McKenzie, still seated on the sofa made of genuine leather, fixed her eyes on the tightly shut door life.Five more minutes.Charmine would certainly lose at this rate.McKenzie gently lifted a teacup filled with branded tea to sip at it, and an unnoticeable glint of pride twinkled in her eyes.Even as it was just two minutes away until ten, Charmine still had not shown up. Such was the situation that elicited gossip and remarks."Why is Charmine not here yet? Is she unable to take the risk and run away at the last minute?""Haha! For sure! She must've known that she’s unable to win, so she doesn’t dare to show up!""And yet she sounded so bold last night! She's like a turtle that shrinks back into its shell. This is a waste of my time!""She shouldn’t have made such a big deal out of herself. Now, she has embarrassed herself!""She spoke before her brain could make sense of things, and now, she doesn’t even have the courage to show up? She’s just a fake mogul, it seems!""
McKenzie decided to keep herself in check for the time being and offered an elegant smile instead. "Of course not. But, I heard that Ms. Annabel is ill. Had Ms. Charmine neglected her and came here anyway?""It's true that something urgent happened to Annabel." Charmine stared at her and smirked. "But, I’ve treated her with the needles and relieved the symptoms."Half an hour ago, at the Bailey mansion…Annabel had regained consciousness, but her condition did not seem too optimistic. She might faint anytime, and her brain might suffer from damages.When she opened her eyes and saw Charmine, she panicked and said, "Ms. Charmine, why are you still here? Hurry and go to the competition! Don’t be late!""She's awake now, my dear," Anthony added. "Let’s go."Susan, meanwhile, had other things to say. "You’re too kind, Annabel. You’re still in danger, yet you’re asking the only person who could help you to leave?"The pale-faced Annabel thus feebly responded, "I’m fine; I know my bod
McKenzie could speak all languages of the world, while Charmine was expelled from school from a young age. How many languages could she speak? Ha!McKenzie would win this round!McKenzie first spoke in English, "Do you think you can win?"Charmine shot her an aloof stare before her red lips parted, and she spoke in fluent German, "Of course. If I accept the challenge, I have to win."McKenzie scoffed and replied in fluent Japanese, "Self-conceited."Charmine smiled and spoke in Russian, "Ms. McKenzie, you better save some energy to worry about yourself."McKenzie replied in Polish, "Go on, then!"…Both of them nearly exhausted the list of all languages that existed in the world, and everyone watched on with confusion and shock.This was indeed the competition between two moguls. The crowd did not understand a word.They did not study enough!McKenzie, meanwhile, stared at Charmine in surprise.She did not expect Charmine to be able to speak so many languages. She was just
McKenzie looked at Charmine coldly; pride and arrogance radiated from her face. It was evident just how victorious she felt with just a glance at her expression.Among the voices, Charmine's red lips curved into a smirk as she glanced at the crowd. "Just because you haven’t heard of it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist! What I said was the language of a small tribe in the southwest forest. It was the language of Japatoda! This language is being recorded in the national language museum!"Oh, right, what I said was…"Charmine paused and looked at McKenzie, her smirk never once wavering. "$^&** means, 'you've lost.'"Her clear voice resonated in the hall.McKenzie felt like a knife had been stabbed into her heart, and her face stiffened.Was there such a thing as Japatoda in the world?Impossible! She refused to admit defeat!She had not heard of this language at all!Anthony had researched this language prior, and the large screen revealed the information regarding Japatoda.[The
"Why isn’t Charmine doing anything?""What else can it be? She obviously doesn’t know how to assemble them!""Charmine is definitely losing! Even if she knows something, her device won't perform better than Ms. McKenzie’s!""Right, and Ms. McKenzie is a tech-mogul, after all: the founder of the best-selling phones in Burlington!""Her phone company has a market share of sixty percent! She can beat Charmine any second!""Knowing languages is nothing; technology is the real deal.""Charmine doesn’t know anything about technology. How dare she challenge Ms. McKenzie? She even said that she was going to win? How ignorant!"Jeers and mocking laughter were heard across the venue. All the while, Charmine merely changed a hand to lean on. She remained calm as she stared at the items before her. Her behavior elicited stronger rebukes and ridicules aimed at her. "Look at Charmine’s confused look! Sigh! Listen to me, Charmine: If you’re sleepy, go home and sleep. Don’t embarrass yourse
Charmine’s hands gradually picked up the pace.She did not even have to look at the items as she took up component after component to assemble a phone.In merely a few minutes, the device in her hand already looked like the device McKenzie took 20 minutes to assemble!The mockery and sneers stopped instantly, and everyone gaped at the sight unfolding before them.Charmine knew how to assemble a phone after all, so much so that she was so capable and swift?She genuinely gave the tech-mogul McKenzie 20 minutes of extra time?How…audacious.How cool!How impressive—so skilled and madcap!McKenzie saw how Charmine took a few minutes to assemble something she needed 20 minutes to assemble, and that the device looked similar to her device.Her elegant face stiffened and went pale. Her slim fingers held onto the device as she glared at Charmine with a look of embarrassment.D*mn it!McKenzie was the founder of the best-selling phones in Burlington. Her new hardware had bested all
"Is Charmine just as what everyone claimed—an all-rounded mogul? Is she genuinely like that, but she's just not showing it?""Looking at it now, it’s likely!"The crowd no longer looked at Charmine with disgust. Instead, they gazed at her with admiration and respect.McKenzie, meanwhile, glared at the scores incredulously before aiming her stare at Charmine.How could she be so good at this? She merely took ten minutes to trample the phone she spent 30 minutes assembling!She thought her assistant accidentally switched the phones, but…Under the score, the displayed phone was indeed hers!She, a tech-mogul, a genius scholar, was defeated by Charmine!This was her forte, yet she lost to Charmine who knew nothing!?McKenzie's gaze dulled with bitterness as she clenched her fists.She thought too lowly of Charmine.McKenzie thought Charmine was just a tricky, good-looking woman, that she stole Anthony’s heart with her nice-looking face.Oh, how wrong she was.Charmine was ver
When Charmine saw how worried they seemed, she carefreely spoke, though with confidence despite her calm-sounding tone, "Don’t worry, I’m confident in this. All this while, have I done anything that I’m not confident in?"The Jordans and Annabel wanted to continue persuading her, but Charmine stopped them as she said, "Don’t worry. Just go and watch the competition. We’re starting."They were worried, but they knew they could not stop her. They could only move away.McKenzie glanced at her coldly before she loftily remarked, "This round is life-risking. You'd do well to be careful."The way McKenzie spoke sounded like it was a challenge, but why did it sound…like McKenzie was slightly worried?She turned to look at the high-above McKenzie and assumed she had heard it wrongly after all.Charmine did not mind, however. She took out a black cloth and blindfolded her eyes, much to everyone's bewilderment."Is Charmine insane? She'll be racing blindfolded?""She’s not afraid of dy
There was an unnoticeable glint in Sonia's eyes. She nestled herself further into Harry's arms as she added, "Let’s go to Pares. We'll come back after I give birth to the baby.""Alright."Harry stayed by Sonia's side as he watched over her, cared for her, and talked to her until she finally slept in his care.He stood up tiredly and walked out of the room to sit in the living room.Thuck!Something fell out of his pocket.He narrowed his eyes to the source of sound and spotted a USB.Since when did he have a USB in his pocket?With a small frown on his face, Harry curiously picked it up and noticed the front side of the USB glowing. Something was carved onto its surface, too.[Granger].Was it Dior’s USB? Why was her USB inside his pocket?Harry’s clear fingers held on the USB tightly. He thought for a moment before he took out a laptop, turned it on, and plugged in the USB.A moment later, the screen showed what seemed to be peculiar surveillance footage with a descriptio
Dior was still lost in her storm of thoughts when a shadowy figure zipped past her and ran toward Harry.When she spotted this familiar figure, she reacted quickly and held onto him."Let go of me!" growled Guy. "How dare he slap you and misunderstood you? I have to beat some sense into him!"Harry broke free and chased after Harry.Dior, despite having lost all hope and life in her, mustered the last strand of her will to chase after Guy and reeled him back. "Brother, don't," she muttered, "spare your energy…" Her sorrow clouded her eyes as she mumbled, "He’s the man I love. Even though he hates me, I won’t allow you to hurt him. As for the explanation…"Dior smiled ironically. "Whatever. That slap decimated every beautiful daydream I have about him, anyway."She no longer expected anything from him.He had no trust in her, so what would it matter if she finally got him? He did not even love her, and he did not trust her either.Dior smiled elegantly, but her eyes were fille
Dior looked forward to that new shift.She watched as Harry made his way into the restaurant silently, unable to deter her mind from the daydreams she had of him, of the new chapter of their story they would have.He would apologize to her, trying to redeem himself, and kiss her dearly as he embraced her. Later down the line, they would have a child of their own, too.Harry's long legs walked in strides, his dark gaze trained on Dior.The bright light shone on Dior’s delicately stunning face, and she also wore a red dress.He remembered her wearing this back in Mount Village.He could remember how alluring she looked back then, how they stayed in the same room, how she put down her ego to treat him with so much gentleness.Harry’s cold face mellowed down, but recalling a certain memory, the vague wistfulness in him vanished and he sat in front of her.Dior looked at him fondly, like she always would. "Long time no see."Her eyes burned brightly as if she wanted to drink in his
Dior examined the footage the moment she received it.True enough, it showed Sonia and George talking about their little deal. It also showed how Dior was telling the truth while they both ganged up on her.Dior’s frail heart felt as though it was rejuvenated once more, feeling as though blood was once more pumped into her heart. Her dull eyes devoid of hope regained their lost luster once more.Not thinking twice, she dialed Harry's number with this evidence, though he had to be busy, seeing as he did not pick up even after the phone rang for a long while.Just as she was about to hang up, Harry picked up the phone."What do you want?"On the other end of the call was the voice that she had missed for so long. His low, hoarse voice sounded so cold and emotionless.Hearing his voice brought Dior back to the image of his handsome face, and her heart skipped a beat.She tried her best to restrain her fluttering emotions as she tried to speak calmly, "Do you have time? I’d like to
At Mount Village…Inside the elegant bamboo house was Dior, dressed in a beige dress. She sat in the front yard as she took sips of her wine.The sunlight shone past the leaves and illuminated her, yet she exuded an air of loneliness.She swirled the glass and could not help recalling the moments she spent with Harry.In the beginning, she was attracted by his looks; he looked so gentle and elegant.She gave him money, kept him company, and continuously showed up around him in hopes of conquering him.Alas, she ended up in this state.The time she spent with him in Mount Village was the happiest time she had ever had. They had lived inside the bamboo house together, where he took care of her and claimed her to be his woman.They even laid inside the same room.Everything was so beautiful.Cursed was her luck, however, that it was just an illusion. He had been using her from the start, while he chose to stay with the woman who lied to him and even hurt him!No matter how mu
"Although Susan was unhappy, she should've voiced out her displeasure instead of bottling things. Cheating is wrong, regardless. Furthermore, if she wanted a career, she didn't have to stay home and depend on her husband."Grandma Bailey halted.Was that what Charmine truly thought of?Grandma Bailey thought Charmine would find Susan too aggressive unto herself.Charmine glanced at Susan again and apathetically commented, "She doesn't want to make money on her own, but she wants to be rich while complaining about her man not making time for her and taking care of her? If a woman has no ability of her own and also blames others for her miseries, all she's worth is to sit quietly at home and wait for her husband to come home. She also has no right to cheat! This is how the world works."Charmine patted Grandma Bailey’s shoulder and held Anthony’s hand, her words met with everyone's evidently surprised gazes and their silence.Grandma Bailey was shocked. Sure, Charmine sounded rathe
The colossal cruise started to drift away from the pier.Eric stood on the cruise and let the wind blow at him, loneliness and hatred still oozing from his being.He stared at the blue ocean ahead of him as Charmine's words rang in his mind unceasingly.'Will you really feel good after you've killed them?''You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?'"Forgive them and yourself.'Deliberating everything carefully, his lips curled into a bitter smile.It was true, after all, that Charmine understood him the most.Eric poured himself another drink and downed it with loneliness as he allowed the cruise to bring him wherever it would take him.…Susan was still inside the operating room when Charmine and the rest of the Baileys rushed into the hospital.Darryl stood before the room, his expression blank, his figure lonely and helpless.So many things had happened in half a day.He found out about his wife's inf
"No one's stopping you now. Eat!"Anthony clenched his hands tightly and took another glance at Charmine. He was more determined than before, and he was close to eating the pills in the bottle.Charmine, who was held hostage, gradually opened her eyes at that moment. Her gaze drifted toward Eric before she asked, her tone challenging, "Will you really feel good after you've killed them? You saw Susan suffering from a serious wound; would you still kill the one sibling you have left in the world?"Eric halted, and his eyes darkened.Charmine had just woken up, yet what she said…He cast a cold glance at Charmine. "It's my business, and it has nothing to do with you!"They were his family, and he did not want a family like this!Charmine looked squarely at him. "Eric, I don’t care if you used me or plotted against me all these years; I've treated you like a true friend, nothing more nor less. You were the only person who stayed by my side in the past five years, so I hope that you
Anthony's breath hitched when he saw Charmine.He clenched his fists and, without doubting himself, relented "I can agree to your terms, so let her go right away. This has nothing to do with her; you only hate me after all. As long as you let her go, I'll take the pill. Everything will end right away."Susan shook her head. "We'll die after eating the pill. I’m not taking that!"She had just reunited with Eric, and she did not want to die yet. She looked at Eric and begged, "Please let Anthony be, why don't you? He’s your brother, after all, and he doesn’t even know about your existence. If you’re really angry, just kill Charmine, and I'll make it up to you—"Anthony's expression contorted in sheer fury upon hearing Susan's plea, and he glared at her with murderous intent."This was all your fault, so what right do you have to make Charmine take your blame?!""What on earth are you going on about?" snapped Grandma Bailey. "Charmine has been kidnapped because of you, yet you want