"I do apologize for the state of my car, Ms. Lewis. I'm sure you're used to more luxurious forms of transport." Orson joked. "That's an exaggeration." Grace smiled slightly and got into the backseat. "Civil servants work hard to serve the people. You have to run around in all circumstances." The phone in her hand rang at that moment. It was Xander. She turned it to vibrate mode and did not pick it up. Orson scrutinized her in the rearview mirror. She had the kind of face that would suit all kinds of styles. She could be flirtatious but also innocent. Even while she had her head lowered to look at her phone, she was extraordinarily attractive. Grace seemed to sense his eyes on her. She smiled. "Am I good-looking, Mr. Lexington?" Her forthrightness surprised him, and he looked away hastily. "When I look at a woman, I don't care about whether or not she's beautiful. All I care about is whether or not she broke the law. "Mr. Baxter asked you to put in a good word for hi
Grace pressed herself against the door, feeling as if she had escaped a huge ordeal. She hurriedly turned on her phone to call Luke. At that moment, she heard the voice outside ask, "Have you investigated the underground bank that Aether's CEO is running?" It was probably Chester Hyde speaking. "We're still investigating. The procedures required at all the major banks are complicated, and it's much easier to get a loan from an underground bank. "They're just on the border with an interest rate of 3.9, so it's not illegal. It will be difficult to convict them." Chester was displeased. "Recently, there have been three companies that were driven to bankruptcy because they borrowed from the underground bank and were unable to pay. "As a result, there have been many cases of people jumping off buildings to commit suicide. Can you say for sure that he hasn't done anything wrong?" "One of Amirate's directors was imprisoned for getting a private loan to invest in real estate. The
Grace ran, panting heavily, and only stopped when she reached the road. Shawn wasn't panting much. "Is there a ghost chasing you?" "It's something more frightening than a ghost." Grace leaned against a tree by the roadside. She cursed Jake inwardly. "What were you doing at the municipal bureau?" Shawn's expression did not change as he waved his packet of documents. "I haven't completed the procedures for the tea house yet." "How's business?" "Good."Grace looked annoyed. "Why are you lying?" "What?" Shawn looked nervous. He was very concerned about her question. "When I passed the tea house on the first day of the new year, it was practically empty. Your business isn't doing well at all."They hadn't met for some time. Now that they were talking face-to-face, Grace felt rather uncomfortable. Shawn laughed. "Since you were passing, why didn't you come in? The tea house needs your social influence to attract customers." Grace knew that he was joking, and she relaxed s
"He had an appointment with Mr. Morris, who was sent home this morning completely drunk. Since both of them were drinking, he probably wasn't here."Grace gripped Xander's hand tightly. "What if they ordered someone to do it?" The latter pinched her hand comfortingly. "We need to check the security camera footage." That would take time. Grace was very anxious. She suddenly thought of something and called Angus. "Officer Boone, is Reina being released tomorrow?" "According to procedure, yes."She had been imprisoned for a while, but there was insufficient evidence to sentence her. Grace was about to speak again, but Angus said in a somewhat embarrassed voice, "She was released on bail tonight." "What?" "The money was paid, and it was just a couple hours' difference. They won't be too strict about that."Grace was thunderstruck. "Who was it?""That is confidential.""Was it a Hawkins?" Angus was silent for about two seconds. "No."Grace hung up at once and looked at X
Xander didn't respond immediately, so Grace turned to look at Hazel. As his most capable assistant, she must know.Xander had just ended a meeting before heading to the residential building. Since he had been busy all day, he didn't look good and seemed tired.Just as Hazel was about to answer, Xander interrupted, "The project they've taken involved allegations of unfair competition. If Hawkins Group falls, Benjamin can't escape blame."Grace didn't understand all of it but still nodded.At this moment, Hestia came and took Grace by the hand to lead her upstairs. "I've prepared a warm bath for you. Take a bath first to refresh yourself. Look at how dirty you are now.""How can you be the one to prepare the bath for me?" Grace exclaimed, only then realizing how dirty she was.Helping her take off her coat, Hestia pushed her into the bathroom. "I'm your godmother—your mother in a sense. What's wrong with a mother preparing a bath for her daughter?"Grace immediately relaxed upon h
Hazel was shocked."So, Benjamin is confident because he's not afraid of being investigated."Xander speculated that there was a high likelihood that Benjamin was using Grace as a shield. "This isn't the only issue with Hawkins Group. It depends on the direction of Dexter's investigation."…Taking a bath had indeed helped Grace relax. Soon, she felt somewhat drowsy. She heard someone approaching from behind and massaging her temples gently, easing her tension.She thought Hestia hadn't left yet. "You don't need to do this, Aunt Hestia."There was a muffled chuckle from above. It sounded like a man's. Grace immediately turned around, pushing away the man's hand. "Who are you?"Xander's eyes sparkled with a smile. "You're so vigilant, even at home. You're quite cautious."So, it was him.Grace breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back in her original position. "Why didn't you make any noise?"She faced away from Xander, concealing her nervousness.Perhaps being cautious around
After the New Year, there was an upheaval in Pamore, with significant changes in both the government and business sectors.Many of the ladies in the upper-class social circle had changed as well. Those who gathered for poker and afternoon tea were mostly unfamiliar faces.That day marked Susan's first gathering in Pamore since her return. She hosted the event in the garden at Hawkins Manor, and many wealthy ladies attended."Oh, I knew Benjamin was a good kid. He wouldn't really keep you from coming back. By the way, here's some fabric I specially got for you. It's perfect for making a dress."The person speaking was the wife of Pamore's largest fabric merchant. The fabric she was holding was embroidered with gold thread, making it look quite valuable.Susan couldn't take her eyes off the fabric as she took it. She said, "Oh, you didn't have to.""You look better after being out there for a while. Benjamin is a good son to you, and your daughter is beautiful. "I saw a news repo
"But what?""Mr. Victor is an expert in this field. Can we ask him to—"Before Luke could finish his sentence, Grace interrupted, "No.""Victor's job doesn't allow him to repeatedly break the rules, and I don't want to cause him trouble." At this point, Grace couldn't help but feel a little regretful that she hadn't found the hacking expert Victor had mentioned. Otherwise, she might have been able to ask for their help."Let's think of another way. Also, keep a close eye on the Hawkins family."Luke agreed.After that, Grace contacted Zoey and asked her to help boost Celia's popularity. After hearing Grace's intention, Zoey chuckled. "Have you told Lydia about this?""I've already reached out to you, so of course, I've told her. She doesn't mind. In fact, she's a bit excited."Zoey laughed. "Excited? Her boyfriend is rumored to be dating another woman, and she's excited?"Grace also found it strange. Yet, she understood Lydia well and could guess the reason. "I suppose her b