"Brother, are you this temperamental?" His raised arm was intercepted by Olivia before it could fall. Olivia had dyed hair, heavy makeup, and a short skirt revealing her thighs.
Her looks weren't as impressive as Isabella's, but her alluring thighs easily drew the attention of him.
"Brother, don't lower yourself to her level. Look at me, how about we find a private room to chat?" Olivia said with a playful smile.
Isabella knew that Olivia was trying to help her get out of this situation but still worried. "Hey, can you handle him alone?"
"Sis, it's not my first day here. I've got pepper spray in my purse; I won't suffer," Olivia said as she took out a small canister of pepper spray from her bag and handed it to Isabella.
"Be careful," Isabella replied as she took it.
Having escaped the lewd man, she walked alone in the dimly lit corridor, with sounds of booming music and luxurious moans emanating from the private rooms on both sides.
Isabella couldn't help but frown; with so many rooms, how could she find the right one?
Lost in thought, a sudden, forceful push from behind pinned her to the wall on the side.
She was startled, and her back hit the ice-cold, hard wall; she had forgotten the pain.
The heavyset man pressed her against the wall with his bulk. He used one large hand to tilt her face. "You've got some guts, coming to a place like this alone."
She looked at the man in front of her, her heart still racing. Behind her was a luxurious and dazzling crystal chandelier that cast his blue eyes in a cold light.
"Andrew, why are you here?" she breathed a sigh of relief.
He let her go, and his tall figure leaned casually against the wall. His expression was almost indifferent. He took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, saying, "This isn't the kind of place you should be. I'll take you out."
"I'm not leaving. I came to find someone."
"Who are you looking for?" he asked.
Isabella thought Andrew, a small-time thug, would likely have more information, so she replied, "Connor Martin, do you know him?"
"I've heard his reputation is quite unsavory. What are you looking for him for?" he inquired.
"I need his help," she said.
Andrew chuckled, and his gaze assessed her. He flicked some ash from his fingertips, his tone indifferent. "Connor Martin is fond of women. Women who ask him for help usually have to pay a price. Have you thought it through?"
She glared at him in exasperation, but he feigned ignorance. In response, she pulled a small pinhole camera from her bag. "He's involved in some shady activities here. He probably doesn't want his wife to know. With some evidence, I'm not afraid he won't help me."
Andrew listened to her and maintained his nonchalant expression. He casually flicked his cigarette ash with two fingers and said, "The room upstairs, the third one on the left."
She stood in front of the door with a thin steel wire in her hand, fiddling for a moment before the door opened with a click.
Andrew stood behind her with a keen interest, following her inside.
He casually slipped his hands into his pockets and strolled around the room.
A man's suit hung on a hanger, and the remnants of a half-used pack of condoms and a woman's stockings were scattered on the memory foam mattress.
"Why is no one here?" she asked.
"They probably went downstairs to eat; physical activities in bed are exhausting," he said.
She shot him another angry glare, silently cursing: rogue.
Shortly after, there was a noise at the door. Faint male voices could be heard. It seemed the room's owner had returned.
She panicked, looking at the man beside her. He casually blew a puff of smoke and showed no signs of wanting to help.
She stomped her foot in anger, then hurriedly dropped the pinhole camera into the flowerpot on the nightstand. Afterward, she grabbed Andrew and pulled him into the bedroom's walk-in closet.
Inside the closet, it was pitch black. She took out her phone, gently swiped the screen, and connected it to the pinhole camera via an app. With her phone's screen, she could monitor what was happening outside.
On her phone's screen, Connor was pressed on top of a partially clothed woman, making rough and brutal movements. The woman appeared to be in pain.
"She's probably been drugged," a voice, purposely lowered, came from above her.
"We should call the police, shouldn't we?" Isabella instinctively raised her head, only to realize that Andrew's handsome face was inches away, and with every breath, she could smell his dry, crisp scent.
As they locked eyes, it seemed like there were intense flames burning within his blue eyes. The prominent Adam's apple rolled as he restrained himself.
For a moment, she seemed to see animal-like vertical pupils appearing in his pupils. She opened her eyes wide and suspected that she had seen it wrong.
"I don't like to meddle. It's up to you," Andrew said in a raspy, seductive voice.
The passionate scene on Isabella's phone screen outside the closet continued. Faint heavy breathing from the room outside mingled with the woman's painful moans.
"Yeah, we shouldn't meddle," she nodded firmly, her cheeks uncontrollably flushing red. Watching a passionate scene with a man while hiding in a closet was indeed an awkward situation. She reached out to turn off her phone.
With the phone off, the closet became pitch black, making it feel even more suffocating. Due to the limited space, their bodies were pressed close together. His steady breath seemed to caress her sensitive skin, and her heart was strangely thrown into chaos.
There was a not-so-light sound of the door slamming outside, indicating that the people had finally left.
Isabella felt as if she had been granted a reprieve and immediately pushed open the closet door and hurriedly jumped out, looking a bit disheveled.
In comparison, Andrew, with his long legs, nonchalantly stepped out of the closet. He watched as she retrieved the pinhole camera from the flowerpot by the bed, her finely chiseled features displaying a triumphant smile, radiant and dazzling, inexplicably captivating.
She walked briskly toward the exit, but halfway there, she seemed to remember something and suddenly turned back.
She stopped in front of Andrew, then suddenly reached out to tug at his collar, examining the label on his clothing. It was Versace, confirming that it was indeed a luxury brand.
"Are you trying to flirt with me?" he said as he puffed on his cigarette, letting a wisp of smoke drift lightly onto her face.
She coughed and released his collar, taking a step back. While coughing, she waved her hand to disperse the smoke.
"Smoke less, or you'll die young," she said disapprovingly. Then, she pulled a pink wallet from her handbag, wrote a $50,000 check, and tossed it to him.
"Spend it carefully. If you dare to use your son's formula money to buy luxury men's clothing, I'll make sure to deal with you."
She shook the pink-clad fist she was holding, and then, she briskly left in her high-heeled shoes.
Andrew watched her departure with a slow smile curving at the corner of his lips.
He returned to the private room, where Ryan sat on a large, comfortable leather sofa, brewing tea in a purple clay teapot.
"I've just prepared some oolong tea, try it," Ryan offered a teacup, but it was deftly blocked by Andrew's indifferent gesture. Tea wasn't of interest to him.
Ryan unperturbed by his rejection, took a sip and set the cup down before speaking, "Alpha, I heard that after the board meeting, you're going to take over all the affairs of Turner family. Is that true?"
"If everything goes as planned, yes," Andrew replied indifferently, as if he were taking over a regular job rather than a massive conglomerate.Ryan let out a soft snort, continuing with a half-mocking tone, "It seems your father Mr.Jacob hasn't lost his mind yet. Handing the company over to you is much better than letting it fall into the hands of his grandson. If he gets it, he'll squander it all within ten years."The lycanthropes of the Dark Moon Clan had hidden within the human world centuries ago. Due to the interbreeding with humans over the generations, the lycanthropic blood had gradually thinned, and many descendants of lycanthropes couldn't even shift into wolves. However, the Turner family was different. Andrew's father had decreed that the public wolves of the Turner family couldn't mate with humans, and as a result, Andrew and his siblings had pure lycanthropic blood.The Turner family was a powerful clan, deeply involved in politics and business, and held a prominent po
The panic on her face was not faked at all. Even though she had instructed Grace to hide the bracelet in Isabella's room to frame her, she hadn't ordered Grace to destroy it. After all, these bracelets were extremely valuable, and they were tokens from the Brown family."What else do you have to say? You're acting so malicious at such a young age," David's rage was ablaze, and he raised his hand as if to strike Isabella.Naturally, she wasn't going to stand there and let him hit her; she had already moved to the side. She gave a nonchalant glance at Emily and her mother, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smile."If I really wanted to steal something, would I have put it in my room and waited for you to catch me?"She thought David, who had climbed from a humble civil servant to become the Deputy Mayor, couldn't be a fool. However, she couldn't understand how such a shrewd man could be so easily manipulated by Charlotte and her daughter."Is someone else framing you?" David shouted
“Also, you need to take $20,000 and give it to Mr. Bennett, the intermediary. We've been hiring household staff through him, and you should ask him to find a job for your distant niece, Lily, in our house.”"I understand, Ma'am," Ava nodded. Instead of letting Charlotte insert another spy, it was better for them to take the initiative.After she had finished giving instructions, Isabella felt tired and went to bed early.Three days later, Ava brought Lily to meet her."Hello, Ma'am," Lily politely bowed. She had her hair in two thick braids, and she appeared quite intelligent.Isabella smiled and asked her a few simple questions. Lily was two years older than her, twenty-one years old, with a high school diploma. She had come from Blue River town to Ithaca town a year ago and had previously worked as a waitress in a restaurant."However, you must remember that in this house, you don't need to reveal your relationship with Ava or me, or even with me," she reminded her."I understand,"
Andrew was dressed very casually today, wearing a light beige V-neck sweater and black casual pants, exuding a faint elegant charm."Do I look good?" He turned his head slightly, and their gazes briefly met.His deep blue eyes were so profound that she felt a bit hesitant to look directly at him. Andrew faintly smirked. In fact, when she approached the door, his wolf instincts had already detected her scent, which was quite alluring to him."Yes," she honestly nodded, smiling, "Your voice is quite nice too."His voice was low and magnetic, like a cello's bass note."'Good-looking' isn't much of a compliment for a man," he said indifferently, showing no emotion, as he handed over Asher, who was in his arms. Asher was only a month old, and because he was a Hybrid, Andrew wasn't worried about the baby revealing any wolfish features to scare the human girl.Isabella immediately snapped out of her admiration. She took the baby carefully into her arms, and her movements were a bit stiff due
"Will the school accept my explanation?" she said calmly."The school will certainly consider it," Benjamin replied, his hand resting on the table, tapping it now and then. It seemed like he was subtly exerting pressure on her.However, she didn't show any signs of panic and spoke in a composed tone."The person in the photo is indeed me. I was ill in the first half of the year and frequently visited the hospital for treatment. It's not unusual to be photographed outside the hospital. I just can't understand how this photo could be linked to me having an illegitimate child."In the photo, she had wrapped herself tightly, resembling a ball, and her belly was not visible at all. She could easily deny it.At this moment, she was extremely grateful that David cared about his reputation. He had forcefully suppressed the news of her having an illegitimate child, and Charlotte's attempt with this photo was ultimately ineffective.However, while the photo lacked the necessary impact, the pres
Ithaca Town has always had four major families, and the majority of wealth is controlled by these families.The Mitchell family is a leader in the construction industry. Half of the houses in Ithaca town were built by the Mitchell family. The Taylor family has been in the military for generations and has been naval officers for generations.The Green family, on the other hand, is a family of lawyers. The girls from this family are exceptionally beautiful, intelligent, well-mannered, and marry into political and business elites. Their various marriage connections have strengthened the Green family's position in Ithaca Town.The Turner family holds the highest position among the four major families. The men from the Turner family hold influential political positions, high-ranking military positions, and are deeply involved in various businesses. Their family's financial power is like a money-printing machine, where money is merely a number to them.The status of the Turner family is bey
One month laterAt the party held by the Harris family, many upper-class people from Ithaca town came."James, I'm sorry, truly sorry!" Emily interrupted him, her emotions getting somewhat agitated."I know the necklace you gave me was very important. I originally left it in a drawer, and I don't know why it ended up around Isabella's neck. I asked her for it, but she said the necklace was hers... I also know that the bracelet your mother gave me is a family heirloom, and I kept it carefully locked in the cabinet. But somehow, it ended up in Isabella's room, and I found it when it was already broken!"As she finished, she was left choking up, her eyes teary and pitiful.James, however, looked utterly bewildered. "Are you saying that Isabella broke my mother's bracelet and stole the necklace I gave you?""I..." Emily choked up and couldn't speak.In fact, she didn't say anything; James came to these conclusions on his own."I'm going to ask her to clarify this." He walked towards Isabe
A new plot of land was recently approved by the city, located in Utica New Town. It's a bit remote and currently not very convenient in terms of transportation," Mitchell family, the construction leader in Ithaca town, just acquired this land. Caleb set his sights on it as soon as the land was approved. However, the project was too vast for him to handle alone, so he naturally approached the heir of the wealthiest family in the small town, the Turner family. "Don't rush to refuse. At least take a look at the plan first, Andrew. You should trust my judgment; this piece of land has enormous potential," Caleb said, trying to please Andrew, while handing him a cigarette. "Your so-called 'potential' means that the city is planning to open a subway line in Utica New Town, right?" Andrew took the lighter, calmly lit the cigarette with deliberate movements, and let the smoke envelop him. His deep eyes hid behind the haze, making it hard to discern his true feelings. Caleb's face showed emba
Isabella chuckled softly at his words. Then, she got out of bed, tidied her clothes, and opened the door.As soon as the door opened, Asher lunged in, diving straight into his mother's soft embrace."Mommy's precious baby is back," Isabella planted a kiss on Asher's cheek."Amelia took Asher to ride the slide, and then we're coming down!" Asher exclaimed excitedly.Isabella nodded with a smile and asked, "Asher, Do you like to play on the slide?""Yes! I like it." Asher nodded vigorously and said, "I want to eat marshmallows. Mommy, you will buy marshmallows for me, right?"Amelia thought that too many sweets were bad for Asher's teeth, so she rarely let him have candy. Asher was clever; whenever he couldn't get what he wanted from Amelia, he would turn to Isabella and act cute.Isabella smiled and nodded, "Alright, next time Mommy will take Asher to the park to buy marshmallows.""Asher loves Mommy the most!" Asher hugged Isabella's neck and giggled.Isabella carried the child downst
Isabella sat in the passenger seat of Andrew's car, holding a thick stack of documents, still finding it hard to believe.In her impression, Robert had always been deeply secretive, shrewd, and ruthless, having run Moonlit Art Inc. for many years, firmly entrenched in his position.She had constantly been troubled by how to deal with him, yet Robert handed Moonlit Art Inc. back to her and even planned her way forward.She couldn't help but wonder if everything that had just happened was an illusion."Andrew, let me pinch you," Isabella said."Why?" Andrew asked, holding the steering wheel with one hand, puzzled."I want to see if I'm dreaming," Isabella replied."Shouldn't you pinch yourself then?""Are you silly? Pinching myself hurts. Pinching you is the same," Isabella answered seriously.Andrew: "..."He'd be foolish to let her pinch him."Andrew, do you think Robert might be possessed? He just handed the company back to me so easily. Moonlit Art Inc. is worth billions," Isabella
Robert stood at the café entrance, watching as the black Benz disappeared from view. Only then did he step down the stairs and walk towards his car. Holding the electronic key in his hand, he unlocked the car just as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket.Glancing at the caller ID, he saw Alice's name and habitually frowned.When he answered, Alice's cool voice came through, "Robert, I'm planning to sell the house. While packing today, I found some of your things. Come get them today, or I'll throw them out with the trash."Robert and Alice's marriage had been a heavy loss. Alice would never have agreed to the divorce willingly. Robert had left her all the property and cash in his name before she agreed to the divorce.After hanging up, Robert drove to their former home.The electronic lock had long since been changed by Alice, so he could only knock on the door.Alice answered, her attitude indifferent. Now divorced, they were like strangers."Your things are in the kitchen. Take a
When Isabella received Robert's call, she was at the spa with Oliver. The beautician handed Isabella her phone, and she answered the call directly.Hearing Robert's voice surprised Isabella. After hanging up, she removed her face mask and sat up.“Isabella, what’s wrong?” Oliver asked, puzzled.“Robert wants to meet. Not sure what he’s up to this time,” Isabella replied.“He’s Charlotte’s family. He can’t mean any good. Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Oliver said, worried.“Moonlit Art Inc. is still in Robert’s hands.” Isabella sighed, jumped off the bed, and slipped on her high heels. “You go home; I’ll go meet him.”Isabella quickly washed her face, dressed, and drove to the meeting place. Robert had arranged to meet at a café, and for safety, Isabella sent the café's location to Andrew.After sending the message, she tossed her phone back into her bag. Her red Maserati parked steadily outside the café.Isabella stepped out, carrying her bag and walking into the café in her high heels.Wea
"Charlotte, Emily, please have a seat," Robert said calmly.Charlotte, who had been kept waiting for several hours, was seething with anger but had no outlet for it. After all, they were there to ask for help, and when asking for help, one must have the right attitude. She led Emily to the sofa in the reception area and sat down.Robert finished his work and then sat down on the single-seater sofa opposite them, instructing the secretary to bring over some coffee."No need. We’ve had enough coffee to be full," Charlotte replied sarcastically.However, the secretary still brought a cup of coffee and placed it on the coffee table in front of Robert.Robert took a sip of the coffee and spoke in a light tone, "I was thinking of finding time to talk to you, cousin. Since you’re here, there's no need to schedule a time.""Robert, what is it?" Charlotte asked."Not long ago, Alice and I finalized our divorce," Robert said."What?" Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise. "Something as major as
News of David being taken into police custody was suppressed by Andrew, preventing any public impact. However, high society circles are always well-informed, making it impossible to keep the matter entirely under wraps.Mr. Jacob specifically called Andrew to inquire about the situation, his tone laced with sarcasm. Andrew offered no explanation, but after hanging up, he instructed Ryan to send evidence of Thomas's money laundering and bribery to Mr. Jacob, nearly giving the latter a heart attack.Subsequently, the Clark family also received the news. They was not as easygoing.Mrs. Clark directly ordered the servants to throw out all of Emily's belongings, declaring that Stellan should divorce her.Emily ran back home in tears, immediately throwing herself into Charlotte's arms upon entering."Emily, why are you crying like this? What happened?" Charlotte asked with a sigh.Recently, with Victoria and David both imprisoned, Charlotte had aged significantly."Mom, Stellan wants to div
Meanwhile, inside the CEO's office, Isabella was sitting in the boss's chair behind the large desk, sipping freshly brewed coffee and playing games on Andrew's computer. Andrew's computer was top-notch, and there wasn't a hint of lag while gaming.Isabella was thoroughly enjoying herself, unaware of how much time had passed until the office door opened from the outside and Andrew walked in with a file in hand. Seeing Isabella in his chair softened his otherwise stern expression."You're done with the meeting," Isabella remarked upon seeing him. She closed the game and rested her arm on the desk, propping her chin up to look at him. "Andrew, your computer is great for gaming."Andrew shook his head with a smile, feeling a bit helpless. The information on his computer was valuable enough to buy half of Ithaca town, yet only Isabella dared to use it for gaming."If you like it, I'll have Nathan buy one just like it for you.""Great!" Isabella nodded with a smile, standing up and sidling
“If Andrew would divorce me because the Harris family falls from grace, it would only prove he's not worth trusting. Victoria, do you understand what love is? I love Andrew, and I believe he loves me too.”"Love?" Victoria sneered disdainfully. "Isabella, you're truly ridiculous.""It's not me who's ridiculous, it's you, Victoria. Your whole life has been like a joke." Isabella slowly stood up, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at her."In fact, I've considered many ways to end you, but upon reflection, the best method is to bring you to justice. Victoria, you must live well in prison, reflect on what you've done and the lives you've ruined. I'll make time to visit you."After saying this, Isabella arrogantly turned and walked away, her high heels clicking with each step as she left the hospital room.Behind her, Victoria suddenly erupted into hysterical screams and roars, "I don't want to go to prison! Let me go, let me go!"Hearing the commotion, two guards outside rushed in and
At night, Isabella and Andrew had just finished an intense sex. They lay naked under the covers, chatting. Just as they were kissing passionately, the phone vibrated, interrupting them.Andrew, slightly annoyed, answered the call. Whatever the other person said made him glance at Isabella subconsciously."Andrew, what happened?" Isabella asked after he hung up."Victoria was injured and admitted to the hospital," Andrew replied."Is it easy to get injured in custody?" Isabella asked, puzzled."She was courting death; no one could stop her," Andrew said coldly. "Victoria requested to see Charlotte multiple times but was denied. She must have resorted to self-harm as a last-ditch effort. Once admitted to the hospital, she can see family according to regulations.""Victoria is still hoping David will get her out," Isabella said with a cold laugh. "She wants to see family, right? I'm also her family. Tomorrow, I'll go see her at the hospital."The next day, Isabella got up unusually early