Melanie sat on the backseat, looking at Gabriel collapsing at the entrance and subsequently forcing himself to his feet. She was torn between wanting to laugh and being shocked speechless.She and her driver stepped out of the car to help Gabriel up. He looked back to see Jefford standing at the door with his legs crossed, looking like a bystander watching the fun. Gabriel quickly looked away.A loser had no right to say anything. He turned to walk to the car, but Melanie stopped in her tracks. She could see through Jefford’s pretense in one look.She smirked and walked straight up to Jefford. “Mr. Yancey, you’re very fit, aren’t you?”“Hmm.”Jeffrey held his chin up, looking as though victory was naturally his.“Seems like you aren’t really ill. In that case, let’s forget about our needle therapy sessions,” Melanie said.Jeffrey stood up and said anxiously, “Don’t. The needle therapy sessions are good to have.” Melanie smirked as she glanced swiftly at his leg. “Fine. In that
“Because I miss you.”Jeffrey delivered the excuse he prepared beforehand. “I want to see you, but not at my house since there are too many restrictions. It’s a better idea to go to your place instead.”Melanie’s brows furrowed. “I’ll reply to you after discussing this with the professor, but don’t forget my request.”“It’s a deal.”After hanging up, Jeffrey shut his eyes, thinking back on the videos and photos that William sent him.Little Ermin was already six months old. Yet as his father, Jeffrey had never seen him in person. Each time after he secretly looked at all the photos of Ermin, the first thing he would do was to carefully delete them all, despite his heartache.He wanted to go to the research base to see Ermin.-“The Yanceys have indeed supported the research base over the years. It’s not out of the question to allow Jefford into the research base.”To Melanie’s surprise, to Professor Turner wasn’t opposed to Jefford’s request.“But Jefford has just returned
It wasn’t difficult to spot Jefford. Despite being in a quiet corner, his towering figure made it easy for Melanie to find him very quickly. He was surrounded by people exchanging pleasantries with him, and they were all talking and laughing.How could he be so unaffected by it? She suddenly admired him for not being bothered by his fiancée being intimate with another man, and by the opinions of others.While she was immersed in her own thoughts, Jefford’s fiancée suddenly turned back and looked straight into Melanie’s eyes. Melanie didn’t try to cover up the fact that she was looking at her, and nodded with a smile.Cheryl said something to the man by her side before walking over to Melanie. “Nice to see you here too, Dr. Jones.”“Yes,” Melanie said with a smile, not knowing what Cheryl’s name was.“Seems like that brother of mine treats you differently,” Cheryl teased.“What?” Melanie gasped in shock. At that moment, something clicked in her mind.“I'm referring to Jefford
“Ugh,” the man who caught Melanie from a height groaned in pain.Melanie jumped swiftly from his arms, stood up and straight, and asked, “Are you alright?”Before she landed in his arms, she saw him lunging toward her just so he could be in time to catch her…Jeffrey shook his head. “You’re a little too heavy. Had I known this would happen, I would have prepared a ladder for you!”To think that she had been worried about him twisting his ankle! Melanie pursed her lips, and went straight to business. “I placed a caution sign outside the washroom, and it can probably buy us 20 minutes. Where does the child stay?”“Just follow me.”Jefford walked briskly in front of Melanie, leading the way.He had just started gaining his footing in the Yanceys, and was still limited in the number of people he could deploy. It took him some time and effort to shake off the spies that Linda planted by his side tonight.What’s more, Linda kept a close watch on that child. They only had a narrow t
The boy furrowed his brows, thinking hard for a while before saying with hesitation, “That…that…pretty! Lady!”Melanie heaved a sigh of relief.She had been so anxious she forgot that the boy had the mental age of a three to four-year-old child. She rephrased her question, and asked, “How does the pretty lady look? Does she have long hair?”“Yes!”The boy reached out, and gently combed her fringe to one side. “Just like this! Pretty lady! Huge eyes!”Linda Yancey! Linda’s face instinctively popped up in Melanie’s mind. She always wore her hair in such a fashion.In other words, when this boy used to stay in Harlow’s house, Linda used to secretly visit him…There were no doubts about it: Linda was the boy’s biological mother. Why did she not take him with her after so many years? She clearly knew that Harlow was abusing him…“Someone’s here!” Jefford whispered anxiously from outside.Melanie knew she could no longer delay her departure. She stood up, and said in a hurry, “I’v
Jeffrey couldn’t bear to reject Melanie, especially with the tears in her eyes, even though she was clearly acting rashly.“Come with me!” He turned around and walked in another direction, while Melanie brisk-walked behind him.Along the way, he asked, “What exactly happened? Tell me. For all you know, I might just be able to help.”Melanie swallowed past her constricted throat.This was the Yanceys’ residence, where Jefford was more familiar with. What’s more, Jefford didn’t have any motivation to hurt Gabriel. He was expecting her and the owner of Windborough Estate to support him.With that thought in mind, Melanie no longer needed to struggle with her decision. She immediately told him about Gabriel’s disappearance“Where do you think that person will lead Gabriel to? Which corner is the most secretive?” Melanie panted as she continued brisk-walking.“I know there’s a small building in Grandma’s backyard where the gardener used to stay in. It has been left empty recently,
“I choose Gabriel!” Melanie screamed, just when Harlow yelled out the final number.“Ha, ha, ha!” Harlow smiled wickedly. “Turns out that he’s your new lover!”Melanie was in great pain. She bit her tongue when she yelled out her answer. The taste of blood spread in her mouth, but she wasn’t sure if the pain she was feeling came from her tongue or her heart.She pursed her lips, trying to keep her emotions under control. She started negotiating with Harlow, “Keep your word, and let Gabriel go!”“Of course, I will! Let him go!”Harlow instructed his bodyguards, and two of them who were restraining Gabriel released him. Gabriel immediately turned and headed downstairs. The Frost bodyguards rushed over to where the flames weren’t so intense, and escorted Gabriel out.Harlow waved his gun before his face, and sneered, “Mr. Yancey, to think that I managed to witness your failure! Your failure in winning over a woman!”He turned to look at Melanie, and said mockingly, “Since you’ve ma
Harlow paused for a moment before sneering, “I almost fell for your trap! He’s the son of the Yancey family, while you are someone I have plenty of opportunities to deal with in the future!”Melanie’s brows furrowed.It seemed more and more that Harlow wasn’t just going crazy and killing people to vent his anger. Jefford’s status mattered to him, but was he doing this to help Linda or cause her trouble? Melanie couldn’t figure it out just yet.Harlow signaled for his bodyguards to take Jefford away with a wave of his hand.Seeing that her efforts had been in vain thus far, Melanie decided to take a step back and try again, “I’ll go with him!”Harlow’s eyes widened as he looked at Jefford with feigned surprise, “Tsk, tsk. So he’s your new lover instead!”Melanie ignored his mocking remark. “My choice hurt him, so I have to bear the responsibility of whatever happens to him. I want to go with him!”Melanie continued walking cautiously in small steps toward them as she spoke.Harl