In the private room, Stephen had just drunk some tea. When he heard the door open, he looked up.Cory walked in with Jane behind him.Stephen looked past Cory at Jane. So, she had been following Cory.Jane lowered her head without realizing it. She felt like Stephen's eyes were as sharp as daggers. He could tear off her disguises in no time.Cory sensed it too. He got Jane to take a seat. He said mockingly, "From what I've heard, you two are old friends, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Ford.""We're just acquaintances. We can't be considered friends," Stephen chimed in. He asked with feigned casualness, "Just out of curiosity, how do you two know each other?""One of my men rescued her," Cory replied honestly. "It was the night of the deal.""What?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. No wonder he hadn't seen Jane anywhere back then. It turned out that Cory's men had taken her away amidst the chaos."I'm sure you know what happened afterward all too well, Mr. Anderson."Cory leaned back casually
Stephen openly admitted, "Yes, it has something to do with me."Seeing that Stephen didn't intend to offer any explanation, Cory sneered. "So, she was your woman. No wonder she dared to be so cocky. Fine. I'll let her go, only because of you, but…"He paused for a while, and his gaze turned hostile. "I hope you'll keep an eye on your woman, Mr. Anderson. I can let her go this once, but that doesn't mean I'll do it next time."With that said, Cory left.Jane was standing by the corridor outside. When she saw Cory come out, she was surprised. "That was quick."However, Cory didn't even bother to look at her. He strode away.Jane looked at the door before stomping her feet. She quickly chased after Cory.Outside the restaurant, Jane was about to get in the car after Cory when he stopped her.He looked at her coldly. "Why are you in a rush to follow me? Don't you want to catch up with your old friend?" "Cory, there really isn't anything going on between Stephen and I—""You don'
Late at night, a conspicuous black sedan parked by the side of the road, blending perfectly with the dark night.The car's windows faced a mansion. Stephen looked out of his window to see that the lights in a room on the mansion's third floor were still on. A figure was pacing around behind the white curtains.Stephen gently placed his hand on the steering wheel with a cigarette between his fingers. The night breeze that blew into the car helped dissipate the smoke. The cigarette ember glowed like a distant star.The night breeze smelled of menthol and ashes.When the cigarette burned out completely, Stephen slowly came to his senses. It was time to go.For the past half a year, he had often looked at Yvonne from a distance. Each time, he only gave himself the time it took for a cigarette to finish burning.Half a year wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either. Watching her from afar could calm his yearning for her, and it wouldn't attract her attention either.However, aft
Yvonne accepted the document and went through it. Nicole went in closer to her."This is…" Nicole looked at the document carefully. "Information about those jewel suppliers?""Hmm." Yvonne glanced through the list and circled a few familiar names on the list. "Invite them over in your name."Yvonne handed the information to Nicole before lazily sinking into the couch. "We'll see them tomorrow afternoon. I'll talk to them."Nicole was stunned. Yvonne was way too efficient! "Ms. Miller," Tricia called out politely. "The people who were tracking you for the past few days have stopped. They said that Cory Sloan put out word that he wasn't going to be petty with a woman.""What?" Yvonne raised an eyebrow. "How is he so forgiving?""I don't know the details yet, but this is good for us." Tricia had been concerned about this the whole time. She had been worried that Cory's men would knock on their door one day. From the way they did things, murder and theft were nothing out of th
"Who goes there?" Wilbur "Willoughby" O'Malley looked at the screen and asked fiercely, "Who dares to call me by my nickname?""When you were Howard's lapdog, you liked being called Willoughby, right? You've been a lapdog for so long that it seems you have forgotten how to be human." The woman sounded condescending.Wilbur looked a little alarmed. "Y-You knew Howard?"The woman snickered. "Of course. Shall I entertain everyone with stories of your lapdog days?"Everyone looked at Wilbur as though they were enjoying the show.Wilbur was infuriated. He sprang up and headed straight for the screen. "I dare you to come out! Stop hiding behind the screen. I'm not afraid of a woman like you."When he was close to the screen, Doodoo appeared from behind the screen and bared its fangs.Wilbur was so frightened that he stumbled backward and fell to the ground."I-It's… a wolf!"When the others saw Doodoo, they stood up and looked at it in fear. They were prepared to dash out of the roo
The jewel suppliers looked at each other. Nicole had clearly seen through them."I'd been wondering whether it was just malicious competition from my peers or whether you suppliers had collaborated to increase the prices. Now it seems that it's both."Nicole looked at all of them. "Someone must have been in touch with that mysterious buyer and struck a deal. That person must have instigated the other jewel suppliers to raise their prices. "Once you all have stopped all other collaborations..."She paused before continuing, "After they have purchased once from all of you at a high price, what's next? I'm sure you don't need me to spell it out for you."Hearing that, everyone subconsciously glanced at Wilbur.Wilbur immediately became sheepish. "Why are all of you looking at me like that? I have nothing to do with some mystery buyer! I just want everyone to profit together!"No one really believed him, but Nicole stood up for him."I believe Mr. O'Malley isn't the type of pers
After leaving the private club, Wilbur got his driver to take him to a mansion. He got out of the car and said to the guards by the gate, "I need to see Ms. Ford. Tell her that Wilbur O'Malley is looking for her urgently."The guard didn't budge at all. "No need. Ms. Ford isn't seeing guests at this moment. Please leave.""Please pass the message on to her. She will surely see me. This is really urgent!" Wilbur was about to barge in, but he was no match for the guards. He was soon shoved away.Wilbur yelled at the third-floor window. "Ms. Ford, it's Wilbur! I don't think we can go on with our deal. Let me talk to you in person!"In her room, Jane heard Wilbur's voice. She had just gotten up when Benji pressed her back down. He warned her, "Boss forbade you from seeing anyone. You better be good now. If you make him angry again, there's a possibility that you won't be able to leave the mines alive.""But…" Jane wanted to say something else when she heard Wilbur yelp and wail. S
"Yvonne!"Yvonne was alarmed when she heard someone call her. Before she could react, Calbert was already in front of her.Doodoo went up and barked at Calbert.Calbert jumped and retreated two steps backward. He continued to look at Yvonne in disbelief. "W-Why are you here?""Doodoo, heel," Yvonne commanded. Seeing Doodoo return to Yvonne's side, Calbert frowned and pointed at Doodoo. "This monster is called 'Doodoo'?"Yvonne said openly, "What? Does it not sound nice?"Calbert looked conflicted. "It's not that it doesn't sound nice. It's just that this majestic-looking creature has such a cute name. Don't you think it doesn't match his personality?""It likes it a lot." Yvonne looked at Doodoo. "Isn't that so, Doodoo?"Doodoo barked in agreement.Calbert smiled. This little puppy looked nothing like the vicious dog that had barked at him a moment ago.He looked at Yvonne once more. "You still haven't answered my first question."Yvonne replied with a question, "You tell
A light breeze blew by in the courtyard. Agatha slowly recounted the past.Back then, Daniel and his wife, Katherine, had just had Mark. The entire Carrington family had been celebrating.They had doted on Mark and taken him wherever they went.That day, they had headed out. Before they'd known it, Mark had been taken away.Just when Daniel and Katherine had been on the brink of losing it, they had received a call from the kidnapper to bring the ransom to a specific spot.They had gotten the money and driven there without any hesitation. No one had thought that they would ever return after that. Even Mark had disappeared.When Agatha finished recounting this, her cup of tea had already cooled.She wiped her tears away. She said through a catch in her throat, "Katherine was hugging the bag of money tightly until the moment she passed away, as though she were hugging you."Mark furrowed his brows. Now that he'd heard the truth about Daniel and Katherine, he should have felt pain
As Yvonne left the room, she could tell that Stephen's mood was much better.She looked at him. "Are you thinking of something nice?""No." Stephen looked at Yvonne with a rare twinkle in his eyes."Let me take you to breakfast." Before Yvonne could respond, he took her hand and led her to the elevator.Thinking about how he'd stood outside her room the entire night, Yvonne decided to let him hold her hand.Then, her thoughts drifted to Otto. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.…At the same time, Mark was in the courtyard of Carrington Mansion. He sat next to Agatha and poured some tea for her.He handed her a cup of hot tea. "Great-Grandma, try this."When he noticed that Agatha had no reaction, he called out to her once more. "Great-Grandma?""Huh?" Agatha came to her senses. She looked at Mark in confusion. "What is it?""You've been distracted since yesterday. Are you thinking of something?" Mark asked.Agatha shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she picked up her teacup and
Yvonne stood by the door of the bedroom and looked at Otto, who was looking out of the window in a daze on the bed.The sun shone on his face. He looked quite hungover and had a sickly pale face.Yvonne hesitated for a while before saying gently, "Mrs. Jenner called me last night. She's worried about you."Otto didn't respond.Yvonne went in closer and added, "She said that you called her and asked about your father. She found it strange."Mr. Carrington, why did you suddenly think about your father? Did Mrs. Carrington Senior bring him up yesterday?"All Yvonne got was silence.Luckily, she was patient. She sat on the couch and followed Otto's line of sight. Tiny dust particles were floating among the sunbeams. Yvonne also fell into a daze as she watched them float about.Suddenly, Otto asked, "Have you ever felt like your world was falling apart?""Hmm?" Yvonne was confused. "For example?""I mean, like the person that you trust turns out to be different from what you'd t
The next morning, Yvonne opened her door to see Stephen standing outside. She was caught off guard."What is wrong with you this morning? Why didn't you knock…"While talking, Yvonne noticed that Stephen was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Don't tell me you didn't leave last night? Have you been standing outside this door all this while?""Hmm." Stephen looked at Yvonne intently. "I thought you would've figured it out quickly."Yvonne was speechless, but she thought to herself that she'd slept like a baby the night before.She smiled at him. "Figure what out?" She noticed Stephen frowning as though he were on the brink of losing his temper.She quickly added, "I-I mean, you have to give me a hint, right? I've thought about it the entire night, but I still don't understand. My brain isn't functioning well."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You've been thinking about it the entire night?""Yes, which is why I didn't look for yo
"If I hadn't come to find you tonight, you probably wouldn't tell me anything about what happened tonight, would you?" Stephen asked in retort.It wasn't a big deal, as long as they returned safely. Yvonne wondered why she needed to report this to him.But she still smiled. "It's late. How could I disrupt your rest? It would've been the same if I told you about it tomorrow morning, right?"Stephen sniggered. "Yvonne, you still don't know where you've gone wrong."He suddenly went in closer to her. Yvonne instinctively retreated until her back was up against the wall. She glared at him."What on earth is wrong with you? I've already said that I would've told you tomorrow morning—"A punch went past Yvonne and landed brutally on the wall.Yvonne was a little stunned. She looked into Stephen's eyes and furrowed her brows. "Stephen, I don't want to quarrel with you for no reason. "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to look for Otto today. Calbert couldn't reach him the entire day, so he
Jane returned to the private room, distracted.She sat down next to Cory. She looked at him as he reached his hand out to her in confusion.Cory furrowed his brows and asked unhappily, "Where's the wine?""Wine… Yes! Wine!" Jane came to her senses. She was just about to get up when Cory pulled her back.He grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What happened when you went out?""N-Nothing."Cory tightened his grip. Jane furrowed her brows in pain. "I-I… I saw Yvonne. She told me that she and Stephen got remarried.""What?" Cory relaxed his grip a little. "They got remarried?""Hmm.""So, what?" He had no intention of letting her go, and he looked at her sharply. "Does it bother you so much that Stephen got remarried?"Jane looked at Cory frantically. "Cory, what do you mean by that?""What do I mean? You know what I mean."Cory went in closer. His tone turned icy. "You used to pursue Stephen. Now that you know he's gotten married, you're in this shitty mood
Yvonne turned around to see Jane smiling at her ambiguously. She furrowed her brows. How were they always bumping into each other?Jane crossed her hands in front of her chest and leaned against the wall. She swept her gaze at Calbert and Otto. "Two guys and one woman. You sure know how to have fun!"Calbert instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?""Why are you being so fierce? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Jane snickered. "Two guys and a woman came out of a private room in the middle of the night. Anyone would come to the same conclusion. We're all adults. There's no need to pretend to be innocent.""You—" Calbert was about to go up to Jane, but Yvonne stopped him."Since Ms. Ford is here, I'm guessing so is Cory?" Yvonne smiled, yet her smile didn't reach her eyes. "If you cause a scene here and this bar gets raided, guess who'll be the ones walking out here alive?"Jane's expression turned ugly. "Are you threatening me?""It's just a kind reminder." Yvon
Calbert and Yvonne managed to track Otto's car to a bar, thanks to the information they'd gotten from his staff. Otto's car was right outside the bar.Calbert looked at the neon sign and furrowed his brows. "Why is Otto here? Did what Mrs. Carrington Senior said really hit him so badly that he has to drown himself in alcohol?"Yvonne said nothing and headed directly inside the bar."Wait up for me!" Calbert went after her. He subconsciously protected her from all the drunk patrons.The lighting in the bar was dim. Many of the patrons were drunk and having fun.Yvonne and Calbert walked around the booth area, but Otto was nowhere to be found. They pulled a server over to ask if there was a patron by the name of Otto Carrington who had reserved a private room.Coincidentally, the server had just taken two bottles of wine to Otto's room. So, he led them to the private room.Calbert tipped the server before opening the door and entering. The entire room reeked of alcohol.He looked
After Agatha left, Otto stood in the same spot without moving.A long time later, Zac entered the office. He looked at Otto's back and asked quietly, "Mr. Carrington, will you still see the client?""No." Otto sounded heartbroken.Zac didn't dare ask further questions. He gently closed the door and reminded the secretary that no one was to disturb Otto.In the office, Otto was alone. He slowly walked over to the couch and slumped into it. His mind was in a mess."Alexander was the one who planned the kidnapping back then."Agatha's words rang in his mind for a long time.Alexander's young face appeared in Otto's mind, smiling at him affectionately."Otto! Amazing! Yes! Just like that!""You're amazing at badminton! You're going to make the country proud! I'm going to be so proud of you!""Otto, my son!"Memories of his interactions with Alexander flashed across his mind at that moment.Otto couldn't imagine that such a loving father would do such an absurd thing. Alexander