“What did you say?!” Fleur erupted in anger at that moment.Having lived for four hundred years, she had ignored almost everything in the last three hundred years. In these three hundred years, he was the first person to dare to say that he would chop off her head.When Zekeiah, who was on the other end of the phone, heard Fleur's angry shout, he was instantly frightened out of his wits, and he quickly bowed on the other end as he apologized, saying, “British Lord, forgive me. I was only repeating his words and did not intend any disrespect…”Although Fleur knew that Zekeiah was just repeating the words to her, she still felt a raging fury in her heart.Zekeiah was afraid that Fleur's anger would not subside, so he quickly added, “British Lord, I am willing to share your worries and personally go to Aurous Hill on your behalf. At that time, I will do my best to find out who that mysterious person is!”Fleur said coldly, “If you go now, you will be walking right into a trap.”Zeke
Charlie pursed his lips, wanting to say something, but he still held back.Although these four elderly people’s ages added up to nearly four hundred years, they had always regarded Vera's words as their guiding principles. It was no exaggeration to say that Vera was their life mentor. They believed and did whatever Vera said and asked them to do. So, if what he said contradicted Vera's words, they would definitely choose to listen to Vera.Charlie was helpless and could only let the old lady kneel down and thank him. After she got up, Charlie spoke up and said, “By the way, has Miss Lavor come down yet?”Logan said, “Mr. Wade, Miss has given us instructions to lead you to her courtyard first when you arrive.”Charlie thought they were in a hurry and that Vera would come down and they would then go to the airport together. He didn't expect Vera to want him to go up. However, he didn't have any other thoughts or opinions. If Vera wanted him to go up, he would go up.He then bowed
Charlie thought, ‘What help do I need to change clothes for? I'm not disabled.’However, he still smiled and said, “Okay, I'll go up first.”Vera’s bedroom was upstairs. The same faint fragrance as Vera’s permeated the room, making him feel slightly dizzy. Charlie subconsciously recalled the experience of being helped onto the bed by Vera when he was seriously injured, and he could not help but feel a strange sensation in his heart. However, he didn't dare to think too much and quickly took out the clothes Vera had prepared for him to change into.As he took out the clothes, he realized that Vera had prepared matching couple outfits for them. The clothes in Charlie's hands were an oversized Gucci T-shirt, classic LV-printed shorts, and the same Hermes slippers. It seemed that Vera wanted them to disguise themselves as a couple when they went to Yorkshire Hill.Charlie didn't think much about it. A man and a woman going out together disguised as a couple seemed more reasonable.
Charlie's words made Vera's eyebrows twitch involuntarily. She seemed to understand something but deliberately didn't ask further. Instead, she put this matter aside and smiled at Charlie, saying, “Young Master, since you can't make up your mind, let me take charge of this matter.”After saying that, she tilted her head for a moment, then said, “If it were ancient times, I would definitely call you ‘sweetheart’. But now, no one uses that term anymore, and since we are pretending to be a couple rather than husband and wife, how about I call you ‘darling’, and you call me 'darling' as well?”After saying this, Vera breathed rapidly. She was blushing as she watched Charlie, afraid he would refuse or be displeased.Charlie didn't think much of it. They were pretending to be a couple, after all, and they were even wearing couple outfits. It was normal for the terms of endearment to be a bit cheesy. Besides, if they were a couple, it didn't seem appropriate to call each other by their nam
At this moment, Vera wore a shy smile on her face, reminiscent of a young girl. It was evident that she was in extremely high spirits as she walked beside Charlie. Her eyes occasionally stole glances at Charlie, but each time, it was just a brief glance, not daring to stare for long. Every time she looked, her eyes would curve up like the willow leaves swaying in the wind, truly embodying a breathtaking beauty.However, the Vera they remembered was always carefree, playful, and sometimes domineering, but never shy or timid. They never associated her with the words ‘shy’ and ‘timid’.Now, they finally realized that Vera also had such a girlish and shy side.Logan watched Vera walking toward them from a distance and couldn't help but sigh with a smile, “If Miss were to wear a wedding dress or a traditional outfit, she would be even more beautiful, wouldn't she?”Emmett waved his hand solemnly and said, “No, she still looks quite young. Nowadays, girls get married in their twenties
Vera couldn't help but ask him angrily, “Shouldn't you call me 'darling' as well?”Charlie coughed twice and asked her, “There's no one else here. Do you really want me to call you that?”Vera felt aggrieved and said, “We agreed on this earlier…”Charlie immediately said seriously, “Alright, I'll keep my promise.”After adjusting himself, he said, “Darling, we'll reach the airport in half an hour.”Vera smiled sweetly and said, “Got it. Thank you, darling!”Vera, who was satisfied, couldn't help but notice Charlie's left hand on the steering wheel, and she curiously asked, “Darling, didn't you wear the ring I gave you when you came out?”Charlie casually replied, “Why would I wear it? The ring recognizes your father as its owner, not me. If we encounter danger together, it will still teleport me to you. If we really meet Fleur, wouldn't that be like a bug getting stuck, unable to escape her grasp? It would be like giving her the ring for nothing. So, it's better not to wear it.”
A trendy and stylish couple dressed in high-end fashion walked hand in hand through the VIP passage to complete their boarding process. They then held hands and boarded the airport's business car reserved for VIPs.To outsiders, these two must be lovers who were rich heirs. Not only were they dressed in high-end brands, but they also seemed to have spent hundreds of thousands on private charters for their trips.However, this was just the best disguise for Charlie and Vera.With Charlie's current appearance, no one would doubt he was just twenty years old. Even if he bumped into acquaintances, they wouldn't recognize him.As the two boarded the plane, the crew guided them to the spacious cabin. Vera completely ignored the first two independent first-class seats and held Charlie's hand as she walked toward the back and said coquettishly, “Darling, I want to sit with you.”There were side-by-side double seats at the back with no armrest in between, just like a standard double sofa s
Vera felt both shy and anxious, “I've never been in love, but I've seen enough romance dramas at least! Aren’t playful banters like this common in romance dramas?”“Yes, yes…” Charlie nodded with a smile. By this time, the plane had slowly taxied away from the gate, so Charlie brought the conversation back to the point as he whispered, “We'll be landing in Londel in a little over two hours. Can you still recall the exact location of your father's tomb?”Vera put away her smile and replied, “My father's tomb is northeast of Ensel Bay. I've seen maps and satellite photos. That place is now called Stoneridge.”Charlie nodded, took out his cell phone to check the map, and said, “Stoneridge is a bit closer to Londel. It's about an hour and a half drive from the airport.”“Mm-hmm…” Vera nodded slightly and said, “My father's tomb is on a mountain in the northeast part of Stoneridge. It's been hundreds of years, so I wonder what it looks like now.”Charlie asked her, “Was there a tombsto
Zachary then said, "By the way, I have some friends who have a lot of stock. How much capital do you have, Mr. Cole? I'll check if they have stuff that suits you, and you can partner with them."When Zachary asked how much capital, he was basically asking Raymond how much he would invest in his own business and how much he could spend on taking new stock as he was buying.As such, Raymond replied modestly, "I've been chasing my tail for a while, so I didn't earn more than a few hundred thousand. I definitely would have no issue taking items with rebates, but I'm afraid I can't afford premiums.""Alright!" Zachary nodded, having discerned the scale of Zachary's capital."I'll check on what's available and see if we can get a few personal deals."Raymond nodded. "Thank you, Zachary!"Zachary smiled, shaking his head. "Mr. Crane, please buy another fruit basket for Mr. Cole—I'll pay you later."Mick quickly said, "Oh, you don't have to, Mr. Evans! It's my pleasure, no worries!"Zach
With the last stroke, Raymond got on a ladder to reach the old signboard, pasting the banner over the old shop sign.Then, he added a notice by the entrance: We buy all antiques and measure all treasures.As soon as the makeshift sign and notice were up, Mick was the first to arrive with a fruit basket to celebrate the occasion.The instant they met, he greeted Raymond warmly, "Ah, Mr. Cole! You sure are efficient—you just came back yesterday evening, and you're already setting up shop today at noon!"Raymond smiled, "Doing a small business by myself is naturally much quicker."Mick shook his head disapprovingly as he put the fruit basket by the door, "Now, now. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Cole—almost everyone in Antique Street is a friend, but you didn't tell the gang when you opened the shop! It'd hype things up when everyone comes bringing you gifts!"Raymond quickly shook his head. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know if this humble trade will last. It's better to keep m
To not lose three months' worth of rent on top of that, Donald called over the owner at top speed while getting some of the friends in the antique trade to appraise what merchandise he had left.Taking losses had always been the hardest pill to swallow, but once the decision was made, there really was nothing that couldn't be given up.The owner was plenty pleased as well since that meant someone was picking up on his rental. He promptly had Donald sign the agreement transferring the last three months for the rental to Raymond while signing a new rental contract with Raymond.Raymond didn't have to pay up immediately either—he just had to start paying rent to the owner once Donald's three-month rent was up.Once the agreement was signed, every stall owner as well as owners of businesses resembling the Pearl House swarmed the premises.After all, they loved to take stock from people in the same line of business. Once a business owner decided to close shop, they wouldn't be bothered
If Donald had to maintain his business under such circumstances, the next three months would be even worse.Hence, instead of doing that, he really wanted to stop this business altogether.As for what remaining merchandise, he'd just get some fellow in the same business to take them off his hands at a lower cost while he gained his freedom sooner.Hence, he stopped Raymond, "Wait, my friend! Let's talk about this… if the hundred fifty grand transfer fee is too much for you, why don't I cut it down even more—say, a hundred grand instead?"Raymond turned and told him solemnly, "I'm not paying a transfer fee at all."Frustrated, Donald blurted, "At least give me ten grand for my troubles! My shop is good—you'd definitely make bank once you take it off my hands!"Raymond thought about it and eventually said, "How about this—if you can clear up the place by the end of the day, I will pay you five grand on top of the forty five grand that is your remaining rent, but not one cent more."
The reasoning was simple too—with businesses failing, most shops were losing money.With months left on Donald's rental contract, all he could do now was keep his business afloat while attempting to transfer the rental to someone else. At the same time, he must be prepared for the situation where no one would rent it from him, and he must honor his contract to the very last second.With the losses he had sustained up until the contract expires, he definitely wouldn't extend it. That meant packing up to leave while returning everything to the owner to claim the deposit that the owner was holding.Even now that he was asking for a transfer fee, his mindset was to get whatever he could get. By the last month, Donald would naturally give up on such pipe dreams regardless.Still, when Raymond saw the lack of merchandise in the shop, he could tell Donald's business was at its final stretch. What little he sold would serve to recuperate his losses, and there was no chance in hell he would
Elaine thought that it would be fine even if Jacob couldn't put aside his pride so soon.Right now, she had become more considerate of Jacob and could understand that men valued their pride. As such, she could just wait until they went traveling together, and they'd definitely be staying in the same room. With that, it would be more natural for them to share a room together again when they return.-Early the next day, Raymond arrived at Antique Street, coming over from an express hotel nearby.Although he had asked Trippy to look for a shop, he knew that Trippy might not really help him—he had to rely on himself for everything.But during his stroll yesterday afternoon, he had noticed plenty of shops that were being offered on rent or sublease. Business in Antique Street was likely poor, so Raymond came early to make inquiries about the rented properties.When Oskia's antique market was at its peak, Antique Street too enjoyed its golden age. Even now, the eyes of any antique p
Gratitude showed on Elaine and Jacob's faces as soon as they heard that Charlie was giving them a hundred grand too, with Elaine clapping and cheering, "Oh, what day is it today? All the good things are happening in one stroke! I heard Dubai is heaven for shoppers, so it'd definitely be a thrill!"Then, turning toward Jacob, she asked, "Do they need a visa over there?"Jacob thought about it. "I don't think so.""Great!"Even more excited now, Elaine quickly told Jacob, "Say no more—I will pack right now, and we can leave tomorrow!"She was ready to head to her room and do just that too, but Jacob quickly stopped her, "Calm down—we can't leave just because we want to. There's so much to plan: booking our flight, doing our research on the more interesting places to visit, getting a hotel that makes traveling convenient, as well as deciding how long we'll be there.""Right! Right!" Elaine nodded in realization and exclaimed in praise, "In the end, it's my hubby who thinks things th
Elaine was beside herself with joy at those words. "Oh, wonderful! It's been so long since I went traveling! I never really had time to enjoy myself before in the US anyway, and I even got screwed over before I left."Then, she turned toward Jacob and grumbled, "You really didn't give a shit back when we got married. Not only was our wedding so discreet, you didn't even take me on a honeymoon!""You were already heavily pregnant," Jacob chuckled awkwardly. "Where would I have taken you…?"Then, he quickly added, "Well, since dear Charlie has said it, you should pick a place you like. We will treat it as our honeymoon!"It wasn't just Elaine—it had been a long while since Jacob had gone traveling. He had thought he would find success in both love and career during the Korean exchange trip, but he had been left blinded by the blinding presence of Yolden Hart, and his love had basically ended there. That was why there was nothing pleasant about that trip at all.There was also no q
"Hah!"Elaine pursed her lips as she huffed. "It hurts to keep that money? That's the first time I've ever heard that crap. Forget two million US dollars—I would keep two gold bullions in my pocket even if it's burnt red-hot!"She then quickly added, "If it hurts you to keep it, then wire it to me and I'll keep it for you. When you and Charlie have a kid, you can use that money for their university fees!"Charlie was at once amused—only Elaine would have the audacity to say that when the two million would definitely have been spent to the last dime even before he and Claire had a child.Claire was aware that she couldn't count on her mother in regards to money and hence said, "Let me think about it… for now, my plan is that I will stay involved with the project to the end. Should it prove to be a success, I will keep the money. If it doesn't, I should at least return it to Miss Fox."Elaine quickly pressed, "If you're going to return it, you should at most return half. Let me have