing that Sienna was from Clusia and dressed inly, the blonde got even more agitated. Her expression turned even nastier, thinking, "What right does a Clusian girl have to sit in this spot?N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    The blonde tilted her head and said disdainfully. "This spot is reserved for me and my boyfriend. Please leave right now, or my boyfriend will be very angry if he sees you here."


    With the blonde''s arrogant attitude, one could mistakenly think the owned the restaurant. Even the waiter in the back looked conflicted, unsure of what to do


    After all, Lucille Fournier was a regr at the restaurant, and her boyfriend was an impressive businessman, someone even the owner could not afford to offend.


    So, no one dared to speak up about the seating arrangement, fearing it might bring trouble.


    Knowing better than to offend Lucy, the waiter looked at Sienna with pleading eyes, hoping she would voluntarily give up her seat to smooth things


    over.


    The waiter said, "Miss, I''m sorry, but this seat is reserved for Ms. Fournier. Our staff is new, so the mistakenly made. If it''s convenient, we can find you another table.


    arrangements were


    Sienna followed the waiter''s gesture and chuckled. Did they think she was easy to push around! Compared to her current table, the corner one was a joke. It was quite amusing.


    Sienna''s already striking features became even sharper as she raised an eyebrow. Sitting firmly with her arms crossed, she let out a coldugh. "No."


    Without wasting another word, she directly refused Lucy''s unreasonable demand. Sienna had been fil Mysonna for years and was not about to indulge someone so shameless.


    Lucy and the waiter did not expect Sienna to refuse so quickly, especially Lucy, whose face instantly turned pale. She bit her lip, took out a few tens of Amerian dors from her bag, and threw it on the table, holding her head high.


    "Hey, Clusian girl. Here''s the money. Get out," Lucy said. The other diners paused, whispering among themselves,


    In Mysonna, where racial discrimination was serious, Epeans generally saw themselves as superior and looked down on people of other races. Therefore, while everyone dining knew Lucy was the one causing trouble, no one stood up to criticize her. Instead, they all


    1/3


    just watched the spectacle


    3.91%


    Sienna saw the few tens of Amerian dors on the table and instead of getting angry, sheughed. She picked up her knife and fork, leisurely cutting her steak in front of both the waiter and Lucy, then calmly ate a piece.


    She then lifted her head, wiped her mouth, and casually picked up the money on the table. Seeing her move, Lucy looked


    even more smug.


    She thought. ''See. This Clusian would definitely just take the money and leave. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to think the same, watching with mocking eyes.


    The next moment, Sienna got up, took a couple of steps forward, and stuffed the money into Lucy''s half-exposed chest.


    She said, word by word, "You better remember, dumbass, ''Clusian girl is not something someone like you should say."


    Then, while Lucy was still in shock, Sienna pped her across the face. The sharp p echoed through the entire restaurant, leaving everyone stunned by the scene.


    After Sienna pped her, she tucked her hand away, looking slightly regretful, as if it had not been hard enough. Lucy, who had been struck, screamed again and rushed toward Sienna.


    Sienna was already prepared and met her head-on. A fight? No way she would let some foreign rowdy intimidate her.


    As Yvette came out of the restroom, she could faintly hear the noise of amotion and the sound of someone being pped.


    She paused for a moment. Her once calm face became icy cold, and her presence turned intensely intimidating.


    Sienna initially had the upper hand. She grabbed Lucy''s hair and pinned her down, pping her. But with the waiter taking sides, Lucy found an opportunity. A p from Lucy was about tond on Sienna''s right cheek.


    Sienna could not break free from the waiter''s grip and could only watch helplessly as the p came closer. On instinct, she closed her eyes. After several seconds, the p she expected never came.


    She quickly opened her eyes and saw the hand about to hit her face being grabbed by Yvette. The moment she saw Yvette, it was like she had found her support.


    "Yvette, you''re back! This blonde woman tried to hit me," Sienna said, looking like a tattletale, a stark contrast to the fearless fighter she had been moments before.


    With Yvette here, she could just quietly stay out of the way. Yvette tightly gripped Lucy''s hand. Her delicate features were icy, and her dark eyes held a hint of cold menace.


    With barely any effort, Yvette tossed Lucy onto a chair. Lucy hit the chair with such force that it shattered into pieces, leaving her seeing stars and unable to get up from the floor.


    Everyone was stunned. The two waiters holding Sienna saw Yvette''s gaze sweep over them, their faces pale with fright, and they quickly let go of Sienna.


    Once freed, Sienna shook her wrist and walked over to Yvette''s side. Yvette nced at her up and down, making sure she was not hurt. The tension in the air finally eased


    Sienna quickly whispered, "Yvette, I didn''t lose out. Bruce''s grappling technique really works! If those waiters hadn''t taken sides, I would have had her on the ground, begging for mercy."


    Yvette shoved her hands into her pockets, the corners of her eye lifting slightly. The sleeve of her white T-shirt revealed her tanned wrists. Her expression was indifferent. "What happened


    Sienna immediately recounted what had just happened. After hearing the cause of the conflict, Yvette furrowed her well-


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 G to.


    Chapter


    562


    The next day. Yvette went shopping with Sienna and bought some jewelry. Afterward, the two of them went to a Frixyian restaurant to have lunch. Yvette got up to go to the restroom, while Sienna was flipping through the menu, finding the dishes quite appealing.


    The owner of this Frixyian restaurant had invited Sienna many times to try their food. However, Sienna never found the time until today, when she finally had a break and decided to bring Yvette along to give it a try.


    Suddenly, a sharp female voice echoed near Sienna''s car. The diners all turned to look at the woman who had made the noise. Making such a sound in a romantic and elegant restaurant was really inappropriate.


    Sienna felt the voice was aimed at her. When she looked up, she saw a sexy blonde holding a new season Dior bag


    The woman was dressed from head to toe in limited edition items, and Sienna could notpliment her fashion taste. The luxury items were piled together with no clear focus.


    Sienna sat in her chair, watching the angry blonde. She frowned and asked in fluent Uprian, "Miss, do you need something?"


    Seeing that Sienna was from Clusia and dressed inly, the blonde got even more agitated. Her expression turned even nastier, thinking, "What right does a Clusian girl have to sit in this spot?


    The blonde tilted her head and said disdainfully. "This spot is reserved for me and my boyfriend. Please leave right now, or my boyfriend will be very angry if he sees you here."


    With the blonde''s arrogant attitude, one could mistakenly think the owned the restaurant. Even the waiter in the back looked conflicted, unsure of what to do


    After all, Lucille Fournier was a regr at the restaurant, and her boyfriend was an impressive businessman, someone even the owner could not afford to offend.


    So, no one dared to speak up about the seating arrangement, fearing it might bring trouble.


    Knowing better than to offend Lucy, the waiter looked at Sienna with pleading eyes, hoping she would voluntarily give up her seat to smooth things


    over.


    The waiter said, "Miss, I''m sorry, but this seat is reserved for Ms. Fournier. Our staff is new, so the mistakenly made. If it''s convenient, we can find you another table.


    arrangements were


    Sienna followed the waiter''s gesture and chuckled. Did they think she was easy to push around! Compared to her current table, the corner one was a joke. It was quite amusing.


    Sienna''s already striking features became even sharper as she raised an eyebrow. Sitting firmly with her arms crossed, she let out a coldugh.


    "No."


    Without wasting another word, she directly refused Lucy''s unreasonable demand. Sienna had been fil Mysonna for years and was not about to indulge someone so shameless.


    Lucy and the waiter did not expect Sienna to refuse so quickly, especially Lucy, whose face instantly turned pale. She bit her lip, took out a few tens of Amerian dors from her bag, and threw it on the table, holding her head high.


    ¡°Hey, Clusian girl. Here''s the money. Get out," Lucy said. The other diners paused, whispering among themselves,


    In Mysonna, where racial discrimination was serious, Epeans generally saw themselves as superior and looked down on people of other races. Therefore, while everyone dining knew Lucy was the one causing trouble, no one stood up to criticize her. Instead, they all


    1/3


    just watched the spectacle


    3.91%


    Sienna saw the few tens of Amerian dors on the table and instead of getting angry, sheughed. She picked up her knife and fork, leisurely cutting her steak in front of both the waiter and Lucy, then calmly ate a piece.


    She then lifted her head, wiped her mouth, and casually picked up the money on the table. Seeing her move, Lucy looked


    even more smug.


    She thought. ''See. This Clusian would definitely just take the money and leave. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to think the same, watching with mocking eyes.


    The next moment, Sienna got up, took a couple of steps forward, and stuffed the money into Lucy''s half-exposed chest.


    She said, word by word, "You better remember, dumbass, ''Clusian girl is not something someone like you should say."


    Then, while Lucy was still in shock, Sienna pped her across the face. The sharp p echoed through the entire restaurant, leaving everyone stunned by the scene.


    After Sienna pped her, she tucked her hand away, looking slightly regretful, as if it had not been hard enough. Lucy, who had been struck, screamed again and rushed toward Sienna.


    Sienna was already prepared and met her head-on. A fight? No way she would let some foreign rowdy intimidate her.


    As Yvette came out of the restroom, she could faintly hear the noise of amotion and the sound of someone being pped.


    She paused for a moment. Her once calm face became icy cold, and her presence turned intensely intimidating.


    Sienna initially had the upper hand. She grabbed Lucy''s hair and pinned her down, pping her. But with the waiter taking sides, Lucy found an opportunity. A p from Lucy was about tond on Sienna''s right cheek.


    Sienna could not break free from the waiter''s grip and could only watch helplessly as the p came closer. On instinct, she closed her eyes. After several seconds, the p she expected never came.


    She quickly opened her eyes and saw the hand about to hit her face being grabbed by Yvette. The moment she saw Yvette, it was like she had found


    her support.


    "Yvette, you''re back! This blonde woman tried to hit me," Sienna said, looking like a tattletale, a stark contrast to the fearless fighter she had been


    moments before.


    With Yvette here, she could just quietly stay out of the way. Yvette tightly gripped Lucy''s hand. Her delicate features were icy, and her dark eyes held


    a hint of cold menace.


    With barely any effort, Yvette tossed Lucy onto a chair. Lucy hit the chair with such force that it shattered into pieces, leaving her seeing stars and unable to get up from the floor.


    Everyone was stunned. The two waiters holding Sienna saw Yvette''s gaze sweep over them, their faces pale with fright, and they quickly let go of


    Sienna.


    Once freed, Sienna shook her wrist and walked over to Yvette''s side. Yvette nced at her up and down, making sure she was not hurt. The tension


    in the air finally eased


    Sienna quickly whispered, "Yvette, I didn''t lose out. Bruce''s grappling technique really works! If those waiters hadn''t taken sides, I would have had her on the ground, begging for mercy."


    Yvette shoved her hands into her pockets, the corners of her eye lifting slightly. The sleeve of her white T-shirt revealed her tanned wrists. Her expression was indifferent. ¡°What happened


    Sienna immediately recounted what had just happened. After hearing the cause of the conflict, Yvette furrowed her well-


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 G to.


    Chapter


    562


    defined eyebrows slightly.


    2x91%=


    At that moment, Lucy got up from the ground. Her carefully styled appearance from earlier was gone. Now, she looked disheveled, her lipstick smudged, with Yvette''s footprint on her dress, looking like a crazy woman.


    defined eyebrows slightly.


    2¡Á91%=


    At that moment, Lucy got up from the ground. Her carefully styled appearance from earlier was gone. Now, she looked disheveled, her lipstick smudged, with Yvette''s footprint on her dress, looking like a crazy woman.

 Secrets Of MrS 563

    ?


    Lucy''s face was a mess. It was mostly Sienna who had beaten her up, leaving her no chance to fight back. Her face was now swollen and red.


    She had thought her height advantage would make Sienna beg for mercy, but instead, she received several ps, and her hair was yanked out, scattered across the floor.


    The floor, covered with blonde strands, showed just how intense the fight had been.


    Yvette looked at Lucy expressionlessly, her green eyes carrying a hint of coldness. Just one nce was enough to send a chill down anyone''s spine. Lucy shouted angrily, "Just wait until my darling gets here! He won''t let you off the hook. I want you all to suffer!"


    Since she got together with her current boyfriend, people had always been polite and deferential toward her. This was the first time she had been beaten like this, and she was furious.


    Yvette merely took a step forward, and Lucy instinctively stepped back.


    Sienna heard what Lucy said and could not help butugh. She thought, ''Mentioning someone in front of Yvette? That''s


    hrious


    cit


    Yvette leisurely sat down at the table, and seeing this, Sienna eagerly brought the steak over to ce it in front of her.


    Yvette calmly picked up a pair of silver butter knives, gracefully lifting a piece of sliced steak to her mouth. Her slender, clean fingers looked particrly beautiful under the restaurant lights.


    Just when everyone thought another conflict was about to start, Wette''s actions confused them once more. Eating steak at that moment seemed out of ce, and who even ate steak with butter knives?


    The people in the restaurant thought Yvette was being incredibly rude, but because of that recent kick of hers, no one dared to talk loudly.


    Lucy was about to lose her temper over Yvette''s actions. Just as she trembled and pulled out her phone to make a call, the restaurant doors opened once again.


    A man, about six feet tall, with sharp features and deep contours stood before them.


    His eyes had a light hue, and he wore a ck, high-end suit with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up just right, revealing toned and muscr forearms¨C clearly showing he was a regr at the gym.


    The man''s appearance made Lucy, who was about to call for help, overjoyed.


    She hobbled toward him and threw herself into his arms, her eyes filled with tears. Her earlier arrogance was gone, reced by a helpless, pitiful demeanor.


    Her voice was tearful as she said, "Darling, you''re finally here. If you hadn''te, those two rude women from Clusia would have beaten me to death."


    "They''re so unreasonable. I just wanted to sit in our usual spot, but they refused and hit me. Look at my face, it hurts so much."


    The woman deliberately disyed her swollen, red face to the man, hoping to elicit his sympathy.


    The man merely nced at Lucy without any reaction. Instead, his gaze rested on Yvette, who was leisurely eating her steak, His expression shifted with surprise before slowly settling, like calm waves in the ocean.


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 G 10.


    6:91%ͯ


    ¦°


    Sienna thought the man''s face seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she could not quite remember where.


    No wonder Lucy was so arrogant. This man probably had some status. He looked impressive and clearly was not an ordinary person.


    Since his arrival, everyone in the restaurant had stopped whispering and began guessing his identity.


    The man raised his hand without a change in expression, then pushed Lucy out of his arms and gently stroked her head.


    In a deep and maic voice, he asked. "She hit you?"


    Lucy was somewhat ttered by being treated so gently for the first time by the man. She had been by his side for a long time, and except when they were in bed, he hardly spoke to her


    She the


    he thought the man felt sorry for her and acted even more pitiful and weak, "Darling."


    She barely spoke before the man grabbed her neck, slowly tightening his grip. Lucy''s eyes widened as her breathing became


    harder.


    No one expected this turn of events. Wasn''t this man her boyfriend? Why would he want to strangle his girlfriend''


    The waiters were nearly scared to death. Sienna stood to the side, stunned for a moment, unable to understand the man''s


    actions.


    Only Yvette, sitting in her chair, nced briefly at the man as he entered and continued to eat her steak,pletely unaffected by what was happening.


    The man watched as Lucy''s face gradually turned blue, his grip remaining firm. With just a bit more pressure, Lucy would lose her life.


    Yvette finished thest bite of her steak and wiped her mouth, her eyes cold and indifferent. With an overpowering presence, she casuallymanded, "Let go."


    Hearing those two words, the man immediately let go, and Lucy copsed to the floor. He looked down at her, took a check from his pocket, wrote on it, and tossed it onto her.


    "We''re done. Take the money and leave," he said.


    Lucy looked at the man in fear. Not willing to give up, she crawled over, ignored the stares, and clung to his leg, begging for


    mercy.


    "Darling, I was wrong. I won''t cause trouble again. Please don''t leave me. I''ll be good from now on. I truly know I was wrong she pleaded. Lucy was already bruised and swollen, and she looked even worse as she cried.


    The man pulled his leg away in disgust, his voice harsh. "Do you know who she is?"


    Following Derek''s gaze, Lucy looked over to where Yvette sat with her legs crossed, and her heart sank.


    She stiffened suddenly, remembering that it was Yvette who had told Derek to let go, and immediately, he obeyed. Yvette''s tone was clearlymanding him, yet Derek was not angry at at Instead, he actually let go of her.


    Lucy thought in shock, ''Derek actually listens to a woman?


    Lucy stammered. "Her? Her?"


    Derek looked at Lucy like she was trash. "She''s someone I wouldn''t dare offend. Who do you think you are?


    2/3


    Lucy''s heart sank instantly. She thought, Who is this woman from Clusia? A woman whom even Derek wouldn''t dare to provoke must be incredibly frightening"


    Lucy did not dare look at Yvette again, realizing that Derek would not want her anymore. She nced at the check on the floor, crawled over to pick it up, and then hurried out of the restaurant.


    The diners were left staring at each other in confusion. It was the waiter''sment that revealed the man''s identity.


    ¡°Mr. Ross, I''ll arrange a better seat for you right away," the waiter said, feeling guilty and nervous, knowing he had made a mistake.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Just mentioning Derek Jeft everyone dining there stunned. He was the second son of the Ross family, the owner of the world''srgest entertainment chain club, and a top-ten eligible bachelor on the wealth rankings for five years straight.


    Sienna suddenly remembered why the man looked familiar. She had seen him at a party years ago. It had been quite a while, and she had nearly forgotten.


    Ignoring the murmur of the crowd and the waiter''s attempts to please, Derek walked straight up to Yvette and stopped. He greeted softly, "It''s been a while."

 Secrets Of MrS 564

    ?


    As Derek said, "Long time no see. Sienna had a vague idea in her heart-it wasn''t surprising that Yvette knew Derek.


    Over the years, she had be ustomed to Yvette knowing almost everyone. Staying calm had be an essential mental skill for her friends.


    Yvette raised her gaze slightly, the corners of her lips curving upward. Her refined eyebrows and eyes carried a cold detachment, and her pupils looked deep and prating. ¡°After all these years, your taste in wornen is still terrible,¡± she remarked


    Derek didn''t get angry. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his face. "True, my judgment isn''t the best. When I find a wife. would you help me pick the right one?" he replied.


    Yvette crossed her legs and tilted her head slightly, casually resting her hand on the armrest of her chair, a smile tugging at her lips. She said, "I have no time for that."


    Derek shrugged indifferently and chuckled. He said, "Figures. You''re so busy, I''d be grateful just to have a meal with you."


    Derek''s familiarity with Yvette was evident, not faked. Sienna noticed that as well, and her mind started to spin. She thought, "Could this be yet another rival after poisonous insects and the back bear?


    This time, Jeremiah''s rival wasn''t just any ordinary person. He''s handsome, wealthy, refined, and witty.


    Derek continued, "Yvette, it''s been years, and you''ve only gotten more beautiful. Tsk, tsk... Marry me, and I''d die a happy


    Though his words seemed like a joke, they carried a bitter undertone. Even after all these years, some wounds and could never truly heal-especially with someone like Yvette. To her, the Ross family probably meant nothing now.


    Sienna quickly chimed in, "Yve has a boyfriend."


    events


    Derek finally turned his attention to Sienna, sizing her up before asking uncertainly, "Are you the chief designer of Vibe? Ms. Sterling?" Sienna smiled and nodded. "Hello, Mr. Ross."


    Derek hadn''t been in Mysonna and wasn''t aware of recent events, so he didn''t know Yvette was the owner behind Vibe. When he saw Sienna with Yvette, he was briefly surprised but didn''t show it.


    "I didn''t expect Ms. Sterling to know Yvette," he said.


    Sienna was momentarily stunned. Perhaps she had misunderstood their rtionship. If Derek was so close to Yvette, how could he not know Yvette was the owner of Vibe?


    Yvette spokezily. "Take your time eating.¡± Then she stood up, ready to leave. Sienna quickly followed her


    Seeing Yvette leave, Derek instinctively reached out to grab her. His hand froze just as it touched her sleeve. Yvette''s eyes were icy, her upturned gaze defiant and sharp. She threatened, "Don''t want your hard? I can chop it off for you."


    Faced with her chilling re, Derek immediately withdrew his hand, masking his bitterness with a yful tone. "My mistake, I won''t do it again." Derek''s humble demeanor was shocking to the onlookers in the restaurant. How could a billionaire act this way toward a young woman from Clusia? Some people discreetly took out their phones and captured the scene, sharing it online. Although only Yvette''s back was visible in the photo, it quickly went viral within minutes, sparking heated discussion.


    Thebination of a handsome billionaire and a girl from Clusia madeizens go wild.


    8¡Á90%1


    90%Σ


    [The Ross family''s second son is an eligible bachelor. Where did this girl from Clusiae from, and how dare the treat Derek like this?] [The poster must be exaggerating. No one would dare treat Derek like that. Definitely fake news for clout.]


    [Honestly, it''s so absurd it might just be true.]


    In the restaurant, Yvette didn''t look back at Derek as she walked out. Derek stood frozen, staring at her slender, confident figure.


    Suddenly, he hurried out of the restaurant, catching up with Yvette and Sienna. Yvette stood there, hands in her pockets, her expression indifferent as Derek approached


    His gaze wasplicated. After a long silence, he said, "About what happened back then, if you''re willing, I can testify. What the Ross family owes you, I know it can never be repaid.


    ¡°But it''s not toote for justice-those des should have always been yours."


    No one understood better than Derek the wealth and fame "Despaired Soul" had brought to his family and Elliot Without thatposition, Elliot''s musical talent would never have reached such heights.


    Most of the evidence from back then had been destroyed. The only proof left was a recording in Derek''s possession that could confirm "Despaired Soul" was Yvette''s work. Without him stepping forward, no one could prove it


    Yvette''s eyes were half-closed, and her face was expressionless. Derek, tell Elliot that I''m back," she said.


    With that, she got into the car with Sienna and left, leaving Derek standing on the street for five minutes, his gaze deep and unfathomable. Finally, he pulled out his phone, found Elliot''s number, and dialed.


    The call connected quickly. Before the other party could speak. Derek said in a low voice, "She''s back"This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The line fell silent for a moment. The sound of heavy breathing grew louder, followed by a roarced with fear.


    "You saw her? That woman''s really back? Derek, you must keep her away from me at all costs, absolutely!" Elliot said.


    Derek listened to the shouting on the other end of the call. His expression darkened, and without replying, he hung up. How could he possibly stop Yvette?


    The memory of their childhood, when they were kidnapped and Yvette-a mere child-killed more than ten people with a knife, was still vivid in his mind. He couldn''t forget that small figure, her face expressionless and covered in blood.


    In the car, Sienna thought about Derek''s words, sighing inwardly She thought, ''So Despaired Soul" wasn''t written by Elliot. From the sound of it, Yve was the trueposer.


    "What a mess! The world-famous, top-ranking young pianist''s breakout piece was giarized, and the victim was Yve. Just how extraordinary is Yve''s musical talent?"


    Sitting in the back seat, Sienna took out her phone and saw a trending topic notification. She clicked on it and immediately spotted the photo of Yvette being secretly taken at the restaurant earlier.


    She quickly held up her phone and handed it to Yvette, saying, "ve, you were secretly photographed."


    Yvette nced at it indifferently, then casually took out her ck phone. After a series of quick operations, the photo disappeared from the inte entirely.


    Sienna clicked back, finding onlyments left, with the photo now gone. She nced at Yvette, who had just put away her phone. Well... musical talent aside, Yve''s hacking skills are on another level. Truly an all-rounder, she thought.


    Elsewhere, Frankie sat in the living room, stealing a nce at J


    He had just shown Jeremiah the viral photo of Derek and Yvet temperature seeming to drop.


    Elsewhere, Frankie sat in the living room, stealing a nce at Jeremiah''s face, wishing he could p himself.


    90%


    He had just shown Jeremiah the viral photo of Derek and Yvette. Now, Jeremiah was sitting silently on the couch, the room''s temperature seeming to drop.


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 Go.


    Çú

 Secrets Of MrS 565

    ?


    Yvette and Sienna entered the room to find Frankie sitting stiffly on the couch, while Bruce and Chris wore unpleasant expressions on their faces. Since Jeremiah had seen that photo, the temperature in the living room had dropped steadily. and the low pressure emanating from him was palpable.


    Sensing something was off, Sienna nced at Bruce, who signale her to stay silent, Jeremiah and Yvette''s rtionship was definitely not something they could meddle in.


    Yvette casually changed her shoes and strolled into the living recen, unfazed by the tense atmosphere. Jeremiah turned his head, locking eyes with her,


    Frankie sprang up from the couch like a startled rabbit, eager to avoid the battlefield. One misstep and he could be coteral damage- Jeremiah''s expression was that foreboding. Bruce and Chris also took a step back while Sienna moved


    closer to Bruce


    Jeremiah''s eyes were dark as he stared at Yvette. Then, he started walking toward her, picking up a ss of warm water from the coffee table as he passed.


    Frankie whispered, "It''s over, I think Jeremiah is really going to have a falling-out with Yve this time. Do you think he''d actually throw water at her?" Bruce shot him a re and said, "Do you think Jeremiah is as petty as you?"


    Frankie scratched the back of his head. Jeez, can''t I crack a joke? Though, to be fair, if Jeremiah really did throw the water, Yve wouldn''t let it slide easily judging by her personality," he thought


    With one hand in his pocket, Chris thought to himself that a fight seemed inevitable. The photo was taken at such an ambiguous angle. Derek seemed way too close to Yvette, so it was no surprise Jeremiah was upset


    When Sienna heard Frankie''sment, she blurted out. "You guys saw the photo?" Her voice wasn''t exactly soft, and it echoed clearly in the small living room.


    Jeremiah paused mid-step but then sat beside Yvette, handing her the ss of water. His deep voice was calm yet maic His narrow, dark eyes shimmered.


    What he said next left Frankie, Bruce, Chris, and Sienna collectively bbergasted. "We don''t even have a photo together," Jeremiah said.


    The four of them exchanged bewildered nces. Wasn''t he about to demand an exnation? Why is he suddenly sulking like a lovesick teenager? Asking for a photo?'' they thought.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    They couldn''t reconcile this scene with the Jeremiah they knew the cold, dominant, and unyielding leader.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and smirked. She casually ran a hand through her hair, her delicate and stunning features dazzling like a work of art Feeling like eating something sweet, she looked at Jeremiah as she nonchntly pulled a piece of vani toffee out of her pocket.


    Yvette slowly finished the candy, leaned backzily against the couch, and raised her eyes. With a calm tone, she said, "Cameras can''t capture my beauty."


    The four other people simultaneously twitched their lips at the statement. Seriously? Is this something a person should say Cameras can''t capture her beauty? they thought.


    They sneaked another nce at Yvette, loungingfortably on the couch, and swallowed their retorts. Honestly, she wasn''t wrong-maybe the camera really couldn''t do justice to her looks, they thought.


    1/3


    O


    90%


    Jeremiah froze, then broke into a smile. His sharp, cold features softened with a hint of warmth. He replied softly, "Cameras can''t capture your beauty, and they can''t capture my handsomeness either. How about we settle for a silhouette shot? That might work."


    Frankie, Bruce, Sienna, and Chris exchanged nces. Theyined inwardly, ''Oh,e on. This is unbearable. These two are clearly basking in their own perfection. Can someone tell them to stop alrearly?


    "This isn''t just unting beauty and charm-this is outright weaponizing it. Jeremiah could actually say something so shameless.


    Unable to endure the suffocating air of romance any longer, the four quickly found excuses to leave. Staying any longer would mean drowning in this sickeningly sweet atmosphere.


    With the living room now empty except for Yvette and Jeremial Yvette rested her chin in her hand andzily looked up. After a moment of silence, she nodded. She said, "Alright, let''s do it."


    Jeremiah, satisfied, immediately took out his phone. They took a picture without even bothering to find the perfect angle. Just like that, their first photo together was captured.


    In the photo, the two were dressed in matching colors, radiating charm and harmony. Jeremiah posted the picture on his Instagram.


    It was the first post he had ever made there, with the caption: [I only have eyes for you.] Corny and outdated, yet Jeremiah was thoroughly pleased as he put his phone away.


    It didn''t even take ten seconds for the firstment to appear.


    Andrew: [Oh heavens, someone''s showing off their love!]


    Samantha: [I only have eyes for Yve.]


    Eagle King: II only have eyes for Boss.]


    Charles: [I only have eyes for Ms. Zeller]


    Sienna: [I only have eyes for Yve.]


    1


    ||


    Rodney: II only have eyes for Yve.]


    Aurora: [I only have eyes for Yvette.J


    Even Clifford, who rarely leftments, joined the frenzy: (Agreed with thement above. Aurora is always right]


    Emmett: [So, none of you saw Jeremiah in the photo?]


    Thements were once again in unison. Aurora: [Nope.]


    Samantha: [Nope.]


    Everyone in the Betrico Military Department who followed Jeremiah on Instagram was in uproar. No one could believe that Jeremiah, of all people, had posted an official photo to show his affection.


    It spread like wildfire through Betrico''s upper-ss society, reaching even Jase by the next day.


    After posting the picture, Jeremiah, now in an exceptionally good mood, casually peeled an apple and asked. "The people from the Ross family reached out to you?"


    Yvette lounged on the couch, her expression cool and distant. "We ran into each other at a restaurant." The replied.


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 G 1


    ¾þ90%


    .90%


    §±


    Jeremiah sliced the apple into pieces and ced them on the table with a fork. He turned to Yvette and said, "Three days" from now, Elliot will host a recital at Golden Exhibit Center.


    "He''s specifically invited members of the International Music Association, hoping to use this performance to be a first-ss member of the association and silence the criticisms of him over the past few years."


    After speaking. Jeremiah pulled a kraft paper envelope from a drower under the coffee table. Tapping it lightly with his fingers, his face turned serious


    "Here is Elliot''s information from recent years. He has onlyposed five pieces, and only one of them is an original- ironically, it''s the one with the worst reviews. The other four were ghostwritten. This guy has been relying on his looks to


    attract fans


    "Despite many questioning his musical skills in recent years, numerous fans still defend him, believing that someone who couldpose a piece like ''Despaired Soul'' must be talented. That piece has be his shield.


    A so-called musical genius, empty of true talent, propped up by stolen work and a pretty face. Yet, he still has die-hard fans and a massive following What was more despicable about Elliot were the dirty, hidden secrets surrounding him.


    It wasughable, especially when chance. What a farcel


    n some fans went to absurd lengths to attend his recitals, spending a fortune just for the


    Çú

 Secrets Of MrS 566

    ?


    Yvette was leisurely flipping through the information Jeremials ind worked overnight topile. Her eyes briefly flickered upon seeing the words "International Music Association, though it disappeared almost instantly


    As she reached the final pages, her gaze deepened, with anger swirling in her eyes. She quickly finished reading the file and put it down, her gaze dark and intense. "Drugs? Assaulting underage girls?


    Jeremiah nodded. "Yes. Elliot started doing drugs two years ago. le''s also been secretly assaulting underage girls in a mansion he owns in the suburbs. That''s why no one has discovered it yet"


    The female fans thought Elliot meeting thein privately meant he liked them, not realizing they were falling into his trap Afterwards, there was no evidence, and with his sweet-talking and maniption, everyone decided to let it go.


    Because of this, Elliot kept recklessly toying with girls and indulging in drugs to this day. Yvette kept a neutral expression. her deep, green eyes giving off a chilling vibe.


    ¡°Hey, wanna check out an amazing recital?¡± she asked.


    Jeremiah smirked. "How could I miss such an exciting scener Stolen things never truly belong to you. Elliot, your good days are over, he thought


    The next day, an unexpected woman showed up at the mansion When Frankie saw her standing there, he thought he must still be half-asleep, his eyes ying tricks on him.


    "Mrs. Chavez'' What brings you here? Please,e in. The visitor was Aurora, who had flown overnight from Betrico to Mysonna. She''d seen a picture online and immediately recognized Yvette, making her too anxious to stay put,


    Leaving Clifford at home, Aurora took a private jet and got there quickly. She was dressed like a university student, in simple jeans and a white T- shirt, with a trendy bun that was all the rage.


    She was wearing clothes worth only tens of dors, but the only luxurious item on her was a limited edition watch worth ter million-a globally limited edition.


    She smiled gently. "Boy, this isn''t the first time you''ve met me. Why are you so surprised? Are Jeremiah and Yvette up?" Frankie hastily tidied up his clothes and quickly weed Aurata into the living room. ¡°Mrs. Chavez, you haven''t aged at all What kind of magic potion are you taking? If someone looks at your face, they''d think you''re only 20,"


    Frankie wasn''t exaggerating at all. Even in her fifties, Aurora had a youthful face. It was as if the years had left no trace on her features.


    Aurora changed her shoes and walked over to the couch, sitting down with a gentle smile at Frankie. ¡°Enough. You don''t have to be like Andrew, who always says nice things. Did Yvette have breakfast yet? If not, I''ll quickly go to the kitchen and prepare something for her."


    Frankie was taken aback by this and wondered, ''Is Mrs. Chavez being too lovely to Yvette Offering to cook herself? It''s been


    years,


    and I''ve never heard of her cooking. Isn''t it always Mr. Chavez who prepares the delicious meals at home?


    He was well aware of the story. Years ago, Aurora tried to cook a meal to treat Clifford, but it ended with him getting acute gastroenteritis andnding him in the hospital for a whole week After that, he strictly forbade her from cooking again. It had been over twenty years since shest set foot in the kitchen.


    Frankie thought, Now Mrs. Chavez wants to make breakfast for vette? Does she not like Yvette and n to put poison in her food!


    While Frankie was letting his imagination run wild, Aurora noticed him standing there with a peculiar look, not responding to anything. She could tell from his expression that he wasn''t thinking good thoughts, so she interrupted him, "What are


    1/3


    D


    10:44 Thu, Dec 26 Gto.


    you thinking about, Frankie?"


    90%T


    Frankie quickly returned to reality and said, "Uh, Mrs. Chavez, Yette and Mr. Chavez turned in prettytest night, so they might not be up yet. Breakfast has already been served, so you do no need to cook. Please wait a moment. I''ll head upstairs to wake them up."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Aurora couldn''t hear anything else now. Her mind was stuck on the phrase "turned in prettytest night." She smiled broadly, thinking she''d soon be a grandmother.


    She said, "It''s good for young folks to catch up on sleep. Don''t go up and bother them. I''ll wait here. They could use the rest Frankie nodded, went to the kitchen to get some water, and awkwardly prepared a fruit tter, bringing it to the living room. He chatted with Aurora about recent events, who seemed intrigued.


    Yvette was indeed an outstanding daughter-inw. Frankie noticed how intently Aurora was listening and got even more enthusiastic about telling the stories. As he animatedly gestured, Yvette slowly came down the stairs in her athletic clothes.


    Yvette, with her exceptionally delicate and rxed features, had long, straight legs. She paused when she saw Frankie happily chatting on the couch and Aurora, who had unexpectedly appeared there.


    "Mrs. Chavez." Hearing the familiar calm voice, Aurora immediately turned around and, seeing Yvette descending the stairs, rushed up to her with an excited big hug,


    "Yvette, I''ve missed you so much," she said, rubbing her cheek against Yvette''s shoulder, looking adorable.


    The gesture left Frankiepletely stunned, and he thought, Mrs. Chavez, the irondy, is acting like a kitten around Yvette. Yvette is so impressive. With a future mother-inw this attached to her, there''s really no need to worry about any mother-inw and daughter-inw conflicts.


    He was now starting to worry about Jeremiah''s position in the family. Yvette stood there, letting Aurora hug her with no sign of impatience, her lips curved slightly in a subtle smile. She looked up and said, "Go get some rest.


    Aurora was very touched by her words and thought, Look. A daughter really is a sweetheart, always caring for you. Only Yvette cares so much about me, while that brat Jeremiah-who knows where he is now?


    Jeremiah, who Aurora wasining about, was on the staircase, watching Yvette and Aurora hugging. He adjusted the cufflinks on his sleeves, standing tall and elegant in his ck shin. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°Mom, let go of her¡±


    After being called, Aurora looked defiantly at Jeremiah and refused to release her grip. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Yvette''s right arm and said, "You brat, don''t you dare get jealous of our bond. I''m not letting go. Hit me if you dare."


    At this moment, Aurora showed what it meant to throw one''s weight around to the fullest. While observing from the sidelines, Frankie felt likeughing but didn''t dare. Who exactly is Yvette dating anyway? I''m confused, he thought.


    Yvette slipped one hand into her pocket, her green eyes showing a hint of amusement, and tilted her head slightly. "Let''s go. I''ll keep youpany while you rest."


    The doting scene made Jeremiah feel a bit envious. Yvette was incredibly attentive and caring towards Aurora, whose eyes lit up instantly and nodded.


    "Yvette, you''re the best. I''m tired as well. Let''s hurry and rest. With that, she pulled Yvette along to go upstairs.


    Jeremiah stood firm at the staircase, blocking Aurora, who was full of excitement. His gaze was intense. "Mom, she can skep


    alone."


    Yvette slowly curled up one side of her lips with a hint of mischief, her eyes dark yet sparkling She said casually, Move aside, Mrs. Chavez is tired."

 Secrets Of MrS 567

    ?


    Chapter 567-


    Jeremiah observed Yvette and Aurora, who was clinging to her. He stepped aside gracefully while Aurora happily went upstairs with her arm linked with Yvette''s. When she passed by Jeremiah, she paused to tap him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Jeremiah, I can''t do anything if Yvette loves sharing a bed with me. You don''t mind, do you?" Aurora teased.


    Yvette looked on from the side and smiled mischievously.


    ?


    After teasing Jeremiah, Aurora quickly caught up with Yvette and they went into the guest room on the second floor, leaving Jeremiah all alone.


    Frankie somehow felt that Jeremiah''s tall, upright figure was enshrouded in loneliness. It was as if Yvette were the ygirl, Aurora was the arrogant third wheel, and Jeremiah was the pitiful, abandoned boyfriend.


    Jeremiah stood momentarily, looking at Yvette''s slender, delicate back. Then he turned and saw Frankie by the couch, deep in thought, as if he had discovered something significant. Jeremiah asked nonchntly, "Had your fill yet!"


    Frankie immediately shook his head. "Mr. Chavez, do you think there''s a chance that Yvette is Mrs. Cluvez''s biological child and not you? Maybe there was a mix-up at the hospital, or, twenty years ago, on a dark, windy night, a group of kidnappers broke into..


    Before Frankie could continue rambling about his wild ideas, Jeremiah nced at him as if he were a fool before heading to the dining room to have breakfast..


    Frankie rubbed his nose and thought, "Mr. Chavez has no sense of humor. I was just making a joke to lighten the mood!


    Aurora showered on the second floor, before putting on the new loungewear Yvette had brought. When she exited the bathroom, she saw Yvette curled up on the couch, ying a game. Yvette was ying the finalized version of the game developed by FastPulse Technologies.


    Aurora asked softly, "Yvette, what game are you ying? Is it fun Can you download it for me too?" Aurora always kept up with trends and sometimes liked to y games that were trending with the younger generation.


    Yvette casually acknowledged with a nod before adding, "It''s not released yet. I''ll download the beta version for you, but it might be a bit challenging, so take your time."


    Aurora was momentarily taken aback as she wondered, Isn''t the beta version something only the gamingpany''s key technical people or executives can ess? Shouldn''t it be confidential?


    me like it''s no big deal? Is it because it''s a game released by FastPulse


    ve it to m


    ''How could Yvette just download it and give Technologies?"


    A while ago.


    when Aurora was in Betrico, she met Yvette for the first time at a dessert shop with none other than Lucy, the chairwoman of FastPulse Technologies.


    "But no matter how good their rtionship was, they wouldn''t give Yvette ess to their unreleased game just like that, right? Aurora thought, silently contemting all these.


    After finishing the level she was ying, Yvette looked up. Seeing Aurora''s expression, Yvette''s shed brightly as she raised her eyebrows and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Aurora just shook her head. It''s nothing. The beta version has been released yet, right? Then, I just wait for now. Will it beunched soon!" Yvette casually replied, "Yeah, it''ll be released in the middle of next month.


    Aurora didn''t continue the topic. Yvette wasn''t just any ordinary ndividual. She must have a close rtionship with Locy,


    Otherwise, Lucy wouldn''t easily trust her with the finalized version of the game.


    90%


    Aurora sat across from Yvette, reminding herself she hadn''t forgotten the main reason for flying to Mysonna this time. No one was going to take Yvette away from her.


    Yvette put away her phone andzily rested her chin on her hand with a slight smile. "Mrs. Chavez, just tell me what''s on your mind." Yvette was always straightforward, especially with the people around her. She tended to be blunt if there were issues to avoid any silly misunderstandings.


    Aurora nodded. Seeing Yvette curled up on the couch looking so cute, her heart melted. This was exactly the kind of sweet daughter she had always dreamed of


    After thinking for a moment, Aurora probed, "Yvette, how''s your rtionship with Jeremiah goingtely? Has he done anything to make you angry?" If that brat Jeremiah upsets Yvette, then I don''t mind disowning him,'' she thought determinedly.


    In truth, Aurora wasn''t worried or was rather confident that Jeremiah wouldn''t make any major screw-ups. But she wondered, ''Since this is Jeremiah''s first rtionship, does he know how to be romantic? What if Yvette gets bored with him?


    How can I no


    I not worry


    when there are so many great guys flitting around Yvette?"


    Yvette rested her chin on her hand, her bright eyes looking steadily at Aurora as she replied casually, "He''s been well-behaved and hasn''t made me angry."


    Hearing this, Aurora finally rxed a bit, thinking, "It''s good that he''s well-behaved. A disobedient man shouldn''t be kept around. "But what about that photo online yesterday?" Aurora asked. She felt a little awkward asking such questions, but for the sake of Jeremiah''s happiness, she''d swallow her pride.


    Yvettezily sprawled on the couch and nonchntly said, "He''s a friend, someone I knew from childhood. We ran into each other by chance." Aurora feltpletely reassured now. She quickly changed the subject and remarked, "Yvette, I''m here to sign a long-term contract with Vibe. Once we sign the contract, Skye Group''s productionpany will finally have a strong presence in Mysonna


    Aurora paused before gushing, "Thank you so much! How about gift you the productionpany under Skye Group? That way, Vibe''s will own theplete production line! Why don''t you think about it?N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Yvette raised her eyebrows and responded, "If you want, I can give you Vibe, too."


    Aurora was about to take a sip of water, but just as the cup touched her lips, she put it down again and sighed inwardly, Wow, so this is what being filthy rich means...


    Skye Group''s productionpany is worth several hundred millon dors, but Vibe''s market value was at least over 3.3 billion dors and had a bright future ahead. Yet, Yvette was willing to give it away like it was nothing.


    "Why do I feel like Yvette''s my sugar mommy? Aurora thought delight.


    Aurora immediately protested, "No! I''m at an age where I''m not nning to manage Skye Group by myself anymore. Giving me Vibe would only stress me out. Let''s just sign the contract as partners. After all, we''re a family and we can handle the business however we like."


    Yvette nodded calmly. "Okay." Then, she stared intently at Auror


    Thinking that something was on her face, Aurora asked, "What''s wrong. Yvette? Is there something on my face!"


    Yvette rolled up her sleeves casually, with a slight mischievous and charming smirk, andmented. "You''re very pretty


    This time, it was Aurora''s turn to be stunned. Her heart soared th joy as she screamed inwardly, Did Yvette just call me


    978


    10:45 Thu, Dec 26 G in.


    89%


    pretty? Oh my gosh, just these words are enough to keep me happy for a month. Others mightpliment me to be polite, but Yvette would never


    lie


    Yvette and Aurora stayed is the room upstairs for the entire alternon, onlying out around 3 or 4 o''clock for ate


    lunch.


    At the dining table, Bruce, Chris, and Sienna all warmly weed Aurora.


    During the meal, Aurora kept serving food on Yvette''s te, not even ncing at Jeremiah. Except for Frankie, who had previously experienced Aurora''s bias, everyone else wondered dumbfoundedly, "Who is Mrs. Chavez''s biological child, Mr.


    Chavez or Yvette?"

 Secrets Of MrS 568

    ?


    201


    2.89%


    In the following two days, Aurora not only finalized the contract between Vibe and Skye Group with Sienna, but also spent most of her time with Yvette. They shopped and dined together, and Aurora even offhandedly bought a mansion for Yvette near Jeremiah''s ce.


    Aurora''s idea was that if Jeremial ever upset Yvette and they had a standoff, Yvette would have a ce to retreat. In the living room, Jeremiah sat on the couch without much expression, watching Aurora hand the new mansion keys to Yvette.


    Bruce, Frankie, Chris, and the others ustomed to the scene casually drank their water, ignoring the confrontation. Whenever Yvette was around, Aurora and Jeremiah were usually in a state of conflict.


    Bruce, Frankie, and Chris had trulye to understand what it meant when people say a mother and son would be enemies when a daughter- inw enters the picture.


    Aurora suddenly said, "Yvette, when are you nning to head back to Betrico? I only need to organize some work over there so I won''t be going back just yet. I want to stay here in Mysonna with you."


    Yvette snuggled into the couch, resting her cheek on her hand as she leisurely took a sip of the mango milkshake Aurora had just bought for her. With a tilt of her head, she responded, I''m heading back to Seacrity at the end of next month"


    Aurora nodded. ¡°A little more than a month left. Perfect! Then I just treat my stay in Mysonna as a vacation, You don''t mind me staying here, apanying you, right, Yvette?"


    Jeremiah crossed his legs and nced coolly at Aurora, his deepet eyes looking grave a low voice, he dered, ¡°No.¡±


    **he clenched his tapered fingers. In


    Bruce and the others lowered their heads even more. Another family showdown was brewing, so they just had to silently watch the drama unfold. Aurora turned to look at Jeremiah, her tone vastly different from when she was talking to Yvette as she demanded, Jeremiah, do you want to repeat what you just said? What''s your problem with me staying here?"


    Jeremiah nonchntly adjusted his cuff and stated, "Mom, you should head back to Betrico."


    Aurora''s expression changed instantly to one of great grievance. Before she couldin to Yvette about Jeremiah, her phone suddenly rang. Everyone in the living room turned their attention to Aurora''s phone. Only Yvette looked at Jeremiah, pursing her lips as a flicker of amusement passed through her cool eyes.


    Jeremiah subtly smiled in return.


    Aurora saw that it was Clifford was calling so she answered the phone.


    After two minutes, Aurora hung up the phone. She paused for a few seconds before turning to Yvette and whining. "Yvette, I have to head back to Betrico now so I can''t stay here with you. Make sure to visit me in Betrica when you retum to Clusia, alright?"


    Aurora looked reluctant to leave. Yvette raised an eyebrow and replied casually. "Alright, I''ll see you next month."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Aurora stood up, but before she could say anything more, Jeremiah stood up too and cut in, "Mom, your luggage is already on the ne and the car''s waiting outside. I''ll personally send you to the airport. The private jet is ready to fly anytime."


    Bruce, Sienna, Chris, and Frankie swore this was the most they had ever heard Jeremiah talk. Jeremiah had finally shown his cunningness. It was clear from his subtle actions that Aurora''s sen return to Betrico was all his doing-


    Aurora was left speechless by Jeremiah''s words. She bit her lip, gave Yvette onest nce, and reluctantly


    followed


    1/3


    10:45 Thu, Dec 26 Gto.


    Jeremiah out the door.


    AK 89%


    At the entrance, next to the ck Jeep, Aurora stopped and turned to Jeremiah, grumbling. ¡°You brat, you''re just jealous of my rtionship with Yvette! If your dad weren''t sick, I''d make sure to give him a piece of my mind!"


    Jeremiah shrugged, not even feeling slightly guilty. "Mom, that''s between you and Dad behind closed doors. Not my problem."


    In Betrico, Clifford hung up the phone and cleared his throat. And just like that, his voice was back to normal.


    That brat Jeremiah called in the middle of the night to say Aurora was nning to stay in Mysonna for two months. How can allow that? But I have to hand it to him. He was clever enough to suggest that I should pretend to be sick, and now


    I Aurora''sing back!" Clifford mused.


    He was still blissfully unaware of the trouble he''d face once Aurora returned. Once he had experienced it, he''d probably wish he could throttle Jeremiah himself for suggesting such a terrible idea.


    Back in Mysonna, once Jeremiah dropped Aurora off at the airport and returned to the mansion, everyone was getting ready for steak night. Yvette looked at Jeremiah, who was walking into the living room with a strawberry cake in his hand. His deep-set eyes were fixed on Yvette''s stunning face as he asked, "Want to try the strawberry cake?"


    Yvette nodded slightly, her eyes shing with amusement as she smirked teasingly. "Is Mr. Clifford sick?"


    Jeremiah stopped in his tracks and smiled nonchntly. Yeah, age has caught up with him. He''s feeling a bit under the weather, just a slight cough."


    Clifford would have cursed out loud if he had heard Jeremiah now.


    Yvene saw through Jeremiah''s schemes but decided not to say anything. She teased, "You''re pretty good at getting your dad


    in trouble."


    Jeremiah coolly ced the strawberry cake on the table and shrugged. "It''d be a waste not to use him when the opportunity


    arises."


    In the evening, everyone sat down for steak night. Except for Yvette, who was sipping orange juice, everyone else was having red wine. With a mutual understanding, everyone ced their red wine far from Yvette. She observed everyone''s actions and raised an eyebrow.


    While talking. Jeremiah prepared Yvette''s favorite meat and caviar, carefully cing them on her te.


    Sienna, who relished spicy food, was having ground beef chili as she chirped excitedly, "Yvette, tomorrow is Elliot''s concert. I still have my invitation.¡± Yvette took a sip of her drink and answered indifferently, "We''re going tomorrow, too."


    Bruce, Frankie, and Chris had already heard from Sienna that Eliot had giarized Yvette''s song. They were all surprised but more curious about why Yvette had never exposed Elliot all these years and allowed him to enjoy unearned fame. instead.


    Seeing the confusion on everyone else''s faces, Yvette could guess what they were wondering. She smiled slyly and raised her eyebrow, her expression full of meaning. ¡°The higher you stand the harder you fall Only a fall from a great height leaves you crushed, right?¡±


    Bruce, Chris, Frankic, and Sienna were stunned by Yvette''s words, ''So, the reason Yvette never exposed Elliot was because he hadn''t reached the height of his fame yet? they wondered in shock.


    If Yvette were to reveal Elliot''s giarism at the concert, not only would his hopes of joining the international music


    Óã


    10:45 Thu, Dec 26 GIG.


    community be dashed, but he would be too humiliated to make public appearances anymore.


    9K 89%1


    Yvette''s action was truly ruthless. Making someone fall from their peak was the cruelest punishment one could give.


    Sienna immediately put down her chopsticks, feeling thrilled as she thought, ''Yvette is going to give the jerk a hard time tomorrow. I can''t wait!''


    Frankie, who was nearby, got excited, too. ''How can I pass on such an exciting asion? he mused. "Yvette, Mr. Chavez. count me in, Frankie offered.


    Yvette raised her eyebrows casually and said, ¡°Sure. I don''t mind."


    0


    10:45 Thu, Dec 26 G 16.


    89%

 Secrets Of MrS 569

    ?


    Early in the morning the next day, Elliot paced around anxiously in the Golden Exhibit Center''s break room, in such an agitated state that he lost his temper nearly eight times in less than two hours.


    Clyde, holding his swollen face from Elliot''s beating, glowered at Elliot. This was a familiar pattern-whenever Elliot was upset, he would take it out on Clyde.


    Clyde had been wanting to resign since ages ago, but thinking of his sick sister, he swallowed his resentment, vowing to make Elliot pay one day. Elliot sshed a cup of coffee on Clyde, his voiceced with malice as he demanded, "Where is my brother? Why isn''t he here yet? Did you tell him that if he doesn''t show up, I''ll sever ties with him?¡±


    Ever since Derek''s phone call, sleep had eluded Elliot. Whenever he drifted into slumber, Yvette''s nk, emotionless face would materialize in his dreams,


    He thought resentfully. Why has Yvette returned to Mysonna after so many years? I ve destroyed every piece of evidence when I stole the song. So what if she came back to expose me? What can she prove? No one will believe her.


    Im a world-ss pianist, while Yvette''s a nobody. What else can she do if I deny?


    The most critical piece of evidence is the recording in Derek''s hand. All these years, despite countless threats and pleas, he refuses to hand it over. All I can do is tell myself to not be scared, but Yvette''s shadow loomsrge.


    Clyde stole a nce at Elliot, murmuring. "I have conveyed your message, sir. However, Mr. Ross did not offer any response."


    Seeing Elliot''s face contort in anger, Clyde masked his satisfaction with a face full of fear.


    "Sir, I think Mr. Ross will definitelye. You''re his brother; of course, he''ll support you," Clyde added. Elliot''s grim expression improved after he heard that.


    I must make Derek hand over that recording today. Without that recording, there will be no way to prove that I''d giarized Yvette''s song'' Elliot thought to himself.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Composing himself after throwing tantrums in the break room, Elliot stood at the entrance of the Golden Exhibit Center. waiting to greet his most important guest-Paolo, the president of the International Music Association


    Momentster, a fleet of ck business cars pulled up. Paolo, the renowned president of the International Music Association and also a popr figure in the music industry, was the first to emerge.


    While his appearance was unremarkable, his authority within the music industry was absolute. He became the president at the age of thirty and had maintained his influential role for the past twenty-five years.


    To aspiring musicians, Paolo was both an idol and a living legend His approval was a golden ticket to sess, and anyone fortunate enough to catch his eye was virtually guaranteed to rise to the top of the music industry. Over twenty years, he had chosen only three individuals to be his apprentices


    Ten years ago, Paolo took on histest mentee, the prodigy Aria who had skyrocketed to fame four years ago and was personally acknowledged by Paolo as the most enigmatic performer in the music industry.


    Aria always wore a mask in public. Only a few had seen their face. They had held two recitals and released all their work through the International Music Association.


    Unlike musicians like Elliot, who struggled to produce anything noteworthy after one hit, Ariaposed ten exceptional pieces in just three years. Seven of these works were included in music textbooks, cementing their reputation as a true musical genius.


    989%


    89%Ãæ


    Upon seeing Paolo, Ellin-rushed forward, extending his hand respectfully. "Mr. Fontana! It has been two years since ourst encounter. How have you been?"


    Elliot carried himself with grace and politeness, but Paolo, his expression stern, gave only a curt nod, his responsecking any warmth. Let''s go," he said tly.


    He then strode inside, followed by members of the music association.


    At the entrance, Elliot clenched his jaw in frustration, thinking. Paolo is still as arrogant as ever, giving me a cold shoulder. Once I join the International Music Association, I will make sure he regrets treating me like this.


    Elliot shed a fake smile at the crowd that came to watch the recital before catching up with Paolo and the others.


    Right after Elliot left the entrance, a ck Jeep arrived with Yvette, Jeremiah, Sienna, and Frankie, who insisted oning


    Yvene, d entirely in ck, exuded an intimidating presence, her sharp features emanating a wild, rebellious energy.


    As the four stepped out of the car, they immediatelymanded the attention of the guests. The group, with their strikingly charming Clusian looks, effortlessly captivated the gaze of many intrigued foreigners.


    In Paolo''s break room within the exhibit center, Elliot received a message that caused his face to fall. He was no longer in the mood to please Paolo. Coming up with an excuse to leave Paolo''s break room, he rushed to his break room and shut the door after making sure the coast was clear. His eyes, filled with a malicious gleam, scanned the blurry photo that had been sent to him. Even though the photo was of poor quality, he could still recognize Yvette.


    Her aloof, arrogant, and presumptuous demeanor was etched sa deeply in Elliot''s mind that he could never forget her.


    Fortunately, he had been cautious. He had approached the security guards earlier, instructing them to closely monitor all guests attending the recital, with special attention to anyone who even remotely resembled Yvette. If they found anyone who did, he asked them to send him photographs immediately. To his surprise, his instincts proved right-Yvette was indeed at the concert, and he was certain she was here to cause trouble. Elliot''s expression was sinister as he instantly sent Derek a message. Receiving the message, Derek, who had just reached the entrance, rushed to Elliot''s break room in no time.


    Hearing knocks at the door, Elliot pulled out the gun he had prepared in advance and loaded it. As soon as the door creaked


    open,


    he raised the gun and pointed it directly at his own heart.


    Derek was greeted with that scene the moment he opened the door. Brows furrowed in confusion, he closed the door behind him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Elliot, if you really wanted to do that, do you have to wait until I''m here?"


    He effortlessly saw through Elliot''s act, but Elliot, having already known his brother wouldn''t fall for his scheme, hada- backup n up his sleeve.


    His gaze gleaming with arrogance, Elliot spoke to Derek in utter despair. I know you''ve been hating the all this while, but I didn''t mean for things to happen the way they did. I was so desperate for sess and recognition from Grandpa, but as long as Yvette was around, she always overshadowed me. Grandpa only had eyes for her.


    Derek kept hisposure, though a subtle twitch of his brow betrayed a flicker of emotion.


    Earnestly, he spoke. ¡°Elliot, even if you''re jealous of Yvette, you shouldn''t have done something like that. Despaired Soul'' is Yyette''s piece. All the honors you''ve received over the years belong to her. If you apologize publicly now, I promise I''ll talk to Yvette on your behalf."

 Secrets Of MrS 570

    ?


    ''Ever since young, Derek had always favored Yvette. Why? Bloods thicker than water, right? I''m his brother, yet he''s choosing an outsider over me!" Elliot thought, clenching his jaw in resentment and concealing the hatred that bubbled within him.


    Regaining hisposure, he said. "Tve learned my lesson, Derek But this isn''t just about me. If I admit what I did, I''ll ruin our family''s long-standing reputation. Do you really want to see that happen? Besides, that song isn''t even that important to Yvette. Please, give me that recording. I''m begging you."


    For the first time in years. Elliot set aside his usual arrogance and domineering demeanor, submitting to Derek with an uncharacteristic humility. Derek stared into his brother''s eyes, noticing what seemed to be genuine remorse and acknowledgment of his mistakes. Yet, he remained motionless.


    After a moment, Derek lifted his gaze. "No, Elliot. I''ll hand the recording to Yvette. I''m never going to give it to you unless she doesn''t want it." Looking at how stubborn Derek was, Elliot started resenting him too. He knew Derek wouldn''t give in and hand over the recording easily. Taking a step back, he feigned devastation and disappointment, his eyes bloodshot with despair.


    He said with dejection, "Derek, please let me call you my brother onest time. I''ll carry this sin to my grave. Forgive me, for I can''t face Yvette or the public''s condemnation and humiliation when the truth is revealed. Goodbye."


    Observing Elliot''s determination, Derek frowned, refusing to believe he would actually do it. Before Derek could say a word, Elliot took onest look at him and pulled the trigger.


    Blood spurted from Elliot''s chest as he copsed to the ground. Derek froze in shock as the reality of what had just happened sank in. When he finally regained his senses, he rushed forward, lifting Elliot, His mind went nk when he saw the blood pouring from the wound


    He couldn''tprehend how his brother-who had always feared death so deeply-could take such a drastic step with


    un


    ?


    "Elliot... hang on! I''ll call an ambnce right now!" Derek panicked. Despite everything between them, blood was thicker than water-there was no way Derek could remain unfazed whe his brother was dying. His hands shook uncontrobly as he fumbled for his phone.


    Elliot slowly opened his eyes, lifting his handboriously to hold Derek''s hand, his gaze losing focus. "No need... Just let me die. If that recording is released, I wouldn''t be able to face the world either."


    Watching Elliot slip away, Derek clenched his jaw and made a difficult decision. He chose to believe that his brother was genuinely sorry for his actions.


    He said, "Hang in there, Elliot. I''ll delete that recording in front of you right now. I''ll make up to Yvette. I promise I''ll do my best topensate her." Elliot struggled to suppress his joy while maintaining a sorrowful expression. "It''s toote, Derek. Don''t bother. I can''t live like this anymore, so don''t waste your efforts."


    Watching the blood gushing out of Elliot''s wound, Derek acted swiftly, deleting all the recordings on his phone, including the backups, right in front of Elliot.


    After doing so, he looked up to see a fleeting, sinister smile at the corner of Elliot''s lips. He wondered if it was a trick of the light.


    In an instant, Elliot shook off Derek''s hand and stood up, seemingly unscathed. His pale, dying demeanor was reced by a vibrant, healthyplexion.


    88%1


    Looking down at Derek, he wore a smug smile, thinking, ''Derek night seem tough but is a softie at heart. So what if he''s smart? I still managed to fool him. All it takes is a replica gun an a couple of blood packs from the ck market.


    Derek''s face turned grim. He realized the cruel irony of his situation-he had been tricked into destroying the final piece of evidence himself. It was toote to say anything now; the deed! was done.


    Now, there was no longer any evidence proving that "Despaired Soul" wasposed by Yvette. At that moment, Derek fell into utter despair, thoroughly disappointed in Elliot, the brother whom he had grown up with.


    Having triumphed over Derek, Elliot exuded wild arrogance. "Take this as your congrattory gift for my induction into- the International Music Association. I must say, I quite like it-thanks!"


    Derek''s face darkened at Elliot''s brazen, shameless words, Rising to his feet, he cast a piercing gaze at his brother, disappointment etched deeply into his features at Elliot''s unrepentant demeanor.


    "From this moment on, we are nothing more than strangers, Derek dered, his tone cold and resolute. "Even without the recording, if Yvette ever needs my testimony, I will not hesitate to expose you"


    Derek turned and left the lounge, leaving Elliot behind, basking in his victory. He thought, "No one will be able to threaten my position anymore. I can finallyy my ghost of many years to rest.


    At one o''clock in the music hall of the Golden Exhibit Center, most of the guests had arrived, taking their seats. The front row was reserved for VIPs invited by Elliot, with Paolo, the president of the International Music Association, being the most distinguished one.


    He upied the prime seat at the very center. Meanwhile, Yvette and herpanions settled into the third row. d entirely in ck and sporting a low baseball cap, Yvette nearly disappeared into the shadows as the lights dimmed.


    Jeremiah turned to her and said, "The elderly man seated at the center of the front row is Paolo, the president of the International Music Association. Elliot went to great lengths to invite him."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette adjusted her cap, her icy gaze lifting as she casually rested her face in her hand. "Yeah, that''s him."


    Sienna, hearing their conversation, whispered, "I had no idea Elliot was this resourceful.


    Paolo was a renowned legend in the music world. Having him here was a testament to Elliot''s power and connections. Seated in the front row, Paolo adjusted his watch and checked his phone. A single message read: (In Mysonna]


    He rubbed his temples, thinking, ''Can''t this brat tell me specifically where she is in Mysonna? How am I supposed to find her? What a heartless brat Attending Elliot''s concert was merely a cover; his real intention was to reconnect with a mentee he hadn''t seen in a while.


    She hadn''t released any music in over two years, only staying in contact with him by exchanging holiday greetings. He couldn''t help but wonder what she had been up to all this time.


    Curious, Frankie asked Sienna, This Paolo from the International Music Association sounds quite influential. What do you


    know about him?"


    Yvette scrolled through her phone absentmindedly, his fingers resting on the armrest. "Paolo, a third-generation duke, is a musical prodigy. His musical talent was discovered when he was five, and he graduated from Bonnelly Music University at seventeen. He started teaching there at twenty


    Pausing, she continued, "When he turned thirty, he became the president of the International Music Association. He is a gifted musician, but he''s notoriously short-tempered


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Secrets Of MrS 571

    ?


    Silence settled between Sienna and Frankie after Yvette spoke. ey had seen this before-Yvette''s familiarity with someone


    Dey could mean only she knew Pa


    Was the music festival''s big shot, Paolo, Yvette''s acquaintance dey wondered.


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, his fingers curled as he turned to face Yvette. "You know him" he asked, his tone casual. Sienna and Frankie leaned forward, their interest piqued.


    Yvette gave a slight nod, her reply measured. "Yeah"


    At 2 p.m. sharp, Elliot emerged onto the stage with practiced case, exuding an elegant charm. His acknowledgment was a briel nod, sending the audience into a frenzy of apuse. His appeal was undeniable, with the majority of the audience


    Elliot scanned the crowd, soaking in the adoration of his fans snugly. But as his gaze swept the front rows, his eyes widened. and a chill ran down his spine.


    The girl in the third row, wearing a baseball cap-was that Yvette It had to be her. His mind raced.


    The bright lights turned harsh, exposing memories Elliot had long tried to bury. He remembered Yvette''s arrival at the Ross estate, Lawrence taking her under his wing. While Elliot spent five grueling days perfecting a piece, Yvette mastered it in justN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Yvette had always been the first to conquer those intricate, world-renownedpositions. Lawrence had given her everything that should have been his. Elliot could never reconcile how this outsider had usurped his rightful ce. He was Ross golden child, the one born to receive the best..


    Elliot fought to mask his unease. She has no proof, he thought. Even if she uses me of giarism, who would believe her now? Yet, despite thinking this, his eyes flickered to her seat as he performed.


    Yvette watched Elliot seated at the grand piano, her chin resting lightly on her hand. Her gaze was cold, her upturned eyes, glinting with sly amusement. A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved her lips.


    Less than 30 minutes into the concert, murmurs of discontent began to ripple through the audience. Those with a trained ear could hear it-Elliot''s yingcked focus.


    Seated in the front row, Paolo wore a mask of displeasure. "What a waste of time, he thought bitterly. For a pianist of Elliot''s caliber, such fundamental errors at an event of this magnitude were inexcusable.


    Elliot was painfully aware of his missteps but quickly refocused, ying through the rest of the piece without mistakes. Finally, it was time for his signature piece-Despaired Soul, the much-anticipated crescendo of the evening


    Elliot poured all his hopes into this final piece, hoping it would prove to Paolo that he was worthy of International Music Association. But fear lingered in the back of his mind.


    He couldn''t bring himself to nce at Yvette on the third row. Cold sweat slid down his temples, his mmy palms slipping slightly against the keys. Jeremiah''s gaze lingered on Elliot. "He''s terrified, he remarked, his tone calm, and Yvette nodded in agreement.


    Sienna and Frankie shared a knowing nce. ''Why wouldn''t he be?'' they thought. ''Knowing the originalposer is watching and knowing you stole their work-it''s no wonder he''s shaking in his shoes.


    As Elliot yed thest note of Despaired Soul, the audience erupted in apuse, the excitement rippling through the room. Elliot''s gaze flickered to the third row, but Yvette was gone. Instead, in her seat was a strikinglyndsome man.


    Cha 371


    Rebel mickled in an Elin stered a fake gem on his face and ed. Yes, as he nced at Pando in the front row dee ad crepe back ins


    While the room was alive with apuse. Psoles, in the first row,re an unmoving expression. The furrow in his brow spoke louder than words-this performance wasn''t enough to win hirer.


    What''s this supposed to mean? Elliot''s mind raced "There''s no alive, aside from Yvette, who can y Despaired Soud better than me. Is Parks still not satisfied?


    In the audience. Sienna whispered. "Mr. Chavez, where''s Yvette The concert''s almost over, and it''s time for the flower presentation." Jeremiah''s gaze was steady and inscrutable, his voice carrying a quiet authority. "You''ll find out soon," he said.


    Sienna''s eyes lit up with excitement. Beside her, Frankie rubbed his palms, his thoughts simmering,


    If Yvette marches up there and gives that fraud a piece of her mind, I''m ready to stomp that smug look right off his face giarizing her works? He better be prepared for a lesson"


    As the flower presentation began, Elliot stood tall, basking in the glory like a peacock showing off its feathers, convinced that Yvette had already left. She must''ve realized I''ve destroyed all the recordings, so she backed off and stopped looking for trouble, he mused.


    Better that she did, or she would''ve regretted it, Elliot thought with a sneer.


    One by one, the pre-arranged attendees approached the stage with flowers in hand, with a lineup of fans and members chosen by the organizers, ensuring no awkward gaps or ufortable moments


    As each person handed over their bouquet, the stage quickly became a colorful tapestry of flowers.


    As thest presenter approached, an unusual stillness descended over the auditorium. The chatter faded, reced by an almost eerie quiet, as though the entire crowd sensed something monumental was about to happen.


    Jeremiah leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on Yvette stepping into the spotlight, a subtle chill brewing in her eyes as a faint smile curved her lips.


    Frankie and Sienna were practically buzzing with excitement. They had been waiting all afternoon for this moment-when Yvette would finally confront Elliot. If it weren''t for the formal setting. Sienna would have been cheering by now,


    On stage, Elliot watched as Yvette approached in a baseball cap, her steps slow and deliberate. His face froze, and instinctively, he took two steps back, stammering, "Y-You..." His words faltered, unable to form aplete sentence in his panic.


    Paolo, sitting in the front row, immediately stood up, his eyes glipting with intrigue. ''So, she has the courage to show up. after all. But did she reallye just to sit through this amateur recital¡± he mused.


    Elliot had no idea that Paolo wouldn''t have endured his dismal performance if it were not for "Despaired Soul." Fear gripped Elliot''s heart, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to steady his trembling body.


    Consumed by his own dread, he failed to notice Paolo''s shift in demeanor.


    Yvette walked toward Elliot, a small pot of cactus in her hands. The sight was so unexpected that the audience fell into stunned silence. A wave of murmurs quickly spread through the crowd as they tried to make sense of the bizarre moment.


    "Who is this? Why on earth would organizers arrange for someone to give a cactus? This is absurd, one person muttered.


    "It can''t be the organizers idea, can it? Maybe it''s an obsessive fa trying to make a scene or someone pulling a prank on Elliot, another voice suggested.


    Öæ


    "But did you notice something off? How Elliot kept ncing at the front row during his performance? It was really strange, a


    Silence settled between Sienna and Frankie after Yvette spoke. ey had seen this before-Yvette''s familiarity with someone


    Dey could mean only she knew Pa


    Was the music festival''s big shot, Paolo, Yvette''s acquaintance dey wondered.


    Jeremiah tilted his head slightly, his fingers curled as he turned to face Yvette. "You know him" he asked, his tone casual. Sienna and Frankie leaned forward, their interest piqued.


    Yvette gave a slight nod, her reply measured. "Yeah"


    At 2 p.m. sharp, Elliot emerged onto the stage with practiced case, exuding an elegant charm. His acknowledgment was a briel nod, sending the audience into a frenzy of apuse. His appeal was undeniable, with the majority of the audience


    Elliot scanned the crowd, soaking in the adoration of his fans snugly. But as his gaze swept the front rows, his eyes widened. and a chill ran down his spine.


    The girl in the third row, wearing a baseball cap-was that Yvette It had to be her. His mind raced.


    The bright lights turned harsh, exposing memories Elliot had long tried to bury. He remembered Yvette''s arrival at the Ross estate, Lawrence taking her under his wing. While Elliot spent five grueling days perfecting a piece, Yvette mastered it in just


    Yvette had always been the first to conquer those intricate, world-renownedpositions. Lawrence had given her everything that should have been his. Elliot could never reconcile how this outsider had usurped his rightful ce. He was Ross golden child, the one born to receive the best..


    Elliot fought to mask his unease. She has no proof, he thought. Even if she uses me of giarism, who would believe her now? Yet, despite thinking this, his eyes flickered to her seat as he performed.


    Yvette watched Elliot seated at the grand piano, her chin resting lightly on her hand. Her gaze was cold, her upturned eyes, glinting with sly amusement. A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved her lips.


    Less than 30 minutes into the concert, murmurs of discontent began to ripple through the audience. Those with a trained ear could hear it-Elliot''s yingcked focus.


    Seated in the front row, Paolo wore a mask of displeasure. "What a waste of time, he thought bitterly. For a pianist of Elliot''s caliber, such fundamental errors at an event of this magnitude were inexcusable.


    Elliot was painfully aware of his missteps but quickly refocused, ying through the rest of the piece without mistakes. Finally, it was time for his signature piece-Despaired Soul, the much-anticipated crescendo of the evening


    Elliot poured all his hopes into this final piece, hoping it would prove to Paolo that he was worthy of International Music Association. But fear lingered in the back of his mind.


    He couldn''t bring himself to nce at Yvette on the third row. Cold sweat slid down his temples, his mmy palms slipping slightly against the keys. Jeremiah''s gaze lingered on Elliot. "He''s terrified, he remarked, his tone calm, and Yvette nodded in agreement.


    Sienna and Frankie shared a knowing nce. ''Why wouldn''t he be?'' they thought. ''Knowing the originalposer is watching and knowing you stole their work-it''s no wonder he''s shaking in his shoes.


    As Elliot yed thest note of Despaired Soul, the audience erupted in apuse, the excitement rippling through the room. Elliot''s gaze flickered to the third row, but Yvette was gone. Instead, in her seat was a strikinglyndsome man.


    Cha 371


    Rebel mickled in an Elin stered a fake gem on his face and ed. Yes, as he nced at Pando in the front row dee ad crepe back ins


    While the room was alive with apuse. Psoles, in the first row,re an unmoving expression. The furrow in his brow spoke louder than words-this performance wasn''t enough to win hirer.


    What''s this supposed to mean? Elliot''s mind raced "There''s no alive, aside from Yvette, who can y Despaired Soud better than me. Is Parks still not satisfied?


    In the audience. Sienna whispered. "Mr. Chavez, where''s Yvette The concert''s almost over, and it''s time for the flower presentation." Jeremiah''s gaze was steady and inscrutable, his voice carrying a quiet authority. "You''ll find out soon," he said.


    Sienna''s eyes lit up with excitement. Beside her, Frankie rubbed his palms, his thoughts simmering,


    If Yvette marches up there and gives that fraud a piece of her mind, I''m ready to stomp that smug look right off his face giarizing her works? He better be prepared for a lesson"


    As the flower presentation began, Elliot stood tall, basking in the glory like a peacock showing off its feathers, convinced that Yvette had already left. She must''ve realized I''ve destroyed all the recordings, so she backed off and stopped looking for trouble, he mused.


    Better that she did, or she would''ve regretted it, Elliot thought with a sneer.


    One by one, the pre-arranged attendees approached the stage with flowers in hand, with a lineup of fans and members chosen by the organizers, ensuring no awkward gaps or ufortable moments


    As each person handed over their bouquet, the stage quickly became a colorful tapestry of flowers.


    As thest presenter approached, an unusual stillness descended over the auditorium. The chatter faded, reced by an almost eerie quiet, as though the entire crowd sensed something monumental was about to happen.


    Jeremiah leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on Yvette stepping into the spotlight, a subtle chill brewing in her eyes as a faint smile curved her


    lips.


    Frankie and Sienna were practically buzzing with excitement. They had been waiting all afternoon for this moment-when Yvette would finally confront Elliot. If it weren''t for the formal setting. Sienna would have been cheering by now,


    On stage, Elliot watched as Yvette approached in a baseball cap, her steps slow and deliberate. His face froze, and instinctively, he took two steps back, stammering, "Y-You..." His words faltered, unable to form aplete sentence in his panic.


    Paolo, sitting in the front row, immediately stood up, his eyes glipting with intrigue. ''So, she has the courage to show up. after all. But did she reallye just to sit through this amateur recital" he mused.


    Elliot had no idea that Paolo wouldn''t have endured his dismal performance if it were not for "Despaired Soul." Fear gripped Elliot''s heart, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to steady his trembling body.


    Consumed by his own dread, he failed to notice Paolo''s shift in demeanor.


    Yvette walked toward Elliot, a small pot of cactus in her hands. The sight was so unexpected that the audience fell into stunned silence. A wave of murmurs quickly spread through the crowd as they tried to make sense of the bizarre moment.


    "Who is this? Why on earth would organizers arrange for someone to give a cactus? This is absurd, one person muttered.


    "It can''t be the organizers idea, can it? Maybe it''s an obsessive fa trying to make a scene or someone pulling a prank on Elliot, another voice


    suggested.


    Öæ


    ¡°But did you notice something off? How Elliot kept ncing at the front row during his performance? It was really strange, a


    third remarked.


    "Hold on. That woman with her face partially concealed... She looks oddly familiar. Why do I feel like I''ve seen her before?" someone else


    wondered.


    0


    third remarked.


    "Hold on. That woman with her face partially concealed... She looks oddly familiar. Why do I feel like I''ve seen her before?" someone else


    wondered.


    0

 Secrets Of MrS 572

    ?


    Elliot''s feet seemed cemented to the stage as Yvette drew closer. His face drained of color, but he fought hard to suppress his panic. With so many eyes on him, he couldn''t reveal any panic, he''d risk drawing suspicion.


    Yvette stood there, bathed in the spotlight, every inch of her seemingly wless. Her long neck was radiating an ethereal glow. Her cold gaze locked onto Elliot, and her voice carried the crisp chill of melting snow in the mountains.


    ¡°Even after so many years, you''re still hopeless," she said.


    Elliot''s face flushed red immediately. He stared out at the chattering crowd below, his eyes filled with venom.


    Elliot said with a deep voice, "Ms. Zeller, it''s been ages. I''m d you could make it to my concert. As for the cactus, I''ll take it as a joke. But please leave. This isn''t the ce for such behavior. We''re in the Golden Exhibit Center, not a farmer''s market. You shouldn''t be here."


    His voice was loud, a stark contrast to his usual gentlemanly charm, as his gaze burned ferociously into Yvette.


    The Golden Exhibit Center was pin-drop silent as all eyes were on Yvette and Elliot. Some people thought, ''Who exactly is she to Elliot? What sort of history do they share that would prompt such an act on performance day?"


    Yvette took a single, passive step toward Elliot, and the weight of her presence seemed to press down on him, He instinctively stepped back, and realizing his retreat, he red at Yvette as though he could intimidate her.


    Yveue''s lips curled into a mischievous smile, her eyes narrowing She twirled the cactus in her hand. Then, with a flick of her. wrist, she sent it soaring toward Elliot.


    Elliot''s scream rang out. The audience watched in disbelief as the sharp needles of the cactus embedded themselves in Elliot''s face, leaving him in a miserable state.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    From his front-row seat, Paolo observed Elliot clutching his face, seething with anger, while Yvette stood there, calm and poised, making Paolo smile bitterly.


    ''She''s always been like this. If she has to fight, she goes straight for it. I worry for whoever ends up with her. Who could handle her fierceness? I''m worried, he mused.


    Jeremiah''s eyes never left Yvette. He had not a slight rise in his brow. He mused inwardly, ''She''s pretty ruthless to her. enemies. How cute!'' Frankie and Sienna, barely containing their excitement, couldn''t help but think in unison, Yvette''s in a league of her own. Throwing a cactus at someone''s face? That''s genius!


    Elliot''s face contorted with fury as he cradled his pricked face. "vette, I''m suing you for assault! You''re finished! I won''t let you get away with this!" he roared.


    Nothing mattered more to Elliot than his appearance. He depended on his charm to lure his fans into filling his pockets, to vote for him, and to clear his name.


    Internally, he seethed, That damn woman is targeting me! Why won''t she just disappear?"


    Yvette slid her hands into her pockets, her gaze icy as she looked at him. Then, she leisurely strolled to the center stage microphone. Without haste, she reached out to grab it, her head tilted slightly.


    Her very presence filled the vast hall,manding attention. The audience collectively held their breath as she approached the microphone.


    A small, almost imperceptible smile danced on Yvette''s lips. The moment Elliot saw it, panic gripped Him. Ignoring the pain on his face, he was determined to stop her from speaking.


    But Yvette moved with fighting speed. Without a word, she sp on her heel andnded a swift kick, sending Elliot flying backward. His vision blurred as he was hurled several feet, crashing violently into the center of the stage, looking utterly broken.


    The audience, who had just regained someposure, was thrown into a stunned silence again. "Why did she kick him. again? they thought. Yvette''s chilling voice echoed throughout the Golden Exhibit Center. "Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to hear Despaired Soul'' again?" she announced.


    Politeness and asking the right question at the right time could make all the difference in some cases.


    The audience, still processing the shocking scene they had just witnessed, was stunned into silence.


    Is this some kind of joke? After what we just saw, who in their right mind would dare to refuse?'' they thought, suspicion settling in. Is she some sort of terrorist?'' they mused.


    In an unexpected move. Paolo rose from his seat in the front row and began pping, Yvette turned her head toward him, her expression neutral, with just the faintest raise of an eyebrow


    The rest of the audience was left baffled by this unexpected disy. Only Jeremiah, Sienna, and Frankie understood the deeper meaning behind it. Paolo looked at Yvette with affection, his usual detached demeanor wholly gone. "It''s not every day we get to hear you perform," he said. A discerning ear would catch the faintest traceipt frustration in his voice.


    As Elliot struggled to rise, his thoughts were consumed by Paolos words, which hit him like an electric shock. What did Paolo mean by that? Did he just imply that hearing Yvette perform is a rare experience? Could Paolo have witnessed one of her performances before? he thought.


    Yvette, hearing Paolo''sment, raised a single eyebrow. Her fake was exuding a wild energy. Her eyes, sharp and defiant, met the room with a detached gaze.


    ¡°Listen carefully, then. Every performance is priced at 300 thousand dors, she dered.


    Each person in the crowd was too shocked to speak. ''How could she possibly dare to perform in front of Paolo and ask for 300 thousand dors a piece? Which pianist would ever have the audacity to boast like that in his presence? they thought p


    disbelief.


    Elliot, with his bruised face, let out a cold smirk. ''Yvette is truly digging her own grave. Who does she think she''s talking to? No one has ever been so bold in front of Paolo. By saying that, she''s burning all bridges in the music world,'' he thought, sneering inwardly.


    Elliot raised his voice, rebuking. "Yvette, that is Mr. Fontana, Chairman of the International Music Association! You''re being reckless with your arrogance.


    He looked to Paolo, hoping for some kind of praise, but Paolo only gave him a quick nce.


    Then, to everyone''s astonishment, Paolo spoke again. "Only 300 thousand? Since when did you start lowering your prices? A piece should be 3 million, no less. Now y," hemanded.


    ''Did he say 3 million dors?'' everyone gasped inwardly, murmers spreading across the audience.


    ¡°Did you hear that? Mr. Fontana is offering 3 million just to hear this girl y a single piece. What kind of world are we living in?" one spectator eximed in disbelief..


    ¡°I heard that. What do you mean by crazy? Mr. Fontana did say million, didn''t he? I''ve never seen anyone like that. My mind is officially blown," another person remarked


    raise the price


    2/3


    Ìï


    "No, no, the real question is-this girl must know Mr. Fontana, right? I''ve never seen him show this much attention to any musician before," a third person chimed in.


    ¡°It''s more than just generosity. Their rtionship seems way too close. What''s her connection with Paolo?" someone asked.


    At that moment, Jeremiah stood up, his silhouette sharp and defined, the epitome of aristocratic poise. With a chilling gaze, his voice was calm and measured as he said, "I''ll offer 7 million.

 Secrets Of MrS 573

    ?


    Paolo frowned and turned to see Jeremiah standing there, exuding an icy aura. He paused for a moment. This man''s presence was powerful, almost matching Yvette''s.


    Yvette looked up, her gaze meeting Jeremiah''s in mid-air. There was a hint of nonchnce in her eyes, and a fleeting smile crossed her lips. It was brief, but Paolo, observing Yvette closely, noticed it instantly


    Paolo''s eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at Jeremiah. Could it be that his mentee had taken an interest in this man? Had the day finally arrived when Yvette was interested in men? Paolo began nning to ask her about itter.


    What if this man did not have a girlfriend? He could try to matchmake Yvette with him. It did not matter whether he had money: Paolo had plenty anyway. What mattered was they were a perfect match. Just think how good-looking their kids would be!


    If this man resisted, Paolo would just drug him and send him straight to Yvette''s bed. At worst, he could let Yvette keep him for a few days.


    No one in the room expected Paolo to make a sky-high offer of 3 million dors, but now, a handsome stranger appeared and offered 7 million dors!


    The most bewildered of all was Elliot. This was supposed to be lus solo recital, so why did everything change when Yvette showed up? His heart surged with resentment.


    It was just like when they were kids. Wherever Yvette was, he would be a foil for her. He would be rendered insignificant. Why, after all these years, was he still powerless to change this?


    Paolo, busy plotting how to get Jeremiah into Yvette''s bed, naturally stopped bidding and sat down. Ignoring the injury on his face. Elliot couldn''t allow Yvette to y this piece.


    "Mr. Fontana, this is my concert. Whether you know Yvette or not, will you really let her y my signature piece at my recital?" he asked. Paolo frowned. His temper and attitude were not pleasant when dealing with Elliot. Not holding back, he snapped at Elliot


    "Music knows no borders and shouldn''t be stagnant. Despaired Soul'' might be your signature piece, but today''s performance was aplete mess. "You are an experienced pianist, so your level and mistakes are uneptable. Now, please sit down quietly and listen to her performance. Any issues can be addressed after it''s over," he said


    Paolo''s words were like a sharp de stabbing into Elliot''s heart All eyes turned to him, but unlike the usual envy. admiration, or fanaticism, the gazes were filled with doubt and mockery this time.


    Those remarkspletely humiliated Elliot. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit, on the verge of copse.


    On stage, Yvette walked slowly to the piano, her expression indifferent. She nced at Elliot, who stood there, eyes full of anger yet helpless. His fists were clenched, and his veins were bulging. She smirked.


    Did he think this was enough? she scoffed inwardly.


    Everyone returned to their seats. By now, everyone was curious. Could Yvette possibly y "Despaired Soul" more beautifully than Elliot?


    Most people doubted Yvette, thinking she was setting herself up for embarrassment. "Despaired Soul" was Elliot''s signature piece, how could anyone possibly y it better than him?


    The stage lights dimmed again, leaving a single spotlight on Yvette, seated at the piano. The light poured down on her.


    Wearing an all-ck outfit-she sat upright with a slender neck and cool gaze


    1


    With delicate and striking features, she removed her baseball cap. letting her raven-ck hair fall freely. Her figure was graceful and slender, and her slender fingers gently rested on the piano keys.


    The next moment, the familiar, haunting melody of "Despaired Soul" began to flow slowly, gradually enveloping the entire Golden Exhibit Center in an atmosphere of despair and loneliness.


    Unlike Elliot''s performance just now, Yvette''s rendition not onlypletely surpassed him in technique but also infused "Despaired Soul" with a hint of defiance.


    The first half of the piece evoked a sense of loneliness and despair. As it progressed, the audience felt more and more invigorated and inspired. Some even felt their spirits rise with the intensifying emotions of theposition.


    By the final section, everyone waspletely immersed in the music, feeling reluctant for it to end.


    In the third row, Jeremiah sat with his legs crossed, the cuffs of his white shirt rolled up, and his well-defined fingers resting on the armrest. His deep eyes were dark as if they held a gxy within them


    His gaze remained fixed on Yvette at the piano, never straying for a moment. Beneath his tousled hair, his brow was sharp and defined.


    Suddenly, an intense gaze intruded Jeremiah''s eyes. He turned to look at Paolo in the first row and paused briefly. Noticing Jeremiah''s attention, Paolo simply smiled at him.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah politely returned the smile. Paolo''s heart leaped with excitement. This might actually work out.


    After all, being a civilized person, he''d avoid resorting to drugging him However, the man his mentee was interested in could only belong to her. Even if she couldn''t win his heart, she had to have him physically.


    On stage, Elliot stared intently at Yvette as she performed. He stood there in a daze as if transported back to the first time he heard Yvette y this piece when they were children.


    After all these years, Yvette had not lost her touch. Even someone without expertise could tell who yed the piece better.


    Elliot knew that now he could only firmly deny any giarism usations. He''d rather admit his skill wascking than confess to giarizing.


    Just as the audience thought "Despaired Soul" was nearing its end. Yvette looked up, raised an eyebrow, and gave a mysterious smile. Her delicate features carried wildness and rebellion like a spider lily blooming at the edge of hell.


    She was captivating and lethal. Jeremiah''s heart skipped a beat when he saw Yvette. An indescribable emotion began to stir within him passionately The next moment, the audience heard a piecepletely different from "Despaired Soul," yet both melodies blended seamlessly,plementing each other perfectly.


    At first, the audience was puzzled as to why Yvette yed an unfamiliar piece, but soon, they were all immersed in the new world Yvette had created.


    On the battlefield, horse hooves echoed from a distance, carrying tremendous force. In the night wind, they rose and fell, growing distant and then near Horses neighed as they galloped forward, followed by iron-d cavalry charging through like chaotic torrents.


    The general turned around to look. Thousands of arrows were released, and a short arrow pierced this throat, blood sttering onto the city wall. The moonlight reflected off thenterns, and everyone was immersed in this atmosphere, trembling all over.


    When the song ended, Yvette stopped ying. Her expression was indifferent, yet her eyes were dark and deep as night,


    unfathomable.


    This was the true andplete score of "Despaired Soul. What Elliot stole was just a small part she had casuallyposed


    years ago.


    Everyone was still immersed in the music from earlier, and for awhile, no one spoke. In Golden Exhibit Center, with at thousand people, all eyes were focused on Yvette on the stage.


    Öæ


    Cheaper To


    onfadesmande


    THI


    This was the andpared But Wha TH


    Tryntir vor will ammersed in the mobile free paliere and fixe chand people, all eyes we found Veror on the stage


    on


    10 18 Fri Dec 27


    |


    unfathomable


    This was the true andplete score of Despaired Soot" What or mole was just a small part she had casuallypose


    Whacktiot


    Everyone was still immersed in the music from earlier, and for awhile, no one spoke. In Golden Exhibit Center, with a thousand people, all eyes were focused on Yvette on the stage

 Secrets Of MrS 574

    ?


    hapter 574


    Everyone finally understood why Yvette dared to take the stage. Her performance was breathtaking. Though she yed the same piece right after Elliot, her rendition outshone his and exposed their skill difference. On top of that, Yvette intrigued the audience with the second half of the piece she had yed.


    Suddenly, one person began to p, then another, and soon, the entire Golden Exhibit Center erupted in thunderous apuse.


    Elliot stood on the stage, looking like a fool. With nothing more than her actions. Yvette had once again turned him into aughingstock.


    As Elliot listened to the apuse and watched the admiring nces toward Yvette, he felt a knot tighten in his stomach, and his legs nearly gave out


    Yvette stood and, step by step, walked unhurriedly toward Elliot As she moved, the apuse gradually faded. When her gaze swept over the audience, the pping and the murmurs of discussions ceased at once.


    Seeing Yvette act so out of character, Paolo knew something had to be amiss. Yvette was usuallyid-back and wouldn''t have bothered showing up at Elliot''s recital just to embarrass him without a good reason.


    There could only be one possible exnation. Elliot must have done something remarkably stupid to upset her.


    Jeremiah watched Yvette and Elliot on stage with a sly smile, immediately putting the pieces together. The second half of Yvette''s performance must be the true,plete version of Despaired Soul"


    Sienna and Frankie leaped to their feet with urgency, looking as though they were ready to roll up their sleeves and charge. onto the stage to support Yvette.


    On stage, Yvette raised her chin and looked at Elliot with a smirk Her frivolous and arrogant expression drove him into a seething rage. Her cold gaze was enough to send shivers down anyone''s spine.


    "You''ve been ying it all these years thinking you copied the entire score, huh? What an idiot," Yvette said, her tone calm yet sarcastic. Was the score that I stole back then iplete? Elliot panicked


    Yvette''s words were amplified by the microphone and reached the ears of every single audience member, leaving them stunned by the revtion. "Elliot copied someone else''s music? giarism is a disgracefulet in any field, especially in the music industry. For a musician, being caught giarizing would mean the end of their career, an audience member muttered.


    "She''s using Elliot of giarism? How''s that be possible?" another person eximed.


    "She yed Elliot''s signature piece, then imed he copied it. I she implying that ''Despaired Soul was giarized?" a third person asked, confusion clear in their voice.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "If what Yvette is saying is true, then why wait all these years to pose him? There must be more to this story, one of the voices replied.


    rendition. Maybe she is telling the truth. The second half ke they were always meant to be part of the same


    However, her performance was far more impressive than Ellio of her performance blended seamlessly with the first half. It feltposition. Isn''t that steange?¡± a different audience member sad, raising ¨¤ doubt


    The murmurs among the audience grew louder.


    Hearing the chatter. Elliot felt a cold sweat trickle down his for a Though be had prepared himself for this day, standing


    1.


    before Yvette, who spoke casually and confidently, he faltered. However, he managed to steady his nerves after remembering the recording evidence had already been destroyed.


    Elliot said. "We haven''t seen each other in years, Yvette. Why must you falsely use me the moment we meet? I know you''ve always held a grudge after Grandpa kicked you out of the Ross family, but you were the one at fault back then. Because you had some talent, you looked down on everyone else.


    02%)


    He continued. ¡°Grandpa, though with a heavy heart, had no choice but to expel you. And now, because of your resentment, you im ''Despaired Soul'' is giarized? That''s outrageous! You can ask the audience here and see if anyone believes you! The piece was an inspiration I got during my childhood! I admit that my rendition of it isn''t as good as yours, but that doesn''t give you the right to nder me!"


    Elliot''s sincere and genuine demeanor made him appear deeply wronged, drawing sympathy from the audience and swaying them back in his favor. After all, Elliot was from the Ross family, he shouldn''t have to giarize from an unknown girl like Yvette.


    From Elliot''s words, the audience learned that Yvette had once lived with the Ross family, and they began to view her as ungrateful. It seemed unkind of her to show up on Elliot''s big day and ruin it for him.


    In the front row, Paolo frowned after overhearing the audience''s discussions about Yvette. He pondered, "What''s Yvette''s identity? Why did she show up to stir up trouble for Elliot?


    It''s no wonder I always found Elliot''s rendition of Despaired Soul'' a little off. Now, it all makes sense; it wasn''t his to begin with. But why did Yvette never speak up about Elliot giarizing her piece? If I had known earlier, I would have made him pay much sooner."


    Paolo said sternly, "Elliot, what Yvette performed was the original version of ''Despaired Soul, right?"


    Elliot looked at Paolo in shock and thought, ''What''s gotten into him? Why is he siding with Yvette?''


    Elliot clenched his fists tightly and responded, "Mr. Fontana, "Despaired Soul is indeed my own work. Since our childhood, Yvette had always been envious of my talent and Grandpa''s fave toward me. She has held a grudge all these years and must haveposed a second half of my piece just to ruin me. Don''t be deceived by her lies! She has always been maniptive. Even my brother, Derek, has been bewitched by her to the point of obsession."


    Paolo stifled augh, coughing lightly to suppress it''Obsession? given how attractive Yvette is, isn''t it only natural for men to be drawn to her? What kind of fool wouldn''t fall for her charm?


    The smile on Paolo''s face left those around him puzzled. They wondered. ''What is he smiling so proudly for?''


    Meanwhile, Yvette stood on stage, rxed and unbothered by the surrounding noise. She fixed Elliot with a cold gaze, then stepped forward and pped him across the face without hesitation.


    Elliot waspletely taken aback. The p sent him reeling, and he dropped to his knees, seeing stars.


    Silence fell over Golden Exhibit Center.


    Jeremiah, who was heading toward the stage, paused in his track and lowered his head with a chuckle. She''s adorable, he muttered inwardly. Sienna and Frankie were used to the stunned expressions aroun huge reaction. Elliot''s long-winded speech paled inparison Pando was dumbfounded.


    them. Whenever Yvette took action, it always stirred up a


    Yvette''s p-


    On Huge, Yvette slowly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her Alen wrins. Then, she mised her foot and stepped on Elliot


    Volte exerted a litle bit of force, causing Elliot to let out a sharesin The sound chilled the air leaving everyone in


    3:3


    shock.


    Elliot''s ey


    G


    ID


    ''s eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to break free. However, no matter how hard he tried, Yvette''s foot remained firmly nted on his shoulder. Even as sweat soaked his clothes and exhaustion set in, her foot didn''t budge an inch.


    With clenched teeth, Elliot growled, "You''ve gone too far, Yvette your proof? Now, you''re even assaulting me in public? I swear I get away!"


    T you want to use me of giarism, fine! But where''s take you to court, and with so many witnesses, you won''t


    É«

 Secrets Of MrS 575

    ?


    Chapter 575 ?? ? 92%


    Since childhood, Elliot had been aware of Yvette''s formidablebat power and knew he could never overpower her. The only weapon he had was thew.


    Now, Yvette stood over the disheveled Elliot, her face devoid of emotion, her gaze cold and indifferent, as though she were staring at a lifeless body. She narrowed her gaze. "Evidence? Do you honestly believe there was only one recording?"


    Elliot froze and thought, I saw Grandpa destroy the evidence with my own eyes, reducing it to ashes. As omnipotent as Yvette is, she will never be able to piece it back together.


    He retorted, "What evidence? I have no idea what you''re talking about, Yvette. Stop ndering me. No one will believe you."


    Yvette drew out her phone, waving it in front of him with a smirk. Her eyes gleamed with a mix of yful arrogance and cold calction.


    At that moment, Derek''s deep voice resonated from the entrance of the Golden Exhibit Center. "The evidence wasn''t destroyed. I have a copy right here."


    His unexpected appearance at the doorwaymanded immediate attention. Several people in the crowd recognized him. and the crowd soon buzzed with anticipation.


    One of the guests whispered, "That''s Derek from the Ross family, Elliot''s younger brother! Is he really testifying against his brother?"


    "Didn''t they say Derek waspletely captivated by this girl? Could he be framing Elliot?" another voice questioned.


    da


    "No, didn''t you hear their conversation? She mentioned having evidence and a recording. Things are gettingplicated," another guest added. Sienna nced at Jeremiah and mused, ''Damn, with Derek suddenly showing up and speaking for Yvette, Mr. Chavez is definitely going to be jealous!


    As Derek stepped onto the stage and looked at Elliot-kneeling his face battered and filled with burning resentment- Derek''s expression shifted between cold detachment and reluctant sympathy. In the end, he sighed.


    From this day on, the Ross family''s reputation will be beyond repair. I''ve always known this day woulde, he thought


    Panic surged through Elliot as he caught sight of his brother''s expression. He pleaded, "Derek, don''t let Yvette deceive you. I''m begging you-please don''t get involved."


    Elliot was still clinging to the hope that Derek would stay out of this on ount of their familial ties. But what he didn''t know was that Derek had already lost all faith in him after the events in the break room earlier.


    Derek pondered. If it had been anyone else, I might have hesitated to get involved. But since Yveur is the one being wronged, I can''t stand by. After all, if it hadn''t been for her, I wouldn''t have survived that kidnapping all those years ago.


    Towe her my life. And now, with things reaching this point, I can no longer feign ignorance like I did when I was young. Derek''s voice was firm as he addressed Elliot, Elliot, in addition to the voice recording, there''s also footage from the surveince cameras from that time. You know exactly what I''m talking about.


    He then turned Im gaze to Yvene. "Yvette, the evidence of his giarism is on your phone. Despaired Soul was your work- and my brother stole it from you?


    Yvette lifted her too, her expression unreadable, while Ellioty on the ground like a beaten antimal, gasping for breath.


    10 19 Fri, Dec 27


    1.


    ȯ


    921


    His wordsnded like a bomb, shattering the silence and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Elliot''s defenders fell silent, winle some of his fans stood frozen, hearts heavy with disbelief and betrayal.


    The revtion that their idol''s hit song had been giarized was a blow no fan could have anticipated-a betrayal that cut deeper than any other. Elliot''s face drained of color as he sank to his knees, his dignity shattered in front of the crowd.


    Despite his attempts to erase the evidence, Derek still had footage of him sneaking into Yvette''s room and stealing the sheet music all those years ago-something Elliot had never even known was recorded..


    He thought bitterly, ''If I had been capable ofposing something like Despaired Soul, why would I have needed to giarize Yvette? It''s all her fault for pushing me to this point."


    Gone was the arrogance he once held; now, Elliot stood silent, his shoulders slumped, his entire demeanor drenched in defeat and hopelessness. The truth, buried for so long, was finally exposed. In that moment, all Elliot felt was a desperate urge to do away with Derek


    and Yvette..


    Paolo watched the scene unfold. The moment Yvette used Elliot of giarism, any hope he had of joining the International Music Association vanished.


    Even without concrete evidence, as long as Yvette held the presidency, there was no chance Elliot would ever gain entry.


    Yvette kept her gaze half-lowered, her eyes dark and enigmatic. Her long legs entuated her defiant aura, while her gaze, both cruel and icy, seemed to summon an impending storm of darkness.


    She spoke nonchntly, her voice cold and sharp. "Did you know that Elliot has been abusing substances and viting women at your family''s suburban mansion for years?"


    Yvette''s words hit the room like a thunderp, leaving the crowd frozen in stunned disbelief.


    The same thought echoed in everyone''s mind. ''Substance abuse Viting women? This goes far beyond giarism; if these usations are true, Elliot could be facing serious legal consequences.


    Derek, utterly stunned, went rigid. His hands trembled as the weight of Yvette''s words sank in. He thought, Yvette wouldn''t fabricate something like this-whatever she says must be the truth.


    It was as if he had been plunged into an ice-cold abyss. Derek stood frozen, staring in disbelief at Elliot, who was just as stiff


    as he rose.


    A wave of suffocating pressure washed over Elliot. His eyes locked onto Yvette as he thought, ''How could she possibly know these things? I''ve been so careful!


    At that moment, all eyes were fixed on Elliot, each gaze piercing him and boring into his being.


    I''m finished, was the only thought echoing in his mind.


    As the room remained stunned, Jeremiah gracefully took the stage. With broad shoulders, sharp features, and amanding presence, he effortlessly attracted attention.


    Bathed in the spotlight, Jeremiah stood tall and aloof, his expression calm and detached. As the crowd watched him, they collectively wondered, ''Who is this remarkable man?


    He approached Yvette with confident strides, his eyes locking on Elliot with a cold, piercing gaze. Standing side by side, the two exuded an undeniable, unspoken dominance, their presencemanding the room


    Jeremiah opened a document bag, revealing a thick stack of papers. He pulled out the contents, and only then did the crowd.


    2/1


    10.19 Fri, Dec 27


    realize they were photographs.


    Yvette took the photos from Jeremiah and arched her brow as an icy look took over her face. She hurled the hundreds of photos at Elliot.


    The photos dropped onto the stage, each one depicting various young women, their expressions vacant and semi-conscious.


    They were of different skin tones and ages, each one seen with the same man-Ellior. Some images captured him in a dazed, hazy state, all in startlingly high resolution.


    Jeremiah had obtained these photos because of Elliot himself he had essentially dug his own grave.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Elliot had taken perverse pleasure in photographing his victims, his face contorted with excitement as he captured each moment. He stored the images in a custom-made safe at his mansion, regrly retrieving them to indulge in his dark obsession.

 Secrets Of MrS 576

    ?


    Elliot stared intently at the scattered photos on the stage. Each one was a photo he had repeatedly admired during his midnight reveries but was now evidence of his crime.


    Jeremiah stared at Elliot, a glimmer of killing intent shing in his eyes. The girls in these photos are as young as 11 or 12 years old, assaulted while unconscious by Elliot. A lowlife like him shouldn''t even exist in this world!" he thought, enraged.


    At that moment, Clyde stepped onto the stage, ripping off his clothes in front of the crowd, revealing bruises and burn marks from cigarette butts all over his body. Gasps of shock rippled through the audience,


    Yvette and Jeremiah stood there, their faces unreadable. A single nce between them confirmed they already knew how those injuries came to be. The crowd erupted in shock, their whispers buzzing like a swarm of bees. "Oh my gosh, isn''t that Elliot''s assistant? How could he end up with injuries like that? It''s terrifying."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Do we even need to wonder? Anyone stepping forward now must''ve been hurt by Elliot


    "Drug abuse, exploiting yours, and now abusing his assistant-Elliot is truly a wolf in sheep''s clothing!


    This was the first time Derek had seen the injuries on Clyde, and it shook him to the core. What has Elliot been hiding from me all this time?'' he wondered.


    Clyde pointed to his injuries, his eyes full of hatred. "Everyone,m Elliot''s assistant. For years, whenever he was upset, he took it out on me-burned me with cigarettes, kicked me. poured boiling water on me."


    He paused, his anger rising with each word. "And for what? He has no inspiration, no real talent. He couldn''t evenpose his own songs, so he hired ghostwriters. I have all the proof. Elliot is nothing but aplete scumbag!"


    It was often said that men only weep when deeply grieved. Clyde, humiliated and tormented for years, finally let it all out in front of everyone. The crowd was even more stunned by his words. ''Elliot abused his assistant and even hired ghostwriters? He''s hopeless! they mused.


    By this point, Elliot realized that he had no further grounds to argue. His eyes burned with fury, and his clenched fists trembled at his sides. He looked at the crowd beneath the stage, murmuring and casting judgmental nces in his direction, then turned to


    Yvette.


    Suddenly, Elliot burst into a maniacalugh. ¡°Yvette, after all these years of being gone, why ruin me now? You''re truly my nemesis. From the moment you entered the Ross family, I knew it.


    He continued, "Before you showed up, I was Grandpa''s chosen heir, the one he trusted the most. He invested everything in me. And then you came along and ruined it all."


    Elliot had lost his mind, shouting at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with resenturent and hatred toward Yvette. He med her arrival for all his misfortunes, convinced that everything had changed because of her.


    Derek watched in stunned silence as Elliot unraveled before his eyes. For the first time, he saw the depth of Elliot''s hatred Howard Yvette. But what does any of this have to do with her he thought, confused. "Elliot, Yvette''s talent- Derck began.


    But Elliot didn''t let him huish "Ever since Yvette came into our family, all I''ve ever heard is how her talent is unmatched But why? Why does her so- called talent get to erase everything we worked for?"


    He was practically heaving now, has breath ragged with anger those lours I put in all the sleepless nights-does none of


    1/3


    Chamer 570


    that count? Is that fair to me? I''ve been ying the piano since I was a kid!"


    92%


    His gaze swept the crowd, his tone bing more desperate. "How could Yvette create something like Despaired Soul when she was just ten? Do you think I wanted to giarize it? I just wanted Grandpa to see me, to finally recognize me!"


    "When I released Despaired Soul, the industry called me a genius. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. I couldn''t afford to fail. But I had nothing left, no inspiration. So, I turned to drugs, to women-anything to cope, Elliot continued.


    He took a breath, the pressure mounting. "If I didn''t hire ghostwriters, what was I supposed to do? It''s all her fault!"


    Elliot''s words left everyone in shock. They couldn''t believe Elliot could stand there and make such shameless excuses after everything he had done.


    "Loser!" a voice rang out. It was Frankie, and his shout was like a spark to dry tinder.


    The entire Golden Exhibit Center erupted as the chant spread like wildfire. "Loser!"


    In the front row, Paolo stood up. He looked at Elliot and said sternly, ¡°Elliot, talent alone doesn''t guarantee sess. It''s only part of the equation. You''ve made mistake after mistake, and instead of owning them, you stand here making excuses. It''s pathetic.


    He pressed further, "Did Yvette force you to giarize her song To prey on young girls? To do drugs? You''re hopeless. Justice will be served, and the music industry has no ce for someone like you"


    Elliot said nothing and red fiercely at Yvette. "Yvette, you''ve always been like this-as if nothing ever matters to you. Even though you''re the one who caused all of this, somehow, you always manage to make everyone else take your side."


    "You''ve got a talent for this, don''t you?" He shot a nce at Jeremiah. I bet that guy was seduced by you. That''s how you got the evidence to ruin me, isn''t it? You''ve always looked down on everyone else because you''re so gifted."


    His voice grew colder. "When we were kids, you never even spared me a second nce. I wanted to be your friend, but you wouldn''t even talk to me. This is all your fault. You pushed me to this point."


    The crowd''s foetis shifted, their attentionnding on Yvette and Jeremiah as if waiting for her response.


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her piercing eyes locking onto Elliot. Her expression was calm, but the air around her seemed to chill. A slow, twisted smile crept across her face as she tilted her head. Jeremiah, did he just say I seduced you?"


    Jeremiah''s lips curled slightly, and the furrow in his brows eased "No. It wasn''t that you seduced me. I fell for you the moment I saw you. It was your looks that drew me in."


    The crowd exchanged puzzled nces, feeling awkward at the sudden public disy of affection.


    From the moment Jeremiali had walked onto the stage, Paolo had known Yvette was litually opening herself up to someone extraordinary. He couldn''t help but feel pleased as he watched the scene unfold. Showing off her love publicly now? That''s ssic Yvette, he thought with amusement.


    Derek''s gazended on Yvette and Jeremiah. He paused for a munient, feeling a twinge of bitterness, but he les it Yvette''s gaze turned icy again as she looked back at Elliot His bravadu was crumbling now, and it was clear to everyone that be couldn''t hade the fear in his eyes when she faced him.


    "Ellios" The single word sliced through the none had ever said tins name.


    ace. It was the first time in all these years than Vette


    song and Lawrence hail covered it up she had confronted him directly shed simply left quiet andponed in a way no ordinary child would have been


    "Derek''s rat, Yvette saki, ensura bating each word. The room fell


    a sisujjed silence. The grond booked


    swud, confusest.


    3/3


    1.


    the words making no sense to anyone except Derek and Elliot.


    Derek blinked, startled. "Yvette, are you talking about the long-haired c

 Secrets Of MrS 577

    ?


    Derek turned his head stifly toward Elliot. He said, "Skinning it alive, draining its blood, and leaving it on my bed. That was all you, Elliot.¡±


    Elliot stopped pretending. After hiding his secret for so many years, it was enough. Now that things hade to this point, he had nothing to fear Elliot fixed his gaze on Derek, and his voice sounded sinister. He said, "I killed the cat because you treated a mere animal better than you treated me."This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Elliot continued, "I''ve kept a secret from you for many years. If Yvette hadn''t saved you back then, you would have been in my clutches long ago. But Yvette, you knew everything, yet you never told Derek."


    Elliot''s words shocked Derek. Derek once had a long-haired cat, but within three months, it had been skinned alive and deboned. Then, it was tossed into his room.


    Back then, Lawrence said it was done by a mentally unstable maid who had already been fired. Derek did not expect Elliot to have done it


    Lawrence must have discovered the truth but chose to protect Elliot by finding a scapegoat. Derek was so scared that he couldn''t sleep properly for a whole week. He had nightmares every night.


    Everyone watched as Elliot ranted madly onstage. Elliot said, "Yvette, speak up! Didn''t you want to reveal my secret and humiliate me so everyone hates me? I will give you a chance to say it!"


    At this moment, Elliot looked deranged. Yvette nced sharply at him and said calmly, "That''s enough."


    Elliot looked at the stunned Derek, who stood there in disbelief as he spoke with a sinister tone. ¡°That''s enough? It''s not enough... Since you''ve already destroyed me, let''s bring Derek and me down... Then, Elliotughed wickedly.


    These words left everyone with doubts. They wondered what secret Elliot would reveal since things had reached this point.


    ?


    In the next second, Yvette swiftly pulled out a silver handgun. The people below were dumbfounded at the sight of the gun. No one expected Yvette on stage to suddenly draw a weapon.


    In Mysonna, guns were legal, so it did not cause any panic. Besides, everyone present knew exactly who the gun was aimed


    There was no emotion on Yvette''s cold and beautiful face. She cocked an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes, which were devoid of warmth.


    When Elliot saw Yvette point her gun at him, his legs wouldn''t obey him, and his body couldn''t stop trembling His eyes were lifeless, like a dead fish, yet they glinted with fear


    Others might use a gun to threaten lum, but Yvette was different she would pull the trigger Yvette said, "I told you to shut up" Everyone who heard those words felt a chill down their spine.


    Paolo, who sat in the front row, frowned. He thought. If she pulled the trigger, it''d be a headshot, and Elliat would be done


    Podo shaught again. If this is dune privately killing this loser veuldn''t be an issue But doing it is from of so many people wouldn''t be rasy


    Thope that Elliot won''t go looking for nuuble at this momeni,


    and aand. "Yvette, let hun


    want to know how he ns to destroy me


    hot bi die Free frowned. A dangers glue shed in her green eyes the end she lowered the gun mules Derek pleading


    10:20 H, Dec 27


    Chapter 577.


    3


    Jeremiah cocked his head as he stared at Yvette intently. He could tell that she wanted to protect Derek. Jeremiah wondered what secret could cause Yvette to be so riled up. It was unusual.


    Derek walked up to Elliot. Faced with his biological brother, whom he grew up with, he did not know how to react. Everything revealed today was beyond his wildest imagination. Derek was distressed.


    He had a feeling that the next secret might cause him to break down, but since he had already reached this point, he could no longer avoid it. He said, "What''s the secret? Just say it. Since you''re determined to drag me down with you, go ahead."


    Elliot looked pale as he stared at Derek. Then, Elliot cast a malicious nce at Yvette. Elliot''s tone sounded wicked as he said.


    Take a close look at the photos on the floor. Don''t you think they look familiar?"


    Derek carefully observed the scattered photos on the ground. After a moment, he was in despair, and his expression turned


    nk


    Jeremiah ced his hands in his pockets and cocked his head. Looking at Yvette, he murmured, "Elliot and Derek?" There was no need to say


    more.


    Yvette nodded with a poker face, and her eyes looked mesmerizing. She nced back at Jeremiah and nodded again. With a cold gaze. she said in a low voice, "It began when they were very young


    The audience couldn''t hear the conversation between the two, but Derek, who was on the stage, could hear it clearly The girls in these photos all looked a lot like him when he was young, whether it was the nose, eyes, or mouth. Derek was very shocked. He felt numb, and his head was buzzing. His stare turned nk. He started saying. "You..."


    Elliot''s eyes were bloodshot as Derek stared at him with disgust. Elliot deliberately raised his voice and said. ¡°That''s right. Surprising, isn''t it? I''ve liked you since we were kids. I fell for you, so what? Don''t look at me like that.¡±


    Elliot continued, "I''m also the one who hired people to kidnap you back then. I wanted to lock you up for the rest of your life, but it''s all Yvette''s fault. She saved you and ruined my perfect n."


    Elliot''s words made everyone in the Golden Exhibit Center silent once more. A nicely arranged recital had turned into a crime-revealing session by Elliot, and now he was acting crazy, revealing his shocking, dirty secret-he liked Derek


    Even now, Elliot seemed shed. Ever since Derek had abandoned him to testify for Yvette at that moment, he had


    decided to drag Derek down with him.


    He wanted Derek to live miserably, unable to escape his shadow and trapped in a nightmare for the rest of his life.


    Elliot speered and said, Derek, you''ve always felt guilty about me giarizing Yvette''s work back then. Do you know why she never exposed me?


    Do you think it was only because of Grandpa Do you think Yvene is the type of person who could be intimidated by Grandpa'' Let me tell you


    A loud bang scared everyone. No one would have thought Yvette who had already put the gun away, would suddenly hre a


    Blood mstantly gushed from Ellorsley Hr screamed in agony he clutched his mjured leg. Meanwhile, Yvette stood there with an indifferent expression She looked at him with rage and and, "One more word and you''ll die"


    µÄ

 Secrets Of MrS 578

    ?


    Elliot''s words came to an abrupt halt. He stared


    whichnded on Derek, who stood in a daze, hantly at Yvette, unwilling to ept defeat. Yvette raised her icy cold gaze.


    "That''s enough," she said.


    lost his wits


    Derek snapped out of his stupor when he heard those words.


    With his head lowered. Elliot''s eyes were burning with madness and malice.


    Suddenly, he lifted his head and shouted at his younger brother, Derek! Grandpa knew everything back then. You respected him the most. Our good grandpa used this secret to threaten Yvette, keeping her from exposing me."


    So, the reason Yvette never showed up over the years wasn''t because of me! It was because of you! She was trying to protect your so-called fragile heart and that post-kidnapping-induced depression, right? Hahaha! Fools! You''re all fools!" he said, Laughing:


    It was pin-drop silence in the entire room. Today''s recital had truly opened their eyes. Who would have thought that the internationally renowned musician, Lawrence, had resorted to such vile methods to threaten a young girl all those years


    Jeremiah''s brows furrowed slightly, a cold glint shing in his eyes as he looked at Elliot, who seemed lifeless as a corpse.


    The person most shocked by this revtion was Derek.


    First, he learned that his older brother had feelings for him, and now he discovered the truth after all these years. He never imagined it was because of him that Yvette did not step forward to reveal the truth.


    It was his fault; he was the real culprit!


    Derek''s face was pale,pletely drained of any color. He could barely stand, and his hands were trembling slightly.


    Seeing Derek in this state, Elliot felt a surge of satisfaction.


    Elliot knew he was abnormal and twisted from a young age. Even if it meant death, he wanted to ruin Derek, someone he could never have all these years.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes slightly. Her expression, cold and distant, was terrifying. It sent chills down one''s spine, along with her icy voice. "Derek, it has nothing to do with you," she said.


    Back then, Derek was severely depressed after being kidnapped If this scandal had been exposed, it would have driven Derek over the edge. Derek broke down uncontrobly, clutching his head in agony.


    "Nothing to do with me? How could it not? Turns out I''m the redo I''ve been tooling myself all these years!" he said,


    torn between the survei


    could huse if banl? ways and protect


    amera footage and the recording I had I even thought that if you truly diducteam. I


    monster I must be crazy. It''s all my faul he continued


    so bran wrenching that anyone could feel de overwhelming despair


    his voice. Everyone understood


    Paolo sighed That twisted bastard Ellos had ruine yen hos brber What a truly desurable preisn someone like him


    deserved a thousand, even ten thousand, trips to hell, which would still not be enough.


    Some people are truly born evil, he thought.


    1% 91%


    Frankie and Siennamented quietly, both feeling some sympathy for Derek. By now, anyone aware of what Elliot did would be sick to their stomach.


    As Derek copsed in despair, the door of the Golden Exhibit Center suddenly swung open. A group of police officers in special uniforms walked in.


    All the lights in the Golden Exhibit Center came on at once, and everyone turned to look at the police officers. They immediately recognized who they were, mainly because their uniforms were too eye-catching.


    The room buzzed with murmurs,


    "Interpol! Oh my God, it is the Interpol. Who called for them? Does Interpol usuallye all the way to arrest someone personally?" a person asked. "Goodness, since when does the Interpol handle such trivial matters?" another person asked.


    The Interpol usually deals with major international cases or joint operations. There must be a reason for their sudden


    answered. appearance today, someone


    On stage, Jeremiah slightly turned his head to look at Yvette. Seeing her calm expression, he knew this was her doing. The nature of Elliot''s case certainly did not require Interpol''s involvement. The fact that they showed up was something only Yvette could pull off.


    The leading officer was named Chuck Strd, who was around 30 years old.


    He had specificallye to handle this case because not just anyone could handle a task from this big shot.


    If he hadn''t rushed over immediately upon receiving the news, he would be fighting others at the headquarters for the chance to be here.


    Ignoring the murmurs from the crowd, Chuck headed for Yvette on stage.


    Elliot stared in shock at the sudden appearance of the Interpol officers.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Chuck walked right up to Yvette and did something that shocked the entire room. He stood still and gave Yvette a standard military salute.


    His voice was firm and loud. He said, "Reporting in! Interpol Headquarters First Squad, Squad Leader Chuck. At your service!


    The entire room erupted in shock once again


    This time, not just the audience was shocked but also Elliot, who was on the stage. His eyes wideped in anger, and even the despairing Drick was frozen in the same spot


    Why did the Interpol squad leader treat Yvette with such respect This was the Interpol they were talking about!


    all waspletely dumbfounded tr''s events were bing more groundb


    ih


    last, and the appearare of the Interpol pushed everydung to ja


    Who exactly is thus girl, Verde, and what''s her story everyone wandered


    Cuck stonerly on age, his heart rating


    91%


    After all, Yvette was the one who single-handedly took down lugia mafia''s Chief and the Golden Triangle''s drug lord. She even cracked numerous unsolvable cases that troubled Interpol for years.


    Her legendary feats were famous within the Interpol.


    Yvette ordered, "Take him away."


    Chuck immediately looked at Elliot, who was lying on the ground with his leg bleeding out. He looked barely recognizable. Chuck''s face instantly turned solemn.


    He shouted, "Yes, Madam Rest assured, I know how to handle this


    One statement from Chuck was enough to indicate what would happen to Elliot next,


    anymore, he


    "What a joke! A criminal personally handed over by the Boss meant that there was no need to keep him alive an thought to himself.


    With a wave of Chuck''s hand, two Interpol officers immediately stepped forward to drag Elliot away. He did not resist but just stood there nkly as the officers took him away.


    This was who Yvette was. From the moment someone wronged her, they had to live in constant fear. Yvette was so ruthless. She seemed almost inhumane sometimes.


    As Elliot was taken away, he passed by Derek and greedily nced at him. He paused and whispered, "Derek."


    Just that word made Derek feel disgusted and sick to his stomach. As Elliot was about to say something else, his eyes rolled back, and be fainted. Jeremiah had somehow ended up standing behind Elliot. His gaze was deep and cold.


    The Interpol officers took away the unconscious Elliot.


    Derek was surprised when he saw that Jeremiah had acted. How could this man be involved?


    Seeing Derek''s shocked expression, Jeremiah nced at him indifferently. His eyes were as dark and cold as the abyss.


    He said coldly. "If you''re a man, don''t be so weak."


    #

 Secrets Of MrS 579

    ?


    Chuck had made a brief appearance before Yvette, which left him satisfied. Everyone at Interpol knew Yvette''s personality- she was not fond of unnecessary chatter. Smartly, Chuck greeted her, led his team our, and cleared the crowd.


    Interpol truly lived up to its reputation. Golden Exhibit Center, filled with a massive crowd, was cleared in an orderly fashion within ten minutes. By the end, only a handful remained-Yvette, Jeremiah, Sienna, Frankie, and Paolo, seated in the front row.


    After speaking, Jeremiah walked over to Yvette, his gaze tender as he whispered, "Did I do well?" Though he lowered hist voice, the hall''s silence ensured everyone heard him.


    Avette''s lips curved into a faint, clusive smile. Her brows slightly arched as she replied calmly, "Keep it up.


    Jeremiah nodded slightly, his blue eyes glinting with delight as he tilted his head. He replied. "Yes, ma''am. His tone was steeped in amusement, unbothered by the presence of the others.


    Paolo''s eyes sparkled with delight at the sight. Yvette, his stoic mentee, had finally fallen in love. Like a mentor reluctantly giving away his precious mentee, Paolo began nning for the dowry.


    "Should I go with a mansion? Jewelry? A luxury car? No, too cliche: Paolo thought. After some thought, he decided to gift Yvette his cherished antique piano collection and rare instruments, all wrapped up as part of her dowry.


    Within minutes, Paolo had even envisioned Yvette and Jeremias future home in Mysonna. He hadnd in southwestern Mysonna, and it was perfect to build a manor. Now, all Paolo needed was a designer who understood Yvette''s taste.


    Meanwhile, in the audience, Frankie watched Jeremiah and Yvette on stage with his arms crossed. He clicked his tongue twice, turned to Sienna, and said, "See that? Mr. Chavez''s sly move-a few words and his love rival is obliterated. He''s so smooth. I could never do that."


    Sienna nodded in agreement She said, "Calling him ''fragile was brutal. That''s a checkmate for any man."


    On stage, Yvette barely lifted an eyelid, her gaze calm and undisturbed. She turned to Derek, who was still trapped in his swirling emotions. Yvette said coldly. "I made that piece on a whim, and I left because I was bored. Besides, I didn''t expose Elliot because he wasn''t worth my time. That''s all. Don''t overestimate your importance. It has nothing to do with you."


    Derek''s face turned ashen. Slowly, he raised his head, though even meeting Yvette''s gaze took all his strength. He thought, Why did she protect me all these years?


    The memory surfaced-years ago when Yvette was new to the Ross family. One night, Derek heard noises by the pool and found Yvette willingly plunging into the icy pool, staying there for ten agonizing minutes.


    Yvette was so weak after she emerged from the pool that she nearly fainted. Hence, Derek brought her a howl of oatmeal from the kitchen. Derek thought, "Just because of that bowl of oatmeal? That''s why she protected me? He couldn''t think of another reason. It turned out Yvette knew all along. Back then, Derek assumed she forgotten about it since she did not mention it the following day


    After she spoke, Yvette strode past Derek and descended the stage, stopping before Paolo. Jeremiah followed without sparing Derek more than a disinterested nce. Yvette had no patience for melodrama A man stuck in regret, and the past could only save himself.


    Paolo deliberately put on a stern face and faked a cough behind is hand Yvette archest a brow and said calmly. Cot a cold? Wear a mask if you do?


    Va


    At Yvette''s words, the mock cough turned into a real one, leaving Paolo gasping for air. "You ungrateful little thing. You promised to visit me," he said.


    Upon hearing that, everyone turned to Paolo. It seemed like everyone liked to act cute to Yvette regardless of their age. Now, even Paolo did. Even Derek, still lingering onstage, looked down at Paolo in surprise as he wondered, ''Does Yvette know Paolo?


    Yvette stood there, her posture casual and rxed, with her gaze lowered. Her clear eyes held a quiet calm as she drawled. "Speak properly." Paolo almost choked on his words. "I am speaking properly," he protested, his tone tinged with grievance.


    Recalling those years of hardship, Paolo couldn''t recall another mentor who was so thoroughly at the mercy of their mentee. Only with Yvette had he ever experienced such apleteck of authority.


    However, Paolo was used to it now. If Yvette were to treat him with kindness for once, he''d probably be terrified instead. Her usual aloof indifference was oddlyforting, Paolo grew curious about Jeremiah, wondering what charm he possessed to win over Yvette''s heart.


    Paolo said, "Come on, it''s been ages since we''ve seen each other, Aren''t you gonna treat me to a meal? Have you no respect for your mentor? Hurry up, I''m famished Without waiting for Yvette''s response, he strode briskly toward the door.


    Frankie and Sienna exchanged incredulous looks, thinking, "Seriously? For someone iming to be starving. Paolo''s pace was astonishingly fast- nearly a sprint. If they hadn''t known better, they might''ve assumed a supermarket was handing out freebies from Paolo''s speed.


    In Paolo''s defense, though, the situation was dire. He couldn''t risk being rejected. Where would he even put his dignity if that happened?


    Yvette tilted her head, pressed her lips, and said to Jeremiah solemnly, "I don''t have money to treat him."N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Jeremiah paused, then nodded solemnly and said, "Neither do L Should we make a run for it?" His deep, maic voice wasced with an earnestness that made it impossible to tell if he was joking.


    Just then, Frankie popped up and quietly said, "Yvette, Mr. Chavez, I''ve got money. He announced proudly. Then he pulled out a stuffed wallet that looked like it might burst.


    Before Frankie could bask in his moment of glory, Sienna stepped forward and delivered a swift kick to his leg, rolling her eyes dramatically. ¡°Idiot,¡± she muttered under her breath.


    Yvette and Jeremiah turned to give Frankie a look, then walked away without a word, leaving himpletely puzzled. Frankie wondered, ''What? Is it a crime to have money now?


    Sienna watched Frankie and sighed before saying, ¡°Frankie, sometimes I truly wonder how you even became Mr. Chavez''s


    subordinate."


    Frankie shook his head. "When Mr. Chavez took me in, he just said, "That''s enough. Probably because he saw how perfect 1 am-wless, really" Sienna swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue as she thought, Forget it. If he could say something so outrageous, dere was no saving him. Without another word, she hurried after Yvette and Jeremiah.


    Upon seeing everyone leave, Frankie panicked and said. "Wait for me! Mr. Chavez, Yvette. Fin still here."


    At the entrance, silence fell over the Golden Exhibit Center with Frankie gone. Ou stage, Derek good motionless for a long ment before finally lifting his head, his eyes bloodshot. He was not about to be defeated so easily.


    Hell Regret Pite Such words would never define my future.ankie thought.


    20


    1.

 Secrets Of MrS 580

    ?


    Paolo randomly picked a Clusian restaurant without even ncing at the signboard. He ordered casually by pointing at the menu and sent the attendant away. The atmosphere of the private room was anything but pleasant.


    Paolo sat next to Yvette while Frankie and Sienna sat together, hardly daring to breathe loudly. As for Jeremiah, he sat alone across them. Frankie and Sienna thought, Judging from the looks, this International Music Association president isn''t here to exchange pleasantries with Mr. Chavez. But what on earth is his rtionship with Yvette? They were dying of curiosity yet too wary to


    ask.


    Jeremiah rose, pouring water for Paolo with calm precision before turning to fill Yvette''s ss with orange juice.


    Meanwhile, Frankie and Sienna knew their ce and quietly helped themselves to their preferred drinks, then took their seats on the sidelines. Their anticipation was almost palpable as they eyed Yvette, Jeremiah, and Paolo, ready for the drama


    to unfold.


    Jeremiah settled into his chair. He was dressed in an immacte white shirt that radiated a subtle chill, and his sharply defined features exuded an intimidating elegance. Across the table, Paolo couldn''t help but appreciate the sight.


    Paolo thought, ''A man should be pleasing to the eye. Money? Secondary. Looks? Essential. It is, after all, the key to keeping Yvette happy. Her joyes second to none."


    Yvette sipped her orange juice casually with her legs crossed. She nced at Jeremiah before turning to Paolo, who was brimming with a thousand questions yet pretended otherwise, trying to act nonchnt. Just say it already," she drawled.


    Paolo dropped his pretense, set down his ss, and shot Yvette mild re as he thought, This kid knows how to ruin my act. I just lost half my aura."


    Clearing his throat, Paolo fixed his experienced gaze on Jeremiah, his tone taking on a sharper edge. "How long have you and Yvette been together?" He wasn''t nning to y nice. After all, Jeremiah was stealing away his youngest menteeThis is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jeremiah pondered briefly, raised his brows, then nced at his watch. His lips curled into a faint smile as he said, "Seven months, six days, four hours, 25 minutes, and eight seconds."


    Paolo was about to pick up his ss to drink but paused, setting it back down. He cleared his throat before saying, "Just give me an estimation. Why go into such detail?"


    Sitting nearby, Frankie noted that he had learned something new. One day, he would unt his love like this, just to make everyone else jealous. Yvette casually lifted her eyelids, her green eyes narrowing slightly. Then, she lowered her gaze and continued to sip her orange juice. Her calm demeanor was unshaken.


    Pleased with Yvette''sposed demeanor, Paolo thought to himself, ''Girls shouldn''t be swayed by small gestures like this But for a man to remember such trivial details so precisely. Th''s impressive


    Paolo''s gaze toward Jeremiah grew more satisfied. He continued sking, ¡°How old are you? What do you do for a living! How many people are in your family? Do your parents like Yvette?"


    The question about Jeremiah''s parents'' opinion of Yvette made Polo''s voice grow serious, his tone deepening.


    No matter how covered Jeremials was, he couldn''t be with Yvette if his parents couldn''t ept her temperament and character There were countless men in the world, and Yvette cold easily rece him. Yet, she shouldn''t be burdened by Troublesome inws.


    Jeremialis expression remained indiffering as he answered


    questions without the slightest hespation in his sleepi


    20 Fri, Dec 27


    9151


    voice, "I''m 27 years old, a military officer from Clusia. My family has four members-my parents, my grandpa, and 1"


    In the future, it''ll be five. And please don''t worry. My parents prefer Yvette to me. If given a choice, they''d probably pick her as their daughter instead, Jeremiah added.


    Paolo blinked in surprise at Jeremiah''s response but quickly understood. He thought, ''Oh well, Yvette''s a gem-a sweet, lovable girl who could charm anyone. It''s no wonder his parents see her in such a light. They have good taste. We should meet when I go to Clusia


    As for Jeremiah''s career as a military officer, Paolo thought it wasn''t too bad. That wasn''t a concern, although the job probably didn''t pay well. After all, Paolo''s inheritance would go to Yvette, and it would be sufficient.


    Moreover, Yvette was more than capable of earning her fortune Paolo had witnessed her talents firsthand. If Jeremiah retired from the military, he could settle down at home and raise their kids. Or, if he preferred, start a business. Either way, they''d be fine.


    Yvette raised a brow. Her green eyes, deep as a winterke, met Jeremiah''s gaze. She smiled and asked, "Done asking?"


    Paolo nodded, then shook his head and turned to look at Jeremiah. His expression turned solemn, his back straightening unwittingly. "Jeremiah, onest question. Think carefully before you answer. I want you to swear that you''ll only love Yvette for the rest of your life."


    "She can choose to leave you, but you can''t betray her. If one day you agree to this but fail to uphold it, I swear-no matter where you are, even if it costs me everything-I''ll hire 800 assassins to make you pay. So, decide wisely," Paolo added.


    Paolo''s words struck Frankie and Sienna as overly domineering. This was a ssic case of double standards.


    Then, they reconsidered. If it was Yvette and Jeremiah, maybe it wasn''t so unreasonable after all. Their wavering stance changed, and they found themselves thinking Paolo''s demand wasn''t entirely demanding


    Jeremiah''s blue, fathomless eyes showed no ripples of emotion, his gaze deep and steady. Paolo''s words didn''t seem to stir him in the slightest. Paolo couldn''t help but regard Jeremiah with even greater respect. He knew his request was far from fair, but fairness was never the essence of love. Call him selfish or overprotective, but as a mentor, Paolo''s sole priority was ensuring Yvette wouldn''t get hurt in love.


    Yvette crossed her legs, her eyes shimmering with a trace of mischief. Her brows arched slightly, exuding indulgent arrogance. With an indifferent gaze, her fingers tapped lightly on the table. Everyone at the table held their breath, waiting for Jeremiah''s response.


    With calm precision, Jeremiah adjusted his cuffs, his slender fingers betraying no emotion. His deep voice cut through the tension. "I''ll never betray Yvette, not until myst breath. And she''ll never abandon me either."


    The first part of Jeremiah''s statement was spoken withposure, but his tone turned icy and resolute in thetter part.


    Paolo studied Jeremiah''s face and couldn''t find even a trace of falsehood in his expression. Finally, he rxed. As Yvette''s mentor, it was only natural to give Jeremiah a little test, but today, Paolo was forced to witness their public disy of affection


    Looking at Jeremiah, Paolo quipped, ''Don''t be overconfident about not being abandoned. There are outstanding men everywhere. You''d better watch yourself. I''ll advise you as someone with experience-men should stay virtuous and keep a healthy sense of crisis"


    "Rest assured, no one is more exceptional than I am, nor could anyone be more suited for Yvette, Jeremiah replied unhurriedly.


    Jeremiah''s words made Frankie and Sienna twitch at the corners of their mouths. They couldn''t believe someone could speak so shamelessly, Still, they had to adinit, that if anyone had he confidence to back up such words, it was Jeremiah.


    12/1

 Secrets Of MrS 581

    ?


    Yvette lifted her gaze, her lips curling into a faint smile. With a mischievous glint in her eyes beneath her longshes, she said leisurely, "Mr. Fontana, my dear mentor, does your wife know you live with such unease?"


    Yvette''s casual remark piqueil Frankie and Sienna''s interest as they thought, ''Mentor? He''s Yvette''s mentor? On second thought, it made sense. With Yvette''s extraordinary musical tale, it was only natural for someone like Paolo to take her under his wing.


    What piqued Frankie and Sienna''s interest was the loaded plinase. They wondered what Yvette meant when she asked if Paolo''s wife knew he lived with unease. There was juicy gossip in there.


    When Jeremiah heard the way Yvette addressed Paolo, his fingers paused, and his gaze deepened as he thought. The mentee of the International Music Association''s president?"


    Meanwhile, Paolo''s face instantly turned awkward at Yvette''s remark, his cheeks flushing red. He hastily tried to change the subject, but little did he know that Frankie''s knack for gossip was faster than his reflexes,N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Frankie asked with a mischievous grin, "Yvette, what do you mean by that? The gossip-hungry mes in his heart burned brightly, but he tried to feign nonchnce-a tough act, considering how curious he truly was.


    Yvette narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was passive and indifferent, and her brows were faintly arched. She said slowly, "Mr. Fontana spent 30 years pursuing Mrs. Fontana. They were childhood sweethearts, and he proposed 88 times before she said.


    ves.


    "At home, he handles all the chores and sticks to Mrs. Fontana whenever he has time, terrified she might stop liking him one day. Every morning and night, without fail, he says, ''Darling, promise you''ll love me today too."


    This elderly romance was heartwarming. Frankie and Sienna couldn''t help but feel envious. No wonder Paolo told Jeremiah to stay virtuous and keep a healthy sense of crisis. It was from lived experience-proof of wisdom through practice. They thought, ''How impressive!


    Paolo did not usually feel embarrassed saying that, but he felt awkward when Yvette put it out there so inly. He quickly sipped on water, trying topose himself. "You brat, how do you know what I tell my wife every day?" he said.


    Yvette set her ss down and arched a brow. She leaned back and crossed her legs. Her fingers traced the ss rim as she said calmly, "You used to unt your love life and tried to set me up with someone. You forgot?"


    Paolo nearly choked because of Yvette. ''Is she my mentee? She must be sent to torment me, he thought. He wisely chose silence, knowing that another word would likely end in disaster


    After taking a deep breath, Paolo nced up only to meet Jeremiah''s faintly amused smile, Hastily, he grabbed his ss for some water but soon realized it was empty. Left sipping on air, he awkwardly ced the ss down


    A mentee who drove Paolo mad was one thing. But now, there was her boyfriend-a man who could freeze souls with just a look. Paolo wondered what sins he hadmitted to deserve this.


    Paolo was known as the cold and stem president of the music industry. Now, he could only-sigh and wonder why life had to be so difficult


    When the attendant brought the dishes to the table, everyone was stunned. Even the usuallyposed Yvette and Jeremiah paused for a moment. Frankie and Sienna were equally baffled.


    Why are the portions so massive? If Yvette''s not here, this amount of food could easily feed ten people, Sienna thought. She hesitantly asked. "Um, excuse me, are you sure this is the correct amount? We ordered three servings


    The attendant, upon hearing that Siena spoke in Clusian, rxert slightly. "Yes, miss, these are three servings. Are those insufficient?" she asked sincerely, her Daglynn ent evident. She was worried that Yvette, Jeremiah, and the group might


    1/3


    10:20 Fri, Dec:


    not have enough to eat


    §±


    Aside from Paolo, who was from Mysonna and experiencing Dagynn cuisine for the first time, Yvette, Jeremiah, Sienna, and Frankie understood immediately. Therge tes of food made perfect sense. It was typical for a Dagfynn restaurant to serve generous portions.


    The attendant''s question was met with a collective shake of heads from everyone except Yvette and Jeremiah. ''Is she serious, they thought. They could barely finish the food they had before them


    Yet, as they finally leaned back, stomachs full, they nced at the tes on the table. The sight was dizzying-had they truly managed to eat this much?


    Paolo, Stenna, and Frankie turned their attention to Yvette, who continued eating at her own leisurely pace, and Jeremiah, who diligently peeled shrimp next to her.


    Sienna thought, "When ites to appetite, no one can beat Yvette. She''s a force of nature-one against eight. She''s consumed most of the food here.


    Paolo leaned closer to Frankie and whispered. "Does Jeremiah always peel shrimp for Yvette?"


    Frankie nodded, shing a smile like they were lifelong friends "Oh, Mr. Fontana, not just shrimp. Whenever Yvette and Mr. Chavez dine together, we barely even see his face. He''s too busy serving her. All she has to do is eat."


    Sienna put down her chopsticks and chimed in saying, "Don''t worry, Mr. Fontana As Yvette''s man, Mr. Chavez is very dutiful


    As Jeremiah peeled shrimp, he paused upon hearing that, his eyes darkening slightly. Looking up, he gave the two a subtle gaze of approval. Encouraged, Sienna and Frankie doubled down, enthusiastically singing praises about Jeremiah to Paolo, their words. growing more passionate by the minute. When Yvette finished her meal and stood to leave, the duo was still excited, reluctant to stop their praise.


    Outside the restaurant, Paolo watched Yvette with a benevolent gaze, a sigh escaping his lips. His eyes were filled with a mix of relief and joy.


    All these years, this child has been so Jonely. But now, she finally has someone to walk through the long road of life with her. That brings me the greatestfort, Paolo thought.


    With a meaningful tone, Paolo said, "Yvette, have a loving rtionship and live well. Don''t forget to visit me sometimes. And will you consider attending your senior''s recital next year?"


    "And find some time to visit that old rascal Bryan-he keeps talking about you nonstop. I''m at my wit''s end with his nagging: Paolo added


    Thest bit carried the most weight. Instead of training students to carry on his legacy, Bryan spent his days thinking about when Yvette would visit him. The thought of her was enough to drive him to Paolo''s house, incessantly disrupting his precious alone time with his wife


    Yvette, half-closing her eyes, responded with a passive "Min." Barely lifting her gaze, she added calmly. "I''ll think about the recital and visit Bryan when I have time."


    Paolo nodded and replied, "When will you release a new piece? Is been nearly two years." Every time Yvetteposed something new, she would vanish after recording it at the International Music Association. Paolo wondered where she got her temperament front. It was truly maddening. Yvette slowly muttered. "No inspiration."


    Paolo chuckled bitterly, his heart aching. Not even a polite lie could spare his feelings-he wouldn''t believe Yvette had no


    2/3


    3/3


    Chapter 581-


    inspiration. She never needed inspiration as she had endless creativity gifted by the heavens. Inspiration was not important to her, unlike other musicians,


    Paolo''s gaze turned to Jeremials, who was next to him "Clusian military officers can retire after a certain age, right? When you retire, why note along with this little heartless one and visit me


    Frankie froze in disbelief at those words, thinking. Did Mr. Fontana misunderstand something? How could Mr. Chavez''s identity allow for retirement? Impossible"

 Secrets Of MrS 582

    ?


    Jeremiah paused for a but, then replied to Paolo with a calm face, "Sure, I''ll visit you if I have the time." As Paolo was Yvette''s mentor and elder, Jeremiah showed extra respect.


    Paolo waved at them. "Off you go. Stop being eyesores Though he said this, the reluctance in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.


    Yvette squinted her eyes, gave Paolo a nonchnt nce, and slowly said, "I''m off. With that, she turned and left, her every movement exuding a carefree vibe.


    Jeremiah nodded to Paolo and then followed him. Frankie was the only one left, not in a hurry to leave, lost in thought.


    Paolo turned to nce at Frankie, frowning. He left. What is he still doing here? he wondered.


    Seeing Paolo''s disdainful look, Frankie rubbed his nose. "Mr. Fontana, have you ever thought about the possibility that Mr. Chavez might never retire?"


    The question left Paolo confused and wondering, "What''s the deal with the Clusian military? Do they want Jeremiah to serve until he''s old? That''s just too much!


    Frankie saw Sienna waving at him from a car in the distance and, ignoring the stunned Paolo, quickly said. "Mr. Chavez is the youngest general currently in Clusia."


    Paolo was left alone, utterly baffled by what he just heard. The youngest general in Clusia? he thought.


    In the car, Jeremiah was driving, Yvette sat in the front seat, and Frankie and Sienna were in the back.


    When they drove away, Sienna saw Paolo standing at the door, lookingpletely shocked and confused. Curiously, she asked, "What did you say to Paolo, Frankie?"


    Frankie gave her a smug look. "Not much. I just told him about Mr. Chavez''s position in the military.


    Now Sienna understood why Paolo was so shocked. He initially thought Jeremiah was just Yvette''s man. Who would have guessed he had such an impressive status and wouldn''t be surprised?


    Yvette nestled in the front passenger seat, eyes down, fiddling with her phone. Her delicate and beautiful features showed a touch of coolness. When she heard Frankie''s words, her fingers paused briefly.


    Then, she lifted her head and said slowly. "Pull over up ahead. You guys head home first. I need to go somewhere.


    As soon as he spoke, Jeremiah slowed down the car, ncing sideways with a darkened gaze. "Will you being home for


    dinner? Fll cook"


    Yvette lifted her eyelids, put away her phone, propped her chin on her hand, and casually replied, "Yes. In craving some fried chicken wings." Jeremiah nodded. ¡°Sure. I''ll stop by the storeter and pick up your favorite milkshake?


    In the back seat, Frankie and Sienna exchanged nces. It was another day of shedding tears over someone else''s love story


    They thought, Mr. Chavez really is the perfect boyfriend. He never pries into Yvette''s whereabouts, giving herplete trust, and he''s great at cooking. Phis, he buys her favorite milkshake. Where can you find a boyfriend like that?


    After Jeremiah stopped the car by the roadside and Yvette got out, he drove straight to the supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Meanwhile, at the presidential pce of Mysonna, a young man in a wheelchair seemed to be in his early 30s. His smooth.


    14


    10-20 Fri, Dec 27


    pale face entuated his sharp, stern features.


    His dark, deep eyes shone with a captivating light, matched by thick eyebrows and a high nose, all adding to his noble and elegant appearance. The young man sat beneath the blossoming magnolia tree, his hair color almost like emerald, the skin of his neck fine as porcin. The white shirt he wore entuated a restrained allure that was hard to put into words.


    He was holding a magazine featuring the behind-the-scenes boss of International Fashion Competition as the cover story. Several newspapers and documents were on the table beside him, each with Yvette''s name on it,


    He put down the magazine, casually rolling his sleeves to reveal a tanned arm. A charming smile slowly appeared on his face as his voice, deep and slightly husky, murmured, "She''s back,"


    The words from his mouth carried a unique, indescribable charm


    Beside the wheelchair stood a girl equally stunning, with a moleshaped like a tear beside her eye. Her face held an innocence untouched by the world, exuding a unique charm of innocence and romance. Her voice was crisp and melodious


    "Demetrius, Yvette is back. Why isn''t sheing to see us? Is it because I wasn''t well-behaved enough? I''ve been very good and haven''t sneaked any candy in three days!" she asked.


    He gazed lovingly at the girl, her head tilted and eyes bright and clear. Gently stroking her hair, he softly said, "She will. I''m sure she will


    The girl nodded eagerly at his words, her smile full of joy. "Demetrius, you''re right. Yvette will definitelye back to see


    me


    As they spoke, the butler at the presidential pce, Rufus Lacrima, arrived. Seeing the two, he bowed respectfully and said. "Mr. Becker, Mr. Becker is waiting for you in the study. I''ll show Ms. Becker to her room."


    Demetrius Becker nodded, his amber eyes clear and calm. He spoke gently to the girl. "Go with Rufus."


    Alice nodded obediently. "Okay, Demetrius. I''ll go back to my room with Mr. Lacrima."


    When Demetrius turned to face Rufus, he waspletely different from when he was with Alice. His expression turned cold immediately. "Got it. Take Alice back to her room. I''ll head over myself."


    In the study, Cyrus Becker, the president of Mysonna, listened to his subordinates reports, his expression darkening


    It was not until he heard the sound of knocking did he hide his difort and gesture for the reporting man to leave.


    The study door opened, and Demetrius, seated in his wheelchair lowered his eyes. He had already heard Cyrus'' angry voice from inside but pretended not to have heard, calmly wheeling himself into the room.


    When Cyrus saw Demetrius in the wheelchair, his tone softened, though he still sounded a bit angry. In a deep voice, he asked, "Did you know Yvette showed up!"


    Demetrius, sitting in his wheelchair, nodded without a second thought. "Yes. I found out this morning"


    Cyrus nced at him, knowing he must be telling the truth. If Demetrius had known that Yvette appeared in Mysonna earlier, he wouldn''t have waited this long to return from abroad and would''ve done it immediately.


    In a solemn tone, Cyrus said, st time Yvette did surgery on me, she left a prescription and disappeared. For years, Interpol could only contact her through her phone for missions and she would vanish afterpleting them."


    I''ve said it


    "It''s been hard just to meet her these past few years. Turns out she''s been busy with some side business. She could''ve sa sooner if she was interested in fashion design. Does she have to be personally involved with the luxury brand Vibe?¡± he continued.


    2/3


    3/3


    91%


    No matter how big and impressive Vibe became, it was just a small business to Cyrus. It was really frustrating that Yvette would support Vibe instead of taking the time to meet with him


    I''m the president of Mysomma. Do I really deserve so little status and respect? he thought.


    11


    Demetrius fidgeted with the rosary bracelet in his hand, his gaze alistant and aloof. Under his delicate eyshes, he exuded natural elegance as he watched Cyrus sulk alone


    He said calmly, "Uncle Cyrus, don''t be mad. It''s not good for your heart."

 Secrets Of MrS 583

    ?


    D


    9.91%


    When Cyrus heard that, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. Even when Yvette was not around, she could still drive him crazy.


    Cyrus said. "Fine. Thanks to the prescription Yvette prepared, I haven''t had any problems for years. Since she''s in Mysonna, please try to contact her and ask her toe to the presidential pce. If she checks on me in person, I''ll feel reassured about my health


    Back then, when doctors around the world were at their wit''s end, Yvette, using the alias Quiana, had managed to save his life, pulling him back from the brink of death. Over the years, his health had been rtively stable, but he still worried and insisted that Yvette needed to see him in person for him to feel a case.


    Although Cyrus'' words were strong, his tonecked some firmness. After a pause, he continued, "Um, tell her that Alice misses her. If she doesn''t want to make the trip, I can go myself


    Demetrius sat in his wheelchair, his eyes partly closed but maintaining a calm gaze. He nced silently at Cyrus, who wore a serious expression. Demetrius thought, ''Uncle Cyrus can''t handle Yvette at all but still puts on a tough act. If it weren''t for Alice back then. Yvette probably wouldn''t have even considered saving him. She doesnt care if he''s a president or a beggar when ites to saving people.


    Demetrius nodded and said calmly, "I understand, Uncle Cyrus. III contact Yvette."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Cyrus knew that Yvette would probably find time to see him this time, which lifted his spirits considerably, brightening hist face and softening his tone.


    He said, "Does your leg still hurt? When Yvettees by, have her take a good look at it. Demetrius, listen to me. Let''s do the


    surgery.


    Demetrius lowered his eyes and stared at his legs with a calm expression. He said, "Uncle Cyrus, I''m not having the surgery. Yvette told me back then that there''s no guarantee of sess even if she does the surgery. If it fails, I''ll be bedridden for the rest of my life. I don''t want to take that risk, and I won''t. Let''s not talk about it anymore"


    Cyrus looked at Demetrius and sighed deeply. If it hadn''t been for that unexpected car ident when he reached adulthood, his talented and promising nephew wouldn''t have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.


    Cyrus frowned and said, "Demetrius, Yvette mentioned that your surgery has at least an 80 percent sess rate. That''s the highest possible rate. Don''t you trust her skills? With her performing the surgery, it won''t fail."


    Cyrus hadplete confidence in Yvette. He believed there was no operation she couldn''t handle. Moreover, with herbat level, he was determined to keep her around because he presence served as a safeguard, giving him a sense of safety.


    Demetrius'' cold and distant expression was like the icy glow of the chandelier. His deep tone carried a hint of menace "Uncle Cyrus, that''s enough. Yvette is not a deity. She has no responsibility or obligation to perform this surgery for me, and I refuse to take any risks. I don''t want the surgery.


    Meanwhile, after visiting Ss'' medicalb, Yvette went to see Klein. He sent her several texts yesterday, saying he wanted to take her out for a meal and discuss something in person.


    Yvette agreed to meet him at a dessert shop today. Since Klein knew she preferred desserts to Epean cuisine, he went to find a dessert shop with excellent reviews.


    Inside the dessert shop, Klein, dressed in a suit, kept ncing at the watch on his wrist. He felt a slight nervousness at the thought of seeing Yvette so01


    Over the past few days, with Seraphina''s support, he had sessfully taken over Xander Group, even managing the issue of


    1/3


    Gael''s illegitimate child Naw, he hadplete control over thepany, which was made possible by Seraphina''s help.


    They reached an agreement, and he changed his name. Since yesterday, he had taken on the name Klein Dixon. To him, Xander had always been a disgrace, and the change was a relief


    Just as Klein was feeling a bit uneasy, the door of the dessert shop opened, and Yvette walked in.


    ¡°Professor Zeller, over here,¡± Klein greeted Yvette immediately.


    Yvette nodded slightly, nced at Klein, and then sat down.


    Klein sat down as well. It was hard for him to stay calm in front of Yvette, who had changed his life''s course.


    Klein had never imagined that he would achieve his current status because of a girl. Indeed, such luck and a miracle had happened to him.


    Yvette noticed the uneasiness and nervousness in Klein''s gaze when she looked at him. Her exquisite eyebrows were furrowed, and the corners of her eyes were subtly upturned, revealing her stunning features, though her expression remained indifferent


    She said in a clear and calm voice, "One of each signature dessert and two sses of orange juice, please."


    Yvette''s words caught Klein off guard, easing his tension. Without hesitation, he ordered all the signature desserts from the waiter, along with tw sses of freshly squeezed orange juice and an iced coffee for himself


    After everything was served, Yvette seemed to be in a much better mood. She enjoyed her dessert leisurely, not urging Klein to speak Klein took a sip of his coffee, feeling much calmer afterward. He pondered for a moment


    With a serious tone, he said, "Professor Zeller, I invited you here today to thank you. If it wasn''t for you, I don''t know when I could part ways with Gael, let alone be the leader of Xander Group. It''s all thanks to you."


    Yvette continued to dig into her dessert while listening to Klein was clear that, at that moment, the signature desserts in, front of her were more important than Klein''s words.


    Yvette lifted her gaze and nced at Klein, casually saying. "He brought it upon himself by going after Vibe. I never intended to help you." Klein paused, holding his coffee cup, feeling both amused and disbelieving. Only Yvette could say such things at the moment, showing no interest in social niceties.


    However, Klein quickly realized that neither Xander Group nor he was of much importance to Yvette. Given her status and wealth, he seemed insignificant to her, Still, he would always remember her kindness-something he would never forget.


    Klein said nothing more. He watched quietly as Yvette finished one dessert after another.


    After finishing twelve desserts, Yvette looked up and signaled to the waiter in the distance. "Excuse me, could you please pack two more desserts?" she asked.


    Klein was truly amazed by Yvette''s appetite. He found it impressive how much a woman could eat. "Professor Zeller, if that''s still not enough, just pack three portions," he suggested.


    Yvette shook her head slightly and replied, "No. These are enough:


    The desserts were not for Jeremiah and the others. Earlier, while she had been enjoying her desserts, the poisonous insect king, nestled in the specially designed pouch in her pocket, had already begun to yearn restlessly for something.


    Apparently, the poisonous insect king wanted some dessert, too


    2/3

 Secrets Of MrS 584

    ?


    Klein nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out an invitation card he''d prepared earlier. He then extended it with both hands. "Professor Zeller, here''s the invitation to next year''s international Medical Competition."


    Yvette raised an eyebrow and nced casually at the invitation card on the table. The white orchid was unmistakable-it was the symbol of the International Medical Competition.


    Klein noticed Yvette was silent, so he sat up straighter. "Professor Zeller, as you know, the International Medical Competition is held every two years and is the absolute authority in our medical fieldTM


    After a pause, he added. "Although I''m now in charge of Xander Group, my passion doesn''t lie in business. Thepany can be my support, but it''s definitely not my dream."


    Klein''s lifelong dream had been to make a name for himself in the medical field. So, he was not going to abandon his profession for Xander Group.


    Yvette sat in her chair, her feet crossed, gazing at him distantly. Her defined features were marked by a cool indifference. She nonchntly replied, "So


    Klein stood up, straightened his tie, and bowed formally to Yvette. "I''d like to formally invite you to join me in the International Medical Competition. I also hope you''ll consider teaming up." he said solemnly.


    "Next year, the first two rounds require teams of at least two, and I sincerely hope you''ll join me. I assure you, I won''t hold you back," added Klein. Klein knew the chances of Yvette epting were slim, but he had to try. As a medical professional, she must have her own ambitions. Thispetition, the most authoritative in the medical industry, would undoubtedly be attractive to her, he thought.


    Meanwhile, Klein had braced himself for Yvette''s potential refusal. He would count himself fortunate if Yvette agreed, but he had also prepared himself for a negative answer.


    Klein grew even more nervous as soon as he finished speaking. Yvette''s gaze intensified his anxiety, making it hard for him to stay calm, even though he was prepared.


    Yvette raised a brow and nced wickedly at him, a yful smile on her lips. Tapping her phone with her defined fingers. she nonchntly replied, "I won''t be participating."


    Klein expected her refusal, but the disappointment was still palpable. He had no right to force her to do something she didn''t want, especially since participating was his desire in the first ce.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Klein nodded, trying to hide how disappointed he was. ''I understand, Professor Zeller. I''ll find another partner."


    Yvette got up. The attendant packed up the dessert and handed it to her. She nced at Klein, who was standing there, trying hard to hide his disappointment.


    She raised her beautiful, defined brows and half-lidded eyes. Thinking of the desserts before her, she nonchntly said, "See you in the finals of next year''s medicalpetition."


    Yvette grabbed the dessert and left the shop without a word, her departing figure exuding coldness.


    Klein stood still, lost in thought. ''What does Yvette mean by the finals? And by "see you there"? Has she already found a partner? Is that why she rejected my invitation? he wondered.


    Klein wasn''t sure if he could make it to the finals. The event brought together the world''s top medical talents. Thepetition for the top three spots was undoubtedly fierce. Hecked the confidence to make it into the top three, but he was determined.


    1/3


    9¡Á90%


    Stepping out of the dessert shop, Yvette got into the car. She adjusted her hair and put on a baseball cap, revealing only half of her exquisite and defined face, her tanned skin glowing.


    She ced the dessert in the passenger seat. The long-dormant poisonous insect king emerged from the bag, impatient to gorge on food. Its beady little eyes were fixed on the sweet treat


    Yvette took out her ck phone, nced at it, and then returned the missed call she had just received. A calm female voice answered after the call was connected.


    Yvette, you finally called back! The rules for next year''s medicalpetition are already up on the website. You have to be a judge this time. You refused the position before, and I can''t really say much else if you decline again," said the woman.


    "Mr. Walson is going to teach in Clusia for a year and can''t judge this round. If you decline, I will, as you say in Clusian, get a rope and strangle myself, added the woman after a pause.


    Yvette held the phone a little further from her ear, her eyes lowered. Her green eyes were calm and deep as she slowly said, "Yes, I''ll participate next year.


    The woman on the other end had been about to deliver a lengthy speech, trying to persuade Yvette to be a judge in the next medicalpetition. But after hearing Yvette''s reply, she abruptly stopped.


    She could hardly believe that Yvette had agreed so easily. The woman on the other end of the line was so stunned that she could barely catch her breath.


    Yvette hummedzily. The woman on the phone eximed, "Oh my God, you finally agreed! Dearest Yvette, you''re the best. There will be three chief judges and two deputy judges, and you absolutely have to be the chief judge="


    Yvette interrupted the woman''s excited speech, saying, "No. Being a deputy judge is good enough."


    The women paused for a moment, then happily epted. After all, who cared about the positions? The important thing was that she''d agreed to


    come.


    Yvette ended the call and slipped her phone into her pocket. Adjusting her cap, shezily nced at the passenger seat.


    The poisonous insect king had almost finished a dessert, its belly now round and full. Yvette''s gaze drifted to the insect''s small, beady eyes.


    The poisonous insect king had been fully engrossed in and happily munching away at its dessert when it suddenly felt something was off. It turned around and happened to meet Yvette''s gaze.


    The poisonous insect king froze, like a deer caught in headlights wondering if it was toote to y dead now. While blinking, the poisonous insect king quickly flew toward Yvette, aiming tond in her palm to y coy.


    Halfway there, the poisonous insect king paused, pping its wings. Spotting Yvette''s darkening gaze, it wisely turned around and awkwardly flew back to the passenger seat, standing at attention.


    Yvette''s voice was cold as she stepped on the gas. "Clean yourself up? she hissed.


    As if sensing her intent, the poisonous insect king began to p its wings vigorously, cleaning itself inch by inch


    Yvette floored the elerator, but she still adhered to the traffic rules, only driving at the highest speed limit. She only let loose on the final stretch of suburban road.


    It normally took an hour to drive from the city to the mansion, but Yvette made it in under thirty minutes. She''d cut her travel time in half.


    Pulling up to the mansion, Yvette hopped out of her car. The poisonous insect king flew out in a flurry of activity andnded right on her shoulder.


    2/3


    1.


    Frankie came out of the mansion just as Yvette arrived. "Yvette, you''re back!"


    Yvette nodded slightly, humming in response. She then tossed the car keys to Frankie casually. "Park it in the garage."


    Frankie took the keys with a cheerful smile. "All right, Yvette. However, this car doesn''t seem to be ours."


    With her hands in her pockets, Yvette casually replied, "Oh, I happened to be passing by the dealership, so I just bought one.

 Secrets Of MrS 585

    ?


    Jeremiah personally prepared ten dishes and set them on the dining table. They flooded the entire table with delectable fragrances, which made the room seem highly inviting


    Sienna, Bruce, Emmett, and Chris were777 seated at the dining table as Yvette had yet to return. Instead, they sat on the couch, lined up like kids in school waiting to eat.


    Sienna rested her chin on her hand. Taking a quick look at jeremiah, who was in the kitchen in an apron, she turned to look. at Bruce next to her with a hint of disdain..


    She once thought Jeremiah was the kind of man who would never set foot in a kitchen. But she never expected him to be so in his element. His actions convinced her that love had a genuinely wonderful power.


    Bruce, with his phone in his hand, paused when he saw Sienna''s disdainful nce. T''ll learn how to cook," he whispered.


    With a satisfied nod, Sienna threw herself into his arms and deliberately spoke in a high-pitched, adorable tone to tter him. "Bruce, you''re the best."


    To persuade any man to work on something, the woman had to offer a small reward. Bruce was happy toply with her request, even though he knew her cutesy behavior was a tactic.


    He tightened his arms around Sienna, and their affection left Emmett and Chris speechless. Emmett and Chris rolled their eyes, wishing to get rid of the lovey-dovey couple.


    While Sienna and Bruce were being annoyingly affectionate, Frankie followed Yvette inside after parking the car. They then came across Jeremiah, who''d just exited the kitchen and was about to remove his apron.


    Yvette raised an eyebrow at the sight of Jeremiah in his apron. She smirked yfully, with faint amusement in her eyes. She said, teasingly and frivolously. "Nice apron."


    Despite wearing an apron, Jeremiah maintained a noble and rxed air. He was a sight to behold even standing there. With, a captivating and maic voice, he asked, "Just the apron?"


    Frankie sensibly retreated to the couch. He understood he shouldn''t stay near Jeremiah and Yvette as any singleton would feel absolutely out of ce in such an atmosphere.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Yvette looked up, her clear green eyes locked on Jeremiah. With slight lift of her chin, she replied, "You''re even better."


    Jeremiah smiled softly, which entuated his chiseled features. Thanks for thepliment," he said, pursing his lips. They exchanged nces and smiled, filling the air with romance.


    Sensing the passionate atmosphere between the duo, those on the couch cast interested nces at them. They weren''t in the mood for the meal after watching this public disy of affection because the love had satisfied their hunger. They needed nothing else.


    During dinner, Yvette''s phone chimed twice due to text notifications. She took it up and nonchntly checked it before setting it down to continue eating. She clearly had no intention of responding. Seeing this, everyone else remained mute. afraid to say anything.


    After dinner, the group stayed downstairs to y poker. Yvette was instantly ruled out because it would be futile for her to join since she was guaranteed to win each game she participated in. All they had to do was just give her their winnings.


    Sitting on the couch, Jeremiah inserted a straw into the milkshake he had bought and brought it to Yvette''s lips.


    Yvette lounged on the couch, eyes downcast and preupied with her phone. She didn''t even nce up when Jeremiah brought her the milkshake, she just took a sip


    1/3


    Dec


    Jeremiah held the milkshake waiting for her to take a sip before offering it again. Soon, the entire milkshake was gone.


    When those ying poker in the living room noticed the duo, they were distracted. They couldn''t help but sigh as they realized it was another way for Jeremial to unt their love.


    When Yvene''s phone rang again, she looked at the caller ID indiferently. She stood up from the couch and nodded at Jeremiah, saying nonchntly, "I''m going to take a call."


    90%1


    Jeremiah ced the empty milkshake ss on the table, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Mm. Fancy an orange?" he asked, his tone much gentler. Yvette thought for a bit before nodding. "Yeah" She then went upstairs to receive the call, leaving Jeremiah to watch her disappearing figure with deep blue eyes.


    He then turned around and chose the most appetizing orange on the table, peeling it little by little with his well-defined. fingers.


    Meanwhile, Yvette leaned against the balcony railing to answer the phone. The faint glow of her phone illuminated her face. The hazy moonlight and brilliant stars blended with the bright lights, enveloping the deep night in tranquility.


    Under the same moonlit sky, in the presidential pce garden, Demetrius sat in a wheelchair, listening to a familiar voice on the phone. His lips were slightly curved up, and his gaze was deep. "Yvette, I miss you."


    When Yvette heard the deep voice on the other end of the line, she rested her palm on the railing, her exposed wrist glowing in the moonlight She replied indifferently. "I''ll send you the addresster. See you tomorrow." She then ended the call without further small talk.


    In the presidential pce, Demetrius stared at the now-silent phone, amusement shining through his eyes. He thought, "Yvette''s attitude hasn''t changed over the years. She still can''t be bothered to say more than necessary.


    Demetrius'' smile quickly vanished as he heard the door open behind him. He tucked the phone under the nket on hisp before turning his wheelchair around.


    Rufus, Cyrus'' butler, bowed respectfully to Demetrius from the doorway. "Mr. Becker, Mr. Becker has asked me to check with you to see if the person he mentioned is willing to meet. He''s still waiting for your response."


    Demetrius'' demeanor was frigid, and his deep eyes narrowed, making his handsome face appear more chilly. He remarked fiercely, "Tell him we''ll discuss itter. I''ll give him a firm answer within three days." After a pause, he continued. Til try to arrange everything."


    Rufus bowed his head even more after seeing Demetrius'' expression. Despite bemg in a wheelchair, Demetrius wielded immense power in the presidential pce over the years.


    He also managed his own business. Demetrius had Cyrus'' undying affection and was second to none. Nobody dared to provoke him. If not for the ident that ced him into a wheelchair, he could''ve aplished far more than he already did.


    "I understand, Mr. Becker. I''ll convey your message to him. Rest well. I''ll take my leave, Rufus said.


    Demetrius didn''t even nce at Rufus. He turned his wheelchair, while Rufus sensibly slowed his speed and exited the garden. Demetrius gazed at the moonlight, his silhouette exuding strong pride and loneliness.


    On the other end, after hanging up, Yvette returned downstairs to finish the orange Jeremiah had peeled before returning upstairs for a bath.


    Just as she was about to shut the bathroom door, a hand stopped her. Jeremiah was looking down at Yvette. From his vantage point, he could see her exquisite corbones and defined legs, which were barely visible beneath her white shirt.


    É«


    1506


    £¤390%1


    Yvette slightly raised her head, and her gaze fell on Jeremiah''s hand. Their height difference was just right. Her defined brow rose slightly, disying a mischievous and meaningful expression. She stood in a wanton, rxed posture and asked, "Why? Do you want to shower together?" Jeremiah''s body stiffened, and his blue eyes welled with a terrifying yearning. It was as if a gigantic storm vortex was about to engulf Yvette whole.

 Secrets Of MrS 586

    ?


    90%


    Jeremiah''s eyes darkened as he watched Yvette leaning casually against the doorframe. Her loose-fitting clothes and carefree demeanor exuded a teasing air. A dangerous sinile yed on his lips, and an intense flicker glinted in his eyes.


    Yvette offered a sly smile of her own, starting to close the door, but Jeremiah''s deep, gravelly voice stopped her. "So, you think you can just flirt and dash?" he teased.


    Before she could react, Jeremiah reached out, pulling her into his arms. In a swift motion, he pressed her back against the doorframe. Yvette hesitated, her fingers twitching slightly.


    Jeremiah noticed her moment of distraction, and his smile deepened. He leaned closer, his nose brushing lightly against her forehead. His hand grazed the sensitive skin behind her ear, his fingertips tingling from the warmth radiating from her.


    Their eyes met, and Yvette instinctively took a small step back. The subtle movement only seemed to fuel the intensity of Jeremiah''s gaze.


    Jeremiah looked at her. His ocean-blue eyes glittered with a mysterious light as he loomed closer. "Let''s bathe together," he murmured, his voice rich and low.


    Yvette''sshes fluttered, and her hair framed her face, its strands contrasting against her lightly tanned skin. Her wrists and ankles gleamed faintly, her slender waist so delicate it seemed breakable under his firm grip, Jeremiah''s heart thudded at the sight.


    Yvette blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment, before the murmured. "Hold me. That was all the invitation Jeremiah needed. Tightening his arms around her, he scooped her up effortlessly, is firm grip steady on her waist. As he carried her into the room, the door swung shut behind them with a thud.


    Jeremiah''s chiseled abs tapered seamlessly down to his narrow waist, his lean silhouette exuding a sculptural perfection. Every line of his physique was sharply defined, a delicate bnce of strength and grace, as if he were a sculpture.


    Through the swirling steam, their entwined figures became ghostly outlines, their shadows dancing faintly across the frosted ss. Yvette''s senses seemed to sharpen with every passing second.


    Jeremiah''s damp hair clung haphazardly to his forehead, adding a wild, untamed charm to his already striking appearance as his chest heaved with passionate intensity.


    Looking down, Jeremiah took in the sight of the alluring woman beneath him. Yvette''s flushed ears and rosy neck. shimmered faintly under the soft bathroom light. Her corbones, delicate and pronounced, stirred something deep within, Jeremiah, sending shivers down his spine.


    At midnight, Jeremiah carefully lifted Yvette out of the tub. He rapped her in a towel, his touch gentle as he dried her off. Though his desires tugged at him, he restrained himself, knowing too well that pushing further might upset her.


    Jeremiair''s half-naked frame was illuminated by the dim light.owel wrapped loosely around his wrist, he towered over her as he carried her to the bed.


    Yvette wirred, her eyes fluttering open, glinting faintly in the med glow. Her silky brown hair cascaded down her beck, and her lips parted slightly as she whispered. "Enough. I want to slee


    jeremaiah chuckled, leasing down to brush stray strand of hair cd hec eur "Are you sure you don''t want to ny benig


    mischun dit sap her gaze Her long shapes legs were


    BDC 4ht so captivating it would be newly


    rely concesfed by the oversized white shite that loose


    Wile for any man to losN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    IG-


    90%


    Seeing his confident demeanor, Yvette curled her lips into a sly smile. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay."


    Before Jeremiah could react, Yvette shifted their positions with surprising agility, straddling his thighs. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a silvery glow on their entangled forms..


    By the time the clock struck four in the morning, the two had taken another shower and finally settled into bed. Jeremiah pulled Yvette close, his hand gently stroking her damp hair. "Go to sleep." he murmured, his voice tender.


    Yvette gave a soft hum of agreement, her eyes closing as she mumbled, "Someone''sing tomorrow."


    Jeremiah''s hand paused for a moment. "Got it"


    The next morning, Emmett and the others sat at the dining table, their eyes asionally drifting toward the exchanged subtle nces, each silently wondering why the couple hadn''te down yet.


    e staircase. They


    Sienna spread strawberry jam on her bread and questioned, ¡°What''s up with Yvette and Mr. Chavez? ording to her schedule, she should''ve been back from her workout by now. Something feels off.


    Bruce handed her the milk carton, patting her head affectionately. There''s gossip."


    The other three rolled their eyes in unison. Frankie, sipping his coffee, frowned in annoyance. "Seriously, Mr. Chavez and Yvette aren''t even here. Can you two stop being so lovey-dovey? Have some mercy on us single people, would you?*


    Chris, usually quiet, surprised everyone when he suddenly spoke "I wish I could just break the two of you up," he dered tly, his tonepletely serious.


    Every head at the table swiveled toward him, shock etched on their faces. Frankie nearly choked on his coffee. ''Leave it to Chris to say something Bruce might kill him for, he thought.


    Even Emmett blinked in surprise, musing. Who knew Chris had this in him?"


    Bruce turned his calm gaze toward Chris, but the unspoken tension in his look was unmistakable. Apart from Jeremiah, Bruce was the toughest among them.


    Chris gave a nervous cough, scratching his nose. "My bad. I''ll go reflect on my mistakes now, he muttered, setting his coffee down and retreating to a


    corner.


    The others weren''t fazed, but for Sienna, it was a revtion. "I never knew Chris had such a funny side, she remarked, watching him crouched in the corner like a scolded child.


    Frankie burst intoughter, tearing into his sandwich. "This? The is nothing. Back when we were training under Mr. Chavez, Chris and I would eavesdrop whenever we got the chance, We''d ferch by the door like a couple of gargoyles, he reminisced, Hearing this, Sienna turned to Bruce, who nodded in agreement while peeling an egg. "Mr. Chavez didn''t believe in corporal punishment, so we came up with our own rules. If someone didn''t finish their missions, they had to squat in the cornes punishment


    four times A. onth Frukte was there every day. He''s


    "As far as I recall, Bruce and I did it twice. Chris averaged three pracdcally professional at it. You should ask him for tips: Epicott added with a smirk.


    Frankie prin fraze Way to throw me under the bus, Emmett, thought,


    hing was brun Jeremiah. HowT


    Ni?ngt do you th¨ºm My, Chaver viring in something normy


    bonke i at Uno existathelle ally ryokay, Frank li for


    ¡ª most ordinary people. Those who eruhreed te wete


    people can handler Frankie whispered,


    been hand with your level of fur and inelig


    comforted sincerely.


    For once, Frankie was truly speechless.

 Secrets Of MrS 587

    ?


    Chapter 587-


    While talking, Jeremiah and Yvette came down the stairs in casual matching outfits. The pair was a stunning sight, and everyone looked up to watch theme down, finding the scen pleasing to the eye.


    It wasn''t until the couple sat down that everyone snapped out of. Such stunning beauty first thing in the morning-who could handle it?


    Yvette nced over with her green eyes, her delicate and pretty features turning toward Chris sitting in the corner. She smirked. "What''s up with him?"


    After Jeremiah sat down, he started pouring orange juice for Yvette and spreading jam on toast, ignoring everyone else. It was only when she spoke that he nced at the others, including Chris, who was sitting in the corner.


    Jeremiah''s voice was much gentler than usual. "What did he say?" he asked.


    Frankie gulped and recounted what had just happened.


    After listening to Frankie, Yvette lifted her gaze slightly, sipping her orange juice. She crossed her legs andzily said, "He does deserve a timeout" Jeremiah nodded, his blue eyes deep. He said in a low voice, ¡°Let him stay there a bit longer."


    Chris instantly felt deted when he heard this, pressing his head against the wall. He had really gotten a timeout to reflect


    on his actions.


    Frankie, Bruce, Emmett, and Sienna quietly lowered their heads. Everyone could see that Jeremiah and Yvette were singing the same tune perfectly.


    After breakfast, Bruce and Sienna went on a date while Emmett dragged Chris off for physical training. Jeremiah and Yvette, went upstairs, one to work and the other to y games, leaving Frankie alone in the living room to be the odd one out,


    Frankie lounged on the couch and sipped the freshly opened wine before spitting it out disdainfully. The taste of the wine) worth 30 thousand was nothing special. Usually, it was fine, but this time, itcked richness.


    Just as Frankie was sipping his wine, the doorbell suddenly rang. He froze momentarily and wondered, ''Who could being to the mansion at this hour? Everyone has a key


    Frankie quickly got up to open the door. When he opened it, he stood there in shock and mused, "Who is this strikingly handsome man?"


    In front of the door, Demetrius sat in a wheelchair, wearing a thin white shirt. His long, pale neck was slightly exposed, and the smooth lines of his shirt emphasized his straight posture. His expression was cold, and there was a hint of aloofness in his eyes.


    Seeing Frankie standing there stunned, Demetrius spoke calmly. Hello, I''m Demetrius. I''m here to see Yvette Frankie snapped out of his daze and immediately gave Demetrius a sharp look. ''Looking for Ms. Zeller?'' he thought.


    Frankie didn''t even need to think to know the man in the wheelchair was certainly another one of Jeremiah''s love rivals. This one seemed tougher to deal with than any of the previous ones.


    Even though the man was in a wheelchair, his presence was anything but ordinary. Frankie was immediately on high alert. When it came to Yvette''s suitors and Jeremiah''s love rivals, he knew he couldn''t go easy.


    In the next moment, Frankie grinned broadly. "Oh, are you Ms. Zeller''s guest? Pleasee in. Do you need help with your wheelchair? 10:22 Fri, Dec 2/


    L+


    Demetrius, who certainly noticed Frankie''s hostility, paused brily Inat kept his usual calm demeanor. "Thanks. I can handle it myself"


    After saying this, he pressed a red button on the left side of his wheelchair and wheeled into the living room. Frankie watched Demetrius'' back as he went in, gave a little smirk, closed the door, and followed.


    Demetrius nced at the living room briefly before looking aw


    Frankie said, ¡°Just wait a moment. I''ll get Ms. Zeller and Mr. Chavez from upstairs. I have no idea what they''re so busy with all day. They''re always so lovey-dovey together. It makes a single guy like me so envious."


    He continued, ¡°I''ve already told them they should go to bed and wake up early, but they''re always upte every night.¡±


    As Frankie spoke, he observed Demetrius'' expression carefully. Seeing no change, Frankie was somewhat impressed and wondered, ''Am I not making it clear enough?


    ''Mr. Chavez''s love rival is calm! After hearing all that, he still is calm andposed. He''s definitely a tough opponent.


    Demetrius'' hand hesitated slightly on the wheelchair. Then, he looked at Frankie, his eyes cold and emotionless. "Could you please ask Yvette toe down?" Demetrius asked politely.


    Frankie awkwardly realized his move didn''t work. "Wait a moment. I''ll go call Ms. Zeller and Mr. Chavez down," he said.


    Frankie was halfway across the room when he turned back to Demetrius. Out of politeness, he asked, "Um, do you want something to drink?" -Demetrius politely replied, "No, thanks."


    Frankie nodded and quickly hurried upstairs to find Yvette and Jeremiah. On the second floor, Frankie gently knocked on the door. Jeremiah opened it. Frankie saw Yvette nestled on the couch, looking cozy under a nket.


    She was resting her chin on her hand, ying on her phone, lookingpletely at ease.


    Frankie cleared his throat and sofily said, "Mr. Chavez, there''s a guy downstairs in the living room looking for Ms. Zeller.


    Frankie lowered his voice when Yvette didn''t move, thinking she didn''t hear him. He continued, "The guy''s in a wheelchair. but he seems pretty intimidating. Honestly, he''s the coolest guy in a wheelchair I''ve ever seen."


    Yvette half-opened her eyes, her gaze deep and endless like a bottomless abyss. The corners of her lips curled into a faint. smile as light as mist. She slowly put her phone away.


    Jeremiah''s blue eyes paused momentarily before he turned expressionlessly to Yvette. Before bed yesterday, she had said. that a friend would visit today. It must be the guy in the wheelchair Frankie mentioned.


    Jeremiah turned to Yvette and said solemnly. "Your friend is here Should I go downstairs? If it''s not convenient, I won''t go."


    How could Mr. Chavez just tell Ms. Zeller that someone has arrived? Shouldn''t he handle it privately with that Demetrius. guy?'' Frankie thought when he heard Jeremiah''s words.


    Frankie wanted to give Jeremiah a standing ovation and thought Mr. Chavez is being pretentious again. This is the highest level of advancing by retreating-asking if it''s convenient. How could Ms. Zeller possibly say it''s not?


    While speaking. Yvette had already walked to the door. Her refined features were calm as she nced at Jeremiah and slowly said. "It''s rather inconvenient. I''ll go down myself.


    After that, she slowly walked downstairs, leaving Frankiepletely confused. He eximed inwardly, ''Holy crap. Ms. Zeller is being unpredictable. Shouldn''t she go with Mr. Chavez to avoid suspicion?"


    Frankie turned back to see Jeremiah watching Yvette''s retreating figure with a smile on his lips. He didn''t look upset.


    ''Mr. Chavez isn''t angry What''s going on?'' Frankie,pletely balled, wondered.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Downstairs, Demetrius sat quietly in his wheelchair, his fingers lightly resting on the armrests. The sunlight beamed through the ss, and just from his silhouette, one could feel his elegance and grace.


    When he heard Yvette''s footsteps, he turned his wheelchair around. Their eyes met in mid-air. His furrowed brows slowly rxed, and his expression softened warmly. He said, "Yvette, I''ve missed you."


    0


    1

 Secrets Of MrS 588

    ?


    Yvette slowly nced at Demetrius legs before casually walking over and cing hernd on the wheelchair. Jeremiah and Frankie,ing down from the second level, caught a clear view of this.


    Frankic eyes widened instantly, and he rubbed his eyes vigorously.


    Frankir thought. No way... I must have seen something wrong Ms. Zeller approached Demetrius on her own and even helped push his wheek hair! How many people could get such special attention from Ms. Zeller? It was likely that even Mr. Chavez hasn''t enjoyed this privilege yet, so it''s no small matter!


    rm bells went off in Frankie''s mind. This was no longer a yellow-level threat, but a red alert. This Demetrius was atidmine waiting to blow!


    He had a terrifying hunch that a true love rival for Jeremiah had appeared. Frankie stiffly turned his head to see Jeremiah looking at the two people downstairs with an inscrutable gaze.


    He wondered. Why is Mr. Chavez so quiet? Is this the calm before the storm?"


    To avoid any harm to his innocent self, Frankie bravely stuttered "U-Um... Mr. Chavez, maybe Ms. Zeller just pitied Demetrius for being in a wheelchair and decided to lend a hand. Ms. Zeller is kind-hearted; it''s her biggest strength. Mr. Chavez, you must understand and support her, okay?"


    Frankie''s concern increased when Jeremiah remained silent. ¡°Why is Mr. Chavez''s face not showing any expression? he thought, quickly taking a step back.


    "Mr. Chavez, please don''t get mad. It''s all Demetrius fault. It has nothing to do with Ms. Zeller, Frankie continued.


    Jeremiah nced at Frankie. Then, he turned around and walked toward the study, showing no intention of interacting with


    him.


    His actions left Frankie utterly confused. Where is he going? Could he be grabbing a weapon? He fretted to himself.


    Frankie followed Jeremiah into the study with a furtive, anxious expression, no longer caring about what was happening downstairs.


    "Mr. Chavez, since Ms. Zeller is friends with him, we need to outsmart Demetrius without acting rashly. To protect your rtionship with Ms. Zeller, I''ve decided to handle Demetrius discreetly. How do you think we should proceed?¡± he asked.


    A strong sense of responsibility rose inside Frankie. The important mission of dealing with Jeremiah''s love rival now fell on his shoulders.


    Jeremiah halted and turned back to look at Frankie, who had a determined ¡°do-or-die¡± expression. With an unchanged expression, he pointed at the door and said, "Turn around and leave now.


    Frankie replied, "All right, Mr. Chavez. I''ll get ready right away.


    Only then did he realize Jeremiah''s order. Awkwardly, Frankie shuffled out of the second-floor study, sneaking a nce at him before leaving, Jeremiah seemed far too calm to Frankie as if he had gone insane from anger.


    As soon as Frankie went downstairs, he was met with the sight of Yvette pouring a ss of warm water for Demetrius Frankie felt like he was about to copse.


    Who is this Demetrius? How did he have Ms. Zeller push his wheelchair and now serve him water? Frankie wondered. He decided to observe the two downstairs silently and swiftly hid in the stairwell corner.


    90%


    Yvette ced the cup of water before Demetrius with lowered lies. Then, she raised an eyebrow and nced casually toward the upstairs corner, a slight smile curling on her lips.


    Demetrius noticed the faint smile on Yvette''s face as she sat across from him. Momentarily stunned, he softened his gaze and quietly asked, "Yvette, should we invite your friend toe down?


    Yvette crossed her legs, her eyes serene, and lightly replied, "No need. He likes hanging out in corners."


    Demetrius'' gaze was warm and focused on Yvette, his sharp features full of charm. "How long do you n to stay in Mysoma this time?" he asked. Yvette nodded slightly and nonchntly answered, "Until the end of next month"


    Demetrius nodded when he heard that and continued asking, "Where do you n to go after that?"


    Yvette lifted her gaze, and her eyes sparkled. Her lips curled upwards as she slowly said, "Clusia?


    Those two sybles caused Demetrius'' face to shift slightly, his gaze bing much more intense. He seemed surprised by her n to go to Clusia. Upstairs, Frankie was crouched at the corner of the stairs, listening to the conversation between the two people. The more he listened, the more normal it sounded.


    Did I misunderstand?'' he wondered. ''So, Demetrius isn''t Mr. Chavez''s romantic rival? If his connection with Yvette were simply that of a regr friend, Frankie would be relieved.


    Just as Frankie was about to leave his position, he heard Demetrius'' deep voice say, "It''s been three years, but I was wrong


    that night. I apologize"


    Frankie''s mind buzzed. What did Demetrius mean by that? Three years? That night? Could it possibly be what I''m thinking?" he questioned inwardly. He was convinced that Demetrius must have been Yvette''s ex-boyfriend.


    This could not reach Jeremiah''s ears. Otherwise, the world would probably explode. Frankie wanted to listen more closely.


    Ovee with excitement, he tumbled and rolled down from the second floor to the first, abruptly interrupting Yvette and Demetrius'' conversation. The room fell silent.


    Yvette was lounging on the couch with her legs crossed and her chin resting on her palm, unmoving. Demetrius. expressionless in his wheelchair. Frankiey t on the carpet for quite some time, not daring to lift his head. This was the epitome of social death. "Should I just pretend that I''m dead? he wondered.


    However, he knew that n wouldn''t work, so he resigned himself and got up from the carpet. At this point, he was convinced that if he wasn''t embarrassed, no one else would be either.


    He put on a goofy smile and greeted Yvette and Demetrius, "Ms. Zeller, are you and your friend hungry? can whip up something for you. Just let me know. Don''t be shy


    Yvette tapped her foot on the ground, taking a leisurely sip of water. Her voice was low and gentle as she asked, "Are you sure you''ll be cooking for us and not poisoning us?"


    Frankie made good use of his thick skin at that moment. He plopped down next to them, grinning as if nothing had happened.


    Heughed. ¡°Well, Ms. Zeller, you guys keep chatting. I don''t have anywhere to go, so I''ll just sit here for a while. I won''t bother you, so feel free to do as you please."


    To hide his obvious intentions, he added in a fake tone, "Ms. Zeller, you were right. This big mansion doesn''t even have a 10:22 Fri, Dec 27


    1.


    decent ce to sit. All those lesign fees back then were a waste.


    Yvette and Demetrius exchanged a look. Neither of them intended to expose Frankie, so they tacitly agreed to let him sit


    there.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Demetrius sat in his wheelchair, staring nkly at Frankie. Under his gaze, Frankie felt incredibly guilty and quickly lowered his head.


    Yvette raised her eyelids slightly, resting her face on her hand. Her voice was rxed as she said, "Since you made your choice that night. I respect your decision."


    Demetrius nced at Frankie again before saying in a deep voice. "I always thought you''d be upset. I guess I was overthinking it."


    Frankie''s hand gripping the water cup trembled, and the water he had just poured nearly spilled. However, he calmed himself quickly. "Why does the conversation seem to be getting more intense?'' he eximed inwardly.


    4, 90%

 Secrets Of MrS 589

    ?


    Frankie could only hope that Jeremiah would emerge from upstairs soon. If Yvette and this man stayed alone any longer, they might start reminiscing. The future was uncertain, but memories were sure to touch the heart.


    Just as Frankie was praying fervently, Jeremials finally showed up. The ambiance in the living room shifted immediately with his entrance. Demetrius turned his wheelchair to face the stairwell.


    Snuggled on the couch. Yvette watched him descend the stairs. Her lips quirked up, and her eyes sparkled beneath her raised brows. She adjusted her posture on the couch, sying her arms out and curling up her long legs.


    Jeremiah''s eyes, as icy as a winter pond, met Demetrius, which were as stormy as an ocean. Their two gazes met halfway, and neither flinched. Jeremiah approached Demetrius'' wheelchair and stopped before him.


    Jeremiah''s expression was as calm and indifferent as a distant star, seemingly close yet unreachable. After a pause, he walked over to where Yvette was seated and gently ced a nket over her legs.


    In a husky, deep voice tinged with an alluring warmth, he said, "It''s cold. Cover up with this nket." Then, he sat beside her on the couch with an air of authority.


    Frankie quickly stepped aside, bing a mere spectator. Jeremiah didn''t need his assistance; he could deal with his rival himself. Frankie''s main responsibility was to pass the weapon to Jeremiah at this critical moment, ultimately sealing


    Demetrius'' fate.


    "At such a thrilling juncture, how could I not involve my friends mused Frankie. He quickly pulled out his phone and opened the "Happy Family" small group chat.


    Frankie typed: [The stage is set for Mr. Chavez to confront his rival, with an epic struggle for love about to unfold.


    [Ms. Zeller''s old love, undeterred by challenges, makes a dazzling entrance, stirring up old memories amid the fierce rivalry, leaving her entangled in nostalgia.


    [Hurry up and watch. This event won''t wait! Live broadcast with personal on-sitementary, Transfer 300 thousand dors now to watch!] Frankie''s message caused an explosive reaction in the group chat. It was even more sensational than the previous one from Eagle King, and within seconds, the chat was overwhelmed with responses.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    On vacation with Flying Fish, Eagle King quickly showed her his phone, clicking his tongue in disapproval. ¡°Mr. Chavez has a new rival, poor guy. Compared to Boss, I''m lucky you''re less of a concern."


    The captivatingly beautiful Flying Fish didn''t hesitate to p Eagle King. Now an A-list celebrity, the paparazzi followed her everywhere, forcing them to escape to Boss'' ind in South East Aploth to find privacy.


    Honestly, Flying Fish had never felt this exhausted, even as an assassin. She decided she would quit the entertainment industry after another six months of ying around. She still preferred the life of an assassin to that of an actress.


    Flying Fish said, "Hurry up and keep an eye on the messages in the group to see who Mr. Chavez''s love rival is this time. It''s going to be an epic showdown worth watching"


    In the Happy Family group chat, Samantha texted: [Mr. Chavez as another love rival? What creature is it this time? Can we have some decentpetition instead of bugs or minors?]


    Charles wrote: [I''ve already transferred 300 thousand dors.]


    Rodney typed: [Am I the minor you''re referring to? Samantha, that''s not fair. I may be underage, but I''m very handsome.]


    Kash replied: [Compared to Mr. Chavez, you''re really just decent at best.]


    90%!


    Sienna sent: OMG, what''s going on? We just went on a date, and how Mr. Chavez''s love rival has shown up Can I still make it back on time? Emmett texted: [Chris and I will change quickly and head back the mansion right now,


    Andrew wrote: [I''ve also transferred 300 thousand dors alreally. Hurry up. Take a photo, even if it''s just from the back. I''m begging to get a picture if nothing else.]


    On the couch, Frankie looked at his vibrating phone and grinned from ear to ear. Each buzz meant 300 thousand dors, today was his big payday,


    In the living room, Yvette was slowly peeling an orange, Jeremial was unhurriedly sipping his coffee, and Demetrius sat in his wheelchair. Only Frankie was grinning like a goofball, chuckling at his phone.


    After a while, Yvette finished peeling the orange. Then, she meticulously cleaned her elegant fingers. She looked up, eyes shining like emeralds, and leisurely introduced, "Jeremiah Chavez, my man."


    Demetrius hand trembled slightly on the wheelchair as he turned to Jeremiali. His eyes were bright and clear, and he spoke warmly. "Hello, Mr. Chavez. I am Demetrius Becker."


    Jeremiah''s sculpture-like features were cold, and his eyes slightly narrowed. The sunlight scattered on his brow added a noble and distant aura to his visage. With a cool courtesy, he nodded and said in a deep voice, "Hello, Demetrius."


    Then, the living room suddenly grew silent. None of the three were chatty, so they just stopped talking. The only sound that could be heard was Frankie typing nonstop on his phone, earning money from the group chat.


    Frankie wrote: [Latest update. The living room is a total mess right now!] After sending the message, Frankie looked up with a satisfied grin, only to see Jeremiah, Yvette, and Demetrius all staring at him.


    Shocked, Frankie quickly put away his phone and pretended to sip his coffee. However, his mind was buzzing with questions. "What''s happening now? Why hasn''t the fight started yet?'' he wondered.


    After a moment, Demetrius nced at Yvette and casually asked, Yvette, are you happy being with Jeremiah?"


    Frankie''s spirits were lifted. ''Here ites... They''re finally about to start fighting, aren''t they?'' he thought gleefully. Jeremiah''s dark, deep eyes remained calm andposed. His handsome face showed no reaction to Demetrius'' words. Yvette rested her chin on her hand, her upturned eyes reflecting a hint of rebellious charm. With a smirk, she confidently dered, "Quite happy; my man is obviously the best in the world"


    With just that statement, the three men in the living room each showed different expressions. Although Jeremiah''s expression stayed neutral, the amusement in his eyes betrayed him. Demetrius, in his wheelchair, was momentarily surprised before settling back to normal.


    Among the three, Frankie was the most excited. ''Ms. Zeller is somanding!" he thought. ''She didn''t leave her ex any room for excuses with those words!''


    Frankie quickly posted what Yvette said in the group chat, and as expected, the chat was flooded with endlesspliments


    for her.


    Demetrius adjusted his wheelchair. He frowned, and a dangerous light spread across his handsome face. With a voice so cold it sent shivers down the spine, he asked, "Jeremiah, do you truly believe you''re worthy of Yvette?" He shrugged. "Sure, being Clusia''s youngest major general is an impressive feat, but Yvette had her choice, dukes and millionaires would be at her feet. What makes you think you deserve her?"


    Frankie almost hurled his phone at Demetrius face. How could be speak about Mr. Chavez in such a disrespectful manner? he thought.


    0


    1.


    Jeremuah radiated a graceful, and charismatic aura, looking rxed and easygoing yet possessing an air of arrogance. His blue eyes sparkled, making the warm sunlight streaming through the window behind him seem dull inparison.


    "Even though the world offers countless virtues, Yvette loves only me," he said.

 Secrets Of MrS 590

    ?


    Filled with jealousy after hearing Jeremiah''s words, Frankie thought, When did Mr. Chavez start doing things like this? I must jot this memorable saying down. Who knows if it mighte in useful one day?


    After calming down, Frankie quickly posted Jeremiah''s words in the group chat. He thought, ''Since I get paid, I should give my friends a good live broadcast, right? I''m a professional, after "I


    In the Happy Family group chat, Frankie texted: [Mr. Chavez went head-to-head with Demetrius. Big news. Mr. Chavez knocked him out, saying, "Even though the world offers countle virtues, Yvette loves only me."]


    Everyone in the gr


    was quick to catch Frankie''s news. As soon as he texted, Eagle King and the others got excited again.


    Andrew wrote: [Jeremiah must''ve read the romance novel I gave him. Did he actually say that? What has he been throughtely? Oh my gosh. Give me my cold and emotionless Jeremiah back!]


    Bonnie typed: [It''s normal for him to act like this, considering Ye''s charm. Andrew, stop talking nonsense, or else no dinner for you tomorrow. Smirking emoji.]


    Samantha wrote: [Bon is so cute! Andrew definitely needs a scolding. Beat him up all you want. Don''t worry, I got your back.]


    Rodney said: [Men in love are terrifying. I don''t want to fall in love when I grow up. I can''t say something so embarrassing. Prideful emoji.]


    Empiett notified: [We''ll be there in half an hour.]


    Sienna wrote: [Was Mr. Chavez ever in a rtionship before? He''s way too good at this.].


    Andrew responded: (I swear on my honor that Jeremiah has never been in a rtionship. Girls used to chase him like crazy. but he''d scare them off with just one sentence.]


    Samantha wrote: [You have honor?]This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Eagle King chimed in: [He doesn''t.]


    Charles also chimed in: [He doesn''t.]


    The chat fell silent for a minute. Then, Andrew texted: [Aren''t we talking about Jeremiah? How did you guys end up attacking me? That''s just too much!]


    In the living room, Demetrius stared at Jeremiah on the couch. His gaze felt like a de that could cut right throught Jeremiah. Meanwhile, Jeremiah met Demetrius'' eyes without a hint of hesitation.


    Jeremiah was dressed sharply, with defined features and deep, blue eyes showing detachment and coldness. His gaze barely wavered whenever he looked at anyone except for Yvette.


    After a pause, Demetrius retracted his scrutinizing gaze, turned His wheelchair calmly, and said to Jeremiah''s face, "Let me introduce myself properly. I''m Demetrius Becker. If you ever betray Yvette or upset her, kill you myself by ripping you. up into pieces."


    "However, I''m confident you wouldn''t dare betray her. Demetriusst sentence was filled with absolute confidence as he thought, ''No man in this world could hurt Yvette.


    A mischievous smile appeared on Yvette''s face as she finished herst piece of orange. With a raised brow, she spoke nonchntly. "Enough, Deme.


    Upon hearing the word "Deme, Frankie, who was typing away about the scene in the group chat, dropped his phone onto the plush carpet. 10:22 Fri, Dec 27


    ''Damn... Deme? Did I mishear? Ms. Zeller calls Demetrius Dem So, Demetrius isn''t Mr. Chavez''s rival but Ms. Zeller''s close friend? Could this get any more dramatic? thought Frankie.


    With that, Frankie''s heightened defense mode was dismissed in less than an hour. He couldn''t help but feel somewhat disappointed.


    At the same time. Jeremiah''s hand on the armrest paused slightly, is deep gaze was like a ck hole. He was surprised that Yvette was so close to Demetrius, not to mention thetter''s identity. After all, Becker wasn''t amonst name in Mysonna


    Demetrius'' tone softened as he spoke to Yvette, his voice unusually gentle. "Yvette, take your friend on the couch outside for a moment. I want to chat with your man alone," he said.


    Frankie''s attitude did a 180-degree turn when he discovered who Demetrius was. He nodded immediately and said, ¡°Sure. I''ll go right now, Demetrius. Right away." Then, he quickly got up


    Meanwhile, Yvette slowly got up from the couch. She tilted her head and nced at Jeremiah and Demetrius with beautiful eyes. Then, she left without a word.


    Seeing that, Frankie quickly followed while muttering to himself Demetrius seems rather important to Ms. Zeller. I''ve never seen her so obedient to anyone before.


    Yvette went to a pavilion in the mansion''s front yard andy down in a chair. Frankie quickly poured her water. Then, he washed some fruits, arranged them on a te, and served them to Yvette with a huge smile.


    "Ms


    eller, Demetrius isn''t your brother, is he? Are you guys like those sworn siblings who swore to be together through thick and thin?" asked Frankie. Frankie could only guess that because there was no way Yvette and Demetrius were actual siblings with their differentst names Frankie stared at Yvette with curiosity.


    However, Yvette fiddled with her phone and lifted her gaze. With her legs crossed, she rested her chin on her hand. Under the afternoon sun, her exquisite face seemed to glow as she slowly said, "You''ve got nothing else to do?"


    Frankie nodded eagerly in response. He knew he''d be tossing and turning in bed that night if he didn''t find out why Yvette called Demetrius "Deme" that day. Moreover, he didn''t know what to tell the others in the group chat since he already epted the money.


    "Ms. Zeller, please have mercy on a curious soul like me. My curiosity is eating me alive. Just tell me. I''m begging you," begged Frankie.


    Yvette looked at Frankie, chuckled, pinched her fingers, and pressed her lips together. Her fingers tapped the table rhythmically, making Frankie''s heart race.


    Finally, Yvette slowly said, "3.6 million dors. You''re rather good at doing business."


    Frankie was instantly taken aback, and his face fell. Isn''t 3.6 million dors the exact amount I epted in the group earlier? Ms. Zeller has it down to thest penny?'' he thought as he clutched his pocket.


    ''Damn it. Which bastard in the chat said it was just an alternate ount for Ms. Zeller and Mr. Chavezst time and they didn''t use it? It''s aplete scam, thought Frankie.


    Frankie knew he had been careless, and he regretted his mistake gravely.


    ¡°Ms. Zeller, I earned this 3.6 million dors with my sharp instincts and high IQ. You wouldn''t take it away so ruthlessly. would you? I know you must not care about such a small change, right?" Frankie replied nervously.


    Yvette lifted her eyelids slightly. Her green eyes narrowed as she smiled with a hint of mischievousness, but her expression remained indifferent. Chapter 390


    Leaning back into her chair like a boss, Yvette said, "Sorry. I''m r


    Frankie froze. Hearing Yvette say she was broke, he couldn''t bel had just received was about to disappear. The pain was worse the


    Without a choice, Frankie reluctantly transferred the 3.6 million looked at Yvette while transferring the money, hoping she would


    Unfortunately, Frankie''s hope was lost when the notification of cried internally.


    1.88%


    Leaning back into her chair like a boss, Yvette said, "Sorry, I''m really broke. 3.6 million dors. You got two minutes."


    Frankie froze. Hearing Yvette kay she was broke, he couldn''t believe his ears. His heart ached as he thought the money had just received was about to disappear. The pain was worse than a breakup or any other pain in the world.


    he


    Without a choice, Frankie reluctantly transferred the 3.6 million dors to Yvette''s ount with tears in his eyes. He even looked at Yvette while transferring the money, hoping she would change her mind out of kindness.


    Unfortunately, Frankie''s hope was lost when the notification of the sessful transfer sounded. My 3.6 million dors!'' he cried internally,


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!