Hamish looked at the older couple and said, “I won’t go with you or be with Mary no matter what arrangements you’ve made with my parents. I fell in love with Xena the first time I saw her.“When I told my parents that I wanted her to be my wife, they went to you to propose a marriage. I never agreed to change the arrangement and marry Mary instead. Paisley, do you remember what I said when Xena left?“I used to worry about not disrespecting my elders. I feared harming Mary, but I realized the one I wanted to help ended up suffering the most. I don’t want Xena to face any more injustice. Stop gaslighting me into feeling sorry for Mary.“Whether Mary harms herself or gets hurt is none of our concern. If you’re worried about Mary, hire more people to monitor her.”Paisley was furious. “I’ll complain to your parents about this!”Hamish nodded and scoffed. “Go ahead!”Immediately after, Paisley turned and huffed away.Meanwhile, Xena instructed her men, “Don’t even open the door for
Elliot went to work the following day and heard that Ethan had recovered.Although Elliot had shares in the company, he had no official position. After all, he was in a wheelchair for a long time and could not commute. Most considered him a thorn in their sides. However, his capabilities demanded everyone’s respect.Ethan was on the phone in his office at that moment when he gestured for Elliot to sit down. Soon after, the former ended the call and then smiled at Elliot, saying, “What made you want to work here?”Elliot sat on the other side of the desk and replied, “I need to earn money to support my wife, don’t I?”“You can support several wives with the money you already earn.”Elliot added, “It’s not enough. I just want to give Sophia the best life possible.”Ethan’s lips twitched, tired of hearing Elliot boast. The former asked, “Then what about Prosper Peak?”“Hamish can manage it himself. Who else would run his company if not him?”Ethan chuckled. “I almost thought it wa
Charlene remained motionless. It was unclear if she was ignoring Avery and Michelle’s relationship or if she was simply absent-minded.Michelle frowned and said, “Excuse me. Aren’t you going to respond?”Sophia frowned, too, thinking, ‘Can’t she get the decanter herself? Being Avery’s bodyguard is humbling enough for Charlene. Why’s Michelle treating Charlene like a maid?’Fortunately, Avery stood up and said, “I’ll do it.”He picked up the decanter from the cabinet and handed it to Michelle. The latter smiled and stood up to pour a glass for each member of the Morgan family. “I’d like to toast to you all to show my respect.“May you have good health, and may your family be happy. Sophia, may you become even more beautiful with each passing day.” Michelle then gazed at Avery and added, “May you become even more handsome. Drink up, everyone!”Everyone raised their glasses and drank their wine. As they became more familiar with each other, the conversations became livelier. Meanwhi
Charlene shook her head and leaned on Sophia's shoulder, crying.Sophia then texted Xena, saying, “Go to Gibbous. Charlene’s heartbroken.”Afterward, Sophia instructed the driver to drive to Gibbous Moon Bar. When the car stopped, Charlene looked around blankly and asked, "Where is this?"Sophia replied, "It's a bar. I'll accompany you to drown your sorrows." Charlene chuckled. "With your drinking capacity?"Sophia clicked her tongue. "If I can't handle it, Xena will take care of you." "Did you tell her what happened?""Yeah, let's go. You can find a handsome guy later and just sleep with him." "I've got my eye on your brother." After some thought, Sophia said, "That works, too. I'll trick him into coming, and you can sleep with him first. I don't like that Michelle girl anyway."Charlene grabbed Sophia and playfully scolded, "Stop it. Have some dignity!"Robert immediately spotted them as they entered. He excitedly said, "Sophia, you're here!" Sophia said, "Yeah, find
Sophia was worried about Xena and wanted to help her. She instinctively left the bar with her phone, forgetting Charlene was still there. Just as she stepped out of the bar, she noticed a crowd gathering ahead."Have they called an ambulance?""How could someone so young faint like this?""I don’t dare to touch him. It might get complicated later if we get involved."Sophia said, "Who fainted? What happened? Let me take a look."She stumbled toward the crowd. In the midst of it all, she forgot about Xena again. The crowd did not want to make way for a drunken girl trying to push through. Why would a drunkard come here when someone's life was at stake?Sophia looked at the crowd blocking her path and said, "Let me through."But no one moved. Everyone crowded the area, and Sophia could not see what was happening. She tried again, "Could you please move aside? I'm a doctor."Still, no one budged. The crowd simply thought Sophia was a drunkard claiming to be a doctor.Sophia impat
Sophia did not respond and simply hung up. Then, she fiddled with her phone to find Elliot’s name and initiated a video call.Elliot answered the video call promptly, thinking that he could determine where she was by seeing her surroundings. Instead, he saw her sitting on the ground, surrounded by a group of people.He was concerned, "Soph, what happened?""Huh?" Sophia scratched her head, "Oh? I'm going to help. Someone is bothering her.""Are you hurt? Stand up, let me see."Sophia asked with a pout, "Aren't you going to sing for me?""Sing? Aren't you going to help Xena? Find her first. What if she's in trouble?"Sophia agreed. She struggled to stand up, and as the camera shifted, the sign "Gibbous Moon Bar" came into view.Elliot felt relieved and hurriedly reassured her, “Wait for me inside the bar. I'll come pick you up, and then we'll go help Xena, okay?"Sophia nodded, "Okay, but you have to be quick.""I'll be very quick. You go to the bar and wait for Xena. I'll be
Elliot was startled and quickly held her hand. He leaned in and whispered, "I'll let you see when we get back."Sophia was about to refuse, but Elliot pressed his hand against the back of her neck and kissed her. "There are other people here. Do you want them to see too?"That line worked well. Sophia quickly retracted her hand. "No, I don't."She glanced at the others with lingering fear.Elliot comforted her and then started calling Hamish and Avery to pick them up. At that moment, Avery had just returned from the university campus with Michelle. He was surprised to receive Elliot's call."What's wrong?"Elliot went straight to the point. "Come to the Gibbous Moon Bar. Your bodyguard got drunk with Sophia and the others. I can only take care of my wife. I can't manage your people."Although Avery hadn't had enough time with Michelle, he couldn't neglect Charlie. He turned to Michelle and said, "I'll take you back first. I need to go pick someone up."Michelle was understandin
On the other hand, Hamish was not as lucky. When he arrived at the bar and found the private room, there was no one there except for the cleaning staff. He asked, "Where are the people in this room?""They left.""Where’d they go?""I don't know."Hamish tried to call Xena, but the call could not get through. It seemed like she had blocked him. He drove straight to the Pavilion, only to find out that Xena did not return at all. He became even more anxious. He might not have been so worried if his mother did not slap Xena today.Now, Hamish feared that she might do something drastic. He called Elliot with urgency and frustration, "Xena is missing! Couldn't you have waited for me before leaving? What if something happens to her while she's drunk?"Elliot was speechless, but he was not as concerned. With Xena's strength, no one could fight over her, even if she was drunk. Still, he explained, "Nothing will happen. Ask the staff at the bar. I told them to take care of—"Before he co
“Ah, no!” Sophia instinctively reached out to catch it, but the phone narrowly missed her fingers. So, she just watched as he tossed the telephone into the bushes.Sophia was infuriated. "Brother, you haven't sung for me yet?"Kyle looked at her. "Time's up.""Time's up for what? You big liar."As she spoke, she balled her fists and attacked him.Although she was no match for Kyle in martial arts, he couldn't fight her in such a confined space. So, Kyle found himself somewhat helpless in this narrow space.He grabbed both her hands with his big hands and pinned her legs with his, leaving Sophia unable to move her limbs.Frustrated, she aimed her head at Kyle and lunged forward. Kyle instinctively dodged. Sophia's little head directly hit his chest.Thud.It felt like a forty-pound hammer hitting his chest, causing Kyle to start coughing on the spot. He was truly at a loss. She was too much to handle, using every trick in the book.With one hand rubbing his sore chest and the
At that moment, it seemed like the world came to a standstill. The man and the woman at the door were so scared they hardly dared to breathe. How dare this woman. How could she slap Kyle?They sneakily glanced at Kyle's reddened face, wishing they could disappear. They were afraid they'd face his wrath, too.Kyle also couldn't believe what he was seeing. This little drunkard in front of him wasn't speaking gently or acting cute, and instead of calling him brother, she slapped him. He was furious. At that moment, he had already thought of where to bury this woman.However, Sophia didn't seem to realize the seriousness of hitting someone. She suddenly jerked her wrist and broke free from the man's grasp. Whether it was because she used too much force or because she was drunk and couldn't control her strength, she stumbled and fell on her rear.This fall was solid, and she couldn't help but cry in pain, "Ow!"Tears streamed down her face.Kyle was bewildered for a moment. The anger
Sophia felt helpless. This man's schemes ran too deep. He didn't reveal anything useful. The two drank one glass after another from seven in the evening until ten at night. Sophia's head was spinning.She had been trying to limit herself, taking small sips each time. Unfortunately, her tolerance for alcohol was quite poor. Her gaze was unfocused, and the man opposite her seemed to blur into duplicates. She knew deep down that she was drunk. It was frustrating. When would her tolerance improve?"Are you deliberately trying to get me drunk to see me embarrass myself?" Kyle lounged carelessly. "I didn't know your alcohol tolerance was so poor."Sophia snorted softly in her heart. Ignorance was truly unbelievable. She even suspected that this man had seen her drunk before. Otherwise, why insist on drinking with her? She needed to control herself now; otherwise, her stingy husband at home would be infuriated.So she just slumped onto the table, motionless.Kyle chuckled. "Are you dru
Kyle compromised, "Alright, I won't touch you."Sophia sternly commanded, "Get off."Kyle slowly got up from her.Sophia's piece of porcelain against his neck remained unmoved, her little face tense.Kyle sat up and waved to remove the hand threatening his neck, "Alright, if I bleed, you lose your life. Do you think I'm afraid of such a broken thing like you?"He knocked away the piece of porcelain in Sophia's hand, but she didn't pick it up. Instead, she said softly, "I know you're not afraid. As the top boss of the Netherworld Palace, what kind of woman can't you have? But it's not worth it to ruin the mood just to sleep with a woman, don't you think?"Kyle looked at her and smiled. Far from diminishing with Sophia's various rudeness, the interest in his eyes only intensified.He stretched out his long arm and grabbed Sophia's nape, pulling her closer. The two were close enough to hear each other breathe.There was a determined smile in his eyes. "I like smart girls."Sophia
Kylie smirked. "So, how else do you want me to repay you?"But Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that his smile seemed somewhat sinister.Kyle wasn't the kind of person to easily agree. Could it be true that she had saved him?After contemplating, she said, "For example, a substantial monetary reward, a direct increase in shares and equity, or at the very least, treating me to a meal would suffice.“But instead, you kidnapped me, restricted my movements, and now you're telling me it's repayment? Did I perhaps drown your son in a well in a past life, prompting you to repay me in such a unique way?"He was left bewildered by Sophia's rapid-fire words. What was this woman talking about?After a good while, he finally grasped the gist of her words. "Alright, let's go. I'll treat you to a meal."Sophia looked at him, surprised that he was so easy to persuade. She took advantage of the situation and added, "Then first, give back the phone to your lifesaving benefactor."Kyle replied,
Elliot searched the inside and out of the car. He indeed found a box of acupuncture needles tucked away in a corner. His wife always had a habit of carrying a box of acupuncture needles with her, not for self-defense, but for saving others.However, this box had yet to be opened, proving that the skills of the person they were dealing with surpassed hers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have missed the chance to use the needles.It seemed that this car was indeed the right one.He looked at the dirt road ahead, with tracks from two vehicles. One was a regular sedan, and the other looked like an off-road vehicle.But no more surveillance cameras were ahead, so they wondered if the cars had turned back or continued forward.He relayed the situation to Avery once again. Avery began to investigate, checking every detail of the vehicle information provided by Elliot. At this point, the police, Samuel, and his team arrived one after the other.Since there were no surveillance cameras in this a
Avalon said, "It perfectly matched the Meng family's expertise. They've been collaborating for several years, and my family even gave up some minor collaborations because they trusted in them.“But this time, under their instigation, my family paid an advance payment of 1.8 billion for goods, but the goods weren't delivered according to the contract date. They kept stalling, and when my family went to check, they found the company deserted.“After my elder brother had someone investigate, he found out the company was leased, and the company's CEO was nowhere to be found.“After reporting to the police, they kept investigating, but there was no result. That person disappeared. Helpless, my parents, elder brother, and second brother all went to find Patel.”“But Patel, apart from the initial matchmaking, wasn't involved in the subsequent cooperation. So, my brother and others didn't dare to do anything to him. But after struggling for a few months, the bank started demanding loan rep
"Mary," Paisley called out each word, but then her throat seemed to constrict, and she couldn't say anything more. Tears welled up in her eyes.Lucas also felt anguished. "We're sorry, Mary, but we haven't wronged you."Mary sneered, "If you haven't, how did I end up in this situation today? You both are incompetent parents. What's the point of arguing? You only have two daughters. Can't you treat us equally?"Paisley was truly enraged by her words. "How have I not treated you equally? Mary was just being clever. Perhaps I inadvertently praised her, but I never said you were bad, did I? Just because of this, you want to abandon Mary?“Are you even human? After you went missing, I couldn't eat or sleep peacefully. Every night was spent in tears. I knew you suffered a lot, and surviving wasn't easy, so when I found out it was Mary who made you disappear, I resented her deeply.“I did everything to make it up to you, even at the cost of hurting Mary. I sided with you unreasonably. Is
Xena viciously grabbed her by the collar, preparing to take her back for further interrogation. However, many policemen suddenly burst in through the door.The secretary followed closely behind, explaining, "Officers, hurry and arrest Xena. She forced her way in."Xena frowned. Assessing her situation, she forced Mary to sit in the boss's chair, a dagger held against her sister's neck. The room was marked with signs of struggle, with blood spattered across the floor.In this situation, she could hardly argue her innocence. But she instinctively explained, "She locked up my parents and wouldn't tell me where they were. I just wanted to question her."The police officers' expressions hardened, their tone brooking no refusal. "Take her away!"Two officers stepped forward and seized her. Xena complied, offering no resistance or excuses, obediently following the police.Another officer glanced at Mary. "Are you alright?"Mary seemed shaken, clutching her neck. After calming herself,