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
Shawn raised his hand to shield his eyes and slumped down lazily as they spoke of the past."It's all in the past; I don't care anymore. Howard, why do you care so much?" Howard scrutinized him. The lively young man from the past had grown into a mature person. It was rare to catch a glimpse of his former self. Howard sighed. "I regret how it turned out for you. Back then, you were the most daring and promising member of the team. Look at you now. Angus, who came after you, has become a captain. And you—" Shawn was tired of listening to his nagging and stood up. "Enough, Howard. Look at me now. Am I not doing fine? I can eat and drink. I'm not any worse off than before." Howard hesitated, unable to continue. Shawn left the chief's office and walked down the long corridor. He noticed officers returning from duty, their bodies dirty but filled with vigor and vitality. He stood in the corridor and watched them for a while. Howard's words ran through his mind, and his expres
"Get in." Xander's voice was heavy. Hazel hesitated for a moment, unsure if he was talking to her. "Mr. Fulton?" "Gracie," Xander ordered. He rarely called her "Gracie" anymore. It seemed that he was genuinely angry. "Do you hear anyone speaking?" Grace asked the driver next to her. The driver was already sweating profusely and couldn't muster a smile. "Ms. Lewis, it's Mr. Fulton." "Then, just pretend you didn't hear him. He always likes to turn a blind eye anyway, so let him have his way." Grace fastened her seatbelt. Xander's gaze was sharp as he stared straight at Grace. "I forgot to tell Chief Donegan that he should just give Ms. Lewis a medal for bravery. She's always so eager to help." His words were laced with sarcasm and mockery. Grace stiffened her neck and replied, "He was injured. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I'm not as heartless as some people." "I've never seen anyone die from a cut." Grace mumbled, "You're so petty to get angry over this
Grace got out of the car and headed straight to the office. She had received a message while she had been waiting for Xander at the station. It had been from Jake. "I'm waiting for you in your office." Grace hadn't expected him to go to Amirate and wait for her in her office. She stepped out of the elevator in a hurry, only to see Luke anxiously waiting for her. "Ms. Lewis." "Where is he?" "He said he was from the Fulton family. I didn't dare to stop him, so I let him in your office." Grace suddenly became anxious. She couldn't help but scold Luke. "The Fulton family? Remember, besides Xander, no one is allowed to enter!" Luke hurriedly nodded.Grace gripped the office door handle, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open. Her office's walls were covered with photos and awards she had received since she had taken charge of Amirate. It was densely packed and quite spectacular. At that moment, Jake was standing before the wall, admiring the awards with interes
Grace seemed to realize that she had lost her composure and turned away. Jake furrowed his brow, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the documents in his hand. He had indeed seen Grace jump from the second-floor window to escape that day. He snapped sharply, "I wonder if you care about Xander or Shawn." She had taken such a big risk just to keep that secret hidden. At that moment, Jake didn't have a good impression of her. In fact, he felt disgusted by her. In the end, she turned out to be no different from the other women he had encountered. "I'll take this. But how can I be sure that you haven't told Xander?" "Then, how can I be sure you won't betray me? You might send the photos to Xander even after gaining this information." The two stared at each other challengingly. "If you don't say anything, I won't send it." Grace smiled and crossed her arms. "Jake, you must take me for a fool. How about this? Give me the backups of the photo, and I'll give you mine