"Everyone shut up!" Lloyd bellowed. The audience quieted down at once. Everyone who frequented the boxing gym knew that Lloyd was like a maniac when he was in the ring.At first, some had wanted to challenge him because of the reward, but every one of them had been scared half to death by Lloyd's manic behavior.Besides, even if someone had managed to defeat Lloyd, he had continued to challenge them to a fight until he had defeated them to the ground.After some time, Lloyd had gained a reputation, and no one dared to mess with him anymore.That was why all Lloyd needed to do was glare at them to make them shut up.However, just as everyone was eagerly waiting for Lloyd to accept Yvonne's challenge, he took off his gloves and pleaded, "Ms. Yvonne, don't joke with me. How would I dare to fight you?"Everyone was baffled by his words. Was this the maniac that they knew?"It's fine. Fight me." Yvonne's expression was icy. She took the boxing gloves and stuffed them back into Lloy
"I…" Lloyd looked at Stephen for help. "Mr. Anderson, w-why don't you help me explain this?"Yvonne turned to look at Lloyd. "This is your business. Don't drag others into it." She deliberately threatened him, "If you don't come clean, I'll break your other rib to make it even."Lloyd immediately raised both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you."Then, he told her about the stellar achievements he'd made in that boxing gym in the past six months. He even smugly raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Yvonne, aren't I great?""Nonsense!" Yvonne reached her hand out and knocked Lloyd on the head. "What's so good about fighting? All you do is get hurt, yet you're proud of it? You're wasting your life away."Lloyd clutched his head and retreated backward. "I don't have any other skills, so I can only rely on my fighting skills. If not, what else can I use to go up against Mark? I'm not as smart as you two…" He trailed off as he spoke.Yvonne was stunned. "You really want to look
Meanwhile, the Carringtons were gathered in the living area at Carrington Mansion."Grandma left with a whole team of bodyguards this morning. Does anyone know what she's doing?""I asked her, and she said she was going to give us a surprise. She was beaming. I've never seen her that happy before.""How strange. She even called all of us to come home in advance. I'm guessing she has something important to announce.""She's already so old. What could be so important that she needs to go through so much trouble?"While everyone was talking amongst themselves, Heidi arrived. "Why is Grandma looking for us?"Seeing Heidi looking annoyed, Martha asked curiously, "What is it? Did you have plans?""I just bought flight tickets yesterday. I was planning to go to Northerna City to get my ungrateful daughter back. Luckily, the flight is in the afternoon, so I still managed to come here."Heidi scanned the room and said, "Where is Grandma? Is she not here?""She left with a team of bodyg
Heidi turned around and smiled sheepishly at Otto. "Otto, what I meant was that I hope Edith will return home sooner. After all, it's a tough world out there. Everyone knows what your mother is like. I'm just worried she will suffer."Heidi tried to smooth things out by adding, "Otto, I'm going to Northerna City this afternoon. If you want, I can also help you talk to Edith—""There's no need for that," Otto said in a deep voice. "My mother is doing well for herself. None of you have to worry. Besides, I'm happy for her. She managed to find her true purpose in life at this age. That's more precious than anything. "After all, not everyone can be like her. Not everyone has the courage to start from scratch again."Otto's tone was calm, yet his words sounded like a slap on everyone's face.Heidi was speechless. Her expression became quite ugly. At this moment, a housekeeper came running in. "Mrs. Carrington Senior is back!"Everyone's attention finally turned to the huge door
Seeing Agatha lose her temper, someone finally said feebly, "Grandma, Daniel's son has been missing for so many years, and we haven't received any news."Paige's husband, Louis Carrington, furrowed his brows and mustered up the courage to say, "I'm sure you know as well. When the child went missing, he was a baby. Even the police said that his chances of surviving were very low.""Yes, Grandma. We all know what happened back then was a huge blow to you. You always wanted to help Daniel find his child." Paige looked a little distressed. "But we have to face reality. The world is so huge. It's not strange to find someone who looks like Daniel, even if they're not related. You can't determine that he's Daniel's child just based on his looks, right?""That's right." The others chimed in as well.Agatha was so furious that she chuckled. "Do you think I'm old and senile? Do you think I'll just pick someone up from the streets randomly and bring them home?""You're misunderstanding us.
"Great-Grandma, you're being too hasty." Mark said slowly, "I've just returned home. There are a lot of things I still need to learn. I don't want to cross the line at such a moment.""You have my support. What's there to worry about? Besides, I won't let you take on such a huge responsibility alone."Agatha looked at Otto. "Otto, Mark is your elder cousin. Shouldn't you help him manage the family business?""No." Mark pretended to look nervous and stopped Agatha. "Great-Grandma. Mr. Carrington is doing a great job. I should be the one helping him instead.""This won't do! You're the son of my eldest grandchild! You should be the one inheriting the family business!" Agatha looked stern. "All these years, Otto has helped manage the business while you were missing. But now that you're back, it should be handed over to you! It was always yours!""Great-Grandma." Mark looked conflicted. "You're putting me in a tough spot. I don't want to have any issues with Mr. Carrington the momen
The phone rang for a while. Otto collected his thoughts before pressing the answer button on his steering wheel.Soon, Yvonne's voice rang out in the car. "Mr. Carrington, how's it going on your side?""Did Calbert tell you?" Otto asked."Yes." Yvonne replied swiftly, "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to the airport to pick him up. I guessed she was prepared to take Mark back to meet the Carrington family.""You're right." Otto's tone was calm, but Yvonne was stunned. "Y-You're saying that Mark has already returned to Carrington Mansion?""Hmm. Great-Grandma even gathered the entire family to welcome him." Otto looked ahead. His eyes were dark. "I never expected that she would be so anxious to make him the heir."Yvonne was shocked. "She took back your powers on the spot?""No. Mark stopped her." Otto paused for a while before adding, "I'm guessing he's trying to move forward by taking a step back. He knows that Great-Grandma wants him to become the heir, so he's in no hurry. B
Yvonne forced a polite smile. "Then, what good ideas can you share with me, Mr. Anderson?""None at the moment." Stephen answered so straightforwardly that Yvonne didn't realize that he was messing with her.By the time she came to her senses, he had already left. "Stephen Anderson!" she yelled.Stephen didn't look back. He smirked teasingly. Lloyd, who was standing far away and waiting, saw Stephen smirking. He couldn't help but be curious. "Mr. Anderson, what are you smirking about?""Something interesting," Stephen replied before patting Lloyd on the shoulder. "Let's go. I'll take you to the infirmary.""Okay," Lloyd said. He walked along with Stephen by his side. He could tell that Stephen seemed much more relaxed. He was smiling a little more, too."Mr. Anderson, you must be happy that Ms. Yvonne has returned to you, right?"Stephen looked at him. "Is it that obvious?"Lloyd nodded seriously. "When she wasn't around, you were as frosty as an ice sculpture. You didn't
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