However, she had only just discovered that Charlie was not home after she had arrived.It turned out that Charlie had already left for Japan because of an emergency a few days ago and had not returned yet.This made Loreen feel a little lost and despondent. Her originally happy and ecstatic mood instantly dimmed a lot.In fact, Loreen had actually been a little hesitant when Claire and her family had invited her to stay and join them for lunch just half an hour ago. She felt that since Charlie was not at home, she would only be wasting an opportunity to get closer to Charlie if she were to stay at Claire’s house for lunch today.She was thinking of telling them that she would just visit them again another day, but Loreen could not turn them down because Claire had been very enthusiastic, and she finally agreed to stay for lunch with them. However, Loreen would never have expected Charlie to come home even before they had started eating their meal!Therefore, Loreen was looking a
When she saw that Jacob and Elaine were about to get into an argument again, Claire hurriedly came forward to smooth things over. “Oh, Dad! Mom! Can’t the both of you talk without getting into an argument? Charlie just came home, and Loreen is here as well. Don’t embarrass yourselves in front of others…”Jacob looked at Elaine before he snorted coldly, “I won’t stoop to your level and argue with you anymore because I am giving my daughter face!”Elaine replied disdainfully, “You make it sound as though I want to stoop to your level and argue with you.”After she was done speaking, Elaine stopped looking at Jacob as she turned her head to the side. At this time, Loreen felt a little awkward as she said to Claire, “By the way, Claire, Quinn Golding will be coming to hold a concert here in Aurous Hill next month. Why don’t we go and watch it together, then?”Claire hurriedly smiled as she said, “Charlie said that he is going to accompany me to the concert. He knows Quinn personally,
What would he do if Loreen insisted on sitting next to him, then?Therefore, he certainly would have to turn her request down no matter what it was. He would simply allow her to find a way to get the tickets on her own. The best situation would be if she could not get a front-row seat for herself. However, if she did indeed manage to get a front-row seat for herself, as long as she was not seated next to him, he would have nothing to worry about.At this time, Loreen said to Claire again, “Claire, do you want to go shopping together with me later in the afternoon?”Claire glanced at Charlie before she whispered in Loreen’s ear, “Loreen, I don’t think I will go shopping with you. I will have to go back to work in two days. Furthermore, Charlie has just returned after being out for a few days. I want to stay at home to accompany him a little more.”Loreen was shocked.She could tell that Claire was speaking from the bottom of her heart when she said this.This made Loreen realize t
Meanwhile, at the Schulz family mansion in Eastcliff.Although Rosalie’s disappearance had made Cadfan and Sheldon feel very worried and nervous, this matter did not affect Sophie and Jaime’s mood at all.Both of them did not know about Rosalie’s true identity, and they simply regarded her as one of the servants in the family. Besides, Rosalie had always been working as Sheldon’s personal bodyguard, and she rarely had any form of interaction with the pair of siblings. Therefore, the pair of siblings naturally did not care too much about her affairs or wellbeing.At this time, the pair of siblings were in Sophie’s study room, and they were both staring at the computer screen. They were looking at the screenshots from the surveillance cameras that their subordinates had compiled for them.These screenshots were filled with pictures of the faces of young males with fair skin.These screenshots had been taken and saved from several surveillance videos from major airports in Japan by t
As she spoke, Sophie was also a little exhausted as she said, “The main point is that the both of us are the only ones who have met our benefactor before. So, only the two of us can do this kind of identification work.”Jaime nodded helplessly and said, “You are right. Let’s hurry up and try to find some clues about our benefactor as soon as possible!”As he spoke, Jaime suddenly remembered something and said, “By the way, Sophie, I will be going to Aurous Hill in two days. Do you want to come along too?”Sophie asked curiously, “What are you going to do in Aurous Hill?”Jaime replied embarrassedly, “Didn’t I sign a sponsorship and collaboration contract for Quinn’s concert? She will be holding her first concert of the year in Aurous Hill on the second day of February. Didn’t I promise her that I was going to donate ten million dollars to the Aurous Hill Charity? So, I want to personally make a trip there in advance so that I can not only arrange for the ten million dollars to be i
In truth, even if Jaime had not said anything, Sophie, who was extremely intelligent, had already noticed the recent abnormality in the family’s atmosphere.Also, the news from Japan was constantly airing news about Rosalie. Sophie knew that the Schulz family had made a mess in Japan in an attempt to save Rosalie.However, what she did not quite understand was the reason why her father was putting in so much time and effort into Rosalie’s matter.Based on reasoning, Rosalie was just a servant working for the Schulz family.If anything happened to a servant, the Schulz family would only need to give her family a generous pension according to the predetermined contract. After that, it would be sufficient if they paid them the settlement fee every month.Sophie felt that there was no need for them to switch a servant out from the hands of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.She could already figure out the high cost behind this action with a little brainstorming. It would cert
It was the same for the Japanese Homeland Security Bureau.If the Homeland Security Bureau were to arrest the members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to bring them back for interrogation on the grounds of threats to the national security, even the top commander of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces would not have any right to stop or question them at all.All the members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces were also very clear that it would not be a good thing for them as soon as they got involved with the Homeland Security Bureau. Even if they did not die, they would certainly suffer from great mental and physical torture.Therefore, the people in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces had a natural fear of the Homeland Security Bureau.It was also precisely because of the reputation that the Homeland Security Bureau had, amongst the members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces who were arrested and brought back for the surprise interrogation, some of the people with weaker psychologic
Late at night.Eastcliff.Sheldon could not hide his disappointment as he returned to his own home.His mood was very complicated at this moment, and he was in a state of utter confusion.Earlier in the evening, Rosalie’s biological mother, Yashita, had come to Schulz Group to meet him.As soon as the both of them met, Yashita began anxiously asking him about Rosalie’s whereabouts.However, Sheldon did not know how he should respond to her question.This was because he did not know where Rosalie was either.It seemed as though Rosalie had evaporated from the face of this world, leaving absolutely no clues behind at all.Yashita, who was missing an arm, knelt in front of Sheldon as she cried and pleaded with Sheldon because she hoped that Sheldon would do everything within his means to find out Rosalie’s whereabouts. After all, she was still his biological daughter.Sheldon agreed to her request.Rosalie was indeed his biological daughter. This had been supported by the resul
However, to Jacob's shock, Elaine wasn't misled at all as she growled icily, "Why would I ask anyone else?! If there's someone I must question, it's Matilda! She's getting married, isn't she? Good! I will be there and ask her why she hooked up with my husband!"Jacob turned pale right then.Matilda's son and even some of their old classmates would be attending her wedding.If Elaine went, he would be exposed, and he wouldn't be able to stay in Aurous Hill out of shame!His nerves gnawing at him, Jacob could only plead, "Please, just trust me this once! Anything else aside, she's getting married, anyway—there's no way that I'd have anything to do with her! That alone should prove my innocence!"Elaine snorted. "If Matilda returned when I was arrested, it means she has been back for a while! And you're saying nothing happened since? Hell, even if she's married, it doesn't prove that she wasn't up to some hanky-panky with you! Maybe while I was arrested and refused a divorce when you
The driver was left dumbstruck—this wasn't how it was supposed to go.Still, he blurted, "C-Crashing into a Cullinan? I might end up dead instead…""Fine! Then let's change cars, and you crash into ours—how about that?!" Elaine promptly retorted before continuing, "Or we could just stand right in front of your car while you run into us! I just happen to have a death wish, but if you don't kill me now, I'll kill you! Don't think about getting away either—I know your car plate! I'll sell this car and use the money to put a bounty on your head! I don't care what happens to me now! I'll claw my nails into the devil's face even if he shows up!"The driver was actually quite experienced, but even he had yet to meet someone as ridiculous as Elaine.Barely able to keep his hands steady, he threw them up as he apologized, "I'm so sorry, ma'am—I just lost my cool. I'm merely a humble driver of a Honda Civic while you own a Rolls. Hell, I spent fifty bucks buying that red emblem from Amazon,
Elaine may have led a life as if she was above the rules, but beneath that tough exterior lay crippling insecurities and a horrific inferiority complex.She was always afraid of being belittled—but more than that, of being ostracized and betrayed.Over the years, the greatest source of her complexes could all be traced back to Matilda.After all, Matilda had been a star back in their school days. Because Elaine was a close friend of hers, many boys would get chummy with Elaine, but only because they were interested in Matilda.Being from a poor farmer's family, Elaine had been scorned plenty and therefore felt exceedingly inferior around Matilda.It was from that sense of inferiority that Elaine had inadvertently developed a one-sided rivalry against Matilda, and she believed her greatest triumph over Matilda in this life was the moment she had stolen Jacob from her.However, while Elaine presumed that she could hold that victory over Matilda's head, Lady Wilson had soured that v
Moreover, given Elaine's ridiculous temper, Jacob knew she would definitely go overboard and destroy him.He wouldn't even have a place to live at that point, and it would really be game over if she held a grudge and stormed the Calligraphy and Painting Association!Under such circumstances, he couldn't ask for a divorce—hell, he might even refuse a divorce if Elaine asked for one!However, that was when Elaine laughed coldly. "Oh, my… You're really not going to divorce me?""Come on—how long were we married?" Jacob quickly reasoned. "Getting divorced at our age? People would laugh at us."Elaine scoffed. "Now I'm curious… Matilda's quite old too, and she's a divorcee marrying again. Won't people laugh at her?""Technically, she's a widow—"Jacob blurted out, but soon turned pale, tensing up again not a second after he had just calmed down, asking gingerly, "W-Why would you suddenly mention her?'Elaine stopped pretending right then and snapped, "It's actually impressive that y
Horrified, Jacob promptly grasped the steering wheel and brought the Cullinan back under control while not hesitating to snap, "Are you crazy?! We're on the highway—that could have killed the both of us!"However, Elaine ignored him and seized the moment to open the armrest box, pulling out the large white envelope.As she opened it, she muttered, "So, it really was a wedding invitation… You really are a terrible friend, Jacob Wilson, hiding a wedding invitation like this! What's the point? Just look at that nervous face of yours—would I suspect you of having an affair with the bride-to-be?"She flipped open the card and was experienced enough to check the names first while disregarding the usual preamble. She wouldn't care about the venue or the time either, focusing solely on the professor who had somehow made Jacob very nervous.That was how Elaine found the names in less than a second: Yolden Hart and Matilda Hall.Matilda?!The name could well be knives stabbing Elaine in th
Jacob's brain blanked out, leaving only a dull hum as soon as Walker mentioned 'Professor Hall'.Already feeling nervous in the first place, he quickly said, "Okay, okay—I got it. Anyway, I'm hanging up if there's nothing else!"With that, he promptly pressed the button to hang up.Nonetheless, Elaine was soon asking in curiosity, "Who's Professor Hall?"If Jacob had any semblance of composure, he would have said 'a colleague at Senior University' as if it was perfectly natural, and the matter would have been forgotten.But the reality was that he didn't—in fact, he was the champion when it came to dropping the ball as a casual question from Elaine left him sweating all over his brow.Even as he slid nervous glances at her face, he stammered uncontrollably, "N-Nobody…"Elaine promptly noticed his strange reaction and frowned. "I'm talking about Professor Hall. What do you mean, nobody? Who are they? And what's this about an invitation? Inviting you for what?"Seeing that he was
Jacob had really had too much to drink and couldn't remember the later parts of what had happened last night—even how he had gotten home was a blur.Naturally, he also forgot that Walker had brought Matilda's wedding invitation, and therefore didn't hesitate to answer the in-car answer button.Over the phone, Walker was positively fawning as he asked, "Mr. Wilson? It's Walker. Why didn't you come in today? Had too much to drink last night?""Uh-huh," Jacob grunted, lethargic. "I did—my head still hurts now… Anyway, what's up? Trouble at the association?""No, of course not," Walker quickly said. "I was just worried you're still hungover, so I called to ask. If you need a driver or anything, you just need to ask!"Then, before Jacob could answer, he continued, "By the way, my wife is somewhat knowledgable in Oskian medicine, and she has recipes for brews that cure hangovers and nourish the liver. I'm sure you'll need the latter since you're always drinking at social events, so I as
Fortunately, Elaine and Jacob's bickering never escalated.Even though Elaine was winning, Jacob found it tolerable.After Jacob finished his lunch and cleaned up, he never looked up as he said, "Charlie sent a text, saying Claire's flight would touch down earlier at three. We will leave at two."Elaine grumbled. "Why leave so early? She's coming back from abroad, and there'd be checkpoints she has to clear—she'd be lucky if she could leave by half past three. I'm sleeping a few winks now, and we'll leave at half past two."As she left the dining room, she didn't even look back as she said, "Clean up for me too."Jacob had a million complaints but said nothing as he kept his head down, throwing Elaine's lunchbox in the trash can as well.With Elaine gone, he sat on the couch as her hangover slowly cleared while his mood soured with the lack of alcohol.In the end, the pleasure of being fawned over at the Diamond Room was but temporary—the pain of his beloved leaving with someone
Vera kept her plan to investigate the identity of the abbess deep in her mind and told Charlie nothing.Instead, she smiled as she said, "It seems that it's both yours and Ms. Ito's good fortune that she has attained enlightenment. You've never had anyone who could attain enlightenment and master Reiki at the same time, so Ms. Ito will definitely be a great help to you in the future."Charlie chuckled and said calmly, "I'm not hoping for her to help. I'm simply happy for her with her enlightenment and excited to have another comrade in my solo ventures into the dark forests."Vera nodded in understanding, and she murmured emotionally, "I've lived for so long, and it's only when I opened my heart to you that I felt that sensation you described."There was a flicker of wistfulness in her eyes.She really did not expect to attain enlightenment before meeting Charlie.Years ago, she thought that she would eventually avenge her father.Now, she no longer hoped to murder Fleur Griffi