Elliot stared at Sophia. “I did all that weeding for a whole day. Wasn’t that good enough for you?”Sophia was quiet for a while before saying, “It was, but you stood me up today. Did you forget that you sent me to the mountain full of vicious animals?” Elliot grinned. “Were you scared?”Sophia said, “Why would I be scared? Anyway, you can pay me ten million dollars.”“Is that for the treatment?”“The treatment is five million dollars.”“What’s the ten million dollars for?”“That’s for when I caught the snakes for you.”“What happened to them?”“I relocated them.”Elliot looked at Sophia questioningly. “Where did you move them?” Sophia smirked. “You’ll have to pay up if you want to know.”Elliot stared at her. He did not care about that. He tried to revisit the topic of his grandpa’s treatment. “You can come over and treat my grandpa in the afternoon or whenever your grandma’s taking a nap.”“That depends on when you transfer the money to me.”“Looks like I should wor
After preparing everything, Elliot gave another order. “Guard the door, Samuel. Don’t let anyone disturb us.”Samuel nodded and left the ward.Sophia took out some thermo-acupunture needles from her black pouch. They were not as delicate as the standard needles. A tiny bottle with a moxa cone inside was attached to the needles. They measured less than a centimeter in diameter. Elliot asked curiously, “What’s that?” “These are thermo-acupuncture needles,” replied SophiaElliot remembered reading about them in that magazine. This was probably it. Could she be connected to the founder of thermo-acupunture somehow?He was curious but did not say a word. He just stared at Sophia nervously as she inserted the needles accurately into Jeffrey's vital points. She was fast and confident. It was like they said. Ladies were at their most attractive when they were focused.Elliot was deeply moved. She must have done this millions of times. She made it look easy. He could not help but feel
Samuel knew Elliot was standing up for him. He was moved but did not want the Patton brothers to argue because of him. So, he said glumly, “I did tell Ezekiel about that. Perhaps he misunderstood me.”Ethan was standing behind Ezekiel. He said, “Ezekiel isn’t to blame, Elliot. He might not have heard Samuel clearly. He probably didn’t know there was a doctor in there. He was in a hurry to see Grandpa.”Elliot wouldn’t let it go. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a doctor in there or not. If you had just thought about it for a second, you wouldn't have been shouting right outside the ward of someone who’s suffered a heart attack. Who will take responsibility if Grandpa goes into shock like he did when Edward came?”Ezekiel frowned and spoke angrily, “There’s no need to exaggerate, Elliot. Would I have shouted if you hadn’t posted a piece of trash to stand guard here?”Elliot glared at Ezekiel. “So, were you trying to humiliate me by hitting my man?” Ethan quickly tried to mediate. “Th
Ezekiel pretended to go the restroom earlier and blocked Sophia off at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.“Hey, there…” He grinned at her.Sophia thought he was gross but collected herself and said, “Who are you?”Ezekiel raised his eyebrow, “You have the memory of a goldfish, pretty lady. How have you forgotten me already?” He entered her office as if they were close friends.Sophia frowned. “Perhaps you should introduce yourself first.”“You treated my Grandpa just now.”Sophia feigned realization, “Oh? Is there something you need?”Ezekiel sat on the chair and treated Sophia as if she were a charity case. “I’ll buy you dinner tonight, and then we’ll talk more about Grandpa.”Sophia said, “I’m busy tonight.”“Let’s do it tomorrow, then.”“I’ve got class tomorrow.”Ezekiel was displeased, asking, “Are you trying to embarrass me?”Sophia replied, “I’m swamped, and Elliot knows everything about your grandpa. You could ask him instead.”Ezekiel wanted to make thing
Samuel was delighted to see Elliot laughing. Besides Jeffrey, Sophia was the first person who spoke up for Elliot.Samuel continued, “Ezekiel was furious over Sophia’s casual remarks. He proceeded to insult you in front of her, saying your cute looks are all you have and that you loved torturing ladies. He also said you don’t feel anything below the belt and that you’re twisted. “He criticized Sophia for choosing looks over her life. Then, she said…” Samuel mimicked Sophia again, “What’s wrong with that? I’m a doctor who can cure him.”Elliot laughed again, thinking his wife was quick-witted and adorable.Samuel might not have done an excellent job mimicking her, but Elliot could picture Sophia’s fierce expressions. He felt the sudden urge to see Sophia.Meanwhile, Samuel was on a roll, “I think Jeffrey chose wisely. Sophia was perfect for you.”Elliot sneered and said, “Don’t you mean I chose wisely?”Samuel smirked. “Are you admitting you’ve had your eyes on Sophia for a whil
Dorothy frowned, displeased with how Daniel questioned Sophia. The older woman said, “I set them up with each other. Elliot’s grandpa and I are old friends. We liked each other’s grandchildren, so that’s why we matchmade them.”She knew Daniel loved Sophia, but she also knew the feeling was not mutual. He could not force a relationship to happen. Daniel felt like he had gotten slapped in the face. “How could you do this, Dorothy? They don’t even know each other. How are they supposed to love each other?”Elliot frowned and became stern. “Haven’t you seen a couple who got married first and fell in love later?”Daniel grew angrier, looking at Elliot. There were not any manners left in him. “Shut your trap, Elliot. What makes you think you deserve Sophia?”Samuel was speechless. There it was—another man who looked down on Elliot.Elliot grew grim, “You don’t have the right to stick your nose into our marriage!”Daniel grew upset. “You should know your place! Don’t think you can ge
Sophia finally finished explaining to Daniel the freakish twists and turns she and Elliot had gone through to get to where they were now.“You guys just got a marriage certificate? Did you do all this just to keep your grandparents happy?”Sophia nodded. “Correct. Don’t spill this to my grandma.”Daniel smiled. “I won’t. I knew you didn’t like that gimp. I heard he’s quite the brute, too. None of the ladies sent into Villa No. 8 made it out alive. I was just about to say you must’ve been out of your mind to marry this guy.”Sophia frowned. She was not sure if it was because Daniel was bad-mouthing Elliot or because he was indirectly demeaning her by bad-mouthing Elliot. Nevertheless, she did not like what she heard. Elliot was rumored to be a jerk, but that was all, just rumors. Ezekiel even claimed that Elliot could not feel anything below the belt. This was proof that people had been buying these rumors and spreading them.“Don’t listen to rumors. He’s not that bad.”“You don
Sophia fell silent. “Didn’t you just say you’d stop being mean to me a second ago?”Elliot smiled. “I promise I won’t be mean to you if you don’t go against me.”Sophia was not impressed. “Gee, thanks a lot.”Elliot answered, “You’re welcome.”“Where’s my room?”“You’ll be with me in my room, of course.”Under Sophia’s fierce glare, Elliot said casually, “You’re on the third floor in the room across from mine.”Sophia relaxed. “I’m heading upstairs.”Elliot said, “Wait.”“What?”“Don’t you want something to eat?”“Nope.”“How about keeping me company while I eat then?”“Eat on your own. I’m going to hit the sack.”“While you’re under my roof, you will live by my rules. You’re my wife, Sophy. Do you think it’s appropriate for you just to ditch me and go to sleep?”Sophia grew frustrated. “You’re like a woman, you know.”Elliot saw that she was about to throw a fit, so he said gently, “Your room isn’t ready yet. They’ll need some time.”Sophia rolled her eyes and followe
“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,