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
In truth, Blossoms Teahouse wasn't remote. It was located in the city center.Joshua's secretary had reported it as remote since there were very few customers there/ Sometimes, the teahouse would have less than five customers.Without the bustling excitement from the opening or the marketing with the help of an internet celebrity, everything had returned to a tranquil state. The teahouse looked isolated, even in the city center.To the west of the teahouse, there was an artificial lake in sight nearby. It was sunset, and the setting sun dyed most of the scenery red.Xander had just finished meeting with clients and was standing by the window. Spencer came in to tidy up the tea set. "Mr. Fulton, would you like more tea?"Turning around, Xander studied Spencer from head to toe. "What's your name?""Just call me Spencer." Spencer looked righteous, and his eyes were sharp."You don't look like someone who works with tea leaves. How are you doing this?"Lowering his head, Spencer co
Shawn didn't give a direct answer. "Actually, you don't need to report your work to me, Mr. Fulton."Xander ignored the comment and watched the fish fight for food. "Hawkins Group was investigated after the New Year. This deputy director is worried about being implicated in the matter, so he came to surrender to me."Shawn looked at Xander. "Do you mean to say that surrendering makes up for the lives that were changed?""Mr. Hawkins is a good man. He provided a considerable amount of compensation, enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."Shawn remained unmoved, snorting. "Is that so?"Suddenly, Xander chuckled. "You're quite righteous, Mr. Griffin. You don't seem to like enterprises like Hawkins Group.""I hate any enterprise that doesn't value human life," Shawn replied."Then, you must hope for Hawkins Group to fall."Sensing Xander probing, Shawn relaxed slightly. "These are the things you should do, and they have nothing to do with me.""I was ju
Grace was having secrets now. Xander smiled, not taking it to heart.Before they returned to Summitview Manor, Grace went to a restaurant to get Hestia's favorite dishes. While waiting, Xander said, "You don't have to go to such trouble. She can order whatever she wants.""It's different. I just want to treat Aunt Hestia well. She'll be happy too."Xander rested a large hand on her waist, tapping lightly as he spoke. "Are you treating her well as her goddaughter or her future daughter-in-law?"Grace was already immune to his teasing. "Her goddaughter.""Don't you have confidence in your status as her future daughter-in-law?""That's your problem." Grace turned and lifted his chin slightly with a hint of seduction. "It depends on your sincerity and the wedding gifts you're offering."Grace was already charming. When she put on a seductive look deliberately, she captivated him without fail. Xander caught her withdrawing hand. "I'll give you whatever you want."There was a stron
Each of them was sitting in front of a laptop, wearing headphones, and typing away. They were fully focused.Shawn nodded and called Spencer over. "Stay here. Serve the guests well.""I said no need. Are you deaf? Get out!" The person yelling was an irritable man with a stubble.Shawn remained calm. "This is our teahouse's etiquette. You can have no orders, but we must still serve you.""You really don't understand plain language. I told you we don't need your service. Get out!"The man's patience was running out. He stood up and pushed Shawn and Spencer out. Just as he was about to close the door, Shawn suddenly pushed him back, swiftly and concisely pinning him down on the couch. "Spencer! Unplug their laptops!"The man cursed out, "Fuck!"However, the others were not pushovers. They quickly got up, closed their laptops, and stopped Spencer. "Turns out there are actually hidden talents in such a small teahouse."After saying that, they all smashed their teacups and started
Though they were involved in shady dealings, they would rather get injured than lose their freedom."Officer, it was just a minor scuffle. You've misunderstood us!" The stubbled man released Shawn, raising his hands."A scuffle? With bloodshed? It looks more like a brawl to me!" Grace couldn't help but feel alarmed upon seeing blood on Shawn's hands.She didn't dare to get too close, fearing that the men would recognize that the gun in her hands was fake. Her palms were sweaty.She pursed her lips and said, "Get out of there and stand in a line!"The men hesitated. However, as they were wary of the gun, they reluctantly stepped out and stood in a crooked line.Inside the private room, Spencer rushed to help Shawn up. "Are you alright, Mr. Griffin?"Grace quickly approached them. While keeping the gun aimed at the men, she asked Shawn, "What happened?"Frowning, Shawn casually wiped the blood on him with some tissue paper. "Wiretapping."Seeing the laptops and headphones on the
They had set up bugs in Xander's private room in advance to listen to his conversations, but they hadn't expected Shawn to be so keen. He had discovered the bugs so quickly! They confessed to the illegal surveillance but insisted they had done it of their own accord. They claimed that they had been tempted by greed and had wanted to steal valuable business intelligence for money. Xander shrugged it off. "We were just chatting about mundane things. It wasn't anything sensitive." This case alarmed Howard, not only because of Xander's prominent status but also because it involved another high-ranking individual, Isaac Wilde from the Internal Revenue Service. They shook hands and teased him, saying, "Howard, this is your jurisdiction. It seems quite dangerous that even conversations with friends can be eavesdropped on." Howard was embarrassed and quickly apologized. "I'll strengthen control measures."However, private conversations between an Internal Revenue Service officer and