After hanging up, Frederick noticed the odd looks of the three people in the car."Is something on my face?" he asked in puzzlement.Scarlett's mind was reeling. How did Frederick get hold of an invitation, and one for her no less? Could he be exaggerating?That didn't make sense. Bragging would be pointless. The lie would be easily exposed later.Suddenly, she recalled the two invitations from Jenaire City for Priscilla and Vivianne. Weren't these two women both connected to Frederick?Was Priscilla's invite not due to Sirius' interest, but a favor owed to Frederick?"Did you request the invitations for Priscilla and Vivianne?"Frederick shook his head calmly. "Priscilla's was because the Monroes didn't know about our divorce. But yes, Vivianne's was through me.""Why do the Monroes respect you so much?" Scarlett questioned.Frederick explained, "When I first returned to Salmasian, I treated the head of the Monroe family, saving his life. It was through an introduction."F
After checking into the hotel, Scarlett secured four rooms at the counter. They were weary from a day of travel and decided to eat before retiring.They found a private dining room, where Tyger and Jacob, grateful for Frederick's role in the auction, gave him a toast. Under the warm hospitality of the two, Frederick had no choice but to accompany them continuously.Midway through the meal, Scarlett felt tired and said she would go back to her room to rest first."I'll head back to freshen up. Don't keep me waiting, darling," she said with a playful smile toward Frederick before leaving. Frederick merely shook his head, well-accustomed to her teasing.Tyger and Jacob exchanged a knowing glance. Their initial plan to use Scarlett's charm on Frederick had evolved. They saw potential in this unlikely pair.Both men were aging, and their days protecting Scarlett were numbered. They sought vengeance for Drake and a secure future for Scarlett, whom they cherished.But what about t
Frederick's eyes lingered on Scarlett's figure, drawn to the vibrant red of her dress. Her crossed legs and the play of emotions across her face held him captive.He felt a simple "thank you" was enough, but her actions seemed like such a grand gesture.Noticing Frederick's lingering gaze, Scarlett broke into a laugh."'Hehehe, what sweet nothings are you dreaming up, my darling? I just came to say thank you." Scarlett teased him.He almost choked. "All this to say thanks?"Fredrick couldn't help but question Scarlett's peculiar way of showing appreciation. Was her seductive attire and late-night visiting really meant as a simple "thank you"? Couldn't she have found a more appropriate time and way to convey her appreciation?"Scarlett giggled. "Indeed, it's just to say thank you. What else did you think?"Frederick was embarrassed as he stammered, "I thought you were going to, well, just say thanks too."Noticing his discomfort, Scarlett decided to ease up. "Honestly, I did com
Frederick's large hand rested gently on Scarlett's shoulder and guided Scarlett's strap back into place. He felt a slight tremor run through her as she closed her eyes.Scarlett opened her eyes, a flicker of disbelief in his actions. "Don't you find me attractive? Don't you want to secure my help with the significant figure?"Frederick's smile was soft as he shook his head. "I'll never take advantage of someone when they're vulnerable. But I understand your desperation, and I will help you treat this person."He had no interest in bartering favors with intimacy. However, Scarlett's willingness to do anything to investigate her father's death resonated with him deeply.He felt the same way; if it could reveal the cause of his father's death, he would sacrifice anything, even his life.Scarlett's surprise was evident. "You'll help me... without asking for anything in return?"Frederick simply nodded.A wave of warmth washed over Scarlett as she admired Frederick's integrity.Hi
Frederick couldn't help but wonder how much Scarlett liked the color red, as even her two most intimate pieces of clothing were red.He then vigorously shook his head, casting aside his messy thoughts. He decided first to address Scarlett's poisoning.He returned to the waterbed. Feeling Frederick's return, Scarlett clung to him desperately as if she were someone parched in the desert suddenly encountering an oasis.She wrapped her arms tightly around Frederick's neck and clung to his waist as if fearing he would leave.Frederick gently took Scarlett's right hand, checking her pulse. It confirmed his suspicions; the weakening agent was present, though its effects were masked by the potent aphrodisiac, the Sultry Sizzle.He swiftly retrieved his silver needles, preparing to first neutralize the toxin from the weakening agent.It was insidious and could cause significant harm if left untreated, especially for someone with martial arts skills. Once that was neutralized, he could f
Frederick listened to Scarlett in bewilderment. "I didn't do anything to you!"Scarlett's playful smirk didn't waver. "You kissed me, hugged me, and looked at my body… Isn't there something you're forgetting?"Frederick fell silent. He couldn't deny there was an unspoken obligation after his actions. However, he had done all that to save her from poison!Suddenly, Scarlett's face turned serious. "Darling, someone poisoned us the moment we arrived in Stanva City. The hotel staff assured me the sandalwood incense was standard in this deluxe room. This must be connected to the hotel itself. Can you think of anyone who would do this?"Frederick's mind raced at her words. One name surfaced—Clifford. He was a powerful figure in the Monroe family, who were known for their dominance in Stanva City's hotel industry.Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the air. Frederick and Scarlett exchanged a knowing glance as they were aware that was unmistakably Tyger's voice."Damn it!" a fu
Scarlett's spirit sank at Clifford's words. She preferred death over enduring his humiliation."Just kill me," she said.Clifford licked his lips at her words. "Kill you? Never. I want you to beg for death—to scream and writhe in despair while my men and I savor every inch of you."The dozen henchmen Clifford brought leered at Scarlett, their eyes full of vile intentions. Clifford had a reputation for twisted cruelty and forcing himself upon women with his gang when he couldn't have them willingly. They'd never seen a beauty like Scarlett.Scarlett felt sickened at Clifford's approach. Could the world truly hold such depravity?Clifford was unable to restrain himself any longer and he reached toward Scarlett's bath towel. "Hey wench, let's first display your body for everyone to see."Just as Clifford's hand reached for Scarlett's towel, ready to strip her bare in front of his men, Frederick lashed out, knocking his hand away."Don't you have the slightest effect of the weaken
Just as expected, Clifford's gratitude was short-lived. The moment he was free, his arrogance returned."Haha, you brat! Did you really believe my pleas? You dared seize my vitals and stop me from having my way with this woman... I'll break your bones and then humiliate her right in front of you!"Clifford took a deep breath, then threw a fierce punch toward Frederick.Frederick stood motionless, seemingly resigned to the blow.Scarlett couldn't believe what she was seeing. What was Frederick doing? Even Tyger, far stronger than Clifford, would be grievously wounded by such a direct hit.With a cruel grin, Clifford's fist was about to slam into Frederick's chest!Suddenly, Clifford felt a surge of blood rushing to his chest and then violently spat out a mouthful of blood. He fell to his knees, gasping heavily and staring at Frederick in terror.Frederick smiled faintly. "Didn't I warn you? Don't try to cross me.""What... What did you do?" Clifford choked out weakly.Frederick
Mary's case was the most severe, while Ivan's symptoms were the mildest, and Frederick could roughly deduce the sequence of transmissions among them. It was clear that Mary infected Nigel, who then passed it to Kimberly, then finally passed it to Ivan. Frederick also saw that Ivan was actually a decent person who unfortunately ended up being betrayed and infected. However, Nigel was primarily worried that Ivan might start trusting Frederick, as he wanted Ivan to believe in his capabilities to carry out his plan.Originally, he intended for Mary to insult Frederick for being poor and unskilled, but she ended up attacking him for having an unpleasant odor, which backfired when Frederick exposed her for contracting syphilis. Now, Nigel had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, he then said to Frederick, "Hehe, Frederick. We all know Ivy is a director, what exactly do you do to be worthy of her?"Nigel assumed that Frederick was just a low-level salesperson, something
Hearing Frederick's words, Kimberly jumped with joy and stopped crying. While wiping her tears, she pointed at Mary, laughing and said, "You're covered in syphilis, yet you're making fun of me.""Slut, I wonder how many people you've slept with!" After being pointed and insulted, Mary was furious and she was ready to fight Kimberly. "You bitch! I am going to teach you a lesson!" At this moment, Nigel felt terrible. If Mary was diseased, he'd be the first victim. He grabbed Mary and shouted, "Bitch, let me teach you a lesson first. Now I know why you always wanted the lights off! I thought you were shy, but you just didn't want me to find out."In a fit of anger, Nigel slapped Mary hard across the face. Just as Mary was about to explain, she was interrupted by another slap. Holding her face, she yelled angrily, "Nigel, how dare you hit me?! Do you want me to expose all your little schemes and tricks?"Nigel froze in horror; if Mary exposed him, it would have been disastrous.
Kimberly heard her laughter, and body odor had always been a sensitive issue for her; a wound she'd tried to cover up over the years. For Frederick to bring it up in front of everyone felt like rubbing salt into an open wound. Yet what hurt even more was Mary's laughter; as a fellow woman, it felt like salt to the wound, then roasting it. Kimberly was furious, pointed at Mary and said, "What are you laughing at? Do you want me to come over there and shut you up?"Mary felt wronged, she had only let out a reflexive laugh, but now Kimberly's anger was directed at her. "Did I laugh at you? What proof do you have that I laughed at you?""You're the one with body odor, yet you're taking it out on others. You're such an unreasonable woman!"Kimberly grew even angrier after hearing Mary's retort. "You're the one with body odor, your whole family has it!" "Look at what you're wearing, it's like you just threw on two pillowcases. You're a shameless woman, just trying to show off t
When everyone heard Ivy's words, they laughed even more. Her words effectively confirmed that Frederick did indeed have an unpleasant odor. It wasn't entirely her fault as Kimberly's words had been a bit of a trap. "Haha, if you smell, just take a shower and don't embarrass yourself here.""With all that cheap stuff on, no wonder he has a smell."Hearing this, Frederick simply gave a slight smile and then asked Mary and Kimberly, "Are two really that fragrant?"Mary and Kimberly lifted their heads proudly after hearing Frederick's words. "Why don't you ask everyone here, ask them if we smell good or not?""Exactly, go ahead and ask."Both of them considered themselves beautiful, and of course, they would smell pleasant. The men around them quickly chimed in, especially those eager to admire Mary, who was dressed in a way that gave them a bit of eye candy. "Of course, they smell good. How could these two beautiful ladies not smell good?""Hehe, Frederick with his cheap, th
In a hidden corner, Nigel said to Mary, "Damn it, that bumpkin Frederick keeps stealing my spotlight. I am worried that our plan won't go well later.""You should help me humiliate him properly, and Ivan's girlfriend will back you up."Mary pursed her lips and said to Nigel, "Every time something comes up, you just ask me to handle it. My bag hasn't been bought yet, and you've lost 300 thousand dollars"Although Nigel was annoyed by Mary hitting a sore spot, he kept his tone calm and replied, "Help me humiliate Frederick and talk him down in front of Ivan. After that, leave the rest to me. Once it's done, I'll get you more than one bag, I could get you ten bags and it wouldn't be a problem. I don't care about that small amount of money. You saw that Porsche just now, right? I wouldn't mind burning it if I had to." Hearing this, Mary was delighted and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, babe." She hadn't realized that Nigel was so wealthy and even had a Porsche. Up until th
Knowing Martin as someone who knew a lot about wood, everyone immediately looked as though they were ready for a good show. They were convinced that the Saint George statue couldn’t possibly be made of anything valuable.Martin let out a strange exclamation. "What the hell!"Kimberly, thinking that Martin was angry, quickly said, "Mr. Lawson, tell us what’s so disastrous about this wood. Are you saying it’s just a piece of junk?"Contrary to expectations, Martin replied angrily, "I’m saying that whoever preserved this Saint George statue was a jerk. This is genuine sandalwood, and yet it’s completely neglected, covered in dust."Most of the group had no idea what sandalwood was worth, but judging by the name alone, it sounded impressive.Kimberly asked curiously, "Mr. Lawson, are you saying this is really antique wood?"Martin examined the statue carefully, scrutinizing every detail. "Judging by the texture, this carving must have been made at least 150 years ago."Everyone was
"The Saint George statue was indeed a fitting choice for a karaoke." Nigel chuckled, turning to Ivy.“Why didn’t you just go on Amazon and buy a new one for a few dozen bucks? This one is obviously second-hand. Or was it picked up from some junk stall?”Frederick heard Nigel’s mockery and nodded in agreement, a faint smile on his lips. “You’re not wrong. This statue actually was picked up from a street stall.”“At the Treasure Hall in the antique trade market, no less. And yes, it’s an antique.”The truth was, the statue was from the Victorian era. Even the owner of Treasure Hall, Dominic, had recognized its age but dismissed it as worthless, tossing it onto a stall outside.Frederick had picked it up casually, thinking it would come in handy one day, and now it was the perfect gift for Ivan.Hearing this, Nigel burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. “An antique? Treasure Hall? You’re really trying to fool us.”Kimberly chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she glance
The group’s attention was fully captured by Frederick’s words, their eyes all on him. Nigel, knowing that Kimberly had informed Ivy at the last minute and that she likely didn’t have a gift, sneered at Frederick."Well, if you’ve got a gift, go ahead and show it.""Considering Ivy and Kimberly’s relationship, the gift should be pretty decent, right?"Everyone was now staring at Frederick with anticipation, curious to see what kind of gift he could produce.Ivy, on the other hand, was completely flustered. She hadn’t handed any gift to Frederick, though she understood he was trying to help her out of a tough spot. But wasn’t this making things even more awkward?Nigel continued to press him, "Where’s the gift? Come on, take it out already.""After all this time, you still can’t take it out. Don’t tell me you don’t even have one."Frederick glanced at Nigel with a calm smile. "Oh? Are you planning to bet 300 grand with me again?"Nigel froze. There was no way he had another 300 t
Ivan was deeply moved, feeling as though all the unpleasantness from their school days had been swept away. A sense of childhood nostalgia, unique to old classmates, welled up within him.The crowd continued to shower Nigel with praise, giving him thumbs up one after another."A gift worth 10 grand is no small amount. Nigel is truly generous.""That’s right. These days, even classmates hesitate to prepare gifts, but Nigel has shown such generosity.."Most of the attendees had come because of their connection with Kimberly. Each had prepared gifts with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars. Compared to Nigel’s grandiose gift worth 10 thousand, their contributions paled in comparison.Hearing the compliments, Nigel waved his hand dismissively, feigning modesty. "It’s nothing, really. After all, Ivan and I are good friends from way back."Then, Nigel’s expression shifted slightly as he added, "Speaking of good friends, I’m sure it’s not just me and Ivan here who share a special b